Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures

This is something I happen to know a little bit about. I saw the alleged coke sniffing episode, it is called "The Littlest Tramp". I was fortunate enough to record it off the air. It was actually shown twice before they got in trouble, and then edited in further showings (quite different from "never being seen again"). There is a British video cassette collection of New Mighty Mouse available only in PAL format; I have seen it and the alleged sniffing has been editing out. If you watch the cartoon, wait for him to say these words: "I know someone else like that". You should immediately see the pink powder fly up his nose. If you see Mighty staring at a fire or something else, the scene is missing. I saw John K at an appearance at the Seattle Art Museum. He said that he was the director, Bakshi was the producer. Both of those guys can say that it was a symbolic flower all that they like, that's their perogative. I say that if someone sniffs powder up their nose, it is a drug reference. It also seems to me that the show went on for quite some time after this happened.

I have to say that I never was a fan of the original Mighty Mouse. However, I liked the style of the new Mighty Mouse. Why? Well, because despite the strange style of the show, I found it very funny and clever. I liked the animation, the new characters, and the way in what the characters of the old Mighty Mouse were used.(Like the episode of Gnady Goose)

even when John Kricfalusi said that this show didn't have his humor style, there are some elements in common with his other shows, as "Ren & Stimpy" and "The Goddamn George Liquor Program". (at least in the animation and the bizarre characters and situations) I miss a lot this one. It is one of the few cartoons that loved as a kid and I still like it.

I think that this show was a wonderful new version of the original terry Toon character, combining some elements of the original with others that were new and innovative at the time when it was released. Now the Mighty Mouse have a secret identity, also new friends and new enemies as well (as the Cow, that was my favorite villain) The show frequently parodied other shows, some from 1940's cartoons , Scooby Doo, classic and modern movies, and also the humor of the show was more sophisticated than the other cartoons of the same years, making it good for children and adults as well . The show also involved the collaboration of Bakshi with Canadian John Kricfalusi, creator of "Ren and Stimpy", (Also a good show).

I think that this show deserves more appreciation, it is way better than the horrible cartoons that were made in the recent years.

"The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse" was a a cartoon ahead of his time. During the 80's,most cartoons were basically made in order to sell toys, or were inspired in any cultural phenomena of the decade (real action movies, video-games, old TV-shows) and most of them weren't funny or interesting at all. And that's what makes this show great: It was exactly the opposite of those dull shows, that didn't have any personality or fun at all, using a more mature and complex sense of humor that made this remake superior to the original. The New Mighty Mouse not only had a better characterization and stories than most cartoons of the recent days, but it also had the wit and charm the many shows aimed to children would like to have. And yes, it have the strange elements that are common in the works of John Kricfalusi and Ralph Bakshi, and that isn't a problem, but only makes this cartoon better. "The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse" is a highly underrated cartoon, considering how it influenced in modern animation,something that is a shame.

Undoubtedly this is one of the more innovative cartoons of the '80s, which is not particularly surprising, given it has the talents of both Ralph Bakshi (of "Fritz The Cat" fame) and John Kricfalusi, who would score another cult-favorite four years later with "Ren & Stimpy."

The show, which lasted only one season, added tongue-in-cheek humor to the proceedings (see the "Quotes" section.) It was this rapid-fire wit that was the precursor to the likes of "The Simpsons", among others. This is the same kind of wit that's missing in most cartoons nowadays, which are more concerned with product placement and commercial accessibility (how else to explain how a generation of youngsters embrace something as hollow as "Pokémon"?)

Sadly, there's a dark spot in the show's history, one that led to it's demise. An episode that aired on April 23(?), 1988, drew the attention of Rev. Donald Wildmon. This particular episode featured a scene that showed Mighty Mouse sniffing what appeared to be cocaine. In actuality, Mighty Mouse was sniffing a dead, dried-up flower that had been given to him by Scrappy, the orphan. (This was an incredible piece of symbolism: the flower represented good in a world of evil.) Even when confronted with this, Wildmon insisted that it was cocaine. This led to protest from media watchdogs, which prompted brass at CBS to move the show to a later timeslot, only to cancel it shortly thereafter. Aside from a brief reappearance on the Fox network in November 1992, the show hasn't been widely seen.

All in all, if there's one relic from the 80's worth bringing back, this is it. And you gotta love that a capella reworking of the theme. :-)