66 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.

Hillenburg's original name for SpongeBob was dropped because it was already trademarked by what kind of product?

He kept "Sponge" in the new name so nobody would mistake the character for a "cheese man"; Tom Kenny supplied "SquarePants".

Squidward Tentacles lives in a house shaped like what?

Squidward's home is an Easter Island moai, and despite the name he is an octopus, not a squid, as well as Bikini Bottom's most reluctant clarinet player.

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 divided its three seasons into "books" named after which elements?

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.

Avatar's creators, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, met as students where?

Both studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, where they met in the 1990s; Konietzko later designed characters on Invader Zim before the pair pitched Avatar to Nickelodeon.

The four-part Avatar finale "Sozin's Comet" drew about how many viewers on first airing?

'Sozin's Comet' aired on 19 July 2008 and drew about 5.6 million viewers, the most-watched programme that week among viewers under 14.

Who voiced Aang in Avatar's 2003 pilot before being replaced by Zach Tyler Eisen?

Mitchel Musso, later of Hannah Montana, voiced Aang in the unaired 2003 pilot, in which Katara was still called Kya; Dave Filoni, later of The Clone Wars, directed it.

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, after Butch Hartman left Cartoon Network work on Dexter's Laboratory and Johnny Bravo.

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

Denzel Crocker, voiced by Carlos Alazraqui, wants to prove to the world that fairies exist; Vicky the babysitter was the show's original main villain.

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

Danny Phantom debuted right after the 2004 Kids' Choice Awards on 3 April 2004; Butch Hartman's second Nick series ran 53 episodes across three seasons before ending in August 2007.

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 Nickelodeon cartoon to be animated how?

Jimmy Neutron was Nickelodeon's first series animated entirely in CGI, and the first Nicktoon spun off from one of the network's own films, the 2001 feature Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

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

Retroville is in Texas, home state of creator John A. Davis, whose studio DNA Productions animated the show in the Dallas area.

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

They were released as The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour; three were made, the second and third subtitled 'When Nerds Collide!' and 'The Jerkinators!'.

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

Nickelodeon wanted a show for older kids; Zim was the first thing Vasquez pitched, and it went "from pitch to series without hardly any waiting".

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

That is why the empire's leaders are called the Almighty Tallest, a title jointly held by a red one and a purple one.

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, a town where adults are kept off screen throughout the series; the other regulars are the cul-de-sac kids and the Kanker Sisters.

The made-for-TV movie that finally gave the three Eds their finale in 2009 was called what?

It had aired in Scandinavia, Australia and Southeast Asia a year before the US premiere.

Genndy Tartakovsky created Samurai Jack after finishing which earlier Cartoon Network series?

Tartakovsky created Samurai Jack after his run on Dexter's Laboratory; Jack's nemesis Aku was voiced by Mako until the actor's 2006 death, with Greg Baldwin taking over for the 2017 revival.

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 earned its series order by winning what?

Its pilot was one of 11 shown in Cartoon Network's Big Pick II event in 2001; the series then ran 81 episodes.

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

Numbuh 3 is Kuki Sanban, voiced by Lauren Tom, Sector V's happy-go-lucky medic; Numbuh 5, Abigail Lincoln, famously refers to herself in the third person.

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

Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker himself, voices Stickybeard, whose ship the Sweet Revenge travels by air, land and sea; he and Numbuh 5 are rivals over candy.

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends was Cartoon Network's first series animated mainly with what?

Foster's was Cartoon Network's first series produced mainly in Adobe Flash; Craig McCracken and Lauren Faust conceived it after adopting shelter dogs, which suggested abandoned imaginary friends.

In Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, how old is Mac, the boy who created Bloo?

Mac is eight years old; he visits Foster's every day to see Bloo, and becomes wildly hyperactive after eating sugar.

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

Mr. Herriman is a lop-eared rabbit imagined by Madame Foster herself as a girl; he runs the house in a tailcoat, top hat and monocle.

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

Puffy AmiYumi performed the theme in English and Japanese versions; the English lyrics opened serious episodes and the Japanese ones the sillier episodes.

Who voiced the villain Slade in Teen Titans?

Ron Perlman voiced Slade; season two adapted the classic 'Judas Contract' storyline, in which Slade recruits the new Titan Terra.

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

Starfire, voiced by Hynden Walch, is a princess of the planet Tamaran; Raven, by contrast, hails from the parallel dimension Azarath.

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

The Omnitrix lets Ben turn into ten aliens; Grandpa Max's RV is nicknamed the Rustbucket, and Ben was voiced by Tara Strong in the original series.

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

Man of Action, the collective of Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly and Steven T. Seagle, created Ben 10, which spawned Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, Omniverse and a 2016 reboot.

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

The wager was to save Billy's pet hamster; the show began life as one half of Grim & Evil, paired with Evil Con Carne.

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

Ms. Endive runs a rival catering business and feuds constantly with Mung Daal; her apprentice Panini is infatuated with Chowder, who insists he is not her 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, Ron's pet naked mole rat, is voiced by Nancy Cartwright, better known as the voice of Bart Simpson.

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 Disney Channel's first original animated series; Kim Possible followed as the second in June 2002.

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 wrestling-loving mother; her poodle Puff is tormented by the twins BeBe and CeCe.

Phineas and Ferb's creators say they pitched the show for how many years before Disney bought it?

Dan Povenmire and Jeff 'Swampy' Marsh say they pitched the idea for 16 years, having dreamed it up while working together on The Simpsons and Rocko's Modern Life.

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, under Major Monogram; his nemesis Dr. Doofenshmirtz runs Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated.

Which Disney executive request followed the first-season number "Gitchee, Gitchee Goo"?

Almost every Phineas and Ferb episode since "Flop Starz" has had an original song as a result.

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

Jake guards the magical creatures of New York City; Dante Basco, who also voices Zuko in Avatar, plays him, and his grandfather runs an electronics shop on Canal Street.

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; Raimundo, the Dragon of Wind, hails from Rio de Janeiro and is voiced by Tom Kenny.

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

Captain Black runs Section 13, the secret agency headquartered beneath San Francisco that recruits Jackie; his niece Jade and his antiques-dealer Uncle join the adventures.

American Dad! premiered on February 6, 2005, directly after which broadcast?

American Dad! debuted straight after Super Bowl XXXIX on 6 February 2005; Seth MacFarlane and Matt Weitzman said frustration with the Bush administration inspired the show.

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

Quahog is in Rhode Island, where Seth MacFarlane lived in Providence while studying at RISD.

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.

Which villain did Tartakovsky's 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars introduce ahead of Revenge of the Sith?

General Grievous made his debut in Tartakovsky's Clone Wars in 2004, a year before Revenge of the Sith; the series' early chapters ran only two to three minutes each.

Totally Spies!, a fixture of Cartoon Network afternoons in the 2000s, was produced in which country?

Sam, Clover and Alex work for WOOHP out of Beverly Hills; the creators were inspired by the girl-group boom in pop music.

As Told by Ginger (2000-06) was unusual for a kids' cartoon because its characters did what?

Ginger Foutley went from middle school to high school over 60 episodes, earning three Primetime Emmy nominations.

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

Snap, the wisecracking sidekick Rudy drew as a boy, lives in ChalkZone; the show began as a 1998 short on Oh Yeah! Cartoons before running 40 episodes from 2002.

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 the hero White Pantera and the grandson of which villain?

Manny's grandfather is Puma Loco, a retired supervillain who lives with the family; the Flash-animated Nickelodeon series was created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez and Sandra Equihua and won several Daytime Emmys.

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, why is the human Adam Lyon sent to a school for zoo animals?

At Charles Darwin Middle School he is paired in gym with Jake Spidermonkey; the show won an Emmy in 2007.

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

André Benjamin, OutKast's André 3000, created Class of 3000 and voiced Sunny Bridges, who teaches at Atlanta's Westley School of the Performing Arts.

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

Dukey, Johnny's talking dog, owes his speech to the experiments of Johnny's genius twin sisters Susan and Mary in the town of Porkbelly.

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

Tom McGillis and Jennifer Pertsch's reality-show parody debuted on Canada's Teletoon in July 2007, running 26 episodes plus a special finale, before Cartoon Network picked it up in 2008.

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

It spun off from Rugrats, growing out of the 2001 tenth-anniversary special 'All Growed Up', and ran for 55 episodes with much of the original cast.

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

Nowhere is in Kansas; the 1996 pilot short 'The Chicken from Outer Space' earned an Oscar nomination, losing to Wallace & Gromit's 'A Close Shave'.

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.