This time out the subject is Top 10 Cartoon Duo’s. I was only going to make this a Top 5 list but I had so many entries to work with, I added the last 5. Here’s the list is no particular order – wait, that’s not right…
10. Ren & Stimpy: Call this entry the ‘Odd Couple’ of the group. A cat and a dog (I think) living together and making their way despite their obvious instincts to be sworn enemies. I have to admit that this cartoon was hard to watch sometimes because of the ‘gross’ nature of both characters – pooping and boogers a big part of the vernacular.
“Oh, Re-e-e-n?”, “Yes, Stimpy!”
9. Inspector Gadget & Penny: An uncle and his niece go around solving crimes against Dr. Claw. It was actually Gadget and his dog, Brain, that tried to solve the crimes and Penny that actually solved them. She would tell Brain the solution and that crazy dog would expend a great deal of energy trying to make the Inspector understand the solution. Finally, when Inspector Gadget would ‘stumble’ upon the solution, he’s say something pithy like “Why didn’t you say that, Brain?” Go-go Gadget!
8. Itchy & Scratchy: The cartoon within a cartoon. How else do you lampoon cartoon violence on a cartoon show than with a pair of extremely violent cat-and-mouse duo like these two? Itchy the mouse always seemed to get the upper hand in the overly graphic cartoons that the Simpson children loved to watch. The producers went to great lengths to make sure the cat was dead but then returned the next episode. We will not speak of the “Poochie” incident here.
7. Hong Kong Phooey & Spot: Once again the talented are matched with the inept. Penrod Pooch jumps into the top of a 4-drawer cabinet and hops out of the last drawer as Hong Kong Phooey. At least, that’s what is ‘supposed’ to happen. Somehow on the way down, HKP gets stuck and it’s the trusty cat Spot who taps on the cabinet and frees the hapless hero. My favorite part is the clattering and ultimate dejection of our hero as he sits helplessly trapped in the cabinet before Spot rolls his eyes, does his trick and our hero appears. Hong Kong Phooey – Number One super guy, indeed.
6. Secret Squirrel & Morocco Mole: SS & MM were obvious rip-offs of different characters. SS took his cues from James Bond. His designation was Agent 000 (double-oh zero). All of his missions were given to him by Double-Q. Morocco Mole wore a fez and was a great homage to Peter Lorre in Casablanca. Secret held all kinds of items in his hat and some in his coat that were conveniently used in time to release him and his partner. What an agent, what a squirrel, he’s got the country in a whirl.
5. Beavis & Butt-Head: I’d like to know what mother gave her son the name ‘Butt Head’. If that’s not his real name, I don’t think it was ever revealed. It all started with frog baseball. A couple of goofballs pick up a live frog and take some swings at him with a bat. The show eventually got a spot on MTV in which is did it’s best to critique music videos of the day – albeit not very good ones. I don’t think these two just need each other, they deserve each other.
4. Scooby Doo & Shaggy: It wasn’t until I was an adult and I really analyzed this show that I realized during the ‘search’ portion of the show that Fred, Velma and Daphne were in one search party, while Scooby and Shaggy were always in the other – at the direction of Fred. This is one man who likes to have two women to himself. But I digress… No matter where they were, food was found by Scooby and Shaggy and then quickly consumed. They were always startled by the tiniest things like, oh, say… the monster they were searching for. Zoinks! No mention of what exactly were in the ‘Scooby Snacks’.
3. Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd: “My name is Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht”. Why, then, did he feel the need to go out and hunt a scrawny rabbit? The answer to this question has plagued scholars for many years – and will continue to do so if I have any say in the matter. I think it was for the sheer sport of it. It’s hard to top a rabbit with a Brooklyn accent being followed by a hunter with a speech impediment. No matter how often Elmer Fudd was foiled, he always came back after that ‘wascally wabbit’.
2. Rocky & Bullwinkle: It was always an adventure with these two… never a dull moment. No matter what Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose were trying to accomplish, Boris and Natasha were there to mess with the pair – voice-over and all. From the town of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, the pair developed a special relationship which, I believe, is why they’re so popular. By the way, both characters were given the middle initial “J” in reference to their creator, Jay Ward.
1. Tom & Jerry: A staple in cartoon cinema since 1940 when the original shorts were produced by Hanna and Barbera. All other cat-and-mouse teams have these two to thank for any success in the cartoon industry. These two set the standard for stereotypical shenanigans that go on with house pets while unsuspecting owners carry on about their business. It is my fervent belief that Jerry was the smarter of the two because he could always be one step ahead of Tom when it came to their ‘knock down drag out’ fights. I vaguely recall an owner and what appeared to be a maid shooing old “Thomas the Cat” outside while Jerry gave him a raspberry through the window. I’ll never think of archways in the baseboard the same way.
10. Ren & Stimpy: Call this entry the ‘Odd Couple’ of the group. A cat and a dog (I think) living together and making their way despite their obvious instincts to be sworn enemies. I have to admit that this cartoon was hard to watch sometimes because of the ‘gross’ nature of both characters – pooping and boogers a big part of the vernacular.“Oh, Re-e-e-n?”, “Yes, Stimpy!”
9. Inspector Gadget & Penny: An uncle and his niece go around solving crimes against Dr. Claw. It was actually Gadget and his dog, Brain, that tried to solve the crimes and Penny that actually solved them. She would tell Brain the solution and that crazy dog would expend a great deal of energy trying to make the Inspector understand the solution. Finally, when Inspector Gadget would ‘stumble’ upon the solution, he’s say something pithy like “Why didn’t you say that, Brain?” Go-go Gadget!
8. Itchy & Scratchy: The cartoon within a cartoon. How else do you lampoon cartoon violence on a cartoon show than with a pair of extremely violent cat-and-mouse duo like these two? Itchy the mouse always seemed to get the upper hand in the overly graphic cartoons that the Simpson children loved to watch. The producers went to great lengths to make sure the cat was dead but then returned the next episode. We will not speak of the “Poochie” incident here.
7. Hong Kong Phooey & Spot: Once again the talented are matched with the inept. Penrod Pooch jumps into the top of a 4-drawer cabinet and hops out of the last drawer as Hong Kong Phooey. At least, that’s what is ‘supposed’ to happen. Somehow on the way down, HKP gets stuck and it’s the trusty cat Spot who taps on the cabinet and frees the hapless hero. My favorite part is the clattering and ultimate dejection of our hero as he sits helplessly trapped in the cabinet before Spot rolls his eyes, does his trick and our hero appears. Hong Kong Phooey – Number One super guy, indeed.
6. Secret Squirrel & Morocco Mole: SS & MM were obvious rip-offs of different characters. SS took his cues from James Bond. His designation was Agent 000 (double-oh zero). All of his missions were given to him by Double-Q. Morocco Mole wore a fez and was a great homage to Peter Lorre in Casablanca. Secret held all kinds of items in his hat and some in his coat that were conveniently used in time to release him and his partner. What an agent, what a squirrel, he’s got the country in a whirl.
5. Beavis & Butt-Head: I’d like to know what mother gave her son the name ‘Butt Head’. If that’s not his real name, I don’t think it was ever revealed. It all started with frog baseball. A couple of goofballs pick up a live frog and take some swings at him with a bat. The show eventually got a spot on MTV in which is did it’s best to critique music videos of the day – albeit not very good ones. I don’t think these two just need each other, they deserve each other.
4. Scooby Doo & Shaggy: It wasn’t until I was an adult and I really analyzed this show that I realized during the ‘search’ portion of the show that Fred, Velma and Daphne were in one search party, while Scooby and Shaggy were always in the other – at the direction of Fred. This is one man who likes to have two women to himself. But I digress… No matter where they were, food was found by Scooby and Shaggy and then quickly consumed. They were always startled by the tiniest things like, oh, say… the monster they were searching for. Zoinks! No mention of what exactly were in the ‘Scooby Snacks’.
3. Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd: “My name is Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht”. Why, then, did he feel the need to go out and hunt a scrawny rabbit? The answer to this question has plagued scholars for many years – and will continue to do so if I have any say in the matter. I think it was for the sheer sport of it. It’s hard to top a rabbit with a Brooklyn accent being followed by a hunter with a speech impediment. No matter how often Elmer Fudd was foiled, he always came back after that ‘wascally wabbit’.
2. Rocky & Bullwinkle: It was always an adventure with these two… never a dull moment. No matter what Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose were trying to accomplish, Boris and Natasha were there to mess with the pair – voice-over and all. From the town of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, the pair developed a special relationship which, I believe, is why they’re so popular. By the way, both characters were given the middle initial “J” in reference to their creator, Jay Ward.1. Tom & Jerry: A staple in cartoon cinema since 1940 when the original shorts were produced by Hanna and Barbera. All other cat-and-mouse teams have these two to thank for any success in the cartoon industry. These two set the standard for stereotypical shenanigans that go on with house pets while unsuspecting owners carry on about their business. It is my fervent belief that Jerry was the smarter of the two because he could always be one step ahead of Tom when it came to their ‘knock down drag out’ fights. I vaguely recall an owner and what appeared to be a maid shooing old “Thomas the Cat” outside while Jerry gave him a raspberry through the window. I’ll never think of archways in the baseboard the same way.
