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The Tick (1994 TV series) (RPG)

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Creator notes

The Tick is an animated television series that aired for three seasons from 1994 to 1996. It is an adaptation of the comic book published by New Endgland Comics, created by Ben Edlund (who also produced the series).

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History:

While in college, Ben Edlund was writing and illustrating his Tick comic book, which had become a hit. Becuase of its success, Kiscom, a New Jersey-based liscensing and design company, approached Edlund about merchandising his characters, after the recent success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Major TV networks and studios were reluctant to take on an animated series based on the absurd character. Kiscom stayed in touch with Edlund and finally Sunbow Entertainment, the small, New York-based animation company that created The Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Mask, paired him up with writer Richard Liebmann-Smith. Neither had ever worked in animation or television, but for two months they toiled on the first episode of The Tick. Neither of them had much hope in their final script, and their feelings of dread were substantiated when FOX turned down their first pitch. They were, however, provided with a second opportunity to refine it in, at most, five days. In one weekend, they managed to create a script that interested FOX enough to make them agree to produce 13 episodes. Said Edlund on the initial plan for the series, "we kind of defined in one weekend exactly where the show went for that first season, which was cool."

The series, despite not having the liberties that the comic had to do things not acceptable on a children's program, still mostly remained true to the comic, and its satirical style. Another writer on the series was Christopher McCulloch who had met Edlund prior to their television work and wrote several issues of the Tick comic book series. Years later, they would later work together on McCulloch's animated series, produced for Adult Swim, The Venture Bros.. Edlund, a co-producer of The Tick, was consistently hands-on during production, causing major delays in production.

The Tick finally premiered on September 10, 1994, and was a success. Edlund later expressed his view that, because the series did not reach the commercial heights of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, its merchandising success deteriorated by the end of its first season. However, he admitted "That's essentially good as far as I'm concerned; although, I would be much more wealthy at this point. That failure, to me, makes The Tick a much more sincere proposal."

As opposed to escaping an asylum, the Tick tries out at the National Super Institute, where an annual contest is held to determine what city each superhero will protect, and he receives the cesspool that is The City. The Tick, along with Arthur, the reluctant, realistic former accountant, were voiced by Townsend Coleman and Micky Dolenz, respectively, in the first season. Although in seasons 2 and 3 Arthur was portrayed by Rob Paulsen, an existing regular on the series, for unconfirmed reasons (though a tour that Dolenz went on is the most likely answer). Other recurring characters include Die Fledermaus, a shallow Batman parody and unsuccessful philanderer; Sewer Urchin, an Aquaman parody with the voice of Raymond Babbitt, Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man (not voiced by Hoffman, though. Rather, by Jess Harnell); and American Maid, one of the few superheroes in the series that has even some level of legitimacy, seemingly based on both Wonder Woman and Captain America. The Tick soon became a Saturday morning staple on the "Fox Kids" block.

Doug Katsaros, wrote the opening theme, and composed the scores for every episode, mostly consisting of scat singing and 1950s-style jazz. A typical episode plot would have Tick battling a villain until Arthur devises a solution that saves the day, though there were many episodes that deviated from this formula. The Tick then declares an absurd moral vaguely regarding the previous conflict before the story comes to a close. Although the series was originally aimed predominantly at young viewers, its dry, absurd style and niche parody drew in an adult audience.

After three seasons, the final episode aired on November 24th, 1996. The following year, FOX began talks with Sunbow Entertainment about producing a prime time Tick special, but this never came to fruition. Comedy Central syndicated The Tick during this time.

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BTW, did you know that The Tick had a Crossover with Invincible? Proof!

Description

The Tick is an animated television series that aired for three seasons from 1994 to 1996. It is an adaptation of the comic book published by New Endgland Comics, created by Ben Edlund (who also produced the series).

History: While in college, Ben Edlund was writing and illustrating his Tick comic book, which had become a hit. Becuase of its success, Kiscom, a New Jersey-based liscensing and design company, approached Edlund about merchandising his characters, after the recent success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Major TV networks and studios were reluctant to take on an animated series based on the absurd character. Kiscom stayed in touch with Edlund and finally Sunbow Entertainment, the small, New York-based animation company that created The Transformers, G.I. Joe, and The Mask, paired him up with writer Richard Liebmann-Smith. Neither had ever worked in animation or television, but for two months they toiled on the first episode of The Tick. Neither of them had much hope in their final script, and their feelings of dread were substantiated when FOX turned down their first pitch. They were, however, provided with a second opportunity to refine it in, at most, five days. In one weekend, they managed to create a script that interested FOX enough to make them agree to produce 13 episodes. Said Edlund on the initial plan for the series, "we kind of defined in one weekend exactly where the show went for that first season, which was cool." The series, despite not having the liberties that the comic had to do things not acceptable on a children's program, still mostly remained true to the comic, and its satirical style. Another writer on the series was Christopher McCulloch who had met Edlund prior to their television work and wrote several issues of the Tick comic book series. Years later, they would later work together on McCulloch's animated series, produced for Adult Swim, The Venture Bros.. Edlund, a co-producer of The Tick, was consistently hands-on during production, causing major delays in production. The Tick finally premiered on September 10, 1994, and was a success. Edlund later expressed his view that, because the series did not reach the commercial heights of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, its merchandising success deteriorated by the end of its first season. However, he admitted "That's essentially good as far as I'm concerned; although, I would be much more wealthy at this point. That failure, to me, makes The Tick a much more sincere proposal." As opposed to escaping an asylum, the Tick tries out at the National Super Institute, where an annual contest is held to determine what city each superhero will protect, and he receives the cesspool that is The City. The Tick, along with Arthur, the reluctant, realistic former accountant, were voiced by Townsend Coleman and Micky Dolenz, respectively, in the first season. Although in seasons 2 and 3 Arthur was portrayed by Rob Paulsen, an existing regular on the series, for unconfirmed reasons (though a tour that Dolenz went on is the most likely answer). Other recurring characters include Die Fledermaus, a shallow Batman parody and unsuccessful philanderer; Sewer Urchin, an Aquaman parody with the voice of Raymond Babbitt, Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man (not voiced by Hoffman, though. Rather, by Jess Harnell); and American Maid, one of the few superheroes in the series that has even some level of legitimacy, seemingly based on both Wonder Woman and Captain America. The Tick soon became a Saturday morning staple on the "Fox Kids" block. Doug Katsaros, wrote the opening theme, and composed the scores for every episode, mostly consisting of scat singing and 1950s-style jazz. A typical episode plot would have Tick battling a villain until Arthur devises a solution that saves the day, though there were many episodes that deviated from this formula. The Tick then declares an absurd moral vaguely regarding the previous conflict before the story comes to a close. Although the series was originally aimed predominantly at young viewers, its dry, absurd style and niche parody drew in an adult audience. After three seasons, the final episode aired on November 24th, 1996. The following year, FOX began talks with Sunbow Entertainment about producing a prime time Tick special, but this never came to fruition. Comedy Central syndicated The Tick during this time.

BTW, did you know that The Tick had a Crossover with Invincible? Proof!

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Akiko Ikebana - A botanist and guardian of the 400-Year Bloom. Alien Interpreter - Interpreter of the alien ship that abducts Tick and Arthur in order to stop the Heys. Alien Interrogator - The alien who interrogated Arthur, inspiring great fear in him. Amelia - Charles' naïve younger sister and lab assistant. American Maid - One of The City's only competent superheroes, and a devoted patriot and government agent. Angry Red Herring - A fishmonger and jewel thief who wears a slippery fish suit that has machine guns for eyes. Ant receptionist - The receptionist at the Anthill. Ants - A bunch of vengeful ants who are the subjects of Betty. Arthur - The Tick's somewhat reluctant and level-headed best friend, sidekick and roommate. Arthur (clone) - A green, simple-minded, and somewhat monstrous clone of Arthur created by Thrakkorzog. Arthur (robot) - A robot created by Milo that incorporated the real Arthur's detached arms. Baron Violent - A rampaging criminal who used a strength-enhancing belt. Barry - A rich superhero wannabe and rival for the name of "The Tick". Beautiful Steven - A professional wrestler. Bee Twins -El Seed's followers and assistants. Benjamin Franklin - A brilliant and snarky inventor who is a member of the Fightin' Genius Time Commandos Bernard - The leader of the Swiss Industrial Spies. Betty - An ant queen who attempted to fry humanity with a giant magnifying glass Big Shot - A crazed, gun-toting vigilante Bi-Polar Bear - A bi-polar superhero dressed as a polar bear. Black & Blue - A police-themed superhero who was inside the NSI building when Tick blew it up. Blowhole - A gigantic humanoid whale that occasionally emerges from the sea to run across North America. Bob - A Mole Person who is the secretary of mole defense. Boils Brown - One of Chairface Chippendale's henchmen, who has a dreadful complexion. Breadmaster - An evil baking genius who sought revenge on purveyors of mass-produced baked goods, as well as those whom he felt had wronged him. Brian Pinhead - Sally Vacuum's replacement at News 17. Bud Frontier - The scientist who created Proto-Clown. Buttery Pat - The Breadmaster's creation and henchman. Captain Decency - A geriatric, sleepy superhero from the golden age.. Captain Lemming - A superhero who jumps off of ledges to save the day (though he sometimes has trouble landing). Captain Mucilage - A member of the Civic-Minded Five who shoots an adhesive substance from his gloves and helmet. Captain Sanity -He is a superhero psychiatrist with little actual psychiatric ability. It should also be noted that he is a head in a small life-support tank. Carmelita Vatos - Arthur's girlfriend and fellow Moth Suit wearer. Carpeted Man - A member of the Civic-Minded Five who wears a suit made of carpet. Chairface Chippendale - One of The City's most dastardly and powerful villains. He is responsible for carving the "CHA" into the face of the Moon. Charles (aka Brainchild) - A young boy with genius-level intellect who replaced the top of his head with a glass dome, just so other people could see his brain Charles' father - Charles' stern, yet loving, father Charles' mother -Charles' doting mother Chet - The Human Bullet's friendly next-door neighbor City Baking College employee - A member of the City Baking College staff Clark Oppenheimer - A parody of Superman who just can't seem to catch a break Coach - The coach of the Deertown Aztecs, who became their prisoner when they became stranded in Mexico Coach Fussell - Charles' gym coach, whom he transformed into an earwig Corduroy Cordoba - Apparently a former airline pilot who bailed out of a plane carrying the Deertown Aztecs little league team and their coach. Cordoba is now night watchman at the Aztec City park. Crease - A wrinkle-faced criminal, and a friend of Chairface Chippendale Crusading Chameleon - One of The City's superheroes, who has limited chameleon-like powers Crystal - A member of Project: Shave, the love interest of Jim Rage, and a practitioner of Liberal Arts Deadly Bulb - See: Pigleg Deadly Nose - A criminal with a gun for a nose, and a friend of Chairface Chippendale Dean (henchman) - One of Chairface’s best henchmen, whom he received as a birthday present. Dean is said to possess "the strongest hands in the criminal world", and can grind a diamond into powder with just one hand. Dean (City Baking College) - The dean of the City Baking College. Deertown Aztecs - A little league baseball team who became stranded in Mexico. They later abducted Arthur at the behest of their leader, Wally Head Die Fledermaus - An unreliable Batman-like superhero and would-be Casanova Dog sidekick - A burnt-out sidekick and talking dog Doorman - The doorman at the Comet Club Dot - Arthur's sardonic sister, who later married Neil Dr. Bang - A local pharmacist Dr. Mung Mung - A mad scientist and creator of Tongue Tongue Dr. Think - A mad scientist and parody of Dr. Strangelove Dr. Think's assistant - The name says it all. Dyna-Mole - A criminal explosives expert who is one of Chairface's friends Earl McBain -The owner of a toy store based in The City Earth Quaker - One of the judges of the NSI's annual super contest El Flamingo - A superhero from the comics who appears in the intro to Heroes El Seed - A revolutionary leader and walking sunflower Elves - Santa Claus' helpers Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight - A wild would-be supervillain, who constantly tells stories of conversations with an unknown individual. Eyebrows Mulligan - A criminal with very long eyebrows, and a friend of Chairface Facts at 5 anchor - An anchor for a news station of unknown origin Feral Boy - A wild kid and member of the Civic-Minded Five Fiery Flame - One of the judges of the NSI's annual super contest Filth - The former minions of the Sewer Czar Fishboy - A timid superhero from Deertown Fin - An evil genius dolphin, also known as Mr. Smarty-Pants Flying Squirrel - A timid aspiring superhero, with an affinity for squirrels Forehead - A criminal with a massive forehead and New York accent, and a henchman/friend of Chairface Fortissimo Brothers - The twin henchmen of Octopaganini Four-Legged Man -The quadrupedal leader of the Civic-Minded Five Franz - A member of the Swiss Industrial Spies Frederica (aka Fred) - A vibrant "enter-trainer" who performs with her brother Soren in Reno, Nevada George Washington Carver - A famous botanist best known for creating several uses for peanuts, and a member of the Fightin' Genius Time Commandos Giant snake - A figment of Tick's imagination, and part of his spiritual journey Grace - A city worker who admires the Sewer Urchin Guy with Ears Like Little Raisins - A tiny-eared criminal who is a friend of Chairface Chippendale Handy - A loud-mouthed sock puppet allied with the Human Ton Harriet Curse - A pencil-thin criminal who is a friend of Chairface Harry - Arthur and Dot's Jewish father. Headless Henderson - A criminal without a head, who is a friend of Chairface Hey Leader - The ruler of the Hey empire. Heys - A malevolent, nihilistic race of aliens who worship nothingness. They dress like Arthur.. Hilda - A member of the Swiss Industrial Spies. Holly Golovely - A Kung Fu expert, and a member of Project: Shave. Hooks Henderson - Chairface's servant and ally. Hotel Manager - A far-future human who runs a luxury hotel and resort in prehistoric times Human Baboon - A ferocious professional wrestler. Human Bullet - A superhero who fights villains by firing himself at them with a giant cannon. Human Bullet's son - The young son of the Human Bullet, who can usually be seen operating his father's giant cannon. Human Bullet's wife - The exasperated wife of the Human Bullet. Human Ton - A large, dim-witted supervillain who believes his hand puppet is alive. Idea Men - A group of non-superpowered criminals who commit crimes because they don't like working. Indigestible Man - A henchman of Chairface who infiltrated the body of Dinosaur Neil. J.J. Eureka Vatos - An eccentric scientist who created the Moth Suit. He is also the father of Carmelita. Jack Tuber - A potato-headed criminal, who is a friend of Chairface. Jeff - A cranky crop duster renter. Jet Valkyrie - A sarcastic superheroine from Deertown. Jet Viking - Jet Valkyrie's son, who was in the NSI building when Tick blew it up. Jim Rage - The crazed and obsessed leader of Project: Shave. Johannes Gutenberg - The famed inventor of the printing press, and a member of the Fightin' Genius Time Commandos. Johnny Omega - A sidekick who was in the Sidekick's Lounge when it was destroyed. Johnny Polite - Captain Decency's nifty sidekick, and a member of the Decency Squad. Joseph Stalin - A former communist leader, and an old friend of the Terror. Julius Pendecker - A mumbling super-genius who opposed both the Tick and Mr. Mental. Jungle Janet - An Amazonian heroine and member of the Civic-Minded Five. Kitty Sangato - A member of Project: Shave, and an expert in Ninjutsu, demolitions, and electrolysis. Klaus - A member of the Swiss Industrial Spies. Larry - The government treasurer of the Mole People. Lava Man - A subterranean mercenary who is an enemy of the Mole People. Leonardo da Vinci - A famous historical inventor, and the leader of the Fightin' Genius Time Commandos Living Doll - A golden-age superhero with Russian nesting doll superpowers. Mad Nanny - An ordinary nanny who was brainwashed by Charles into becoming a villain. Man-Eating Cow - A cow that supposedly eats people. She doesn't seem terribly evil, though. Mayor Blank - The avuncular but easily-intimidated mayor of The City. Mighty Agrippa - The "Roman god of the aqueduct", and a superhero from Deertown. Milkie - A milk mascot who offered free milk to the Tick. Milo - Venus' devoted husband and henchman. He is also a skilled inventor. Minda - Mr. Mental's blasé former assistant, who is now a blasé receptionist. Mindy Moleford - The daughter of a human and a Mole Person who became a supermodel, and later married the Mole King. Mitch - A city worker who alerted the Sewer Urchin to the Sewer Czar's plot. Mole King - The king of the Mole People, and the eventual husband of Mindy Moleford. Mona Lisa - Leonardo da Vinci's famous model, and an ally of the Fightin' Genius Time Commandos. Mongol leader - A Mongol brought to the '90s by the Mother of Invention to serve as leader of his group of Mongol henchmen. Mother of Invention - A disgruntled villain who sought to eliminate history's greatest inventors and steal their ideas. Mr. Fleener - The amoral CEO of the Uncle Creamy Ice Cream company. Mr. Mental - A mentalist and hypnotist who uses his abilities for evil purposes. Mr. Smarty-Pants - See: Fin. Mr. Weiderspahn - Arthur's former boss. Multiple Santa - A robber in a Santa Claus costume who gained the power to make energy duplicates of himself National Guard general - An irate general who has been called into The City on multiple occasions. Neil (aka Dinosaur Neil) - A paleontologist/tour guide who became a Tyrannosaurus rex-like dinosaur (twice!), and eventually married Dot. Octopaganini - A European supervillain with six arms who once tried to take over Belgium. Octo Raymond - A villainous conductor of an aquatic orchestra. Orangutan sidekick - A cranky, fed-up sidekick and talking orangutan. Omnipotus - A humongous, space-faring villain who eats planets. He is not entirely evil, and is mostly just lonely. Ottoman - A villainess who controls furniture and briefly fell in love with Die Fledermaus. Paul Mindy - Moleford's possessive former publicist. Pigleg (aka The Deadly Bulb) - A reformed light bulb-themed supervillain who has a living pig in place of his lower left leg Pineapple Air steward - One of Pineapple Pokopo's henchmen. Pineapple Pokopo - The ruthless ruler of Pokoponesia, and the would-be conqueror of Hawaii. Plunger Man - An ordinary plumber who happened to defeat Venus twice. Poodle superheroine - A superheroine dressed like a poodle, who carries the Poodle Gun. Portuguese Man-O-War - A jellyfish-themed superhero. Professor Chromedome - A Germanic mad scientist, and Chairface Chippendale's right-hand-man. Proto-Clown - A being created to be the ultimate clown, who went on a destructive rampage after people laughed at him. Rosebud - El Seed's brutish plant henchman. Royal Pineapple concierge - One of Pineapple Pokopo's henchmen. Rubber Justice - One of the judges of the NSI's annual super contest. Ruth - Arthur and Dot's Jewish mother. Sally Vacuum - A former reporter and news anchor for News 17. Saplings - A group of joyriding, sentient saplings. Santa Claus - The compulsively jolly, gift-giving guy in red, who comes every Christmas to do his thing. Sewer Czar - A former public servant who attempted to conquer the city with sentient Filth. Sewer Urchin - Above the ground he's a mediocre superhero and a friend to the Tick and Arthur, but in the sewers he is "the apotheosis of cool." Sgt. Doodlehead - The City's anger-prone police sergeant Shiela Eel - A slippery villainess who is a friend of Chairface Chippendale Skippy - Charles' cyborg dog, with his brain being the only living component Socket - One of the Deadly Bulb's two henchmen, alongside Watt Soren - A vibrant "enter-trainer" who performs with his sister Frederica in Reno, Nevada. Speak - The Tick's pet capybara, who was initially believed to be a dog. Squeaky - A henchman who is a member of the Cult of the Fin. Stalingrad - A former grad student who based his supervillain motif on that of Joseph Stalin. Stuart - An acquaintance of the Tick and Arthur who owned a grocery store called Stuart's Food Castle, which was destroyed by the Breadmaster. Sub-Human - A Golden Age supervillain with a miniature submarine on his head. Sufrajet - The female member of the Golden Age superhero team, the Decency Squad. Taft - A parody of the '70s movie character Shaft. Terror - A legendary Golden Age supervillain who returned from hiding to plague the Tick. Terry - The Terror's neglected son. The-Guy-That-Looks-Just-Like-Peter-Lorre - One of Chairface's friends and party guests. Thomas Edison - A deaf famous inventor, and a member of the Fightin' Genius Time Commandos. Thrakkorzog - A malevolent, yet well-spoken, alien from another dimension. Thrakkorzog's roommate - The mellow, shaggy former roommate of Thrakkorzog. Tick - The big, blue, lovable, nigh-invulnerable star of the show, and The City's protector. Tick (clone) - The Tick's gooey clone created from his used tissue. Tick (robot) - A robot created by Milo with the real Tick's detached arms. Tick midgets - A group of ankle biters that exist within the Tick's mind. Todd - The Mole People's Minister of the Exterior.. Tongue Tongue - A sentient creature made entirely of tongue muscle, who was created by Dr. Mung Mung. Torso Porcupine - A superhero that can protrude and shoot spikes from his body. Tunn-La - A cruel alien bent on world destruction. Uncle Creamy - A former ice cream company mascot whose body was mutated into a living ice cream cone. Venus - A "voluptuous" villainess who can control men's minds. Visual Eye - A member of the Decency Squad with the ability to shoot his eyes from their sockets. Wally Head - The leader of the Deertown Aztecs, and the childhood boyfriend of Carmelita. Watt - One of the Deadly Bulb's two henchmen, alongside Socket. Wheel - A cavewoman who invented the wheel, and a member of the Fightin' Genius Time Commandos. Whirling Scottish Devil - A rowdy villain who spins so fast that he creates a small tornado. Yank A cranky, temporarily brilliant monkey sent into space, who landed in Pokoponesia. Zipperneck - One of Chairface's henchmen, who has a zipper ... on his neck.

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