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 Original air date
1x01 July 15, 1997
1x02 July 22, 1997
1x03 July 29, 1997
1x04 August 5, 1997
1x05 August 12, 1997
1x06 August 19, 1997
1x07 August 26, 1997
1x08 September 2, 1997
1x09 September 9, 1997
1x10 September 16, 1997
1x01 September 23, 1997
1x12 September 23, 1997
1x13 September 30, 1997
2x01 May 16, 1998
2x02 May 23, 1998
2x03 May 30, 1998
2x04 June 6, 1998
2x05 June 13, 1998
2x06 June 20, 1998
2x07 June 27, 1998
2x08 July 4, 1998
2x09 July 11, 1998
2x10 July 18, 1998
2x11 July 25, 1998
2x12 August 1, 1998
2x13 August 8, 1998
3x01 August 15, 1998
3x02 August 22, 1998
3x03 August 29, 1998
3x04 September 5, 1998
3x05 September 12, 1998
3x06 September 19, 1998
3x07 September 26, 1998
3x08 October 3, 1998
3x09 October 10, 1998
3x10 October 17, 1998
3x11 October 24, 1998
3x12 October 31, 1998
3x13 November 7, 1998
4x01 April 26, 1999
4x02 April 27, 1999
4x03 April 28, 1999
4x04 April 29, 1999
4x05 April 30, 1999
4x06 May 3, 1999
4x07 May 4, 1999
4x08 May 5, 1999
4x09 May 6, 1999
4x10 June 11, 1999
4x11 June 18, 1999
4x12 June 25, 1999
4x13 July 24, 1999
5x01 July 22, 1999
5x02 July 29, 1999
5x03 August 5, 1999
5x04 August 12, 1999
5x05 August 19, 1999
5x06 August 26, 1999
5x07 September 2, 1999
5x08 September 9, 1999
5x09 September 16, 1999

Cast

In popular culture

  • In the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode "Crossover Nexus," I.M. Weasel is one of the Cartoon Network characters turned into stone.

Merchandise

Home media

On September 12, 2007, the Australian DVD manufacturer Madman Entertainment released Cow and Chicken: Season 1. According to their listing, this was volume 1 out of 4. On February 10, 2010, Madman followed this with Cow and Chicken: Season 2. Both of these DVD sets would've been the first and second seasons of I Am Weasel, respectively.

On July 6, 2011, Madman Entertainment released the fifth season on DVD as I Am Weasel: Collection 1, which according to their website, was volume 1 out of 5, which makes it unclear in the order they intended to release the rest of the series.

Reading material

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.