Dave the Barbarian
Encyclopedia
Dave the Barbarian is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 animated
Cartoon series
A cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...

 television series created by Doug Langdale
Doug Langdale
Douglas 'Doug' Langdale is an American screenwriter, producer and actor, who mostly works on television cartoons and animated films aimed at children...

, creator of The Weekenders
The Weekenders
The Weekenders is a Disney animated series about the weekend life of four diverse 7th graders: Tino Tonitini, Lorraine McQuarrie, Carver Descartes, and Petratishkovna Katsufrakis, voiced by veteran cartoon voice-actors: Jason Marsden, Grey DeLisle, Phil LaMarr, and Kath Soucie, respectively...

, that premiered on January 23, 2004 on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

 and ended on January 22, 2005. Continuing to air in other countries after the show ended, the show follows a barbarian named Dave, his sisters, uncle, talking sword, and pet dragon on their daily adventures. The show is a Disney Channel Original Series.

Premise

The series takes place in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

 (albeit a strangely modernized version), and centers on a powerful yet cowardly barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...

 named Dave who lives in the fictitious land of Udrogoth along with his older sister Candy and younger sister Fang. His parents, Throktar and Glimia, are the King and Queen, but are away "fighting evil" across the world (though they sometimes communicate via a magic crystal ball
Crystal ball
A crystal ball is a crystal or glass ball believed by some people to aid in the performance of clairvoyance. It is sometimes known as a shew stone...

 or cauldron
Cauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...

), and have left Candy in charge of the kingdom while Dave is supposed to defend the kingdom (since he is the biggest). Together the three siblings, along with their "wizard" uncle Oswidge, are left to run and protect the kingdom.

There is a Narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...

, referred to either as "the Narrator" or "the Storyteller." He is able to talk to the characters of the show, and vice versa, which breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...

. In fact, he was once captured by The Dark Lord Chuckles the Silly Piggy, and was forced to tell the story from his kidnapper's commands.

Production

The show was created and written by Doug Langdale
Doug Langdale
Douglas 'Doug' Langdale is an American screenwriter, producer and actor, who mostly works on television cartoons and animated films aimed at children...

. After premiering on Disney in 2004, it began broadcasting on Toon Disney
Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company. A spinoff of Disney Channel, it mostly aired children's animated series and some live action programming. Its format had similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons...

 a year later. In Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages  – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

, the show is broadcast on Jetix
Jetix
Jetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...

.

Much like its predecessors Hagar the Horrible
Hägar the Horrible
Hägar the Horrible is the title and main character of an American comic strip created by cartoonist Dik Browne , and syndicated by King Features Syndicate. It first appeared in February 1973, and was an immediate success. Since Browne's retirement in 1988 , his son Chris Browne has continued the...

, The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...

and the short-lived The Roman Holidays
The Roman Holidays
The Roman Holidays is a Hanna-Barbera animated television series that was broadcast in 1972 on NBC. It ran for 13 episodes before being cancelled...

, Dave the Barbarian juxtaposes both the ancient and modern. Candy, for example, shops in the local mall and uses the crystal ball for online shopping sprees. Occasionally, the series even breaks the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...

 with a character directly addressing the audience or even communicating to the narrator.

Cancellation

Despite critical praise it suffered low ratings, Dave the Barbarian was put on hiatus in 2005, and no new episodes were since produced. It is one of the shortest-run Disney Channel Shows, with 21 episodes produced.

Main characters

  • Dave (voiced by Danny Cooksey
    Danny Cooksey
    Danny Cooksey is an American singer, actor and voice actor. He has been in show business since he was very young and is best remembered for playing the roles of Sam McKinney on the last years of the TV show Diff'rent Strokes and Robert "Bobby" Budnick on the Nickelodeon program, Salute Your...

    ) - the middle child and only brother of the three siblings. Dave is a huge, muscular barbarian war-prince who is very sensitive to pain and would rather knit and cook than fight evil. He is also afraid of many things and at least once an episode, he will be frightened somehow and shriek his high-pitched, effeminate scream. He is also allergic to many things. According to Fang, Dave wanted to be a barbarian when he was young, but thought a barbarian was a librarian who cut hair. His deepest desire is for everyone to act more noble and high class while he makes sweaters for poodles. Dave's catchphrases are "Bajabbers" and "Please don't hurt me! Oh, please, please, please!"

  • Fang (voiced by Tress MacNeille
    Tress MacNeille
    Tress MacNeille is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Disney's House of Mouse, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Dave the...

    ) - the youngest of the three siblings. Fang is a very rambunctious and uncivilized girl who loves to smash things. She has long orange hair in a ponytail. She resembles a cross between both Pebbles
    Pebbles Flintstone
    Pebbles Flintstone is a fictional character, the red-haired daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone...

     and Bamm-Bamm of The Flintstones. She is the butt of a running joke in which she is often mistaken for a monkey
    Monkey
    A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...

    , hence her catchphrase, "Not a monkey!" However, she frequently acts and appears to look like a monkey and during one episode she finds a tribe of monkeys that exactly resemble her. She is too small to fight most of the time and resents Dave (who is very strong) because of his cowardice. Although she aspires to be a tough bararian princess (ala Xena
    Xena
    Xena is a fictional character from Robert Tapert's Xena: Warrior Princess franchise. She first appeared in the 1995–1999 television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before going on to appear in Xena: Warrior Princess TV show and subsequent comic book of the same name...

    ), she secretly likes to play with dolls. In one episode where the castle is being destroyed, she cries "All my dollies are in there!", then quickly tries to cover up what she just said. Fang wields a spear in combat. Fang's other catch phrase is, "Dave!".

  • Candy (voiced by Erica Luttrell
    Erica Luttrell
    Erica Shukrani Luttrell is a Canadian-born actress of American and Tanzanian parentage.-Biography:Born in Toronto, Canada to a Tanzanian mother and an American father, Luttrell is the youngest of four girls. She can speak some French and Swahili. She began her acting career at age two in several...

    ) - the oldest sister and sibling of the three siblings. Left in charge while the king and queen are away, Candy has a contemporary "valley girl
    Valley girl
    Valley Girl is a stereotype leveled at a socio-economic and ethnic class of American women who can be described as colloquial English-speaking and materialistic...

    " attitude and would rather shop and hang out than rule a kingdom. Candy's main ability is her martial arts skills.She is the kingdom's most beautiful girl and she's rather selfish, but gets over that in a small way while helping Hamwise and his wife defeat the nefarious Invisigoths. Candy is voiced by Erica Luttrell
    Erica Luttrell
    Erica Shukrani Luttrell is a Canadian-born actress of American and Tanzanian parentage.-Biography:Born in Toronto, Canada to a Tanzanian mother and an American father, Luttrell is the youngest of four girls. She can speak some French and Swahili. She began her acting career at age two in several...

    , she has used the quote "Don't mess with the princess" on a number of occasions and has referred to herself also as a Barbarian. She has displayed the most strength out of the family often when it comes to monsters destroying a shop or so; whether or not she is stronger than Dave remains unseen but out of the two, she is the one willing to use it. Her deepest desire is for everyone to act more cool and a better looking crown. She is the tritagonist.

  • Oswidge (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson
    Kevin Michael Richardson
    Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...

    ) - Dave, Fang and Candy's uncle, likely on Glimia's side of the family, though this is based solely on appearance. A rather clumsy sorcerer
    Magic (paranormal)
    Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...

     who usually wreaks havoc with his spells rather than being useful. It was revealed in the episode Sorceror Material that he never really went to sorcerer school, he just worked in the cafeteria. Uncle Oswidge loves to eat and presents a rather unkempt appearance. Like his niece Fang, he secretly likes to play with dolls. His favorite food is ham and he cannot resist it. He also cannot resist something called "Nut Logs". His most powerful spell is "Benzoyl Peroxide!". But his knowledge of magical items, and most other things surpasses the rest of the family. His deepest desires are to be more thin, able to eat all he wants without gaining a pound, having a head full of hair and being a powerful wizard. Oswidge has many ingrown toenails, one of which got almost as high as his knee.

  • Faffy (voiced by Frank Welker
    Frank Welker
    Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...

    ) - the family's dumb pig-shaped pet dragon. Unlike most dragons, he breathes lightning and is domesticated, plus he does not have a tail. He does possess a wild streak that can be revealed when around other dragons, particularly evil ones with rebel attitudes. Faffy's name might be a parody of Fafnir
    Fafnir
    In Norse mythology, Fáfnir or Frænir was a son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother of Regin and Ótr. In the Volsunga saga, Fáfnir was a dwarf gifted with a powerful arm and fearless soul. He guarded his father's house of glittering gold and flashing gems...

    's, a legendary dragon of Norse mythology
    Norse mythology
    Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

    . Voice legend Frank Welker
    Frank Welker
    Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...

     provides the "voice" (mostly squeaks and snorts) of Faffy. It is mentioned in the show that Faffy has a one digit IQ. In the episode "Bad Food", in which it is revealed that he can talk, he is playing go-fish with friends. He says, "And the big chump [Dave, most likely] still thinks I can't talk!"

  • Lula (voiced by Estelle Harris
    Estelle Harris
    Estelle Harris is an American stand-up comedienne, actress, voice artist, and comedienne, often recognized for her shrill, grating voice. She is best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld from 1992 to 1998, as the voice of Mrs...

    ) - the shrill, impatient, sarcastic enchanted sword
    Sword
    A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...

     in Dave's scabbard is his weapon
    Weapon
    A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...

     that speaks with a brooklyn accent and also has an autrocious habit of offending Dave and the other characters when she sees fit. Her main ability is shooting a lightning discharge from the tip of her blade. She was once the sword of Argon the Ageless, but was used by Argon as the nose of a snowman, and left there for centuries. She is age 20,000 and is related to many other magical weaponry, including mighty Mjolnir, hammer of Thor
    Thor
    In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...

    , and the trident
    Trident
    A trident , also called a trishul or leister or gig, is a three-pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and was also a military weapon. Tridents are featured widely in mythical, historical and modern culture. The major Hindu god, Shiva the Destroyer and the sea god Poseidon or Neptune are...

     of the water god Poseidon
    Poseidon
    Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...

    .

Secondary characters

  • King Throktar and Queen Glimia (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson
    Kevin Michael Richardson
    Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...

     and Erica Luttrell
    Erica Luttrell
    Erica Shukrani Luttrell is a Canadian-born actress of American and Tanzanian parentage.-Biography:Born in Toronto, Canada to a Tanzanian mother and an American father, Luttrell is the youngest of four girls. She can speak some French and Swahili. She began her acting career at age two in several...

    ) - they are the proper rulers of Udrogoth, the parents of Dave, Candy and Fang. They are away fighting evil around the world, though they can communicate to their children via Oswidge's crystal ball, which seems to operate like a phone. Occasionally are called while in a terrible situation.

  • The Narrator (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - the narrator of the series. He has never been seen in an episode.

  • Dinky and Cheezette (voiced by Erica Luttrell
    Erica Luttrell
    Erica Shukrani Luttrell is a Canadian-born actress of American and Tanzanian parentage.-Biography:Born in Toronto, Canada to a Tanzanian mother and an American father, Luttrell is the youngest of four girls. She can speak some French and Swahili. She began her acting career at age two in several...

     and Tress MacNeille
    Tress MacNeille
    Tress MacNeille is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Disney's House of Mouse, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Dave the...

    ) - they are Princess Candy's best friends, who are sometimes unsupportive - and wisely so - towards her actions. They are as obsessive about fashion, clothes, and social lives as is Candy.

  • Mrs. Gert Bogmelon (voiced by Lisa Kaplan) - a witch-like shopkeeper who loves money and loves to rip off her customers. She can be cowed by Fang and other aggressive people but takes advantage of meek people like Dave. She sells evil weasels, mystical swords, and other plot-related paraphernalia, such as used T-shirts for sporting events.

  • Twinkle The Marvel Horse (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - A parody of Christopher Walken
    Christopher Walken
    Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...

    . He is a magic pony with a rainbow tail, but inside he is an overly depressed and psychotic mind. This is apparently because he gets left on his own in the stable all the time. He often talks about his dreams, which are very disturbing. He is capable of flight, though he has no wings.

Antagonists

  • The Dark Lord Chuckles the Silly Piggy (voiced by Paul Rugg
    Paul Rugg
    -Biography:Rugg has worked extensively in the field of animation. His list of credits include writing for, co-producing, and playing the voices of several cartoon characters, first being credited as "Mr. Director" from Animaniacs...

    ) - an evil pig with a high-collared cape (and equally high voice) bent on ruling Udrogoth. He is the main antagonist of the show. Chuckles lives in a castle on the outskirts of the kingdom. He possesses the Mystic Amulet of Hogswineboar (named so because hogs, swine, and boars are all synonyms for the word 'pig'). This grants him amazing mystical powers such as telekinesis, shape-shifting, blasting magic to rival Lula's, and conjuration. He is also a whiz with technology
    Technology
    Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...

    , as evidenced by the Mecha-Dave. His schemes usually rely on a particular gimmick (like giant clams, giant ducks, evil pastries, or evil furniture). Catchphrase: (whenever he gets hurt) "Ooh, my little piggy [insert body part]". It was also revealed in one episode that he has a nephew named Knuckles the Silly Piggy, who wanted to be the Harvest Hog instead of a dark lord of evil.

  • Malsquando (voiced by Rob Paulsen
    Rob Paulsen
    Robert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...

    ) - an evil sorcerer and Oswidge's rival. He has an obsession with taking over the world and getting a lot of money. He was revealed to be a member of the Evil Socerer's union. He also runs a shop that cures hiccats (magical hiccups that produce cats from one's mouth). Unlike Oswidge, he actually went to wizard's school.

  • Quosmir (voiced by Michael McShane) - the god of freshly laundered trousers, overused punctuation and possibly other random and ridiculous things. He has mommy issues and carries a security blanket known as his "ni-ni lankie". He often experiences short-term memory loss and attention deficit disorder. He is a green skinned naga-like giant with the lower half of a snake instead of legs; he is always wearing a blue cape and a combover. He has a severe inferiority complex
    Inferiority complex
    An inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. Such feelings can arise from an imagined or actual inferiority in the afflicted person...

     that is only exacerbated in the presence of his mother. He has immense magical powers including flight, super-speed, and flaming loogies.

  • Princess Irmoplotz and Queen Zonthara (voiced by Melissa Rivers
    Melissa Rivers
    Melissa Joan Rivers is an American television host, producer and the daughter of Joan Rivers.-Early life:Rivers was born Melissa Warburg Rosenberg in Manhattan on January 20, 1968; the only child of Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg...

     and Joan Rivers
    Joan Rivers
    Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...

    ) - the evil sorceress
    Magician (fantasy)
    A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...

     princess
    Princess
    Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....

     of Hyrogoth that is trying to destroy Dave (or more likely she just wants to make Dave's life miserable). Her mother Zonthara is the ruler of Hyrogoth, and keeps on trying to teach Irmaplotz to be more evil. Her father is good, making her half-evil. Earlier in the show, Dave and Irmaplotz fell in love, but Dave decided that they were too different, and ended up dumping her, where she is now seeking revenge. She still may have feelings for him though; she once got the chance to destroy Dave, but she chose not to do so. She is similar to Dave in that they both have the same odd hobbies and interests (she and Dave both love "bad Poetry
    Poetry
    Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

    " for example). She also has the same allergies as Dave. She is very beautiful and an intellectual; she would be a great match for Dave, only if she were not an evil princess. She occasionally wears glasses (she has stated that she does not like to wear them as she feels they make her look bookish, even though she cannot see things from far away without them), due to her being nearsighted.

  • Ned Frischman (voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz
    Richard Steven Horvitz
    Richard Steven Horvitz, sometimes credited as Richard S. Horvitz, Richard Horvitz, or Richard Wood, is an American actor and voice actor best known for his work as the voice of the original Alpha 5 in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, and Power Rangers Turbo, as Raz in Psychonauts,...

    ) - a nerd
    Nerd
    Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...

     who works at a pants factory in the year 1994. He gains a radioactive zipper which he uses to travel back into time to attempt conquering the world by using the advanced technology of the future, such as the Game Guy (a parody of a Game Boy
    Game Boy
    The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...

    ), and a joke book from the 1940s, both plans of which were thwarted by Dave and his family (Though he is defeated by Faffy, Lula and Twinkle the marvel horse because they do not have thumbs to play on the Game Guys).

Historical errors

This series has many historical issues that may or may not be intended by the show's producers. Although the series is theoretically set during the time of the Germanic invasions, many episodes include twenty-first century items or ideas or otherwise include other outside-the-current-era items/ideas. For example, one episode includes several New World birds, such as parrots and parakeets, more than 1000 years before the America's were discovered. In the same episode, various people throughout the kingdom are listening to rock 'n' roll, which wasn't invented until the 1950's. Another episode includes pirates, when the term would not be widely used until the 17th century.

Episodes

This is a list of episodes and is listed in order of their airing in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

# Title US Air Date Production Code

Awards and Nominations

  • Annie Awards
2005 - Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production - Wendy Grieb for episode "The Maddening Sprite of the Stump" (Won)
2005 - Writing in an Animated Television Production - Evan Gore & Heather Lombard for episode "Ned Frischman: Man of Tomorrow" (Nominated)
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