Pop Culture | TV | 80s | 90s
20 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Cartoons
There's a lot that goes into the making of a cartoon that we don't often get to see! Here's some of our favorite facts about cartoons we loved as kids.
1) Mark Hamill was the voice of both The Joker and Hobgoblin
Seems he has a thing for creepy guys with high-pitched voices. His motions while doing the voices were also used to animated The Joker!
2) Casey Kasem voiced Shaggy until the show's producers asked him to film a Burger King commercial.
Kasem was a vegan and wanted Shaggy to be as well. When the studio pressured him, he quit the show after having been in it for over 20 years.
3) Peter Cullen isn't just Optimus Prime; he's also Eeyore
That's right! The voice of everyone's favorite transforming robot is also everyone's favorite sad stuffed donkey.
4) Donald Duck never wears pants... except in the pool
Really? THAT'S where he draws the line?
5) Sonic The Hedgehog has the same voice as Steve Urkel
Jaleel White, best known as Urkel on Family Matters, voiced Sonic in several cartoons!
6) Cartoon characters wear bits of clothes so they're easier to animate
Animation cells have to be layered characters to move, and skin tones and body parts can be hard to keep consistent. So, these elements are hidden by things like Yogi Bear wearing a tie, or Snagglepuss wearing cufflinks.
7) The voice of Tommy Pickles once recorded her lines while in labor
Elizabeth Daily insisted she was fine while the sound engineer commented that her contractions were getting very frequent.
8) Inspector Gadget was supposed to have a mustache and a British accent
That would've been a drastically different show.
9) Mario was first voiced by late professional wrestler Captain Lou Albano
He also played Mario in the live-action segments of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show
10) The "Ninja" in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was changed to "Hero" in the UK
This was because of government censorship laws about violence.
If your mind's not blown yet, just wait 'til you see the rest of these facts!
11) Mattel created He-Man after passing up the Star Wars license
They asked to create a line of toys for Star Wars but the deal fell through
12) Every puppy in 101 Dalmations has exactly 32 spots
Weird, eh?
13) In Monsters Inc. Boo sings the theme for Beauty and the Beast
Listen real close while she's in the bathroom
14) DuckTales' Ma Beagle is based on a real gangster
She's based on Ma Barker, who lead a gang of her sons, just like in the cartoon!
15) Arnold's last name is "Shortman."
Seems kinda harsh.
16) In the "Sailor Mouth" episode, the actors of Spongebob Squarepants were actually swearing
They apparently got permission from the network as it would all be bleeped.
17) The Powerpuff Girls are based on Sleeping Beauty
They're themed after the fairies Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather
18) The Animaniacs theme parodies The Bugs Bunny Show
Instead of "No more nursing, rehearsing a part. We know every part by heart," it's "The writer's flipped. We have no script. Why bother to rehearse?"
19) Rob Paulsen voiced your childhood.
He's Yakko from Animaniacs, Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Throttle from Biker Mice From Mars, Pinky from Pinky and the Brain, P.J. from Goof Troop, Max from Mighty Max, and Arthur from The Tick, among hundreds of others.
20) So did Jim Cummings
He's Winnie The Pooh AND Tigger, Monterey Jack and Fat Cat from Chip 'n' Dale, Don Karnage from TaleSpin, Dr. Robotnik from Sonic the Hedgehog, Pete from Goof Troop, Darkwing Duck, Taz from Taz-Mania, and Razoul from Aladdin. These are just some of the over FIVE HUNDRED acting credits he has.