Rocko's Modern Life Characters
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''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...
created by Joe Murray for
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
. The series centers on the surreal life of an
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
Australian immigrant
wallaby A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized Macropodidae, macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same Taxonomy (biology), taxon ...
named
Rocko Rocko Rama is the main protagonist of the animated television series ''Rocko's Modern Life'', the Netflix special '' Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'', and the comic book series of the same name. Carlos Alazraqui provided the voice of Rocko. Co ...
and his friends: the eccentric steer
Heffer Wolfe Heffer Steer-Wolfe, ''Nickelodeon'' is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''Rocko's Modern Life'', the Netflix special ''Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'' and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provi ...
, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and Rocko's faithful dog
Spunky Spunky may refer to: Fictional characters * Spunky (Rocko's Modern Life) * Spunky, a character from '' Hunky and Spunky'' * Spunky, a character from '' The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole'' * Spunky, a character from ''Pac-Mania'' Music * ''Sp ...
. It is set in the fictional town of O-Town. Throughout its run to present day, the series has been controversial for its
adult humor Adult animation is an animation used for films and television series that is catered specifically to general interests and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adolescents and young adults, as opposed to children or all-ages audiences. Ralph ...
, including
double entendres A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...
,
innuendos An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion. ...
, and
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
social commentary, helping pave the way for
adult animation Adult animation is an animation used for films and television series that is catered specifically to general interests and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adolescents and young adults, as opposed to children or all-ages audiences. Ralph ...
and earning a cult following, akin to ''
The Ren & Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', commonly referred to as simply ''Ren & Stimpy'', is an American animated Comedy film, comedy television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the misadventures of Ren Höek, an emotion ...
.'' Murray created the title character for an unpublished comic book series in the late 1980s, and later reluctantly pitched the series to Nickelodeon, which was looking for edgier cartoonists for its then-new
Nicktoons Nicktoons is the brand name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company (Paramount Global) in their copyright bylines. Since ...
. The network gave the staff a large amount of creative freedom, with the writers targeting both children and adults. The series premiered on September 18, 1993, and ended on November 24, 1996, totaling four seasons and 52 episodes. A
special Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer * Special police forces ...
, '' Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling,'' was digitally released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
on August 9, 2019. The series launched the careers of voice actors
Carlos Alazraqui Carlos Jaime Alazraqui (born July 20, 1962) is an American actor. His voice acting roles include the original voice of Spyro from '' Spyro the Dragon'', the Taco Bell chihuahua in the Taco Bell commercials, Rocko on ''Rocko's Modern Life'', D ...
,
Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...
, and Mr. Lawrence. After the series ended its run, much of the staff regrouped to work on ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
,'' created by ''Rocko''s creative director
Stephen Hillenburg Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, voice actor, and marine biology educator. Hillenburg was best known for creating the animated television series ''SpongeBo ...
.


Premise


Characters

''Rocko's Modern Life'' follows the life of an easily frightened Australian immigrant
wallaby A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized Macropodidae, macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same Taxonomy (biology), taxon ...
named
Rocko Rocko Rama is the main protagonist of the animated television series ''Rocko's Modern Life'', the Netflix special '' Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'', and the comic book series of the same name. Carlos Alazraqui provided the voice of Rocko. Co ...
who encounters various dilemmas and situations regarding otherwise mundane aspects of life. His best friends are
Heffer Wolfe Heffer Steer-Wolfe, ''Nickelodeon'' is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''Rocko's Modern Life'', the Netflix special ''Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'' and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provi ...
, a fat and enthusiastic steer; Filburt, a neurotic turtle who often feels awkward or disturbed, and his faithful dog
Spunky Spunky may refer to: Fictional characters * Spunky (Rocko's Modern Life) * Spunky, a character from '' Hunky and Spunky'' * Spunky, a character from '' The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole'' * Spunky, a character from ''Pac-Mania'' Music * ''Sp ...
. Living next door to Rocko is a middle-aged couple, Ed Bighead, a cynical and cantankerous toad who despises Rocko, and his compassionate and more friendly wife, Bev Bighead. All of the characters in ''Rocko's Modern Life'' are
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
animals of varying species and sizes. Murray said that he matched the personalities of his characters to the various animals in the series to form a social
caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...
.


Setting

The show is set in a fictional town called O-Town located near the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
and most likely based on
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, as the city is located close to the
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
-
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
border. Places in the town include Chokey Chicken (later renamed "Chewy Chicken"), a parody of
KFC KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's se ...
and favorite hang-out for Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt; Conglom-O Corporation, a
megacorporation Megacorporation, mega-corporation, or megacorp, a term originally coined by Alfred Eichner in his book ''The Megacorp and Oligopoly: Micro Foundations of Macro Dynamics'' but popularized by William Gibson, derives from the combination of the pre ...
with the slogan "We own you" that owns everything in town; Heck, a parody of Hell dominated by
Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...
, also a parody of Satan; Holl-o-Wood, a town that resembles
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
; and Kind of a Lot O' Comics, a
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
store owned by a toad named Mr. Smitty, where Rocko works. Many of the locations in ''Rocko's Modern Life'' have the letter "O" in them; for example, O-Town and Conglom-O Corporation. When asked about the use of "O" in his show, Murray responded:


Episodes


Production


Development

The character's debut appearance was in an unpublished comic book titled ''Zak & Travis'' in the mid-1980s. Murray tried selling the comic book in between illustrating jobs, but never went into its production stage. Many other characters appeared in various sketchbooks. He described the early 1990s animation atmosphere as "ripe for this kind of project. We took some chances that would be hard to do in these current times (the 1990s)."
Rocko's Modern Life
" '' Joe Murray Studio''
In the early 1990s, Murray wanted funding for his independent film ''My Dog Zero,'' selecting Nickelodeon to pre-buy television rights for the series. He presented a pencil test to
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
, which afterward became interested in buying and financing the show despite having no television experience. The industry was coming out of a " rough period" and Murray wanted to "shake things up a bit."
Linda Simensky Linda Simensky is an American executive. She served as a creative executive for Nickelodeon Furniss, Maureen. (February 5, 2008)240 ''Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics'' ''Indiana University Press''. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved October 1 ...
, then in charge of animation development at Nickelodeon, described the
Nicktoons Nicktoons is the brand name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company (Paramount Global) in their copyright bylines. Since ...
lineup and concept to Murray. He originally felt skeptical about creating a Nicktoon as he disliked television cartoons, but Simensky told him that Nicktoons differed from other cartoons. He then told her he believed ''My Dog Zero'' wouldn't work as a cartoon. He then researched Nickelodeon at the library and found that Nickelodeon's "attitude was different than regular TV" and that the cable network providers were "making their own rules." Murray stated that he "didn't write for children," which the executives were fine with. Murray was unsure at first, but was inspired by independent animation around him, such as ''Animation Celebration'' and
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's ''
Liquid Television ''Liquid Television'' was an animation showcase broadcast on MTV from 1991 to 1995. It launched several high-profile original cartoons, including ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' and '' Æon Flux''. Other recurring segments include "The Art School Girls ...
,'' giving the network a shot. At the time, Nickelodeon was selling itself as a network based on children's entertainment while aiming to appeal to college students and parents as much as children, notably with ''The Ren & Stimpy Show.'' Murray developed the Rocko character after visiting a zoo in the
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
and coming across a wallaby that seemed to be oblivious to the chaos around him. He later combed through his sketchbooks, developed the ''Rocko's Modern Life'' concept, and pitched it to Nickelodeon believing that it would be rejected. Murray felt they would not like the pilot, thinking he would collect his sum and begin funding his next independent film. According to Murray, around three or four months later, he had "forgotten about" the concept and was working on ''My Dog Zero'' when Simensky informed him that Nickelodeon wanted a pilot episode. Murray said he was glad he would get funding for ''My Dog Zero.''Lisa (Kiczuk) Trainor interviews Joe Murray, creator of Rocko's Modern Life
," ''The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ''
On his website, he describes ''My Dog Zero'' as "that film that Linda Simensky saw which led me to ''Rocko.''" With the beginning of pre-production for a ''Rocko's Modern Life'' pilot, "Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic" was originally written as the pilot; the executives decided that
Heffer Wolfe Heffer Steer-Wolfe, ''Nickelodeon'' is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''Rocko's Modern Life'', the Netflix special ''Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'' and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provi ...
, one of the characters, would be "a little too weird for test audiences." Murray, instead of removing Heffer from "Sucker for the Suck-O-Matic," decided to write " Trash-O-Madness" as the pilot episode. When the casting call for Trash-O-Madness began, there were fewer voice actors available in
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 ...
, leading Murray to seek out performers who had not done voice acting work prior, including stand-up comedians. He attended a stand-up performance by
Carlos Alazraqui Carlos Jaime Alazraqui (born July 20, 1962) is an American actor. His voice acting roles include the original voice of Spyro from '' Spyro the Dragon'', the Taco Bell chihuahua in the Taco Bell commercials, Rocko on ''Rocko's Modern Life'', D ...
and asked him afterward if he wanted to audition for the roles of Rocko and Spunky. Being impressed by Alazraqui’s vocalizations of Spunky, Murray eventually hired him for the role. He would later audition
Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He has been voicing SpongeBob SquarePants (character), the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media since its debut in 1999. Kenny has voice ...
from a stand-up performance, and Mr. Lawrence, a layout assistant in Games Animation, for the respective roles of
Heffer Wolfe Heffer Steer-Wolfe, ''Nickelodeon'' is a fictional character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''Rocko's Modern Life'', the Netflix special ''Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'' and the comic book series of the same name. Tom Kenny provi ...
and Filburt. Murray produced the pilot episode, " Trash-O-Madness" at his studio in Saratoga, animating half of the episode. The production occurred entirely in the United States, with animation in Saratoga and processing in San Francisco. While directing during recording sessions, he preferred to be on the stage with the actors instead of "behind glass" in a control room, which he describes as "the norm" while making animated series.
Rocko's Modern Life Archives
" '' Joe Murray Studio''
He believes that, due to his lack of experience with children, ''Rocko's Modern Life'' "skewed kind of older."Q & A with Joe Murray
" ''
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
Pressroom''
Murray noted, "There's a lot of big kids out there. People went to see ''
Roger Rabbit Roger Rabbit is a fictional animated anthropomorphic rabbit. The character first appeared in author Gary K. Wolf's 1981 novel, '' Who Censored Roger Rabbit?''. In the book, Roger is second banana in a popular comic strip, "Baby Herman". Roger ...
'' and saw all these characters they'd grown up with and said, 'yeah, why don't they have something like that anymore?'" In the original series pilot, Rocko was colored yellow. During shipping of the first episode of ''Rocko's Modern Life,'' executives forced Murray to change it when a toy merchandising company informed Nickelodeon they were interested in marketing toys but did not want to market Rocko because "the color was too close to another major cartoon character that they were making a lot of money off of." Murray eventually changed Rocko's color to beige, but after the pilot aired, the company opted out of producing toys for the series, making the color change pointless.
Little Known Rocko Factoids
" '' Joe Murray Studio''
When the series was in development before the release of the first episode, the series had the production title, ''The Rocko Show.''A Bit of Trivia From Paul Sumares
," ''The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ''
In November 1992, two months before the production of season 1 of ''Rocko's Modern Life,'' Murray's first wife committed suicide. Murray had often blamed his wife's suicide on the show being picked up. He said, "It was always an awful connection because I look at ''Rocko'' as such a positive in my life."October 17, 2010
." Joe Murray Studio. Retrieved on October 26, 2010. "I often directly blamed my wife's suicide in 1992 on ''Rocko'' getting picked up (it happened as we were preparing to start production of the series)."
He felt that he had emotional and physical "unresolved issues" when he moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, describing the experience as participating in a "marathon with my pants around my ankles." Murray initially believed that he would create one season, move back to the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...
, and "clean up the loose ends I had left hanging." When Nickelodeon approved of new seasons, he felt surprised by the offer; Nickelodeon renewed the series for its second season in December 1993. Warner, Fara. "Nick Rock(o)s Licensing Boat." ''
Brandweek ''Brandweek'' is a three-day brand marketing symposium and a part of Adweek, Llc. It was also previously a weekly American marketing trade publication that was published between 1986 and April 2011. Profile Brandweek is a part of Adweek, cover ...
.'' Volume 35, Issue 5. January 31, 1994.
The show was jointly produced between
Games Animation Nickelodeon Animation Studio Inc. (also known as Nickelodeon Animation Studios or Nick Animation and credited as Nickelodeon Productions on-screen) is an American animation studio owned by Paramount Global through the Nickelodeon Group. It has c ...
and Joe Murray Productions. Since Nickelodeon did not have an animation studio, it contracted out to other studios. After incidents with ''
The Ren & Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', commonly referred to as simply ''Ren & Stimpy'', is an American animated Comedy film, comedy television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the misadventures of Ren Höek, an emotion ...
'' creator
John Kricfalusi Michael John Kricfalusi ( ; born September 9, 1955), known professionally as John K., is a Canadian illustrator, blogger, and former animator and voice actor. He is the creator of the animated television series ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', which ...
that led to his firing, Nickelodeon started losing trust in creators as much and began forming its studio, Games Animation. Murray recalls that they were still able to get a lot done independently, likening the independence to that of "Termite Terrace" (
Warner Bros. Cartoons Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...
) from the 1930s. As Nickelodeon began to have more success with its animation cartoons, Murray said the "Termite Terrace" mentality was not working as much. Producer Mary Harrington made the move from New York City to Los Angeles to set up Games Animation to produce ''Rocko's Modern Life,'' beginning production on the show in January 1993. ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was Nickelodeon's first in-house animated production. To set up production, Murray's Joe Murray Productions and
Games Animation Nickelodeon Animation Studio Inc. (also known as Nickelodeon Animation Studios or Nick Animation and credited as Nickelodeon Productions on-screen) is an American animation studio owned by Paramount Global through the Nickelodeon Group. It has c ...
rented office space on
Ventura Boulevard Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thoroughfares in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley as it is along the commem ...
in the
Studio City Studio City is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 19 ...
neighborhood of the
San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...
region of
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. The production moved to a different office building on Vineland Avenue in Studio City, where executives did not share space with the creative team.October 24, 2008
." ''Joe Murray Studio.'' Retrieved October 24, 2008.

Where Rocko the series was produced
" '' Joe Murray Studio''
Murray rented a floor in the
Writers Guild of America, West The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. It was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, including the Screen Writers Guild. It has around 20,000 m ...
building, although the ''Rocko'' team was not a part of the union, which the staff found ironic. Throughout production,
Sunwoo Entertainment Sunwoo & Company, Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean animation studio located in Seoul, South Korea. It was established as Sunwoo Production Inc. in 1974. It began by producing animation mainly for Disney Afternoon TV series, such as '' Chip 'n Dal ...
, and later
Rough Draft Studios Rough Draft Studios, Inc. is an American animation production studio based in Glendale, California, with a sister studio Rough Draft Korea located in Seoul, South Korea. The studio was founded in Van Nuys, Los Angeles by Gregg Vanzo in 1991. Rou ...
, assembled the animation. According to Murray, as ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was his first television series, he did not have prior experience or knowledge with the atmosphere of typical animation studios. He says that his experience in independent films initially led him to attempt to micromanage many details in the production, as the approach used for the production of television shows was "driving me crazy." This led him to allow other team members to manage aspects of the ''Rocko's Modern Life'' production, including director and later creative director Stephen Hillenburg, whom Murray met at an animation film festival where he was showing his three short films. Murray later hired Hillenburg as the director of ''Rocko's Modern Life,'' making it his first job in the animation business as director. Murray said that he opted to operate his studio similarly to the operation of his Saratoga,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
studio, which he describes as "very relaxed." His cadre included many veterans who, according to him, described the experience as "the most fun they had ever had!" He, saying that the atmosphere was "not my doing," credited his team members for collectively contributing. Murray described the daily atmosphere at the studio as "very loose," adding that the rules permitted all staff members to use the paging system to make announcements. He stated that one visitor compared the environment of the production studio to "
preschool A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an school, educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they ...
without supervision." Throughout production, according to Murray, 70 people in the United States and over 200 people in South Korea and Japan animated the series. Rick Bentley of the ''
Ventura County Star The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor t ...
'' said that it was unusual for a cartoon creator to select a wallaby as a main character. Bentley also stated that the ''Rocko'' universe was influenced by "everything from
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...
to
underground comics Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...
."Bentley, Rick.
Rocko the wallaby as 'Modern' as ever
." ''
Ventura County Star The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor t ...
.'' July 14, 2011. Retrieved on July 17, 2011.
The crew of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' consisted of fans of outrageous comedy, both animated and live-action. Tom Kenny cited ''Looney Tunes'' and '' SCTV'' as influences for the show, and also stated "I'm sure if you asked Joe Murray or Mr. Lawrence or any of those guys, especially in terms of animation, the weirdest cartoons would, of course, be our favorites—those weird '30s Fleischer brothers ''
Betty Boop Betty Boop is a cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Max Fleischer. She originally appeared in the '' Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pic ...
'' cartoons and stuff like that." After season 3, Murray handed the project to
Stephen Hillenburg Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, voice actor, and marine biology educator. Hillenburg was best known for creating the animated television series ''SpongeBo ...
, performing most of the work for season 4; Murray continued to manage the cartoon. He stated he would completely depart from production after season 4, encouraging the network to continue production, but Nickelodeon eventually canceled the series. The motive was unclear, but it was likely the wholesome image Nickelodeon was beginning to develop and promote at the time. He described all 52 episodes as "top notch," and in his view, the quality of a television show may decline as production continues "when you are dealing with volume." On his website, he said that "in some ways it succeeded and in some ways failed. All I know it developed its own flavor and an equally original legion of fans." In a 1997 interview, Murray said he thought if he could restart the series, but felt it would be difficult.


Writing

The writers aimed to create stories that they describe as "strong" and "funny." Writers
George Maestri George Maestri is the President and Creative Director of the Los Angeles animation studio Rubber Bug, a writer,Martin Olson Martin Olson (born April 2, 1956) is an American comedy writer, television producer, author and composer. He is known for his unusual subject matter, and is an original member of the Boston Comedy Scene. He is the father of actress Olivia Olson. ...
often presented ideas to Murray while eating
hamburger A hamburger (or simply a burger) consists of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis ...
s at Rocky's, a restaurant formerly located on Lankershim in the
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood and district in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, El Portal Theater, several art galleries, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Th ...
section of the San Fernando Valley. He took his team members on "writing trips" to places such as Rocky's, the
La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits comprise an active Paleontological site, paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural Bitumen, asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' ...
, and the wilderness, and if he liked the story premises, the writers produced full outlines from the premises, becoming ''Rocko's Modern Life'' episodes when both approved by Murray and Nickelodeon. Maestri describes some stories as originating from "real life" and some originating from "thin air."Lisa (Kiczuk) Trainor interviews George Maestri, story writer for Rocko's Modern Life
," ''The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ''
Murray stated that each episode of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' stemmed from the personal experiences of himself and/or one or more of the directors or writers, including the season-two episode "I Have No Son," based on Murray's frustrations with Nickelodeon and his father's past disapproval of his aspiration to become an artist. He said that he did not intend to use formulaic writing seen in other cartoons, desiring content that "broke new ground" and "did things that rode the edge," and that could be described as "unexpected." Murray did not hire writers with previous experience with writing cartoons; instead, he hired writers who worked outside of animation, including improv actors and comic artists. He said that if a story concept "ever smacked close to some formula idea that we had all seen before," it received immediate rejection.August 15, 2008 Excerpt from my new book "Crafting A Cartoon"; From a chapter on "Story."
." ''Joe Murray Studio.'' Retrieved August 18, 2008.
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh Jeffrey Kent "Swampy" Marsh (; born December 9, 1960) is an American animator, voice actor, writer, director, and producer. With Dan Povenmire, Marsh is the co-creator and co-star of the Disney Channel animated series ''Phineas and Ferb'' and ...
, a storyboard writer who went on to create ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
,'' says that writers of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' targeted children and adults. He cites ''
Rocky and Bullwinkle ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weat ...
'' as an example of another series that contains references indecipherable by children and understood by adults. Aiming for a similar goal, Marsh described the process as "a hard job." According to him, when censors questioned proposed material, sometimes the team disagreed with the opinions, but agreed with the rationale of the censors. He says that "many people" told him that the team "succeeded in this endeavor" and that "many parents I know really enjoyed watching the show with their kids for just this reason."Dan Abrams' interview with Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
," ''The Rocko's Modern Life FAQ''
John Pacenti said the series "seems very much aimed at adults" "for a children's cartoon." Marsh believes that the material written by Doug Lawrence stands as an example of a "unique sense of humor." For instance, Marsh credits Lawrence with the "
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
references," adding that Lawrence believed that pineapples seemed humorous. The staff drew upon ''Looney Tunes'' and the Fleischer cartoons to appeal to a wide demographic: having a certain adult sensibility but also enjoyed by kids.


Animation

''Rocko's Modern Life'' has been described as similar to that of the output of Warner Bros. cartoons in the
Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...
, with a visually driven show heavy on humor, sight gags, and good animation. Instead of a finished script, the animators usually received a three-page outline, requiring them to come up with a majority of the gags and dialogue. The animation team appreciated this approach, with storyboard artist Jeff Myers, formerly of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
,'' quoted as saying, "The script t ''The Simpsons''was carved in stone. Here it's ... more of a challenge and a lot more fun when we're given a rough outline." Murray's animation lacked parallel lines and featured crooked architecture similar to various
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He ...
cartoons. In an interview, he stated that his design style contributed to the show's "wonky bent feel." Jean Prescott of the ''
Sun Herald The ''Sun Herald'' is a U.S. newspaper based in Biloxi, Mississippi, that serves readers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The paper's current executive editor and general manager is Blake Kaplan, and its headquarters is in the city of Gulfpo ...
'' described the series as "squash-and-stretch." A 1993 ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...
'' article described the series' setting as having a "reality that is 'squashed and stretched' into a twisted version of real life." The background staff hand-painted backgrounds with Dr. Martin Dyes, while each episode title card consisted of an original painting.
Linda Simensky Linda Simensky is an American executive. She served as a creative executive for Nickelodeon Furniss, Maureen. (February 5, 2008)240 ''Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics'' ''Indiana University Press''. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved October 1 ...
said that she asked the creators of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' about why the women in the series were drawn to be "top-heavy," the creators told her that they believed that drawing women "the traditional way" was easier. Simensky described the creators as "talented guys" who formed "a boy's club" and added that "we pushed them to be funny, but a lot of their women are
stereotypical In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
."


Music

Multiple versions of the ''Rocko's Modern Life'' theme song were made throughout the series. The original version plays throughout every episode in the first season, excluding episode 8, which is a slightly remixed version of the first, involving high-pitched, distorted voices in the chorus. The second season replaced it with a theme song performed by
Kate Pierson Catherine Elizabeth Pierson (born April 27, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52s. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the early years, as well as being a vocalist, Pierson was the main ...
and
Fred Schneider Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock band the B-52s, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his '' sprechgesang'', which he developed from reciting ...
from
the B-52s The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant grocer's apostrophe, apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate ...
, which remained intact for the rest of the series. Originally, Murray wanted Paul Sumares to perform the theme song since Sumares created most of the music from ''My Dog Zero,'' and wanted the same style in ''My Dog Zero'' exhibited in ''Rocko's Modern Life.'' However, Nickelodeon preferred a person with more experience. According to Sumares, Murray asked for
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...
and felt stunned when Nickelodeon decided to honor his request by asking Elfman to perform. However, Elfman was booked for another project. Therefore, he decided to choose the B-52s, his second choice, instead of Elfman, stating that the difference between the stories "could just be a recollection conflict because Paul is a brilliant amazing guy." Murray also sought
Alan Silvestri Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an American composer, conductor, orchestrator and music producer of film scores. He has received two Grammy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and two ...
, but Viacom did not want to use Silvestri as the organization preferred a band "slightly older kids could identify with
Pat Irwin Pat Irwin (born May 17, 1955) is an American composer and musician who was a founding member of two bands that grew out of New York City's No Wave scene in the late 1970s, the Raybeats and 8-Eyed Spy. He joined The B-52s from 1989 through 2008. ...
, a veteran of many bands including the
Raybeats The Raybeats were an American instrumental neo-surf rock combo from New York City that arose from the No Wave musical scene. The original line-up consisted of Don Christensen (drums), Jody Harris (guitar), Pat Irwin (guitar, saxophone, Acetone ...
and B-52s, spent five years as a music director on the series. Leading a six-piece combo on keyboard and guitar, Irwin brought together musicians such as trombonist
Art Baron Arthur John Baron (born January 5, 1950) is an American jazz trombonist. He also plays didgeridoo, conch shell, penny-whistle, alto and bass recorder, and tuba. Career overview Baron is an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music. He joined ...
, drummer
Kevin Norton Kevin Norton (born January 21, 1956) is an American percussionist and composer active in the New York City jazz and contemporary music scenes. He has performed and recorded with a diverse group of musicians, including Anthony Braxton, Paul Dunmal ...
, wind player Rob DeBellis, and bassist
David Hofstra David Carl "Dave" Hofstra (born May 21, 1953, Leavenworth, Kansas) is an American jazz double-bassist. He also plays bass guitar and tuba. Hofstra was an autodidact on bass. He worked with Robin Holcomb, John Zorn, Joel Forrester, and in the lat ...
. Similar to ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'' and ''
The Ren & Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', commonly referred to as simply ''Ren & Stimpy'', is an American animated Comedy film, comedy television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the misadventures of Ren Höek, an emotion ...
,'' Irwin uses selections from the
APM Music Associated Production Music, LLC (commonly known as APM Music) is an American production music company headquartered in Hollywood, California, a joint venture between Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group. APM Music's cata ...
into his score. On April 7, 2023, a soundtrack album featuring tracks from the first and second seasons was released on streaming and digital download. A deluxe edition released on September 18, 2023, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' with eleven additional tracks.


Censorship

''Rocko's Modern Life'' has been noted for its racy humor. Despite having been on a network that appealed to children, adults made up more than one-fifth of the audience for the show during its run; this was similar to the approach ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' had for adult audiences. The series contained numerous adult innuendos, such as Rocko's brief stint as a telephone operator at what is implied to be a
sex hotline Phone sex is a conversation between two or more people by means of the telephone which is sexually explicit and is intended to provoke sexual arousal in one or more participants. As a practice between individuals temporarily separated, it is as ...
in the season one episode "Canned": the instructions on the wall behind him helpfully remind all employees to "Be Hot, Be Naughty, and Be Courteous" while he flatly repeats "Oh baby" into the receiver, who turned out to be Mrs. Bighead. The restaurant named "Chokey Chicken," a term for
masturbation Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person Sexual stimulation, sexually stimulates their own Sex organ, genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. Stimulation may involve the use of han ...
, was renamed "Chewy Chicken" for the series' fourth season. During the production of the first season, the production team was encouraged to push the boundaries of Nickelodeon much to the approach of ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' had. An example of censorship was in the episode "To Heck and Back," there was a warning in the production team that they couldn't say "hell," which instead used "heck" as a joke, along with jokes and references of
Satanism Satanism refers to a group of religious, ideological, or philosophical beliefs based on Satan—particularly his worship or veneration. Because of the ties to the historical Abrahamic religious figure, Satanism—as well as other religious ...
, an issue that concerned Nickelodeon. Another controversial issue at the time of the first season's airing was when The L.A. Times reported a story on the episode "Who's for Dinner?," which was based on Heffer finding out he was adopted, and stood out when it came to children's television. Joe Murray noted that the season one episode "Leap Frogs" received "some complaints from some parents" due to its sexual humor, in which Bev attempts to seduce Rocko, leading to Nickelodeon removing the episode from air for the remainder of the show's run, despite later airing on the cable channel
Nicktoons Nicktoons is the brand name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company (Paramount Global) in their copyright bylines. Since ...
and was made available on DVD and video streaming sites such as
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
and
Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...
. In a deleted scene from the season one episode "The Good, the Bad and the Wallaby," Heffer encounters a milking machine and finds pleasure in receiving; his reactions are shown onscreen. Due to the strong sexual innuendos behind it, it was removed before the episode was set to air. According to writer/director Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, the scene was originally supposed to have hearts appearing in Heffer's eyes at the climactic moment. Although it wasn't going to be included, they described the scene to the Nickelodeon censors anyway: "We described the scene, and then waited for the axe to fall, but all they said was 'can you change the hearts to stars?', we said sure, and it went in." The scene, along with another scene with Heffer saying, "Goodbye" to the milking machine, was later removed. There were at least two occurrences of immediate censorship of the series. The original broadcast of the season two episode "Road Rash" featured a scene in which Rocko and Heffer stop at what is suggested to be a
love hotel A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing guests privacy for sex. The name originates from "Hotel Love" in Osaka, Japan. Although love hotels exist all over the world, the ...
(the "No-Tell Motel") advertising "hourly rates" and ask the horse desk clerk for a room, who infers the two will be engaging in intercourse: "All night? histlesWheeeooo! Okay." The scene was never shown again after its debut airing, but a low-quality copy of the scene was made available online as early as late December 1997, and two higher quality clips have been available as late as 2021 through transmission from the original broadcast taped on VHS. The first airing of the season two episode "Hut Sut Raw" included a scene in which Rocko is picking berries; upon picking one lower on the bush, a bear rushes out whimpering and grasping his crotch. When Shout! Factory and Paramount announced a DVD retail release for the series, there was uncertainty whether Nickelodeon would allow them to release the series complete, containing sexual innuendos that were cut out for reruns. In the end, Shout! Factory and Paramount only received materials from sources edited for broadcast, meaning the episodes remained censored on the DVDs. The only uncut release of the show on DVD so far was published in Germany in October 2013, although it is missing the uncut version of "Road Rash."


Broadcast

''Rocko's Modern Life'' first ran on Nickelodeon from 1993 to 1996, and was briefly syndicated to local stations by Nick during 1995 and 1996. Internationally, it premiered on
Nickelodeon UK Nickelodeon (commonly shortened to Nick) is a British pay television network. It launched on 1 September 1993, as a localised version of the Nickelodeon, American channel of the same name in the United Kingdom and launched in Ireland in 2004. I ...
on November 6, 1993, and from 2002 to 2017, it also aired on Nicktoons in the United Kingdom. In the early 2000s, Nickelodeon Japan marketed the show along with ''
The Ren & Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', commonly referred to as simply ''Ren & Stimpy'', is an American animated Comedy film, comedy television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the misadventures of Ren Höek, an emotion ...
.'' ''Rocko's Modern Life'' aired again on the former TeenNick block, "The 90's Are All That," in the US from September 5 to September 23, 2011, and from February 11 to March 1, 2013. The series returned to the block when it was rebranded as
The Splat NickRewind (formerly The '90s Are All That, The Splat, and NickSplat) was an American late night Block programming, programming block that aired nightly over the channel space of TeenNick. The block showed reruns of mid-late 1980s, 1990s, and ...
(later known as NickSplat and NickRewind) from 2015 to 2021.


Home media

The first home video release of the series in the United States was in 1995, when selected episodes were released on
VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...
by
Sony Wonder Sony Pictures Kids Zone is the kids and family entertainment label of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and the former record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Despite the similarity in name, Sony Wonder is not directly related to the fo ...
. Sony Wonder used ''Rocko's Modern Life,'' alongside other television programs as "leading brands" in order for the company to break into the market. The "How to Tell if Your Dog is Brainless" short can only be found on the Sony Wonder version of the VHS "Rocko's Modern Life: Machine Madness."
Paramount Home Media Distribution Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, originally Paramount Home Video, and operating as the namesake film studio since 2022) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures. The division oversees Para ...
re-released the tapes in 1997 and one tape in 1998. In July 2008, ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was added to the iTunes Store as a part of the " Nick Rewind" collection, in four best-of volumes. In August 2008, Nickelodeon joined forces with
CreateSpace On-Demand Publishing, LLC, doing business as CreateSpace, was a self-publishing service owned by Amazon. The company was founded in 2000 in South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, So ...
, part of the
Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...
Inc. group of companies, to make several animated and live-action shows available on DVD, many for the first time. The DVDs were published via CreateSpace DVD on Demand, a service that manufactures discs as soon as customers order them on Amazon.com. ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was available in two best-of collections, released in 2008 and a third best-of collection in 2009. Fans had requested that Nickelodeon produce a
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
collection of the series for years. Murray often got e-mails from fans, and his top question was "when will ''Rocko'' be on DVD?" Before the official DVD releases, he said that he had not heard of any plans for a DVD release and that there are several bootleg DVD releases of the series sold on
eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...
. He commented, " hat ripsme off every time one is bought. But at least someone is trying to give ''Rocko'' fans what they want. Because Nickelodeon sure isn't doing it." Murray worked with his legal team to regain the rights, and an official DVD was released. In March 2011,
Shout! Factory Shout! Factory, LLC, doing business as Shout! Studios (formerly doing business as Shout! Factory, its current legal name), is an American home video and music distributor founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases, issued i ...
announced that they would release Season 1 in an official box set in June 2011. The two-disc set received relatively positive reviews, only receiving criticism for video quality and the lack of bonus features. According to Joe Murray's website, he struck a deal with Shout! Factory to create the artwork for the Season 2 set. The special features were yet to be announced when he wrote the entry. Season 2 was released in February 2012, with Season 3 following in July 2012. In December 2012, creator Joe Murray announced that due to strong DVD sales of the first three seasons, Shout! Factory would release ''Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series'' on DVD in February 2013, along with bonus material from the Rocko's Live event from October 2012. Murray also mentioned that Season 4 would be released individually on DVD soon after the complete series set was released. In February 2013, ''Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series'' was released by Shout! Factory. The fourth and final season was released in October 2013. In November 2018, ''Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series'' was re-released by Paramount Home Media Distribution. All four seasons were available in streaming format on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
until May 31, 2013. Since 2021, ''Rocko's Modern Life'' is available for streaming on
Paramount+ Paramount+ (formerly known as CBS All Access in the United States and 10 All Access in Australia) is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, stream ...
.


Reception


Ratings

Murray said that the cartoon "resonated" with people because the scenarios depicted in the cartoon involving "the neurosis, the daily chores of everyday life" were based on Murray's own experiences, "breaking out into the world" after leaving school. The show debuted in a preview on September 18, 1993, then premiered as a series on September 26, to join Nickelodeon's Sunday morning animation block. On September 18, the series' first night of airing, ''Rocko's Modern Life'' received a 3.0 in ratings. By January 31, 1994, the series' audience grew by 65% and was the second-highest rated cable program behind ''
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
'' on TBS. ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was at the time the network's highest-rated cartoon launch ever. There was a brief period in 1993 when the network received numerous complaints from members of a religious group that ''Ren & Stimpy'' and ''Rocko's Modern Life'' were too adult-oriented to be shown to kids on Sunday mornings. They wanted Nickelodeon to move the shows to a different time slot, but the programming change was not made. However, ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was later moved to a different time slot when new advertisers of Nickelodeon disapproved of the show, contributing to its decrease in ratings and cancelation.


Critical reception

Initial reviews of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' were positive. ''
The Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe countie ...
'' ran an article about series that were "rais ngthe standards for children's programming," singling out ''Rocko's Modern Life'' as "definitely worth a look." Jennifer Mangan of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' likened the series to ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
,'' noting the show as another example of
adult animation Adult animation is an animation used for films and television series that is catered specifically to general interests and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adolescents and young adults, as opposed to children or all-ages audiences. Ralph ...
that is "not for kids." ''
Newsday ''Newsday'' is a daily newspaper in the United States primarily serving Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI" ...
'' highlighted the show's twisted sight gags. Ted Drozdowski of ''
The Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''Boston Phoenix'', '' ...
'' stated in the "Eye pleasers" article that he enjoyed ''Rocko's Modern Life'' because of "jovial excitement," "good-hearted outrage," "humanity," and "pushy animated characterizations." Not all reviews were positive. Ken Tucker of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' described the series as "a witless rip-off of '' Ren & Stimpy'':
mucus Mucus (, ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both Serous fluid, serous and muc ...
jokes without the redeeming surrealism or contempt for authority."Tucker, Ken.
Turn the Beat 'Around
" ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
.'' June 17, 1994. Issue 227. 40. 2p, 5c.
Charles Solomon of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' called the series "rock bottom" and a "tasteless attempt to capture the ''Ren & Stimpy'' audience," mostly expressing displeasure at the crass humor. ''Common Sense Media'' reviewer Emily Ashby gave ''Rocko's Modern Life'' four stars, stating that ''Rocko's Modern Life'' is "modern and funny, but edgy content isn't suitable for young kids." The show has seen renewed acclaim. Brahna Siegelberg of ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
'' said that the most compelling aspect was that the show had "a really poignant critique of the materialist demands of American life." She added that she "realized that ''Rocko'' was really a show about how to navigate the adult world; one that could be appreciated by kids for its slapstick humor and absurdity, but had even more to say to young adults—like me."
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
called the show a prime example of the "sophisticated, intelligent brand of children's programming" during Nickelodeon's golden age. ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' called the show "one of the best series" from that era, praising the show's "impressive commitment to expressive character acting, well-drawn sight gags, and cartoony jokes that play with the form's slapstick strengths." ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
'' compared the series' humor, in retrospect, to that of ''
Office Space ''Office Space'' is a 1999 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Mike Judge. It satirizes the office work life of a typical 1990s software company, focusing on a handful of individuals weary of their jobs. It stars Ron ...
'' (1999) and praised the subversive, anti-corporate stories.


Awards and nominations

Timothy J. Borquez, Patrick Foley, Michael Giesler, Michael A. Gollorn, William B. Griggs, Tom Jeager, Gregory LaPlante, Timothy Mertens, and Kenneth Young of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' received a 1994
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...
for Outstanding Film Sound Editing.
George Maestri George Maestri is the President and Creative Director of the Los Angeles animation studio Rubber Bug, a writer,CableACE Award for his ''Rocko's Modern Life'' writing. The series won an
Environmental Media Award The Environmental Media Awards have been awarded by the Environmental Media Association since 1991 to the best television episode or film with an environmental message. The Environmental Media Association (EMA) is a non-profit organization crea ...
in 1996 for the episode "Zanzibar!," a musical episode focusing on
environmentalism Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...
,
pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...
, and
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
. The award was accepted by the episode's writers,
Dan Povenmire Dan Povenmire ( ; born September 18, 1963) is an American animator, voice actor, writer, director, and producer. With Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Povenmire co-created the Disney Channel animated series ''Phineas and Ferb'' and '' Milo Murphy's Law'', i ...
and
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh Jeffrey Kent "Swampy" Marsh (; born December 9, 1960) is an American animator, voice actor, writer, director, and producer. With Dan Povenmire, Marsh is the co-creator and co-star of the Disney Channel animated series ''Phineas and Ferb'' and ...
, future creators of the hit Disney animated series ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
.''


Legacy and impact

The fourth Nicktoon to debut, ''Rocko's Modern Life'' boasts a sizable cult fanbase. Tom Kenny cited the show as vital in learning how to do voiceovers for animation. He recalled seeing Charlie Adler having a two-way conversation with himself as the Bigheads without any edits as "dazzling." Kenny described the show's impact in an interview, saying, "''Rocko's Modern Life'' was just one of those shows that were the first break for a lot of people who went on to do other stuff in the business." Some members of the ''Rocko's Modern Life'' staff created other successful ventures.
Mitch Schauer Mitchell Lee Schauer (pronounced "shower") (born December 18, 1955) is an American animation professional who has been involved television programs and feature films since 1978. He is perhaps best known as the creator of the Nickelodeon series '' ...
, the show's assistant storyboard artist, would later create ''
The Angry Beavers ''The Angry Beavers'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mitch Schauer for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around the zany hijinks of Norbert and Daggett Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have moved out of their parents' home to bec ...
,'' which premiered on Nickelodeon in 1997 and ended in 2003.
Stephen Hillenburg Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, voice actor, and marine biology educator. Hillenburg was best known for creating the animated television series ''SpongeBo ...
pitched ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
'' to Nickelodeon in 1997. Murray said of the pitch, "If it goes well, it'll be a blessing to us all." The network bought the show, which premiered in 1999, and it became a popular, critical, and financial success, and one of the biggest shows on Nick. Hillenburg stated that he "learned a great deal about writing and producing animation for TV" from his time on ''Rocko's Modern Life.'' Povenmire and Marsh went on to create ''
Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
'' for
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
. The show became a ratings success and received numerous award nominations. When Murray returned with a new animated series, ''
Camp Lazlo ''Camp Lazlo'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Cartoon Network. The series follows Lazlo, an anthropomorphic spider monkey who goes to a camp called "Camp Kidney", a Boy Scout–like summer camp in the Pim ...
'' on
Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...
, in 2005, much of the former staff of ''Rocko's Modern Life'' joined him. He stated that "We always kept in touch and they told me to look them up if I ever did another project," adding that the crew already knew his sensibilities and an extra decade worth of experience.
Carlos Alazraqui Carlos Jaime Alazraqui (born July 20, 1962) is an American actor. His voice acting roles include the original voice of Spyro from '' Spyro the Dragon'', the Taco Bell chihuahua in the Taco Bell commercials, Rocko on ''Rocko's Modern Life'', D ...
, who played Rocko, also ended up playing the main character of Lazlo.
Derek Drymon Derek Drymon (born November 19, 1968) is an American animator, writer, storyboard artist, director, comedian, and producer. He has worked on numerous animated cartoon productions. Early life Derek Drymon was born in New Jersey. t=movies "De ...
and Nick Jennings, both part of the staff, went on to be responsible for the tone and visual looks of a lot of very successful animated series that came later.


TV special

In September 2015,
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
stated that some of its old properties were being considered for revivals, and that ''Rocko's Modern Life'' was one of them. In August 2016, Nickelodeon announced that they had greenlit a one-hour TV special, with Joe Murray as executive producer. He revealed to ''
Motherboard A motherboard, also called a mainboard, a system board, a logic board, and informally a mobo (see #Nomenclature, "Nomenclature" section), is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in general-purpose computers and other expandable systems. It ho ...
'' that in the special, Rocko would come back to O-Town after being in space for 20 years, and that it would focus on people's reliance on modern technology. In June 2017, it was announced that the title of the special would be ''Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'' and that it would air in 2018. They reconfirmed that the entire main cast and recurring cast would be reprising their roles, alongside new voice actors Steve Little and co-director Cosmo Segurson. A special sneak peek was released to coincide with the ''Rocko'' panel at
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
2017. In May 2019, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the distribution rights to both ''Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling'' and '' Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus,'' and the streaming service confirmed a day later that they would premiere in the summer of 2019. Two months later, it was confirmed alongside an exclusive clip by the ''Rocko's Modern Life'' official Instagram page and various news sources that the show would premiere on Netflix on August 9, 2019.


Merchandise

In January 1994, Nickelodeon received ten "licensing partners" for merchandise for the series, including
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
, and
Hardee's Hardee's Restaurants LLC is an American Fast food restaurant, fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurants, CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE") with locations primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has ...
for distributing ''Rocko'' toys along with other Nickelodeon characters in kids' menus.
Viacom New Media Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2005), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Pa ...
released one game based on the show, '' Rocko's Modern Life: Spunky's Dangerous Day,'' in the United States in April 1994, for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
. '' Microsoft's Nickelodeon 3-D Movie Maker'' features various characters from the show. Rocko appeared as a playable character in the game '' Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots.'' Rocko and Heffer make cameo appearances in ''
Nicktoons MLB ''Nicktoons MLB'' is a baseball video game released for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS platforms. The game was developed by High Voltage Software and published by 2K in 2011. It features playable characters from Nickelodeon sho ...
,'' and are both playable in '' Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix,'' also featuring two racetracks based on the show. Rocko appears as a playable character in ''
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl ''Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl'' is a 2021 crossover fighting game developed by Ludosity and Fair Play Labs, and published by GameMill Entertainment. It is part of the '' Nickelodeon Super Brawl'' series of browser games and mobile games, serving ...
'' via
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
and '' Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway.''
Nick.com Nick.com is a website owned and developed by Nickelodeon. The website now serves as an online portal for Nickelodeon content, and offered online games, video streaming, radio streaming and individual websites for each show it broadcasts. It pre ...
created two free online games featuring Rocko, using
Shockwave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...
, which requires the
Shockwave Player Adobe Shockwave Player (formerly Macromedia Shockwave Player, and also known as Shockwave for Director) is a discontinued software plug-in for web browsers enabling interaction with multimedia and video games created for the Adobe Shockwave pla ...
plugin, website also requires
Flash Player Adobe Flash Player (known in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome as Shockwave Flash) is a discontinuedExcept in China, where it continues to be used, as well as Harman for enterprise users. computer program for viewing multimedia c ...
plugin. In 2022, Rocko is included alongside other Nickelodeon characters in a Nickelodeon-exclusive edition of the video game ''
Smite ''Smite'' is a 2014 free-to-play third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna.Hot Topic Hot Topic, Inc. is an American fast-fashion company specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, and most of the ...
sells ''Rocko's Modern Life'' merchandise such as T-shirts, wristbands, keychains, and other items as part of their Retro Nickelodeon line.


Comics

During
Tom DeFalco Tom DeFalco (born June 26, 1950) is an American comic book writer and editor well known for his association with Marvel Comics, with long runs on ''Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Thor (comic book), Thor'', ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
's Editor-in-Chief career,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
produced a seven-issue ''Rocko's Modern Life''
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
series. Marvel published the series from June 1994 to December 1994 with monthly releases.
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
approached Marvel, asking the company to produce comic book series for ''Rocko's Modern Life'' and ''
Ren and Stimpy ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'', commonly referred to as simply ''Ren & Stimpy'', is an American animated comedy television series created by John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series follows the misadventures of Ren Höek, an emotionally unstab ...
.'' Marvel purchased the license for ''Rocko'' from Nickelodeon. The staff created the comics, and Susan Luposniak, a Nickelodeon employee,"That's Life," ''Rocko's Modern Life.''
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. Volume 1, Issue 3.
examined the comics before they were released. "That's Life," ''Rocko's Modern Life.''
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. Volume 1, Issue 4.
Joe Murray said in a December 2008 blog entry that he drew some pages in the comic book series. The comics contain stories not seen in the television show. The comic book series omits some television show characters and places, while some original places and characters appear in the comics. John "Lewie" Lewandowski wrote all of the stories except for one;
Joey Cavalieri Joey Cavalieri is an American writer and editor of comic books. He is best known for his work on the characters Green Arrow and Huntress as well as the co-creation of Helena Bertinelli, the third Huntress, for DC Comics. Career Joey Cavalier ...
wrote "Beaten by a Club," the second story of Issue #4. Troy Little, a resident of
Monroe, Oregon Monroe is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. The population was 763 as of the 2023 census population estimates. It is part of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Monroe is located midway between Eugene and Corval ...
, wrote to Marvel requesting that the title for the comic's letters column should be "That's Life." In Issue 3, published in August 1994, the editors decided to use the title for the comic's "Letters to the Editor" section. In Issue 5, published in October 1994, the editors stated that they were still receiving suggestions for the title of the comic even though they had decided on using "That's Life" by Issue 3. In December 2017,
Boom! Studios Boom! Studios (stylized as BOOM! Studios), is an American comic book and graphic novel publisher. They are headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. The company is a subsidiary of Random House division of Penguin Random House sin ...
began publishing a new ''Rocko's Modern Life'' comic book series. After a few comic book issues, it returned for a short time in the spring of 2019 with ''Rocko's Modern Life: Afterlife,'' being based on Rocko, Heffer, and Filbert living in an apocalypse.


See also

* ''
Camp Lazlo ''Camp Lazlo'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Cartoon Network. The series follows Lazlo, an anthropomorphic spider monkey who goes to a camp called "Camp Kidney", a Boy Scout–like summer camp in the Pim ...
'' * ''
Let's Go Luna! ''Let's Go Luna!'' is an educational animated children's television series created by Joe Murray that aired on PBS Kids. Murray formerly worked on the Nickelodeon animated series ''Rocko's Modern Life'' and Cartoon Network animated series ''Ca ...
'' * ''
SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...
''


References


Citations


Works cited

* * * *


External links


Joe Murray StudioArchived
from the original on February 9, 2017. *

at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on February 9, 2017. * Trainor, Pat, ed.
The ''Rocko's Modern Life'' FAQ
Includes interviews with series creator Joe Murray and production staff
Archived
from the original on March 15, 2016. {{Portal bar, Cartoon, Animation, Television, 1990s, United States, Comedy, Illinois, Australia Rocko's Modern Life 1990s American animated comedy television series 1990s American children's comedy television series 1990s American surreal comedy television series 1990s American sitcoms 1990s Nickelodeon original programming 1993 American animated television series debuts 1996 American television series endings American animated sitcoms American children's animated comedy television series American children's television sitcoms Censored television series American English-language television shows Nicktoons Television series about kangaroos and wallabies Television series by Rough Draft Studios Television series created by Joe Murray (animator) Television shows adapted into comics Television shows adapted into video games Animated television series set in the United States Television shows set in Illinois