Rediscovering Freakazoid!
Tumbling down the rabbit hole of streaming as we've all been doing in recent years, you come across movies and shows from your past that either a) you're happy to rediscover and find them to be just as good as you remember or b) rewatch them and find them completely unbearable and cringe in the cold light of day. During a recent scroll through Tubi (the hidden gem of streamers) I came across one such show from my childhood: Kid's WB's own Freakazoid! Would the show hold up or would I be forced to reconcile that this was something I had nostalgic memories of and it would just not be able to meet those lofty expectations from my childhood memories? Before I dive into my feelings about it, let me give a bit of history on the show itself.
Initially developed by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini of Batman: The Animated Series fame as well as Alan Burnett, Freakazoid! centers around Dexter Douglas, a teenage nerd who, through a mishap with his computer and his overly chonky cat, turns into the titular character, a superhero with powers that are either always present or come and go as the story needs.
He also has all the things a good superhero needs: a lair, a butler and a rogue's gallery of interesting villains.
What did Freakazoid! do that was so groundbreaking compared to other cartoons of the time? For starters, I don't think most cartoons knew how to properly utilize Ed Asner quite like Freakazoid! did.
Also, while other shows were referencing—or otherwise outright parodying—pop culture that was more or less of the time, Freakazoid! wasn't afraid of alienating its audience by making references to shows such as F-Troop and Rat Patrol, which had gone off the air before it's intended audience was even born. It went more irreverent than other series.
The show was originally envisioned as a traditional superhero show with a slight comedic bent but—at the behest of an executive producer—the show was turned into a more straightforward, and all-around zany comedy and Timm, Dini and Burnett limited their involvement considerably with the final product, though Dini and Burnett still remained on to write multiple episodes. The executive producer involved with that decision? None other than Hollywood juggernaut Steven Spielberg, who had turned some of his focus towards producing animated television under his Amblin Television banner, this included the hit shows Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs as well as its spinoff Pinky And The Brain and the not so well received Back To The Future: The Animated Series but, if anyone held control of how a show was going to turn out, it was him.
Freakazoid, voiced by Paul Rugg (also one of the staff writers), is a manic ball of energy. A cross between Superman and Jerry Lewis, he’s not like other superheroes; he frequently breaks the fourth wall (predating the initial fourth wall breaking of Deadpool) and - seemingly without fail - is distracted by his friend Sgt. Mike Cosgrove, voiced by the incomparable Ed Asner. As he is about to save the day, Cosgrove has the habit of asking Freakazoid to join him in some odd task (including but not limited to The Honey Harvest Festival in Acton and seeing a bear riding a motorcycle) leading Freakazoid to come along and subsequently come to the rescue just in the nick of time…after some gentle reminding from Cosgrove, of course.
But a hero is only as good as his villains and Freakazoid! had its fair share. From the dastardly Lobe, a literal exposed brain as voiced by David Warner to the brutish looking but well-spoken intellectual Cave Guy and the oft-confused Dr. Mystico voiced by Tim Curry.
But there’s one villain that has stuck around in pop culture infamy for years after his appearance: The one and only Candle Jack (SCREAM!).
It’s impressive the longevity a character like Candle Jack has, especially considering he wasn’t as prevalent as many of Freakazoid’s other nemeses, including the more frequently utilized The Lobe.
To some, Freakazoid! seemed like it was following the template of the previous Spielberg produced shows, but it wasn’t. Sure, it was utilizing musical numbers, sketches, and fourth wall breaks but those had been done before with Looney Tunes and Tex Avery. Freakazoid! brought something unique that those other shows weren’t doing for some unknown reasons.
What did Freakazoid! do that was so groundbreaking compared to other cartoons of the time? Well, for starters, I don't think most cartoons knew how to properly utilize Ed Asner quite like Freakazoid! did, his character of Cosgrove was just the ride blending of his gruff Lou Grant and his eventual role as Santa Claus. Also, while other shows were referencing, or otherwise outright parodying pop culture that was more or less of the time (including the “interesting” choice of Good Pigeons on Animaniacs), Freakazoid! wasn't afraid of almost alienating its young audience by throwing out references to such shows as F-Troop and Rat Patrol and parodying such movies as THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. It even jokingly threw in gimmicks meant to parody ‘50s and ‘60s films including Scream-O-Vision (a byproduct of Holland’s tulip industry) and Relax-O-Vision, jokes that may fly over the heads of a younger viewing audience who weren’t even born when these shows or concepts originated, and that was part of the problem.
The humor was also a bit different from what was being shown on other cartoons. Some jokes had a bit of a harder edge to them, including a joke where Dexter’s own mother calls his computer use sad and a slam on former president Bill Clinton for his infamous tax increase in 1993. I suppose some jokes had to be meaner or “cruder” to reach the audience and stand out from the other shows at the time.
Freakazoid! was also not afraid of poking fun at their executive producer. While Spielberg may have not been working directly with the show, many jokes were made at his expense. Such jokes included Spielberg’s obliviousness to any of the animated series to which he’s signed his name as well as a dig against the film CONGO, directed by frequent Spielberg producer and friend Frank Marshall.
They even managed to sneak several risqué (for the time) jokes onto the air as well as talking about the world of extreme fandom, albeit in a more humorous way with the character of Fan Boy; a fan of Freakazoid who is desperate to become his new sidekick. Something about that really spoke to me during this current rewatch, especially after seeing seemingly unending amounts of toxic fandom permeating all of pop culture from Star Wars to Marvel and how they can affect those around them with their negativity disguised as being “true fans” of something.
Sadly, Freakazoid! only lasted two seasons, running a scant 24 episodes in its entirety, Kids WB had trouble finding a demographic that the show suited, it skewed towards older kids, but those kids were unlikely to watch the other programming that was offered. Along with a lack of appeal to certain demographics, the scheduling for the show was a mess as constant changes in time slots left the show in a no man’s land viewership wise. The show almost had a chance at a third season, but both the low ratings and the high production costs led to it finally being laid to rest.
Freakazoid! seemed like it was going to be one of those shows, you know the ones I’m talking about: they get put on the lists with phrases like ‘25 Shows That Were Too Good to Last’ or ‘50 Shows Gone Before Their Time’ and so on. Luckily, Cartoon Network began airing reruns and suddenly, the show found its audience and gained what other failed pop culture artifacts strive for: cult status. Its rediscovered popularity even led to both seasons being released on DVD in 2008— 2009 and loaded with special features. Most shows would dream to have that kind of good fortune and renewed interest.
Did this rediscovery lead me to a state of pure unadulterated happiness or am I going to be screaming “Aw, nut bunnies” in frustration? Luckily for me, this show is still just as fun now as it was when I was a kid. Sure, some of the “modern” references they attempted to make, including a fight between Princess Diana and Sharon Stone after Freakazoid saves Bill Clinton (I feel like I need to chug a Fruitopia after all of that) but, as I said before, the show references shows that ended 10-20 years before I was even born, at least I have some semblance of understanding about what I’m seeing now.
If you need something to watch with (and perhaps explain large swaths to) your kids or just wish to relive the joys of being a kid yourself; living without a care in the world except the desire to spend Saturday morning binging both TV and junk food, give Freakazoid! a watch. It’s not the greatest cartoon in the world but it’s still a ton of fun and if there’s one thing everyone can use once in a while, it’s fun. So just flip on your TV, kick up your heels and enjoy the wacky adventures (or misadventures) of Freakazoid.
