119 Fun Facts About 90s Cartoons

Who voiced Tommy Pickles on Rugrats from its 1991 debut?

Only the unaired pilot used a different actor, Tami Holbrook. Daily also played Dottie in Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

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 shows premiered together on August 11, 1991 as the first Nicktoons?

Doug, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show debuted back to back on Sunday 11 August 1991 in a 90-minute block, all chosen by Nickelodeon animation executive Vanessa Coffey.

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

Doug moves to Bluffington, whose residents come in a rainbow of skin colours — a deliberate choice by creator Jim Jinkins — and attends Bluffington School.

After Disney acquired Doug's studio in 1996, the show moved to which network?

Disney bought Jumbo Pictures in 1996, months after closing its purchase of ABC, and Brand Spanking New! Doug premiered in ABC's Saturday-morning line-up 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?

The Sunset Arms boarding house, run by Grandpa Phil and Grandma Gertie, shelters eccentric boarders such as Oskar Kokoshka and Mr. Hyunh in the city of Hillwood.

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

Rocko is a wallaby who emigrated from Australia to O-Town; the 2019 Netflix special Static Cling revived the series.

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

Stephen Hillenburg, a former marine-science teacher, directed and later ran Rocko's Modern Life; crew members including Tom Kenny and Paul Tibbitt followed him to SpongeBob.

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

Ren is a scrawny, bad-tempered 'asthma-hound chihuahua'; his partner Stimpy is a dim but good-natured Manx cat.

After Nickelodeon fired John Kricfalusi in 1992, Ren & Stimpy moved from Spümcø to which studio?

Games Animation, Nickelodeon's newly created in-house studio, took over Ren & Stimpy for seasons three to five; it later grew into Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

Which film director served as executive producer of Animaniacs?

Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment co-produced Animaniacs; 'Steven Spielberg Presents' ran above the title and he personally approved the characters pitched by creator Tom Ruegger.

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

The Warners were locked in the Warner Bros. studio water tower, a real landmark on the Burbank lot that the show turned into their home.

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

LaMarche based the Brain on Orson Welles, with a touch of Vincent Price by his own account, and dubbed Welles's voice for Vincent D'Onofrio's cameo in Ed Wood (1994).

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

The retitled show, Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain, was a network-mandated change the writers openly mocked in its theme.

The first Tiny Toon Adventures episode aired in September 1990 as a prime-time special on which network?

The pilot 'The Looney Beginning' aired on CBS on 14 September 1990 as a prime-time special; the series then ran in first-run syndication before its final season moved to Fox Kids.

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

Paul Dini and Bruce Timm created her as a one-off henchwoman; she became so popular DC brought her into the comics.

Who voiced the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series?

Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, voiced the Joker opposite Kevin Conroy's Batman and kept the role for decades of DC animation and the Arkham games.

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

Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski dubbed the look 'Dark Deco'; backgrounds were painted on black paper instead of white, which is why Gotham always seems to be at night.

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

The two-part opener "Night of the Sentinels" ran as a sneak preview, and the show went on to reach more than 23 million households.

Who voiced Peter Parker in the 1994 Spider-Man animated series?

Barnes had already been the voice of Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid, and the show ran 65 episodes on Saturday mornings.

Who voiced Goliath on Gargoyles?

Keith David voiced Goliath, surrounded by Star Trek: The Next Generation alumni — Jonathan Frakes as Xanatos and Marina Sirtis as Demona.

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 seaplane?

Baloo flies the Sea Duck, a Conwing L-16 cargo seaplane, for Higher for Hire; the show dropped Jungle Book characters into a 1930s aviation world with Shere Khan as a tycoon.

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

Pete, a used-car salesman, lives next door in Spoonerville; his son P.J. becomes Max's best friend, a pairing carried into A Goofy Movie (1995).

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

King Bob, a sixth grader, rules the Third Street playground from a throne atop the jungle gym, in a playground monarchy the show played entirely straight.

Who created Pepper Ann, the first Disney animated TV series made by a woman?

Sue Rose created Pepper Ann, which debuted on ABC's One Saturday Morning on 13 September 1997, the same day as Recess.

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?

Professor Utonium accidentally knocks Chemical X into the mix, creating Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup; the series premiered on Cartoon Network in November 1998.

What is the name of Johnny Bravo's hometown?

Johnny lives in Aron City, named after Elvis Presley's middle name; the pompadoured hero was modelled on Elvis and James Dean, and Seth MacFarlane wrote for the first season.

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

The Eds scheme to buy jawbreakers, the giant candy sold at the local candy store; the show ran on Cartoon Network from 1999 to 2009 and was made by a.k.a. Cartoon.

Ed, Edd n Eddy ended in 2009 with a television film subtitled what?

Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show (2009) finally took the Eds out of the cul-de-sac and revealed Eddy's never-seen older brother as a bully.

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

The Chicken from Outer Space, a 1995 What a Cartoon! short by John R. Dilworth, lost the Oscar to Wallace and Gromit's A Close Shave; Courage the Cowardly Dog followed on Cartoon Network in 1999.

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.

For roughly how many seasons did South Park kill Kenny in almost every episode?

He was killed off for real in season five, then quietly returned the next season with no explanation.

The English-dubbed Pokémon anime first aired in the United States in which year?

The English dub launched in US first-run syndication in September 1998, about a year and a half after the anime's April 1997 debut on TV Tokyo.

Dragon Ball Z adapts the manga of which artist?

Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga (1984–95) was adapted into the 291-episode Dragon Ball Z, which became a US phenomenon once Cartoon Network's Toonami block ran it from 1998.

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

DiC's 1995 dub renamed Usagi 'Serena' and the Sailor Guardians the 'Sailor Scouts'; Viz Media's 2014 redub restored the Japanese names.

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

Arthur is an aardvark, as in Marc Brown's picture books; the PBS series ran for 25 seasons from 1996 to 2022.

Which reggae artist performed the Arthur theme song?

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers recorded the theme 'Believe in Yourself', which opened the show for its 25-season run.

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

Lily Tomlin voiced Ms. Frizzle, winning a 1995 Daytime Emmy for the role; Little Richard sang the show's theme.

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

Whoopi Goldberg voiced Gaia for the first three seasons before Margot Kidder took over; villains were played by stars too, including Meg Ryan, Jeff Goldblum, Sting and Martin Sheen.

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

Howie Mandel created Bobby's World and voiced both Bobby and his father Howard; each Fox Kids episode was bookended by a live-action segment with Mandel.

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

Tim Curry gave Nigel his booming 'Smashing!'; the Klasky Csupo show followed daughter Eliza, who could talk to animals, around the world in the family Comvee.

On Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, which monster carries his eyeballs around in his hands?

The three friends attend a monster school under a city dump, where the Gromble teaches them to scare humans.

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

The Bruce Timm and Paul Dini creation ran two seasons on Kids' WB and won a Daytime Emmy.

Beast Wars: Transformers pits which two factions against each other?

The CGI series was made by Mainframe Entertainment in Vancouver, the studio behind ReBoot.

The original working title for SpongeBob SquarePants was what?

The show was pitched as SpongeBoy Ahoy!, but the name SpongeBoy was already trademarked for a mop, so Hillenburg renamed his character SpongeBob before the May 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.

Before Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane's short films starred a man and his talking dog named what?

The Life of Larry (1995) and Larry & Steve (1997) starred Larry and his dog Steve; MacFarlane redesigned the pair into Peter and Brian Griffin when Fox ordered the series.

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

Billy West voiced Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg and Zapp Brannigan; the show was revived twice, by Comedy Central in 2010 and Hulu in 2023.

Who created CatDog, the Nicktoon about a cat and dog conjoined at the waist?

Peter Hannan created CatDog; its first episode sneak-previewed after the April 1998 Kids' Choice Awards, months before the official October premiere.

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

Norbert and Daggett live in a dam in the forest outside Wayouttatown, Oregon, after leaving their parents' lodge to live as bachelors.

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?

Bonkers, a toon cop partnered with a human detective, borrowed the live-action-meets-toons premise of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988); it spun off from the He's Bonkers shorts on Raw Toonage.

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

Mainframe Entertainment made ReBoot in Vancouver; the show followed Guardian Bob against the viruses Megabyte and Hexadecimal and aired on YTV in Canada and ABC in the US from 1994.

Which former Monkee voiced Arthur, the Tick's sidekick, in season one of The Tick (1994)?

Micky Dolenz voiced Arthur in season one before Rob Paulsen took over; Townsend Coleman voiced the Tick, and the show ran three seasons on Fox Kids.

The Earthworm Jim cartoon (1995-96) aired on which network's children's block?

Earthworm Jim ran on Kids' WB from September 1995 to December 1996; Doug TenNapel created the video-game hero, an earthworm who fights evil in a robotic super suit.

On Biker Mice from Mars, which alien species destroyed the mice's homeland?

The Plutarkians, obese fish-like aliens who strip-mine planets, ravaged Mars; Throttle, Modo and Vinnie crash-landed in Chicago and fought the Plutarkian Lawrence Limburger from 1993 to 1996.

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

Jon Lovitz voiced Jay Sherman, whose crossover into The Simpsons episode 'A Star Is Burns' (1995) was famously opposed by Matt Groening.

Which Seinfeld actor voiced private detective Eric Tiberius Duckman?

Jason Alexander, Seinfeld's George Costanza, voiced Duckman; Everett Peck's series ran on the USA Network from 1994 to 1997 and grew out of a Dark Horse comic.

In 1996, Street Sharks was retitled to feature which new team of allies?

Season three became Dino Vengers Featuring Street Sharks, pairing the sharks with alien dinosaurs from the planet Reptilon; the Dino Vengers were then spun off as Extreme Dinosaurs in 1997.

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

Egon Spengler, now a university professor, recruits a new college-aged team, with Janine and Slimer returning; the 40-episode sequel to The Real Ghostbusters ran in syndication in 1997.

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

Clancy Brown auditioned for Superman but the producers cast him as Lex Luthor, a role he kept for decades of DC animation; Tim Daly voiced Superman and Dana Delany Lois Lane.

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

Fans call the darker ABC series 'Sonic SatAM' after its Saturday-morning slot; DIC made it alongside the syndicated 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.