Fish Police is the name of a comic book series by cartoonist Steven Moncuse. The plot centers on law and crime in a fictional underwater metropolis with the protagonist, Inspector Gill, trying to solve various, often Mafia

Mafia

The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...

-related, crimes while avoiding being seduced by the extremely well endowed Angel. The comic featured several marine species as its characters, while the plots and dialogue were reminiscent of film noir

Film noir

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...

.

Original Fish Police stories were published from 1985 to 1991, and featured the early work of Sam Kieth

Sam Kieth

Sam Kieth is a New York Times best-selling American comic book writer and illustrator, best known as the creator of The Maxx and Zero Girl.-Comics career:...

 (The Maxx

The Maxx

The Maxx is an American comic book series created by Sam Kieth and published originally monthly by Image Comics and now collected in trade paperback collections from DC Comic's Wildstorm imprint. The comic book, which stars a character of the same name, spawned an animated series that aired on the...

) as inker.

Publication history

Fish Police started in 1985 as a self-published black-and-white title by Moncuse under the name of Fishwrap Productions. After 12 issues the title was picked up by Comico

Comicó

Comicó is a village and municipality in Río Negro Province in Argentina....

 in 1987, which reprinted much of the earlier material before beginning to publish original material in 1989. After 13 issues (and two assorted specials/compilations), Comico went bankrupt, but Fish Police was then acquired by Apple Press, which continued the numbering begun by Comico. Apple published the title until the Spring of 1991. In 1992–1993 — attempting to cash in on the Hanna-Barbera animated series (see below) — Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

 reprinted the first six issues of the original self-published series, this time in full color.

Issues

• Fish Police (Fishwrap Productions) — 12 issues (June 1985-November 1987)
• The Fish Police (Warner Books) — 1 issue (1987)
• The Fish Police: Hairballs (Comico) — 1 issue (October 1987)
• Fish Police Special (Comico) — 1 issue (July 1987)
• Fish Police (Comico) — 13 issues (April 1988 – June 1989)
• Fish Police (Apple Press) — 10 issues (August 1989 - Spring 1991)
• Fish Police (Marvel Comics) — 6 issues (Oct. 1992–March 1993)

Animated series version

Hanna-Barbera Productions adapted Fish Police into an animated television series that first aired on CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 in 1992, lasting only six episodes over one season. The show was cancelled after airing only three episodes; the remaining three episodes have never been aired in the U.S. Fish Police had a decidedly more mature tone than most other animated Hanna-Barbara series, with episodes often filled with innuendo and cases of mild language. It also featured several stars' voices, including Ed Asner

Ed Asner

Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...

, John Ritter

John Ritter

Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...

, Tim Curry

Tim Curry

Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....

, Hector Elizondo

Hector Elizondo

Héctor Elizondo is an American actor. Elizondo's first major role was that of "God" in the play Steambath, for which he won an Obie Award...

, Buddy Hackett

Buddy Hackett

Buddy Hackett was an American comedian and actor.-Early life:Hackett was born in Brooklyn, New York, New York, the son of a Jewish upholsterer. He grew up on 54th and 14th Ave in Borough Park, Brooklyn, across from Public School 103...

, Megan Mullally

Megan Mullally

Megan Mullally is an American actress and singer.After working in the theatre in Chicago, Mullally moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and began to appear in supporting roles in film and television productions. She made her Broadway debut in Grease in 1994 and she has since appeared in several Broadway...

, Robert Guillaume

Robert Guillaume

Robert "Bob" Guillaume is an American stage and television actor, best known for his role as Benson Du Bois on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night...

, and JoBeth Williams

JoBeth Williams

JoBeth Williams is an American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.-Early life:...

.