Ed Crosswire

Edward Edsel Crosswire,  called Ed, is a businessman who sells used cars for his used-car dealership Crosswire Motors and is also the coach of the Lakewood Elementary Soccer Team since Muffy's Soccer Shocker. He is the father of both Muffy and Chip Crosswire and the husband of Millicent Crosswire. He is also Elwood City's wealthiest business man, whose catering gigs are highly lucrative. His grandfather, Edzel E. Crosswire was the founder of the Crosswire's automotive empire, and was mentioned in Arthur and the True Francine.

Appearance
Ed is a monkey depicted with a pale complexion, short combed orange hair; and wears a suit consisting of a light pink shirt, pink necktie, a light blue blazer, bluish-green dress pants, a belt buckle, and brown shoes.

His original design was seen in a Crosswire family portrait inside of a tent at camp on a page in Arthur Goes to Camp, first published in 1982. In his original design he had clumps of hair and brown monkey fur, and wore glasses and a suit and tie. He was absent from the Arthur franchise for more than ten years, then was brought back in the television series for Season 1, completely redesigned and no longer wearing glasses. He is thought to be around forty to fifty years old, like most other parents in the series.

Personality
Ed is somewhat like his daughter, Muffy, in the way that he can be a snob at times. Ed also seems to spoil Muffy, as seen in "The Cherry Tree". He is, however, kind and a good parent as seen in "How the Cookie Crumbles". He had talked to Muffy about her situation where she wasn't giving her friends any credit and he had said: "A lie is a lie even when you get away with it." Muffy had then said "And being a car salesman, he won't stand for any lying!" which can be interpreted as her father being a fair man who doesn't scam people into buying his cars. He is known to sternly lecture Muffy. He purchased Castle Manor in The Fright Stuff, which is haunted. Even though Muffy was right about it being haunted, many of her friends and rivals were pranking each other, of which he did not approve. He also did not approve of her interrupting Ms. McWord. When made head coach of the Lakewood Elementary Soccer Team, he stressed the importance of honest play and practice. He did not show favoritism to his daughter but did provide positive encouragement. Despite his high-class lifestyle, Ed showed good grace when staying in a shelter in "Shelter from the Storm".

Employees

 * Bailey - He is the family chauffeur, as well as butler, but is mostly there to watch Muffy.
 * David Read - He is Ed's caterer.
 * Jane Read - She is Ed's accountant.
 * Cook - is mentioned in Muffy's New Best Friend and seen in How the Cookie Crumbles. He is a cook besides David.

Appearances

 * Specials
 * Arthur - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
 * Season 1
 * Arthur Goes to Camp 10701
 * Arthur Bounces Back 10802
 * Arthur's Lost Dog (Cameo) 11202
 * Arthur and the True Francine 11402
 * D.W. Gets Lost 12402
 * My Dad, the Garbage Man 12601
 * The Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club 12802
 * Season 2
 * The Short, Quick Summer 20902
 * Water and the Brain 21301 (flashback)
 * Arthur the Unfunny 21302
 * Fern's Slumber Party (Cameo) 21502
 * How the Cookie Crumbles 22001
 * Season 3
 * Background Blues 30401
 * Dad's Dessert Dilemma 30702
 * Season 4
 * Muffy's New Best Friend (Mentioned) 40202
 * The Fright Stuff 40302
 * The Blizzard 40501
 * Season 5
 * Kids are from Earth, Parents are from Pluto (Cameo) 50201
 * The Election (Mentioned) 50601
 * Sleep No More (Cameo) 50701
 * Muffy Gets Mature (Mentioned) 51002
 * Season 6
 * The Secret Life of Dogs and Babies 60302
 * Muffy's Soccer Shocker 60401
 * Brother, Can You Spare a Clarinet? (Mentioned) 60402
 * Season 7
 * Waiting to Go 70402
 * Elwood City Turns 100! 70500
 * Pick a Car, Any Car 70601
 * April 9th (Cameo) 71000
 * Season 8
 * D.W., Dancing Queen (Cameo) 80402
 * Sue Ellen Chickens Out (Mentioned) 80502
 * Muffy's Art Attack 80801
 * Season 9
 * George Blows His Top 90202
 * The Law of the Jungle Gym 90302
 * Lights, Camera... Opera! 90501
 * The "A" Team 90801
 * Season 10
 * The Curse of the Grebes 100601
 * Season 11
 * Prunella Packs It In 110302
 * The Making of Arthur 110601
 * Season 12
 * Room to Ride 120201
 * The Cherry Tree 120601
 * Matchmaker, Match Breaker 120602
 * Season 13
 * The Great MacGrady 130100
 * No Acting, Please 130501
 * A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Tibble 130701
 * Season 14
 * The Agent of Change (Cameo) 140201
 * D.W. Unties the Knot (Cameo) 140202
 * Muffy and the Big Bad Blog (Cameo) 140702
 * Season 15
 * Buster's Carpool Catastrophe (Mentioned) 150602
 * Muffy's Classy Classics Club 150801
 * The Butler Did... What? 151001
 * Season 16
 * Based on a True Story(Cameo on TV) 160100
 * Flippity Francine 160201
 * Muffy Takes the Wheel 160202
 * Fern and the Case of the Stolen Story 160901
 * Sue Ellen Vegges Out 160902
 * Season 17
 * Caught in the Crosswires 170901
 * Framed! 170902
 * Binky's Music Madness 171001
 * Season 18
 * D.W. & Bud's Higher Purpose (Mentioned) 180102
 * The Friend Who Wasn't There 180201
 * Francine's Cleats of Strength 180801
 * Shelter from the Storm 1810
 * Season 19
 * Brain Sees Stars 190102
 * Season 20
 * The Butler Did It 200502
 * Prunella's Tent of Portent (Cameo) 200601
 * Mutiny on the Pitch (Cameo) 200602
 * Season 21
 * The Master Builders 2102
 * Sue Ellen & the Last Page 210302
 * Muffy Misses Out 210401
 * Invasion of the Soccer Fans 210701 (On TV)

Trivia

 * Ed's credit card number is A03 7002 70123.
 * In the Arthur Adventure series, Ed originally works at a bank instead of a car dealership.
 * Ed's middle name, Edsel, is likely a reference to the car of the same name from the Ford Motor Company. This is presumably an inside joke, as the Edsel was the late 50s and early 60s car model, the name of which remains synonymous in popular culture with commercial failure. It might also be a reference to Henry Ford's son, who was named for the car.
 * Ed never went to college as noted in Prunella Packs It In, but he does have an honorary degree from Ivy university
 * He sold used skates as a kid.
 * Ed was involved with Elwood City Public Library more than once. He (with Millicent) had "weird stories" such as The Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club books banned. However, he saved the library in Sue Ellen & the Last Page.
 * His favorite opera is Carmen.
 * He is allergic to dogs. Despite this, he would have liked to have been a dog groomer if not for working in car sales.
 * Ms. McWord noted that Ed never did read while he was in grade school. This indicates he probably might have been like Buster for a time when he was a student