The Moxy Show facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Moxy Show |
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| Genre | Anthology |
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| Composer(s) | David Wayne Powers |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
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| Editor(s) | Lili Cunningham |
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| Original network | Cartoon Network |
| Original release | December 5, 1993 – May 25, 1996 |
The Moxy Show was an American cartoon series made by Colossal Pictures for Cartoon Network. It was also known as The Moxy Pirate Show and The Moxy & Flea Show. This show was special because it mixed classic cartoons with new parts featuring a computer-animated dog named Moxy. Moxy was supposed to be a janitor at Cartoon Network, but he secretly took over their TV signal every Sunday to host his own show!
The Moxy Show was the very first original program made just for Cartoon Network. The channel wanted a cartoon host that could appear live on TV. So, they hired Colossal Pictures to create Moxy and the special technology to make him move and talk. Moxy's voice was done by Bobcat Goldthwait. The show first aired as The Moxy Pirate Show on December 5, 1993. Later, on November 6, 1994, it became The Moxy Show and introduced Moxy's new sidekick, Flea. The series ended on May 25, 1996.
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What Was The Moxy Show About?
Moxy, a cartoon dog voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait, was the main character. He pretended to be a janitor for Cartoon Network. Moxy really wanted his own TV show, but he never got one. So, he built a secret TV studio in his closet! From there, he would "hijack" Cartoon Network's signal every week to put on The Moxy Show.
On his show, Moxy played famous old cartoons like Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and Popeye. Between the cartoons, Moxy would talk and share fun facts. When the show first started as The Moxy Pirate Show, Moxy was the only character. But when it changed to The Moxy Show, a new friend named Flea joined him. Flea was voiced by Penn Jillette and was called a "professional pest." Moxy was often silly and careless, while Flea was more calm and sensible. They made a great team!
How The Show Was Made
Cartoon Network is a TV channel that shows only cartoons. It was started by Turner Broadcasting System on October 1, 1992. At first, Cartoon Network mostly showed old cartoon reruns. But they wanted something new: a cartoon character that could host special events and appear live on TV.
The president of Cartoon Network, Betty Cohen, said they needed a cartoon host for a cartoon channel. Regular cartoons, made with Traditional animation or computer animation, couldn't be shown live. So, Cartoon Network asked Colossal Pictures for help. This company was known for mixing old animation styles with new technology.
Bringing Moxy to Life
Brian DeGraff from Colossal Pictures suggested Moxy as Cartoon Network's new mascot. Moxy would be a 3D computer model. His movements would be created using motion capture technology. This meant a real person would act out Moxy's movements, and a computer would turn them into animation. Cartoon Network liked this idea and hired Colossal Pictures to make sixteen short Moxy animations. They chose Colossal Pictures because they were very creative and good at making characters.
Moxy's look changed many times before they decided on his final design. Even though he was 3D, Moxy was designed to look like older cartoons, with bendy limbs and funny facial features. The creators wanted to make Moxy's closet studio with computer graphics too, but it cost too much money. So, they filmed Moxy over a real-life set. They used only three cameras, which meant they had limited views of the set.
The set was designed to look "wacky" and unplanned, like Moxy's show. It used "cartoon logic," like heavy items being on the top shelves of the closet. The set also used a trick called "forced perspective" to make it look deeper than it really was.
Motion Capture Technology
The special motion capture software for Moxy was created by Colossal Pictures. Bobcat Goldthwait was chosen to voice Moxy. A person named John Stevenson was hired to be the motion capture actor. This means Stevenson wore special gear that tracked his movements.
Moxy's mouth movements (lip-syncing) were automatic. They changed based on how loud Goldthwait's voice was. For Moxy's body movements, Stevenson wore a special harness with sensors. He also wore a hard hat with a long "beak" and cardboard hands with sensors. These extra pieces helped the computer understand Moxy's big ears and hands. The software even made Moxy's movements a bit stretchy and "rubbery" on purpose. It also added small details like Moxy's ears wiggling, making him look more alive. After recording, more details were added, like his eyes squinting or his eyebrows raising.
