Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures

Undoubtedly this is one of the more innovative cartoons of the '80s, which is not particularly surprising, given it has the talents of both Ralph Bakshi (of "Fritz The Cat" fame) and John Kricfalusi, who would score another cult-favorite four years later with "Ren & Stimpy."

The show, which lasted only one season, added tongue-in-cheek humor to the proceedings (see the "Quotes" section.) It was this rapid-fire wit that was the precursor to the likes of "The Simpsons", among others. This is the same kind of wit that's missing in most cartoons nowadays, which are more concerned with product placement and commercial accessibility (how else to explain how a generation of youngsters embrace something as hollow as "Pokémon"?)

Sadly, there's a dark spot in the show's history, one that led to it's demise. An episode that aired on April 23(?), 1988, drew the attention of Rev. Donald Wildmon. This particular episode featured a scene that showed Mighty Mouse sniffing what appeared to be cocaine. In actuality, Mighty Mouse was sniffing a dead, dried-up flower that had been given to him by Scrappy, the orphan. (This was an incredible piece of symbolism: the flower represented good in a world of evil.) Even when confronted with this, Wildmon insisted that it was cocaine. This led to protest from media watchdogs, which prompted brass at CBS to move the show to a later timeslot, only to cancel it shortly thereafter. Aside from a brief reappearance on the Fox network in November 1992, the show hasn't been widely seen.

All in all, if there's one relic from the 80's worth bringing back, this is it. And you gotta love that a capella reworking of the theme. :-)

Out of a sense of nostalgia, I decided to rent a DVD of this cartoon series. I remembered when "Mighty Mouse, the New Adventures" premiered back in 1987. Compared to the rest of the cartoons of the day, it was terrific. This Ralph Bakshi production was clever at times and was filled with sarcasm and as a result, adults could even enjoy it. But, I also noticed as I watched the show that by the mid-1990s, LOTS of more clever and more sarcastic cartoons had come along and were simply better. So, while "Mighty Mouse, the New Adventures" looked great when it came out (and it was ahead of its time), compared to later shows like "Animaniacs", "Pinky & the Brain" and "Time Squad", this 1987 show comes up lacking in most every way--particularly when it comes to the quality of the animation--which is awfully poor. Not a bad show but certainly not as good as my memory thought it was--probably because 1987-88 was just before cartoons in the US became rejuvenated with a much, much higher quality standard. Worth seeing but not at all a must-see.

"The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse" was a a cartoon ahead of his time. During the 80's,most cartoons were basically made in order to sell toys, or were inspired in any cultural phenomena of the decade (real action movies, video-games, old TV-shows) and most of them weren't funny or interesting at all. And that's what makes this show great: It was exactly the opposite of those dull shows, that didn't have any personality or fun at all, using a more mature and complex sense of humor that made this remake superior to the original. The New Mighty Mouse not only had a better characterization and stories than most cartoons of the recent days, but it also had the wit and charm the many shows aimed to children would like to have. And yes, it have the strange elements that are common in the works of John Kricfalusi and Ralph Bakshi, and that isn't a problem, but only makes this cartoon better. "The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse" is a highly underrated cartoon, considering how it influenced in modern animation,something that is a shame.

I have to say that I never was a fan of the original Mighty Mouse. However, I liked the style of the new Mighty Mouse. Why? Well, because despite the strange style of the show, I found it very funny and clever. I liked the animation, the new characters, and the way in what the characters of the old Mighty Mouse were used.(Like the episode of Gnady Goose)

even when John Kricfalusi said that this show didn't have his humor style, there are some elements in common with his other shows, as "Ren & Stimpy" and "The Goddamn George Liquor Program". (at least in the animation and the bizarre characters and situations) I miss a lot this one. It is one of the few cartoons that loved as a kid and I still like it.

I think I was like 6 when this was on the air and it used to freak me out. not that I didn't like it, I remember totally not understanding any of it. but, 4 years later when Ren and Stimpy premiered, I became totally obsessed with the same warped comedy. I wish I could find a copy of this cartoon. it, and the twisted adventures of felix the cat. that reminds me Ralph Bakshi did NOT create Fritz the Cat. He stole it from R. Crumb. anyway, this is a great cartoon, highly recommended