Spacecats: So Good You've Never Heard of It
[originally written for overtimecomedy.com on 9/19/06]
Before Animaniacs taught us about the subtle art of cartoon sarcasm, Spacecats brought into our lives a brand of self-referential humor never before seen in a Saturday morning cartoon. Oh right, and by us I mean the two or three of us who actually watched this show.
The worst part is that the two or three of us don't even remember all that much about it, besides vague recollections of awesomeness. I tried very hard to find videos, reviews, even stills; barely anything. What I do remember is that every episode opened with a live-action puppet sequence, then went to 2-D animation. The cats chased a variety villains (I seem to remember one named bo-gus) around the world because they committed some sort of hilarious crime. What crime? I don't remember, but it was fantastic. The puppet cats at the top of the show made fun of everything, even their leader D.O.R.C., the Disembodied, Omnipitent Ruler of Cats, played by Charles Nelson Reilly. (the details I remember are few and far between)
When I was a kid, everyone at summer camp talked about their favorite cartoons. When I brought up Spacecats, everyone looked at me like I had just thrown together two words to pretend like I watched TV. It was like I was some home school kid, or dumb religious kid.
Well, I'm neither. Spacecats forever!
Before Animaniacs taught us about the subtle art of cartoon sarcasm, Spacecats brought into our lives a brand of self-referential humor never before seen in a Saturday morning cartoon. Oh right, and by us I mean the two or three of us who actually watched this show.The worst part is that the two or three of us don't even remember all that much about it, besides vague recollections of awesomeness. I tried very hard to find videos, reviews, even stills; barely anything. What I do remember is that every episode opened with a live-action puppet sequence, then went to 2-D animation. The cats chased a variety villains (I seem to remember one named bo-gus) around the world because they committed some sort of hilarious crime. What crime? I don't remember, but it was fantastic. The puppet cats at the top of the show made fun of everything, even their leader D.O.R.C., the Disembodied, Omnipitent Ruler of Cats, played by Charles Nelson Reilly. (the details I remember are few and far between)
When I was a kid, everyone at summer camp talked about their favorite cartoons. When I brought up Spacecats, everyone looked at me like I had just thrown together two words to pretend like I watched TV. It was like I was some home school kid, or dumb religious kid.
Well, I'm neither. Spacecats forever!
posted by Daroff at
5:25 PM
This blog is not to be taken seriously. Seriously. I take this seriously, but you shouldn't. You should do what you want, but you'll probably enjoy this more if you don't take anything I say seriously. I mean, I mean what I say, but it's not serious. Oh also, swearing is hilarious. It shouldn't be, but it is.
2 Comments:
I am one of those two or three people. Born in 1984, and this was basically my introduction to irony. A few remembered lines:
(As the narrator is introducing the space cats at the beginning:)
"Scratch is a cat who is outstanding in his field. And here's a picture of him, out, standing, in his field."
From the puppet sequence:
D.O.R.C. (wearing a fedora): Do you notice anything different about me?
Tom: Uh, you shaved your beard?
D.O.R.C.: What? No! I never had a beard!
Tom: You shaved your mustache?
D.O.R.C.: My hat, you idiot! My hat!
Tom: You shaved your hat?
Another '84-er here. UK, good to know there are others that have memory's of this and I'm not alone in some sort of 'Candle Cove' nightmare.
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