Ruby Gloom facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruby Gloom
Ruby Gloom title card
Created by	Mighty Fine
Developed by	Carolyn Hay
Written by	Carolyn Hay Nicole Demerse Alan Resnick Alex Nussbaum John van Bruggen
Directed by	Robin Budd
Voices of	Sarah Gadon Stacey DePass Emily Hampshire Scott McCord David Berni Jeremy Harris Adrian Truss Peter Keleghan Barbara Mamabolo Stephanie Anne Mills Dwayne Hill Harvey Atkin Ron Rubin
Theme music composer	Ray Parker Tom Szczesniak
Ending theme	"Ruby Gloom" (Instrumental)
Composer(s)	Ray Parker Tom Szczesniak
Country of origin	Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	40
Production
Executive producer(s)	Scott Dyer Doug Murphy Rita Street
Producer(s)	Patricia R. Burns Jocelyn Hamilton
Editor(s)	Annellie Rose Samuel
Running time	23 minutes
Production company(s)	Nelvana
Distributor	Nelvana
Release
Original network	YTV (Canada) Pakapaka (Argentina)
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Dolby Digital
Original release	October 13, 2006 (2006-10-13) – June 1, 2008 (2008-06-01)

Ruby Gloom is a fun Canadian animated TV show. It's based on a clothing line by illustrator Martin Hsu. The show was made by Nelvana and first aired in Canada on October 13, 2006, on YTV. It features the voices of actors like Sarah Gadon and Emily Hampshire.

Meet the Main Characters

Ruby Gloom

Ruby is a 10-year-old girl who always finds the good in everything. Her favorite saying is "Look on the bright side!" Nothing can make her sad, and she can always turn a negative into a positive. Ruby's positive attitude helps her friends when they are confused or worried. She has a secret crush on Skull Boy and almost told him how she felt when they were stuck in a cave. Ruby is also very loyal to her friends. She loves to write in her diary and knit. Sarah Gadon is her voice.

Doom Kitty

Doom Kitty is Ruby's pet cat. She can go anywhere in the mansion and often knows what's happening before anyone else. This means she's usually one step ahead of Ruby and the others. When something strange happens, Doom Kitty often already knows all the facts. But she can't talk! She tries to tell everyone what's going on by using mime and making violin sounds. Ruby usually understands her, but not always. Doom Kitty gets annoyed when her friends think she's just playing charades. She sometimes tries to warn Scaredy Bat about Boo Boo's pranks.

Iris

Like Ruby, Iris lives life without many worries, but in her own way. While Ruby finds happiness, Iris finds adventure! She loves trying new things, from safaris and fighting wild animals to being shot out of a cannon. There's almost nothing this cyclops girl won't try if it sounds fun. However, Iris is very impulsive. She often jumps into situations without thinking about what might happen. This usually leads to unexpected trouble. But as soon as the trouble is over, she's off on another adventure! Stacey DePass voices Iris.

Misery

Misery is a nine-year-old banshee girl who seems to attract bad luck. Her problems are usually a mix of being clumsy and having incredibly bad luck. It seems this runs in her family, as her relatives have been present at almost every major disaster in history! Luckily, her friends are kind and don't mind her mishaps. Misery often seems a bit distant and always has tears running from her eyes. She does have small happy moments, but they are rare. When she feels happy, her bad luck usually strikes back, often with lightning bolts! Misery actually has good luck on Friday the 13th, but then her bad luck transfers to her friends. She keeps "Dust Bunnies" as pets, even though she's allergic to them and sneezes them away. But they always come back! Many fans love Misery because she's funny and cute. Emily Hampshire is her voice, and Jeen O'Brien does her singing voice.

Skull Boy

Skull Boy is very talented and can do many things. He's like the mansion's Jack of All Trades. He can direct films, be a private investigator, and much more. His only problem is that he can't stick to one thing for very long. Skull Boy doesn't know where he comes from, and this is mentioned often. When he learns a new skill, he thinks he must be from a family of people who did that same thing. This shows he knows little about his past. Ruby has a crush on him, and in one episode, Frank and Len even felt her feelings for him! Skull Boy likes Ruby too, but he doesn't realize she has a crush on him. Even without knowing his family history, Skull Boy has a family: his friends. Scott McCord voices him.

Skull Boy has tried many different jobs and roles, including:

• Action Hero
• Animator
• Architect
• Chef
• Detective
• Film Director
• Inventor
• Jazz Musician
• Painter
• Pilot
• Scientist
• Shakespearean Actor
• Tailor
• Train Conductor

Frank and Len

Frank and Len are conjoined brothers who love rock music. They live in the mansion's garage and have their own band called R.I.P. (which sounds like "rip"). Their biggest strength is playing music. However, they often struggle to focus on anything that isn't music or doesn't have a beat. Frank is usually the smarter one and sometimes gets annoyed when Len doesn't understand things. Len is more emotional and likes small animals and things that others might not care about. Even though they are connected, they don't always agree. But Frank and Len are very close. For example, they couldn't hit each other to become unconscious when they needed to! Also, they are the only housemates (besides Doom Kitty) who know about Ruby's crush on Skull Boy. David Berni voices Frank, and Jeremy Harris voices Len.

Edgar, Allan, and Poe

Poe the crow lives in a part of the mansion with his brothers, Edgar and Allan. Poe is seen most often. Edgar and Allan are rarely seen and never speak. They act as Poe's bodyguards and servants because they are taller than him. Poe sees himself as a cultured and sophisticated role model for everyone in the mansion. But he cares a lot about his image and tries to hide anything that makes him look less perfect. For example, he might say he's performing in an opera when he's just listening to records at home. Poe also tends to overreact to things that others would handle easily. There's a hint that his fancy accent isn't real. In one episode, he briefly spoke with a different accent, which made Skull Boy notice. Poe likes to say he's related to Edgar Allan Poe's pet bird, Paco, which is proven in an episode. Adrian Truss voices Poe.

Scaredy Bat

Scaredy Bat is a bat with an Indian accent who is afraid of almost everything. While Ruby finds happiness and Iris finds adventure, Scaredy Bat finds only fear. Even though he's a bat, he's afraid of flying and the dark. He's even afraid of his own reflection! But he has overcome some of these fears over time. His constant fear is perfect for Boo Boo, the mansion's ghost, because Scaredy is the only one who is scared of him. The only thing he's not afraid of is a crumpet. Even if fear sometimes takes over, Scaredy is a loyal and talented drummer for Frank and Len's band, R.I.P. When he's playing drums, he becomes a beat machine and forgets his fears. He also enjoys eating mosquitoes. Peter Keleghan voices Scaredy Bat.

Boo Boo

Boo Boo is the mansion's ghost, and his job is to haunt. But it's hard for him because everyone thinks he's cute, and he hates being called cute! When he first arrived, Boo Boo wasn't a full ghost. He couldn't go through walls, and only Doom Kitty could see him. Mr. White and Mr. White said he needed to scare someone to become a full ghost. Since Doom Kitty was the only one who could see him, it was tough. But when Doom Kitty splashed milk on him, he almost splashed milk on Misery's special tablecloth. That small scare was enough for Boo Boo to become a full ghost! Now he can go through walls, and everyone can see him. After that, his main goal is to scare Scaredy Bat, as he hasn't scared anyone else in the mansion. Boo Boo enjoys playing pranks more than scaring, which disappoints Mr. White. Despite this, he and Scaredy seem to be good friends. Doom Kitty doesn't like Boo Boo because he often gets her into trouble. Even though he seems like a main character, Boo Boo only appeared in 18 episodes and spoke in 11 of them. Barbara Mamabolo voices Boo Boo.

Mr. Buns

Mr. Buns is a stuffed rabbit that Ruby made from one of her old socks. This floppy, mysterious rabbit loves tea cozies. He often shows up in the middle of the action and does random tasks. When Misery first saw him, she called him a stuffed sock. Later, she believed he was a "special one of a kind friend."

Other Characters

Mr. White and Mr. White

These two big ghosts are like teachers for young Boo Boo, helping him learn how to be a ghost. They wear glasses and are high-ranking in "The Family." They act a bit like a mafia, sometimes threatening to take Boo Boo away if he doesn't scare enough people or if he plays too many pranks. The Mr. White with the hat is higher in rank than the other Mr. White, who usually drives their vehicle. Harvey Atkin and Ron Rubin voice these characters.

Squig

Squig is a large flying worm that Iris met during her travels. He doesn't appear often, but he goes with Iris on her adventures. He's also sometimes her way of getting around. Squig is about five times bigger than Iris, black and red, with patterns on his back and small wings on his tail. Iris says he can fly because no one ever told him he couldn't!

Venus

Venus is another of Iris's many pets, a venus flytrap. When she first appeared, Venus was very hungry and acted like a typical pet. But after she ate a heart that Skull Boy made, she became much more caring and smart. She even became a successful writer and could speak very well! Venus speaks with a strong French accent because Iris used a record dictated by a French man to teach her.

Mr. Mummbles

Mr. Mummbles is Ruby's next-door neighbor. He lives in a glass house with his pet frog, Socrates. Poe gave him the name "Mr. Mummbles" in an episode where Poe thought he was a murderer. The name stuck! Later, it's revealed that Mr. Mummbles designs and builds amusement park rides. He's often seen testing his new rides. His rides are meant to make people happy, sometimes even tickling them! Mr. Mummbles follows the rule "Safety First," but his rides often look very unsafe, with huge spirals, gaps, and fire on the tracks. Derek McGrath voices Mr. Mummbles.

The Skele-Tunes

The Skele-Tunes are a group of Jazz/scat/Cajun musicians who become friends with Skull Boy, calling him "SB." The band has four skeletons. The singer is Skele-T, easily recognized by his outfit, earrings, and gold tooth. The other skeletons play different instruments: an accordion, a tuba, and one uses his rib cage as a xylophone. They are "Jokers" who like to disappear and joke around with Skull Boy. Skele-T does most of the talking, using jazz slang and skeleton puns. When Skull Boy left to find his roots, Skele-T even invited him to join their band, but Skull Boy missed home too much. Michael Dunston voices Skele-T.

Misery's Family

Misery has many relatives who are just as unique as she is! In one episode, her family has a "once in a millennium" reunion.

• Malady and Malaise are Misery's cousins. When they are together, they can cause a local ice age! Malady seems to have every illness and allergy at once. Malaise often falls asleep anywhere and is surrounded by creatures like snakes and spiders.
• Mayhem is a cavegirl who looks like Misery. She is very strong but not very smart. She might have even chased away the dinosaurs!
• Mildew is a Japanese geisha who also looks like Misery. She speaks politely but often clashes with Mayhem and Migraine.
• Migraine arrived on the Titanic and often yells "I'm the queen of the world!" She talks like a valley girl and wears a Hawaiian flower.
• Morose is a true goth with green/black hair and striped stockings. She's a singer who can perform while awake, unlike Misery.
• Mopey is the most optimistic member of Misery's family. She has hair like Ruby's.
• Motley is Misery's great-great-really-great-grandmother. She was burned in the Great Fire of London and prefers light over darkness.
• Myopic, Malice and Misbegotten are triplets who are surprisingly happy for Misery's family members.

Bunny

Bunny is a pink rabbit with red eyes. He pretends to be cute and loving, but he's actually evil! He wanted to steal everything from Ruby's mansion. Doom Kitty was the only one who knew he was bad. Eventually, everyone else found out when Doom Kitty trapped him, and they saw all their stolen items in his carriage. So, they kicked him out!

Gunther and Uta

Gunther and Uta are twins with a German accent. They came to live in the Gloom household after an adventure with a witch and her gingerbread house. They thought Ruby and her friends were going to get rid of them, even though Ruby's friends usually make everyone happy.

Episodes of Ruby Gloom

The show has 3 seasons with 40 episodes in total. Most episodes start and end with a short skit. "Gloomer Rumor," the first episode, only has an ending skit.

Season 1 (2006–2007)

Season 2 (2007)

Season 3 (2007–2008)

Where to Watch Ruby Gloom

Ruby Gloom first aired on YTV in Canada on October 13, 2006. In the United Kingdom, you could watch it on Pop and Pop Girl in 2008. The channel RTÉ Two in Ireland showed the series in 2010. Australian channels ABC1 and ABC3 also aired it in 2008. More recently, since 2020, the show has been available to watch online on YouTube. In 2011, Hub Network aired the series in the US, but only for a short time.

Awards and Recognitions

Ruby Gloom was nominated for a 2014 Gemini Award. This award was in the "Best Animated Program or Series" category.

The script for the episode "Yam Ween," written by Carolyn Bennett, was a finalist in the 2007 Canadian Screenwriting Awards.

Ruby Gloom Website

The original Ruby Gloom product line had a fun website. Users could chat in a forum and find free things like desktop icons and screensavers. The website used to greet visitors with the words: "Ruby Gloom is happy in her own way. Even though she is frowning, to her, a frown is only a smile upside down. In fact, Ruby is so happy, she could just die."

Around late 2004, the website changed to be only a forum called "The Mansion." By the end of 2004, it was redesigned with an interactive mansion to explore and user-submitted artwork. Ruby was shown on the roof with her cat Doom, and she was smiling for the first time! By 2006, "The Mansion" forum was removed, and the website changed to focus more on the TV show for kids.

Ruby Gloom on DVD

You can find Ruby Gloom on DVD in different regions around the world.

DVDs in Canada and the US

In Canada, Nelvana released two DVDs. These DVDs show the episodes in widescreen with English and French sound. The opening song is the full version, not the shorter TV version.

• Ruby Gloom: Grounded in Gloomsville – This DVD has the first four episodes. It also includes a special behind-the-scenes look at the voice recording for "Hair(Less): The Musical."
• Ruby Gloom: Misery Loves Company – This DVD includes "Iris Springs Eternal," "Poe-ranoia," "Skull Boys Don't Cry," and "Misery Loves Company." It does not have special features.

In the United States, kaboom! Entertainment and Phase 4 Films released six Ruby Gloom DVDs in 2013. Each disc has four episodes, played as one continuous show. The repeated opening songs and short mini-episodes are cut out from the main show. All the mini-episodes are included separately as a bonus feature. These DVDs are also in widescreen with English and Spanish sound.

DVDs in Other Countries

• Brazil – Seasons one and two were released in 3-disc DVD box sets. However, these sets don't include all episodes from each season. They are in full screen (meaning the sides of the widescreen image are cut off) with Portuguese and English sound.
• France – Ruby Gloom: 1 has the first six episodes. It's in full screen with French sound.
• Germany – Two DVDs were released with the first eight episodes. These are also in full screen with German sound. Later, another DVD called Ruby Gloom – Willkommen in Gloomsville was released with the first seven episodes.
• Japan – A DVD box set called Ruby Gloom's Bible has twenty episodes from the first 24. They are in random order on five DVDs. These are in widescreen with Japanese sound.
• Australia – Four DVD volumes are available, each with four episodes, covering the first sixteen episodes. They are in full screen with English sound.

See Also

In Spanish: Ruby Gloom para niños