The Addams Family
Addams Family Thing Artsy Gradient Sketch T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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The Addams Family
Thing
Thing is a disembodied hand and has had one of the strangest production histories of any character on this site. In the 1964 series he was literally only a hand emerging from a box — Ted Cassidy, who played Lurch, would reach in from off-camera, and when both characters were in a scene the crew used the assistant director's hand instead.
- First appearance
- The New Yorker cartoons (1938), The New Yorker
- Created by
- Charles Addams
- Also known as
- Thing T. Thing, The Hand
- Universe
- The Addams Family
- Appears in
- comics, television, film, animation
Who is Thing?
Thing is a disembodied hand and has had one of the strangest production histories of any character on this site. In the 1964 series he was literally only a hand emerging from a box — Ted Cassidy, who played Lurch, would reach in from off-camera, and when both characters were in a scene the crew used the assistant director's hand instead. The 1991 film cut him loose from the box entirely and let him scuttle around, which required a performer with his arm buried in the set and considerable post-production. For the 2022 series the production hired a Romanian stage magician, Victor Dorobantu, on the reasoning that sleight-of-hand training produces exactly the finger control the part demands. Almost nothing else in television has been solved three completely different ways.
Thing: the details
- First appearance
- Charles Addams's New Yorker cartoons, from 1938
- Created by
- Charles Addams
- A hand in a box
- In the 1964 series he only ever emerged from a box, performed by Ted Cassidy reaching in off-camera
- The stand-in
- When Cassidy appeared as Lurch in the same scene, the assistant director's hand was used instead
- Cut loose in 1991
- The film let him move freely, requiring a performer buried in the set plus post-production work
- A magician in 2022
- The series hired stage magician Victor Dorobantu, on the reasoning that sleight-of-hand training gives the right finger control
- Solved three ways
- Almost nothing else in television has been realised by three entirely different methods
Why Thing endures
One of the few characters realised three entirely different ways across three eras of production technology, and a rare case of a role for which stage magicians are the obvious casting pool.
What Thing looks like on a shirt
Signature motif: A right hand, alone, usually mid-gesture; stitched at the wrist in later versions
A hand is an unusually strong apparel graphic because it needs no context to read — it works as a pocket print, a sleeve detail or a large centred silhouette, and the stitched-wrist version adds the gothic register without any other element.
A hand needs no context to read, which makes it exceptionally flexible — pocket print, sleeve detail or large centred silhouette. The stitched wrist adds the gothic register with no other element. All sizes.
Thing T-shirts
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Fifth Sun
Men's Addams Family Thing Ornate Snap T-Shirt - Black - Large
$18.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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2Bhip
2Bhip Wednesday Thing Tarot Card T Shirt Black Crew Neck Short Sleeve
$23.95on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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The Addams Family
The Addams Family Thing's Delivery Service 1964 Nouveaux T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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The Addams Family
Addams Family Thing Artsy Gradient Sketch Premium Tri-blend T-Shirt
$24.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Wednesday
Wednesday Thing Hand Print Logo T-Shirt, Youth, Black, X-Small
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Wednesday
Wednesday Thing Very Hands On Retro Sketch Logo Premium Tri-Blend T-Shirt
$24.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Wednesday
Wednesday Thing Very Hands On Retro Sketch Logo Performance T-Shirt
$19.99on amazon.com · Aug 24, 2026
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Buying from outside the United States? Prices shown are amazon.com in US dollars. Links redirect international readers to their local Amazon, where pricing, sizing and availability are shown in local terms.
Price and availability are taken from Amazon at the time shown and can change. The price on Amazon at the time of purchase applies.
Sizes: kids to adult
Thing shirts are produced across the full US size range. These links run a live Amazon search filtered to each band, so they show what is genuinely in stock rather than a cached list.
| Band | Ages | US sizes | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toddler | 2–4 years | 2T, 3T, 4T | Search toddler sizes |
| Kids | 4–7 years | XS (4/5), S (6/7) | Search kids sizes |
| Youth | 8–14 years | M (8), L (10/12), XL (14/16) | Search youth sizes |
| Adult | 15+ | S–3XL | Search adult sizes |
US sizing shown. Cut and measurement vary between brands — see the size guide before ordering, especially for youth sizes. Base search: Addams Family Thing t-shirt.
Who has played Thing
| Performer | Production | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Cassidy | The Addams Family | 1964 | Live action |
| Christopher Hart | The Addams Family | 1991 | Live action |
| Victor Dorobantu | Wednesday | 2022 | Live action |
More tv favourites
All tv favourites →Thing T-shirts: common questions
Who created Thing?
Thing was created by Charles Addams, first appearing in The New Yorker cartoons in 1938 (The New Yorker).
What does a Thing T-shirt usually look like?
A right hand, alone, usually mid-gesture; stitched at the wrist in later versions. A hand needs no context to read, which makes it exceptionally flexible — pocket print, sleeve detail or large centred silhouette. The stitched wrist adds the gothic register with no other element. All sizes.
Are Thing T-shirts made for children?
Yes — Thing appears on our kids pages, and shirts are commonly made from US toddler 2T up through youth XL.
Who has played Thing?
Thing has been played on screen by Ted Cassidy (The Addams Family, 1964), Christopher Hart (The Addams Family, 1991), Victor Dorobantu (Wednesday, 2022).
How much does a Thing T-shirt cost?
Thing shirts we currently track start from around $18.99 on amazon.com. Every price on this page is dated, because they move.
This profile was compiled from published reference material about Thing — first appearance, creator credits and production history — and is a secondary source rather than a substitute for the original publication. Where a detail could not be corroborated it has been left out. We do not physically test garments; see how we work for what that means and what it does not.
Reference. This profile was compiled from published sources. For the character's full publication history see Wikipedia (Wikidata Q967494). Our method and limitations are stated in full.
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