Rude Dog
Rude Dog is a fictional animated white dog originally created by artist Brad McMahon while under contract to Sun Sportswear in the 1980s as part of a line of surfing- and skateboarding-related clothing. As of 30 August 2015, Rude Dog was once again trademarked, this time in the name of original series/character creator Brad McMahon.[1] McMahon also created Rude Dog's gang of canine misfits known as "the Dweebs", as well as Seymour, Rude Dog's nemesis.[2]
| Rude Dog | |
|---|---|
 Art concept and design by Rick Tuthill | |
| First appearance | 1986 |
| Created by | Brad McMahon |
| Voiced by | Rob Paulsen |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Dog |
| Occupation | Mechanic |
| Nationality | American |
Sun Sportswear projects
The character was a stylized version of a Bull Terrier, and the name "Rude" had the dual purpose of glorifying uncalled-for deportment and referring to the rude boy subculture of ska that was popular at the time. The majority of the clothing used angular artwork and neon colors, in keeping with the fashion trend shared by Quiksilver, Vision Street Wear, PCH, and many others.
Rude Dog and the Dweebs
| Rude Dog and the Dweebs | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Kayte Kuch Hank Saroyan Sheryl Scarborough |
| Voices of | Rob Paulsen Dave Coulier Peter Cullen Jim Cummings Ellen Gerstell Hank Saroyan Mendi Segal Frank Welker |
| Theme music composer | Hank Saroyan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Margaret Loesch Joe Taritero |
| Producer | Hank Saroyan |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Marvel Productions New World Television Just for Kids Sun Sportswear |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | 16 September – 16 December 1989 |
To further market the character, Sun Sportswear also developed a Saturday morning cartoon in 1989 entitled Rude Dog and the Dweebs. Rude Dog and the Dweebs was as colorful as the clothing it advertised. The punkish pooch himself drove a 1959 pink Cadillac across a backdrop of Beverly Hills imagined in hues of pastel and neon. The series was produced by Marvel Productions.[3]
Rude Dog (voiced by Rob Paulsen in a Brooklyn accent) runs an auto shop, where he is assisted by the Dweebs, a motley mix of mutt minions.[4] The team includes the stuttering Dachshund Caboose (voiced by Frank Welker), the uptight Bulldog Winston (voiced by Peter Cullen in an English accent), the Smooth Fox Terrier Reginald a.k.a. Reggie (voiced by Mendi Segal impersonating Jack Nicholson), the Great Dane Barney (voiced by Dave Coulier in a Southern accent), the Chinese Crested mix Ditzy Kibble (voiced by Ellen Gerstell), the Beagle Satch (voiced by Jim Cummings impersonating Ed Wynn), and the friendly Chihuahua Tweek (voiced by Hank Saroyan). Rude Dog has a girlfriend named Gloria (voiced by Ellen Gerstell).
Their feline foe is the vicious Seymour (also voiced by Frank Welker), and joining him in the chase is the ubiquitous dog catcher Herman (also voiced by Peter Cullen) and his dimwitted Rottweiler assistant Rot (also voiced by Frank Welker). Each week, Rude Dog and company balance their auto shop duties with attempts to elude the persistent Seymour, Herman, and Rot.
The show aired in the United States on CBS from September 16, 1989 to December 16, 1989 for one season. It was also broadcast around the world on various channels such as the BBC, The Children's Channel, Sky1, Gold and Nickelodeon in the U.K., Network Ten and Fox Kids in Australia, M-Net, SABC 1 and SABC 2 in South Africa, Club Super3 in Spain, ZNBC in Zambia, TV1 and TV3 in Malaysia, Dubai 33 in the U.A.E., Mediacorp Channel 5 and Prime 12 in Singapore, TVB Pearl in Hong Kong, GMA Network in the Philippines, Magic Kids in Argentina, TV3 in Sweden, Star Plus in India, TVRI in Indonesia and TV2 in New Zealand. It also spawned home entertainment releases in the United States by Celebrity Home Entertainment through their Just for Kids home video label. In the United Kingdom it was released on the VHS Leisureview Video and Boulevard Entertainment labels.
Episodes
| Nº | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hello, Mr. Kitty? / The Fish Who Went Moo" | September 16, 1989 |
| 2 | "Dweebiest Dog on the Beach / Dweeb-Illac Dilemma" | September 23, 1989 |
| 3 | "No Dweebs Aloud / Ding-a-Ling Kitty" | September 30, 1989 |
| 4 | "War of the Dweebs / Dweebs in Space" | October 7, 1989 |
| 5 | "Nightmare on Dweeb Street / Dweebsy Kind'a Love" | October 14, 1989 |
| 6 | "Call of the Dweeb / Dumbbell Dweeb" | October 21, 1989 |
| 7 | "Waiter, There's a Dweeb in My Soup! / Boardwalk Boss" | October 28, 1989 |
| 8 | "To Kibble or Not to Kibble / Dweebsday Afternoon" | November 4, 1989 |
| 9 | "Dweebochondriacs / Surprise, You're Itch!" | November 11, 1989 |
| 10 | "Leave It to Tweek / Polly Wanna Dweeb?" | November 18, 1989 |
| 11 | "Winston's Family TreeRot / Pretty Dweebs All in a Row" | November 25, 1989 |
| 12 | "The Hiccuping Bandit / Dweeb Your Manners" | December 2, 1989 |
| 13 | "Tuesday the 14th, Part Dweeb / Home Sweet Dweeb" | December 16, 1989 |
Home media
Beginning in 1989, select episodes were released in the United States on 30-minute, 60-minute, and 120-minute NTSC VHS tapes by Celebrity Home Entertainment's "Just for Kids Mini-Features" line. Beginning in 1990, select episodes were released in the United Kingdom on 70-minute, PAL VHS tapes by Leisureview Video (MARVEL VIDEO COMICS), rated U for "Universal" and deemed suitable for all ages. The series was distributed by New World Television, which was owned by Sun Sportswear, the makers of the "Rude Dog" toys. As a result, Sun Sportswear must give approval before any future home video releases of the series are made available.
In the U.K., the series was released on VHS by Leisureview Video in 1990.
| VHS title | Release date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Rude Dog and the Dweebs | April 30, 1990 | Hello, Mr. Kitty? / The Fish Who Went Moo, Dweebiest Dog On The Beach / Dweeb-Illac Dilemma, No Dweebs Aloud / Ding-A-Ling Kitty |
Rude Dog and the Dweebs was also released on DVD around 2005.
VHS UK ident
- Leisureview Video (1990–1999)
Staff
- Supervising Producer: Bob Richardson
- Developed For Television And Produced by Hank Saroyan
Reception
In 2014, listing it among 12 1980s cartoons that did not deserve remembrance, io9 characterized the series as "an animated atrocity", noting that the series appeared to glorify the "rudeness" that was the main character's defining characteristic.[5]
References
- "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
- "Home". Bradmcmahon.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 520. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 691–692. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- Bricken, Rob (11 November 2014). "12 Cartoons From The 1980s No One Will Ever Have Nostalgia For". io9. Retrieved 12 November 2014.