Karate Kat is an animated children's television series

Children's television series

Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...

. It was developed by Rankin/Bass

Rankin/Bass

Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...

 and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures

Lorimar-Telepictures

Lorimar-Telepictures was a production and television syndication firm established in 1986 with the merger of Lorimar and Telepictures until both TV divisions became separate in 1988...

 in 1987. The show is about Karate Kat, a brown cat who's somehow skilled in Martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 and uses it against crime. He is usually seen wearing a blue suit with a red tie. Whenever there is trouble, he would utter his catch-phrase "I'm lean, I'm mean, a karate machine. Kee-yow." He then goes into a whirlwind spin and changes from his suit to his karate outfit. Karate Kat works for McClaws's Detective Agency run by his boss Big Mama (real name Katie McClaw). His friends/co-workers include inventor Dr. Katmandu, Ciaobaby and her sister Meowbaby (who has a crush on Karate Kat), his overweight sparring partner Katgut, and the aptly named Katatonic.

Whenever he go into the crime scene, he would occasionally be equipped with something that would help him in some situations by Katmandu. In one memorable episode, he was seen wearing red shoes with enormously long laces which were perhaps use to break his fall if he were to leap from a high place.

His nemesis is Big Papa, a gang leader who is backed by two lackeys (one fat and one thin) named Boom Boom Burmese and Sumo Sai.

The series lasted only one season and was part of the The Comic Strip

The Comic Strip (TV series)

The Comic Strip was an American animated series which featured four rotating cartoon segments. The 30-minute series ran in first-run syndication during the 1987-1988 season and was also seen on RPN-9 in the Philippines....

show, which consisted of four animated shorts: TigerSharks

TigerSharks

TigerSharks is an American animated children's television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1987. The series involved a team of heroes that could transform into sharks and other marine animals and resembled the series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, also...

, Street Frogs, The Mini Monsters and Karate Kat.

Episode list

Twenty-five episodes have been made. These are;

• The Katzenheimer Kaper - Karate Kat and his comrades attempt to solve a jewel heist.
• The Sardine Turnover Kaper - Big Papa loses the pearl on his tie as seeks help from the Mc Claw Detective Agency.
• The Mousemobile Kaper - Big Papa and his gang stole a luxury car and attempt to sell in three separate parts.
• The Crow Key Kaper
• The Kata Hari Kaper
• The Picat-So Kaper
• Ticktocking Along
• The Koffee Kup Kaper
• Kat Tracks
• The Bank Heist
• The Tabby Tire Tracker
• The Pink Sphinx - Big Papa hears news of a jewel named the Pink Sphinx and proposes to Big Mama as part of a ruse to steal it.
• Cats Ahoy
• The Cousin Kaper
• The Bathtub Bandits
• Pretty Kitty Kaper
• The Kattensniffer Kaper
• The Cats 'N Bats Kaper
• The Tabby Telemann Kaper
• Cat Goes Ape - Big Papa releases an ape from the zoo after tricking him into hunting down Karate Kat.
• The Ghost of Les Larue
• Kat's Paw - Big Mama wins the Kat's Paw Award, which is suddenly stolen.
• The Twin Brother Kaper - Karate Kat's evil twin brother, Karate Krud, shows up.
• The Amnesia Kaper
• The Lonely Hearts Kaper

Trivia

Like Mortal Kombat, the show tends to use a "k" for words that are supposed to begin with a "c."

In "The Twin Brother Kaper", Karate Kat's evil twin, Karate Krud, explains how his brother stands for "justice, truth, honor, and loyalty". In response, Boom-Boom Burmese quips, "Wow! He must be a Thundercat!" since "justice, truth, honor, and loyalty" happens to be the Code of Thundera. Larry Kenney

Larry Kenney

Larry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...

, who voiced Karate Kat, was also the voice of Lion-O in Thundercats

ThunderCats

ThunderCats is an American animated television series that was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions debuting in 1984, based on the characters created by Tobin "Ted" Wolf. The series follows the adventures of a group of cat-like humanoid aliens...

.

Characters designed by Nancy Beiman

Nancy Beiman

Nancy Beiman is a director, character designer, teacher, and animator. She is recognized as the second woman to be credited on a Disney film . She has taught animation at Savannah College of Art and Design, and taught at Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Film & Animation until 2008...

, production art by Bob Camp

Bob Camp

Bob Camp is a cartoonist, comic book artist, director, and producer. Camp has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on The Ren & Stimpy Show.-Career:...

, future Director and writer of The Ren and Stimpy Show

The Ren and Stimpy Show

The Ren & Stimpy Show, often simply referred to as Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series, created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, a psychotic chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat...

in the post-Kricfalusi era.

External links

• Petition To Get The Comic Strip Released on DVD