Editing Eric Cartman (section)

===Creation and Design===
Cartman is based on "the garbage in everyone's souls" according to Trey, and he and Matt often assert that they use Cartman to voice their negative thoughts, making him one of their favorite characters on the show. He was initially based loosely on the character Archie Bunker from the hit show ''''All in the Family'''', who was notably foul-mouthed and politically incorrect, but Matt and Trey thought in the political correct atmosphere of nineties America, such a character couldn't possibly exist... unless he was an eight-year-old boy who didn't seem to know any better. His name was allegedly borrowed from an acquaintance of the two by the name Matt Karpman.

Cartman's voice has always been provided by series co-creator Trey Parker, and his accent, mannerisms and catchphrases have been developed throughout the show's long run. Trey has cited the season 3 episode "[[The Red Badge of Gayness]]" as a highly influential episode in the evolution of Cartman's voice, as it has lead to the adoption of elements of a southern accent. Although the boys' voices are digitally manipulated in Pro Tools to sound the pitch of a fourth grader, Trey has performed Cartman's original voice in live-action on a handful of occasions, such as during a sequence in the movie ''BASEketball'' (which Stan and Kenny hated) and during an appearance on ''Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'' in 2011.

Trey has cited Cartman among his top three favorite characters, along with [[Butters Stotch]] and [[Randy Marsh]], but particularly enjoys writing episodes such as "[[Casa Bonita]]" and "[[AWESOM-O]]" that rely on his relationship with Butters.

Below is a selection of kick-ass behind the scenes content, exclusively from South Park: