''Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars!'' (also known as ''Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Menace'' in Canada and ''Bucky O'Hare'' in the United Kingdom) is an animated series created by

Sunbow Productions Sunbow Entertainment (formerly known as Sunbow Productions until 1995) was an American animation studio and distributor, founded on June 23, 1980, and owned until May 4, 1998, by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York City and in the United State ...

, Abrams/Gentile Entertainment,

Continuity Comics Continuity Publishing, also known as Continuity Comics, was an American independent comic book company formed by Neal Adams in 1984, publishing comics until 1994. History After years as a freelancer and comics art packager (with his company Co ...

and the French company IDDH, co-produced by

Marvel Productions Marvel Productions Ltd., later known as New World Animation, was an American production company owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of News Corporation which was founded in 1981 as the television and film studio subsidiary of the Mar ...

and distributed by

Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...

's subsidiary

Claster Television Claster Television, Inc. was a Baltimore, Maryland–based television distributor founded in 1953 by Bertram H. (Bert) Claster and Nancy Claster (Goldman) as Romper Room Inc. It was originally a producer of the children's show '' Romper Room'', on ...

. It is based on the cult comic ''

Bucky O'Hare Bucky O'Hare is a fictional character and the hero of an eponymous comic book series and spin-off (media), spin-off media, including an Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars, animated TV series and various toys and video games. He was created by comic bo ...

'', and animated by

AKOM AKOM Production, Ltd. (Animation Korea Movie; ) is a South Korean animation studio in Songpa-gu, Seoul that has provided much work since its conception in 1985 by Nelson Shin. It is most notable for the overseas animation of more than 200 episo ...

. AKOM Production Co. at :29, IDDH at :33, Marvel Productions is at :37-:40 Sunbow at :56. It debuted in 1991 in the United States, and 1992 on in the UK on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. The show was made with the intention of promoting the new Bucky O'Hare themed toy line. When plans for that fell through, the series was abruptly cancelled after only 13 episodes.

Cast

Long John Baldry John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English musician and actor. In the 1960s, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including ...

as Komplex, Pit Stop Pete *

Jay Brazeau Jay Brazeau is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Sam Fisher in '' Cold Squad'', Harlan in ''Stargate SG-1'' (1998, 2001), and for voicing Uncle Quigley in '' Sabrina: The Animated Series''. He is also known for his role as Bobby in ''D ...

as Toad Air Marshall, Secretary General, Mentor, Rumble Bee *

Garry Chalk Garry Chalk (born 1952) is a Canadian actor. He has provided the voices for Optimus Primal of '' Beast Wars: Transformers'' and '' Beast Machines: Transformers'', as well as Optimus Prime in the anime English dubs of '' Transformers: Armada'' ...

as Commander Dogstar, Al Negator, Quentin, MC, Major Bottlenose, Dan, Blackbeak, Kamikaze Kamo, General Baboon, Total Terror Toad, Digger McSquint, Wolf, Tri-Bot #1 * Doc Harris as Toad TV, Harman, Fake Pirate * Simon Kendall as Security Toad #3, Bridge Toad #1 * Sam Khouth as A.F.C. Blinky, Frix, Doug, Jeff, Croakley, Tri-Bot #3 *

Terry Klassen Terry Klassen is a Canadian voice actor, ADR director and writer. Before animation, Klassen worked in radio in Winnipeg (CITI-FM), Toronto (Q107), Calgary (CFAC), Portage la Prairie (CFRY) and part-time at CFOX and CFMI. In animation, he is best ...

as Rat Produce Merchant, Scarbill, The Newt, Toad Crew Member *

Scott McNeil Scott McNeil is an Australian actor based in Canada, known for his live-action work as well as his roles in animation. His voice roles include Ace the Bat-Hound in '' Krypto the Superdog'', Voltar in '' League of Super Evil'', Jetfire, Backstop ...

as Dead-Eye Duck, Frax, David, Tinker, Larry, Wartimer, Dexter, Mostly-Mouth Robot-A, Grebb, Sly Lee-Zard, False Bucky *

Shane Meier Shane Thomas Meier (born June 11, 1977) is a Canadian actor, best known for playing the title role in ''The Matthew Shepard Story'', a TV film about the life and murder of Matthew Shepard. Life and career Meier was born in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

as Willy DuWitt * Jason Michas as Bucky O'Hare * Richard Newman as Toadborg, Wolf, Mostly-Mouth Robot-B, Tri-Bot #2 *

Pauline Newstone Pauline Newstone (August 13, 1943 – May 5, 2023) was a Canadian voice actress best known as the voice of Airazor in the animated series '' Beast Wars'' and as Frieza in the English Ocean Productions and Westwood dubs of ''Dragon Ball Z''. S ...

as Lanelle *

Doug Parker William Douglas Parker (b. October 31, 1961) is an American businessman who is the chairman of American Airlines Group, the parent company of American Airlines. Parker previously served as chief executive officer of the airline from 2001 to 20 ...

as Andy Phibian, Bruiser’s Mother * David Steele as Toad-Mammal, Toad Cowboy * Margot Pinvidic as Jenny, Verruca, Sunshine, Mother Aldebaran, Mimi LaFloo, Aunt Iris, Susie, Roona, Toadanne, Felicia, High Artificer, T.J. * Dale Wilson as Bruiser, Bruce, Guardroid, Announcer, Captain Smada, Bob, Hopkins, Redjack, Samurai Commander, Rumble Bee

Differences from the comics

Most of the ideas from the comic book were used for the cartoon, with several major differences. The parallel universe the story takes place in is named the "Aniverse". Willy DuWitt can travel freely between Earth and the Aniverse instead of being stranded there. Bruce is transported into another dimension instead of killed. The Toad Empire are willingly following KOMPLEX instead of brainwashed. Deadeye has a Southern accent instead of a Scottish accent. The nigh-omnipotent mouse is nowhere to be seen. Jenny reveals her

psionic In American science fiction of the 1950s and '60s, psionics was a proposed discipline that applied principles of engineering (especially electronics) to the study (and employment) of paranormal or psychic phenomena, such as extrasensory percept ...

powers to Willy DuWitt. The cartoon explored more of the Aniverse and followed a loose unifying arc, with Bucky's home planet of Warren being captured by the toads in the season premiere and liberated in the finale (which was co-written by

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...

Characters

Bucky and his crew are members of the S.P.A.C.E. organization, which stands for Sentient Protoplasm Against Colonial Encroachment. * Bucky O'Hare (voiced by Jason Michas) is a green hare who captains a S.P.A.C.E. frigate named ''The Righteous Indignation''. His crew consists of: * Jenny (voiced by Margot Pinvidic) is the first mate and pilot, a cat from the planet Aldebaran with mysterious magical and psionic powers common to the females of her species. They include telepathy, astral projection, energy blasts, and healing. Because of the sacred precepts of Alderbaran, she keeps these powers secret from the other members of the crew, with the exception of Willy, for whom she has overt Maternal affections. * Bruce (voiced by Dale Wilson) is Bruiser's older brother, a Betelgeusian Berserker Baboon who served as the Righteous Indignation's engineer. He vanished into another dimension when the ship's photon accelerator malfunctioned during battle. * Willy DuWitt (voiced by

) is an engineer, a preteen boy from

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

who enters the Aniverse via a portal between the ship's photon accelerator and his own accelerator at home. He replaced Bruce, the former engineer, who was killed (or in the franchise's terms, had "attained oneness with the Aniverse"). Later, Willy became stranded in the Aniverse when his parents turned off the photon accelerator back in his room. Bucky and his crew decide to keep Willy a secret from the S.P.A.C.E organization and the Toads. * Dead-Eye Duck (voiced by

) is a gunner, a four-armed former space pirate duck from Kanopis III. He is missing an eye, and is impatient and violent, preferring to let his four laser pistols do the talking for him. Unlike the comics where he has a Scottish accent, he has an American accent. * AFC Blinky (voiced by Sam Khouth) is an advanced AFC ("Android" First Class) with only one eye that uses the phrase "Calamity and woe!" to identify problem situations for Bucky and his crew-mates. The members of the Toad Empire introduced are as follows: * KOMPLEX (voiced by

) is the undisputed ruler of the Toad Empire, this computer program was designed to run the consumerist toad culture but instead took it over and militarized it. Its name, in toad language, is an anagram for 'Feed me'. * Toad Air Marshall (voiced by

) is one of KOMPLEX's foremost commanders, with a uniform adorned with medals and a face covered in warts. * Toad Borg (voiced by Richard Newman) is a large, purple cyborg second-in-command under KOMPLEX. * Storm Toads are the mindless toad soldiers who serve as the primary attack force for the Empire.

Characters only in the animated series

Almost all the characters listed above are both from the comic book and the cartoon. Most of the new ones that were introduced are listed below. * Bruiser (voiced by Dale Wilson) is Bruce's younger brother, a Betelgeusian Berserker Baboon who joins Bucky's team as space marine on the ''Righteous Indignation''. He, like all berserker baboons, scares the toads out of their wits and loves to beat them up. He is dimwitted but well-meaning, and has great respect for Willy. * Commander Dogstar (voiced by

) is Bucky's ally, who is captain of ''The Indefatigable'', another frigate fighting against the toads. * Mimi LaFloo (voiced by Margot Pinvidic) is a fox who was originally a captive of the toads. She is rescued by Bucky and goes on to command her own mammal frigate, ''The Screaming Mimi''. * Frix and Frax (voiced by

and Scott McNeil) are the Air Marshal's two bumbling subordinates. * Al Negator (voiced by Garry Chalk) is a sleazasaur (bipedal crocodile) spy and mercenary frequently hired by the Air Marshal, though he is always demanding large payments in Simoleans (the Aniverse's currency) for his services. He dresses and speaks in a manner consistent to the

cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...

people.

Episode list

Home media releases

Sometime after its initial television airing,

Family Home Entertainment Family Home Entertainment (FHE) was an American home video company founded in 1980 by Noel C. Bloom. It was a division of International Video Entertainment, which had its headquarters in Newbury Park, California. History The company was found ...

released all thirteen episodes of the show on six VHS cassettes in North America. In the United Kingdom, BBC Video released twelve out of the thirteen episodes across six VHS tapes, then Metrodome Entertainment released all thirteen episodes on a Region 2 DVD set, as well as a single volume DVD, both of which are now out of print.

References

External links