''Nickelodeon Magazine'' is a defunct American children's

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

inspired by the children's television network

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

. Its first incarnation appeared in 1990 and was distributed at participating

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...

restaurants; the version of the magazine only saw two issues. The magazine returned in Summer 1993 with all types of content, primarily humor and comics. Originally published on a quarterly basis, it switched to bi-monthly with the February/March 1994 issue. It then went to ten times per year starting in March 1995, with a bi-annual December/January and June/July issue until its end in 2009. For most of its run, the magazine's editor-in-chief was Laura Galen. She wrote the goodbye message for the 159th and final issue in 2009. On February 5, 2015,

Papercutz :PAPERCUTZ (stylized as :papercutz or :PAPERCUTZ) is a Portuguese electronic music act formed as a side project in Porto that became a fully active band in 2008. Bruno Miguel is the only official member of Papercutz and solely responsible for ...

announced that they worked a deal with Nickelodeon to create a new version of the magazine. The first issue was released in June 2015, and the final issue was released in 2016.

Format

In spite of being related to the network it was named after, ''Nickelodeon Magazine'' covered many sorts of topics, not just what was on the network. The magazine contained informative non-fiction pieces, humor, interviews, comics, pranks and recipes (such as green slime

cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

). The magazine's

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

was Zelda Van Gutters, a

Lakeland Terrier The Lakeland Terrier is a dog breed, which takes its name from its place of origin, the Lake District in England. The dog is a small to mid-size member of the Terrier family. While independent in personality, it interacts well with owners and ...

dog who appeared throughout the magazine with sarcastic

aside An aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention, the audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other characters on stage. It may be addressed to the audience expressly (in charact ...

s on the articles. She was also the star of the magazine's semi-regular photo comic strip "Ruffing It". Other contributors included Dan Abdo, John Accurso, Bill Alger,

Graham Annable Graham Annable (born June 1, 1970) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator. He is the creator of ''Grickle'', published by Alternative Comics, and one of the founders of the ''Hickee'' humor anthology (also published by Alternative Comics). Annable ...

, Ian Baker,

Tom Bunk Tom Bunk (born 17 December 1945) is a lifetime award-winning cartoonist known for adding multiple extraneous details to his posters, cartoons and illustrations created for both American and German publishers. Early life Tomas Maria Bunk was born ...

, Martin Cendreda, Greg Cook, Dave Cooper, Jordan Crane,

Mark Crilley Mark Crilley (born May 21, 1966) is an American comic creator, artist and children's book author and illustrator. He is the creator of '' Miki Falls'' and '' Brody's Ghost''. He produces instructional videos on drawing on YouTube in various s ...

, Scott Cunningham,

Vincent Deporter Vincent Deporter (13 February 1959 – 27 September 2022) was a Belgian comic and storyboard artist. Deporter got his start in comics working as an assistant to Jean Graton, before selling his own strips, as Mike Deporter, to ''Spirou (magazine), ...

, Stephen DeStefano,

Evan Dorkin Evan Dorkin (born April 20, 1965) is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books ''Milk and Cheese'' and ''Dork''. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himsel ...

, Brent Engstrom, Feggo (Felipe Galindo), Gary Fields,

Emily Flake Emily Suzanne Flake (born June 16, 1977) is an American cartoonist and illustrator. Her work has appeared in ''The New Yorker'', ''The New York Times'', ''Time'' and many other publications. Her weekly comic strip '' Lulu Eightball'' has appeared i ...

Ellen Forney Ellen Forney (born March 8, 1968) is an American cartoonist, educator, and wellness coach. She is known for her autobiographic comics which include ''I was Seven in '75''; ''I Love Led Zepellin''; and ''Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo a ...

, Francho (Arnoldo Franchioni), Dave Fremont,

Tom Gauld Tom Gauld (born 1976) is a Scottish cartoonist and illustrator. His style reflects his self-professed fondness of "deadpan comedy, flat dialogue, things happening offstage and impressive characters". Others note that his work "combines pathos ...

, Justin Green, Tim Hamilton, Charise Maricle Harper, Paul Karasik, John Kerschbaum, Jacob Lambert, Roger Langridge, Chris Lanier,

Robert Leighton The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

Alec Longstreth Alec Longstreth (born October 4, 1979) is a comics creator and illustrator living in Santa Fe, New Mexico whose works include ''Phase 7'' and th''Dvorak Zine'' He is a graduate of Oberlin College and Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a priv ...

Jason Lutes Jason Lutes (born December 7, 1967)
at Comic Creator is an American

Mark Newgarden Mark Newgarden (born August 1, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American underground cartoonist. His work has appeared widely, and his influential shape-shifting weekly feature ''Newgarden'', which appeared in alternative weekly newspapers like ...

, Travis Nichols,

Lark Pien Lark Pien (born c. 1972) is an American cartoonist who has created the minicomics ''Stories from the Ward'', ''Mr. Boombha'', and ''Long Tail Kitty'', the last of which won her the Friends of Lulu Kimberly Yale Award for Best New Talent in 2004. ...

Johnny Ryan John F. Ryan IV (born November 30, 1970 in Boston, Massachusetts)"The Real Johnny Ryan"
, Johnny Ryan of ...

, P.Shaw!, Karen Sneider, Israel Sanchez,

Jason Shiga Jason Shiga (born 1976) is an American cartoonist who incorporates puzzles, mysteries and unconventional narrative techniques into his work. Early life Jason Shiga is from Oakland, California. His father, Seiji Shiga, was an animator who worke ...

R. Sikoryak Robert Sikoryak (born 1964) is an American artist whose work is usually signed R. Sikoryak. He specializes in making comic adaptations of literature classics. Under the series title ''Masterpiece Comics'', these include ''Crime and Punishment'' re ...

Jen Sorensen Jen Sorensen (born September 28, 1974, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American cartoonist and illustrator who authors a weekly comic strip that often focuses on current events from a liberal perspective. Her work appears on the websites Daily ...

Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman (; born Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman on February 15, 1948) is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel ''Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazines ''Arcade (comics maga ...

Jay Stephens Jay Stephens (born March 22, 1971) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator currently living in Guelph, Ontario. He is best known as the creator of Discovery Kids's animated television series ''Tutenstein'' , Cartoon Network's ''The Secret Saturday ...

, Wayno, Todd Webb, Drew Weing,

Steve Weissman Steve Weissman is an American sportscaster who joined ESPN in January 2010. He came to ESPN from Comcast Sportsnet (CSN) in California, where he served as the network's lead anchor. Before CSN, he worked at WNEM in Saginaw, Michigan, winnin ...

, Kurt Wolfgang and

Gahan Wilson Gahan Allen Wilson (February 18, 1930 – November 21, 2019) was an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations. Biography Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, and was inspired by th ...

. In addition, ''Nickelodeon Magazines comic books also featured comics from characters of the network's programming, which normally appeared just before a season premiere or special film event for the property on the actual series. Among the shows featured in the comic book were: * ''

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters ''Aaahh!!! Real Monsters'' is an American animated television series developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on three young monsters—Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm—who attend a school for monsters under a city dump and learn to ...

'' * ''

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius ''The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius'' (sometimes shortened to ''Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius'' or commonly ''Jimmy Neutron'') is an American CGI-animated television series. The second installment in the ''Jimmy Neutron'' franchise, it i ...

'' * ''

The Angry Beavers ''The Angry Beavers'' is an American animated television series created by Mitch Schauer for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around Norbert and Daggett Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have moved out of their parents' home to become bachel ...

'' * '' As Told by Ginger'' * ''

Avatar: The Last Airbender ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' (abbreviated as ''ATLA''), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Aang'' in some regions or simply ''Avatar'', is an American anime-influenced animated television series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and ...

'' * ''

CatDog ''CatDog'' is an American animated television series created by Peter Hannan for Nickelodeon. The series follows the life of yellow conjoined brothers of different species, with one half of the resultant animal being a cat and the other a dog. ...

'' * '' Catscratch'' * ''

ChalkZone ''ChalkZone'' is an American animated television series created by Bill Burnett and Larry Huber for Nickelodeon. The series follows Rudy Tabootie, an elementary school student who discovers a box of magic chalk that allows him to draw portals ...

'' * ''

Danny Phantom ''Danny Phantom'' is an American animated superhero action adventure television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows Danny Fenton, a teenage boy who, after an accident with an unpredictable portal between the human ...

'' * '' El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera'' * ''

The Fairly OddParents ''The Fairly OddParents'' is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon. The series follows the adventures of Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy with two fairy godparents named Cosmo and Wanda who grant him w ...

'' * ''

Hey Arnold! ''Hey Arnold!'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Craig Bartlett. It originally aired on Nickelodeon from October 7, 1996, to June 8, 2004. The show centers on fourth grader Arnold Shortman, who lives with his grandpare ...

'' * ''

Invader Zim ''Invader Zim'' is an American animated science fiction dark comedy television series created by comic book writer and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez for Nickelodeon. The series centers on an extraterrestrial named Zim (voiced by Richard Steven Ho ...

'' * ''

KaBlam! ''KaBlam!'' (stylized as ''KaBLaM!'') is an American animated sketch comedy television series that ran on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2000. The series was created by Robert Mittenthal, Will McRobb, and Chris Viscardi. The show was developed as a fu ...

'' * ''

Mr. Meaty ''Mr. Meaty'' is a teen sitcom created by Jamie Shannon and Jason Hopley. The show centers on two lazy teenage boys, Josh Redgrove and Parker Dinkleman, who work at a fast food restaurant called Mr. Meaty inside a shopping mall as they often enc ...

'' * ''

My Life as a Teenage Robot ''My Life as a Teenage Robot'' is an American animated superhero comedy television series created by Rob Renzetti for Nickelodeon. It was produced by Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon Animation Studio. Set in the fictional town of Tremorton, th ...

'' * ''

Rocket Power ''Rocket Power'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó, the creators of ''Rugrats''. The series aired on Nickelodeon from August 16, 1999 to July 30, 2004. Premise ''Rocket Power'' revolves around t ...

'' * ''

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, ...

'' (and its spin-off ''

All Grown Up! ''All Grown Up!'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. It served as a continuation of the series ''Rugrats'', as explores the daily lives of protagonist Tommy Pickles ...

'') * ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...

'' * ''

The Mighty B! ''The Mighty B!'' (stylized in all caps) is an American animated television series created by Amy Poehler, Cynthia True, and Erik Wiese for Nickelodeon. The series centers on Bessie Higgenbottom, an ambitious Honeybee girl scout who believes sh ...

* ''

The Ren & Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' (also known as ''Ren & Stimpy'') is an American animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. Originally produced by Spümcø for Nickelodeon, the series aired from August 11, 1991, to Decemb ...

'' * ''

The Wild Thornberrys ''The Wild Thornberrys'' is an American animated series, animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman (animator), David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic for Nickelodeon. The series portrays a ...

Nickelodeon Comics

''Nickelodeon Comics'', formally titled ''Nickelodeon Magazine Presents'', was a series of one-shot special issues put out by ''Nickelodeon Magazine''. Each issue tied in with comics. ''Nickelodeon Comics'' mainly contained comics, either newly made stories or two-page shorts reprinted from ''Nick Magazine'', but also featured articles, puzzles, and poster inserts. Other comics, appearing in both Nickelodeon Magazine's comics section and in the one-shot specials, included: * ''Fiona of the Felines'' by

Terry LaBan Terry LaBan (born July 19, 1961) is an alternative/underground cartoonist and newspaper comic strip artist. He is known for his comic book series ''Cud'', and his syndicated strip ''Edge City'', created with his wife, Patty LaBan, a couples and ...

– A girl who is raised by

cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

s. Her strips are occasionally accompanied by a similar strip titled ''Warren of the Worms''. * ''Grampa and Julie, Shark Hunters'' by Jef Czekaj – This strip's titular duo consists of a blonde-haired girl and her dimwitted grandfather started out searching for Stephen, the Largest

Shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...

in the World. Their adventures from 1999 to 2003 have recently been reprinted in a graphic novel and a

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

for an animated series was made by

Klasky Csupo Klasky-Csupo, Inc. (stylized as KLaSKY CSUPO INC., doing business as Klasky Csupo, ) is an American animation studio located in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1982 by producer Arlene Klasky and Hungarian animator Gábor Csupó (he ...

. * '' Impy & Wormer'' by

James Kochalka James Kochalka (born May 26, 1967, in Springfield, Vermont) is an American comic book artist, writer, animator, and rock musician. His comics are noted for their blending of the real and the surreal. Largely autobiographical, Kochalka's cartoo ...

– These mini-strips (featured at the bottom of the comic pages, under the regular strips) starred a bug who does never speak proper English and constantly bothers a comparatively intellectual worm. * ''Juanita and Clem'' by

Craig Thompson Craig Matthew Thompson (born September 21, 1975) is an American graphic novelist best known for his books ''Good-bye, Chunky Rice'' (1999), ''Blankets'' (2003), '' Carnet de Voyage'' (2004), '' Habibi'' (2011), and '' Space Dumplins'' (2015). Tho ...

— Whimsical tales of an adventurous young girl named Juanita and her less brave green friend named Clem. * ''Karmopolis'' by

Nick Bertozzi Nick Bertozzi (born May 26, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist, as well as a commercial illustrator and teacher of cartooning. His series ''Rubber Necker'' from Alternative Comics won the 2003 Harvey Awards for best new talent and ...

— An adventure strip in a world where everyone and everything is on wheels. * ''Mervin the Magnificent'' by

Richard Sala Richard Sala (June 2, 1954 – May 7, 2020) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, and comic book creator with a unique expressionistic style whose books often combined elements of mystery, horror and whimsy. Biography Richard Sala was born in ...

— A bumbling

magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

named Mervin solves crime with his

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

sidekick. * ''Patty-Cake'' by Scott Roberts – A bossy blonde-haired young lady with a flower in her hair. * ''Sam Hill & Ray-9'' by

Mark Martin Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959) is a retired American stock car racing driver. He has the second most wins all time in what is now the Xfinity Series with 49. He scored 40 Cup Series wins. He finished second in the NASCAR Cup Series st ...

– A boy and his

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

. * ''Scene But Not Heard'' by

Sam Henderson Sam Henderson (born October 18, 1969) is an American cartoonist, writer, and expert on American comedy history. He is best known for his ongoing comic book series ''Magic Whistle''. He was a contributor to the animated television series ''Spong ...

– The going-ons of a pink man and a

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

, who compulsively pull pranks on each other. As the strip's name suggests, the comic is made entirely of pictures with no dialogue or sound effects. In the magazine's tenth anniversary issue, there was a "blooper strip" where the man and bear are talking. Also, there is an advertisement for a ''Scene But Not Heard'' musical in ''Grampa and Julie'' comic. * ''Southern Fried Fugitives'' by Simon and

Kim Deitch Kim Deitch (born May 21, 1944 in Los Angeles, California)Donahue, Don and Susan Goodrick, editors. Deitch bio, ''The Apex Treasuet of Underground Comics'' (Apex Novelties, 1974), p. 127. is an American cartoonist who was an important figure in t ...

– The continuing adventures of a quartet of

fried chicken Fried chicken, also known as Southern fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or ...

pieces brought to life by a thunderstorm. This strip ended in December 1999. * ''Teeny Weeny, the Tiniest Hot Dog in the World'' by Mark Martin (2005) – A miniature, but enthusiastic,

hot dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced Hot dog bun, bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener (Vienna sausag ...

. * ''The Gag Station'' by various. One-panel gags, often featuring cartoonists such as

Johnny Ryan John F. Ryan IV (born November 30, 1970 in Boston, Massachusetts)"The Real Johnny Ryan"
, Johnny Ryan of ...

, Felipe Galindo, Ian Baker and Mark Martin. * ''The Uncredibly Confabulated Tales of Lucinda Ziggles'' by Andy Ristaino — A young girl gets involved in fantastic adventures that no one ever believes. * ''Twiggy Stumps: Outdoor Adventurist'' by

Brian Ralph Brian Ralph (born 1973) is an American alternative cartoonist. His illustrations have appeared in ''Wired'' and the ''New York Post''. His debut graphic novel, ''Cave-In'', was nominated for three Harvey Awards, one Eisner Award, and listed as on ...

— A flaky outdoorsman and his wisecracking skunk-pal, Juniper. * ''Underpants-On-His-Head Man'' by

Michael Kupperman Michael Kupperman (born April 26, 1966), also known by the pseudonym P. Revess,Spurgeon, Tom"A Short Interview With Michael Kupperman,"The Comics Reporter (August 7, 2005). is an American cartoonist and illustrator. He created the comic strips '' ...

– Originally appeared as one of "the worst comic book

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

es ever". As his name suggests, he wears his underwear on his head. His archenemy is his coworker, Pants-On-His-Head Man. * ''Yam'' by Corey Barba — A wordless comic starring a toddler with jet backpack, wearing a hoodie, in a whimsical world that features humanlike cats, pet TVs and other fantasy elements.

United Kingdom version

A British version of the magazine was published from 16 February 2011 as a collaboration between

and D. C. Thomson & Co. It seems to have been discontinued as of June 2012.

Second era

Viacom ended operations of the magazine in June 2009 (though the last issue was published in December of that year) due to economic conditions and the continual move of the network's content to their website. The title continued to publish until the December/January 2010 issue, and the final issue featured an editorial from magazine SVP/Editorial Director Laura Galen thanking the magazine's readers. On February 5, 2015,

announced that they have worked a deal with Nickelodeon to revive the magazine. The new version was released in June 2015 and ended in 2016. The Nickelodeon series represented were: * ''

Breadwinners The breadwinner model is a paradigm of family centered on a wikt:breadwinner, breadwinner, "the member of a family who earns the money to support the others." Traditionally, the earner works outside the home to provide the family with income and b ...

'' * ''

Sanjay and Craig ''Sanjay and Craig'' is an American animated sitcom created by Jim Dirschberger, Jay Howell, and Andreas Trolf for Nickelodeon. Produced by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi, the series revolves around Sanjay, voiced by Maulik Pancholy, and his bes ...

'' * ''

Pig Goat Banana Cricket ''Pig Goat Banana Cricket'' (also abbreviated as ''PGBC'') is an American animated television series created by Dave Cooper and Johnny Ryan for Nickelodeon. The show follows the interwoven adventures of the titular quartet. It premiered on July 16 ...

'' * ''

Harvey Beaks ''Harvey Beaks'' is an American animated television series created by C. H. Greenblatt for Nickelodeon. The series aired from March 28, 2015, until December 9, 2016, when it was moved to Nicktoons on March 1, 2017, which followed the series fi ...

'' * ''

The Loud House ''The Loud House'' is an American animated television series created by Chris Savino that premiered on Nickelodeon on May 2, 2016. The series revolves around the chaotic everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud, who is the middle child and only so ...

References