"The Tick" (1994) TV series 1994-1997

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Creator:

Ben Edlund
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

1994 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

An invulnerable, somewhat dim, superhero protects The City from all manner of evil-doers.

Plot Keywords:

Superhero | Based On Comic | Superhero Spoof | Spoof | Character Name In Title

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Townsend Coleman	...	The Tick (36 episodes, 1994-1996)
Rob Paulsen	...	Arthur / ... (27 episodes, 1994-1996)
Cam Clarke	...	Die Fledermaus / ... (25 episodes, 1994-1996)
Jess Harnell	...	Sewer Urchin (25 episodes, 1994-1996)
Kay Lenz	...	American Maid (18 episodes, 1994-1997)

(more)

Series Directed by
Hank Tucker		(22 episodes, 1995-1996)
Art Vitello		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Ben Edlund		(4 episodes, 1994-1996)
Richard Liebmann-Smith		(4 episodes, 1994-1996)
Christopher McCulloch		(3 episodes, 1994-1996)
Pippin Parker		(3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Andy Yerkes		(3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Henry Gilroy		(unknown episodes)
Randolph Heard		(unknown episodes)
Lee Shapiro		(unknown episodes)
Ralph Soll		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Hank Tucker	....	producer (18 episodes, 1995-1996)
Joe Bacal	....	executive producer / producer (4 episodes, 1996)
Tom Griffin	....	executive producer / producer (4 episodes, 1996)
C.J. Kettler	....	executive producer / producer (4 episodes, 1996)
Ben Edlund	....	co-producer (3 episodes, 1996)
Bonni Freeman	....	coordinating producer (2 episodes, 1996)
Dan Thompson	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Art Vitello	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Carole Weitzman	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Doug Katsaros		(36 episodes, 1994-1996)

Series Film Editing by
Rob Desales		(1 episode)
Peter Grives		(1 episode)

Series Production Management
Gil Iverson	....	post-production supervisor (1 episode)
Cary Silver	....	production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Erik Jan Peterson	....	assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Stuart Yellin	....	storyboard artist (36 episodes, 1994-1996)
Keith Baxter	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
Yi-Chi Chin	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
John Dorman	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
Thom Enriquez	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
John Fox	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
Michael G. Ploog	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)
Hank Tucker	....	storyboard artist (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Rick Hinson	....	supervising sound editor (36 episodes, 1994-1996)
Elliot Anders	....	dialogue editor (unknown episodes)
Dean Andre	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Dicken Berglund	....	foley mixer (unknown episodes)
John Boyd	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Scott Brownlee	....	sound recording engineer (unknown episodes)
Pete Elia	....	production sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Tom Mgrdichian	....	sound recording engineer (unknown episodes)
Todd Orr	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Matt Preble	....	sound production supervisor (unknown episodes)
Matt Sietz	....	additional sound engineer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Christopher McCulloch	....	model designer (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Ben Edlund	....	model designer (unknown episodes)
Patricia Mendelson	....	color modelist (unknown episodes)
Andres Nieves	....	model designer (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Dora Case	....	animation director (1 episode)
Claude Denis	....	background layout designer (1 episode)
Jeff Hall	....	animation director / timing director (1 episode)
Phillip Kim	....	background color designer (1 episode)
Sue Peters	....	animation director (1 episode)
Bob Treat	....	animation director (1 episode)
Hank Tucker	....	animation director (1 episode)
Helga van den Berge	....	ink and paint artist (1 episode)
Ben Edlund	....	background layout (unknown episodes)
Gary Eggleston	....	background color designer (unknown episodes)
Philip Kim	....	background color designer (unknown episodes)
Fred Miller	....	timing supervisor (unknown episodes)
Russ Mooney	....	animation timer (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Cheryl Campsmith	....	on-line editor (13 episodes, 1995-1996)

Series Music Department
Terry Reiff	....	music editor (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Nina Hahn	....	creative consultant (2 episodes, 1996)
Jay Bacal	....	creative consultant (unknown episodes)
Laurie Bean	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Tyrone Birkett	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Mark Caballero	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Rick Dean	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Andy Graybeal	....	background layout design (unknown episodes)
Drew Graybeal	....	background layout design (unknown episodes)
Lisa Graziano	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Alex Greychuck	....	overseas supervisor (unknown episodes)
Patty Grives	....	track reader (unknown episodes)
Bryan Kregg	....	production coordinator (unknown episodes)
Leane Moreau	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Tamara Shear	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Delia Torres	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Art Vitello	....	story editor / voice director (unknown episodes)
Bruce Zick	....	background layout design (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television
• Akom Production Company
• Fox Children's Network Inc.
• Graz Entertainment
• Sunbow Productions

Distributors

• ABC Family (2005) (USA) (TV) (re-runs)
• Fox Kids Network
• Toon Disney (2005) (USA) (TV) (re-runs)

Other Companies

• Screen Music Studios (SMS)  dialogue recording

Runtime:

30 min (36 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:G | USA:TV-Y7

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

A fourth season was planned before Fox canceled the series. Some of the fourth season's developments would involve Arthur and Tick moving in with Carmelita, the Terror would find the Fountain of Youth, and that Barry (from "The Tick vs. The Tick") was revealed to be Carmelita's brother, who was originally destined to wear Arthur's moth suit.

Quotes:

Arthur: Good *gosh*, man. Didn't you know it was against the laws of nature? Clowns were never meant to be that - big.
Bud Frontier: I know that... now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jingle All the Way (1996)

Poetry in motion.

The Tick, the cartoon adaptation of the comic book that didn't see nearly enough comic stores. From an Australian perspective, the Tick cartoon series was the first tier of the Tick empire (spanning comic books to live action TV shows) that we experienced, and I must say that the cartoon series 'made it' for me.

With the addition of animation, a comic series has a whole new layer added to it, and in the case of the Tick, the layer only improved what was a solid comic performance. The voices are perfectly cast and the animation (while repetitive or slow at times) captures the illogical (and often insane) nature of the Tick's world.

I would say (after reading the comics and seeing the live action attempts) that the cartoon series stands at the top of the heap, bringing motion of intercharacter relationships to the mix, while still remaining true to the original ideas of the author (without becoming too corny). There is nothing like hearing one of the Tick's rants going on and on and making little to no sense and just laughing it off at the end. This sort of comedy ran into trouble in the comic form, having page upon page of text without action and in the live action form by having static actors on screen who could just not sustain the melodrama needed for this kind of satire.

In all, if you want to see heroic satire through the Tick, then the cartoon is the best medium to obtain it.