I Am Weasel

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I Am Weasel
IAW title card.png
Created by David Feiss
Network Cartoon Network
Production company Hanna-Barbera
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Original release July 15, 1997September 16, 1999
Run time 22 minutes
Starring Michael Dorn
Charlie Adler
Executive producer(s) Sherry Gunther
Larry Huber
Producer(s) Davis Doi
Vincent Davis
Louis J. Cuck
Selma Gladney
Debby Hindman
Music composed by Bill Fulton
Writer(s) David Feiss
Bill Burnett
Michael Ryan
Director(s) David Feiss
Kris Zimmerman (voices)
Animation director(s) Scott Morse
Deane Taylor

I Are Weasel is an American animated slapstick comedy television series created by David Feiss. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network. It is a spin-off from Cow and Chicken, where it was a secondary segment during its run from 1997 to 1999, airing 52 episodes. When it became its own independent series in 1999, those segments were packaged together along with 27 new ones.

The series chronicles the random adventures of I.M. Weasel, an animal who is praised and worshipped as a hero by everyone all around the world, except for the jealous I.R. Baboon. I.R. constantly tries to one-up I.M., but always manages to fail and cause some catastrophe due to his own stupidity, which has to be cleaned up by I.M., further enraging his foil.

Production

Development

After David Feiss created the pilot for Cow and Chicken, Cartoon Network demanded it to be a half-hour series with a second cartoon segment as something different in the middle of two 7-minute Cow and Chicken shorts. The title of I Am Weasel loosely came from one of Feiss's favorite books growing up, I Am Legend.[1] I.M. was chosen to be a weasel to play with the idea of him being a hero instead of the traits usually associated with a weasel, which are being sneaky and bad. The enemy to the weasel was I.R., the baboon with the funny red butt, patterned after the second verse in the song "Pop Goes the Weasel:" Every night when I go out, the monkey's on the table."[2]

Casting

Feiss originally wanted James Earl Jones for the voice of I.M., but instead went with Michael Dorn, at the recommendation of Van Partible, the creator of another Johnny Bravo, which spun-off from What a Cartoon! just as Cow and Chicken did. Charlie Adler was cast as I.R., after having already been the voices of the titular Cow and Chicken.[2]

Music

The theme song was composed by Bill Fulton, with lyrics written by Richard Pursel, which were performed by April March. Fulton also composed the score for each episode. Bodie Chandler was the director of music production.

The lyrics of the theme song were patterned after "Pop Goes the Weasel."[2]

Theme song lyrics

You don't need pants for the victory dance
Cuz Baboon's better than Weasel
I.R. Baboon big star of cartoon

I.M. Weasel: I am Weasel!

I.R. Baboon reigns king in his mind
He's just as good as the weaselly kind
But 'round every corner he's likely to find

I.M. Weasel: I am Weasel [repeat 2x]

Episodes

Title Number Original air date
"This Bridge, Not Weasel Bridge" 1x01 July 15, 1997
"I.R. on Sun" 1x02 July 22, 1997
"Deep Sea Tour" 1x03 July 29, 1997
"I.R. Gentlemans" 1x04 August 5, 1997
"I Are Big Star" 1x05 August 12, 1997
"Power of Odor" 1x06 August 19, 1997
"Ping Pong at Sea" 1x07 August 26, 1997
"Disease Fiesta" 1x08 September 2, 1997
"I.R. Plant Life" 1x09 September 9, 1997
"I.M. Abassador" 1x10 September 16, 1997
"Law of Gravity" 1x11 September 23, 1997
"Law of Gravity" 1x12 September 23, 1997
"Happy Baboon Holidays" 1x13 September 30, 1997
"I.R. Mommy" 2x01 May 16, 1998
"I Am Deity" 2x02 May 23, 1998
"I Am Crybaby" 2x03 May 30, 1998
"I.R.'s Phantom Foot" 2x04 June 6, 1998
"Queen of Denile" 2x05 June 13, 1998
"I Are Music Man" 2x06 June 20, 1998
"I Am My Lifetime" 2x07 June 27, 1998
"I.R. Pixie Fairie" 2x08 July 4, 1998
"I.R. Ice Fisher" 2x09 July 11, 1998
"I.R. Role Model" 2x10 July 18, 1998
"I.R. in Wrong Cartoon" 2x11 July 25, 1998
"My Friend, the Smart Banana" 2x12 August 1, 1998
"I.R. Wild Baboon" 2x13 August 8, 1998
"Time Weasel" 3x01 August 15, 1998
"The Hole" 3x02 August 22, 1998
"I Stand Corrected" 3x02 August 29, 1998
"I Am Bush Pilot" 3x03 September 5, 1998
"Dessert Island" 3x04 September 12, 1998
"Unsinkable I.R." 3x05 September 19, 1998
"I Am Vampire" 3x06 September 26, 1998
"Honey, I Are Home" 3x07 October 3, 1998
"Driver's Sped" 3x08 October 10, 1998
"A Tree Story" 3x09 October 17, 1998
"I.R. Do" 3x10 October 24, 1998
"I Are Good Dog" 3x11 October 31, 1998
"I Am Hairstylist" 3x12 November 7, 1998
"Enemy Camp" 4x01 April 26, 1999
"I Are Ghost" 4x02 April 27, 1999
"I Am Gladiator" 4x03 April 28, 1999
"Revolutionary Weasel" 4x04 April 29, 1999
"Dream Weasel" 4x05 April 30, 1999
"He Said, He Said" 4x06 May 3, 1999
"I Am Cliched" 4x07 May 4, 1999
"The Magnificent Motorbikini" 4x08 May 5, 1999
"I Am Whale Captain" 4x09 May 6, 1999
"The Baboon's Paw" 4x10 June 11, 1999
"The Sackless Games" 4x11 June 18, 1999
"Who Rubbed Out Cow and Chicken" 4x12 June 25, 1999
"I.R. Good Salesman" 4x13 July 24, 1999
"I Are Terraformer!" / "I Are Viking" / "The Drinking Fountain of Youth" 5x01 July 22, 1999
"Leave It to Weasel" / "The Fairy Godfather" / "I Are Robin Hood" 5x02 July 29, 1999
"The Incredible Shrinking Weasel!" / "The Fairy Godfather" / "I.M.N. Love" 5x03 August 5, 1999
"I.R.'s First Bike" / "The Sorcerer's a Dentist" / "The Wrong Bros." 5x04 August 12, 1999
"I Am Cave Weasel" / "My Blue Hiney" / "Mission: Stupid" 5x05 August 19, 1999
"Back to School" / "I Are a Artiste" / "Fred: Last of the Idiots" 5x06 August 26, 1999
"I Are Bellhop" / "Take I.R. Out to the Ballgame" / "I Bee Weasel" 5x07 September 2, 1999
"I Am Franken-Weasel" / "A Troo Storee" / "Rodeo Weasel" 5x08 September 9, 1999
"The Legend of Big Butt" / "I Am Dragon Slayer" / "I Are Legend" 5x09 September 16, 1999

Cast

In popular culture

  • In the OK KO Let's be Heroes special "Crossover Nexus", I.M. Weasel is one of the Cartoon Network characters turned into stone.

References

  1. ^ Pannozzi, John. "Platypus Comix Interviews David Feiss". Platypus Comix. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Aguilar, Carlos (July 15, 2022). "25 Years Of ‘Cow & Chicken’: A Conversation With Creator David Feiss". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved July 21, 2022.