Bad TV: Mega Babies (1999)

Christian & Yvon Tremblay were the masterminds behind Hanna-Barbera's popular 1993 series, SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron. So, how to explain how they could also come up with something so extremely opposite, it wasn't as funny as it was meant to be?

Mega Babies was a superhero satire that the Tremblays created for the then Fox Family channel in 1999, six years after they'd launched SWAT Kats. To follow the pattern, they were also involved in the 2005 series, Loonatics Unleashed, but, clearly, Mega Babies was their absolute worst.

A superhero in diapers had been done before (Diaper Man of the Mighty Heroes), in the 60's, but three of them? That, folks, is taking a joke too far. To try to compare this to the legitimately funny antics of Nickelodeon's Rugrats would've been an insult to that series.

Ya don't believe me, pilgrims? Then, check out "Dr. Franken Buck":



Rating: D-.

Toon Rock: Jabberjaw (Running Underwater)(1998?)

In the late 90's, when Cartoon Network actually knew what they were doing, the network commissioned a series of music videos, most of which used footage from some of the series in their library (i.e. Magilla Gorilla, Dexter's Laboratory, Jetsons), but others were fan-made videos, the fans being CN staffers, obviously, using new material.

Some of the videos used songs recorded by familiar artists, such as They Might Be Giants, Devo, and Shonen Knife. Some genius decided to match Sugar Ray's hit, "When It's Over", to a montage from the remake of George of the Jungle. Two songs by Soul Coughing were also used, one with footage from The Flintstones ("Circles"), and the other attached to a Betty Boop excerpt.

Here, though, is Pain, an otherwise little known band, with "Jabberjaw (Running Underwater)". Biff appears to be emerging from the cover of a lunchbox.....



Sorry, but the idea of a shark with a nose ring is just so wrong. Had this been made, say, when the network launched in 1992, when grunge was in, it might've worked.

Looney TV: Porky Pig, spybuster (Confusions of a Nutzy Spy, 1943)

During World War II, our favorite cartoon stars did their part to rally the US against the Axis powers, usually for laughs.

Take for example this 1943 Porky Pig offering, which hasn't seen the light of day on TV in I don't know when. "Confusions of a Nutzy Spy" was director Norman McCabe's last effort for WB before being drafted. DJLarryT, who uploaded the video to YouTube, identified which of the Termite Terrace animators did different scenes. Of these, Arthur Davis would later become a director himself, usually doing Porky's shorts.

Don Christensen would later go to work for Filmation and a few other studios, and most toon fans know his name from his Filmation work.

I don't think Egbert, Porky's bloodhound sidekick in this one, was heard from again. Here's "Confusions of a Nutzy Spy":



Rating: B.

Saturday School: Make a "Saturdae" (late 70's-early 80's)

Here's another animated PSA from ABC & DePatie-Freleng. This time, what normally constitues a sundae becomes, well, a "Saturdae":

Cinco de Mayo: Menudo on ABC (1982)

Hola, amigos. For Cinco de Mayo today, we will take a look back when ABC took a chance on the pop group, Menudo, helping the Puerto Rican teen group hit it big stateside. The lineup was interchangeable due to any number of factors forcing a turnover in the lineup, such as puberty and an age limit of 16. Unfortunately, the most famous alumnus of Menudo, Ricky Martin, joined the band after their run on ABC had come to an end, joining Menudo in 1984.

Menudo also recorded the theme to the 1983 series, Rubik, The Amazing Cube, which also aired on ABC, albeit for 1 season.

Menudo on ABC was a series of interstitals doubling as music videos, introducing the band to American audiences. Their first English language CD came out shortly before Martin joined the group, if memory serves. Here, the guys serve up their own version of the game, "Simon Says", in lyrical form, as in, "If Menudo Says":



The band's original run spanned 20 years (1977-97), and then reformed after a 10 year hiatus, only to dissolve again (2007-9). At least they didn't fall into the same trap as other popular bands, and be licensed into cartoon characters........

Rating: B.

Daytime Heroes: Batfink vs. Gluey Louie (1966)

It's been a while since we paid a call on Batfink, so let's scope out his adventure vs. Gluey Louie, who looks like a distant cousin to Batfink's main nemesis, Hugo-A-Go-Go, if not that much smarter.

Frank Buxton (Discovery) & Len Maxwell did all the voices, and in Maxwell's case, you can probably pick out the one he'd later use as announcer Nick Diamond on Celebrity Deathmatch, more than 30 years later.



I wonder who owns the rights to this series now? He could use a revival, with his 50th anniversary next year.

Rating: C.

Animated World of DC Comics: Catwoman (2011)

Boy howdy! Talk about a kitten with a whip!

As part of the DC Showcase series, Catwoman shines in her first solo cartoon, written by Paul Dini. The Princess of Plunder (Eliza Dushku, ex-Dollhouse) takes on a diamond-toothed smuggler named Rough Cut (John DiMaggio, ex-Futurama), who is not only smuggling diamonds, but, as Catwoman herself notes, "something more precious".

You can see she learned some lessons from The Batman after all these years.

Sadly, Dini took the money and signed on with Marvel's toon division to work on Ultimate Spider-Man a year after this 15 minute film was completed. Biggest career mistake ever.

Now, here's Catwoman.



Think Cartoon Network could be, ah, persuaded to run this on [adult swim]? They'd be stupid not to.

Rating: A++.