This is part of a special series in which NPR looks back at its coverage of major news stories from the past.

Which long-running cartoon features this protagonist: he’s got round ears, an iconic yellow sweater, and a snarky little sister?

If you immediately pictured an animated, 8-year-old aardvark, you’ve likely heard of Arthur Read, a character who made his TV debut 30 years ago on Oct. 7, 1996.

But before the bespectacled third-grader made his way onto our screens and into our hearts, Arthur’s first home was in the world of books.

Here’s a look at the beginnings of Arthur. 

A Bedtime Story

The author of the Arthur books is Marc Brown, a writer and illustrator who was raised in Erie, Pa.

Although Brown was interested in art from a young age, after graduating from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1968, he pursued a string of different jobs working as everything from truck driver to to short-order cook to assistant professor.

Brown says he got the inspiration for Arthur when his son Tolon asked for a bedtime story about a “weird” animal. The first weird animal that came to mind? An aardvark. From there, Brown wrote and illustrated his first picture book depicting an aardvark named Arthur. This animal, with its long anteater snout and small ears, starred in Arthur’s Nose, published in 1976. 

While working on the next book, Brown made a pivotal change to the character’s design. The second book titled, Arthur’s Eyes, featured Arthur getting a new pair of glasses. As Brown drew the glasses, he realized there was a problem.

Speaking to NPR’s Linda Wertheimer in 1997, Brown said, “I was drawing Arthur, and I wanted him to face the viewer in the book. And I could not show his mouth because his — his nose was so long. And so I shortened it a little bit. And I thought to myself, gee, if there are two books about Arthur, well there might be a third book. Now how do you really want this character to look?”