Earthworm Jim (TV series)
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the animated series. For the video game series, see Earthworm JimEarthworm JimEarthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
.
Earthworm Jim is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated television series which appeared on Kids' WB! for two seasons from September 9, 1995 through December 13, 1996. It is based on the video game series of the same name
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim is a run and gun platform video game starring an earthworm named Jim in a robotic suit who battles evil. Created by Doug TenNapel and designed by David Perry, the game was developed by Shiny Entertainment and Playmates Interactive Entertainment, released by Sega for the Mega...
. The series follows the adventures of an earthworm named Jim, who is turned into a superhero by a robotic super suit.
Premise
Earthworm Jim retains the absurdist and surreal humor of the games as well as introducing its own features. Most episodes involve the series' numerous villains attempting to reclaim the super suit, rule/destroy/freeze/knock over the universe, or otherwise causing mayhem throughout the galaxy. Other problems facing Jim include returning his neighbor's eggbeater and finding a new power source after his suit is depowered. Also, the show breaks the fourth wallFourth 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 characters often talking to the audience and the narrator.
Episodes begin with Earthworm Jim and Peter Puppy in some peril that has nothing to do with the main plot or the previous episodes, with little explanation of how they got into the mess. In between parts (generally before or after the commercial break), there is a short side-story, generally featuring one of the villains doing a more natural part of life, usually without any involvement from Jim. These can range anywhere from Psy-Crow opening a villainy school, Evil the Cat falling in love with a TV star, or Professor Monkey for a head attending group therapy and always ending with "and now, back to Earthworm Jim." The end of every episode involves Jim or any other character being crushed by a cow, a play on the first game of the series (in the first stage, the player launches a cow into the sky, only to have it crush the princess upon the game's ending).
Characters
Many of the characters from the games were made into main characters for the show. Peter Puppy becomes Jim's sidekick and friend and Princess What's-Her-Name his love interest. Many villains from the game, including Evil the Cat, Psy-Crow, Bob the Killer Goldfish, Queen Slug-for-a-Butt and Professor Monkey-for-a-head also recur throughout the show. The series also created many of its own new characters, such as the Galactic Heroes League, a group of wannabe superheroes including the Hamsternator and Lower Back-Pain Man and introduced a major new villain named Evil Jim, an evil duplicate of Earthworm Jim, who went on to be the main antagonist for the game Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the GalaxyEarthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy
Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy is a platform game starring Earthworm Jim, released in 1999 for the Game Boy Color. Evil Jim has kidnapped Princess What's-Her-Name and Earthworm Jim must embark on yet another adventure to save her. The game box art is done in the same style as the Earthworm Jim...
. It also inspired the later game Earthworm Jim 3D
Earthworm Jim 3D
Earthworm Jim 3D is to date the last console game in the Earthworm Jim series. It is a sequel to Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2. Created by Interplay and based more on the television series than the canon of the previous games, Earthworm Jim 3D was released for Nintendo 64 and PC...
.
Season 1 (1995-1996)
| No. | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidekicked | September 9, 1995 |
| After Peter botches one of their adventures, Jim begins looking for a new sidekick. | ||
| 2 | The Book of Doom | September 16, 1995 |
| Due to a printing error, Jim's pop-up book contains the secret to universal destruction, which Evil the Cat seeks to possess. | ||
| 3 | Assault and Battery | September 23, 1995 |
| Jim must find a new power source after his super suit is drained. | ||
| 4 | Day of the Fish | September 30, 1995 |
| Bob the Killer Goldfish attempts to steal Jim's super suit. | ||
| 5 | Conqueror Worm | October 7, 1995 |
| Due to a photocopy machine accident, Jim creates an evil duplicate of himself, Evil Jim. | ||
| 6 | Upholstered Peril | October 14, 1995 |
| Professor Monkey-For-A-Head tries to conquer the world with cybernetic furniture. | ||
| 7 | Sword of Righteousness | October 21, 1995 |
| Jim finds an 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 a vending machine sandwich who begins training him in what it considers the ways of a true hero. |
||
| 8 | The Egg Beater | October 28, 1995 |
| Jim loses his neighbor's eggbeater and takes her on a journey to recover it. | ||
| 9 | Trout! | November 4, 1995 |
| After receiving a postcard, Jim sets out to see the legendary Fur-Bearin' Trout. | ||
| 10 | The Great Secret of the Universe | November 11, 1995 |
| Evil the Cat steals Jim's snow globe, which contains The Nameless Beast (whose name is Rosebud) who knows the Great Secret of the Universe. | ||
| 11 | Bring Me the Head of Earthworm Jim | November 18, 1995 |
| Psy-crow and Professor Monkey-For-A-Head team up to defeat Earthworm Jim by replacing his super suit with a weak duplicate. | ||
| 12 | Queen What's Her Name | November 25, 1995 |
| Princess What's-Her-Name finally overthrows her tyrant sister Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. | ||
| 13 | The Anti-Fish | February 24, 1996 |
| Jim and Bob must join forces to save the Great Worm Spirit from being consumed by its arch-enemy: the Anti-Fish. | ||
Season 2 (1996)
| No. | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | The Origin of Peter Puppy | September 7, 1996 |
| Jim and Peter travel through Peter's subconscious to try to discover the reasons for Peter's transformations. | ||
| 15 | Opposites Attack! | September 14, 1996 |
| Evil Jim attempts to create evil versions of Jim's friends, with less than stellar results. | ||
| 16 | Darwin's Nightmare | September 28, 1996 |
| Bob discovers a way to hyper-evolve himself to higher lifeforms. | ||
| 17 | The Exile of Lucy | October 5, 1996 |
| Psy-Crow & Professor Monkey-For-A-Head overthrow Queen Slug-For-A-Butt, but they quickly prove to be even worse rulers than her. | ||
| 18 | Evil in Love | October 26, 1996 |
| Evil the Cat falls in love and teams up with Malice the Dog. | ||
| 19 | Hyper Psy-Crow | November 2, 1996 |
| Psy-crow overdoses on coffee and becomes hyper-powered. | ||
| 20 | Peanut of the Apes | November 9, 1996 |
| While Professor Monkey-For-A-Head tries to turn everyone on earth into apes while Jim tries to introduce "viewer interactivity" on the show. | ||
| 21 | Lounge Day's Journey Into Night | November 16, 1996 |
| Jim and Peter switch roles as hero and sidekick, while Evil the Cat tries to destroy the universe by making a pair of dime-store lounge singers sing a cursed song. | ||
| 22 | The Wizard of Ooze | November 22, 1996 |
| Jim and Peter are transported to an alternate dimension akin to The Wizard of Oz The Wizard of Oz (1939 film) The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs... . |
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| 23 | For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls | December 13, 1996 |
| Queen Slug-For-A-Butt tries to brainwash Santa Claus Santa Claus Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus... . |
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Cast
- Charlie Adler - Professor Monkey-For-A-Head, Doorman of the Gods
- Jeff BennettJeff BennettJeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
- Peter Puppy, Narrator, Evil Peter, Hamsternator, Puice Dynamo, President of the United States, Great Worm Spirit - Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
- Earthworm Jim, Evil Jim, Turns-His-Eyelids-Inside-Out Boy, Jim's 4 Brains, Grim ReaperDeath (personification)The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
, Jaepius: God of Puns - Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
- Psy-Crow, Bob the Killer Goldfish, Johnny Dactyl, Walter, Zantor: Master of the Flying Toupée, Sword of Righteousness, Phlegmaphus: God of Nasal Discharge, Lower Back-Pain Man - Edward HibbertEdward HibbertEdward Hibbert is an American-born English actor and literary agent.-Biography:Hibbert was born in Long Island, New York, the son of Geoffrey Hibbert. He has one sister. He was raised in England, where he attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
- Evil the Cat - John KassirJohn KassirJohn Kassir is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian who is best known as the voice of the Crypt Keeper in HBO's, Tales from the Crypt franchise...
- Snott, Henchrat - Andrea MartinAndrea MartinAndrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
- Queen Slug-for-a-Butt, Mrs. Bleverage, The Torch Singer - Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
- Princess What's-Her-Name, Evil Princess, Johnny's Mom, Perpsichore: Goddess of Disco
Additional Voices
- Gregg BergerGregg BergerGreggory "Gregg" Berger is an American voice actor, who is known for his longtime role as Odie the dog from the Garfield franchise...
- - S. Scott BullockS. Scott BullockStuart Scott Bullock , best known as S. Scott Bullock, is an American actor Bullock is best known for his role as Eddy "Edgar" the Jersey Cow in Barnyard: The Original Party Animals and Back at the Barnyard, Mr...
- - Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
- The Lord of Nightmares - Danny MannDanny MannDaniel "Danny" Mann is an American voice actor, writer, singer, musician, and production manager. He is best known for his voice of Hector from Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Freeway, Cloudraker and Lightspeed in Transformers, Backwoods Beagle in DuckTales, Kaltag in Balto, Ferdinand from Babe,...
- Archbug - Edie McClurgEdie McClurgEdie McClurg is an American character actress. She is known for her perky North Central dialect , common to persons from Middle America.-Career:...
- - Dee Dee RescherDee Dee RescherDee Dee Rescher is an American actress known for her voice-over work, and small roles in both TV and film. She is the daughter of cinematographer Gayne Rescher and actress Jean Tolley.-Filmography:*Good Luck Charlie … Shirley...
- - Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
- The Anti-Fish - Roger RoseRoger RoseRoger Rose is an American voice actor and former VH1 VJ, known for his voice-work in many animated cartoons. Happy Feet, Rugrats, Scooby Doo, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Quack Pack are a few of examples of his previous work. He also narrates documentaries for Animal Planet.He was...
- - Ben SteinBen SteinBenjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
- Rosebud, Dr. Houston - Billy WestBilly WestWilliam Richard "Billy" West is an American voice actor. Born in Detroit but raised in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Billy launched his career in the early 1980s performing daily comedic routines on Boston's WBCN. He left the radio station to work on the short-lived revival...
- - April WinchellApril WinchellApril Terri Winchell is an American actress, writer, voice actor, talk radio host, and commentator. She is the daughter of the late Paul Winchell.-Acting:...
- News Lady
Production
The series was produced by Universal Animation StudiosUniversal Animation Studios
Universal Animation Studios , is an American animation studio which is a division of Universal Studios....
along with Akom Production Company, Flextech Television Limited, and Shiny Entertainment
Shiny Entertainment
Shiny Entertainment was an American video game developer based in Laguna Beach, Southern California, and the creator of several popular titles such as Earthworm Jim, MDK, Sacrifice and The Matrix: Path of Neo. Shiny was founded by David Perry in October 1993...
.
2 seasons were produced, a total of 23 episodes. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the show was aired on the programming block on Kids' WB! The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
Home video releases
The series was released by MCA/Universal Home Video on four VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
volumes in 1995. The videos included:
- "Bring Me the Head of Earthworm Jim" and "Sword of Righteousness" (Volume 1)
- "Conqueror Worm" and "Day of the Fish" (Volume 2)
- "Assault and Battery" and "Trout!" (Volume 3)
- "The Book of Doom" and "The Egg Beater" (Volume 4)
Each VHS tape also included a short behind-the-scenes "Cartoon School" segment, which covered various production topics including storyboarding and voice acting.
Universal currently has no plans to release the show on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the US: However, on June 1st, 2011 Via Vision Entertainment released the complete series as a 5-disc set in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Action figures
A line of action figures based on the show was released by Playmates. The series included Peter Puppy, Bob, and Psycrow, Princess Whats-Her-Name, along with several variants of Earthworm Jim. The pocket rocket was also available, in the correct scale and mountable.Earthworm Jim and Battle Damage Suit Earthworm Jim came in two different colors, with either red or green accessories - Having the correctly colored gun and pet Snott required the purchase of both sets.
The action figures were nearly half the price of other action figures available in stores at the time including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and X-men action figures. For a short time, Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
also included premium toys with their Kid's Meal.
A second series of figures was planned, but ultimately canceled - it would have included Queen Slug-for-a-butt, Professor Monkey-for-a-head and The Hamstinator among others.
Comic Books
Two Earthworm Jim comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series were created to tie the games to the animated series. Separate comics were released in the US and UK, but the UK comics struggled greatly to find an audience. Submissions to the comic's letters/fan art page were so low that the publishers were forced to show episodes at local schools so that pupils could create content for them. This was noted several times within the comic itself.