Misplaced Pages

Freakazoid!: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 21:36, 13 April 2007 editEVula (talk | contribs)39,066 editsm revert; speculation← Previous edit Latest revision as of 22:17, 2 January 2025 edit undoWP Ludicer (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users11,985 edits →Background 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American animated TV comedy series (1995-1997)}}
{{infobox television |
{{About|the animated series|other uses|Freakazoid (disambiguation)}}
| show_name = Freakazoid!
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
| image = ]
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
| caption = Super-teen extraordinaire.
{{Infobox television
| rating = {{TV-G}}
| image = Freakazoid! (Amblin Television) logo.svg
| format = ]
| caption =
| runtime = approx. 0:30 (per episode)
| creator = ]<br>]<br>] | alt_name = ''Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid!''
| creator = {{Plainlist|
| starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]
* ]
| country = {{USA}}
| network = ] * ]
| first_aired = ], ]
| last_aired = ], ]
| num_episodes = 24
| imdb_id = 0111970
| tv_com_id = 2075
}} }}
| developer = ]
| director = {{Plainlist|
* Jack Heiter
* Scott Jeralds
* ]
* Dan Riba
* Rich Arons
* ]
* David Marshall
* ]
* ]
}}
| voices = {{Plainlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Tracy Rowe
* ]
}}
| narrated = Joe Leahy
| theme_music_composer = ]
| composer = {{Plainlist|
* Richard Stone
* Steven Bernstein
* Julie Bernstein
* ]
* Tim Kelly
* Carl Johnson
}}
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 2
| num_episodes = 24 (49 segments)
| list_episodes = List of Freakazoid! episodes
| executive_producer = ]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Mitch Schauer
* ]
* Rich Arons
* John P. MacCann
}}
| runtime = 22 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
* ]
* ]
}}
| network = ]
| first_aired = {{Start date|1995|9|9}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1997|6|1}}
| related =
}}
'''''Freakazoid!''''' is an American ] ] ] created by ] and ] and developed by ] for the ] programming block of ]. The series chronicles the adventures of the title character, Freakazoid, a crazy teenage ] who fights crime in ]<ref name="Perlmutter">{{Cite book |last=Perlmutter |first=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1538103739 |pages=220–221}}</ref> It also features mini-episodes about the adventures of other superheroes. The series was produced by ] and ], being the third animated series produced through the collaboration of ] and Warner Bros. Animation after '']'' and '']''.


'''''Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid!''''' is an ] ], created by ] and ] that aired for two seasons from ] to ]. ], best known as a major principal of the ], originally intended it to be a straightforward superhero action-adventure cartoon with comic overtones, but executive producer ] asked series producer/writer ] and the '']'' team to turn ''Freakazoid!'' into a flat-out comedy. ], best known as a producer of the ], originally intended for the series to be a straightforward superhero action-adventure cartoon with comic overtones, but ] Steven Spielberg requested it to be a flat-out comedy.<ref name="comedy">Lenburg, p. 638</ref> The show is similar to fellow Ruegger-led programs such as '']'', having a unique style of humor that includes ], ] breaking, ], ], and pop culture references.


The series debuted on ] on September 9, 1995, alongside '']'', '']'', and '']''. The series lasted for two seasons across 24 episodes, with the final episode being broadcast on June 1, 1997. Although the series originally struggled in ratings, reruns on ] and a fan following elevated it to become a ].<ref name="dvdint1" /> Warner Bros. considered renewing the series for a third season, but deemed it to be too expensive. The show also ranked #53 on '']''{{'}}s Top 100 Animated Series list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=53. Freakazoid |url=http://www.ign.com/top/animated-tv-series/53.html |access-date=December 13, 2011 |website=]}}</ref>
The show chronicles the adventures of the title character, Freakazoid, a manic, insane superhero who battles with a vast array of super villains. The show also features mini-episodes of adventures of other bizarre superheros.


==Background==
''Freakazoid!'' makes frequent use of ] which is often gratuitous and nonsensical, including the peaceful scene of a field of flowers ("Relax-O-Vision"), numerous people screaming ("Scream-O-Vision"), traditionally dressed ]ns dancing and slapping each other, a man being shot in the belly with a cannonball and a man wrestling a bear.
The show's title character is the superhero ] of ]y 16/17-year-old Dexter Douglas, a student of ] High School. His name alludes to the alliterative names that superheroes commonly have. Dexter gains his abilities from a ] activated by the "secret key sequence" ''"''@\&fbb=-q]/hk%fg''"'', followed by the "Delete" key{{snd}}something which was discovered when the sequence was accidentally typed by Dexter's cat, Mr. Chubbikins, and was then activated when Dexter hits the delete button on his computer to erase it. Freakazoid has enhanced strength, endurance, speed, and agility, as well as access to all of the Internet's knowledge. He cannot fly, but often runs around with his arms extended and making whooshing sounds with his mouth, pretending he is. His base is the Freakalair, a parody of the ] built by his mute butler Ingmar, which contains a "Hall of Nifty Things to Know" and a ] lab. His greatest weakness, as he explains to the head of Apex Microchips, Armando Guitierrez, is ] bars charged with ]. He also expresses a great aversion to "]".


Freakazoid also has several other abilities; he once developed ] powered by anger, and once crossed the globe to yell at a Tibetan monk. He also has the ability to assume the form of ] and cover long distances instantaneously, although he often simply sticks his arms forward and runs while pretending to fly.
==Plot==
The show's title character is the superhero alter ego of ]y teenager Dexter Douglas. Gaining his abilities from a rather spectacular ] (becoming absorbed into his computer and instantly gaining all the information on the ]), Freakazoid has enhanced ] and ], extraordinary speed, ], and, unfortunately, negligible amounts of ]. In one episode he developed ] powers, which he could only use when he was very angry, though this was only used in one episode, and never mentioned or used again. He also has the ability to assume the form of ] and cover long distances instantaneously, although he just as often simply sticks his arms forward and runs while making swooshing sounds with his mouth, pretending to fly. These changes make him a powerful and fearsome force for upholding ] and righteousness, unless he gets distracted by something like a bear riding a motorcycle. His greatest weakness, as he once explained to a villain, is that he can be imprisoned in a cage with graphite bars charged with negative ions. He also expresses a great (though understandable) aversion to "]."


Dexter can change into and out of Freakazoid at will with the words "Freak out!" and "Freak in!" (respectively). When not in Freakazoid mode, Dexter looks and acts completely normal, and his family is unaware that anything has happened to him. Dexter can change into and out of Freakazoid at will with the respective phrases "Freak out!" and "Freak in!". Freakazoid spends his inactive time in an area of Dexter's brain called the Freakazone, where he reflects and watches '']'' reruns.

While the show is set around ], the locale often varies with its humor, taking Freakazoid to locations around the world.

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Freakazoid! episodes}}
{{:List of Freakazoid! episodes}}


==Characters== ==Characters==
* '''Freakazoid''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– The protagonist of the series. He is the alter ego of ]y 16-year-old computer ace '''Dexter Douglas''' (voiced by ]), a student of ] High School who became Freakazoid after the Pinnacle Chip inside his computer was activated. To transform and detransform, Dexter says "Freak out!" and "Freak in!" respectively. Dexter and Freakazoid are sometimes considered to be separate identities, and other times are considered the same person.
{{spoiler}}

===Enemies===
===The Douglas family===
''Freakazoid!'' features a number of campy villains and enemies, including:
* '''Debbie Douglas''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Dexter's mother, who is unaware he is Freakazoid and is generally blithe and clueless.
*'''The Lobe''', a super genius whose entire head appears to be a giant brain, voiced by ]. Despite his high intellect, he has very low self-esteem, once even having a scheme foiled by Freakazoid simply insulting the plan. No background information of any kind is given for The Lobe; not even his real name is revealed.
* '''Douglas Douglas''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Dexter's father, who is incompetent but still attempts to keep his family in line.
*'''Cave Guy''', a thuggish blue ] with upper-class diction, education, and taste, voiced by ]. His real name is Royce Mumphries and he subscribes to '']''. His voice is similar to that of ]'s.
* '''Duncan Douglas''' (voiced by Googy Gress)&nbsp;– Dexter's older brother. He is a stereotypical ] who often bullies Dexter, but is frequently tormented by Freakazoid.
*'''Cobra Queen''', a former ] named Audrey Manatee whose encounter with an experimental cosmetic left in the sun too long transformed her into a cobra woman, with command over ]s and other ]s, voiced by ]. In later episodes, Cave Guy and Cobra Queen are a couple. She often complained about the lack of light in her lair until Freakazoid suggested getting ]s.
* '''Mr. Chubbikins''' (vocal effects provided by ])&nbsp;– The Douglas' cat, who caused Dexter's transformation into Freakazoid after accidentally typing in the key sequence that activated the Pinnacle Chip's flaw.
*'''Longhorn''', a ] and ] thief who underwent ] to make him resemble a ], voiced by ]. He loves ] and his truck, "Bessie Mae". Longhorn often seems to be angry; his voice resembles that of ].
*'''Armando Guitierrez''', the man whose company, Apex Microchips (not to be confused with ]), designed the faulty Pinnacle chip responsible for Freakazoid's creation. Physically, Guitierrez resembles ] (with the addition of an eyepatch), who provides the character's voice; at times he shows similarities to ] from '']'' -- also played by Montalban. One of his reoccurring jokes is asking others to laugh with him.
*'''Candle Jack''', a supernatural villain, apparently based somewhat on the ] myth. He often floats, speaks in whispers, is always seen holding a candle, and enjoys scaring people. He ] anyone who says his name.
*'''Waylon Jeepers''', a creepy little man who created the ] Watch, which has the power to turn people (and pigeons) into stone. He has also created a similar device that turned ]s into gold, and once summoned "Vorn the Unspeakable," a demon apparently based on ], with the help of a book entitled ''How to Summon Monsters the E-Z Way''. His name is a play off of the famous country guitarist ].
*'''Invisibo''', an invisible, smart mouthed ] who is only visible via the staff he carries. Freakazoid gave Invisibo his name because "you're invisible and it's my show". When Invisibo protested his name, Freakazoid said "But the trading cards already say Invisibo!" At this point, Invisibo accepted his name and laughed maniacally. An "Invisibo theme song" was sung throughout much of the episode. It consisted mainly of the following lines:
::''"Where did he go, that Invisibo!"''
:At least Freakazoid found it catchy. His voice is similar of to that of ]'s, and provided by ].
*''' Arms ]''', a spoiled teen ] turned ]ist after years of posing left his arms frozen in a jaunty pose, hands on hips. When fighting, he strikes with his over sized elbows. His first appearance is in a local shop selling "oops insurance," a form of ], which mainly consists of him breaking something of value/causing a building to detonate spectacularly, before comically following it up with a small "oops".
*'''Milk Man''', only shown/mentioned in the episode ''And Fanboy was his Name''. Shown on a news report in a pitched battle with Freakazoid and his then-], Expendable Lad. Injured during the battle, Expendable Lad was sent to the hospital with a bruised ] and was subsequently released from the service of Freakazoid.
*'''Mary Beth''', Cosgrove's former girlfriend, cosmetics executive, and monster. She is short tempered and when angered, turns green and develops a deep raspy voice. Her plan to steal Freakazoid's hero essence to remain immortal is foiled and as a result, shrivels, dies, and becomes a pile of dust. Her name is a play off of the cosmetics giant ].


===Allies=== ===Allies===
* '''Sgt. Mike Cosgrove''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A gruff yet kind-hearted police sergeant who is friends with Freakazoid and several other characters. He has the ability to get people to stop what they are doing by pointing at something and saying "Cut it out". He can also find Freakazoid no matter where he is, and often interrupts him to ask him to visit various entertainments, which Freakazoid always agrees to. During this visit, Cosgrove reveals important information about the plot of the episode, resulting in Freakazoid leaving to foil the villain's scheme. Additionally, Freakazoid entrusted Cosgrove with his secret identity, and is upset when he accidentally reveals it to Steff and Professor Jones.
Aiding Freakazoid in his surrealistic battles are:
* '''Roddy MacStew''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Freakazoid's mentor and expositionist. He is an ill-tempered Scotsman who once worked for Guitierrez and was the first to discover the Pinnacle Chip's flaw. In "The Chip", he was trapped in the Internet after going into it to escape from Guitierrez's minions, but Guitierrez later forces him out.
*'''] Mike Cosgrove''', a heavyset, gruff ] with a heart of gold, who is friends with Freakazoid and several other characters. He has the almost supernatural ability to get people to "cut it out" on command, no matter what they may be doing at the time, be it panicking at the sight of a villain, stealing a television, or attempting to capture Cosgrove and Freakazoid (in the '']'' comic series, he even once managed to get ] to "cut it out", something many had tried, and failed, to do). Often has nothing better to do than engage in hobbies or visit ]s with Freakazoid (such as building a ] or getting a mint). He speaks in a gruff ] and shows very little enthusiasm for anything. Strangely, he always manages to find Freakazoid with his police car, no matter where he is at the time (he will even catch up with him in different countries, car and all). He is voiced by (and physically resembles) ].
* '''Steff''' (voiced by Tracy Rowe)&nbsp;– Freakazoid's kind yet cynical and sarcastic girlfriend, whose real name is Stephanie. She discovers Freakazoid's secret identity after Cosgrove accidentally reveals it in "Mission: Freakazoid" and becomes Dexter's girlfriend as well.
*'''Roddy MacStew''', Freakazoid's mentor, expositionist, and driving instructor; an ill-tempered Scotsman (voiced by ]) who once worked for Guitierrez. He first found that the Pinnacle chip was flawed. In the continuation of the first episode he was trapped in the Internet. He was later kicked out of the Internet by Guitierrez and resumed his mentor role. Favorite quote: "Crud!"
* '''Hans''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A mysterious European agent who takes Freakazoid to Professor Heiney's lab.
*'''Steff''', Freakazoid's perky blonde girlfriend (voiced by ]); her real name is Stephanie. She discovers Freakazoid's secret identity when Cosgrove accidentally points it out aloud in "Mission: Freakazoid".
*'''Professor Heiney''', a scientist, with a lab in the mountains, who Freakazoid often goes to for help. He does research on monsters and is often attacked by them at his lab. * '''Professor Heiney''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A scientist with a lab in the mountains, where he researches and kills monsters.
*'''Ingmar''', Freakazoid's mute manservant, in charge of the maintenance of the Freakalair (according to Freakazoid, he constructed it himself from scratch). He quit in "Mission: Freakazoid" to become a ] and was replaced by Professor Jones. A ] on Bernardo, the mute manservant of ]. * '''Ingmar'''&nbsp;– Freakazoid's mute ], who built and maintains the Freakalair. He quits in "Mission: Freakazoid" to become a ] and is replaced by Professor Jones.
*'''Professor Jones''', a snooty, cowardly manservant (voiced by ], essentially recreating his role as Doctor Zachary Smith from '']''; every time Jones appears in a scene, someone asks him if he was "on a show with a robot"). Does not get along with Cosgrove well. * '''Professor Jones''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A snooty and cowardly man who is a parody of Dr. Zachary Smith from ''],'' who Harris also portrayed. He is Ingmar's replacement and is old friends with him. He does not get along well with Cosgrove and gets little respect from others.
*'''Joe Leahy''' the announcer (playing himself), who sometimes gets a little more involved than the typical narrator. * '''Joe Leahy''' (voiced by himself)&nbsp;– The show's vocal narrator and announcer.
* '''Freakazette'''&nbsp;– A female counterpart to Freakazoid, who only appears in the segment "Freakazoid and Friends".
*'''Freakazette''', only mentioned in the first episode for a brief verse during the "Freakazoid and Friends" theme song (which plays to the same theme as '']''). Since she never was elaborated on in the show, most fans assume her to be Steff, having turned into a Freakazoid with blonde hair and blue outfit.
*'''Foamy the Freakadog''', a vicious, rabid dog which Freakazoid had freed from the pound. Foamy is painted blue, has a Freakazoid costume (complete with hair), and is prone to maul and/or beat Freakazoid to a pulp. * '''Foamy the Freakadog''' (vocal effects provided by ])&nbsp;– A vicious, ] dog who Freakazoid frees from a dogcatcher's van and briefly adopts as his sidekick.
*'''Handman''', Freakazoid's brief "right hand man". He is quite literally just paint on Freakazoid's hand. Fell in love with and married Freakazoid's left hand. * '''Handman''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Freakazoid's brief "right hand man", who is a painted face on his right hand. He falls in love with and marries '''Handgirl''', a painted face on Freakazoid's left hand.
*'''Expendable Lad''', Freakazoid's brief sidekick from the start of '''And Fanboy was his Name''' he is taken to the hospital due to injuries sustained from milk. * '''Expendable Lad''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Freakazoid's sidekick in "And Fanboy Is His Name". He is hospitalized after Milk Man bruises his clavicle and released from Freakazoid's service.
* ''']''' (voiced by himself)&nbsp;– A film critic and historian who Dr. Mystico kidnaps to gain his knowledge.
*''']''', who was kidnapped by The Lobe to make a wooden instrument to destroy Freakazoid but got free and helped turn the tables. Abram supplied his own voice and trademark line for the episode.
* ''']''' (voiced by ])<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1631273899643027462 |user=pkrugg |title=Actually…I did Kissinger. Ha!}}</ref>&nbsp;– A politician and the former ] who Dr. Mystico kidnaps in the episode "Island of Dr. Mystico".
*''']''', who was kidnapped by Dr. Mystico during the episode ''Island of Dr. Mystico'', while Maltin was giving his opinion of the same episode. Freakazoid points out that Mystico's prisoners all have superpowers, and Mr. Maltin's is that he knows every movie ever made. Maltin provided his own voice for the episode.
* ''']''' (voiced by himself)&nbsp;– A carpenter who the Lobe kidnaps to build a deadly wood weapon.

===Enemies===
''Freakazoid!'' features several campy villains in his rogues gallery.

* '''The Lobe''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Freakazoid's archenemy, an evil genius with a giant brain for a head. Despite his high intellect, he has very low self-esteem, once even having a scheme foiled after Freakazoid insults his plan, despite being impressed by it after he leaves.
* '''Cobra Queen''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Real name Audrey Manatee, she is a former ] who was transformed into a humanoid reptile after stealing an experimental expired cosmetic. In later episodes, she and Cave Guy are shown to be dating.
* '''Cave Guy''' (voiced by ] impersonating ])&nbsp;– Real name Royce Mumphry, he is a thuggish blue-skinned ] with upper-class diction and taste who speaks in a stereotypical ] tone. He is also in a relationship with Cobra Queen.
* '''Longhorn''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– Real name Jubal "Bull" Nixon, he is a criminal and former employee of the Johnny Cat cat litter company who transformed himself into a humanoid bull via plastic surgery to avoid detection. He is additionally an aspiring musician and owns a high-tech truck nicknamed "Bessie Mae".
** '''Turk''' (voiced by Matt Landers)&nbsp;– Longhorn's henchman.
* '''Armando Guitierrez''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– The head of Apex Microchips, who designed the faulty Pinnacle Chip responsible for Freakazoid's creation. He gains powers similar to Freakazoid using the Chip, but is defeated and lost in the Internet. After escaping, Guitierrez becomes a fugitive and begins wearing a hooded robe to cover the right side of his face, which has become cybernetic.
** '''Jocko''' (voiced by ]) – Guitierrez's inarticulate henchman.
* '''Candle Jack''' (voiced by Jeff Bennett)&nbsp;– A supernatural villain with a burlap sack covering his head, who abducts anyone who says his name aloud.
* '''Waylon Jeepers''' (voiced by Jeff Bennett)&nbsp;– A man from ] who created the ] Watch, which can turn people and pigeons into stone. He is obsessed with the supernatural and is well acquainted with several monsters including ], the ], and the ].
* '''Invisibo''' (voiced by ] impersonating ])&nbsp;– Originally known as Ahmon Kor-Unch, he is an ancient Egyptian ] who wields a staff that enables him to become invisible. He was previously sealed inside a sarcophagus, but is freed in the modern day after Dexter and Duncan accidentally break the seal while fighting.
* '''Booger Beast''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A slimy monster who attacks Steff in the cold opening of episode 9.
* '''The Nerdator''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A man who plans to kidnap all of the ]s in the world and absorb their knowledge to become a "Super-Nerd". However, Freakazoid convinces him of the downsides of being a nerd, after which he discontinues his plot and instead begins kidnapping "good-looking, but vapid airheads". His design is a parody of the ].
* '''Arms Akimbo''' (voiced by ] impersonating ])&nbsp;– A spoiled ] turned ]ist who, after years of posing, was left with his arms frozen in a pose with his hands on his hips. He sells "oops insurance", a form of ]eering which mainly consists of him breaking valuable things.
* '''The Milk Man'''&nbsp;– A milk-themed villain whom Freakazoid and Expendable Lad fight in "And Fanboy Is His Name". He injures Expendable Lad's clavicle, resulting in him retiring.
* '''Deadpan''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A plain-looking, shapeshifting supervillainess with a monotonous voice.
* '''Mary Beth''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– An ancient, fire-breathing monster who disguises herself as a human and operates as an esteemed cosmetics executive. She maintains her youth by absorbing the life force of superheroes and plans to do so to Freakazoid, but he prevents her from doing so, causing her to age into dust.
* '''Janos Ivnovels''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– The dictator of Vuka Nova and its Minister of State Security. He captures Freakazoid's family on false charges of espionage before he frees them and leaves Ivnovels to be tortured by the Mime from '']''.
** '''Colonel Anton Mohans''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A vicious thug and Ivnovels' servant.
* '''Vorn the Unspeakable''' (voiced by ]) – A ]-like demon and ally of Waylon Jeepers.
* '''Dr. Mystico''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– A mad scientist with aspirations of world domination. He was kicked out of university for his mad science and set up a laboratory on a remote island to continue his experiments. Furthermore, he is assisted by his cat '''Sparkles''' and orangutan-human hybrids named '''Orangu-Men''' (vocal effects provided by ]).
* '''Kid Carrion''' (voiced by Jeff Bennett)&nbsp;– A ] ] who was among the characters created during the original development of the show.
* '''Major Danger'''&nbsp;– A villain who was part of Bruce Timm's original development of the show. He makes a cameo in "The Lobe", among the crowd watching the Lobe attempt to lobotomize Freakazoid.
* '''Bombshell'''&nbsp;– A villain who was part of Bruce Timm's original development of this show. She makes a cameo in "The Lobe", among the crowd watching the Lobe attempt to lobotomize Freakazoid.
* '''Eye-of-Newt'''&nbsp;– A one-eyed creature resembling ].


===Other characters=== ===Other characters===
* '''Mo-Ron/Bo-Ron''' (voiced by ]) – An obese and dimwitted alien from the planet Barone's, a reference to the restaurant of the same name. His name was changed to Bo-Ron to appease network censors' concerns that use of the word ] could be offensive.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}
A few characters fall somewhere in the space between "enemies" and "allies" to land squarely in the category of "nuisances."
* '''Fanboy''' (voiced by ])&nbsp;– An obese, socially awkward fanboy and would-be sidekick to Freakazoid.
*'''Mo-Ron''', a dimwitted ] voiced by ]. His name was later changed to ''Bo-Ron'', apparently to appease network censors' concerns that use of the word ] might be offensive. In one episode Lord Bravery refers to him as "Mo-Ron or... Bo-Ron, whatever". Is a parody of Ro-Man, the ridiculous-looking monster from the notoriously bad science fiction film "Robot Monster."
* '''] and ]''' (voiced by ] and ] respectively) make several cameos in the show, partly because of its setting of ]
*'''Fanboy''', an obese, acne-stricken, socially awkward ] (hence his name) and would-be sidekick to Freakazoid who obsesses about numerous comic books, TV shows and movies, from '']'' to '']''. Fanboy's age is never specified; he could be anywhere between his late teens to early thirties. Voiced by ].
* ''']''' (voiced by ]) also makes several appearances, most notably in the episode "Dexter's Date", which features a parody of '']''.
*'''Deadpan''', a plain-looking (almost blank-faced) woman with an appropriately monotonous voice, provided by ]. She is a ] who once tried to conquer Washington by transforming into Freakazoid, but this plan was quickly foiled when the real Freakazoid appeared immediately after and nonchalantly pointed her out. She had only one appearance in a short segment before the opening credits for episode 1x13, ''The Wrath of Guiterrez''.
* '''Hero Boy''' (voiced by ]) – The title character of Freakazoid's favorite TV show, which is a parody of '']''. He has no powers except for flight and his fighting techniques always fail.
*'''], ] and ]''' make frequent cameos in the show, partly because Dexter Douglas lives in Washington.
* ''']''' (voiced by ]) – The series' executive producer.
*''']''' also makes a number of appearances, most notably in the episode "Dexter's Date," which features a parody of '']''.
* ''']''' (voiced by ]) – A caricature of the real-life radio personality.
*'''Hero Boy''', the title character from Freakazoid's favorite TV show that is first shown in the episode of the same name. Hero Boy has no powers (save for flying) and his black and white show is a parody of the ] ]. Hero Boy has the catchphrase "I must succeed!", though he is invariably shrugged off by the monsters he fights when his pathetic fighting techniques (consisting of weakly pounding on the enemies) fail miserably.
* '''Lonnie Tallbutt''' (voiced by ] in human form, vocal effects provided by ] in werewolf form) – A ] who Freakazoid cures by sending him into the Internet. His name is a reference to actor ] and Lawrence Talbot, his character in '']''.
*''']''', the show's executive producer.
*''']''', a loud, obnoxious man who often interrupts the story to give background information on a villain, or to spoil the ending. He is an obvious parody of the famous radio personality, and his scenes in the series frequently feature "The Rest of the Backstory."
*'''Lonnie Talbot''', a ] that begs Dexter for help. His name is a combination of that of ] and Lawrence Talbot, the character Chaney played in the 1941 movie '']''. He is prone to grabbing people's shirt collars and yelling "You don't understand!"


]
===Mini-segments===
* '''Emmitt Nervend''' – A short, hunchbacked man who only appears in the background. The end credits often contain a credit counting how many times Emmitt appears in an episode.
''Freakazoid!'' also features several mini-segments, primarily during the first season. Each of these have their own theme songs, title cards and cast, and only rarely "cross over" into the continuity of the main show. These segments include:
* '''Weena Mercator''' – A person acknowledged whenever credits are used in an episode.
*'''Lord Bravery''', a ]-esque superhero from the ] in an outfit slightly resembling that of a ] soldier. He doesn't do much in the way of superheroism; in fact, he's very snooty and cynical. Likewise, he gets little respect and recognition as a superhero from the general public and even his wife and mother-in-law, with whom he lives. At one point he loses his name due to a trademark dispute with a bakery of the same name, after which he changes his name to ''Lord Smoked Meats and Fishes''. ] provided the voice, a very close imitation of Cleese's.<br><br>His theme song, delivered in the style of ], is as follows:
* '''Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner''' (voiced by ], ], and ]) – A trio of cartoon characters who star in '']''.
* ''']''' (voiced by ]) – A megalomaniacal genius lab mouse.


==Mini-segments==
::''He feels no pain / He can fly quite fast''
''Freakazoid!'' also features several mini-segments, primarily in the first season. Each of these have their own theme songs and title cards, and only occasionally appear in the main show. These segments include:
::''In feats of strength / He is unsurpassed''
::''His grip is firm / Never quavery''
::'']'s superhero / He's Lord Bravery.''
::''Lord Bravery!/Lord Bravery! / Lord Bra - ver - y!!!''


* '''Lord Bravery'''&nbsp;– Nigel Skunkthorpe (voiced by Jeff Bennett impersonating ]) is a superhero from the United Kingdom who resembles a ]. He does not do much in the way of superheroics, as he is snooty, cynical and unwilling to do unpleasant tasks. Likewise, he gets little respect and recognition from the public and his family.
*''']''', a good guess at what ] would be like if portrayed by ]; he can never find enough crime to fight and secretly suspects that the police are hiding crimes from him because they don't trust him. Possibly a parody of comic character ]. His trademark phrase is "Darn, the luck, darn!".
* '''The Huntsman'''&nbsp;– Marty Feeb (voiced by Jeff Bennett impersonating ]) is a ]-like hero who lives in the woods and gained his powers from corn that an elf gave him for saving his life. However, he rarely finds crime to fight.
*'''The Lawn Gnomes''', a group of lawn statuary that come to life at night in a parody of the '']'' animated series. Infamous for their mischief, they were cursed to become stone by day by a powerful wizard after they played a prank on him. They would revert at night, during which time they were given the opportunity to mend their ways to fight evil alongside mankind, after which the curse would be lifted. They have yet to do so to this day.
* '''The Lawn Gnomes'''&nbsp;– Baffeardin (voiced by ]), Huska (voiced by ]), Honna (voiced by ]), and Quist (voiced by ]) are a group of trickster ]s who come to life at night in a parody of '']''. They were previously cursed by the wizard Rathgar (voiced by ]), who informed them that the curse would only be lifted if they reformed.
*'''Toby Danger''', a (somewhat) loving parody of '']'', featuring the voices of ], ] (in his last role before he died) and ] (all of whom provided voices for ''JQ''). This was originally made for '']'', but slotted into ''Freakazoid!'' when that series was green-lighted.
* '''Toby Danger'''&nbsp;– A parody of '']'' that was originally written as a standalone short for '']'', but slotted into ''Freakazoid!'' to fill time. It features the adventures of Toby Danger (voiced by ]), his scientist father Vernon Danger (voiced by ]), his adoptive sister Sandra Danger (voiced by ]), and Vernon's bodyguard Dash O'Pepper (voiced by ]).
*'''Fatman and Boy Blubber''', the misadventures of two morbidly obese superheroes, in a parody of the ] TV series.
* '''Fatman and Boy Blubber'''&nbsp;– The misadventures of two overweight superheroes (voiced by Marc Drotman and ], respectively), in a parody of '']''. Their only segment involves them coming to the aid of Louis (voiced by ]), an overweight boy who loves sweet buns and is being tormented by bullies.


==Episodes== ==Production==
=== Season 1: (1995-1996)=== ===Voicing===
The voice actors of the show ''Freakazoid!'' included various actors from other television series and films. ], ], ], and ], who all provided voices in the series '']'', were on ''Freakazoid!''. Actors ], ], ], ], and ] also provided voices for the series. Also, writers ] and ] (who played Freakazoid) added voices themselves.


Casting for the show had been difficult for the ''Freakazoid!'' staff, as no lead character had been found even after extensive auditions.<ref name="Rugg">{{Cite news |last=Rogers |first=Brett |year=1996 |title=Freaking Out with Paul Rugg |url=http://members.aol.com/baltohoya/rugg.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104024703/http://members.aol.com/baltohoya/rugg.htm |archive-date=November 4, 2007 |access-date=June 29, 2007 |work=Animato! |issue=36}}</ref> Eventually, when writer Paul Rugg was brought to demonstrate the voice in a recording session, he ended up filling the role, as he said: "I went in there and did it. Then they played it for ] and he said 'Yep! Fine, sure, great,' and then I panicked ... and I had to do it."<ref name="Rugg" /> Rugg played the role of Freakazoid through the entire series run.
# "Five Day Forecast"/"Dance of Doom"/"Hand Man"
# "Candle Jack"/"Toby Danger in Doomsday Bet"/"The Lobe"
# "Mo-Ron"/"The Sewer Rescue"/"The Big Question"/"The Legends Who Lunch"
# "And Fan Boy Is His Name"/"Lawn Gnomes: Chapter IV - Fun in the Sun"/"Freak's French Lesson"
# "Foamy the Freakadog"/"Office Visit"/"Ode to Leonard Nimoy"/"Emergency Broadcast System"
# "The Chip (Acts I – III)"
# "The Chip (Act IV)"/"Freakazoid is History"
# "Hot Rods From Heck"/"A Time For Evil"
# "Relax-O-Vision"/"Fatman and Boy Blubber"/"Limbo Lock-Up"/"Terror Palace"
# "In Arms Way"/"The Cloud"
# "Next Time, Phone Ahead"/"Nerdator"
# "House of Freakazoid"/"Sewer or Later"
# "The Wrath of Guitierrez"


=== Season 2: (1996-1997)=== ===Animation===
The animation was outsourced to Animal-ya, Studio Junio, and Tama Production in ], ], ], and ] in ].


===Music===
# "Dexter's Date"
<!--Adding a music section to this page would make the article more informative. Music was an integral part of this series. I suggest the following:-->The music for ''Freakazoid!'' was written by ], , , ], and Tim Kelly. Stone won a Daytime Emmy with lyricist (and senior producer) ] for the main title song in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Woo |first=Elaine |date=March 15, 2001 |title=Richard Stone; Won Emmys As Composer of Cartoon Music |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-mar-15-me-38004-story.html |access-date=May 5, 2022 |website=] |language=en-US}}</ref> Julie Bernstein was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Original Song in 1998 for the song "Invisibo" from the episode "Freak-a-Panel".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Crump |first=William D. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1076805299 |title=Happy Holidays—Animated!: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film |date=2019 |isbn=978-1-4766-7293-9 |location=] |page=146 |oclc=1076805299}}</ref>
# "The Freakazoid"
# "Mission: Freakazoid"
# "Virtual Freak"
# "Hero Boy"
# "A Matter of Love"
# "Statuesque"
# "Island of Dr. Mystico"
# "Two Against Freak"
# "Freak-A-Panel"/"Tomb of Invisibo"
# "Normadeus"
'''Total Episodes:''' 24


==Controversy== ==Controversy with Mike Allred's ''Madman''==
The show and its lead character was criticized for ] the superhero ] '']'' by ],<ref name="madman" /> asserting that the title characters share several personality traits, they both have blue skin and wear similar costumes featuring a chest emblem including an exclamation mark. During the short run of the show, Allred remained relatively silent on the subject, but in 2003, he responded to a question about the show on the message board of his official website:
===Mike Allred's ''Madman''===
*]'s comic, '']'', has many similarities to ''Freakazoid!'']]This show and its lead character have been criticized as being ] of the ] '']'' by ]. Both titular characters do seem to share several personality traits. Furthermore, they wear similar costumes of opposite colours, both featuring a chest emblem of an exclamation mark (though Freakazoid's logo adds his initial F before the exclamation mark). During the short run of the show, ] remained relatively silent on the subject. However, in ], he responded to a question about the show on the messageboard of his official website:


{{cquote| ] was kind enough to tell me that '']'' was a direct inspiration for the show--with comics open and referred to when developing the show. {{blockquote|text= ] was kind enough to tell me that ''Madman'' was a direct inspiration for the show, with comics open and referred to when developing the show.


Stupidly, I was flattered--happy to inspire anything. But when the show came out--with no acknowledgement or credit or any kind of compensation--I slowly became annoyed as everyone and their uncle confronted me with "there's this cartoon that's ripping off '']''" and "you oughtta sue". Stupidly, I was flattered; happy to inspire anything. But when the show came out, with no acknowledgement or credit or any kind of compensation, I slowly became annoyed as everyone and their uncle confronted me with "there's this cartoon that's ripping off ''Madman''" and "you oughta sue".


I simply wrote a friendly letter to ] telling him his production was a direct lift of my creation, I had no intention of creating ripples--I just wanted him to know that I knew. No one replied--which is fine. And to be honest, '']'' is an amalgam of a half a dozen other influences. So who am I to complain (the exclamation mark on the chest still kindah irks me a little though. A little too close for comfort).}} I simply wrote a friendly letter to ] telling him his production was a direct lift of my creation, I had no intention of creating ripples, I just wanted him to know that I knew. No one replied, which is fine. And to be honest, ''Madman'' is an amalgam of a half a dozen other influences. So who am I to complain (the exclamation mark on the chest still kinda irks me a little though. A little too close for comfort).<ref name="madman">{{Cite web |last=Allred |first=Mike |date=2003-11-07 |title=Re: Freakazoid |url=http://www.comicscommunity.com/boards/allred/?noframes;read=9834 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060728122015/http://www.comicscommunity.com/boards/allred/?noframes%3Bread=9834 |archive-date=July 28, 2006 |access-date=2007-05-27 |website=Mike Allred Message Board}}</ref>}}


==Trivia== ==Humor==
*The humor of the show relies heavily on ], ], and obscure cultural references. Due to the lack of a proper ], much of it is self-aware humor -- for instance, after the first appearance of the Freakmobile, the show goes immediately into an impromptu commercial for a toy version; later in the episode, Freakazoid addresses an audience, congratulating the staff on how hard they have worked to make the show ]. A typically strange running gag involves a repeated credit for "Weena Mercator as the Hopping Woman", though no such character appears in any episode. Her credit is usually preceded by a number of other fictional names and followed by a fictional director. The humor in ''Freakazoid!'' relied heavily on ], ] and pop culture references. Due to the series being ], much of the series was self-aware humor (i.e. ]); for instance, after the first appearance of the Freakmobile, the show goes immediately into an impromptu commercial for a toy version, and later in the episode, Freakazoid addresses an audience, congratulating the staff on how hard they have worked to make the show ]. A running gag involves a repeated credit for "Weena Mercator as the Hopping Woman", though no such character appears in any episode. The show also incorporated humor aimed at the ], such as questioning the meaning of the initials "WB".


''Freakazoid!'' made frequent use of ], including a peaceful scene of a field of flowers ("Relax-O-Vision"), numerous people screaming and traditionally dressed ]ns dancing and slapping each other ("Candle Jack"), and a ] and a man wrestling a bear ("The Chip").
*According to a recent online chat with Warner Home Video, Freakazoid is under "Heavy Consideration" for a DVD boxset.


]s were also a major element of the show's humor. At various times, ''Freakazoid!'' hosted appearances by characters from other Warner Bros. shows such as '']'', '']'' and even an insinuation appearance of ] from Bruce Timm's ]. Portrayals of many celebrities (including producer ]) and guest appearances by such figures as ], ] and ] as themselves were also commonplace. ] had an entire episode, "Normadeus", built around him. One original character, a bizarre-looking man named Emmitt Nervend, plays no role whatsoever other than enabling a '']''-esque hunt for his cameos (complete with the number of his appearances announced in the closing credits).
*In the pilot episode, ]'s character, Guitierrez, threatens to torture Freakazoid using worms that will enter through the ear, recalling his character of Khan from '']''.


One of the show's longest cameo appearances was in the episode "The Freakazoid", where Freakazoid, Wakko from '']'', and the Brain from '']'' argue over which of their shows is ]'s favorite, with Freakazoid arguing that his show was the favorite ('']'' was not represented in the discussion as it was on ] at the time, while the others were on ]). However, when the trio confronts Steven over the issue, he admits to having no idea who they are.
*The computer bug that gives Freakazoid his powers is a reference to the ].


==History==
]
*]s are a noteworthy feature of the show. At various times, ''Freakazoid!'' hosted appearances by characters from other Warner Bros. cartoons such as '']'', '']'' and even an insinuation appearance of the '']'' from Bruce Timm's animated version (which has a similar drawing style), as well as portrayals of many celebrities (including producer ]) and guest appearances by such figures as ], ], and ] as themselves. ] had an entire episode, "Normadeus", built around him. One original character, a bizarre-looking man named Emmitt Nervend, plays no role whatsoever other than enabling a '']''-esque hunt for his constant cameos (complete with the number of his appearances announced in the closing credits). Another original character, only mentioned in the opening credits of several episodes but never actually seen is "Weena Mercator as The Hopping Woman."


===Creation===
*Made the noteworthy accomplishment of having ] (From '']'') & Brain (From '']'') appear in a scene where they argue with Freakazoid over which of their shows Steven 's favorite is. ('']'' was not represented in the discussion as it was on ] at the time, whilst the others were on Kids' WB.) However, when the trio confronts Steven over the issue, he simply replies "Who are you people?"
{{quote box|quote=I mean, it probably would not have worked as a straight super-hero show. It was really neither fish nor fowl. It was such a weird idea that it probably needed to be a comedy more than an adventure show.|source= ], ''Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm''<ref name="mmv3">{{Cite book |last=Nolen-Weathington |first=Eric |title=Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm |date=June 1, 2004 |publisher=] |isbn=978-1-893905-30-6 |page=52}}</ref>|width=30%}}
''Freakazoid!'' was created by animators ], who had previously produced '']'', and his writing partner ], who was also a story editor for '']''.<ref name="dvdint1">{{Cite AV media |title=Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid: Season 1. Special Features: The Original Freak |date=2008 |display-authors=etal |type=DVD |publisher=] |people=], ]}}</ref> Timm was called upon by ], who Timm said "liked" Timm's ''Batman'' series, to help create a new superhero show.<ref name="Timm">{{Cite news |last=Lamken |first=Saner |year=2000 |title=The Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Timm! Bruce Timm Interviewed by Brian Saner Lamken |url=http://www.twomorrows.com/comicology/articles/01timm.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060604020156/http://www.twomorrows.com/comicology/articles/01timm.html |archive-date=June 4, 2006 |work=Comicology |publisher=TwoMorrows |issue=1}}</ref> After a meeting with Spielberg, Timm said that Spielberg had "really liked" the idea for the series,<ref name=Timm/> after which Timm and Dini created the character Freakazoid, an edgy superhero with a manic personality. Timm came up with the name for the character naturally, as he recalled, "The name 'Freakazoid' just kind of jumped out of me, I don't even know where from. I said 'Oh, yeah, 'Freakazoid', that might be an interesting name.'"<ref name="dvdint1" /> Dini and Timm have also discussed their desire to create a TV show about the ], another comic character.


Timm originally created ''Freakazoid!'' to be a serious "adventure show" with some comedic undertones.<ref name="dvdint1" /> However, his initial idea for the series did not come to be, as he stated:
*Dexter's delivery of his transformation phrase, "Ohhhh, freak out!", is a direct reference to the main lyrics of the song "Le Freak" on ]'s 1978 album, ''C'est CHIC''.


{{blockquote|text=I don't mind that it's not on my résumé. I bailed on it really early. It started out as an adventure show, but it ended up turning into more and more of a comedy show; every time we'd have a meeting with Steven, the concept would kinda change, and it kept leaning more and more towards zany comedy. It really started out almost like ], on that level of, like, a teenage superhero. And it reached a point where it became a comedy with the ''Tiny Toon Adventures''/'']'' kind of humor. (...) I don't have anything against that; I just don't have a flair for it, so I bailed—I just hung out here while my staff had to do the show. <ref name=Timm/>}}
*The "secret key sequence" that must be typed for the computer bug to become active begins with: ''"@\&fbb=-q]/hk%fg"'' (the quotes are included) as seen when Roddy MacStew types the combination in "The Chip (Act IV)". The bug manifests when the user presses Delete after entering the string.


After Timm left the series, ], who developed the other Spielberg series ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' and ''Animaniacs'', was brought in to re-develop the series Timm had created "from the ground up".<ref name="dvdint1" /> Ruegger's version of the series used some of Timm's designs and concepts, but Timm said that the series was "radically altered" to become the comedy series that was more to Spielberg's liking.<ref name="dvdint1" />
*Dexter, Roddy and Guitierrez were all forced into the Internet as a result of the bug, but Roddy was never transformed or granted any superpowers as a result. He did, however, have lightning in his hair in "Wrath of Guitierrez." In "House of Freakazoid", a ] who somehow knows about Dexter's secret identity visits his home to ask his assistance for a cure. Freakazoid sends him into the internet by exploiting the flaw. The werewolf is cured, but he did not change in any other way.


Ruegger then began writing stories for the series, and came up with a pile of very short segments. Spielberg liked what Ruegger had written, but wanted longer stories for the series as well. Ruegger then asked writers ] and ] to come onto the series to write longer, more elaborate stories for the series and, according to Rugg, "(...) figure out what this was going to be, and the answer was like, 'We didn't know', and still don't".<ref name="dvdint1" />
*In "Handman", the argument between Freakazoid and the Lobe over whether or not Handman is an actual sidekick (he is actually Freakazoid's right hand with a face drawn on it) is based on the ] sketch from '']''.


===Premiere, cancellation, and syndication===
*Freakazoid never had his own comic book, but he did make a special guest crossover in issue #35 of the '']'' comic published by ]. Sergeant Cosgrove appeared as well, and his trademark "Cut it out" instantly silenced ] - something nobody else ever succeeded in doing.
{{Main|List of Freakazoid! episodes}}
''Freakazoid!'' premiered on ]'s Saturday lineup on September 9, 1995.<ref name="comedy" /> During its run, ''Freakazoid!'' came across problems of appealing to its target demographic, young children. ] said that ''Freakazoid!'' had done poorly in ratings because the audience that the series gathered was older than the target audience.<ref name="dvdint1" /> Also, ''Freakazoid'' ran into timeslot problems. Writer ] said that the time slot of the series changed frequently: "They put it at eight o' clock in the morning, 3:30 in the afternoon, they shifted it all around; we couldn't even find it, and we wrote the thing".<ref name="dvdint1" /> The series ran on ] until February 14, 1997, when it was canceled due to poor ratings, airing only one complete season and part of a second season.<ref name="comedy" /> Rugg said the series' demise was the result of a combination of people not understanding the series, time slot changes, appealing to the wrong demographics, and that "(...) there aren't a lot of ] in federal prisons. Had there been, I'm telling you, we'd still be on the air today".<ref name="dvdint1" /> However, the show was later picked up by ] and was rebroadcast from April 5, 1997, until March 29, 2003.<ref name="comedy" /> The series had a total number of 24 episodes. In 2006, ''Freakazoid!'' was one of the shows scheduled to be broadcast on the AOL broadband channel, ]. The show is currently available to stream for free on ].<ref name="in2tv">{{Cite press release |date=July 31, 2006 |title=AOL to Launch New Video Portal |url=http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1220659,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070802060125/http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1220659,00.html |archive-date=August 2, 2007 |access-date=June 29, 2007 |website=Time Warner Newsroom |publisher=Time Warner}}</ref> In Italy, ''Freakazoid!'' along with ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', ''Animaniacs'' and ''Pinky and the Brain'', was shown on ] and later ]. In Japan, ''Freakazoid!'' along with ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' was shown on ]. As of 2016, the show also currently airs on ]. Starting on June 25, 2024, the show will also air on ].

===Reception===
The series won a ] for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program.<ref name="dvdint1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Freakazoid! on WB |url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/freakazoid/cast/201491 |access-date=May 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120919021713/http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/freakazoid/cast/201491 |archive-date=2012-09-19 |website=]}}</ref>

] said that the series still has a cult following of fans who ask him questions about the series whenever they meet him.

According to Timm, the character's co-creator, he actually has a preference for the second season:
{{blockquote|text=BRUCE: I actually liked the second season better than the first season. The second season was less ''Animaniacs.'' It was more '']'', it was much more surreal. It was less hip, topical in-jokes, and---

MM: And more eating cotton candy in the Himalayas.

BRUCE: And the weird '']'' parody and stuff like that. I thought that stuff was much funnier and much more unique. The first season, to me, was just ''Animaniacs'' with a super-hero in it.<ref name=mmv3/>}}

===Video on demand===
====United States====
As of June 2022, the series is currently available to stream for free in the United States on ]. It is also available to purchase on DVD and digital stores. In Latin America, the show streams on ].

====International====
The entire series is currently available for purchase on ] in Italy.

==Merchandise==

===Print===
Freakazoid never had his own comic book, but he did make a special guest crossover in issue #35 of the '']'' comic book published by ].<ref name="comic">{{Cite comic |date=March 1998 |title=] |story=Tour DeFreak |issue=35 |publisher=] |writer=Moore, Jennifer; Sean Carolan |penciller=Batic, Leonardo |inker=McRae, Scott |page=1-19}}</ref>

===Home video===
] has released the entire series on ] in Region 1.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!DVD name||Ep #!!Release date!!Bonus features
|-
|Season 1 || style="text-align:center;"|13(+1) || {{Start date|2008|7|29}} || ] on three "key episodes", promos from the series launch, and a featurette tracking its evolution from an action series to a comedy series.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lambert |first=David |date=April 26, 2008 |title=Freakazoid!&nbsp;–Take a Look at the Back of the Box for ''Freakazoid! - Season 1'' on DVD |url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Freakazoid-Season-1-Rear-Box-Art/9476 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430192521/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Freakazoid-Season-1-Rear-Box-Art/9476 |archive-date=April 30, 2008 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |website=]}}</ref>
|-
|Season 2 || style="text-align:center;"|11 || {{Start date|2009|4|29}} || Featurettes on the making of the last episode, "Favorite Moments" from the series, and an original demo tape for the song "Bonjour, Lobey" from series composer ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lambert |first=David |date=January 29, 2009 |title=Freakazoid!&nbsp;– Finalized Box Art, Front & Back, for ''2nd Season'' Better Explains DVD Bonuses |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Freakazoid-Season-2/11226 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204034900/http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Freakazoid-Season-2/11226 |archive-date=February 4, 2009 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |website=]}}</ref>
|}

==In popular culture==
The sixth season episode of '']'', "Huggbees", aired on November 14, 2020, and features Freakazoid helping the ] defeat the Lobe and ] when they join forces. It was mentioned by Freakazoid that Steven Spielberg would have to approve the crossover which led to ] sending a message to Steven who approves of the crossover. According to Rugg, the production team for the show had sent him a script involving Freakazoid in December 2019 which he approved. The episode has Rugg, David Warner, Ed Asner, and Joe Leahy reprising their respective roles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Josh |date=November 11, 2020 |title=Wire Buzz: Doctor Who S13 Filming; Mortal Kombat Movie Delayed; Freakazoid! Meets Teen Titans Go! |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/wire-buzz-doctor-who-season-13-mortal-kombat-freakazoid-teen-titans-go |access-date=November 12, 2020 |website=]}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite encyclopedia |year=1999 |title=Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid! |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |publisher=Checkmark Books |location=New York, New York |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780816038312/page/637 |last=Lenburg |first=Jeff |edition=Third |pages= |isbn=0-8160-3831-7 |url-access=registration}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikiquote}} {{Wikiquote}}
{{Portal|Animation|Cartoon|1990s}}
* of comic creator ] in which he responds to questions of whether Freakazoid! is ] of his comic '']''.
* {{IMDb title|0111970}}
*
* at ]. from the original on July 30, 2016.
* with character designer ]
*
*
{{Warner Bros. cartoon characters}}


{{Warner Bros. animation and comics}}
]
{{Kids' WB}}
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]


]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 22:17, 2 January 2025

American animated TV comedy series (1995-1997) This article is about the animated series. For other uses, see Freakazoid (disambiguation).

Freakazoid!
Also known asSteven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid!
Created by
Developed byTom Ruegger
Directed by
Voices of
Narrated byJoe Leahy
Theme music composerRichard Stone
Composers
  • Richard Stone
  • Steven Bernstein
  • Julie Bernstein
  • Gordon Goodwin
  • Tim Kelly
  • Carl Johnson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes24 (49 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerSteven Spielberg
Producers
  • Mitch Schauer
  • Paul Rugg
  • Rich Arons
  • John P. MacCann
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkKids' WB
ReleaseSeptember 9, 1995 (1995-09-09) –
June 1, 1997 (1997-06-01)

Freakazoid! is an American superhero comedy animated television series created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini and developed by Tom Ruegger for the Kids' WB programming block of The WB. The series chronicles the adventures of the title character, Freakazoid, a crazy teenage superhero who fights crime in Washington, D.C. It also features mini-episodes about the adventures of other superheroes. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation and Amblin Entertainment, being the third animated series produced through the collaboration of Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros. Animation after Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs.

Bruce Timm, best known as a producer of the DC Animated Universe, originally intended for the series to be a straightforward superhero action-adventure cartoon with comic overtones, but executive producer Steven Spielberg requested it to be a flat-out comedy. The show is similar to fellow Ruegger-led programs such as Animaniacs, having a unique style of humor that includes slapstick, fourth wall breaking, parody, surreal humour, and pop culture references.

The series debuted on Kids' WB on September 9, 1995, alongside Animaniacs, The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries, and Pinky and the Brain. The series lasted for two seasons across 24 episodes, with the final episode being broadcast on June 1, 1997. Although the series originally struggled in ratings, reruns on Cartoon Network and a fan following elevated it to become a cult hit. Warner Bros. considered renewing the series for a third season, but deemed it to be too expensive. The show also ranked #53 on IGN's Top 100 Animated Series list.

Background

The show's title character is the superhero alter ego of geeky 16/17-year-old Dexter Douglas, a student of Harry Connick Jr. High School. His name alludes to the alliterative names that superheroes commonly have. Dexter gains his abilities from a computer bug activated by the "secret key sequence" "@\&fbb=-q]/hk%fg", followed by the "Delete" key – something which was discovered when the sequence was accidentally typed by Dexter's cat, Mr. Chubbikins, and was then activated when Dexter hits the delete button on his computer to erase it. Freakazoid has enhanced strength, endurance, speed, and agility, as well as access to all of the Internet's knowledge. He cannot fly, but often runs around with his arms extended and making whooshing sounds with his mouth, pretending he is. His base is the Freakalair, a parody of the Batcave built by his mute butler Ingmar, which contains a "Hall of Nifty Things to Know" and a mad scientist lab. His greatest weakness, as he explains to the head of Apex Microchips, Armando Guitierrez, is graphite bars charged with negative ions. He also expresses a great aversion to "poo gas".

Freakazoid also has several other abilities; he once developed telekinesis powered by anger, and once crossed the globe to yell at a Tibetan monk. He also has the ability to assume the form of electricity and cover long distances instantaneously, although he often simply sticks his arms forward and runs while pretending to fly.

Dexter can change into and out of Freakazoid at will with the respective phrases "Freak out!" and "Freak in!". Freakazoid spends his inactive time in an area of Dexter's brain called the Freakazone, where he reflects and watches Rat Patrol reruns.

While the show is set around Washington, D.C., the locale often varies with its humor, taking Freakazoid to locations around the world.

Episodes

Main article: List of Freakazoid! episodes
SeasonSegmentsEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
13613September 9, 1995 (1995-09-09)February 17, 1996 (1996-02-17)
21311September 7, 1996 (1996-09-07)June 1, 1997 (1997-06-01)

Characters

  • Freakazoid (voiced by Paul Rugg) – The protagonist of the series. He is the alter ego of geeky 16-year-old computer ace Dexter Douglas (voiced by David Kaufman), a student of Harry Connick Jr. High School who became Freakazoid after the Pinnacle Chip inside his computer was activated. To transform and detransform, Dexter says "Freak out!" and "Freak in!" respectively. Dexter and Freakazoid are sometimes considered to be separate identities, and other times are considered the same person.

The Douglas family

  • Debbie Douglas (voiced by Tress MacNeille) – Dexter's mother, who is unaware he is Freakazoid and is generally blithe and clueless.
  • Douglas Douglas (voiced by John P. McCann) – Dexter's father, who is incompetent but still attempts to keep his family in line.
  • Duncan Douglas (voiced by Googy Gress) – Dexter's older brother. He is a stereotypical jock who often bullies Dexter, but is frequently tormented by Freakazoid.
  • Mr. Chubbikins (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) – The Douglas' cat, who caused Dexter's transformation into Freakazoid after accidentally typing in the key sequence that activated the Pinnacle Chip's flaw.

Allies

  • Sgt. Mike Cosgrove (voiced by Ed Asner) – A gruff yet kind-hearted police sergeant who is friends with Freakazoid and several other characters. He has the ability to get people to stop what they are doing by pointing at something and saying "Cut it out". He can also find Freakazoid no matter where he is, and often interrupts him to ask him to visit various entertainments, which Freakazoid always agrees to. During this visit, Cosgrove reveals important information about the plot of the episode, resulting in Freakazoid leaving to foil the villain's scheme. Additionally, Freakazoid entrusted Cosgrove with his secret identity, and is upset when he accidentally reveals it to Steff and Professor Jones.
  • Roddy MacStew (voiced by Craig Ferguson) – Freakazoid's mentor and expositionist. He is an ill-tempered Scotsman who once worked for Guitierrez and was the first to discover the Pinnacle Chip's flaw. In "The Chip", he was trapped in the Internet after going into it to escape from Guitierrez's minions, but Guitierrez later forces him out.
  • Steff (voiced by Tracy Rowe) – Freakazoid's kind yet cynical and sarcastic girlfriend, whose real name is Stephanie. She discovers Freakazoid's secret identity after Cosgrove accidentally reveals it in "Mission: Freakazoid" and becomes Dexter's girlfriend as well.
  • Hans (voiced by Larry Cedar) – A mysterious European agent who takes Freakazoid to Professor Heiney's lab.
  • Professor Heiney (voiced by Ed Gilbert) – A scientist with a lab in the mountains, where he researches and kills monsters.
  • Ingmar – Freakazoid's mute butler, who built and maintains the Freakalair. He quits in "Mission: Freakazoid" to become a rodeo clown and is replaced by Professor Jones.
  • Professor Jones (voiced by Jonathan Harris) – A snooty and cowardly man who is a parody of Dr. Zachary Smith from Lost in Space, who Harris also portrayed. He is Ingmar's replacement and is old friends with him. He does not get along well with Cosgrove and gets little respect from others.
  • Joe Leahy (voiced by himself) – The show's vocal narrator and announcer.
  • Freakazette – A female counterpart to Freakazoid, who only appears in the segment "Freakazoid and Friends".
  • Foamy the Freakadog (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) – A vicious, rabid dog who Freakazoid frees from a dogcatcher's van and briefly adopts as his sidekick.
  • Handman (voiced by Paul Rugg) – Freakazoid's brief "right hand man", who is a painted face on his right hand. He falls in love with and marries Handgirl, a painted face on Freakazoid's left hand.
  • Expendable Lad (voiced by Paul Dini) – Freakazoid's sidekick in "And Fanboy Is His Name". He is hospitalized after Milk Man bruises his clavicle and released from Freakazoid's service.
  • Leonard Maltin (voiced by himself) – A film critic and historian who Dr. Mystico kidnaps to gain his knowledge.
  • Henry Kissinger (voiced by Paul Rugg) – A politician and the former Secretary of State who Dr. Mystico kidnaps in the episode "Island of Dr. Mystico".
  • Norm Abram (voiced by himself) – A carpenter who the Lobe kidnaps to build a deadly wood weapon.

Enemies

Freakazoid! features several campy villains in his rogues gallery.

  • The Lobe (voiced by David Warner) – Freakazoid's archenemy, an evil genius with a giant brain for a head. Despite his high intellect, he has very low self-esteem, once even having a scheme foiled after Freakazoid insults his plan, despite being impressed by it after he leaves.
  • Cobra Queen (voiced by Tress MacNeille) – Real name Audrey Manatee, she is a former shoplifter who was transformed into a humanoid reptile after stealing an experimental expired cosmetic. In later episodes, she and Cave Guy are shown to be dating.
  • Cave Guy (voiced by Jeff Bennett impersonating Jim Backus) – Real name Royce Mumphry, he is a thuggish blue-skinned caveman with upper-class diction and taste who speaks in a stereotypical WASP tone. He is also in a relationship with Cobra Queen.
  • Longhorn (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) – Real name Jubal "Bull" Nixon, he is a criminal and former employee of the Johnny Cat cat litter company who transformed himself into a humanoid bull via plastic surgery to avoid detection. He is additionally an aspiring musician and owns a high-tech truck nicknamed "Bessie Mae".
    • Turk (voiced by Matt Landers) – Longhorn's henchman.
  • Armando Guitierrez (voiced by Ricardo Montalbán) – The head of Apex Microchips, who designed the faulty Pinnacle Chip responsible for Freakazoid's creation. He gains powers similar to Freakazoid using the Chip, but is defeated and lost in the Internet. After escaping, Guitierrez becomes a fugitive and begins wearing a hooded robe to cover the right side of his face, which has become cybernetic.
    • Jocko (voiced by Paul Rugg) – Guitierrez's inarticulate henchman.
  • Candle Jack (voiced by Jeff Bennett) – A supernatural villain with a burlap sack covering his head, who abducts anyone who says his name aloud.
  • Waylon Jeepers (voiced by Jeff Bennett) – A man from Venice Beach who created the Medusa Watch, which can turn people and pigeons into stone. He is obsessed with the supernatural and is well acquainted with several monsters including Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Loch Ness Monster.
  • Invisibo (voiced by Corey Burton impersonating Vincent Price) – Originally known as Ahmon Kor-Unch, he is an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who wields a staff that enables him to become invisible. He was previously sealed inside a sarcophagus, but is freed in the modern day after Dexter and Duncan accidentally break the seal while fighting.
  • Booger Beast (voiced by Frank Welker) – A slimy monster who attacks Steff in the cold opening of episode 9.
  • The Nerdator (voiced by Aron Kincaid) – A man who plans to kidnap all of the nerds in the world and absorb their knowledge to become a "Super-Nerd". However, Freakazoid convinces him of the downsides of being a nerd, after which he discontinues his plot and instead begins kidnapping "good-looking, but vapid airheads". His design is a parody of the Predator.
  • Arms Akimbo (voiced by John Schuck impersonating Edward G. Robinson) – A spoiled model turned extortionist who, after years of posing, was left with his arms frozen in a pose with his hands on his hips. He sells "oops insurance", a form of protection racketeering which mainly consists of him breaking valuable things.
  • The Milk Man – A milk-themed villain whom Freakazoid and Expendable Lad fight in "And Fanboy Is His Name". He injures Expendable Lad's clavicle, resulting in him retiring.
  • Deadpan (voiced by Bebe Neuwirth) – A plain-looking, shapeshifting supervillainess with a monotonous voice.
  • Mary Beth (voiced by Tress MacNeille) – An ancient, fire-breathing monster who disguises herself as a human and operates as an esteemed cosmetics executive. She maintains her youth by absorbing the life force of superheroes and plans to do so to Freakazoid, but he prevents her from doing so, causing her to age into dust.
  • Janos Ivnovels (voiced by Jim Cummings) – The dictator of Vuka Nova and its Minister of State Security. He captures Freakazoid's family on false charges of espionage before he frees them and leaves Ivnovels to be tortured by the Mime from Animaniacs.
    • Colonel Anton Mohans (voiced by Larry Cedar) – A vicious thug and Ivnovels' servant.
  • Vorn the Unspeakable (voiced by Richard Moll) – A Cthulhu-like demon and ally of Waylon Jeepers.
  • Dr. Mystico (voiced by Tim Curry) – A mad scientist with aspirations of world domination. He was kicked out of university for his mad science and set up a laboratory on a remote island to continue his experiments. Furthermore, he is assisted by his cat Sparkles and orangutan-human hybrids named Orangu-Men (vocal effects provided by Jim Cummings).
  • Kid Carrion (voiced by Jeff Bennett) – A zombie cowboy who was among the characters created during the original development of the show.
  • Major Danger – A villain who was part of Bruce Timm's original development of the show. He makes a cameo in "The Lobe", among the crowd watching the Lobe attempt to lobotomize Freakazoid.
  • Bombshell – A villain who was part of Bruce Timm's original development of this show. She makes a cameo in "The Lobe", among the crowd watching the Lobe attempt to lobotomize Freakazoid.
  • Eye-of-Newt – A one-eyed creature resembling Newt Gingrich.

Other characters

Emmitt Nervend.
  • Emmitt Nervend – A short, hunchbacked man who only appears in the background. The end credits often contain a credit counting how many times Emmitt appears in an episode.
  • Weena Mercator – A person acknowledged whenever credits are used in an episode.
  • Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner (voiced by Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, and Tress MacNeille) – A trio of cartoon characters who star in Animaniacs.
  • The Brain (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) – A megalomaniacal genius lab mouse.

Mini-segments

Freakazoid! also features several mini-segments, primarily in the first season. Each of these have their own theme songs and title cards, and only occasionally appear in the main show. These segments include:

  • Lord Bravery – Nigel Skunkthorpe (voiced by Jeff Bennett impersonating John Cleese) is a superhero from the United Kingdom who resembles a Roman soldier. He does not do much in the way of superheroics, as he is snooty, cynical and unwilling to do unpleasant tasks. Likewise, he gets little respect and recognition from the public and his family.
  • The Huntsman – Marty Feeb (voiced by Jeff Bennett impersonating Charlton Heston) is a Robin Hood-like hero who lives in the woods and gained his powers from corn that an elf gave him for saving his life. However, he rarely finds crime to fight.
  • The Lawn Gnomes – Baffeardin (voiced by Clive Revill), Huska (voiced by Carl Ballantine), Honna (voiced by Rose Marie), and Quist (voiced by Larry Gelman) are a group of trickster gnomes who come to life at night in a parody of Gargoyles. They were previously cursed by the wizard Rathgar (voiced by Maurice LaMarche), who informed them that the curse would only be lifted if they reformed.
  • Toby Danger – A parody of Jonny Quest that was originally written as a standalone short for Animaniacs, but slotted into Freakazoid! to fill time. It features the adventures of Toby Danger (voiced by Scott Menville), his scientist father Vernon Danger (voiced by Don Messick), his adoptive sister Sandra Danger (voiced by Mary Scheer), and Vernon's bodyguard Dash O'Pepper (voiced by Granville Van Dusen).
  • Fatman and Boy Blubber – The misadventures of two overweight superheroes (voiced by Marc Drotman and Paul Rugg, respectively), in a parody of Batman. Their only segment involves them coming to the aid of Louis (voiced by Scott McAfee), an overweight boy who loves sweet buns and is being tormented by bullies.

Production

Voicing

The voice actors of the show Freakazoid! included various actors from other television series and films. Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Jeff Bennett, and Frank Welker, who all provided voices in the series Animaniacs, were on Freakazoid!. Actors Ed Asner, Ricardo Montalbán, Larry Cedar, Jonathan Harris, and Stephen Furst also provided voices for the series. Also, writers John P. McCann and Paul Rugg (who played Freakazoid) added voices themselves.

Casting for the show had been difficult for the Freakazoid! staff, as no lead character had been found even after extensive auditions. Eventually, when writer Paul Rugg was brought to demonstrate the voice in a recording session, he ended up filling the role, as he said: "I went in there and did it. Then they played it for Steven Spielberg and he said 'Yep! Fine, sure, great,' and then I panicked ... and I had to do it." Rugg played the role of Freakazoid through the entire series run.

Animation

The animation was outsourced to Animal-ya, Studio Junio, and Tama Production in Japan, Seoul Movie, Dong Yang Animation, and Koko Enterprises Ltd. in South Korea.

Music

The music for Freakazoid! was written by Richard Stone, Steve Bernstein, Julie Bernstein, Gordon Goodwin, and Tim Kelly. Stone won a Daytime Emmy with lyricist (and senior producer) Tom Ruegger for the main title song in 1996. Julie Bernstein was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Original Song in 1998 for the song "Invisibo" from the episode "Freak-a-Panel".

Controversy with Mike Allred's Madman

The show and its lead character was criticized for plagiarizing the superhero comic book Madman by Mike Allred, asserting that the title characters share several personality traits, they both have blue skin and wear similar costumes featuring a chest emblem including an exclamation mark. During the short run of the show, Allred remained relatively silent on the subject, but in 2003, he responded to a question about the show on the message board of his official website:

Bruce Timm was kind enough to tell me that Madman was a direct inspiration for the show, with comics open and referred to when developing the show.

Stupidly, I was flattered; happy to inspire anything. But when the show came out, with no acknowledgement or credit or any kind of compensation, I slowly became annoyed as everyone and their uncle confronted me with "there's this cartoon that's ripping off Madman" and "you oughta sue".

I simply wrote a friendly letter to Steven Spielberg telling him his production was a direct lift of my creation, I had no intention of creating ripples, I just wanted him to know that I knew. No one replied, which is fine. And to be honest, Madman is an amalgam of a half a dozen other influences. So who am I to complain (the exclamation mark on the chest still kinda irks me a little though. A little too close for comfort).

Humor

The humor in Freakazoid! relied heavily on slapstick, parody and pop culture references. Due to the series being metafiction, much of the series was self-aware humor (i.e. breaking the fourth wall); for instance, after the first appearance of the Freakmobile, the show goes immediately into an impromptu commercial for a toy version, and later in the episode, Freakazoid addresses an audience, congratulating the staff on how hard they have worked to make the show toyetic. A running gag involves a repeated credit for "Weena Mercator as the Hopping Woman", though no such character appears in any episode. The show also incorporated humor aimed at the WB Network, such as questioning the meaning of the initials "WB".

Freakazoid! made frequent use of stock footage, including a peaceful scene of a field of flowers ("Relax-O-Vision"), numerous people screaming and traditionally dressed Bavarians dancing and slapping each other ("Candle Jack"), and a man being shot in the belly with a cannonball and a man wrestling a bear ("The Chip").

Cameo appearances were also a major element of the show's humor. At various times, Freakazoid! hosted appearances by characters from other Warner Bros. shows such as Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs and even an insinuation appearance of Batman from Bruce Timm's animated version. Portrayals of many celebrities (including producer Steven Spielberg) and guest appearances by such figures as Jack Valenti, Leonard Maltin and Mark Hamill as themselves were also commonplace. Norm Abram had an entire episode, "Normadeus", built around him. One original character, a bizarre-looking man named Emmitt Nervend, plays no role whatsoever other than enabling a Where's Waldo-esque hunt for his cameos (complete with the number of his appearances announced in the closing credits).

One of the show's longest cameo appearances was in the episode "The Freakazoid", where Freakazoid, Wakko from Animaniacs, and the Brain from Pinky and the Brain argue over which of their shows is Steven Spielberg's favorite, with Freakazoid arguing that his show was the favorite (Tiny Toon Adventures was not represented in the discussion as it was on Nickelodeon at the time, while the others were on Kids' WB). However, when the trio confronts Steven over the issue, he admits to having no idea who they are.

History

Creation

I mean, it probably would not have worked as a straight super-hero show. It was really neither fish nor fowl. It was such a weird idea that it probably needed to be a comedy more than an adventure show.

Bruce Timm, Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm

Freakazoid! was created by animators Bruce Timm, who had previously produced Batman: The Animated Series, and his writing partner Paul Dini, who was also a story editor for Tiny Toon Adventures. Timm was called upon by Steven Spielberg, who Timm said "liked" Timm's Batman series, to help create a new superhero show. After a meeting with Spielberg, Timm said that Spielberg had "really liked" the idea for the series, after which Timm and Dini created the character Freakazoid, an edgy superhero with a manic personality. Timm came up with the name for the character naturally, as he recalled, "The name 'Freakazoid' just kind of jumped out of me, I don't even know where from. I said 'Oh, yeah, 'Freakazoid', that might be an interesting name.'" Dini and Timm have also discussed their desire to create a TV show about the Creeper, another comic character.

Timm originally created Freakazoid! to be a serious "adventure show" with some comedic undertones. However, his initial idea for the series did not come to be, as he stated:

I don't mind that it's not on my résumé. I bailed on it really early. It started out as an adventure show, but it ended up turning into more and more of a comedy show; every time we'd have a meeting with Steven, the concept would kinda change, and it kept leaning more and more towards zany comedy. It really started out almost like Spider-Man, on that level of, like, a teenage superhero. And it reached a point where it became a comedy with the Tiny Toon Adventures/Animaniacs kind of humor. (...) I don't have anything against that; I just don't have a flair for it, so I bailed—I just hung out here while my staff had to do the show.

After Timm left the series, Tom Ruegger, who developed the other Spielberg series Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs, was brought in to re-develop the series Timm had created "from the ground up". Ruegger's version of the series used some of Timm's designs and concepts, but Timm said that the series was "radically altered" to become the comedy series that was more to Spielberg's liking.

Ruegger then began writing stories for the series, and came up with a pile of very short segments. Spielberg liked what Ruegger had written, but wanted longer stories for the series as well. Ruegger then asked writers John McCann and Paul Rugg to come onto the series to write longer, more elaborate stories for the series and, according to Rugg, "(...) figure out what this was going to be, and the answer was like, 'We didn't know', and still don't".

Premiere, cancellation, and syndication

Main article: List of Freakazoid! episodes

Freakazoid! premiered on Kids' WB's Saturday lineup on September 9, 1995. During its run, Freakazoid! came across problems of appealing to its target demographic, young children. Tom Ruegger said that Freakazoid! had done poorly in ratings because the audience that the series gathered was older than the target audience. Also, Freakazoid ran into timeslot problems. Writer John McCann said that the time slot of the series changed frequently: "They put it at eight o' clock in the morning, 3:30 in the afternoon, they shifted it all around; we couldn't even find it, and we wrote the thing". The series ran on Kids' WB until February 14, 1997, when it was canceled due to poor ratings, airing only one complete season and part of a second season. Rugg said the series' demise was the result of a combination of people not understanding the series, time slot changes, appealing to the wrong demographics, and that "(...) there aren't a lot of Nielsen boxes in federal prisons. Had there been, I'm telling you, we'd still be on the air today". However, the show was later picked up by Cartoon Network and was rebroadcast from April 5, 1997, until March 29, 2003. The series had a total number of 24 episodes. In 2006, Freakazoid! was one of the shows scheduled to be broadcast on the AOL broadband channel, In2TV. The show is currently available to stream for free on Tubi. In Italy, Freakazoid! along with Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, was shown on RAI and later Mediaset. In Japan, Freakazoid! along with Tiny Toon Adventures was shown on TV Asahi. As of 2016, the show also currently airs on Tooncast. Starting on June 25, 2024, the show will also air on MeTV Toons.

Reception

The series won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program.

Bruce Timm said that the series still has a cult following of fans who ask him questions about the series whenever they meet him.

According to Timm, the character's co-creator, he actually has a preference for the second season:

BRUCE: I actually liked the second season better than the first season. The second season was less Animaniacs. It was more Monty Python, it was much more surreal. It was less hip, topical in-jokes, and---

MM: And more eating cotton candy in the Himalayas.

BRUCE: And the weird Astro Boy parody and stuff like that. I thought that stuff was much funnier and much more unique. The first season, to me, was just Animaniacs with a super-hero in it.

Video on demand

United States

As of June 2022, the series is currently available to stream for free in the United States on Tubi. It is also available to purchase on DVD and digital stores. In Latin America, the show streams on HBO Max.

International

The entire series is currently available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video in Italy.

Merchandise

Print

Freakazoid never had his own comic book, but he did make a special guest crossover in issue #35 of the Animaniacs comic book published by DC Comics.

Home video

Warner Home Video has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1.

DVD name Ep # Release date Bonus features
Season 1 13(+1) July 29, 2008 (2008-07-29) Audio commentary on three "key episodes", promos from the series launch, and a featurette tracking its evolution from an action series to a comedy series.
Season 2 11 April 29, 2009 (2009-04-29) Featurettes on the making of the last episode, "Favorite Moments" from the series, and an original demo tape for the song "Bonjour, Lobey" from series composer Richard Stone.

In popular culture

The sixth season episode of Teen Titans Go!, "Huggbees", aired on November 14, 2020, and features Freakazoid helping the Teen Titans defeat the Lobe and Brain when they join forces. It was mentioned by Freakazoid that Steven Spielberg would have to approve the crossover which led to Robin sending a message to Steven who approves of the crossover. According to Rugg, the production team for the show had sent him a script involving Freakazoid in December 2019 which he approved. The episode has Rugg, David Warner, Ed Asner, and Joe Leahy reprising their respective roles.

References

  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 220–221. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ Lenburg, p. 638
  3. ^ Tom Ruegger, Bruce Timm et al. (2008). Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid: Season 1. Special Features: The Original Freak (DVD). Warner Home Video.
  4. "53. Freakazoid". IGN. Retrieved December 13, 2011.
  5. @pkrugg (March 2, 2023). "Actually…I did Kissinger. Ha!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Rogers, Brett (1996). "Freaking Out with Paul Rugg". Animato!. No. 36. Archived from the original on November 4, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  7. Woo, Elaine (March 15, 2001). "Richard Stone; Won Emmys As Composer of Cartoon Music". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  8. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated!: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. Jefferson, North Carolina. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-4766-7293-9. OCLC 1076805299.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ Allred, Mike (November 7, 2003). "Re: Freakazoid". Mike Allred Message Board. Archived from the original on July 28, 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2007.
  10. ^ Nolen-Weathington, Eric (June 1, 2004). Modern Masters Volume 3: Bruce Timm. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-893905-30-6.
  11. ^ Lamken, Saner (2000). "The Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Timm! Bruce Timm Interviewed by Brian Saner Lamken". Comicology. No. 1. TwoMorrows. Archived from the original on June 4, 2006.
  12. "AOL to Launch New Video Portal". Time Warner Newsroom (Press release). Time Warner. July 31, 2006. Archived from the original on August 2, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  13. "Freakazoid! on WB". TV Guide. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  14. Moore, Jennifer; Sean Carolan (w), Batic, Leonardo (p), McRae, Scott (i). "Tour DeFreak" Animaniacs!, no. 35, p. 1-19 (March 1998). DC Comics.
  15. Lambert, David (April 26, 2008). "Freakazoid! –Take a Look at the Back of the Box for Freakazoid! - Season 1 on DVD". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  16. Lambert, David (January 29, 2009). "Freakazoid! – Finalized Box Art, Front & Back, for 2nd Season Better Explains DVD Bonuses". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  17. Weiss, Josh (November 11, 2020). "Wire Buzz: Doctor Who S13 Filming; Mortal Kombat Movie Delayed; Freakazoid! Meets Teen Titans Go!". SyFy Wire. Retrieved November 12, 2020.

Further reading

External links

Warner Bros. Animation
Franchises
Looney Tunes and
Merrie Melodies
Films
TV series
DC Comics
Animaniacs
Scooby-Doo (media)
Tom and Jerry
Osmosis Jones
The Lego Movie
Hanna-Barbera
ThunderCats
Films and specials
Theatrical
films
Television
specials
Direct-
to-video
1990s
2000s
2010s
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020s
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Short films
Other TV series
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
See also
Kids' WB
General
programming
topics
Succeeding blocks
International versions
Asian cartoons and anime
dubbed in English
Decode Entertainment/
DiC Entertainment/
Cookie Jar Group/
WildBrain
Marvel/
Disney–ABC
Domestic Television
Adelaide Productions/
Sony Pictures Television
Universal Animation Studios/
DreamWorks Animation/
NBCU TV Distribution
Nelvana
Warner Bros. Animation/
Warner Bros. Television
Based on
DC Comics
Hanna-
Barbera
Looney
Tunes
Cartoon
Network
Studios
Misc. programs
Specials
Categories: