The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats
Encyclopedia
The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats is a cartoon series which aired between 1995 and 1996 on ITV
kids strand CITV
, and was recently shown on Scottish
children's programme wknd@stv
. The series was about anthropomorphic automobiles that bore resemblances to cats and dogs. The main characters are freedom fighters trying to save their homeworld of Autopia from The Crusher. The show ran for two seasons, each consisting of 26 ten-minute episodes.
Carbs (Short for "Carburetta"): A cat-car, and Hot Rod's best friend. They first met when they were captured by The Crusher's forces. She seems to share the attraction between Hot Rod and herself. She too was upgraded by Gus, gaining high-intensity headlights, tire claws, and an extendable tail. Her sister, Spare Parts, later built her a weapons pack, similar to Hot Rod's.
Dog-Gone: An old and wily dog-car. He often provides reason and wisdom for the group, when he isn't keeping his friend Benz from falling apart.
Benz: A dog-car, and Dog-Gone's best friend. In major disrepair, "Benny" is always falling apart.
Gus: A dog-car, and legendary mechanic. He was the one who built The Crusher, and exiled himself when his creation went out of control. He later outfitted Hot Rod and Carbs with weaponry, to better combat The Crusher's forces.
Scarhood: A bounty hunter, and The Crusher's main henchman. A mean and nasty Dog-car, he has gained a personal vendetta against Hot Rod for his numerous defeats.
Choppers: Scarhood's idiot henchmen. A band of nasty-looking Cat-cars, equipped with a variety of weapons. They comprise of their leader, Gadget (whose son, Socket, appeared in one episode), Firefur, Carpoon, and One-Eye.
Gridlockers: Autopia's police force, completely under the Crusher's proverbial thumb. They are led by Number One, who is assisted by Number Two.
Bentley Mercedes: A news reporter. He has an annoying habit of showing up when he's not wanted, and of getting his interviewees name's wrong.
Towhead: A young dog-car who pretended to be a friend in order to infiltrate the resistance. He intended to have them lead him and Scarhood to Gus, but his plan was thwarted by Hot Rod's intervention.
Baby Bumper: A baby dog-car who twice found his way into the hero's camp, leaving Hot Rod and Carbs to care for him.
Spare Parts: Carbs' older sister. She appeared in a couple of episodes. An expert mechanic, on par with Gus, she built Carbs' weapons' pack.
Jag: An evil Cat-car with the ability to hypnotize others. She managed to infiltrate the camp, but was swiftly defeated. She expressed an "interest" in Scarhood.
- a children's television strand on Scottish television channel, STV.
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
kids strand CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
, and was recently shown on Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
children's programme wknd@stv
Wknd@stv
wknd@stv is a short-lived children's programming strand on Scottish television channel, STV. The block aired on Saturdays and Sundays, usually starting at 9.25am . It began on Saturday 17 January 2009 with a three-hour edition...
. The series was about anthropomorphic automobiles that bore resemblances to cats and dogs. The main characters are freedom fighters trying to save their homeworld of Autopia from The Crusher. The show ran for two seasons, each consisting of 26 ten-minute episodes.
Heroes
Hot Rod: A dog-car, and the main character of the series. He was on his way to camp when he was captured by The Crusher's forces. He managed to escape and join the resistance movement. He has an attraction to his best friend, Carbs. He was upgraded by the mechanic Gus (see below), gaining larger tires, a cog-firing weapon, and the ability to fly (But only when he needs them). Gus later built an external weaons pack for Hot Rod, equipped with long-range armaments. Both Gus and The Crusher hinted that there was something "special" about Hot Rod, but it was never elaborated on.Carbs (Short for "Carburetta"): A cat-car, and Hot Rod's best friend. They first met when they were captured by The Crusher's forces. She seems to share the attraction between Hot Rod and herself. She too was upgraded by Gus, gaining high-intensity headlights, tire claws, and an extendable tail. Her sister, Spare Parts, later built her a weapons pack, similar to Hot Rod's.
Dog-Gone: An old and wily dog-car. He often provides reason and wisdom for the group, when he isn't keeping his friend Benz from falling apart.
Benz: A dog-car, and Dog-Gone's best friend. In major disrepair, "Benny" is always falling apart.
Gus: A dog-car, and legendary mechanic. He was the one who built The Crusher, and exiled himself when his creation went out of control. He later outfitted Hot Rod and Carbs with weaponry, to better combat The Crusher's forces.
Villains
The Crusher: Originally designed to recycle the junk of Autopia, something went horribly wrong, and he became a power-hungry monster.Scarhood: A bounty hunter, and The Crusher's main henchman. A mean and nasty Dog-car, he has gained a personal vendetta against Hot Rod for his numerous defeats.
Choppers: Scarhood's idiot henchmen. A band of nasty-looking Cat-cars, equipped with a variety of weapons. They comprise of their leader, Gadget (whose son, Socket, appeared in one episode), Firefur, Carpoon, and One-Eye.
Gridlockers: Autopia's police force, completely under the Crusher's proverbial thumb. They are led by Number One, who is assisted by Number Two.
Other characters
Sandcat: A junk merchant in the city of Catatonia. His trade was greatly increased thanks to Hot Rod and friends.Bentley Mercedes: A news reporter. He has an annoying habit of showing up when he's not wanted, and of getting his interviewees name's wrong.
Towhead: A young dog-car who pretended to be a friend in order to infiltrate the resistance. He intended to have them lead him and Scarhood to Gus, but his plan was thwarted by Hot Rod's intervention.
Baby Bumper: A baby dog-car who twice found his way into the hero's camp, leaving Hot Rod and Carbs to care for him.
Spare Parts: Carbs' older sister. She appeared in a couple of episodes. An expert mechanic, on par with Gus, she built Carbs' weapons' pack.
Jag: An evil Cat-car with the ability to hypnotize others. She managed to infiltrate the camp, but was swiftly defeated. She expressed an "interest" in Scarhood.
Voice cast
- Hot Rod: Dana HillDana HillDana Hill was an American actress and voice actor with a raspy voice and childlike appearance, which allowed her to play adolescent roles into her 30s...
- Carbs: Russi TaylorRussi TaylorRussi Taylor is an American voice actress. She is the current voice actress of Disney's Minnie Mouse character. She has held this role since 1986, longer than any other voice actress...
- Dog-Gone/Benz: Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
- Spare Parts/Baby Bumpers: Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
- Crusher/Scarhood: Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
- Gus: Oliver MuirheadOliver MuirheadOliver Muirhead is an English character actor known for often portraying pompous country gentlemen. In 1986, he also directed the musical pantomime A Christmas Held Captive. In addition to acting, Muirhead has also lent his voice to various animated series such as P.J...
- Additional Voices: Carlo Morretti, Nick JamesonNick JamesonNick Jameson is an American actor and voice actor, as well as a songwriter, composer, musician and producer. He has appeared in the television series The Critic, 24, Lost and, vocally, in Star Wars: Clone Wars as Palpatine , the radio adaption of Dark Empire, and several other productions of Star...
International
The programme was re-aired in 2009 on wknd@stvWknd@stv
wknd@stv is a short-lived children's programming strand on Scottish television channel, STV. The block aired on Saturdays and Sundays, usually starting at 9.25am . It began on Saturday 17 January 2009 with a three-hour edition...
- a children's television strand on Scottish television channel, STV.