105 Fun Facts About 2000s Cartoons

Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, worked as what before he moved into animation?

Hillenburg was a marine science educator, and many of the show's ideas came from The Intertidal Zone, an educational comic about sea life he drew in the 1980s.

SpongeBob SquarePants was going to be called what until Nickelodeon's lawyers found the name already taken?

SpongeBoy was the first choice, with the show to be titled SpongeBoy Ahoy!; Hillenburg kept "Sponge" in the new name so nobody would take his square yellow hero for a "Cheese Man".

Squidward Tentacles lives in a house shaped like what?

Squidward's home is an Easter Island moai, and despite his name he is an octopus: Hillenburg picked the species for its large, bulbous head, which suits a character who thinks he is an intellectual.

SpongeBob's home town sits beneath which real-life Pacific location?

Bikini Bottom takes its name from Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, site of US nuclear tests, and the show places the town on the seabed directly beneath the real atoll.

Which pirate, played by a real actor, hosts SpongeBob's special episodes alongside his parrot Potty?

Patchy the Pirate, president of the SpongeBob fan club, is played in live action by Tom Kenny, who also voices SpongeBob; his parrot Potty is a puppet.

Avatar: The Last Airbender named its three seasons, or "books", after elements in which order?

The books run Water, Earth, Fire in that order: Aang already bends air, so the seasons follow the remaining elements he must master in the Avatar cycle.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, what is the name of Aang's flying sky bison?

Appa spent a hundred years frozen in the iceberg alongside Aang; once freed, the six-legged sky bison carries the whole group around the world.

Avatar: The Last Airbender's four-part finale is named after which Fire Lord's comet?

Sozin used the comet's power to launch the Hundred Year War, and the Fire Nation renamed it in his honour; its return a century later, set to hand Fire Lord Ozai victory, drives the finale.

Which future Hannah Montana star voiced Aang in Avatar's unaired 2003 pilot?

Mitchel Musso, later Oliver in Hannah Montana, voiced Aang in the pilot, in which Katara was still called Kya, a name the series went on to give her mother.

The Fairly OddParents began as shorts on which Nickelodeon animation showcase?

The Fairly OddParents began as shorts on Oh Yeah! Cartoons, Fred Seibert's Nickelodeon showcase; they proved popular enough for the network to order a half-hour series, which arrived in 2001.

On The Fairly OddParents, Timmy Turner's crazed teacher, obsessed with proving fairies exist, is called Mr. what?

Denzel Crocker, voiced by Carlos Alazraqui, is right about fairies because he once had fairy godparents of his own, Cosmo and Wanda, before losing them.

Danny Phantom premiered on April 3, 2004, immediately after which broadcast?

The Kids' Choice Awards led straight into Danny Phantom's first episode. Butch Hartman had dreamed up his ghost-boy hero while helping his mother move from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

Danny Phantom's hometown is called what?

Danny lives in Amity Park, where his parents Jack and Maddie Fenton are ghost hunters; the accident in their Ghost Portal is what made him half-ghost.

Jimmy Neutron was the first Nicktoon to be animated how?

Jimmy Neutron was the first Nicktoon animated entirely in CGI, and the first to grow out of a film: it carries on the story of the 2001 feature Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Jimmy Neutron lives in the fictional town of Retroville in which state?

Retroville is in Texas, the state where John A. Davis's studio DNA Productions made both the film and the series, in the Dallas area.

The Neutron and Turner crossover specials were released under what title?

The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour swaps the two heroes: Timmy lands in Retroville while a now-2D Jimmy is stuck in Dimmsdale, mistaken for Timmy; two sequels followed in 2006.

Invader Zim was created by which comic-book writer and cartoonist?

Jhonen Vasquez was known for the grim comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac when Nickelodeon went looking for a show for older kids; Invader Zim was the first idea he pitched.

In Invader Zim, the Irken Empire's social hierarchy is based solely on what?

Physical height decides rank among the Irkens, which is why their leaders are the Almighty Tallest, a title shared by Red and Purple.

Which streaming service premiered the 2019 Invader Zim film Enter the Florpus?

Enter the Florpus premiered on Netflix on 16 August 2019; Nickelodeon had cancelled the original series in 2002 before its second season was finished, leaving several episodes unfinished.

In which fictional town do the three Eds share their suburban cul-de-sac?

The Eds live in a cul-de-sac in Peach Creek, where every one of Eddy's scams has the same goal: bilking the neighbourhood kids out of enough cash to buy jawbreakers.

Ed, Edd n Eddy's 2009 finale, in which the Eds flee the cul-de-sac, was called what?

Big Picture Show, a feature-length TV movie, finally puts Eddy's long-unseen big brother on screen; he turns out to be a bully, and the neighbourhood kids at last accept the Eds.

Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky had earlier created which Cartoon Network series?

Dexter's Laboratory was Tartakovsky's own creation and his first Cartoon Network series; after Samurai Jack, George Lucas hired him to direct the Star Wars: Clone Wars shorts.

How many years passed between Samurai Jack's fourth season ending and its fifth season premiering on Adult Swim in 2017?

Over twelve years separated the two, and the revival finally gave the story an ending; the series won eight Primetime Emmys in total.

Codename: Kids Next Door was picked up by Cartoon Network after winning what?

A viewers' poll of pilots settled it: the Kids Next Door pilot was the audience favourite in Cartoon Network's Big Pick event in 2001, and the prize was a full series.

In Codename: Kids Next Door, Numbuh 3 is which character?

Kuki Sanban is Numbuh 3, and her surname is the joke: "sanban" is Japanese for "number three"; Lauren Tom voices the team's happy-go-lucky medic.

Which Star Wars actor voices the candy-loving pirate Stickybeard in Codename: Kids Next Door?

Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker himself, voices Stickybeard, captain of the Candy Pirates, who plunder sweets the way other pirates plunder gold; he and Numbuh 5 are rivals over candy.

Craig McCracken got the idea for Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends after doing what?

Adopting two dogs from a shelter set McCracken and his fiancée Lauren Faust wondering what the pets' lives had been like before, and he saw that outgrown imaginary friends could have a past of their own too.

In Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, what must the sensible Mac never be allowed to taste?

Sugar is Mac's one weakness: even a drop turns the level-headed eight-year-old into an uncontrollable maniac who will do anything to find more.

Foster's Home business manager Mr. Herriman is an imaginary friend of what kind?

Mr. Herriman is a lop-eared rabbit dreamed up by Madame Foster herself: the founder's own imaginary friend now runs her house, in a top hat and monocle.

The theme song of Teen Titans (2003) was performed by which Japanese band?

Puffy AmiYumi sang the Teen Titans theme, and in 2004 Cartoon Network gave the pop duo a cartoon of their own, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, created by Sam Register.

Who voiced the villain Slade in Teen Titans?

Ron Perlman voiced Slade, the comics villain Deathstroke, known on the show simply as Slade; in season two he recruits the new Titan Terra, in a version of 'The Judas Contract'.

Which alien princess in Teen Titans comes from the planet Tamaran?

Starfire, voiced by Hynden Walch, is a princess of Tamaran; her people absorb languages through lip contact, so in the origin episode she learns English by kissing Robin.

What is the alien watch Ben finds in the original Ben 10 called?

The Omnitrix clamps itself onto Ben's wrist when he finds it in an alien pod, on the first night of a camping trip in Grandpa Max's RV, the Rustbucket.

Ben 10 was created by a writers' collective known by what name?

Man of Action is four comic-book writers: Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly and Steven T. Seagle. Cartoon Network was after a new action hero of its own, so the four pitched a boy who could turn into ten different heroes.

How did Billy and Mandy win the Grim Reaper as their "best friend forever"?

They beat him at limbo, though only by cheating; the prize was the life of Billy's pet hamster, Mr. Snuggles, and the loser, Grim, became their unwilling friend forever.

In Chowder, which rival chef has a long-running feud with Mung Daal?

Ms. Endive, a snobbish master chef, never stops berating Mung Daal; her apprentice Panini is besotted with Chowder, who answers every greeting with "I'm not your boyfriend!"

In The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Flapjack was raised by Bubbie, who is what?

Bubbie is a talking whale; Flapjack and Captain K'nuckles live inside her mouth in Stormalong Harbor, and creator Thurop Van Orman voices Flapjack himself.

Kim Possible's sidekick Ron Stoppable keeps which unusual pet in his pocket?

Rufus is a naked mole rat because Ron's father is allergic to fur, so only a hairless pet would do; Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, plays him.

Kim Possible's arch-nemesis Dr. Drakken was born under what name?

Drakken was born Drew Lipsky, a former college classmate of Kim's father; John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender in Futurama, plays him, and his sidekick Shego is the far more competent of the pair.

Which was the first original animated series made exclusively for Disney Channel?

The Proud Family premiered in September 2001 as the first animated Disney Channel original, ahead of Kim Possible; Disney+ revived it in 2022 as The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Penny Proud's grandmother, a wrestling-loving fan of Tae Bo, is known as what?

Suga Mama, voiced by Jo Marie Payton, is Oscar Proud's mother: she teases and even beats up her own son, though she loves him deep down, and dotes on her poodle Puff.

In Phineas and Ferb, which older sister is forever trying to bust the boys to their mom?

Candace, voiced by Ashley Tisdale, tries to bust her brothers in almost every episode, but their latest invention always vanishes just before Mom can see it.

Perry the Platypus works for a secret agency whose initials stand for what?

Perry works for the O.W.C.A., the Organization Without a Cool Acronym; at home the Flynn-Fletchers take him for a mindless pet, never suspecting his double life as Agent P.

After hearing "Gitchee, Gitchee Goo" in Phineas and Ferb's first season, Disney executives asked for what?

A song in every episode was the request, so almost every Phineas and Ferb instalment since "Flop Starz" has had an original number.

Jake Long, the American Dragon, protects the magical creatures of which metropolis?

Jake guards the magical creatures of New York City; his school crush Rose is secretly Huntsgirl, a dragon slayer he keeps fighting without knowing it is her.

Static, the hero of Static Shock, was created at which comics imprint?

Static debuted in 1993 at Milestone Comics, the imprint co-founded by Dwayne McDuffie to bring more Black heroes to comics; Kids' WB adapted him as Static Shock in 2000.

In Xiaolin Showdown, Omi is the Xiaolin Dragon of which element?

Omi, voiced by Tara Strong, is the Xiaolin Dragon of Water; for all his boasting, it is Raimundo, the Dragon of Wind, who is finally named the team's leader.

In Jackie Chan Adventures, Captain Black heads a secret law-enforcement organisation with what codename?

Captain Black runs Section 13, a secret agency in an underground base in San Francisco; it recruits the archaeologist Jackie to find twelve magic talismans before the Dark Hand does.

American Dad! got its 2005 premiere on the same night as which broadcast?

American Dad! debuted on 6 February 2005, the night of Super Bowl XXXIX, then vanished until May, when the rest of its first season began alongside the returning Family Guy.

Family Guy's Quahog is a fictional city in which state?

Quahog is in Rhode Island, where Seth MacFarlane went to art school; the real Providence skyline can be seen rising behind the Griffins' house.

After Fox cancelled Futurama, it was revived in 2007 in what form?

Futurama returned as four direct-to-video films, starting with Bender's Big Score in 2007; Comedy Central cut them into 16 half-hour episodes and ordered new seasons in 2009.

Turanga Leela grew up believing she was an alien but is really what?

Leela is a sewer mutant, left by her mutant parents at the Cookieville Minimum Security Orphanarium so she could pass as an alien; she captains the Planet Express Ship.

Totally Spies! was created by an animation studio based in which country?

France is home to the studio behind Totally Spies!, yet its three heroines are Beverly Hills schoolgirls who spy for an agency called WOOHP.

As Told by Ginger was unusual for a 2000s kids' cartoon because its characters did what?

Its characters aged as the series progressed: Ginger Foutley moved from junior high to high school over 60 episodes, and even changed outfits from one episode to the next.

In ChalkZone, what is the name of the wisecracking superhero sidekick Rudy Tabootie once drew?

Snap is the wisecracking sidekick Rudy once drew in chalk; once erased, he came to life in ChalkZone, where everything rubbed off a chalkboard lives on.

By what name does the robot heroine XJ-9 prefer to be called in My Life as a Teenage Robot?

XJ-9 goes by Jenny Wakeman, built by Dr. Nora Wakeman in Tremorton; the show was cancelled in 2005 and its finished third season only aired later on Nicktoons.

In El Tigre, Manny Rivera is the son of White Pantera and the grandson of whom?

Puma Loco, Manny's supervillain grandfather, nudges him towards the dark side while his hero father pushes him to do good, so Manny is forever torn between the two.

What kind of animal is Lazlo, the Bean Scout hero of Camp Lazlo?

Lazlo is a cheerful spider monkey from Brazil; creator Joe Murray gave the show a gentler version of the humour from his earlier Rocko's Modern Life.

In My Gym Partner's a Monkey, what sends the human Adam Lyon to a middle school for zoo animals?

A clerical error: school records spelled his surname Lyon as 'Lion', so the 12-year-old was transferred to Charles Darwin Middle School, where every other student and teacher is a zoo animal.

Which rapper co-created and voiced the music teacher Sunny Bridges in a 2006 Cartoon Network series?

André 3000 of OutKast co-created Class of 3000 and voiced Sunny Bridges, a superstar who walks away from fame to teach music at a performing arts school in his home town of Atlanta.

What is the name of Johnny Test's talking dog?

Dukey is the talking dog at Johnny's side while the boy serves as test subject for the experiments of his genius twin sisters, Susan and Mary, who try them out behind their parents' backs.

Total Drama Island premiered in 2007 in which country, a year before reaching Cartoon Network?

Canada's Teletoon aired it first, in July 2007: the Survivor spoof strands teenage campers on a run-down island, where they vote one another off week by week until one is left.

All Grown Up! (2003) followed the middle-school lives of characters from which earlier Nicktoon?

Rugrats aged its babies ten years for a 2001 anniversary special, 'All Growed Up', and the special did so well that Nickelodeon built this series on it, keeping much of the original voice cast.

Courage the Cowardly Dog lives with Muriel and Eustace in the town of Nowhere, in which state?

Nowhere is in Kansas; the pilot short 'The Chicken from Outer Space' lost its Oscar race to Wallace & Gromit's 'A Close Shave', yet Cartoon Network still turned it into a full series.

In Megas XLR, slacker mechanic Coop replaces the giant robot's head, its control centre, with what?

Coop bolts a classic muscle car on as the head and names the robot XLR, for eXtra Large Robot; he and Jamie find the future mecha in a Jersey City junkyard.

Which Baywatch star appears in live action to carry SpongeBob home in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie?

David Hasselhoff plays himself, and the villain Dennis catches up to fight SpongeBob and Patrick on his back as he crosses the sea.

The cartoon Total Drama Island is an animated parody of which long-running reality competition?

Survivor is the direct target, and the smug host Chris McLean is modelled closely on its real presenter, Jeff Probst.

In SpongeBob SquarePants, which failing restaurant does Plankton run directly across the street from the Krusty Krab?

The Chum Bucket mostly sells chum, bait made of fish parts that the other characters consider inedible, which is why Plankton keeps trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula.

In Phineas and Ferb, the evil scientist Dr. Doofenshmirtz builds his inventions in order to conquer what?

The Tri-State Area is what he wants to seize from his younger brother Roger, the mayor of Danville and their mother's favourite son.

In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang travels the world on the back of Appa, who is what kind of creature?

A sky bison flies by airbending and steers with its broad tail, and Appa is the last one known to be alive.

In The Fairly OddParents, which cruel 16-year-old babysitter is regularly left in charge of Timmy Turner?

Vicky terrorises Timmy while his parents stay oblivious, even believing that the song "Icky Vicky" was about pumpkins.

In Dora the Explorer, what is the name of the talking monkey who is Dora's best friend?

Boots is named for his beloved pair of red boots, and he joins every quest alongside Dora and her talking purple backpack.

Which teenage Padawan was assigned to Anakin Skywalker in the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars?

Ahsoka Tano was first planned as Obi-Wan Kenobi's apprentice, but George Lucas gave her to Anakin so that he would have to grow into a mentor.

In Ed, Edd n Eddy, the three Eds run endless money-making scams so they can buy which favourite sweet?

Jawbreakers are the trio's favourite confection, and Eddy, their unofficial leader, dreams up most of the schemes to bilk the neighbourhood kids.

What is the name of the robotic dog that Jimmy Neutron invented as his pet and constant companion?

Goddard shares his name with Robert H. Goddard, the rocket scientist who is one of Jimmy's idols, and Jimmy also built the Strato XL rocket ship seen in the opening.

Which member of the Teen Titans is the daughter of the demon lord Trigon and a human mother?

Raven is an empath and sorceress, and in the comics she first appeared recruiting superheroes to fight her own father.

Which villain works as Dr. Drakken's sidekick and is regarded as Kim Possible's most dangerous enemy?

Shego got her powers when a multicoloured comet hit the tree house she shared with her brothers, who became the hero team Team Go.

Which shape-shifting demon flings Samurai Jack into a dystopian future just before the final blow lands?

Aku had already been beaten once by Jack's father, the emperor, using a magical katana given to him by the gods Ra, Rama and Odin.

In Futurama, the defrosted pizza boy Fry gets a job as a delivery boy for which company?

Planet Express is owned by Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, Fry's only living relative, who founded it to fund his work as a mad scientist.

In The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, the Grim Reaper speaks with which distinctive accent?

Jamaican-accented Grim is voiced by Greg Eagles, and the Reaper serves the two children only grudgingly, as their best friend by obligation.

In the cartoon Jackie Chan Adventures, the animated version of Jackie Chan works in which profession?

An archaeologist by trade, the cartoon Jackie is voiced by another actor, while the real Chan appears in live-action inserts at the end to answer fans' questions.

In Invader Zim, which malfunctioning robot servant was hastily built from spare parts found in a trash can?

GIR is voiced by Rosearik Rikki Simons, a comics collaborator of the show's creator, who was picked because he had no voice-acting experience and would sound broken.

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private star in which 2008 Nickelodeon spin-off of a DreamWorks film?

The Penguins of Madagascar was produced by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle, the creators of Kim Possible, and sends its four birds on commando-like missions.

In Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, which very tall, one-armed friend is devoted to basketball?

Wilt was once the imaginary friend of Jordan Michaels, a parody of the basketball star Michael Jordan.

Which Avatar: The Last Airbender character invents metalbending after being locked inside a metal cage?

Toph was caged by men her own parents had sent to bring her home, and escaping made her the first person ever to bend metal.

Which alien warlord is Ben Tennyson's first and most persistent arch-enemy in the original Ben 10?

Vilgax is voiced in the original series by Steve Blum, who also plays two of Ben's own alien forms, Heatblast and Ghostfreak.

Which half-ghost villain, an old college friend of Danny Fenton's father, is Danny Phantom's true arch-rival?

Vlad Plasmius is the ghost form of Vlad Masters, voiced by the actor Martin Mull, and stands out among Danny's many foes because he shares the hero's half-human nature.

Lilo and Stitch spend their Disney Channel cartoon tracking down Jumba's 625 other experiments, known as Stitch's what?

Cousins is the show's word for the experiments, each of which Lilo names and steers to a "one true place" where its powers can do some good.

Which level-headed, no-nonsense British boy leads Sector V in Codename: Kids Next Door?

Nigel Uno answers to the code name Numbuh 1, and every mission his team runs is titled "Operation:" followed by a backronym that hints at the plot.

In Chowder, what is the name of the young apprentice chef's pet, a floating stink cloud?

Kimchi takes his name from the pungent Korean dish, and although he usually seems blank, the episode Stinky Love shows that he has opinions of his own.

In The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, which elusive place are Flapjack and Captain K'nuckles always seeking?

Candied Island is said to be made entirely of candy, and K'nuckles has spent much of his life hunting for it from Stormalong Harbor.

In Xiaolin Showdown, which self-proclaimed evil boy genius accidentally frees the sorceress Wuya from a puzzle box?

Jack Spicer ended Wuya's 1,500-year imprisonment without meaning to, and he could not even restore her body afterwards.

Which Green Lantern is a founding member of the team in the 2001 Justice League animated series?

John Stewart is voiced by Phil LaMarr and serves alongside Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, J'onn J'onzz and Hawkgirl.

Which former Saturday Night Live star co-created The Mighty B! and voices its hyperactive scout, Bessie Higgenbottom?

Amy Poehler based Bessie loosely on Cassie McMadison, a character she had played with the Upright Citizens Brigade and Second City.

Which young Wolverine clone was created for the cartoon X-Men: Evolution before ever appearing in a Marvel comic?

X-23 was invented by writer Craig Kyle to give younger viewers a Wolverine of their own, and she reached the comics in the NYX series a year later.

Which American band performs Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day, the opening theme song of Phineas and Ferb?

Bowling for Soup earned the series a 2008 Emmy nomination for its main title theme, one of four nominations the show's music would collect.

Which rock band performed the theme song of What's New, Scooby-Doo? and guest-starred as themselves in one episode?

Simple Plan turn up in the episode Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman, and two more of their songs play over chase scenes in the series.

Which American recording artist performs Call Me, Beep Me!, the theme song of Disney's Kim Possible?

Christina Milian was already a correspondent on Disney Channel's Movie Surfers, and she recorded the song a week after first meeting its writers.

Solange Knowles sang the theme song of Penny Proud's Disney Channel cartoon together with which girl group?

Destiny's Child, the group fronted by Solange's sister Beyoncé, shares the credit, and the show's soundtrack album also features Alicia Keys and India.Arie.

Which Disney pop act re-recorded the theme song The Chosen One for season two of American Dragon: Jake Long?

Jonas Brothers took over a song first performed by the band Mavin, so the second season kept the same theme in a new recording.

The melody of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song was inspired by which traditional sea shanty?

Blow the Man Down gave the tune its shape, and the opening is sung by Painty the Pirate, an oil painting with creator Stephen Hillenburg's own lips superimposed.

The American Dad! theme song, Good Morning USA, opens with a variation on which patriotic American tune?

The Stars and Stripes Forever lends its introduction to the song, which the series creator Seth MacFarlane performs himself.

Which hip-hop star composed the theme music for Genndy Tartakovsky's Samurai Jack?

Will.i.am is the frontman of the Black Eyed Peas, the group he formed in 1995, and he went on to work on a second Tartakovsky series.

Which R&B singer performs I'm in Between, the opening theme of Nickelodeon's As Told by Ginger?

Macy Gray sang the third version of the song, after earlier takes by Melissa Disney, the voice of Ginger, and Cree Summer.

Which rock guitarist wrote the opening theme used for the first two seasons of The Batman, launched in 2004?

The Edge, of U2, supplied the original theme, and from season three it was replaced by a new one written by Andy Sturmer.