Happy 25th Birthday CatDog: A Misunderstood Cartoon

One of my all-time favorite Nicktoons of the 1990s, CatDog. Created by illustrator and book author, Peter Hannan, whose also one of my favorites, having such a wacky, dry sense of humor.

                                                CatDog creator Peter Hannan

Premiered on April 4th, 1998 and ended on June 15, 2005. It's a show that revolves around the lives of two domesticated animals attached to each other and the town they live in, called Nearburg.

    The cast of CatDog from right to left: Eddie the Squirrel, Rancid Rabbit, Mr. Sunshine, Winslow, Cliff, Lube and Shriek collectively known as The Greaser Dogs.

I once a small chat with one of the show's original fans, Kristen, who created the CatDog's First Fansite. So, shout out to her and her appreciation for CatDog, and her understanding of the series itself.

                                             A great insight of CatDog, written by Kristen herself
                                         

                             Picture of CatDog in various roles, signed by Peter Hannan to Kristen

There has really been a lot to say about such a bizarre concept like CatDog, other than it's original and make for some good humor and stories. I give Nickelodeon some credit for greenlighting anything that came to them back then.

CatDog is also a show that, ever since it's debut, was hated by many, even to the point where it was considered by some to be Nickelodeon's downfall. It is well-known at this point that the most common criticism this show gets is being "too mean-spirited", the number one thing you hear whenever almost anyone mentions the show. I argue that the show wasn't as mean-spirited as everyone makes it out to be, that it feels more like an exaggeration, but then to some degree, I can kind of see where they come from.

(I'll say this, as I wanted to get this off my chest for a longtime, that I have begun to hate the word "mean-spirited" because how it's used as such empty criticism towards a cartoon, as if cartoons are never meant to have anything bad happen in it. Though, in some cases, I can understand.)

Despite being one of my favorites, I'm not afraid of admitting that it does have it's flaws. Despite it rather original, one-of-a-kind premise, and some episodes and moments that were pretty great and stick to the show's charm, one of the flaws CatDog has is the rather redundant way the beat down the whole "cat-and-dog share the same body" shtick, such as Dog chasing after a garbage truck that was funny and entertaining in it's debut episode "Dog Gone", but ended up becoming rather tiresome after a while. Sometimes jokes don't hit their mark and come off as rather corny, and some characters feel like they had either some wasted opportunity. I would've loved to see the crew do more with Mervis and Dunglap, and Eddie the Squirrel, who's whole character was that he wants to be a Greaser, but can't because he's a squirrel. The character was put to good use in episodes like "New Cat in Town", about Eddie taking over Nearburg, "All You Need is Lube" and "Squirrel Dog" his debut episode. Out of all the minor characters, Mr. Sunshine is easily the most memorable, especially his one scene in "Party Animal" where he does a magic trick.

But now, back to the positives. I feel that what may have been ignored with this show is the metaphors and allegories all throughout. I feel a work of art can really resonate if there are some things in it you may not get at first, until you really start to look at it more than once. CatDog is an example of a cartoon with some subtleties to real world issues like racism, imperfections and bureaucracy. The two-headed creatures are mistreated by everyone, mainly due to their appearance and live on the outskirts of Nearburg, which gives it a pretty uniquely isolated feeling, and the fact they know that they have each others back since their attached is something that truly resonates throughout, especially with one episode that highlights this, "CatDog Squared".

There are other episodes that highlight the show as a whole like everyone's favorite "CatDog Catcher", which many have noticed as a straight-up jab at the political/government system by none other than Rancid Rabbit. "Dog Gone", the debut episode that perfectly establishes CatDog and their relationship. "Silent! Please", acting as a silent film parody, but with CatDog going about their usual day. "It's a Wonderful Half-Life", showcasing even more of CatDog's brotherly relationship, shown in the dreams they have of being seperated. "The Lady is a Shriek", "Shriek on Ice" and "Rich Shriek, Poor Shriek", three great episodes revolving around Shriek and fleshing out her character moreso, with the former being one of the funniest and most quotable episodes of CatDog. "The Island", one of the show's more uniquely bizarre episodes that blends it's weirdness with heartfelt moments between the titular characters. "Beware of Cliff" and "Squirrel Dog", about Cliff turning over a new leaf, temporarily, of course.

The show is also known for including Tom Kenny, whose most famous as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants. Kenny and Jim Cummings were such a great combination to the dynamic of CatDog themselves.

One thing I don't see ever get brought up is the attention to detail in the environment. The CatDog house is one of them. Such a weird and distinctive design for a cartoon house.

This also goes for a bunch of other things in Nearburg, too.

One of my favorite characters is Rancid Rabbit. His voice, his design and his demeanor. Rancid seems to be a jab at authoritarianism and bureaucracy, popping out of nowhere, having every job known to man, also providing a great mystery as to why he has some many jobs. He's everywhere, but no one questions it. But also, he has got to have the weirdest design for a cartoon rabbit.

Anyways, that's all I have to say for know about CatDog. Hope you fans appreciate my little overview of the show.