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The Tick is an American animated television series adaptation of the New England Comics superhero, The Tick. It debuted September 10, 1994 on Fox Network and lasted three seasons, with its last airing on November 27, 1996.
The Tick was written and co-produced by Tick creator Ben Edlund. Writing duties were also given to Christopher McCulloch who had met Edlund prior to their television work and wrote several issues of the Tick comic book series. The two would later work together on McCulloch's Adult Swim series, The Venture Bros..
Rather than being an asylum escapee, as portrayed in the Tick comic book series, the animated version of The Tick crashes a superhero convention to win the "protectorship" of The City. With its emphasis on superhero parody, The Tick became a Saturday morning staple during the Fox Kids block. Its title character was voiced by the versatile Townsend Coleman and his sidekick, Arthur, by Micky Dolenz for Season 1. Rob Paulsen would take over the Arthur voice roles during Seasons 2 and 3. The series also features Die Fledermaus as a shallow, self-absorbed Batman parody; Sewer Urchin, a Rain Man-like version of Aquaman; and American Maid, a more noble superheroine featuring aspects of Wonder Woman and Captain America.
The show's opening theme consists of big band music and campy scat singing. A typical episode plot would have The Tick and battling a villain until Arthur devises a solution that saves the day. The Tick then declares an absurd moral regarding the previous conflict before the story comes to a close. Although the series was initially aimed primarily at children, it features an absurdist, parody style that appeals to an older audience as well. Comedy Central would later syndicate The Tick and subsequently help make it a cult hit with adults. FOX attempted to capitalize on this growing adult fan base by introducing a live-action version of The Tick in 2001, but it couldn't match the success of its animated predecessor.
In June 2005, Toon Disney began airing The Tick along with other former FOX animated series like X-Men. The Tick currently airs on Midnight Eastern Time. It also occasionally airs on ABC Family as part of the Jetix cartoon block. In May 2008, MTV2 will begin airing The Tick in all episodes while its confirmed from MTV Networks.
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