Toxic Crusaders is an animated series based on the
Toxic Avenger films. It features Toxie, the lead character of the films leading a trio of misfit
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
es who combat
pollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms . Pollution can take the form of chemical substances, or energy, such as noise, heat, or light...
. This followed a trend of
environmentally considerateEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the state of the environment...
cartoons of the time, including
Captain PlanetCaptain Planet is a fictional character featured in the animated television series Captain Planet and the Planeteers.- Character development :...
,
Swamp ThingSwamp Thing is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics character, Swamp Thing. Debuting April 20, 1991 on FOX, it lasted only five episodes...
, and
Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an joint-venture between American/Japanese animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and Shogakukan Studios. It premiered December 28, 1987, first as a five-part mini-series animated by Toei...
. As this incarnation was aimed at children,
Toxic Crusaders is considerably tamer than the edgy films it was based on. Thirteen episodes were produced; however, only five aired on
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
in early 1991 as a trial run for summer syndication.
Overview
Prior to
Toxic Crusaders, cartoons based on R-rated films had indeed been attempted with programs like
Rambo and the Forces of FreedomRambo and the Force of Freedom is an animated series based on the character of John Rambo, from David Morrell's book First Blood, and the subsequent films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II. The cartoon ran for 65 episodes, and was produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises...
. However, the content of the
Toxic Avenger films was arguably more controversial than many such films, featuring strong sexual content in addition to intense violence. Created by New York-based
Troma, Inc.Troma is an American film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. The company produces very low-budget independent movies, many of which have developed cult followings.-Company information:...
, a company famous for such low-budget classic films as
Chopper Chicks in ZombietownChopper Chicks In Zombietown is a 1991 comedy horror movie released by Troma, featuring Billy Bob Thornton.The film is about an all female motorcycle gang named the 'Cycle-Sluts' who cruise into the isolated town of Zariah looking for a good time...
,
Class of Nuke 'Em HighClass of Nuke 'Em High, , is a 1986 film made by cult classic B-movie production group Troma Entertainment. It was directed by Richard W. Haines and Samuel Weil...
, and
Sgt. Kabukiman, NYPD, the animated
Toxic Crusaders departed significantly from its live-action source.
The
Toxic Avenger film series starred Melvin Ferd, a scrawny nerd who, through exposure to
toxic wasteToxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It can be spread quite easily and contaminate lakes and rivers...
, was
mutatedA mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the wild type. The natural...
into a “hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength.” In the films, “Toxie” took his revenge on industrial America by means of gory violence and bloodbaths. True to Troma’s reputation, other R-rated material abounded as well.
Toxic Crusaders cleaned up Toxie’s act considerably. He was still a grotesque mutant endowed with superhuman powers, but underneath it all, he was a good-hearted, law-abiding citizen. The villains were still polluters, albeit polluters from a different world. Hailing from the planet Smogula, Czar Zosta, Dr. Killemoff, and Psycho wreaked ecological havoc with the help of Tromaville’s corrupt Mayor Grody. Bonehead, a street punk who bullied Melvin joins them in the first episode.
Killemoff and Czar Zosta were actually cockroach-like beings in disguise that thrive on pollution and need it to survive, which explains Killemoff's breathing apparatus and four arms. Psycho was simply an obese biomechanical being that had an uncanny ability to guess the future, which was a key point in the TV show where his guesses would end up as the spoiler to how Killemoff's plans would fail. Bonehead was thrown into a barrel of acid rain in the first episode, resulting in his skeletal appearance. He was mostly brainless and incompetent. Killemoff, like most bad guys, also had a seemingly endless army of
identical poor marksmenThe Principle of Evil Marksmanship states that enemy marksmen in action films are often very bad shots and almost never harm the main characters. The term first appeared in film critic Roger Ebert's 1980 book "Little Movie Glossary", and had been submitted by Jim Murphy of New York...
called Radiation Rangers - hunched-over mutants in yellow hazardous material suits with intimidating gas masks.
Other villains and heroes made their appearances on the show with equally ridiculous origins as the Crusaders, such as Mower Man who took a nap in a garden shed that happened to contain leaking toxic waste, which exploded in the heat of the day and made him into a half-man, half gardening equipment hybrid, or as he preferred: "A hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength". Few if any of these characters made more than one appearance.
Crusaders
Joining Toxie’s crusade were fellow mutants:
- NoZone: A former pilot who flew through a hole in the Ozone layer
The ozone layer is a layer in Earth's atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone . This layer absorbs 93-99% of the sun's high frequency ultraviolet light, which is potentially damaging to life on earth. Over 91% of the ozone in Earth's atmosphere is present here...
and crashed into a silo of radioactive pepper, known for his powerful sneezes and enormous nose.
- Junkyard: A hobo
A hobo is a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the western—probably northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike tramps, who worked only when they were forced to, and bums, who didn't work at all, hobos were...
who took shelter in a kennel with a guard dog in a polluted junkyard, which was covered in toxic waste when lightning struck it and merged them together.
- Headbanger: A fusion of two opposing personalities into a conjoined body - the cantankerous mad scientist, Bender and the surfer-like, singing telegram boy responsible for the accident, Fender.
- Major Disaster: a military man with the ability to control plants, gained after falling into a radioactive swamp.
Toxie’s weapon of choice was a superpowered mop (named, quite appropriately, Mop), which had a mind of its own, and he had a furry pink pet called Blobbie. Two of the few "normal" humans on the show were Yvonne, Toxie’s buxom blonde girlfriend (similar to his girlfriend in the movies, but nearsighted rather than blind) and Toxie's mom.
Only thirteen syndicated episodes of
Toxic Crusaders were produced, but like the feature films, the episodes became cult favorites, spawning a string of merchandising.
Other media
The Toxic Crusaders franchise can be seen as a failed attempt at recreating the success of
Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four mutant turtles, who were trained by a giant, talking rat sensei, Master Splinter, in the art of Ninjitsu...
, which was very popular in the early 1990s for its
animated seriesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an joint-venture between American/Japanese animated television series produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and Shogakukan Studios. It premiered December 28, 1987, first as a five-part mini-series animated by Toei...
,
feature filmTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the 1990 live-action film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The film was followed by three sequels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, and TMNT in 2007...
, action figures, comic books, video games, and other merchandising. Most of the same companies that held licensing deals for Toxic Crusaders products were responsible for Ninja Turtles merchandise during this same time. Years later, Turtles co-creator
Kevin EastmanKevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist, best known as the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.-Biography:Kevin Eastman was born on May 30, 1962 in Springvale, Maine...
appeared in the
fourth Toxic Avenger movieCitizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Part IV was released in 2001 by Troma Entertainment. This independent film sequel to the original hit film The Toxic Avenger was created to help reboot the franchise after the financial demise of Troma Entertainment. The Toxic Avenger is Troma's mascot and the hope...
as well as another Troma feature,
Tales from the CrapperTales from the Crapper is a 2004 straight-to-video anthology film that was a spoof of Tales from the Crypt. The film was released by Troma Entertainment.-Plot:...
.
Marvel ComicsMarvel Publishing, Inc., a company doing business as Marvel Comics, produces American comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc....
released an eight-issue
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
series which was not terribly successful. Part of the reason may be that it had no regular writer. Each issue was written by such notables as
Steve GerberStephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
(issues #3 and #5),
Ann NocentiAnn "Annie" Nocenti is an American journalist, writer, editor, and filmmaker best known for her work on comic books and magazines. As an editor for Marvel Comics, she edited New Mutants and The Uncanny X-Men...
(issue #7), David Leach & Jeremy Banx (lead strip script & artwork) and
David Michelinie-Biography:Some of his earliest work is for DC Comics's House of Secrets and a run on Swamp Thing , following Len Wein and preceding Gerry Conway, illustrated by Nestor Redondo....
(back up strip) (issue #8),
Hilary Barta-Biography:Barta was born on June 17, 1957. His first comics work came in June 1982, when he helped legendary Marvel inkers Al Milgrom, Joe Sinnott and Sal Trapani provide inks for the pencils of Don Perlin on The Defenders #108...
(issue #2), and
Simon FurmanSimon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
(issues #1, 4, 6), none of whom had any particular interest in taking it on. A four book mini series was written and drawn by David Leach & Jeremy Banx. The series was solicited and the first issue written and drawn before being canceled along with all of Marvel TV tie-in titles. Issue #8 is unique among comics bearing the
Comic's CodeThe Comics Code Authority is part of the Comics Magazine Association of America , and was created to regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submit comic books to the CCA, which screens them for conformance to its Comics Code, and authorizes the use of their...
as it featured a character, on the toilet, suffering from explosive
diarrheaIn medicine, diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea , is the condition of having frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. Acute diarrhea is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide...
.
PlaymatesThe name "Playmates" may refer to:*Playmates , written in 1940*Playmates , starring Oliver Hardy*Playmates , starring Diana Serra Cary*Playmates , starring John Barrymore and Lupe Velez...
, the same company responsible for Ninja Turtles action figures, released a line of similarly styled Toxic Crusader figures in 1991. The majority of characters featured bright
neonNeon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in discharge tubes and neon lamps...
colors and
glow-in-the-darkPhosphorescence is a specific type of photoluminescence related to fluorescence. Unlike fluorescence, a phosphorescent material does not immediately re-emit the radiation it absorbs. The slower time scales of the re-emission are associated with "forbidden" energy state transitions in quantum...
accessories. TV commercials for the figures used the humorous tag line, "They're gross, but they still get girls!" A total of nine characters as well as some rather unorthodox vehicles saw toy shelves. Similar to the Ninja Turtles' Retromutagen Ooze, Playmates also marketed a canister of slime labeled Toxie's Toxic Waste.
Other tie-in products included coloring books, junior novels,
HalloweenHalloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Gaelic pagan festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. It is largely a secular celebration but some have expressed strong feelings about perceived religious overtones...
costumes,
ColorformsColorforms, invented by Ogden Kniffin, are toys produced by the Colorforms Corporation. Colorforms are paper-thin, die-cut vinyl sheet images and shapes that can be applied to a slick cardboard background board, much like placing paper dolls against a paper backdrop. The images stick to the...
,
ToppsThe Topps Company, Inc. manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York City, it is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards, and other sports-related trading cards....
trading cards, a board game, a card game, and puzzles. Video games were also produced by
Bandaiis a Japanese toy making company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third largest producer of toys. Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs....
and
Segais a multinational video game software and hardware development company, and a home computer and console manufacturer headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan...
, which were released on the
Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in . In most of Asia, including Japan , China, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, it was released as the , commonly abbreviated as the...
,
Game BoyThe is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America on , and in Europe on . In Southern Asia, it is known as the "Tata Game Boy" It is the first handheld console in the Game Boy line...
, and
Sega GenesisThe is a fourth-generation video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 and Europe in 1990. The console was released in North America in 1989 under the name Genesis, as Sega was unable to secure legal rights to the Mega Drive name in that region...
.
Several years later, Troma released two
Toxic Crusaders DVDs. The first was
Toxic Crusaders: The Movie which consisted of the first three episodes of the series put together to form one story. The second release,
Toxic Crusaders: Volume 1, is a collection of the first four episodes from the series. A box set, featuring all 13 episodes and all four Toxic Avenger movies, was released on April 29, 2008.
Troma was in talks to make a live action version of
Toxic Crusaders at New Line Cinema. In
Lloyd KaufmanLloyd Kaufman is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and occasional actor. With producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their feature films, including the The Toxic Avenger and Tromeo and Juliet...
's first book,
Everything I Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger, he claims that New Line did not live up to their end of the contract and the film was not made. Kaufman has speculated that New Line bought the rights because they were in negotiations to make the sequels to the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and wanted to use the
Toxic Crusaders movie as leverage against the owners of the rights to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Troma sued New Line and was awarded an undisclosed amount in damages.
External links