"We're tiny, we're tooney... we're all a little looney." Even though I wasn't technically a kid when Tiny Toon Adventures made its way onto the television screen I still regard it as one of the shows that had an influence on me growing up. Very much unlike Henson's Muppet Babies cartoon, which also starred pint-sized versions of its signature characters as the protagonists, Tiny Toons offered kids a bit of an edge thanks to creator Tom Ruegger's sharp sense of comedic wit.
Set in a place called Acme Acres, the show was essentially an attempt to refresh the Warner Bros. cartoon library with a mix of both old favorites and a new kind of self-assured slapstick. Lasting a total of 3 seasons, most of which I remember being on Fox's morning lineup, Tiny Toons starred a cast of new (yet familiar) troublemakers and quickly became known for pushing the boundaries of Saturday morning entertainment. One episode in particular was banned due to a segment entitled "One Beer" in which the boys (Buster Bunny, Plucky Duck and Hamton Pig) decide to down a cold one and proceed to drive themselves off a cliff and die. They DIE!
What I appreciated most about the series was its ability to affectively parody pop culture, specifically its references to the horror genre such as Toons from the Crypt (check out the unbelievably awesome intro and interludes above) and the show's very last appearance on TV, a Halloween Special called Tiny Toons Night Ghoulery. As expected the special offered a various smorgasbord of fiendish parody including spoofs on A Nightmare Before Christman, The Devil and Daniel Webster, Night of the Living Dead, Frankenstein, The Twilight Zone and more. Lucky for us, the entire special is available on Youtube (man, I love the internets!).
This article is part of the Countdown to Halloween blogathon, a month-long blogging marathon dedicated to honoring the Halloween season. For more information and a full list of participating sites, please visit www.countdowntohalloween.com.
I was no kid when this aired, either, but I enjoyed it tons. This and Animaniacs were great entertainment for kids & adults alike!