#THE TICK CARTOON PLUS#
#THE TICK CARTOON SERIES#

Based on a Belgian comic strip, the tiny blue-skinned Smurfs became an unstoppable media empire with this popular 1980s Hanna-Barbera animated series. Like many of the shows represented on our Top 100, The Smurfs is a cartoon we here at IGN grew up with, and as such it holds a special place in our memories. But one of the more notable aspects of the show was the fact that it showed a single dad taking care of his only son while fighting the forces of evil. And since Scott was always upgrading his expensive buddy, he provided plenty of validation for the little boys who would grow up to be today's tech geeks and robot nerds. His son Scott and his friend/pet robot T-Bob provided some comic relief. His pimp ride was a red Chevrolet Camaro G3 that transformed into a gull-winged fighter plane. Matt Trakker was the ruggedly handsome, rich, charismatic lead of the show. The masks provided the ethnically-diverse-yet-stereotypical cast with abilities like anti-gravity, flight, and energy beams. But what really set it apart was the namesake of the show - the super-powered masks the characters wore. Joe- Transformers hybrid, but it managed to combine the best elements of those franchises while adopting few of their flaws. One of the more popular cartoon/toy marketing machines of the Eighties was M.A.S.K., the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (yes, command with a 'K', that's what happens when you have to make an acronym fit into your story concept). 'You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Little Wooden Boy?' No matter how much you haggle!' And of course. Some of our favorites include 'Mucal invader! Is there no end to your oozing?' and 'Evil is out there making hand-crafted mischief for the swap meet of villainy! And you can't strike a good deal with evil. But the best part of this show was the Tick's own personal harebrained hero rhetoric. Or the dude who's got a chair for a face and is named Chairface. Like a guy who dressed up like a giant blue tick, and yet exhibits no powers or abilities that have to do with ticks. Which city? Why, the one with all the ridiculously costumed heroes and villains of course. the Tick was ready to protect 'The City' at all costs. Combining the comedy stylings of Mel Brooks, Monty Python and. Sure, we've read Spider-Ham and Groo the Wanderer, but they didn't hit the nail on the head like The Tick.

#THE TICK CARTOON SERIES#

But for those of you who've never seen The Tick, or read the Ben Edlund comic book series that it's based on, you sure missed out on some rich chocolate, because it was the first great lampooning of the superhero genre.

#THE TICK CARTOON PLUS#

That, plus this series' lighthearted tone, makes this show more suitable for whole-family watching than most modern, dark superhero takes.'SPOOOOOOOON!' Nuff said? Probably. And in this reboot, despite Arthur's thick glasses and mild manner, the hero's arc is his, while the Tick is mostly comic relief. In a world where superheroes are larger than life, and villains have plans to bring about the destruction of millions, Arthur is just an average guy who's trying hard. Soon the Tick comes calling, with a sidekick costume in Arthur's size.

He sees the signs of evildoing he's not crazy like people say. And though everyone in The City thinks that The Terror was defeated by square-jawed hero Superian ( Brendan Hines), Arthur knows better. It was at The Terror's command that a spaceship plummeted to the streets of The City, crushing Arthur's father. It's like the inside of bread.' But when the Tick is away, creeping over rooftops and using his powers to stop bad guys and protect the innocent (or, as sometimes happens, vice versa), Arthur's story takes a turn toward more serious matters.ДЄfter all, Arthur has a complicated history with the evil Pyramid Gang and head supervillain The Terror. Whenever the Tick is on-screen, expect his trademark tortured-syntax gags - as he explains to Arthur, answering destiny's call can be appealing: 'It's good. While earlier adaptations generally substituted constant gags for meaty storytelling, this Tick has a different rhythm. Part campy, part dramatic, this reboot of the comic book superhero story is a bit more serious than the 1994 animated take or the 2001 live-action series.

The tick cartoon