rec.arts.comics: The Tick FAQ
kl...@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
Archive-name: comics/tick
Posting-frequency: monthly
Last-modified: October, 1996
URL: http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~klman/tick/tick.html
Note: the web page can even be read by Lynx, now...
*** The Tick FAQ ***
VERSION 3.0
October 1996
Compiled by
James Manchester
AVAILABILITY: This FAQ is posted regularly to rec.arts.comics.info,
rec.arts.comics.misc, rec.answers, news.answers, rec.arts.animation,
and alt.tv.the-tick. It is archived at the ftp site,
rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/rec.answers/comics/tick, and can be found on the
world wide web at http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~klman/tick/tick.html.
Permission is granted for non-profit distribution of this FAQ, provided
it remains intact and original authorship is acknowledged.
DISCLAIMER#1: Ok, so maybe all of these questions aren't frequently
asked, but I a FAQ consisting only of "Has the Tick been cancelled?" and
"Do you want to buy my Man-Eating Cow figure for $75?" would be rather
small. All information is as accurate as possible as of the date of this
document (see above); please let me know of any omissions or mistakes.
NOTATION: Titles of comic books appear in all capital letters (e.g., THE
TICK), as do titles of episodes of the cartoon when they appear among
text. The first appearance of a character is often shown with the
notation (FA: THE TICK #00) which shows which issue (or episode) the
character first appeared. THE TICK may be abbreviated "TICK", THE TICK:
KARMA TORNADO as "TORNADO", PAUL the SAMURAI as "PAUL" and THE MAN-EATING
COW as "MEC".
SPOILER NOTICE: Due to the (semi-) recent nature of Tick comics and the
recent increase in popularity due to the cartoon, some of the information
below could be construed to be spoiler material. Read the contents if
you aren't sure and proceed at your own risk...
>>>CONTENTS<<<
"*" represents questions with modifications since last version
"+" represents new questions since last version
1.0: Who is the Tick?
1.1 Who is the Tick?
1.2 Who created the Tick?
1.3 Where and when was the Tick's first appearance?
1.4 What are the Tick's powers?
1.5 Why does the Tick fight crime?
1.6 Where does the Tick live?
1.7 What is the Tick's secret identity?
1.8 Does the Tick suck blood?
1.9 Does the Tick have 8 legs?
1.10 What is the significance of "SPOON!"?
1.11 What do his antennae do?
1.12 Where can I find an archive of all those witty sayings
the Tick has?
2.0: Does the Tick have any friends?
2.1 Who is Arthur?
2.2 Who is Oedipus?
2.3 Who is Paul the Samurai?
2.4 Who is Man-Eating Cow?
2.5 Who is American Maid?
2.6 Who is Die Fledermaus?
2.7 Who is Caped (or Crusading) Chameleon?
2.8 Who is Sewer Urchin?
2.9 Who is the Caped Wonder?
2.10 Who is Angus McGuire?
2.11 Who is the Human Bullet?
2.12 Who is Little Wooden Boy?
2.13 What is the Decency Squad?
2.14 Who is Soaring Red Pecker?
2.15 What other heroes does The Tick know?
2.16 Does The Tick have any normal friends?
3.0: If the Tick is a superhero, then what super-villains has he fought?
3.1 Who is...the Tick?
3.2 Who is Man-Eating Cow?
3.3 Who is Chairface Chippendale?
3.4 Who is Chainsaw Vigilante?
3.5 Who is The Red Eye?
3.6 Who is El Seed?
3.7 Who is the Breadmaster?
3.8 Who is the Terror?
3.9 Who is the Brainchild?
3.10 Who is the Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight?
3.11 What other villains has The Tick fought?
4.0: Where can I find the Tick in printed media?
4.1 What Tick comics are published regularly?
4.2 Will Ben Edlund publish any more issues of THE TICK?
4.3 What other comics has the Tick made appearances in?
4.4 How do I subscribe to Tick comics?
4.5 How do I find back issues of Tick comics?
4.6 How do I contact New England Comics?
4.7 Why don't my issues of THE TICK fit in my comics bags?
4.8 What are the rare issues of THE TICK?
4.9 Does Ben Edlund make an actual appearance in somewhere in
the Tick comics?
+ 4.10 Does the Tick appear in any magazines?
5.0: Does the Tick make TV appearances?
5.1 Does the Tick have his own cartoon series? How long has it
been on?
* 5.2 How many episodes are there? What are they?
* 5.3 Will there be more episodes?
5.4 When can I see the cartoon?
5.5 Have any videos of the cartoon been released?
5.6 Is someone different doing Arthur's voice?
* 5.7 Who does the voices for the show?
5.8 Don't I recognize some of those names?
5.9 How do contact Fox Kids Network?
5.10 Is there any possibility of an animated or live-action Tick
movie?
6.0: Where can I find the Tick on the Internet?
6.1 Is The Tick discussed on any newsgroups?
6.2 Can the Tick be found at any anonymous ftp sites?
6.3 Are there any World Wide Web pages devoted to the Tick?
7.0: Are there any clubs or associations devoted to the Tick that I can
be a member of?
8.0: Are there any Tick toys?
8.1 Which 3" figures have been released?
8.2 What about Dinosaur Neil?
8.3 Will there be any future additions to this line?
8.4 What 6" poseable action figures have been released?
8.5 When were Man-Eating Cow and Die Fledermaus released?
8.6 Will there be any upcoming additions to this line?
8.7 What is "The Steel Box"?
+ 8.8 Are there any Tick bend-ems?
8.9 Did Taco Bell release Tick kid's meals that contained toys?
8.10 What was the Life cereal offer?
8.11 Are those the same pogs I saw at Toys R Us?
8.12 Isn't there a Tick video game?
8.13 What other Tick toys are there?
8.14 What about other Tick merchandise?
9.0: Who wrote the Tick FAQ?
9.1 Who wrote the Tick FAQ?
9.2 Who has contributed to the Tick FAQ?
9.3 Can I help with the Tick FAQ?
[**********************************1.0***********************************]
1.0 Who is the Tick?
1.1 Who is The Tick?
The Tick is a powerful superhero. He broke out of the Evanston
Hospital, an asylum in Minnesota, and became the self-proclaimed
protector of The City. (THE TICK #1) According to The Tick Animated
Series, he won the protectorship of The City at a superhero convention.
(The Tick vs. The Idea Men)
1.2 Who created the Tick?
The Tick was created by Ben Edlund. Mr. Edlund, who is now
in his late twenties, grew up in Massachusetts and created the Tick his
senior year in school.
1.3 When and where was the first appearance of the Tick?
The Tick first appeared in 14th issue of the
NEC in-house newsletter (July-August 1986). The first comic book
appearance of the Tick reprints most of what was originally in issues #14
and 15 of the newsletter with a longer storyline and was sold as a
special edition of THE TICK #1. Only 5000 copies were printed and it was
sold only through NEC's stores and through mail order. However, if you
would like to own a copy, later printings of this fine book can be
purchased at the cover price. THE TICK #1 is also reprinted in THE TICK
OMNIBUS: SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. Reprints of THE TICK #1 now show the
original four pages of the Tick as he appeared in the NEC newsletter.
1.4 What are the Tick's Powers?
The Tick is mighty and nigh-invulnerable.
1.5 Why does the Tick fight crime?
It is his destiny to be protector of The City.
1.6 Where does the Tick live?
The Tick lives in Arthur's apartment in The City. When THE TICK
left off at #12, he was staying near New York in Barry's Tick Cave (see
Q3.1).
1.7 What is the Tick's secret identity?
He doesn't have one, but did at one point. His secret identity
was Neville Nedd, employed by the Weekly World Planet to make crossword
puzzles.
1.8 Does the Tick suck blood?
He has said as much but has never demonstrated this power.
1.9 Does the Tick have eight legs?
It's hard to tell under his costume.
1.10 What is the significance of "SPOON!"?
"SPOON!" is the Tick's battle-cry (FA: THE TICK #7). Arthur also
has his own battle-cry: "Not in the face! Not in the face!".
1.11 What do his antennae do?
They keep him balanced (as seen in GRANDPA WORE TIGHTS).
1.12 Where can I find an archive of all those witty sayings the Tick
has?
Try Bigshot's web page (see below).
[**********************************2.0***********************************]
2.0 Does the Tick have any friends?
2.1 Who is Arthur?
The Tick's sidekick, Arthur met the Tick early in his superhero
career and they became fast friends. His moth suit, which he bought at
an auction, enables him to fly. Arthur's first main appearance was in
THE TICK #4; however, he can be seen in the background as early as THE
TICK #1 (page 13).
2.2 Who is Oedipus?
Oedipus Ashley Stevens is a female ninja who had the honor of
being the first superhero to fight alongside the Tick. She first
appeared in THE TICK #3. Oedipus has appeared only in the comics.
2.3 Who is Paul the Samurai?
Another character who met the Tick earlier in his career is Paul
the Samurai, a mighty samurai and baker. Paul had a limited 3-edition
miniseries and now stars in his own self-titled ongoing comic
(FA: THE TICK #4). Paul has not appeared in the cartoon.
2.4 Who (or what) is the Man-Eating Cow?
Originally, Man-Eating Cow was one of the cows in the man-
eating alligator and cow pit that Chairface (see Q3.3) lowered the Tick
and Angus McGuire (see Q2.10) into (FA: THE TICK #7). Angus and the Tick
escaped (so did Man-Eating Cow) and Man-Eating Cow later saved the Tick
from an attack by members of Chairface's gang. When the Tick decided to
leave for New York (THE TICK #8) he left The City in the capable hands
(hooves?) of Man-Eating Cow. Man-Eating Cow made an appearance as a
villain siding with the Terror in THE TICK vs. ARTHUR'S BANK ACCOUNT.
She also has a self-titled ongoing comic series.
2.5 Who is American Maid?
American Maid is a high-heel-shoe-flinging hero with fighting and
acrobatic expertise who can sometimes be found fighting alongside the
Tick. American Maid has to date only appeared in the cartoon. (FA: THE
TICK vs. THE IDEA MEN)
2.6 Who is Die Fledermaus? How do you pronounce Die Fledermaus?
Die Fledermaus (pronounced <dee flay' der mous>, but not spelled
"Deflator Mouse") is the fashion-conscious superhero of The City who got
into the crimefighting gig more to look good than to fight crime. He
dresses like a bat and has also only appeared in the cartoon. The actual
term "die fledermaus" is German for "the bat". (FA: THE TICK vs. THE
IDEA MEN)
2.7 Who is Caped (or Crusading) Chameleon?
A friend of the Tick, Crusading Chameleon has the power to climb
walls and to change color to match the color of any surface that he is
on, except, maybe, the more difficult color schemes ("Can't...do...
plaid."). Crusading Chameleon has not appeared in the comics. (FA: THE
TICK vs. THE IDEA MEN)
2.8 Who is Sewer Urchin?
Another friend of the Tick, Sewer Urchin watches the sewers
for criminal activity and has the ability to emit a noxious gas that can
paralyze the central nervous system. Like other heroes of The City,
Sewer Urchin has not appeared in the comics.
2.9 Who is the Caped Wonder?
The Caped Wonder lives in The City and works for The Weekly World
Planet under his secret identity, Clark Oppenheimer. He is invulnerable,
can fly, can move fast with his very-quick speed, and has see-through
vision and really-hot vision, with which he can make things really hot.
Each proclaiming to be "Protector of The City", The Caped Wonder and the
Tick never seemed to quite get along. The Caped Wonder first appeared
in THE TICK #1 and made a cameo appearance in THE TICK vs. THE IDEA MEN.
2.10 Who is Angus McGuire?
Angus McGuire is the police detective and member of a government
criminal investigations bureau (FA: THE TICK #7) who recruited the
Tick's help in stopping Chairface Chippendale (see Q3.2) from vandalizing
the moon.
2.11 Who is the Human Bullet?
With his helmet in the shape of a bullet, the Human Bullet fires
himself off to the scene of a crime in his giant cannon. The Human
Bullet first appeared in THE TICK vs. THE IDEA MEN.
2.12 Who is Little Wooden Boy?
While Arthur shirked his patrol duties one night, the Tick freed
this new sidekick from a block of wood. Little Wooden Boy helped the
Tick fight off Swiss commandoes when he first appeared in LITTLE WOODEN
BOY AND THE BELLY OF LOVE.
2.13 What is the Decency Squad?
In their prime during the Golden Age of Superheroes, the Decency
Squad fought villains in the WWII era. Heading up the Decency Squad was
Captain Decency and his sidekick Johnny Polite. With the cry, "I vote
for goodness!" Suffra-jet would fly into battle with the help of a jet
strapped to her back. The Living Doll would proclaim "I'm full of tinier
men!" and could come apart at the torsoe, exposing a smaller version of
himself who in turn contained more 'tiny men'. Finally, with a yell,
"Rockets from the Sockets!" Visual Eyes would spy on evil-doers from
far away as his eyes flew to the scene of a crime. Alongside the Tick,
they met up with their old foe the Terror (see Q3.8) in GRANDPA WORE
TIGHTS.
2.14 Who is Soaring Red Pecker?
In his woodpecker guise, Soaring Red Pecker flies about The City
doing good. As far as I know, he has never met the Tick, but does know
Paul the Samurai (see Q2.3). (FA: PAUL THE SAMURAI #3, miniseries)
2.15 What other heroes does the Tick know?
The Tick has fought next to The Civic-Minded Five, a superhero
group consisting of Four-legged Man (FA: THE TICK #11); Jungle Janet;
Feral Boy (FA: THE TICK #9); Carpeted Man, who shuffles around in his
carpet-suit building up enough static electricity to shock evil-doers;
and Captain Mucilage (FA: THE TICK #6, as Mucilage Man), who shoots glue
from high-pressure tanks on his back. The original appearance of The
Civic-Minded Five was in THE TICK #9, at which time it consisted of Mr.
Envelope, Oddman, Feral Boy, Radio King and Fernslinger (who met his
demise at the hands of Chainsaw Vigilante; see Q3.4).
The Tick has also met The Running Guy (FA: THE TICK #6), who can
run faster than ten fast men.
He met King Agrippa, Roman God of the Aqueduct (FA: THE TICK #11)
during an excursion to New York. Agrippa has the power to teleport water
from anywhere to anywhere in the world. (Agrippa also appeared in THE
TICK vs. THE TICK).
Bigshot (FA: THE TICK#11) is a gun-carrying vigilante who the
Tick met when he fought Barry at the Comet Club (see Q3.1). Big Shot's
first appearance in the cartoon is THE TICK vs. THE IDEA MEN.
2.14 Does the Tick have any normal friends?
The Tick has made the acquaintance of Dot (FA: THE TICK #8),
Arthur's sister, and Mayor Blank, mayor of The City.
[**********************************3.0***********************************]
3.0 If the Tick is a superhero, what super-villains has he fought?
3.1 Who is...the Tick?
At one point, a superhero named Barry also called himself "The
Tick". He attacked the Tick when the Tick would not give up his
superhero name. Needless to say, the Tick gave him a sound beating, got
to keep his superhero name, and also got to keep all of Barry's cool
superhero gadgets and Barry's Tick Cave (THE TICK #11-12). Barry also
appeared in THE TICK vs. THE TICK.
3.2 Who (or what) is the Man-Eating Cow?
See Q2.4.
3.3 Who is Chairface Chippendale?
Chairface is a powerful crime boss with a chair for a head (FA:
THE TICK #7). The Tick teamed up with Angus McGuire to stop him from
writing his name on the moon. In THE TICK vs. CHAIRFACE CHIPPENDALE, the
Tick teamed up with American Maid to stop him.
3.4 Who is Chainsaw Vigilante?
Chainsaw Vigilante seems to have a desire to rid the world of
superheroes (FA: THE TICK #10). He had a short-lived, self-titled
comic that ran for three issues.
3.5 Who is The Red Eye?
The Red Eye is a mysterious evil man who goes about doing harm to
the unsuspecting. The Tick read about him in a comic book and
coincidentally met up with him soon after (FA: THE TICK #8). NEC bound
a mini-comic called THE RED EYE with THE TICK #8.
3.6 Who is El Seed?
A sentient walking plant, El Seed is the champion of vegetation
everywhere and desires to take over the world in an attempt to stop the
Animal oppression of the Plant Kingdom (FA: THE TICK vs. EL SEED).
3.7 Who is the Breadmaster?
The Breadmaster, with his slippery assistant, Buttery Pat, is an
outcast of the baking community and commits crimes with weapons that he
bakes (FA: THE TICK vs. THE BREADMASTER).
3.8 Who is the Terror?
The Terror is an evil genius that has been around since even
before the Golden Age of Superheroes and attempted to take over The City
in THE TICK vs. ARTHUR'S BANK ACCOUNT</i>. He met with his old foes,
the Decency Squad (see Q2.14) in GRANDPA WORE TIGHTS. (FA: THE TICK #12)
3.9 Who is the Brainchild?
The Tick stopped the evil child genius Brainchild from
smashing the moon into the earth in THE TICK vs. BRAINCHILD.
During his second encounter with the Tick, he turned the Tick
into a two-headed bluebird that could only speak high school French
("Je m'appelle le Tick!") and tried to auction him off to a group
of supervillains in COACH FUSSEL'S LAMENT.
3.10 Who is the Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight?
The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight (Yeah, Baby!)
first appeared in THE TICK vs. THE TICK and attempted to blow up
the Comet Club while the Tick and Barry were fighting (see Q3.1).
The Evil Midnight Bomber also appeared in ARMLESS BUT HARMLESS, and
made a short cameo in HEROES.
3.11 What other villains has the Tick fought?
The Red Scare is a large, powerful villain who works for
Villains, Inc. If you are a superhero, and aren't getting the publicity
you deserve, Villains, Inc. will, for a fee, send a supervillain to
appear in public, make a scene delivering his villain soliloquy while
committing a crime, and pretend to get beaten when you arrive to save
the day. (FA: THE TICK #6).
Dinosaur Neil was a normal man who accidentally ingested some
dinosaur DNA and turned into a rampaging dinosaur. (THE TICK VS.
DINOSAUR NEIL).
The District Manager, Walt Fujiyama, is a large man who was the
leader of ninja operations in America. (FA: THE TICK #3)
Thrakkorzog is a being from Dimension 14B who attempted to make
an army of cloned ticks in THE TICK vs. THE UNCOMMON COLD. (FA: THE
TICK #11).
Pineapple Pokopo is the dictator of the small island of
Pokoponesia (whose sole resources consist of pineapples and sharks) who
has his sites set on taking over Hawaii. He was also present at the
party when Chairface attempted to write his name on the moon. (FA: THE
TICK #8)
Omnipitus, the Eater of Planets first appeared in TICK: KARMA
TORNADO #2. The Tick was tricked into being his personal maintenance
man. Omnipitus also appeared in ALONE TOGETHER.
[**********************************4.0***********************************]
4.0 Where can I find the Tick in printed media?
4.1 What Tick comics are published regularly?
None :). Seriously, though, THE TICK is an ongoing comic
currently stuck at #12. One day, we may see the long-awaited #13
(see Q4.2). TICK: KARMA TORNADO is ongoing at #10. Many fans express
displeasure at the fact that the comics come out irregularly rather than
on a monthly or other periodic basis. THE CHROMA-TICK reprints the
original THE TICK comics in color.
4.2 Will Ben Edlund publish any more issues of THE TICK?
My best answer to that is, "I don't know". He is currently
working on the cartoon, which, if I understand correctly, is a rather
large project. The status of THE TICK is in limbo. He recently told
WIZARD (Wizard #50, December 1995) that he doesn't plan to write any
more issues in the near future. However, in the first printing of
the TICK OMNIBUS #3 (April, 1996), Ben says that a double-sized
number 13 is likely...the question is when.
4.3 What other comics contain appearances of the Tick?
Following are the Tick appearances that I know of:
THE TICK #1-12
THE TICK: KARMA TORNADO #1-10
TALES TOO TERRIBLE TO TELL #1, December 1989
PAUL THE SAMURAI (miniseries) #1
TICK'S CIRCUS OF THE MIGHTY #1-3
PAUL THE SAMURAI #1 (in a flashback)
Special miniseries: PAUL #9-10 and MEC #9-10
4.4 How can I subscribe to Tick comics?
Many comic book retailers have what is called a "subscription
service" where they will hold incoming comics for customers.
Subscriptions can be ordered directly from NEC; however, the irregularity
of production of Tick comics can be a source of extreme displeasure to
subscribers. To contact NEC, see question 4.6.
4.5 How do I find back issues of Tick comics?
Many comic book retailers carry back issues of a variety of
titles. Also, retailers can special order many back issues of Tick
comics at the current printing. Sometimes back issues can also be found
at comic book conventions. Back issues can be ordered directly from NEC
at the current print run, and often, in earlier print runs.
NEC has also compiled THE TICK #1-6 into THE TICK OMNIBUS:
SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY and THE TICK #7-10 into THE TICK OMNIBUS vol II:
THURSDAY AD INFINITUM. The recently published THE TICK OMNIBUS vol III
contains THE TICK #11-12 along with some additional art and information.
There is also a trade paperback which collects the first five issues of
KARMA TORNADO, and a second TPB that collects issues #6-9.
The entire miniseries PAUL THE SAMURAI has also been collected
in TPB form. THE TICK OMNIBUS vol IV contains TICK'S CIRCUS OF THE
MIGHTY #1-3. THE TICK OMNIBUS vol V has been printed, and contains all
four issues of the Tick miniseries appearing in PAUL and MEC (as
mentioned above).
Recently, THE TICK: THE NAKED CITY was released. It contains
THE CHROMA-TICK #1-6.
THE MAN-EATING COW BONANZA and PAUL THE SAMURAI BONANZA are
new TPBs that contain issues #1-4 of their respective series.
For ordering information, the address for NEC is listed below.
4.6 How do I contact New England Comics?
The snail-mail address for NEC is:
New England Comics
P.O. Box 310
Quincy, MA 02269
Phone: (617) 774-0140
Fax: (617) 774-1747
These numbers are the current numbers. I believe that in the
number printed in some of the earlier issues now belongs to
someone else.
To contact NEC via e-mail, send mail to:
They can also be found on their web page (see below)
4.7 Why don't my issues of THE TICK fit in my comic bags?
Because your bags are too small. Try golden age bags and boards
if you want to keep your issues of THE TICK.
4.8 What are the rare printings of THE TICK?
Following are the some of the rare (or scarce-enough-to-be-rare)
printings of THE TICK:
THE TICK Special Edition #1 (See Q1.3)
THE TICK Special Edition #1, unnumbered variety (3 in known
existance)
THE TICK Special Edition #2 (3000 printed)
THE TICK #2, uncut cover (original #2 has a die-cut)
4.9 Doesn't Ben Edlund make an appearance somewhere in the Tick
comics?
Yes; he appears in THE TICK #9, page 10, second panel. He is the
man in black, standing next to the guy in the Delta House t-shirt.
4.10 Does the Tick appear in any magazines?
Wizard interviewed Ben Edlund in Wizard #50.
The September 2, 1996 issue of People Magazine listed the Tick
among The 40 Most Fascinating People on TV.
[**********************************5.0***********************************]
5.0 Does the Tick make TV appearances?
5.1 Does the Tick have his own cartoon series? How long has it been
on?
Yes, The Tick Animated Series has aired since the Fall '94 season.
5.2 How many episodes are there? What are they?
So far, supposedly, there are at least 36 episodes, 29 of which
have aired, listed below, by season, some with original air dates:
First season:
1. The Tick vs. The Idea Men
2. The Tick vs. The Bread Master
3. The Tick vs. The Uncommon Cold
4. The Tick vs. The Tick
5. The Tick vs. Proto-Clown
6. The Tick vs. El Seed
7. The Tick vs. Chairface Chippendale
8. The Tick vs. Brainchild
9. The Tick vs. The Mole Men
10. The Tick vs. Pineapple Pokopo
11. The Tick vs. Mr. Mental
12. The Tick vs. Dinosaur Neil
13. The Tick vs. Arthur's Bank Account
Second season:
14. The Little Wooden Boy and the Belly of Love (9/9/95)
15. Alone Together (9/16/95)
16. Armless but not Harmless (9/23/95)
17. Coach Fussel's Lament
18. Leonardo DaVinci and his Fightin' Genius Time Commandos!
19. Bloomsday
20. Evil Sits Down for a Moment
21. Heroes
22. Ants in Pants
23. The Tick Loves Santa
24. Tick vs. The Big Nothing (2/3/96)
25. Tick vs. Reno, Nevada (2/10/96)
26. Grandpa Wore Tights (2/17/96)
Third season:
27. That Mustache Feeling (9/14/96)
28. Tick vs. Dot & Neil's Wedding (9/21/96)
29. Sidekicks Don't Kiss (9/28/96)
See the www pages below for a good episode guide for the first two
seasons.
5.3 Will there be more episodes?
Yes; the third season started on September 14th, 1996;
rumor is that there will be 8 more episodes this season.
5.4 When can I see the cartoon?
The cartoon airs on Saturday mornings on the Fox network
after X-Men, at 11:30 EDT. The show will also air on Comedy Central
on Sundays at 7:00 p.m. It seems that Comedy Central will be showing
the new episodes either the day after or the week after they appear on
FOX. Besides showing them on Sundays at 7, the episodes will also
appear Sundays at midnight, Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. and
Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. Comedy Central's web page also has a schedule
for the current month and the following month. Bigshot's Tick page
(below) lists times in different areas. However, I don't think the list
is current.
5.5 Have any videos of the cartoon been released?
So far, THE TICK vs. THE IDEA MEN and THE TICK vs.
CHAIRFACE CHIPPENDALE have appeared in stores on one video,
selling for around $10-$12.
5.6 Is someone different doing Arthur's voice?
Mickey Dolenz, who did the voice for the first season, was
unavailable during the second season, due to other commitments.
Rob Paulsen currently does Arthur's voice.
5.7 Who does the voices for the show?
Following is a list of people who do voices of the characters on
The Tick Animated Series (listed by character):
Recurring Characters
The Tick..........................Townsend Coleman
Arthur............................Rob Paulsen
Arthur (1st season)...............Mickey Dolenz
Crusading Chameleon...............Rob Paulsen
The Human Bullet..................Jess Harnell
Sewer Urchin......................Jess Harnell
Die Fledermaus....................Cam Clarke
American Maid.....................Kay Lenz
Dot...............................Kim Robertson
Guests and Villains
The Tick vs. The Tick
Barry.............................Jim Cummings
The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight
Rob Paulsen
Orangatan sidekick................Jim Cummings
The Tick vs. Mr. Mental
Mr. Mental........................Jim Cummings
Minda.............................Kim Robertson
The Tick vs. Brainchild
Brainchild........................Rob Paulsen
The Tick vs. The Uncommon Cold
Thrakkorzog.......................Jim Cummings
That Mustache Feeling
Jim Rage..........................Brad Garrett
Holly.............................Iona Morris
Kitty.............................Yareli Arszmenck
Crystal...........................Jackie Gonneau
Taft..............................Dorsan Harewood
Tick vs. Dot & Neil's Wedding
Dinosaur Neil.....................Danny Mann
Chairface.........................Tony Jay
El Seed...........................Ed Gilbert
Brian Pinhead.....................Roger Rose
Rabbi.............................Steve Susskind
Ruth..............................Estelle Harris
Bigshot...........................Kevin Schon
Sidekicks Don't Kiss
Speak.............................Jess Harnell
Carmelita.........................Jennifer Hale
Dennis............................Peter Paul Bergman
Cordoroy Cordoba..................Phil Proctor
Wally.............................Phil Austin
Coach.............................David Ossman
Following is the remainder of the list of voices during the first season:
Pat Fraley Pat Musick
Roger Rose Kevin Schon
Dorian Harewood Susan Silo
Maurice LaMarche Gail Matthius
Debi Derryberry Dan Castellanetta
Miriam Flynn Phil Proctor
Following is a partial list of voices during the second season.
Jennifer Hale Kevin Schon
Steve Susskind Pat Musick
Brad Gerrett Terrence Man
Pat Fraley Hank Saroyan
The Firesign Theatre Phil Proctor
David Ossman Maurice LaMarche
Phil Austin Peter Paul Bergman
Jim Cummings Susan Blu
John Rubinow Mary Kay Bergman
Roger Rose
5.8 Don't I recognize some of those names?
Probably. Mickey Dolenz is a member of the band, The Monkees.
Dan Castellanetta does voices for The Simpsons, including Homer, Grampa
Simpson, Homer's friend Barney and Krusty the Clown. Kim Robertson
played Lucy, Sheriff Truman's secretary on Twin Peaks. Rob Paulsen does
the voice of Yakko, Dr. Scratchensniff, and Pinky on Animaniacs; the Mask
on The Mask; and P.J. on Goof Troop. Jess Harnell does the voice of
Wakko on Animaniacs. Maurice LaMarche voices the Brain on Animaniacs.
Kay Lenz has been in some low-budget movies since the 70's, including
Death Wish IV. Jim Cummings voices Goofy on Goof Troop.
5.9 How do I contact FOX Kids Network?
As far as I know, this is still Fox's address:
FOX Kids Network
5746 Sunset Blvd. 6th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90028
phone: (213) 856-1000
fax: (213) 461-8240
e-mail the execs at Fox Kids:
Dan Dubelman
fox...@metawire.com
They can also be contacted at their web page (below).
5.10 Is there any possibility for an animated or live-action Tick
movie?
Yes! Yahoo! Headlines recently (August 26) ran the story that
Variety reported that 20th Century Fox has signed Ben Edlund and Richard
Liebmann-Smith to script the animated movie. Even CNN is reporting it!
[**********************************6.0***********************************]
6.0 Where can I find the Tick on the Internet?
6.1 Is the Tick discussed on any newsgroups?
There is one newsgroup completely devoted to the Tick:
alt.tv.the-tick.
Discussion about the Tick can sometimes be found on
rec.arts.comics.misc. Rarely, Tick action figures are made mention of on
rec.toys.misc and rec.toys.action-figures. The cartoon is sometimes
discussed on rec.arts.animation.
The cartoon series and toys have been discussed on
rec.arts.comics.other-media. Also, there are sometimes requests to
post pictures of the Tick on alt.binaries.pictures.cartoons. The Tick
FAQ is regularly posted to rec.arts.comics.info, rec.arts.comics.misc,
rec.answers, news.answers, rec.arts.animation and, of course,
alt.tv.the-tick.
6.2 Can the Tick be found at any anonymous ftp sites?
*Tick jpegs are available via anonymous ftp at:
Host Name: ftp.sunet.se
Directory: ftp.sunet.se/pub/pictures/comics/Tick
*Tick wav's can be found at:
Host Name: www.blackcat.org
Directory: www.blackcat.org/tick
*A text version of this faq can be found at:
Host Name: rtfm.mit.edu
Directory: rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/rec.answers/comics/tick
6.3 Are there any World Wide Web pages devoted to the Tick?
Yes; following are some of the most prominent Tick pages:
Page Name: New England Comics, Inc.
Site: http://www.necomics.com/
*The official NEC page
Page Name: (Fox Kid's Network's) The Tick
Site: http://www.foxnetwork.com/Kids/Lineup/Tick/index.html
*A pretty decent page dedicated to The Tick Animated Series
Page Name: (Bigshot's) The Tick Page
Site: http://www.cipsinc.com/TICK/tickpage.html
*Television airing information is located here, along with a good
episode guide, merchandise info and Tick quotes
Page Name: (Soren's) The TICK
Site: http://www.emerald.net/soren/thetick.html
*Summary of The Tick #1-12, and a couple movies
Page Name: The Tick Headquarters
Site: http://www.cs.rose-hulman.edu/~stinerkt/Tick.html
*A good site, with character descriptions and pictures from the
show
Page Name: Solex's Tick Home Page
Site: http://windvane.umd.edu/~solex/tick.html
*A rather extensive archive of .wav, .au and .zipped Tick
audio files
Page Name: Maggi's Incredibly Complete Tick Links Page
Site: http://kira.intranet.org/~maggi/tick.html
*A probably exhaustive list of Tick WWW pages
Page Name: The Tick's Dart Game
Site: http://www.math.unh.edu/~black/cgi-bin/dartMap
*A new and different Tick page
Page Name: The Action Figure Web Page
Site: http://www.aloha.com/~randym/action_figures
*Good information and pictures of Tick figures
Page Name: Movie Madness Merchandise
Site: http://www.ishops.com/moviemadness/tick.html
*Get your Tick merchandise here
Page Name: Mike and Nirah's Tick Custom Figures
Site: http://rocinante.colorado.edu/~mnowak/tick.html
*Some really nifty customized action figures
Page Name: The Tick FAQ
Site: http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/~chester/tick.html
*This very document, hypertexted
Page Name: (The Tick talks about final exams)
Site: http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~blah/tick.html
Due to the large number of Tick pages (which seems to be increasing
exponentially), I don't have room to put all of them here...try Maggi's
page (above). My apologies, if I've removed your page from the FAQ.
[**********************************7.0**********************************]
7.0 Are there any clubs/associations devoted to the Tick that I can
be a member of?
Yes: The Tick Society, the Mystic Order of Arachnid Vigilance.
The Tick Society can be joined for $12.00 by sending in a coupon from the
back of Tick comics (or from the NEC catalog). Members receive a field
kit containing the Tick Society Handbook, a glossy photo of the Tick, a
Cypher-Matic Decoder Wheel, a certificate of membership, a membership
card, an Official MOAV Implement of Menace (a straw) and a Spoon!
Contact NEC (see Q4.6) for membership information.
[**********************************8.0***********************************]
8.0 Are there any Tick toys or other types of merchandise?
8.1 Which 3" figures have been produced?
BanDai has produced a line of 3" molded figures that include the
Tick, Arthur, American Maid, Sewer Urchin, Crusading Chameleon, the Human
Bullet, Dyna-Mole, Dean, El Seed and Chairface.
8.2 What about Dinosaur Neil?
The 3" figure was not originally produced due to "production
problems". However, since August, 1996, there have been sightings of
Dinosaur Neil in Canada with the Irwin Toys logo.
8.3 Will there be any future additions to this line?
Originally, Ban Dai was going to add the Evil Midnight Bomber
What Bombs at Midnight, Die Fledermaus, Barry, Leaping Tick, Tick in a
Tuxedo, Mole King, Tuun-La, Pineapple Pokopo, Lava Man and Captain
Mucilage. Whatever became of this, I don't know. There were also rumors
about a playset being released for the 3" figures.
8.4 What 6" poseable action figures have been released?
The first line of 6" figures included the Tick, Arthur, Sewer
Urchin, the Human Bullet, Dean, Dinosaur Neil, Dyna-Mole, El Seed,
Man-Eating Cow, Die Fledermaus. These came out spring, 1995.
Series II came out November, 1995, and include Stop Sign-Hurling
Tick, Mucus Tick, American Maid, Crusading Chameleon, Thrakkorzog and
Skippy the Flying Dog.
Sometime in 1996, the 4 Talking Ticks were released. The
Tourist Tick wears Bermuda shorts and says "Hang 10 for Justice!" The
Natural Tick wears nothing and says "...or maybe not." The "I Love
Wheat" Tick (from THE TICK vs. PROTO-CLOWN) says "Mysteries Abound." The
final Tick wears a t-shirt saying "I Dig Dinosaur Neil".
8.5 When were Man-Eating Cow and Die Fledermaus released?
First sitings of these figures occured in late July/early August,
1995.
8.6 Will there be any upcoming additions to this line?
None that I know of...
8.7 What is "The Steel Box"?
In the first cartoon, THE TICK vs. THE IDEA MEN, the Tick won
the superhero convention by surving "The Steel Box", a large mean-looking
box that contains all sorts of painful tortures. BanDai released
The Steel Box for use with the 6" figures.
8.8 Are there any Tick bend-ems?
In early fall, 1996, Gordy Toy released Tick Bend-Ems! These
figures included the Tick, Arthur, American Maid, El Seed, and The Terror.
8.9 Did Taco Bell release Tick kid's meals that contained toys?
In 1995, Taco Bell had a Tick promotion with Tick kid's
meals that contained toys. These toys included a Tick finger puppet,
a wall-crawling Arthur, a Tick on roller-skates that smashes through a
wall, a Thrakkorzog water squirter and a few vinyl decals.
Beginning February 1996, TB released a new set of toys with Tick
kid's meals. These toys were larger and nicer than the first set. They
included a balancing Tick, a gliding Arthur, a submersible Sewer
Urchin and a Brainchild.
8.10 What was the Life cereal offer?
Recently, Life cereal has had an offer in which you could send
away for a set of 4 Tick pogs and a slammer with two UPC symbols from
Life cereal. This offer was good until July 31, 1996.
8.11 Are those the same pogs I saw at Toys R Us?
Supposedly, they are supposed to be limited edition. I'd know
for sure if I would have received the ones I sent a way for :(. There
is also a set of 60 pogs that are available at various stores
that sell pogs, such as Toys R Us.
8.12 Isn't there a Tick video game?
Yes; at least out for Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis.
Fortunately, someone did their homework on the cartoon and the comic
books. Unfortunately, they didn't develop the game itself, but it's
worth a look.
8.13 What other Tick toys are there?
There is a 15" Talking Tick.
There was supposed to be a line of Micro Machines that star
characters from the Tick.
There is a line of wind-up toys featuring the
Tick; these figures include the Tick, Arthur, El Seed, the Human Bullet,
Dyna-Mole and Sewer Urchin.
Finally, there is a board game featuring the Tick and the
villains that he has fought, The Tick: Hip Deep in Evil.
8.14 What about other Tick merchandise?
New t-shirts, caps and posters have popped up in stores that
sell movie, tv or comic book related merchandise. I've even seen a
Tick bandana. NEC will send a catalog of merchandise that they carry
to anyone that writes them at the snail mail or e-mail addresses above.
NEC also has a catalog on the web page above.
Recently, Fox Kids Network has produced a set of trading cards
for their Saturday morning cartoons. Of the 150 cards in the regular set,
the Tick and the supporting cast make up a 62-card subset. Of the 24
pop-up cards appearing in this set, The first ten are Tick cards. Ten
animated cel cards also appeared in this set in about 1 of every 6 packs.
The first two cel cards were of the Tick and Dinosaur Neil.
A Tick CD will be coming out that contains music from the show.
[*********************************9.0************************************]
9.0: Who wrote the Tick FAQ?
9.1 Who wrote the Tick FAQ?
I wrote and now maintain the FAQ, along with the help of a
number of people (see Q9.2).
9.2 Who has contributed to the Tick FAQ?
I would like to thank the following people for assistance (direct
and indirect) with this FAQ:
David T. Chappell (dav...@leland.stanford.edu), whose Superman
FAQ inspired this one and acted as a model for it.
"Roxy" Meinhold (khl...@leland.stanford.edu), who was the first
person to really help out with the FAQ.
"Bigshot" (big...@cipsinc.com) and _The Tick Page_ (see WWW
pages above) for providing up-to-date information on certain aspects of
the television show and merchandising.
Randy Matthews (ran...@aloha.com) and _The Action Figure Web
Page_ (see WWW pages above) for providing info about the action figures.
Kenneth Willey, who gave some good comments and suggestions.
Eric Benchimol (eri...@io.org) and _The Hype! Comic Cafe_
(http://www.hype.com/comics/cafe/comicafe.htm) for current information.
Also contributing:
Dane Johnson (kla...@halcyon.com)
David Filip (grim...@u.washington.edu)
Alex Hart (alh...@ucdavis.edu)
David Llewellyn (dw...@ix.netcom.com)
Jeffrey Kreth (jkr...@ConnectI.com)
Matthew Hubbard (leof...@crl.com)
Scott Purdy (spu...@pomona.edu)
Jonathan Steckelberg (cu...@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu)
Also thank you to all the people who have helped out by writing and by
asking questions. If I have neglected to mention your name, please let
me know. Thanks.
9.3 Can I help with the Tick FAQ?
Yes! Please let me know if you have any questions needing
answers or if you have any suggestions/corrections/flames. I can be
reached at che...@ren.psy.jhu.edu.
{**********************************fin***********************************}
DISCLAIMER#2: The Tick and related characters are copyrighted and are
registered trademarks of Ben Edlund. Related materials are copyrighted
by New England Comics. The Tick Animated Series is copyrighted by Fox
Kid's Network, Inc. Mention of the characters and materials in this
document is without permission of Ben Edlund, NEC or Fox Kids Network,
but this use is not intended to challenge Mr. Edlund's, NEC's or Fox
Kids Network's trademark rights or copyrights. Readers who want to learn
more about The Tick are encouraged to purchase the comic books and watch
the animated series. Permission is granted for non-profit distribution
of this document, provided it remains intact and the original authorship
is acknowledged. Any other use requires the written permission of the
author.
Copyright 1996 by James Manchester
--
Jim Manchester
che...@ren.psy.jhu.edu
"Rugged, self-assured, adult...these are the words that
describe the man who wears a moustache." -The Tick