Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
Encyclopedia
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa is an American
animated television series
created by comic book artist
Ryan Brown
, known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
. The show was produced by King World
and ABC's Greengrass Productions
and animated by Gunther-Wahl Productions for its first season and then by Ruby-Spears Productions
for its second season. C.O.W.-Boys aired Saturday morning
s on the American Broadcasting Company
television network.
First broadcast on September 12, 1992, the show ran for two seasons, spanning 26 episodes, before it left after the 1993-1994 season with Disney
's acquisition of ABC
. The series was then broadcast on Toon Disney
from 1998 to 2002.
creating a miles high mesa
shrouded in clouds. Everything trapped on top of the mesa was "cow-metized" by the light from the "cow-met" and "evolved" into a "bovipomorphic" state. Inspired by old tales of the Wild West
, this new bovine community developed to the point where they emulated that era's way of life, including the requisite ruffians and corrupt sheriffs. However, their knowledge of Wild West living was limited, and as such, many things about their culture had to be improvised to 'fill in the blanks'. The concepts of steampunk
and Weird West
were utilized throughout its run.
The series focuses on trying to keep justice in the frontier territory. The lawbreakers were too much for the corrupt regulators of Cowtown - Mayor Bulloney and Sheriff Terrorbull - to handle by themselves. Helping them out, whether they wanted it or not, were a group of peacekeepers known as C.O.W. Boys, short for "Code of the West." Led by bull Marshal Moo Montana, the C.O.W. Boys also included the Dakota Dude and the Cowlorado Kid. The muscle-bound Marshal and his deputies had their hands full with various ruffians and outlaw gangs that plagued the otherwise peaceful town.
s and vehicles were made by Hasbro
. Story books, coloring books, and VHS home videos were put out by Random House
. Halloween costumes were made by Collegeville/Imagineering LP. Farley Candy introduced a line of themed fruit snack
s. Bath products by Tsumura International were also available, as well as lunch boxes by Thermos
. Figural coin banks were made by Toy Dreams. Plastic dinnerware was available from Betras Plastics. Kid's Meal promotional items (3" action figures, sack, placemat, activity pack, and collectible cups) were made by Kid Stuff.
In 1999, to coincide with the series being broadcast on the Toon Disney
channel, the Kid Stuff company manufactured a set of 3" tall action figures for its Moo Mesa Kids Meal promotion. Articulated at the shoulders, neck, and waist, the assortment consisted of Marshal Moo Montana, The Dakota Dude, The Cowlorado Kid, Miss Cowlamity Kate, Cody Calf, and the Masked Bull. These were available at participating restaurants.
released both a mini-series and regular series of Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa comic books. The first issue of the mini-series came with an exclusive pull-out wanted poster available only through the direct sales market. Three issues of both the mini-series (December 1992, January and February 1993) and the regular series (March, May and July 1993) were released.
The C.O.W.-Boys made their TMNT universe debut when they teamed up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in issue #21 of the Mirage Studios
title "Tales of the TMNT." The TMNT aided the C.O.W.-Boys in stopping Sheriff Terrorbull from stealing a magic crystal shard.
Moo Montana and his deputies returned in number 32 of the Tales of the TMNT series.
This time the horned heroes come up against Savanti Romero and the Eye of Aga-Moo-Tu. The story takes place in the astral realm of Bov-gamesh and introduces the character Tsou-T'an-Jin an ancient sorceress tortoise that lives on Moo Mesa.
A special event exclusive edition of this issue was sold at a one day event on March 31, 2007 at the Wayne Center for the Arts in Wooster, Ohio
. It differs from the regular release because of its alternative cover by Andre Ponce, Ryan Brown
and Steve Lavigne
. It also has a special message from the arts center on the inside front cover.
The C.O.W.-Boys make their third appearance with the ninja turtles in the November, 2008 issue of Tales of the TMNT.
The story concluded in Tales of the TMNT #58 printed in May, 2009.
It is rumored that there may be a Wild West C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa mini series, written by Tristan Jones from Tales of the TMNT.
, Konami
released a coin-operated arcade game based on the series titled Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa. The game is a side-scrolling "run 'n gun" action game similar to Konami's own wild west-themed game Sunset Riders
. Ryan Brown worked closely with Konami on the game's development.
The player characters in the game are Cowlorado Kid, Dakota Dude, Marshall Moo Montana, and a new character made for the game named Buffalo Bull. The game can be configured to allow up to four players to play simultaneously.
The game's controls consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for shooting and jumping. Pressing both buttons simultaneously will cause the player character to perform a stampede attack, do a spinning jump, or use any equipped item like dynamite sticks and tomahawk blades. The player can uncover a variety of power-up items by shooting flying chickens, which includes a rapid-fire Machine Gun and a Power-Up for wider bullets. Unlike Sunset Riders, the player has a three-unit life gauge that allows the player to take three hits before losing a life.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated television series
Cartoon series
A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...
created by comic book artist
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
Ryan Brown
Ryan Brown (comics)
Ryan Brown is a comic book artist best known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.-Career:Brown began inking the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1985 and continued until 1988, when he and partner Steve Lavigne began producing artwork for licensed TMNT products...
, known for his work on 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...
. The show was produced by King World
King World Productions
King World Productions, Inc. was a production company and a syndicator of television programming in the United States until its eventual 2007 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution...
and ABC's Greengrass Productions
Greengrass Productions
Greengrass Productions is an independent television production company that is a subdivision of the Disney-ABC Television Group.It has, over the years, produced miniseries such as Oliver Stone's Wild Palms, game shows such as I Survived a Japanese Game Show, and reality series such as Extreme...
and animated by Gunther-Wahl Productions for its first season and then by Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions is a Burbank, California-based entertainment production company that specializes in animation...
for its second season. C.O.W.-Boys aired Saturday morning
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
s on the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network.
First broadcast on September 12, 1992, the show ran for two seasons, spanning 26 episodes, before it left after the 1993-1994 season with Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's acquisition of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The series was then broadcast on 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...
from 1998 to 2002.
Characters
Like many cartoons during its time, C.O.W.-Boys dealt with a mutation of some kind; in this case, an irradiated meteor struck the late 1800s Western plainsGreat Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
creating a miles high mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
shrouded in clouds. Everything trapped on top of the mesa was "cow-metized" by the light from the "cow-met" and "evolved" into a "bovipomorphic" state. Inspired by old tales of the Wild West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
, this new bovine community developed to the point where they emulated that era's way of life, including the requisite ruffians and corrupt sheriffs. However, their knowledge of Wild West living was limited, and as such, many things about their culture had to be improvised to 'fill in the blanks'. The concepts of steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
and Weird West
Weird West
Weird West is used to describe a combination of the Western with another literary genre, usually horror, occult, or fantasy.DC's Weird Western Tales appeared in the early 1970s and the weird Western was further popularized by Joe R...
were utilized throughout its run.
The series focuses on trying to keep justice in the frontier territory. The lawbreakers were too much for the corrupt regulators of Cowtown - Mayor Bulloney and Sheriff Terrorbull - to handle by themselves. Helping them out, whether they wanted it or not, were a group of peacekeepers known as C.O.W. Boys, short for "Code of the West." Led by bull Marshal Moo Montana, the C.O.W. Boys also included the Dakota Dude and the Cowlorado Kid. The muscle-bound Marshal and his deputies had their hands full with various ruffians and outlaw gangs that plagued the otherwise peaceful town.
Main characters
- Marshal Moo Montana: Leader of the C.O.W.-Boys and marshall of Moo Mesa. Courageous and quick on his hooves, Moo Montana "battles the bad guys and makes the West a safer place to graze". Lives by the Code of the West, which he seems to make up as he goes along (episode "The Big Cow Wow"). (Voice: 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...
) - The Dakota Dude: The soft-spoken muscle of Montana's posse, Dakota possesses a cool temperament and rarely gets mad, even in near-death experiences (episode 12: Dances with Bulls). Dakota agreed to marry Cowlamity Kate in Wedding Bull Blues to save her father's inheritance. (Voice: 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...
). - The Cowlorado Kid: The youngest of the group and a self-proclaimed ladies' man with a good singing voice, regardless of his skill with the lasso and guitar. Cowlorado isn't a deputy yet. In Stolen on the River, he tries to prove he's worthy of being a deputy by catching Five Card Cud only to get in trouble and be rescued by Dakota and Moo. (Voice: 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...
). - Mayor Oscar Bulloney: The greedy and corrupt mayor of Cowtown in Moo Mesa, Bulloney rigs elections (episode 9: Stolen on the River) and makes taxes so high that the Masked Bull compares it to stealing. He also serves as Cowtown's crooked Justice of the Peace and Bank President. (Voice: Michael Greer)
- Sheriff Terrorbull: Selected by the corrupt Bulloney, Terrorbull uses his sheriff's badge to conceal his evil intentions. Was forced to leave Cowtown after losing a bet to Moo in No Face To Hide. Subsequently became sheriff of the remote town of Lonesome Gulch, where he continued his unlawful exploits. (Voice: Joe PiscopoJoe PiscopoJoseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo is an American comedian and actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
). - Lily Bovine: bartender, former showgirlShowgirlA showgirl is a dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show. Showgirl is also often used as a term for a promotional model in trade fairs and car shows, etc...
and owner of the local saloon, The Tumbleweed. Also Moo Montana's love interest. Her best friend is Cowlamity Kate. (Voice: Charity James) - Cody Calf: Nicknamed "Calf-Pint" by Moo and his posse, he idolizes the marshall and hopes to be a lawcow himself when he grows up. He is apparently related to Lily Bovine in some way and lives with her, though he does not appear to be her son; like everyone else, he refers to her as "Miss Lily". Though well-meaning, he often gets himself into serious trouble trying to "help" the lawcows, but has been a useful asset on several occasions. (Voice: Troy Davidson)
- Cowlamity Kate Cudster: TomboyTomboyA tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ish rancher and operator of the highly profitable Golden Cud Mine, and Dakota's love interest. She's as hard-working and hard-riding as any bull, and has enough skill with a lasso to put Cowlorado to shame. She returns Dakota's romantic feelings; she gave him the hat he wears and nearly married him in Wedding Bull Blues. Her name is a play on that of the famous Wild West heroine, Calamity JaneCalamity JaneMartha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans...
. (Voice: 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:...
). - Saddle Sore: A scorpionScorpionScorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
, and one of Sheriff Terrorbull's comically inept henchmen. He is slightly smarter and braver than Boot Hill Buzzard, but only just. (Voice: Jim Cummings). - Boot Hill Buzzard: Sheriff Terrorbull's other comically inept henchman. As the more dim-witted of the two, he is often saddled with more than his fair share of the grunt work, especially if the job involves something embarrassing or unappealing (such as cross-dressing). His name is taken from an old west slang term for a graveyardGraveyardA graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
. (Voice: 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,...
) - J.R.: An Indian buffalo who occasionally aides Moo, Dakota, and Cowlorado if the situation needs it. He tends to ramble about the scientific principles of his inventions, which the cowboys don't want to listen to. (Voice: Michael HorseMichael HorseMichael Heinrich Horse is an American actor, jeweler, and ledger painter.-Early life:Michael Horse was born in a Yaqui Native American reserve near Tucson, Arizona, and is of Yaqui, Mescalero Apache, Zuni, European and Latino descent...
)
Episode guide
Several of these episodes or episode titles are parodies of popular Western films or books.Season One (1992)
- Bang'em High: Mayor Bulloney and The Masked Bull make a plan to get rid of Moo, with literally explosive results.
- A Snake in Cow's Clothing: A mysterious bull arrives in town who has all the women drawn to him and Moo and Dakota are suspicious of him, especially after Miss Lily is robbed.
- Bulls of a Feather: During an attack on the stagecoach Puma sees that The Masked Bull is actually Sheriff Terrorbull. In order to save his identity the sheriff must break his brother Horribull out of jail.
- School Days: A new teacher (actually, Boot Hill Buzzard in drag) has the children help The Masked Bull commit crime through her strange assignments.
- A Sheepful of Dollars: Cowlorado volunteers for Miss Lily's cattle drive, only to find out his 'cattle' is actually a bad tempered sheep.
- Thoroughly Moodern Lily: When Mayor Bulloney discovers a hidden secret buried deep beneath Lily Bovine's Tumbleweed Saloon he quickly dispatches Lily's arch-rival Sadie Wowcow to run her out of town.
- Wetward, Whoa: Cowtown dries up and only Mayor Bulloney has water. When Cody finds the real reason for this it is up to him to bring water back everyone.
- Wedding Bull Blues: When Cowlamity Kate doesn't receive a letter from her father who has been exploring the Mesa for 7 years, Mayor Bulloney claims he will be taking all her property since her father had no will. But when a page of one of her father's old letters shows up, stating Kate will inherit the ranch and his gold, though only if she is married, Kate plans to make Dakota her husband.
- Legend of Skull Duggery: When Cody, Carly and Jake find a treasure map in Cowlamity Kate's attic, they decide to follow it to find Tom Duggery's lost silver.
- Stolen on the River: In an attempt to get his own deputy star, Cowlorado decides to catch Five Card Cud all by himself, only to fail in a shot of embarrassment as he's rescued by Dakota and Moo.
- Dances with Bulls: Moo and Terrorbull get in a mess when they both try to capture the Gila Hooligans.
- The Big Cow Wow: Cody is really excited about going to the Pueblo's annual Cow-Wow with J.R. and Tejua, but a string of robberies by the Hole in the Ground Gang could disrupt the whole fiesta. When Moo and the other C.O.W.-Boys run into some trouble trying to catch the gang Cody and Tejua help to bring them to justice.
- Another Fine Mesa: No one cares that it is Moo's 10th anniversary as marshal. Then, Moo receives a telegram from his hometown of Miller Glen, where the retiring sheriff wants Moo to take over. Now Moo must decide between Miller Glen, where he is beloved by the townsfolk, and Cowtown.
Season Two (1993)
- No Face to Hide: Shock Holiday and his gang haven't just been stealing from trains, they've been stealing the whole dadburn train. Over a drink, Moo makes a bet that he can catch Holiday before Sheriff Terrorbull or he'll resign his post as Marshal. But when the Sheriff gets to Holiday first, Montana and the Cowboys have no choice but to leave town. But, everything is not as it seems.
- The Down Under Gang: The cowboys are dumbfounded as every outlaw they chase seems to disappear into thin air. With Cowlorado hidden in a strongbox, they hope to find the location of Sidewinder City.
- Cow Pirates of Swampy Cove: Longhorn Silver and his band of buccaneers have been robbing trains and causing trouble on the Mesa's waterways. With a gold shipment and Cody's money for new boots in their possession the Marshal and the Cowboys have to go to Newportleans to track these scoundrels down.
- The Cacklin Kid: After defecting from the Bayin' Bunch, the Cacklin Kid argees to help the lawcows find his former friends in exchange for not serving jail time. But after a few days on the trail his gift for gab is almost more than the cowboys can bare.
- Skull Duggery Rides Again: Risen from the undead, Skull Duggery and his super-natural posse head to Cowtown to wreak havoc and disrupt the Halloween celebrations.
- Billy the Kidder: While the bulls are out on the trail, Miss Lily receives a message from her Uncle Rocky who has found a lost treasure. But when she's taken hostage by Billy the Kidder, the Cowboys and Cowlamity Kate ride out to rescue her.
- How the West was Shrunk: Bat Blastagun and the boys are back, and bent on revenge. They find a shard of the comet and take it to Dr. Wolfgang Wolfenstein, who unleashes its powers.
- Circus Daze: The Cowboys are in charge of the Cowlanor Diamond awaiting the stagecoach to Jersey City when The Great Bovini's Circus rolls into town. But when everyone who attends the circus starts acting funny, Moo has to do double duty to protect the diamond while spying on the circus with a little help from Boot Hill.
- No Way to Treat a Lady: Moo is stunned when the shipment of gold bullion they are guarding is left by thieves in favour of stealing supplies from The Cowtown Gazette. However, he's distracted by a house warming for a new lady in town.
- Night of the Cowgoyle: In search of an outlaw, Marshal Montana, Dakota, Cowlorado and Cody accompany a wagontrain through the Valley of Darkness where a mysterious creature has been attacking them and everyone's a suspect.
- Boom Town or Bust: Cowlorado discovers gold on the Mesa and every bull, cow, and calf is looking to get rich quick. Keeping the peace proves difficult enough without Big Bucks and his band of outlaws robbing claims at gun point.
- The Fastest Filly in the West: The Annual Cowtown Cross Country Race is coming up quick and Cowlorado's interest leaves Marshal Montana and Dakota short handed. Competing for first place and Cowlamity Kate's cousin's affections he's little help in stopping Fast Willie from robbing the Pony Express.
- The Wild Wild Pest: Airship captain Mules Burne seeks payback from the inventors at the Invention Convention. Once he's captured Moo Mesa's scientific community, he uses them as a workforce to build his most diabolical creation yet.
Toys and merchandise
Action figureAction figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s and vehicles were made by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. Story books, coloring books, and VHS home videos were put out by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
. Halloween costumes were made by Collegeville/Imagineering LP. Farley Candy introduced a line of themed fruit snack
Fruit snack
A Fruit snack is processed fruit that eats like a traditional snack food. It can be deposited, freeze dried, or air dried and may be called Fruit Leather, Fruit YoYos, Fruit Bars, Freeze Dried Fruit, or most commonly, are simply known as "Fruit Snacks"....
s. Bath products by Tsumura International were also available, as well as lunch boxes by Thermos
Vacuum flask
A vacuum flask is an insulating storage vessel which keeps its contents hotter or cooler than its surroundings. Invented by Sir James Dewar in 1892, the vacuum flask consists of two flasks, placed one within the other and joined at the neck...
. Figural coin banks were made by Toy Dreams. Plastic dinnerware was available from Betras Plastics. Kid's Meal promotional items (3" action figures, sack, placemat, activity pack, and collectible cups) were made by Kid Stuff.
Action figures
In 1991, Hasbro Toys produced a series of ten action figures and one vehicle(IronHorse). Marshal Moo Montana was produced heaviest while the character Boot Hill Buzzard is the rarest of the set with only a limited number released. Of the three main heroes, the Dakota Dude is the scarcest.In 1999, to coincide with the series being broadcast on the 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...
channel, the Kid Stuff company manufactured a set of 3" tall action figures for its Moo Mesa Kids Meal promotion. Articulated at the shoulders, neck, and waist, the assortment consisted of Marshal Moo Montana, The Dakota Dude, The Cowlorado Kid, Miss Cowlamity Kate, Cody Calf, and the Masked Bull. These were available at participating restaurants.
Comic book series
Archie ComicsArchie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
released both a mini-series and regular series of Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa comic books. The first issue of the mini-series came with an exclusive pull-out wanted poster available only through the direct sales market. Three issues of both the mini-series (December 1992, January and February 1993) and the regular series (March, May and July 1993) were released.
The C.O.W.-Boys made their TMNT universe debut when they teamed up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in issue #21 of the Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios is an independent American comic book company founded in 1983 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, based in Northampton, Massachusetts and best known for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series.-History:...
title "Tales of the TMNT." The TMNT aided the C.O.W.-Boys in stopping Sheriff Terrorbull from stealing a magic crystal shard.
Moo Montana and his deputies returned in number 32 of the Tales of the TMNT series.
This time the horned heroes come up against Savanti Romero and the Eye of Aga-Moo-Tu. The story takes place in the astral realm of Bov-gamesh and introduces the character Tsou-T'an-Jin an ancient sorceress tortoise that lives on Moo Mesa.
A special event exclusive edition of this issue was sold at a one day event on March 31, 2007 at the Wayne Center for the Arts in Wooster, Ohio
Wooster, Ohio
Wooster is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio approximately SSW of Cleveland and SW of Akron. Wooster is noted as the location of The College of Wooster...
. It differs from the regular release because of its alternative cover by Andre Ponce, Ryan Brown
Ryan Brown (comics)
Ryan Brown is a comic book artist best known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.-Career:Brown began inking the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1985 and continued until 1988, when he and partner Steve Lavigne began producing artwork for licensed TMNT products...
and Steve Lavigne
Steve Lavigne
Steve Lavigne is an American comic book illustrator best known for his lettering and coloring on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles title for Mirage Studios. He is the creator of Cudley the Cowlick, Sgt...
. It also has a special message from the arts center on the inside front cover.
The C.O.W.-Boys make their third appearance with the ninja turtles in the November, 2008 issue of Tales of the TMNT.
The story concluded in Tales of the TMNT #58 printed in May, 2009.
It is rumored that there may be a Wild West C.O.W. Boys of Moo Mesa mini series, written by Tristan Jones from Tales of the TMNT.
Video game
In 19921992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
released a coin-operated arcade game based on the series titled Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa. The game is a side-scrolling "run 'n gun" action game similar to Konami's own wild west-themed game Sunset Riders
Sunset Riders
is a side-scrolling run-and-gun style shoot-'em-up released by Konami as a coin-operated video game in . The game is set during the American Old West, where the player takes control of a bounty hunter who is seeking the rewards offered for various criminals. The coin-op version was released in two...
. Ryan Brown worked closely with Konami on the game's development.
The player characters in the game are Cowlorado Kid, Dakota Dude, Marshall Moo Montana, and a new character made for the game named Buffalo Bull. The game can be configured to allow up to four players to play simultaneously.
The game's controls consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for shooting and jumping. Pressing both buttons simultaneously will cause the player character to perform a stampede attack, do a spinning jump, or use any equipped item like dynamite sticks and tomahawk blades. The player can uncover a variety of power-up items by shooting flying chickens, which includes a rapid-fire Machine Gun and a Power-Up for wider bullets. Unlike Sunset Riders, the player has a three-unit life gauge that allows the player to take three hits before losing a life.