ftp.pasteur.org/FAQ/

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ ftp.pasteur.org/FAQ/ / ftp-pasteur-org-FAQ.zip / FAQ / comics / tick < prev next >

Wrap

Internet Message Format | 1996-10-01 | 45.3 KB

Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!eru.mt.luth.se!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!howland.erols.net!cs.utexas.edu!newshost.convex.com!bcm.tmc.edu!news.uth.tmc.edu!europa.chnt.gtegsc.com!boingo.amil.jhu.edu!blaze.cs.jhu.edu!news.jhu.edu!klman From: klman@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu () Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc,rec.arts.comics.info,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: rec.arts.comics: The Tick FAQ Followup-To: rec.arts.comics.misc Date: 30 Sep 1996 14:43:26 GMT Organization: Homewood Academic Computing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md, USA Lines: 1102 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: <52omae$pal@news.jhu.edu> Reply-To: chester@ren.psy.jhu.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.220.2.5 Summary: This is a FAQ about the superhero, The Tick Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.arts.comics.misc:208965 rec.arts.comics.info:5163 rec.answers:24296 news.answers:83113 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: necp@necomics.com 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 foxkids@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 (davidc@leland.stanford.edu), whose Superman FAQ inspired this one and acted as a model for it. "Roxy" Meinhold (khleyr@leland.stanford.edu), who was the first person to really help out with the FAQ. "Bigshot" (bigshot@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 (randym@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 (ericben@io.org) and _The Hype! Comic Cafe_ (http://www.hype.com/comics/cafe/comicafe.htm) for current information. Also contributing: Dane Johnson (klaatu@halcyon.com) David Filip (grimlock@u.washington.edu) Alex Hart (alhart@ucdavis.edu) David Llewellyn (dwbl@ix.netcom.com) Jeffrey Kreth (jkreth@ConnectI.com) Matthew Hubbard (leofosse@crl.com) Scott Purdy (spurdy@pomona.edu) Jonathan Steckelberg (cujs7@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 chester@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 chester@ren.psy.jhu.edu "Rugged, self-assured, adult...these are the words that describe the man who wears a moustache." -The Tick