The History of FREAKAZOID! | Steven Spielberg’s Superhero

I watched every episode of Freakazoid! The superhero cartoon that was produced by Steven Spielberg in the 90s. Is this cartoon a hidden cult classic that could unlock your next favorite superhero?
Directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino have had a lot of negative things to say about the Superhero genre, especially the MCU. But one famous director has stayed out of the MCU bashing circuit- Steven Speilberg. And it’s probably because he has a Superhero Universe of his very own.
#videoessay

[@amazingpurplegirl0903]

This is the thing. In 1995 we couldn't binge shows in one sitting, we'd have to wait week on week for each one. I'd have been in my teens and I loved when this would come on

[@TwoWrights]

I was 14 when Freakazoid originally aired and I loved it. I was a massive movie nerd and Spielberg was my idol. I got most of the reference humor, which wasn't a common thing to see on television at the time. I think big thing that shaped the tone of the character of Freakazoid was the popularity of Jim Carrey at the time. You even said he was like the Mask. That's not a mistake. Carrey was the biggest comedic star in the world at the time, and his over the top comedic tone was what they were aiming for with Freakazoid. I haven't watched Freakazoid since 1995, but from time to time I will quote something from it, so it definitely left an impression on me.

[@kali3665]

One of the best gags they did on the show was when Freakazoid! was eaten by the week's monster, and then they switch to an animated Spielberg berating the writers: "What were you thinking?!! You can't kill off the hero five minutes in! What were you thinking?!!" And one of the writers responded, "Well, we thought we'd go home early and finish off with Animaniacs reruns." 🤣🤣

[@surrealkit4843]

Teen titans go also did a Scooby-Doo family feud episode and a Beetlejuice episode. It’s a really messy show with an occasional classic.

[@skarloey1214]

"Floyd the barber cuts his hair. Freakazoid, Chimpanzee"

[@jfess1911]

"There's no way that kids understood this show" -- BINGO. I agree it might have survived on something like Cartoon Network's Toonami or Adult Swim (which didn't exist yet), but, as you noted, it was a Saturday Morning Cartoon aimed at children. To be honest, as much as I enjoyed watching this show with my son, it was sometimes too much "silly" for me in the morning (yes, I qualify as "Super Old" to you). I think you need to be in the right mood to fully appreciate this show. There is no way I could binge several episodes at a time. It is a series that really needs some time between episodes to be fully appreciated.

[@ashleym780]

I was a kid when then came out and I vividly remember watching this show. It was so weird and I loved that 😂😂

[@magpieMOB]

Freakazoid was absolutely my jam - I was a 9yr old with undiagnosed ADHD and, while I didn't get a lot of the references, it was also so dense at times that I pretty much hyperfixated on it, and it let me to find out about Jerry Lewis, among others. That being said, I agree that I don't think a reboot at this point would really give us anything new - the Teen Titans Go! episode felt kind of like a loving tribute to a trailblazing project - in the same way that the Grey Ghost episode of Batman TAS paid tribute to Adam West as a forerunner of Kevin Conroy

[@chasebridges]

I agree!!

[@magpieMOB]

Also I feel like adding that, at that time, my parents were just beginning to use email and some internet at their jobs, I was part of the first generation to have it as a learning tool in our youth, and I can absolutely confirm that being exposed to so much, so quickly, turned me into a Freakazoid

[@surrealkit4843]

I loved Freakazoid. Fun weirdness. It’s up there with Sam and Max.

[@surrealkit4843]

I watched enough monster movies that I knew who Lon Chaney Jr was.

[@discountcowboy6715]

I couldnt figure out why I liked older cartoons more than what was being shilled out to me when I was a kid until you said there are no more grounded shows and everything is a parody of everything now. I was like woah... thats it!!

[@chasebridges]

Yea, old shows are the best

[@untecito]

Fenomenoide!

[@protomenfan200x]

Fun video! I used to watch Animaniacs! as a kid, but I never really got into Freakazoid. The DCAU shows are some of my faves, so I wish we could've seen the Bruce Timm version of this show too. What's wild is Spielberg almost directed the first Superman movie! The producers passed on him because they thought he didn't have enough experience, lol. (This was back when he'd only made Jaws.) Also, have you read Alan Moore's version of Miracleman? He's a similar warped secret identity thing going on like Freakazoid and Dexter do, except it ends in a much darker place.

[@chasebridges]

I would’ve loved to see Timm’s version of this show for sure

[@diedfamous]

Twin peaks and freakazoid? Consider me spoiled. Hope to get something on s3 of twin peaks btw….

[@matte5705]

I loooved freakazoid! But I watched it in college in conjunction with a lot of weed so maybe not the intended audience (though also maybe yes?)

[@matte5705]

I would argue slenderman is a direct successor to c@ndlejack

[@HarryBaileyShow]

You on letterboxd Chase?

[@chasebridges]

I am! boxd.it/1xQbh

[@sasamichan]

other shows with silly heroes, they used to be on all the time in this era The Mask Ace Ventura The Tick Walter Mellon Project G.e.e.K.e.R. Sam and Max Deadpool Powerpuff Girls Kim Possible Phineas and Ferb Batman Brave and the Bold the Lego movies both the big movies and the direct to DVD ones Batman TAS the Creeper Gremlins 2 loony Tunes Back in Action Pinkey and the Brain Star Warners

[@Lobsterwithinternet]

Is it sad I could tell who it was by just the silhouette?

[@chasebridges]

Hahahaha that’s impressive

[@Goremasterhelsing]

Me too🤭😏

[@kid_scarlet]

two words: pop filter