Madballs
Encyclopedia
AmToy
AmToy was the toy division of American Greetings Corporation. Its most notable products were the mid-1980s lines, Madballs and My Pet Monster, both of which had animated shows from the Canadian company Nelvana. AGC sold the company to Tyco Toys in 1988....
, a subsidiary company of American Greetings
American Greetings
American Greetings Corporation, Inc. is the world's largest publicly-traded greeting card company. It is based in Brooklyn, Ohio and sells paper greeting cards, electronic greeting cards, party products , and electronic expressive content...
in the mid-1980s.
The toys incorporated gross-out humor in the vein of Wacky Packages
Wacky Packages
Wacky Packages are a series of trading cards and stickers featuring parodies of North American consumer products. The cards were produced by the Topps Company beginning in 1967, usually in a sticker format. The original series sold for two years, and the concept proved popular enough that it has...
and Garbage Pail Kids
Garbage Pail Kids
Garbage Pail Kids , "La Pandilla Basura" or "Basuritas" in Latin America, "Gang do Lixo" in Brazil, "Sgorbions" in Italy, "Les Crados" in France and "Die total kaputten Kids" in Germany) is a series of trading cards produced by the Topps Company, originally released in 1985 and designed to parody...
. Each ball had a character synopsis and a odd name.
The toyline was later turned into a short-lived animated television series, a series of comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
and a video game (which contained some elements from the cartoon) for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
.
Toys
The toyToy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s were high quality, foam rubber collectible bouncing balls; however, the toys only sold well as a passing fad. There were two series of the original round Madballs collectible toys, each series consisting of 8 balls each as well as a collection of Super Madballs, a larger version of the original Madballs, shaped like other sports balls, such as the American-football-shaped "Touchdown Terror", the soccer ball named "Goal Eater", and the basketball
Basketball (ball)
A basketball is a spherical inflated ball used in the game of basketball. Basketballs typically range in size from very small promotional items only a few inches in diameter to extra large balls nearly a foot in diameter used in training exercises to increase the skill of players...
named "Foul Shot". There were a total of 4 super Madballs in the larger series. There was also a short series of Head-Popping Madballs, where bodies were attached. Each of the heads on the Head-Popping Madballs were interchangeable, creating more possibilities for enjoyment. There was also a vehicle made for the Madballs. It was called the "Madballs Rollercycle". There were countless other licensed Madballs items, such as stickers (non trading), shampoos, Valentine's cards, tablecloths, silly string, party favours, and more along those lines.
Original Madballs
- Screamin Meemie : A baseball with a frightening face and large tongue
- Slobulus : A drooling creature with one eye hanging out
- Aargh : A one-eyed, blue Frankenstein's monsterFrankenstein's monsterFrankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
- Hornhead : A horned cyclopsCyclopsA cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
- Dustbrain : A mummyMummyA mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
- Oculus Orbus : An eyeball
- Skull Face : A skullHuman skullThe human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
- Crack Head : A head with an exposed brain. This Madball was later renamed Bash Brain, due to the unpleasant connotations of crack head as a slang term for a drug user.
Second Series Madballs
- Snake Bait : A gorgonGorgonIn Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
- Freaky Fullback : A mutant footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player - Splitting Headache : Unmatching left and right head sides stitched together
- Bruise Brother : An ugly bikerMotorcyclingMotorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
- Wolf Breath : A werewolfWerewolfA werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
- Fist Face : A hand clutching an eyeball
- Swine Sucker : An ugly pigPigA pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
- Lock Lips : A creature with its jaw locked shut with a padlock and one eye covered by a riveted plate
Super Madballs
- Touchdown Terror : An American football with a manic grin and missile-like fins and tip
- Goal Eater : A soccer ball with very large pointed teeth
- Foul Shot : A basketballBasketball (ball)A basketball is a spherical inflated ball used in the game of basketball. Basketballs typically range in size from very small promotional items only a few inches in diameter to extra large balls nearly a foot in diameter used in training exercises to increase the skill of players...
bursting open to reveal a face with wormWormThe term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
s crawling out of one eye socket
Sick Series
- Bleach Beard
- Puck Teeth
- Mosh Pitts
- Eye-Sore
- Klang Fang
- Shrunk Punk
- Bottom Feeder
Video game Balls
- Major Stone
- Eidolon
- Jenkins
- Robo
- Grok
- Magmor
- Daemonak
- Pett
- Aescu
TV/Comic Balls
- Freakella
- Smasher
- Crasher
- Trasher
- Madbelle
Spin off's
Due to the popularity of the Madballs, there were many spoof and bootleg toys, such as...- "Blurp Balls" by ERTL - Boney Tossteeth, T-Retch, Count Have-A-Heart, Spittooey Sooey, Biff Barfball, Sharkey Skullsquert, Retch-A-Rat Tomcat, and Croakey Bugchuck.
- "Weird Balls" by Mel Apple - Sewer Face, Worm Skull, Wart Hog, Spit Ball, Shrunk Head, and Snot Nose.
- "Odd Balls/Ugly Balls" by Bonkers - Dirty Devil, Blood Bulge, Lace Face, Evil Knievel, and Ugly Ball
These items never bacame as popular as their Madball Counterparts.
Animated series
The toys eventually spun into a Saturday morning cartoonSaturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
beginning in September 1987 created by Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
Limited. The Second Series Madballs were named the Badballs, an evil organization, led by Commander Wolfbreath, who conquered the planet Orb and outlawed music.
In this show, the madballs perform humorous skits that are accompanied by a laugh track. Some of the animation is similar in style to animations created by Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
from Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
television series.
They had two direct to home videos. The first one was a 30 minute episode in 1986 called "Escape from Orb", which featured a female Madball named "Freakella". She was featured in the cartoon only and never made into an actual Madball toy.
The second home video released the following year was a series of Jokes and skits in Monty Python animation style, called "Madballs-Gross Jokes"
Characters included in the animated series
- Screaming Meemie : A baseball with an eerie grin. He is apparently the Madballs leader as he often refers to his friends as "gang". He also seems to be a friend of Freakella because they are seen together near the end of the intro and is often seen speaking with her. He was voiced by Geoffrey Bowes
- Hornhead : A cyclops face with a horn. He is the strongest of the group and was voiced by Keith HampshireKeith HampshireKeith Hampshire is an English-born Canadian popular singer of the 1970s, famous in Canada for three top ten hits , and the successful television show Music Machine...
- Aargh : A blue Frankenstein with one eye totally open & one totally shut. He is friends with Slobulus even though he often abuses him and argues with him a lot. He was voiced by John Stocker
- Skullface : A skeleton face with a smile who is best friends with Horn Head and Dusty. He was voiced by John Stocker
- Dusty : A very intelligent mummy, voiced by Jeri Craden
- Freakella : A Bride of FrankensteinBride of FrankensteinBride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein...
-esque Madball who hates being called Mophead, voiced by Cree SummerCree SummerCree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
in the first episode and Taborah JohnsonTaborah JohnsonTaborah Johnson , also known as Tabby Johnson, is a Canadian singer and actor. She is the sister of actor Clark Johnson and rock and jazz singer Molly Johnson....
in the second. - Sandy : Skip's sister, voiced by Alyson CourtAlyson CourtAlyson Stephanie Court is a Canadian actress who first appeared in the 1985 children's film Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, and played summer camper Dawn in the animated film Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation the following year...
- Slobulus : A drooling face with one eye hanging from the socket. He is friends with Aargh even though Aargh often abuses Slobulus and the two often argue, especially about who is the Madballs' biggest fan. He was voiced by Dan HennesseyDan HennesseyDan Hennessey is a Canadian voice actor who, early on in his career, performed with a children's comedy troupe,...
- Bruise Brother : Looks like a biker with a German helmet, eye patch and beard, Wolf Breath's right-hand man, voiced by Dan HennesseyDan HennesseyDan Hennessey is a Canadian voice actor who, early on in his career, performed with a children's comedy troupe,...
- Freaky Fallback : A purple monster wearing an orange football helmet, voiced by Dan HennesseyDan HennesseyDan Hennessey is a Canadian voice actor who, early on in his career, performed with a children's comedy troupe,...
- Occulus Orbus : A giant eyeball, voiced by Len CarlsonLen CarlsonLen Carlson was a Canadian voice actor on many animated television series from the 1960s onward, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman during the 1970s and 1980s...
- Bash Brain : A normal face with its scalp ripped off to expose its brain, voiced by Len CarlsonLen CarlsonLen Carlson was a Canadian voice actor on many animated television series from the 1960s onward, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman during the 1970s and 1980s...
. He made a cameo in Escape from Orb and his first full appearance was in Gross Jokes. - Lock Lips: Voiced by John Stocker
- Wolf Breath : The leader of the bad guys. He is a werewolf who has a habit of using breath spray frequently. Voiced by Don FrancksDon FrancksDonald Harvey Francks or Iron Buffalo is a Canadian actor, vocalist and jazz musician.- Life and work :Francks was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a drummer, poet, native nations champion, motorcyclist, author and peace activist...
- Swine Sucker: A fat ugly pig, voiced by Len CarlsonLen CarlsonLen Carlson was a Canadian voice actor on many animated television series from the 1960s onward, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman during the 1970s and 1980s...
- Splitting Headache: A green face with half the skin peeled off, exposing the skull.
- Skip : The Madballs' manager on Earth, voiced by Christopher WardChristopher WardChristopher Ward may refer to:* Christopher Ward , Canadian songwriter and broadcaster* Christopher Ward , British solicitor and Conservative Party politician...
Episodes
1. Escape from Orb!2. Gross Jokes
These were the only two episodes ever made, save for a promo featuring Freakella, Aargh, Horn Head, and Dusty
Episode 1 - Madballs: Escape from Orb!
Amazon sums up the episode as "The Madballs are a zany animated rock band who rock and roll their way across the galaxy. Music is illegal on their home planet so they make a break for it on Earth." The episode was directed by Laura Shepherd, and written by Heather MacGillvray and John de Klein.
The special begins with the Madballs being sentenced to hard labour on their home planet, Orb, by its dictator, the evil Commander Wolfbreath. Orb is a planet inhabited entirely by balls, where music and the bouncing & landing of balls are banned. Wolfbreath and his goons, the Badballs, have taken over the planet and sentence the Madballs to make a bust of himself. The Madballs are the only surviving rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band on Orb, as all the other bands have been destroyed by the Badballs. The Badballs seek to destroy the Madballs in the hopes of ridding Orb of all music forever. At the same time, the Madballs have been working on a spaceship in the hopes of leaving from Orb.
On Orb, the Madballs escape to perform a secret rock concert, but Commander Wolfbreath and the Badballs notice the sound of the rock music and place the Madballs under arrest. They manage to defeat Wolfbreath and his goons. A disgraced Commander Wolfbreath orders the other Badballs to go after the Madballs, which have escaped through a sewer. Almost cornered, the Madballs are saved from the sewer by the pair of Aargh and Slobulus. Aargh and Slobulus, despite arguing over who they believe to be the Madballs' biggest fan, offer to help the Madballs escape in their spaceship. Although Freakella is reluctant at first to escape (she says she wants to keep her feet on the ground) with the Madballs, Aargh, and Slobulus, she joins the Madballs anyway. When the escape happens, Wolfbreath vows his revenge on the Madballs "if it's the last thing I do".
The Madballs are on a bumpy ride on their ship through space. On the on-board television, the Madballs are delighted by what they see to be rock and roll music on Earth, with a band called The Cartoons about to perform, being introduced by their manager, Skip. The Madballs then decide to go on to Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, Skip is desperate because the Cartoons have not yet been able to make it to their concert. His sister, Sandy, receives a phone call in which she is informed that the Cartoons are in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and are not returning. Back in space, the Madballs are looking forward to heading to Earth, until they realize that Wolfbreath and the Badballs have left in a spaceship of their own and are going after the Madballs, and he threatens the Madballs with a broadcasted warning. Wolfbreath orders the firing of lasers to go after the Madballs' comparatively rickety spaceship as they go through an asteroid belt
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
. The Madballs survive the belt and eventually land on Earth at the site of the concert. They sing a cover of "Great Balls of Fire
Great Balls of Fire
"Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer...
" by Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
to an enthusiastic crowd. However, Wolfbreath's spaceship lands on Earth, and after the Madballs give their performance, he and his Badballs order the Madballs to return to Orb. An angry Freakella, offended by being called "Mophead", leads an attack on the Badballs, forcing them back into their spaceship and sending them back to Orb. The crowd cheers yet again. The special ends with Skip agreeing to be the Madballs' manager.
Episode 2 - Madballs: Gross Jokes
Madballs: Gross Jokes was an episode where the Madballs told disgusting jokes and performed sickening skits. Like the first episode, this episode was released on video and has yet to be released on DVD.Comic Books
Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, under their subsidiary children's comics division, Star Comics
Star Comics
Star Comics was an imprint of Marvel Comics that began in 1984 and continued to publish comic books until early 1988. Titles published by the imprint were aimed at child readers and were often adaptations of children's television series, animated series or toys...
, created a comic book series based on the Madballs property. It began as a 3 issue mini-series in 1986 and continued at issue #4 as a bi-monthly comic book in 1987. The book was canceled at issue #10. A Madballs Annual comic book was also produced in the UK, under Marvel Comics UK. The main villains of the comic were Dr. Frankenbeans, who was in many ways similar to Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein was born in Napoli, is a Swiss fictional character and the protagonist of the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, written by Mary Shelley...
, and his bumbling assistant Schnivelitch, who was similar to Igor
Igor (fictional character)
Igor is the traditional stock character or cliché hunch-backed assistant or butler to many types of villain, such as Count Dracula or a mad scientist, familiar from many horror movies and horror movie parodies, the Frankenstein series and Van Helsing films in particular.-Origins:Dwight Frye's...
.
Modern Revival
In early 2006, toy company Art Asylum announced that it had partnered with original rights holder American Greetings to revive the Madballs toys, with both classic characters and new designs. Toy company Basic Fun Inc. has taken up the task of producing/selling the Art Asylum re-designed Madballs since then. As of November 2007, the toys have finally begun appearing in toy stores in the US. 'Madballs Classic Series 1' consists of five re-designed Madballs characters from the original Series 1 (Screamin' Meemie, Skull Face, Bash Brain, Slobulus and Horn Head) and also the first new Madballs character since the toyline's demise in the mid/late 1980s, Repvile. Newly designed sculpts for two other Madballs, Dust Brain and Freaky Fullback, as well as Super Madball Touchdown Terror, were also shown at Toy Fair and Comic-Con 2006, but the latter has yet to appear in stores. American Greetings has also hinted at the creation of a "Goalrilla" Super Madball which would mimic the design of a soccer ball (possibly a redesign of the original "Goal Eater" Madball). Aargh from the original Series 1 is the only standard size toy that is not currently mooted for redesign.Six more Madballs forming Classic Series 2 were released in the US in 2008 (Freaky Fullback, Wolf Breath and Swine Sucker from the original Series 2, plus Dust Brain and Oculus Orbus from original Series 1, and another new Madball named Blech Beard). In addition to the standard Classic Series Madballs there is an entirely new Madballs variation in stores: 'Madballs Sick Series'. Each of the (so far released) two series features three re-designed Madballs characters from the Classic lines (Bash Brain, Slobulus & Skull Face compose Series 1, Freaky Fullback, Dust Brain and Blech Beard Series 2) which can be squeezed to reveal their innards. For example, Bash Brain has brains that bubble, Slobulus contains eyeballs that pop out, and Skull Face conceals spiders that squirm forth.
In Fall 2009 there are plans to release a third series of both Classic and Sick Series Madballs, with a fourth to follow. On December 3, 2008 Madballs Central posted details of Classic Series 3: 'The characters are as follows: SNAKE BAIT (based on a 1990s, series 2 Madball), FIST FACE (based on another 1990s, series 2 Madball), LOCK LIPS(based on yet another 1990s, series 2 Madball), PUCK TEETH (an all-new design!), NAIL BITER (also a new design) and MOSH PITTS (an all new character as well)'.
On website Toyark.com there exist details of which Madballs will comprise Series 4, plus choices for the Series 3 and 4 Sick Series'. Classic Series 4 is rumoured to include the final two original Series 2 toys (Bruise Brother and Splitting Headache) plus four new imaginings (Bottom Feeder, Eye-Sore, Klang Fang and Shrunk Punk). Sick Series variants will be Fist Face, Mosh Pitts and Lock Lips for Series 3, followed by Bottom Feeder, Splitting Headache and Klang Fang for Series 4. As of yet there are no details on a release window for Series 4, nor how creatively the Sick Series variants will distend.
Video game
A videogame based on the toy franchise, simply called Madballs, was published in 1988 by Ocean SoftwareOcean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
for a variety of then-popular 8-bit home computers. It was a top-down view action game and received poor to average reviews from the gaming media.
As part of the E3 videogame show, it was announced on May 31, 2009 that Canadian game developer PlayBrains was releasing a video game sequel to BaboViolent 2
BaboViolent 2
Babo Violent 2 is a freeware multiplayer game for Windows. It is a 3d Top-down shooter. A sequel, Madballs in Babo: Invasion was announced on May 31, 2009 for PC and Xbox Live Arcade in Summer 2009.-Gameplay:...
, including Madballs characters called Madballs in ... Babo: Invasion. It was released for Xbox Live Arcade on July 15, 2009. The gameplay involves rolling around expansive terrain maps carrying large weaponry (machine guns, etc.) and causing mass destruction. It also includes 4 player co-op, team v. team and free-for-all modes over Xbox Live, in addition to a unique multiplayer mode where two teams of players build their side of the map, then attack a base on the other team's side. There is also a multiplayer mode where people can play as the head of their Xbox Live avatars. Of the characters in the game, only two are Madballs: Oculus Orbus and Horn Head. An iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad game based on the Madballs characters titled Babo Crash HD was also released.
External links
- The Official Website for MADBALLS.
- Madballs Revival Article @ I-Mockery
- Madballs Article @ X-Entertainment
- Madballs Episode @ X-Entertainment
- Madballs @ Big Cartoon Database
- A Listing of Madballs Toys
- Madballs Toy & Toon Archive!
- IMDb listing of Madballs: Escape from Orb!
- Official site for Madballs video game.