The Tick (animated TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Tick: The Animated Series is an American
animated television series adaptation of the New England Comics
superhero
, The Tick. The series debuted September 10, 1994 on the Fox network
's Fox Kids
block and was responsible for introducing the satirical comic book character to a mainstream audience. Lasting three seasons, the final episode aired on November 24, 1996. Since then, The Tick has been syndicated by various networks, further increasing the show's cult following
, and has been released on both VHS
and DVD
. A live-action series was created in 2001.
was producing his independent comic book series
based on the character. He was eventually approached by Kiscom, a small, New Jersey-based toy licensing and design company. Kiscom wanted to create successful merchandising off The Tick similar to that experienced by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
, then a fellow independent comic series, the year prior. However, major TV networks and studios were reluctant to take on an animated series based on the absurd character. Kiscom stayed in touch with Edlund and finally Sunbow Entertainment, a small animation company based out of New York, paired him up with writer Richard Libmann-Smith. The two had virtually no experience in animation or television but for two months worked vigorously on the first episode of The Tick. Neither man held high esteem over their final script, and their feelings were validated when FOX
turned down the first pitch. They were given one more chance to refine it within five days. Over the following weekend, the two worked "instinctively" with little sleep and ended up satisfying FOX. Edlund later reflected, "We kind of defined in one weekend exactly where the show went for that first season, which was cool."
While some darker characters and sexual innuendo seen in the comic series would be removed for its animated counterpart, Sunbow's Tick series would hold to its satirical roots. Writing duties were also given to Christopher McCulloch
who had met Edlund prior to their television work and wrote several issues of the Tick comic book series. The two would much later work together on McCulloch's Adult Swim
series, The Venture Bros.
. Edlund, a co-producer of The Tick, remained very hands-on during the production of episodes and delayed the series. According to Edlund:
The Tick finally premiered on September 10, 1994 and met with success. Edlund later expressed his view that, because the series did not reach the commercial heights of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
, its merchandising success deteriorated by the end of its first season. However, he gave a positive view, stating "That's essentially good as far as I'm concerned; although, I would be much more wealthy at this point. That failure, to me, makes The Tick a much more sincere proposal."
Rather than being an asylum
escapee, as portrayed in the Tick comic book series, the animated version of The Tick crashes a superhero convention
to win the "protectorship" of The City
. With its emphasis on superhero parody
, The Tick became a Saturday morning staple during the Fox Kids
block. Its title character was voiced by the versatile Townsend Coleman
and his sidekick
, Arthur
, by Micky Dolenz
for Season 1. Rob Paulsen
would take over the Arthur voice roles during Seasons 2 and 3. The series also features Die Fledermaus
as a shallow, self-absorbed Batman
parody; Sewer Urchin
, a Rain Man
-like version of Aquaman
; and American Maid
, a more noble superheroine featuring aspects of Wonder Woman
and Captain America
.
The show's opening theme, written by Doug Katsaros, who also composed the scores for every episode, consists of big band
music and campy
scat singing
. A typical episode plot would have The Tick battling a villain until Arthur devises a solution that saves the day. The Tick then declares an absurd moral
regarding the previous conflict before the story comes to a close. Although the series was initially aimed primarily at children, it features an absurdist, parody style that appeals to an older audience as well.
By November 1996, after three seasons, The Tick had come to an end. The following year, FOX began talks with Sunbow Entertainment
about producing a prime time
Tick special, but this never came to fruition. Comedy Central
syndicated The Tick during this time and subsequently helped make it a cult hit
with adults. In May 2000, the pilot episode for a live action series
of The Tick was completed. FOX attempted to capitalize on the growing adult fan base by introducing this new incarnation in November 2001, but due to its major time slot, the series couldn't match the success of its animated predecessor.
In June 2005, Toon Disney
began airing The Tick along with other former FOX animated series like X-Men
. It would also occasionally air on ABC Family
as part of the Jetix
cartoon block.
and 1998
.
edition of the first season, released the following year by Liberation Entertainment Ltd., presented all 13 episodes.
The second season of The Tick, entitled The Tick vs. Season Two, was released on August 7, 2007. This DVD release is not the complete set, however, as it is missing the episode "Alone Together." This episode features Omnipotus, a parody of Galactus
(though, earlier episodes used similar comic book parodies, and are available on the DVD releases). In the August 6, 2006 entry of his blog, Christopher McCulloch
, the writer for all of the omitted episodes, states that he does not know the reason for the exclusion of episode #11 from the Season 1 DVD.
In the UK the complete Seasons 1-3 have been released as a box set. The UK versions of seasons 1-3 are uncut unlike the US versions of seasons 1 and 2, which are syndicated edits and not the original broadcast versions. Fans hope that Disney will release complete uncut and unedited versions of seasons 1-3, with all 39 episodes intact in the near future.
s as well as Emmy
s and, in 1995, won two of the former. In March 2008, Wizard
magazine ranked The Tick #16 on its Top 100 Greatest Cartoons. In January 2009, IGN
ranked The Tick #6 on its Top 100 Animated Series list. IGN went on to regard it "the first great lampooning of the superhero genre" and compared the series to Mel Brooks
and Monty Python
.
The character Sentinel Prime from Transformers Animated was voiced by Townsend Coleman and, thus, intentionally designed to look like The Tick with his heavy jaw and enormous chest. This was confirmed by Transformers: Animated writers at BotCon
'08.
The Nostalgia Critic put The Tick on the #5 spot in his, Top 11 Animated Nostalgic Tv Shows review.
Chairface Chippendale appeared in the Robot Chicken
episode "We are a Humble Factory", where he tries to get Kim Kardashian
to sit on his chair head.
Annie Award
Daytime Emmy Award
, T-shirts, hats, party favors, costumes, and a board game
were representative. In addition, many fast food
restaurant chains such as Carl's Jr.
and Taco Bell
offered Tick-related give-aways.
Fox Interactive
also published a beat 'em up
video game
based on the animated series and released it on the Super NES
and Sega Genesis. The game was criticized for having very long stages
with ridiculous hordes of generic enemies to combat and a nonsensical game ending
.
In 1997, the year following the series' end, Greg Hyland's The Tick: Mighty Blue Justice! was published as a tie-in with the series.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated television series adaptation of the New England Comics
New England Comics
New England Comics is a comic book retail chain and publisher headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA. They are known for publishing The Tick comic books. They have locations in Quincy, Allston, Brookline, Brockton, Cambridge, Malden, New Bedford and Norwood....
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
, The Tick. The series debuted September 10, 1994 on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
block and was responsible for introducing the satirical comic book character to a mainstream audience. Lasting three seasons, the final episode aired on November 24, 1996. Since then, The Tick has been syndicated by various networks, further increasing the show's cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
, and has been released on both VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. A live-action series was created in 2001.
History
While still in college, Tick creator Ben EdlundBen Edlund
Ben Edlund is a comic book artist and writer and television screenwriter. Prior to his involvement in TV, he was best known as the creator of the satirical superhero character The Tick. He is currently an executive producer and staff writer for The CW series Supernatural.-Background:Edlund was...
was producing his independent comic book series
The Tick (comic book)
The Tick was a comic book series created by Ben Edlund in 1988 and originally published in black-and-white by the New England Comics store in Boston, Massachusetts. The series provided modest beginnings for its title character, who would later feature in his own television programs and merchandise...
based on the character. He was eventually approached by Kiscom, a small, New Jersey-based toy licensing and design company. Kiscom wanted to create successful merchandising off The Tick similar to that experienced by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
, then a fellow independent comic series, the year prior. However, major TV networks and studios were reluctant to take on an animated series based on the absurd character. Kiscom stayed in touch with Edlund and finally Sunbow Entertainment, a small animation company based out of New York, paired him up with writer Richard Libmann-Smith. The two had virtually no experience in animation or television but for two months worked vigorously on the first episode of The Tick. Neither man held high esteem over their final script, and their feelings were validated when FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
turned down the first pitch. They were given one more chance to refine it within five days. Over the following weekend, the two worked "instinctively" with little sleep and ended up satisfying FOX. Edlund later reflected, "We kind of defined in one weekend exactly where the show went for that first season, which was cool."
While some darker characters and sexual innuendo seen in the comic series would be removed for its animated counterpart, Sunbow's Tick series would hold to its satirical roots. Writing duties were also given to Christopher McCulloch
Christopher McCulloch
Christopher McCulloch , also known by the pseudonym Jackson Publick, is an American comic book and television writer, storyboard artist, and voice actor known for his work on several Tick properties and for the animated television series The Venture Bros. He authored the comic book miniseries The...
who had met Edlund prior to their television work and wrote several issues of the Tick comic book series. The two would much later work together on McCulloch's Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
series, The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
. Edlund, a co-producer of The Tick, remained very hands-on during the production of episodes and delayed the series. According to Edlund:
The Tick finally premiered on September 10, 1994 and met with success. Edlund later expressed his view that, because the series did not reach the commercial heights of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson. The pilot was shown during the week of December 28, 1987 in syndication as a five part miniseries and began its official run on October 1, 1988...
, its merchandising success deteriorated by the end of its first season. However, he gave a positive view, stating "That's essentially good as far as I'm concerned; although, I would be much more wealthy at this point. That failure, to me, makes The Tick a much more sincere proposal."
Rather than being an asylum
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
escapee, as portrayed in the Tick comic book series, the animated version of The Tick crashes a superhero convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
to win the "protectorship" of The City
The City (The Tick)
The City is the principal setting of The Tick , The Tick , and The Tick .Little information is given about the origins of the city. It also acts as a parody of the vagueness of cities in most comic books. From the little information given it can be said that the city is an urban area that resembles...
. With its emphasis on superhero parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
, The Tick became a Saturday morning staple during the Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
block. Its title character was voiced by the versatile Townsend Coleman
Townsend Coleman
Townsend Coleman is an American voice actor who performed in many animated series and TV commercials beginning in the early 1980s...
and his sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, Arthur
Arthur (The Tick)
Arthur is a fictional character, a vigilante in the Tick comic book series, animated series, and live action series. He serves as The Tick's sidekick.-Overview:...
, by Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
for Season 1. Rob Paulsen
Rob Paulsen
Robert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
would take over the Arthur voice roles during Seasons 2 and 3. The series also features Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus (The Tick)
Die Fledermaus is a fictional superhero in the animated television series, The Tick. Voiced by Cam Clarke, he fights crime in a place simply called The City....
as a shallow, self-absorbed Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
parody; Sewer Urchin
Sewer Urchin
Sewer Urchin is a superhero from the animated series, The Tick. He is the sworn defender of The City's sewers and has a Rain Man-like personality, frequently utilizing interjections such as "Yeah," "Definitely," and "Very ." He is somewhat unpopular with many superheroes from the surface, including...
, a Rain Man
Rain Man
Rain Man is a 1988 drama film written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass and directed by Barry Levinson. It tells the story of an abrasive and selfish yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed all of his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son,...
-like version of Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
; and American Maid
American Maid
American Maid is a fictional superhero from the animated series, The Tick. Voiced by Kay Lenz, she is largely a parody of both Captain America and Wonder Woman....
, a more noble superheroine featuring aspects of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
and Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
.
The show's opening theme, written by Doug Katsaros, who also composed the scores for every episode, consists of big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
music and campy
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
scat singing
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
. A typical episode plot would have The Tick battling a villain until Arthur devises a solution that saves the day. The Tick then declares an absurd moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
regarding the previous conflict before the story comes to a close. Although the series was initially aimed primarily at children, it features an absurdist, parody style that appeals to an older audience as well.
By November 1996, after three seasons, The Tick had come to an end. The following year, FOX began talks with Sunbow Entertainment
Sunbow Productions
Sunbow Entertainment was an animation studio, founded in 1980 and owned up until 1998 by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York. The first animation efforts by Griffin-Bacal were producing the animated commercials for Hasbro's G.I...
about producing a prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
Tick special, but this never came to fruition. Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
syndicated The Tick during this time and subsequently helped make it a cult hit
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
with adults. In May 2000, the pilot episode for a live action series
The Tick (live action TV series)
The Tick is an American sitcom based on the character Tick from the comic book of the same name . It aired on FOX in late 2001 and was produced by Columbia TriStar Television. With a pilot airing on November 8, the series only lasted nine episodes on broadcast television...
of The Tick was completed. FOX attempted to capitalize on the growing adult fan base by introducing this new incarnation in November 2001, but due to its major time slot, the series couldn't match the success of its animated predecessor.
In June 2005, Toon Disney
Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company. A spinoff of Disney Channel, it mostly aired children's animated series and some live action programming. Its format had similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons...
began airing The Tick along with other former FOX animated series like X-Men
X-Men (TV series)
X-Men, also known as X-Men: The Animated Series, is an American animated television series which debuted on October 31, 1992, in the United States on the Fox Network as part of its Fox Kids Saturday morning lineup...
. It would also occasionally air on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
as part of the Jetix
Jetix
Jetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...
cartoon block.
Principal voice actors
- Cam ClarkeCam ClarkeCameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke is a prolific American voice actor and singer, well known for his work in animation and video games. Clarke is well known for providing the voices of Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 original English-dub of Akira. He often voices...
– Die FledermausDie Fledermaus (The Tick)Die Fledermaus is a fictional superhero in the animated television series, The Tick. Voiced by Cam Clarke, he fights crime in a place simply called The City....
, Eyebrows Mulligan, Fishboy, Johnny Polite - Townsend ColemanTownsend ColemanTownsend Coleman is an American voice actor who performed in many animated series and TV commercials beginning in the early 1980s...
– The Tick, Lava Man, Man-Eating Cow - Mickey Dolenz – ArthurArthur (The Tick)Arthur is a fictional character, a vigilante in the Tick comic book series, animated series, and live action series. He serves as The Tick's sidekick.-Overview:...
(Season 1), Captain Lemming - Jess HarnellJess HarnellJess Q. Harnell is an American voice actor and singer, best known for voicing Wakko Warner on Animaniacs. Harnell has been the announcer for America's Funniest Home Videos since 1998.-Life and acting career:...
– Sewer UrchinSewer UrchinSewer Urchin is a superhero from the animated series, The Tick. He is the sworn defender of The City's sewers and has a Rain Man-like personality, frequently utilizing interjections such as "Yeah," "Definitely," and "Very ." He is somewhat unpopular with many superheroes from the surface, including...
, Breadmaster (2nd Time), Human Bullet, Mighty Agrippa: Roman God of the Aqueduct, Speak, Sub-Human, Watt - Kay LenzKay LenzKay Ann Lenz is an American actress.A former child performer, Lenz has worked primarily in television and has won two Emmy Awards.-Background:...
– American MaidAmerican MaidAmerican Maid is a fictional superhero from the animated series, The Tick. Voiced by Kay Lenz, she is largely a parody of both Captain America and Wonder Woman.... - Rob PaulsenRob PaulsenRobert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
– ArthurArthur (The Tick)Arthur is a fictional character, a vigilante in the Tick comic book series, animated series, and live action series. He serves as The Tick's sidekick.-Overview:...
(Season 2 and Season 3), Brainchild, Caped Chameleon, Captain Mucilage, Forehead, Terror
Additional voices
- Charlie Adler – Sarcastro
- Phil AustinPhil AustinPhil Austin is a comedian and writer. He was born in Denver, Colorado and later grew up in Fresno, California, attending Fresno High School...
– Wally - James BelushiJames BelushiJames Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
– Mr. Ezra Fleener - Jeff BennettJeff BennettJeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
– Thomas Edison - Mary Kay BergmanMary Kay BergmanMary Kay Bergman was an American voice actress and animation voice over teacher, who was the lead female voice actress on South Park from the show's 1997 debut until her death and was best known as the official voice of Snow White for the Walt Disney Company starting in 1989 with the Snow White...
– Ottoman Empress - Peter BergmanPeter BergmanPeter Bergman is an American soap opera actor best known for his portrayals as Dr. Cliff Warner on All My Children, as well as Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless.-Biography:...
– Terry - Xander BerkeleyXander BerkeleyAlexander Harper "Xander" Berkeley is an American actor. His roles include George Mason on the television series 24.-Early life:Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey...
– Octo Paganini - Susan BluSusan BluSusan Maria Blu , sometimes credited as Sue Blu, is an American voice actress, voice director, and casting director in American and Canadian cinema and television...
– SuffraJet - Hamilton CampHamilton CampHamilton Camp was an English-American singer, songwriter, actor and voice actor.-Early life:Camp was born in London, England, and was evacuated during World War II to the United States as a child with his mother and sister. He became a child actor in films and onstage...
– Professor Chromedome, Benjamin Franklin - Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
– Mole King - 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...
– Barry Hubris, Captain Decency, Mr. Mental, Multiple Santa, Stalingrad, Thrakkorzog, Leonardo da Vinci - Debi DerryberryDebi DerryberryDebi Derryberry is an American voice actress, singer, composer and kids' entertainer who won an American Anime Award.-History:...
– Amelia (Charles' sister) - Paul EidingPaul EidingPaul Eiding is an American voice actor, voice instructor, and actor, perhaps best known as the voice actor behind Perceptor in the original Transformers cartoon, Roy Campbell in the Metal Gear series, the narrator in Diablo, Judicator Aldaris in StarCraft, and Max Tennyson in Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien...
– Gesundheitan, Socket - Ron FeinbergRon FeinbergRonald A. Feinberg was an American character actor and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. He can be seen playing the character Fellini opposite Don Johnson in the postapocalyptic film A Boy and His Dog. Ron made a number of appearance on Mission: Impossible...
– Omnipotus - Miriam FlynnMiriam FlynnMiriam Flynn is an American voice actress and character actress. She is best known as Cousin Catherine in the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise. As a voice artist, she has been featured in The Land Before Time series, Taz-Mania as the title character's mother, Jean, Poil in The Spooktacular...
– Charles's Mother - Pat FraleyPat FraleyPatrick "Pat" Fraley is an American voice actor, who is best known as the voice of Krang, Casey Jones and numerous other characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
– Carpeted Man, Crease (2nd Time), Dynamole, Eastern-Bloc Robot Cowboy, Visual Eye, Whirling Scottish Devil, Zipperneck - Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
– Jim Rage - Linda GaryLinda GaryLinda Gary was an American voice actor and voice-over artist, who has worked on multiple animated projects.-Personal life:Linda Gary Dewoskin was born in California on November 4, 1944....
– Venus - Ed Gilbert – Bi-Polar Bear, El Seed, Idea Man, Indigestible Man
- Dan GilvezanDan GilvezanDan Gilvezan is an actor who provided the voice for Peter Parker/Spider-Man on the 1980s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and the voice of the Autobots Bumblebee, Outback and Hot Spot and the Decepticon Snapdragon in the original 1984-1987 Transformers cartoon...
– Belbot Manager - Bobcat GoldthwaitBobcat GoldthwaitRobert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film and television director. He is commonly known for his energetic, ravenous stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.- Early life :Goldthwait was born in Syracuse,...
– Uncle Creamy - Gerrit GrahamGerrit GrahamGerrit Graham is an American actor and songwriter. He's appeared in such films as Used Cars, TerrorVision, National Lampoon's Class Reunion, and Greetings, where he worked with Brian DePalma for the first time...
– Milo - Jennifer HaleJennifer HaleJennifer Hale is a Canadian-born American actress and singer best known for her voice over work in video games like Grandia II, the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Tales of Symphonia, the Metroid Prime trilogy, the Metal Gear Solid games, Brütal Legend, and Disney's...
– Carmelita Vhatos - Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
– Dr. Julius Pendecker - Dorian HarewoodDorian HarewoodW. Dorian Harewood is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his portrayal of Simon Haley in the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.-Career:...
– Pineapple Pokopo, Taft - Estelle HarrisEstelle HarrisEstelle Harris is an American stand-up comedienne, actress, voice artist, and comedienne, often recognized for her shrill, grating voice. She is best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld from 1992 to 1998, as the voice of Mrs...
– Ruth (Arthur's mom) - Tony JayTony JayTony Jay was an English actor, voice actor and singer. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in animation, film and computer games. Jay's distinctive baritone voice often landed him villainous roles...
– Chairface Chippendale - Maurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarcheMaurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
– Doorman, Deadly Bulb, Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight, Fin, Hotel Manager, Human Ton and Handy - David LanderDavid LanderDavid L. Lander is an American actor, comedian, composer, musician, and baseball scout. David is also the Goodwill Ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.- Biography :...
– Filth - Tress MacNeilleTress MacNeilleTress MacNeille is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Disney's House of Mouse, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Dave the...
– Regina Hume - Danny MannDanny MannDaniel "Danny" Mann is an American voice actor, writer, singer, musician, and production manager. He is best known for his voice of Hector from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Freeway, Cloudraker and Lightspeed in Transformers, Backwoods Beagle in DuckTales, Kaltag in Balto, Ferdinand from Babe,...
– Dinosaur Neil, Mr. Exciting - John MarianoJohn MarianoJohn Mariano is an Emmy Award winning American actor whose worked in film, television, animation and nightclubs. He is known for playing tough guys with a comic edge. His ability of physical comedy has been compared to Jerry Lewis and Buster Keaton. Keaton's late wife Eleanor was quoted as saying;...
– Lou Salazar - Gail MatthiusGail MatthiusGail Matthius is an American actress and voice actress. She was a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live during its critical and ratings low point at the time , and co-anchored the Weekend Update segment with Charles Rocket in 1981.-Recurring characters:*Vicki, a Valley girl who,...
- - Chuck McCannChuck McCannChuck McCann is a film actor, television actor, stage actor, and a voice actor from Brooklyn, New York.-Early career:...
– Filth - Roddy McDowallRoddy McDowallRoderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
– Breadmaster (1st Time) - Candi MiloCandi MiloCandi Milo is an American voice actress and singer. She voiced many different animated characters such as the voice of Jacobo on Disney's The Replacements, Coco, Madame Foster and Cheese on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Irma Lair on Disney's W.I.T.C.H., lead character Maya Santos on Maya &...
– Blitzen - Cathy MoriartyCathy Moriarty-Career:Her first film credit was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull in 1980, as Vikki LaMotta, the wife of Robert De Niro's lead character. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared opposite Andrew Dice Clay in the short-lived CBS...
– Betty: Queen of the Ants - Iona MorrisIona MorrisIona Marie Morris is daughter to actor Greg Morris and older sister to actor Phil Morris. She is primarily an American voice actress but has also performed numerous times on television in speaking roles. She was the original voice of Storm in the X-Men and Spider-Man animated series...
– Holly - Pat MusickPat MusickPat Musick is an American voice actress. She is the mother of Mae Whitman.-Television roles:* 2 Stupid Dogs - Additional Voices* The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda - Additional Voices...
– Bee Twins, Mad Nanny, Tuun-La: Not of This Earth - Laraine NewmanLaraine NewmanLaraine Newman is an American comedienne, actress, and writer, and was part of the original Saturday Night Live cast.-Personal life:...
– Flying Squirrel - Brian Peck – Baron Violent
- Philip ProctorPhilip ProctorPhilip Proctor is an American actor, voice actor and a member of The Firesign Theatre. He plays Rocky Rococo and Nancy in the Nick Danger series. He is from Goshen, Indiana...
– Courderoy Cordova, Fortissimo Brothers, Charles' Father - Lisa Raggio – Éclair
- Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
– Chuck - Kimmy RobertsonKimmy RobertsonKimmy Robertson is an American actress best known for her role as Lucy Moran in the TV series Twin Peaks. She was married to John Christian Walker from January 18, 2003 to September 27, 2004....
– Dot - Roger RoseRoger RoseRoger Rose is an American voice actor and former VH1 VJ, known for his voice-work in many animated cartoons. Happy Feet, Rugrats, Scooby Doo, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Quack Pack are a few of examples of his previous work. He also narrates documentaries for Animal Planet.He was...
– Four-Legged Man, Skippy - Hank Saroyan – Heys
- Kevin SchonKevin SchonKevin Schon is an American voice actor, producer, and energy entrepreur with extensive credits in nearly every area of voice work. Voiceover was his second career, begun in 1992 in Los Angeles, after 10 years as a Senior Advisory Systems Engineer for IBM, where he developed and taught Design...
– Angry Red Herring, Baby Boomerangutan, Big Shot, Crease (first appearance), Feral Boy, Jack Tuber, Living Doll, Plunger Man, Proto Clown, Uncle Creamy II - Susan SiloSusan SiloSusan Silo is an American actress and voice actress.-Early life and career:She was born in New York City, New York. Her acting career started in television on an episode of The Jack Benny Show. Silo also co-starred with Larry Blyden, Dawn Nickerson, and Diahn Williams in the NBC sitcom Harry's...
– Jet Valkyrie, Jungle Janet - Cynthia Songé -
- Steve SusskindSteve SusskindSteve Susskind was an American actor who appeared in numerous small parts in sitcoms, such as Frasier, Married with Children, Scrubs, and NewsRadio...
– Dr. Vhatos, Heys - Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (songwriter)Paul Hamilton Williams, Jr. is an Academy Award-winning American composer, musician, songwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song", Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World",...
– Mother of Invention
Home video
The first two episodes of The Tick, as well as Season 3's "The Tick vs Arthur," were released on VHS in 19951995 in home video
-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-TV show releases:The following television shows were released on video on the following dates:...
and 1998
1998 in home video
-Movie releases:The following movies were released on video on the following dates:-Documentary home video releases:The following documentary home videos were released on the following dates:...
.
DVD releases
On August 29, 2006, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the first season of The Tick on DVD as The Tick vs. Season One. This collection contains only 12 of the 13 episodes. On May 31, 2006, Disney released the following statement regarding the missing episode: "Due to licensing problems, episode #11 ("The Tick vs. The Mole Men") is not included. However, we hope to include it in future DVD releases of The Tick". The UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
edition of the first season, released the following year by Liberation Entertainment Ltd., presented all 13 episodes.
The second season of The Tick, entitled The Tick vs. Season Two, was released on August 7, 2007. This DVD release is not the complete set, however, as it is missing the episode "Alone Together." This episode features Omnipotus, a parody of Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
(though, earlier episodes used similar comic book parodies, and are available on the DVD releases). In the August 6, 2006 entry of his blog, Christopher McCulloch
Christopher McCulloch
Christopher McCulloch , also known by the pseudonym Jackson Publick, is an American comic book and television writer, storyboard artist, and voice actor known for his work on several Tick properties and for the animated television series The Venture Bros. He authored the comic book miniseries The...
, the writer for all of the omitted episodes, states that he does not know the reason for the exclusion of episode #11 from the Season 1 DVD.
In the UK the complete Seasons 1-3 have been released as a box set. The UK versions of seasons 1-3 are uncut unlike the US versions of seasons 1 and 2, which are syndicated edits and not the original broadcast versions. Fans hope that Disney will release complete uncut and unedited versions of seasons 1-3, with all 39 episodes intact in the near future.
Reception and legacy
During its original run, The Tick was nominated for several Annie AwardAnnie Award
The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
s as well as Emmy
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
s and, in 1995, won two of the former. In March 2008, Wizard
Wizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
magazine ranked The Tick #16 on its Top 100 Greatest Cartoons. In January 2009, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked The Tick #6 on its Top 100 Animated Series list. IGN went on to regard it "the first great lampooning of the superhero genre" and compared the series to Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
and Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
.
The character Sentinel Prime from Transformers Animated was voiced by Townsend Coleman and, thus, intentionally designed to look like The Tick with his heavy jaw and enormous chest. This was confirmed by Transformers: Animated writers at BotCon
BotCon
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...
'08.
The Nostalgia Critic put The Tick on the #5 spot in his, Top 11 Animated Nostalgic Tv Shows review.
Chairface Chippendale appeared in the Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
episode "We are a Humble Factory", where he tries to get Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is an American socialite, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for the E! reality series that she shares with her family—Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York...
to sit on his chair head.
Annie AwardAnnie AwardThe Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
s
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Best Individual Achievement for Creative Supervision in the Field of Animation | Ben Edlund (co-producer) | Won |
| Best Individual Achievement for Writing in the Field of Animation | Ben Edlund, Richard Liebmann-Smith for "The Tick vs. Arthur's Bank Account" | Won | |
| Best Animated Television Program | The Tick | Nominated | |
| 1997 | Best Animated TV Program | The Tick | Nominated |
| Best Individual Achievement: Voice Acting by a Male Performer in a TV Production | Townsend Coleman for playing The Tick | Nominated | |
Daytime Emmy AwardDaytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
s
| Year | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 23rd Daytime Emmy Awards The 23rd Daytime Emmy Awards were held on May 22, 1996 on CBS to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from the previous year . At this ceremony, Erika Slezak set a then record with five Emmy Awards for Lead Actress. She would beat her own record in 2005. The telecast aired two-hours... |
Outstanding Achievement in Animated | Hank Tucker (producer), Ben Edlund (co-producer) | Nominated |
| Outstanding Sound Editing - Special Class | Terry Reiff | Nominated | |
| 1997 24th Daytime Emmy Awards The 24th Daytime Emmy Awards were held in 1997 to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from the previous year . The Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Fred Rogers The 24th Daytime Emmy Awards were held in 1997 to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from the previous year... |
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Special Class | Deb Adair (production mixer) | Nominated |
Merchandising
While the Tick comic book series included some extras, such as trading cards, merchandising of The Tick increased dramatically with the launch of the animated series. Action figures, pogsPogs
Pogs is a game that was popularized during the early 1990s. The word "pog" also refers to the discs used to play the game. The name originates from POG, a brand of juice made from passionfruit, orange and guava; the use of the POG bottle caps to play the game pre-dated the game's commercialization...
, T-shirts, hats, party favors, costumes, and a board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
were representative. In addition, many fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
restaurant chains such as Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain located mostly in the Western and Southwestern United States. The first store has opened in Canada in Kelowna, BC. They are in the process of expanding to Mexico, Malaysia, Denmark, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Russia, Vietnam,...
and Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
offered Tick-related give-aways.
Fox Interactive
Fox Interactive
20th Century Fox Games is a video game publisher and developer mainly concerned with titles based on 20th Century Fox properties, such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, the Alien and Predator film franchises, Independence Day, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Avatar, 24, the...
also published a beat 'em up
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
video game
The Tick (video game)
The Tick was a side-scrolling beat 'em up video game developed by Software Creations and released by Fox Interactive in 1994. The game was released on the Super NES and Sega Genesis systems and was based on the comic book and Fox Kids animated series of the same name...
based on the animated series and released it on the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Sega Genesis. The game was criticized for having very long stages
Level (computer and video games)
A level, map, area, or world in a video game is the total space available to the player during the course of completing a discrete objective...
with ridiculous hordes of generic enemies to combat and a nonsensical game ending
Outro (computer gaming)
In computer and video gaming, the term "outro" refers to a sequence of graphics and music presented to the player as a reward for successful completion of the entire game. Outros are also commonly referred to as the game's ending...
.
In 1997, the year following the series' end, Greg Hyland's The Tick: Mighty Blue Justice! was published as a tie-in with the series.