Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man
(1994-1997)
I often find myself trawling the internet for a new TV series to get lost in. Indeed, such discoveries as Supernatural and Glee have been little more than a tired and drizzly Sunday afternoon’s uncoverings. As such, I found myself striking some long forgotten televisual gold a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon the early nineties adult animation Duckman.
Having often seen famous faces (Tim Curry, John Astin, et al…) credited on the web-bound bible that is the IMDB for the aforeto unheard of Duckman, I finally decided to see what all of these Hollywood legends were putting their names to. And pay off? Why yes sir, it did indeed.
Duckman’s protagonist is the two-foot high detective of the show’s namesake (voiced by none other than the legendary Jason Alexander – Seinfeld), who struggles valiantly to support his dysfunctional family (Siamese twins Charles and Mambo, underachiever Ajax, bitchy sister-in-law Bernice and flatulent mother-in-law Grandmama) whilst foiling the schemes of an array of evil genii.
Abetting the hopeless Duckman in his quest is the stoic and sardonic Cornfed Pig, a comic creation the likes of which are rarely seen. Cornfed is nothing short of brilliance; his dry monotony in every situation never tires, and is the perfect antithesis to his parter’s perpetual neuroses. Duckman’s saccharine secretaries, a pair of cute-as-button teddy bears, are just the right level of grating, and one cannot help but sympathise every time the find themselves succumbing to yet another unlikely death at the hands of their boss.
In the nineties world of adult animations, Duckman was overshadowed by perhaps less outlandish shows such as The Simpsons and King of the Hill, but in the modern age of the bizarre, Duckman stands tall against such contemporaries as Family Guy and South Park. With its subtle yet crass humour, Duckman ruffled many a feather amongst critics at the time, but is a show that certainly deserves a gander, and will surely continue to grow in cult status over years to come.
I often find myself trawling the internet for a new TV series to get lost in. Indeed, such discoveries as Supernatural and Glee have been little more than a tired and drizzly Sunday afternoon’s uncoverings. As such, I found myself striking some long forgotten televisual gold a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon the early nineties adult animation Duckman.
Having often seen famous faces (Tim Curry, John Astin, et al…) credited on the web-bound bible that is the IMDB for the aforeto unheard of Duckman, I finally decided to see what all of these Hollywood legends were putting their names to. And pay off? Why yes sir, it did indeed.
Duckman’s protagonist is the two-foot high detective of the show’s namesake (voiced by none other than the legendary Jason Alexander – Seinfeld), who struggles valiantly to support his dysfunctional family (Siamese twins Charles and Mambo, underachiever Ajax, bitchy sister-in-law Bernice and flatulent mother-in-law Grandmama) whilst foiling the schemes of an array of evil genii.
Abetting the hopeless Duckman in his quest is the stoic and sardonic Cornfed Pig, a comic creation the likes of which are rarely seen. Cornfed is nothing short of brilliance; his dry monotony in every situation never tires, and is the perfect antithesis to his parter’s perpetual neuroses. Duckman’s saccharine secretaries, a pair of cute-as-button teddy bears, are just the right level of grating, and one cannot help but sympathise every time the find themselves succumbing to yet another unlikely death at the hands of their boss.
In the nineties world of adult animations, Duckman was overshadowed by perhaps less outlandish shows such as The Simpsons and King of the Hill, but in the modern age of the bizarre, Duckman stands tall against such contemporaries as Family Guy and South Park. With its subtle yet crass humour, Duckman ruffled many a feather amongst critics at the time, but is a show that certainly deserves a gander, and will surely continue to grow in cult status over years to come.
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