118 Fun Facts About 90s Cartoons

Who voiced Tommy Pickles on Rugrats from its 1991 debut?

E. G. Daily voiced Tommy for the show's whole run, once going into labour mid-session and recording lines between contractions; only the unaired pilot used another actor.

Which 2003-2008 spin-off followed the Rugrats babies as preteens?

All Grown Up! ran on Nickelodeon from 2003 to 2008, expanding the 2001 tenth-anniversary special 'All Growed Up', which had jumped the babies forward ten years.

Which three cartoons premiered together in August 1991 as the first Nicktoons?

Doug, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show debuted back to back in a 90-minute block on 11 August 1991, each grown from a pilot that executive Vanessa Coffey commissioned.

Doug Funnie's new hometown on Doug is called what?

Bluffington is home to blue, green and purple neighbours; creator Jim Jinkins has said the odd colours came from a 'margarita stupor' in the Mexican restaurant where the cast was first sketched.

After Doug's studio was sold in 1996, its new episodes premiered on which broadcast network?

ABC got the revival: Disney bought Jumbo Pictures within weeks of completing its takeover of the network in 1996, and Brand Spanking New! Doug joined its Saturday mornings that September.

Who created Hey Arnold!?

Craig Bartlett first built the football-headed Arnold in claymation shorts, one of which aired on Sesame Street, before Nickelodeon launched the series in October 1996.

On Hey Arnold!, Arnold's grandparents run a boarding house with what name?

Sunset Arms is home because Arnold's parents never came back from a mission to Central America, a mystery the series left open until The Jungle Movie in 2017.

Rocko of Rocko's Modern Life is what kind of animal?

A wallaby caught creator Joe Murray's eye at a Bay Area zoo because it seemed oblivious to the chaos around it, and that became Rocko, an Australian immigrant adrift in O-Town.

Which future SpongeBob creator got his first animation-directing job on Rocko's Modern Life?

Stephen Hillenburg, a former marine-biology teacher, was hired after Rocko's creator saw his student film Wormholes at a 1992 animation festival; much of the crew later joined him on SpongeBob.

Ren Höek of The Ren & Stimpy Show is what kind of animal?

A chihuahua in a sweater at a woman's feet, on a postcard of an Elliott Erwitt photograph, gave the show's creator the idea for Ren; his partner Stimpy is a dim, good-natured Manx cat.

Which Ren & Stimpy creator did Nickelodeon fire in 1992, handing production to its in-house studio?

John Kricfalusi's studio kept missing deadlines and clashing with the network's censors, so Nickelodeon ended his contract and handed the show to its new Games Animation for three more seasons.

Which film director served as executive producer of Animaniacs?

Steven Spielberg personally approved the characters, and Buttons and Mindy were nearly cut until one of his children saw a drawing of the pair and loved them.

On Animaniacs, where had Yakko, Wakko and Dot been locked away since the 1930s?

The studio water tower became the Warners' prison in the show's backstory because the 1930s cartoon stars were judged too zany; decades later they escape and run wild on the lot.

In Pinky and the Brain, whose voice did Maurice LaMarche base the Brain on?

Orson Welles came to mind the moment Maurice LaMarche saw a drawing of the Brain; LaMarche later dubbed Welles's voice over Vincent D'Onofrio in the 1994 film Ed Wood.

In 1998, Pinky and the Brain was retooled so the mice were owned by which Tiny Toon Adventures character?

Elmyra Duff was reportedly the network's idea, and the writers answered in the new theme song, which shrugs that it is what the network wants, so why complain.

On Tiny Toon Adventures, Buster and Babs Bunny introduce themselves with which running disclaimer?

'No relation' was the best friends' answer to their shared surname, a joke the reboot Tiny Toons Looniversity undid by making Buster and Babs twins.

Which villain was created for Batman: The Animated Series, debuting in 'Joker's Favor'?

Harley Quinn was modelled on Paul Dini's college friend Arleen Sorkin, whom he saw play a jester in a soap opera; he then cast Sorkin as her voice.

Who voiced the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series?

Mark Hamill was a replacement: another actor had already recorded several episodes as the Joker before the part was recast and given to Star Wars' Luke Skywalker.

The producers of Batman: The Animated Series called its noir-meets-1940s visual style by what name?

Dark Deco was the producers' own name for the look; backgrounds were painted in light colours on black paper, instead of the usual white, to keep Gotham dark.

X-Men: The Animated Series premiered on Halloween 1992 as part of which programming block?

Fox Kids had planned a September launch, but production delays pushed the two-part 'Night of the Sentinels' back to a Halloween sneak preview.

Guitarist Joe Perry of which band performed the theme of the 1994 Spider-Man animated series?

Aerosmith's Joe Perry played the theme, and the show nodded back in The Alien Costume, where the hero's shape-shifting symbiote suit briefly dresses him as the guitarist.

Who voiced Goliath on Gargoyles?

Keith David voiced Goliath, the one gargoyle the castle's humans had named, after the biblical giant; the rest took names only after waking in Manhattan.

On Gargoyles, when do the gargoyles turn to stone?

Gargoyles turn to stone during the day and wake at sunset; a spell froze the clan in Scotland for a thousand years until their castle was rebuilt atop a Manhattan skyscraper.

What is Darkwing Duck's mild-mannered secret identity?

Drake Mallard — a pun on Kent Allard, the Shadow's alter ego — lives in St. Canard with adopted daughter Gosalyn and pilot Launchpad McQuack.

On TaleSpin, what is the name of Baloo's cargo plane?

The Sea Duck is no longer Baloo's own: Rebecca Cunningham owns it and runs it as the delivery plane of her cargo firm Higher for Hire, with Baloo still at the controls.

On Goof Troop, who is Goofy's next-door neighbor and old high-school friend?

Pete, Disney's oldest recurring character and usually Mickey Mouse's enemy, got a makeover here as a used-car salesman and family man whose son P.J. is Max's best friend.

On Recess, the Third Street playground is ruled by a sixth grader with what title?

King Bob keeps order through enforcers who carry out his decrees; before his reign he was the playground's Prankster Prince, a title earned by pranking the king of the day.

Sue Rose created which 1997 Disney series about a quirky 12-year-old at Hazelnut Middle School?

Pepper Ann started life as a comic strip in the teen magazine YM; on screen, her feelings burst out as full-blown fantasy sequences.

Who created Dexter's Laboratory?

Genndy Tartakovsky created Dexter's Laboratory (1996) and gave the boy genius an accent because, he said, famous scientists all have accents; he went on to make Samurai Jack.

Craig McCracken's CalArts short that became The Powerpuff Girls was originally titled what?

McCracken's 1992 CalArts short Whoopass Stew! starred the Whoopass Girls; Cartoon Network would not market that word, so they became the Powerpuff Girls.

On The Powerpuff Girls, Professor Utonium accidentally adds what to sugar, spice and everything nice?

Chemical X spilled because of Jojo, the Professor's destructive lab chimp, and the same accident turned him into the girls' arch-enemy, Mojo Jojo.

What is Johnny Bravo's hometown, named after Elvis Presley's middle name?

Aron City matches the spelling on most of Elvis's official papers; Johnny himself grew out of creator Van Partible's college thesis film about an Elvis impersonator.

On Ed, Edd n Eddy, the boys run scams to buy which candy?

Jawbreakers are the prize on a show born from a dare: Danny Antonucci, a maker of adult cartoons, was challenged to create one for children.

Ed, Edd n Eddy's 2009 series finale carried which subtitle?

Big Picture Show sent the Eds out of the cul-de-sac to seek out Eddy's never-seen older brother, who turned out to be a cruel bully who abuses Eddy.

Which Oscar-nominated short grew into Courage the Cowardly Dog?

The Chicken from Outer Space, John R. Dilworth's short for the What a Cartoon! showcase, lost its Oscar to Wallace and Gromit's A Close Shave but was picked up as a series.

Beavis and Butt-Head began as which Mike Judge short shown on MTV's Liquid Television?

Frog Baseball, Mike Judge's 1992 short, aired on MTV's Liquid Television; the full Beavis and Butt-Head series followed in March 1993.

Hank Hill of King of the Hill makes his living selling what?

Hank sells propane and propane accessories at Strickland Propane in Arlen, Texas; Mike Judge voices both Hank and his mumbling friend Boomhauer.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone developed South Park from two short films sharing what title?

Both shorts are known as The Spirit of Christmas; the 1995 one, Jesus vs. Santa, was commissioned by Fox executive Brian Graden as a video Christmas card and spread on copied VHS tapes.

After South Park killed Kenny off in season five, which classmate first took his place?

Butters filled in as the boys' fourth friend until they fired him, a rejection that turned him into the would-be supervillain Professor Chaos; Kenny came back in the season-six finale.

Which Pokémon speaks human language as the third member of Team Rocket's trio with Jessie and James?

Meowth is a rarity among Pokémon for talking like a person, a skill he took the time to learn; in the anime he did it to impress a female Meowth named Meowzie.

Dragon Ball Z adapts the manga of which artist?

Akira Toriyama suggested the Z himself: as the last letter of the alphabet it signalled that he wanted to wrap the story up, yet the anime ran for 291 episodes.

In the 1995 English dub of Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino was renamed what?

Serena was the name DiC gave Usagi for its 1995 English dub, which also renamed her friends; Viz Media's 2014 release went back to the uncut series.

Arthur Read, star of the PBS series Arthur, is what kind of animal?

An aardvark was Marc Brown's answer when his young son asked for a bedtime story about a weird animal; the first book, Arthur's Nose, has him fretting over his long snout.

Which reggae artist performed the Arthur theme song?

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers sang 'Believe in Yourself', the show's reggae theme; Chance the Rapper later recorded his own version, 'Wonderful Everyday'.

Who voiced Ms. Frizzle on the 1994 The Magic School Bus series?

Lily Tomlin won a Daytime Emmy as Ms. Frizzle and returned for the 2017 Netflix sequel, where the character hands the bus keys to her younger sister Fiona.

Who voiced Gaia in the first three seasons of Captain Planet and the Planeteers?

Whoopi Goldberg voiced Gaia until Margot Kidder took over in season four; Ted Turner co-created the show to champion environmentalism, with famous actors such as Meg Ryan voicing the polluters.

Which comedian created Bobby's World and voiced both four-year-old Bobby and his father?

Howie Mandel did more than voice Bobby and his father: he also appeared as himself in live-action segments around the cartoon stories.

Who voiced Nigel Thornberry, the nature-documentary host on The Wild Thornberrys?

Tim Curry gave Nigel his booming 'Smashing!'; his daughter Eliza can talk to animals because she once freed an African shaman who had been trapped in the body of a warthog.

On Nickelodeon's Real Monsters, which monster carries his eyeballs around in his hands?

Krumm keeps his eyeballs in his hands and scares with his armpit stench; Gábor Csupó built the show around monsters because his own young children loved them.

On Freakazoid!, how does teenager Dexter Douglas gain his powers?

A computer bug triggered by his cat: Mr. Chubbikins accidentally typed the secret key sequence that woke a flaw in the Pinnacle chip inside Dexter's computer.

In Beast Wars: Transformers, which descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons crash-land on an unknown planet?

Maximals and Predacons crash on a planet so rich in raw energon that both crews must take animal forms to shield themselves from its radiation.

The original working title for SpongeBob SquarePants was what?

SpongeBoy Ahoy! had to go when Nickelodeon's lawyers found the name SpongeBoy was already trademarked for a mop, so the character became SpongeBob before the 1999 debut.

Family Guy premiered on Fox in January 1999 immediately after what broadcast?

'Death Has a Shadow' aired straight after Super Bowl XXXIII on 31 January 1999; the plum slot did not save it, and Fox cancelled the show in 2002 before DVD sales and Adult Swim reruns revived it.

Larry and his talking dog Steve, from Seth MacFarlane's 1990s shorts, were reworked into which Family Guy pair?

Peter and Brian Griffin began as Larry and Steve: MacFarlane's student film The Life of Larry got him hired at Hanna-Barbera, and Fox executives who saw the sequel ordered a series.

Who voiced Philip J. Fry on Futurama, as well as Professor Farnsworth and Zoidberg?

Billy West also voices Zapp Brannigan, a part first meant for Phil Hartman, who had auditioned for it before he was killed in 1998.

The April 1998 Kids' Choice Awards were followed by the first episode of which new Nicktoon?

CatDog got another early outing that year, when its episode 'Fetch' played in cinemas months before it reached television.

In which fictional Oregon town's forest do Norbert and Daggett live on The Angry Beavers?

Wayouttatown, Oregon, is the nearest town to the forest where Norbert and Daggett set up home as bachelors after moving out of their parents' place.

Daria (1997-2002) was a spin-off of which other MTV animated series?

Daria Morgendorffer began as Beavis and Butt-Head's deadpan classmate, voiced by Tracy Grandstaff in both shows; Mike Judge, busy with King of the Hill, had no hand in the spin-off.

Disney's Bonkers (1993) was inspired by which live-action/animation film?

Who Framed Roger Rabbit set the template: Bonkers is a cartoon star who, once his fame fades, joins the Hollywood police alongside human partners.

ReBoot, one of the first made-for-TV CGI series, was produced in which city?

Vancouver's Mainframe Entertainment set ReBoot inside a computer on purpose: the blocky models and mechanical movement that early CGI allowed looked natural there.

Micky Dolenz, who voiced the sidekick Arthur in season one of The Tick, drummed for which band?

The Monkees' Micky Dolenz voiced Arthur for one season before Rob Paulsen took over; the Tick himself first appeared in the newsletter of a comic shop chain, New England Comics.

The hero of the 1995 Earthworm Jim cartoon was voiced by Dan Castellaneta, best known as which cartoon dad?

Homer Simpson's voice, Dan Castellaneta, played Jim, a worm who battles evil in a robotic super suit that the show's villains keep trying to take back.

Who voiced New York film critic Jay Sherman on The Critic (1994-95)?

Jon Lovitz's Jay Sherman crossed into The Simpsons for 'A Star Is Burns', an episode Matt Groening disliked so much that he had his name taken off the credits.

Which Seinfeld actor voiced private detective Eric Tiberius Duckman?

Jason Alexander, Seinfeld's George Costanza, voiced Duckman for four seasons that ended on a cliffhanger nobody ever resolved: the finale closes on the words 'To be continued...?'

The Dino Vengers, dinosaur allies introduced on Street Sharks, got their own 1997 cartoon under which title?

Extreme Dinosaurs grew out of Street Sharks' third season, retitled Dino Vengers Featuring Street Sharks; both cartoons existed to promote Mattel action figures.

Which veteran Ghostbuster leads the college-aged team in Extreme Ghostbusters (1997)?

Egon Spengler was the only Ghostbuster still at the firehouse after a lull in hauntings put the team out of business; when ghosts came back, he recruited the four students in his college class.

Which actor auditioned for Superman but was cast as Lex Luthor in Superman: The Animated Series?

Clancy Brown read for Superman, but the creative team asked him to try Lex Luthor instead; the tycoon's look was based on the actor Telly Savalas.

What nickname do fans give DIC's darker 1993–94 Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon?

Fans call the darker series 'Sonic SatAM' after its Saturday-morning slot; DIC made it alongside the syndicated weekday Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and it ran 26 episodes over two seasons.

Which comedy star saw three of his 1994 films become animated series the very next year?

Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber all premiered as animated series in 1995. The Ace Ventura and Mask cartoons later met in a two-part crossover between the two heroes.

In 1992, President George H. W. Bush said families should be less like the Simpsons and more like which TV family?

The Waltons got dragged into a family-values speech, and the show answered three days later. In a hastily made segment, Bart shrugged: "Hey, we're just like the Waltons."

In the 1995 Simpsons cliffhanger 'Who Shot Mr. Burns?', which character turned out to have pulled the trigger?

Maggie Simpson fired the shot by accident when Mr. Burns tried to take her lollipop and his gun slipped into her hands. Viewers had to wait from May to September to find out.

Which bodybuilder played the Incredible Hulk on 1970s television and returned to voice him in a 1996 cartoon?

Lou Ferrigno growled for the green giant throughout the 1996 series, while Neal McDonough voiced Bruce Banner. For its second season the show was renamed The Incredible Hulk and She-Hulk.

Which Family Matters star, famous as Steve Urkel, voiced Sonic the Hedgehog in three different animated series?

Jaleel White was cast as the speedy blue hero in 1993, while he was still playing Urkel. In Sonic Underground he also voiced Sonic's brother and sister, Manic and Sonia.

Which soul singer behind the theme from Shaft voiced Chef, the school lunchroom cook on South Park?

Isaac Hayes took the part even though the creators feared that he, Barry White and Lou Rawls would all turn it down. He said yes partly because of the audacity of the early scripts.

Which media mogul launched Cartoon Network in 1992 and also dreamed up the eco-hero Captain Planet?

Ted Turner built the channel on the Hanna-Barbera, MGM and early Looney Tunes libraries he already owned. It launched on October 1, 1992, as the first 24-hour channel devoted to animation.

Which 1967 Disney film supplied Baloo, Louie and Shere Khan for the 1990 cargo-pilot cartoon TaleSpin?

The Jungle Book came to the rescue when writer Jymn Magon, stuck for ideas before a pitch deadline, made its bear a pilot. Mowgli was swapped for a bear cub named Kit.

On Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Ma-Ti's ring holds which power alongside Earth, Fire, Wind and Water?

Heart belonged to Ma-Ti, a Brazilian boy raised by his village's shaman. Captain Planet himself is all five powers combined and magnified into a blue-skinned, green-haired hero.

The Animaniacs pigeons Squit, Bobby and Pesto are a running parody of which Martin Scorsese gangster film?

Goodfellas became "Goodfeathers", with the three birds modeled on the roles played by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Their mumbling boss, the Godpigeon, spoofs Vito Corleone.

Which pop superstar, credited as John Jay Smith, secretly guest-starred in the Simpsons episode 'Stark Raving Dad'?

Michael Jackson, a fan of the show, phoned its creator to offer a guest spot but could not be credited for contractual reasons. A soundalike, Kipp Lennon, sang the character's songs.

On Rugrats, which toy tool does baby Tommy Pickles use to escape his crib and get into forbidden places?

A screwdriver made of plastic was the fearless one-year-old's key to every adventure. As a preteen in the sequel series, he still carries it on his keychain.

Which Hey Arnold! character bullies Arnold in public while secretly building shrines to him out of love?

Helga Pataki only pretends to despise the boy she calls "Football Head". Her blustering father, "Big Bob", is a beeper salesman who owns his own beeper store.

On Doug, which rock band, a spoof of real British groups, do Doug Funnie and Skeeter Valentine adore?

The Beets nod to the Beatles in name, but their members look like Ringo Starr and Robert Plant, and their endless reunion tours poke fun at the Who.

Which Pokémon talks like a human and schemes with Jessie and James as part of Team Rocket?

Meowth taught himself to speak and stand upright to impress a female of his kind, who dismissed him as a freak anyway. Most Pokémon in the anime cannot communicate with humans at all.

Which Powerpuff Girls villain is a brainy chimpanzee who was once Professor Utonium's reckless lab assistant?

Mojo Jojo was plain Jojo back then, and it was his shove that caused the lab accident which created the girls. He now plots against them with a protruding, super-smart brain.

On Dexter's Laboratory, which older sister keeps dancing into the secret lab and ruining the experiments?

Dee Dee came first: her creator wanted to animate a girl dancing, drew a tall, skinny ballerina, then asked what her opposite would be and drew a block.

Arthur Read's bratty four-year-old sister on the PBS series Arthur is known to everyone by which initials?

Dora Winifred is the full name behind the initials, inherited from a long-dead aunt of her Grandma Thora. D.W., a preschooler, is the middle child between Arthur and baby Kate.

SpongeBob SquarePants began in 1999 with the sponge applying for a fry-cook job at which restaurant?

The Krusty Krab has only two full-time employees: SpongeBob at the grill and Squidward at the register. Its chief rival, the Chum Bucket, is run by the tiny schemer Plankton.

Which crash-prone pilot from DuckTales returned in 1991 as the sidekick of Darkwing Duck?

Launchpad McQuack was nearly the star: the show began as a James Bond spoof called Double-O Duck, with him pencilled in for the lead. He rarely lands a plane without crashing it.

With its 167th episode in 1997, The Simpsons overtook which show as prime time's longest-running animated series?

The Flintstones had held the record with 166 episodes. The milestone episode fittingly mocks tired shows that bolt on a new character: Poochie, a rapping, surfing dog voiced by Homer.

On X-Men: The Animated Series, which teenage newcomer fires energy bursts she calls 'fireworks' from her hands?

Jubilee is the viewer's way in: the very first episode has a Sentinel robot ambush her at a mall, and the team's rescue reveals the X-Men to the public.

Which Cartoon Network afternoon block, launched in 1997, soon added the anime Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon?

Toonami opened with reruns of ThunderCats and Voltron, and its first host was Moltar, a villain recycled from a 1960s superhero cartoon.

Which South Park schoolboy is forever demanding that the other characters 'Respect my authoritah!'?

Eric Cartman lives to get the upper hand over everyone around him. His sulky exit line from the early seasons, "Screw you guys... I'm going home!", became a catchphrase too.

Which King of the Hill neighbor talks in a fast, mumbled Southern gibberish that is famously hard to follow?

Boomhauer mumbles his way through every conversation, yet he sings perfectly clearly and speaks French and Spanish without a hitch.

On Futurama, Philip J. Fry wakes up at the end of 2999 and takes a delivery job with which company?

Planet Express belongs to Fry's only living relative, the elderly Professor Farnsworth, who founded it to fund his work as a mad scientist.

On Ed, Edd n Eddy, what is the name of the imaginary friend with a drawn-on face that Jonny carries everywhere?

Plank is a plain two-by-four, inspired by a childhood friend of the show's creator, a loner who spent most of his time outside with his blanket. Some wanted the board to blink and smile, but the creator refused.

On The Wild Thornberrys, Eliza can talk to animals, including her best friend, a chimpanzee with what name?

Darwin is the family's pet chimp, and Eliza's gift lets the two of them chat. In her opening narration she says the family found the wild boy Donnie, "and Darwin... he found us."

Goofy's son, called Goofy Junior in 1950s shorts, was given what first name for the 1992 series Goof Troop?

Max first appeared in 1951 as Goofy Junior and was renamed for the 1992 series, where he is a preteen. He went on to star in A Goofy Movie as a high-schooler.

In Sailor Moon, which talking black cat with a crescent mark on her forehead tells Usagi of her destiny?

Luna and her partner Artemis, a white male cat, were put into a long sleep and sent to Earth when the Moon Kingdom fell. Their daughter from the future, Diana, turns up later.

Which 1960s Hanna-Barbera superhero was reinvented in 1994 as the host of a surreal Cartoon Network talk show?

Space Ghost interviewed real celebrities who appeared on a monitor beside his desk, usually assuming they were fellow superheroes. Much of the show was built from recycled 1960s animation.

In Batman Beyond, which teenager becomes the new Batman under the guidance of a retired Bruce Wayne?

Terry McGinnis stumbles into the role when thugs chase him onto the lawn of Wayne Manor. He first takes the high-tech Batsuit to get justice for his murdered father.

On Tiny Toon Adventures, Buster and Babs Bunny study under Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck at which school?

Acme Looniversity's faculty also includes Porky Pig, and its students are training to become the next generation of Looney Tunes stars.

On MTV's Daria, which aspiring artist is Daria Morgendorffer's best friend and the younger sister of Trent?

Jane Lane appears from the very first episode as Daria's confidante. Her older brother Trent set off years of fan debate over whether Daria should end up with him.

Which tough tomboy on Recess goes by her last name to hide the fact that her first name is Ashley?

Spinelli keeps it quiet to avoid being lumped in with the Ashleys, the school's clique of snobby girls. She was named after a great-aunt, the first woman to win the Iditarod.

Courage the Cowardly Dog lives with Muriel and Eustace Bagge in a farmhouse near which Kansas town?

Nowhere attracts every monster, alien and zombie going, which is hard on a dog who is scared of everything. Muriel found him in an alleyway and took him in.

On Rocko's Modern Life, which best friend of Rocko was adopted by wolves who had first planned to eat him?

Heffer is a happy-go-lucky steer, and his "birthmark" is really the wolves' old cutting diagram for dividing him into choice dishes.

In Dragon Ball Z, Goku learns he was sent to Earth as a baby and belongs to which alien warrior race?

Saiyans named him Kakarot, and his brother Raditz says he was sent to wipe out life on Earth. A childhood head injury made him forget the mission and turned him cheerful.

In the 1994 cartoon The Tick, the big blue superhero's nonsensical battle cry is the name of which utensil?

Spoon became the Tick's battle cry one day while he was eating a bowl of Drama Flakes cereal. His sidekick's own cry is far less heroic: "Not in the face!"

Which Pokémon's 1997 episode was shelved for good after its flashing lights put hundreds of children in hospital?

Porygon's episode has never been shown again in any country since its single Japanese broadcast. The irony: the flashes came from Pikachu blowing up a wave of missiles.

Which animation technique, invented by Tom Snyder, gave Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist its signature look?

Squigglevision loops five slightly different drawings so that outlines never sit still, sparing animators costlier movement. Snyder called the result "economy of motion".

Which studio, founded by a married couple in a spare room of their apartment, animated Rugrats for Nickelodeon?

Klasky Csupo was started in 1982 by producer Arlene Klasky and Hungarian animator Gábor Csupó. It grew from that spare bedroom into a Hollywood studio of 550 people.

Which Simpsons star took over from Robin Williams as the Genie in the 1994 Aladdin television series?

Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer, had already played the Genie in The Return of Jafar. Williams came back for the third film, Aladdin and the King of Thieves.

Which cartoonist, known for adult animation, created Ed, Edd n Eddy after being dared to make a children's show?

Danny Antonucci had made the adult short Lupo the Butcher and MTV's The Brothers Grunt before taking the dare. He even whistled the show's opening tune himself.

Which voice actress played Chuckie on Rugrats, the boy genius of Dexter's Laboratory and the pig in Babe?

Christine Cavanaugh retired from voice acting in 2001, and other actresses took over Chuckie and Dexter. She had also voiced Gosalyn on Darkwing Duck and Oblina on Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.

Which voice actor played both Yakko on Animaniacs and Pinky on Pinky and the Brain?

Rob Paulsen won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 for playing Pinky, and he returned to both roles when Animaniacs was revived from 2020 to 2023.

Which Star Trek: The Next Generation actor voiced Kwame, the Planeteer with the power of Earth, on Captain Planet?

LeVar Burton, also the longtime host of Reading Rainbow, voiced the African Planeteer in both versions of the show, from 1990 to 1996.

On Dexter's Laboratory, a sleep-learning mishap before a test leaves Dexter able to say only which French phrase?

Omelette du fromage was all his study machine played overnight, after a scratched record got stuck on the phrase. He wakes up unable to say anything else.

Which Ren & Stimpy Show character had Frank Zappa guest-star as the Pope in an episode named after him?

Powdered Toast Man is the melodramatic spokesman for a breakfast treat that "tastes just like sawdust". By day he is Pastor Toastman, a "cool" youth deacon.

Which comedy superstar co-created the stop-motion sitcom The PJs and was credited as the voice of Thurgood Stubbs?

Eddie Murphy did not always turn up to record, says actor Phil Morris, who was hired to voice Thurgood on those days. Each episode took over two months to animate.