Mo-Ron/The Sewer Rescue/The Big Question/A Musical Interlude/The Legends Who Lunch/Finale/Out Here is the third episode of Freakazoid! It originally aired September 23, 1995. This episode notably features the "Mo-Ron" series of interstitial segments.
Mo-Ron[]
Plot[]
First in the cold open, Freakazoid has just deactivated a nuclear warhead at the White House. Dignitaries, including President Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II, and (much more enticingly) Princess Diana and Sharon Stone line up to congratulate him. Following the theme song, Freakazoid, the President and First Lady, and a general cautiously try to speak to an alien ship that has landed on the White House lawn. They hope the aliens will provide the secrets of the universe. Eventually, an alien emerges, who seems unable to say anything besides, "I am Mo-Ron."
Crew[]
- Written by Tom Ruegger
Notes[]
- Mo-Ron's ship and the way that scene starts out parody the 1951 sci fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.
- Emmitt Nervend can be seen in the crowd.
Sewer Rescue[]
Plot[]
British superhero Lord Bravery spends his days scouring the shortwave, searching for crime. When he is thrown out of the house by his wife and mother-in-law and forced to actually patrol the city, it doesn't seem like things can become any more humiliating, until he reluctantly takes on his first big adventure: rescuing a man from a sewer.
Crew[]
Notes[]
- This is the first Lord Bravery cartoon and the debut of the "Lord Bravery" theme song.
- Mother is played by glam metal performer Mark Slaughter, who also voiced the Queen Mother in the Rugg-scripted Animaniacs cartoon "Windsor Hassle," using the same voice.
- Michael Des Barres, the voice of the Man in the Hole, also played the villain Nostromos (a.k.a. Carl Fowler) in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Prophecy of Doom."
- Emmitt Nervend can be seen near the sewer manhole.
The Big Question[]
Plot[]
After a false start (interrupted by a WB Network Special Report, wherein Freakazoid questions what the "WB" stands for- apparently "Weird Butt"), Freakazoid and President Clinton confront another alien ship. This one contains an alien seeking answers from the Earthlings, on a matter of vital universal importance.
Crew[]
- Written by Tom Ruegger
A Musical Interlude[]
Plot[]
Freakazoid performs "Chopsticks".
Legends Who Lunch[]
Plot[]
Several elderly superheroes sit around in a deli kibitzing. Freakazoid serves them.
Crew[]
- Written by Tom Ruegger
- Directed and Created by Dan Riba
Notes[]
- The Legends' names appear in the end credits. From left to right of frame, they are: the Aunt Eater, Sergeant Scurvy (voiced by Paul Rugg), Lady Vericose, Captain Sharpei, Frost Heaves (voiced by Frank Welker), Krimson Kvetch (voiced by Maurice LaMarche), the Stygmatist, and the Mighty Avarian.
- Zippy the Fast Boy, the Green Fog, and the Brown Fog are mentioned (as is Aquaman's Uncle Leo, who was turned into shrimp scampi).
- The segment is a parody of the famed Algonquin Round Table and other such gatherings of old-timey (primarily Jewish) professional comedians. The NY deli setting is appropriate.
- Also appropriate to the NY setting, the title is a spoof of a song from a Broadway musical: "The Ladies Who Lunch," from Company, by Stephen Sondheim.
- Michigan J. Frog, star of the Looney Tunes Chuck Jones classic "One Froggy Evening" and mascot of the WB Network, is seen in a bus-side ad having been turned into frog leg soup -- perhaps an instance of the writers venting their frustration with the network. The music in the scene is a spoof of Michigan J.'s favorite tune, "Hello My Baby."
- Emmitt Nervend appears in this cartoon.
Finale[]
Plot[]
Freakazoid, at the Hollywood Bowl, wishes the audience goodnight. Mo-Ron is still following him around, and suddenly remembers his message, a bit too late. The world is then destroyed.
Crew[]
- Written by Tom Ruegger
Notes[]
- The fighting Freakazoid! crew members in the final scene are, from left to right: Paul Rugg and John P. McCann (strangling one another), Tom Ruegger, Paul Dini (with Ruegger in a choke-hold), Steven Spielberg, unknown (possibly Eric Radomski) being choked by Bruce Timm, associate producer Haven Alexander (beating Timm on the head), Jean MacCurdy (fighting Spielberg for the script), Jack Heiter, Mitch Schauer, Dan Riba (on the ground under Schauer's feet), Scott Jeralds, and Ronaldo Del Carmen. Paul Rugg's voice can be heard as himself; other voices are Rob Paulsen and Tress MacNeille.
- Mo-Ron's ship and the way that scene starts out parody the 1951 sci fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.
- The finale takes place at the Hollywood Bowl (previously seen in "Doomsday Bet" as the venue for a Ray Charles concert). Several bras and panties are thrown at Freakazoid, as well as what appears to be a box of pasta. The latter is likely a reference to the band the Barenaked Ladies: a line in the song "If I Had $1,000,000" has inspired fans to infamously throw Kraft Dinner onto the stage at concerts.
Out Here[]
Plot[]
A sedated-sounding narrator (Tress MacNeille) talks over black and white tropical vacation imagery, while apologizing that they have no scenes to show from next week's episode of Freakazoid!
Notes[]
- This segment originated as a series of commercials airing on the WB to tease the upcoming new series Freakazoid! The network wanted to advertise the show, but due to the tight production timeline, no footage was ready. The crew hastily assembled the images in this segment and recorded several different surreal monologues ("Out here, the water is carbonated, people swim in their boots, and the blowfish sing showtunes"), delivered by a deadpan Tress MacNeille. The ad was a parody of commercials for Carnival Cruise Lines that were airing at the time.[2] All of the variant ads are available on the Season 1 DVD set.
Cast[]
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Paul Rugg | Freakazoid, Himself, Additional Voices |
| Stan Freberg | Mo-Ron |
| Jeff Bennett | Lord Bravery, Additional Voices |
| Tress MacNeille | Princess Di, Hillary Clinton, Lord Bravery's Wife, "Out Here" Announcer, Additional Voices |
| Mark Slaughter | Mother |
| Frank Welker | The President Bill Clinton |
| Maurice LaMarche | Krimson Kvetch |
| Michael Des Barres | Man in the Hole |
| Rob Paulsen | Himself |
| Joe Leahy | Our Announcer |
Notes/Trivia[]
- Rob Paulsen is credited as "Himself." The only time he is heard in the episode is yelling out among the din of fighting crew members at the end (yelling about a parking spot).
References[]