Was Darkwing Duck Actually Made For Kids?

[@caramel7149]

I think every cartoon sorta has to serve two goals: 1. Be fun for kids to see. 2. Have a more subtle layer of entertainment so the adults and artists don't die of boredom.

[@stitchfan_8290]

That brings me to another thought. I think that is why some people come to a point when they think they are too old for cartoons. at some point the kid jokes stop working for you, but you still are not old enough to get the grown up jokes. so you are left thinking you are too old for cartoons until you see one that makes you laugh as an adult.

[@octosalias5785]

The 'Disney Adventures' lineup from Rescue Rangers, Ducktales and Darkwing was just a great solid format that was fun to engage with

[@jw3638]

Some of my favorite cartoons

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Disney was willing to spend the money to try and own the market. It was just an amazing time for TV cartoon shows. Plus, Tale Spin and Gummy Bears were also quite good.

[@no1noseme96]

This and the Fox Box had us spoiled in the late 90s

[@mattlovelace91]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade I’m in the minority, but I didn’t like Tale Spin, I loved the theme song though. 😂

[@dipperdandy]

One could say it was... BONKERS

[@JoshOutdoorsGR]

Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles were some truly compelling cartoons of the early 90s that had great story writing. Have gone back to both as an adult and they hold up… others front that era not so much.

[@davidbriggs6086]

C. S. Lewis wrote that if a book isn't worth rereading when you're 50, it's not worth reading when you are 10. The same with cartoons. Having said that, "Let's get dangerous!"

[@NotUnymous]

Yeah, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, Ducktales, but also Batman the animated series. Dont know about Ninja Turtles tho?

[@davidbriggs6086]

@@NotUnymous Ninja Turtles were intended for adults by the guys who invented them. They were sort of intended as a joke on all the X-Men style teenage mutants who got caught up in the Ninja craze, with the next step into outrageousness being making them turtles. But a combination of good writing, relatable fleshed out characters and good stories made them more popular than expected.

[@benkr]

completely agree

[@lameljamison8880]

Frfr I ❤ those shows, dang we’re old lol

[@archive6094]

Fun Fact: There was originally going to be a spin-off of both Darkwing Duck and Ducktales called "Justice Ducks". It would have involved Darkwing and Gizmo Duck teaming up with new heroes to fight crime.

[@juliiju0484]

The Ducking Animated Universe

[@NeorecnamorceN]

​@Edward Lee Miller pretty sure the audience just wasn't there for the reboot. It was a bit of a different tone as well, if I recall correctly.

[@SandwichGlitch]

I hated Gizmo..... What a waste of DuckTales spotlight

[@TheWesterlyWarlock]

@@juliiju0484 Congratulations, this comment may have won the internet.

[@mickeymouse7726]

I would have loved to have seen that man

[@petschitt2252]

Decades later and I still remember the Darkwing Duck theme song. Darkwing was my favorite Disney cartoon. 😻

[@TheWesterlyWarlock]

Let's get dangerous!

[@ZRecords-0]

I was singing it in the shower 🤣

[@abigails4088]

you and me both XD I was humming it in my head as soon as this video started XD

[@jamesjoy7547]

"I am the terror that flaps in the night . . . I am the shopping cart that scratches your paint job . . . I am Darkwing Duck!"

[@brandonobaza8610]

_(kicks down door, panting, out of breath)_ "I came as soon as I heard! We're gettin' dangerous again??"

[@MacBaza]

Born in 1988, Darkwing Duck was one of my favorite cartoons

[@davidbriggs6086]

Born in 1952, Darkwing Duck was also one of my favorite cartoons.

[@t3hi84n2g]

Same. I also loved the Phantom movie as a kid too so I guess it makes sense.

[@FallenWolf64]

Born in 1894 and this show blew me bloomers off when i heard him say *Let's get dangerous* Still brings tears to me eye's.

[@BazilRat]

84, same.

[@briancates3576]

79, still my fav cartoon

[@KingOfMadCows]

It was actually Alan Burnett who came up with the Darkwing Duck name. He had worked on TaleSpin, DuckTales, and Chip 'n Dale. He also wrote the DuckTales movie. Later, he became a main producer on Batman: The Animated Series and produced and wrote for pretty much every DC animated show and film up until about 5 years ago when he retired.

[@Comakino]

We could do with a few more writers like him these days for sure.

[@shredderorokusaki3013]

I saw it exactly one year ago in January 2022! I saw the wholse series after i read that diseny will make a new series so i decided then to watch it. iam 35 and i didnt watch it when i was a kid becuase it iddnt air on tv then in my country. I enjoyed it alot! Ittook me one month to finish the series. Lot of action and fun. When will they announce the release date of the new darkwing duck series?i HOPE IT IS SOON!

[@Cerebrum123]

@@shredderorokusaki3013 Given who the leaks have working on it, I think you might be better off watching the 2017 DuckTales reboot. I wish it had more Darkwing content, but what they did do was more than enough to show that they cared. Oh, and nice username. TMNT is also one of my top favorite franchises, and fortunately there is actually a decent amount of good reboots.

[@shredderorokusaki3013]

@@Cerebrum123 IAM THE ONE TRUE SHREDDER ITI SN OT USER NAME. Which verison of me you like most? 1987, 2011, 2012 2018 or 1984? Or the movies> IAM THE SHREDDER. You msut see my videos to see how brutally ikill my enemies.! see them!

[@Cerebrum123]

@@shredderorokusaki3013 I'd say it's the original comics version first, followed by 2016 version and then 2003 version. Utrom Shredder is surprisingly good, but I consider him an impostor. Lots of good Shredders really.

[@cayteo]

In hindsight, I view Darkwing Duck and Tailspin as educating viewers in the vocabulary of the genre. Seeing these shows as a kid and then finding Errol Flynn, we will be primed for the experience Also, I could watch these shows with my grandfather and both of us would genuinely enjoy

[@gypsycrow3917]

Wholesome my man and true. I never watched Darkwing with my gramps, but I see where that checks out.

[@adamwiggins9865]

Chip & Dales rescue rangers, Darkwing Duck & Tail spin were my favourites for the couple years they were playing.

[@blackrat1228]

Very true. I was able to at least understand references from people in their 50s and 60s when I was a little kid based on watching these shows.

[@stoltobot]

I think it goes to show writers did not underestimate children’s ability to appreciate good stories and noir aesthetics

[@pikasnipe1]

I definitely feel having grown up with these shows. I have an excellent vocabulary that most lack these days. And wow no selling of an agenda.

[@SirWiggy12]

I wasn't aware of this show's inspirations as a child, but I still LOVED me some Darkwing!

[@willdiesel8431]

Yeah I'm surprised about the direct ELVIS homage wasn't mentioned in this commentary. Darkwing was consumable for most.

[@khaimk4r4su]

What is greatly fun is the fact that they exploited and enjoyed themselves with lots of superhero tropes like when all the heroic characters from the show teamed up more than once against Nega Duck and the rest of the (usual) rogues gallery from the show. I think the first big team-up was even a two-parter and later there was a Middle Ages version team-up which was just one episode but equally as fun. Also the show had a lot of entertaining one-time villains and equally good built on the villains. All in all i think i learned most of my 90s super hero tropes from the show itself!

[@zainmudassir2964]

Talespin also had 1930s aesthetic

[@Comakino]

100% the writing was surprisingly strong for a kids show.

[@navylaks2]

Every show or film has been inspired by something we as the audience may not know what, but we still enjoy it. Batman for instance was partly inspired by Zorro.

[@TyrniSprocket]

I always felt that Darkwing was meant to be watched by kids *with* their parents, and that it really hit on a specific niche of geeky parents. It certainly gave my dad a fun way to share his interests with me, and instilled in me a love of pulp stories...and Batman.

[@The_Gallowglass]

I listened to all the old time radio with my grandpa especially the shadow and Green Hornet.

[@navylaks2]

A lot of the early Pixar films used the same formula, and I'd say they managed pretty well

[@crystaleevee1334]

Man I absolutely loved Darkwing as a kid, and rewatching it as an adult, it still holds up very well. I believe the reason why I loved the show so much back then was, despite not knowing what the show is referencing, it’s still a lot of fun to watch. Also, Tad Stones explained why Darkwing has multiple origin stories. It’s supposed to be a nod to how superhero narratives have multiple origin stories, and thought it would be funny to do the same for Darkwing. He even admitted that if the series had continued, there would have been more. Oh, and he technically now has 4 different origins now if you count his backstory in Ducktales 2017. Lol.

[@Compucles]

None of those three origin stories actually contradict each other, though. One of them was a time traveling episode to when Drake was a kid that inspired his past self to eventually become a hero. One of them included a flashback to when he actually became Darkwing Duck for the first time near the end of high school. The other one was set in the future with Drake as an old man just making up a fictional origin story for himself to entertain a couple of lost kids.

[@ImpulseGenerator]

I used to love this show as a kid, and none of the references or homages even registered. I just enjoyed it at face value, and it was one of my favorite shows, so it's really interesting to look back on how this show was conceived.

[@khaimk4r4su]

When you think about all of those references and homages its amazing how much of it was gotten away with or even creatively incorporated into the show!

[@thesisypheanjournal1271]

Darkwing Duck rocked. I still remember the episode where he was chasing the villain into an art museum and they ended up embedded in famous paintings, leaping from one to the other and changing style to match.

[@skooterbrah]

I was 24 when this show premiered, and I instantly loved it! Lots of subtle adult humor, and intelligent storylines. The '90s seemed to be a time when it was cool to release cartoons with a deep adult draw. "Amimaniacs" comes to mind!

[@dannyarcher6370]

Just started rewatching Animaniacs on HBO Max.

[@nyarparablepsis872]

I was about 11 when I first watched both shows back in the days, and was entranced. There was something to them that I couldn't put my finger on. Recently having rewatched both during the pandemic I realised that it was exactly this adult element you mention. There really should be more cartoons like these!

[@The_Gallowglass]

I was exactly 7 when Darkwing Duck came out.

[@marivg8948]

@@The_Gallowglass I was 10! 😃

[@ProfDragonite]

It's always great to see a show from your childhood that's aged as well as this.

[@NeorecnamorceN]

Definitely one of my favorite cartoon shows growing up. Really need to rewatch the show now that I can pick up on more of the subtleties.

[@TheWesterlyWarlock]

I'm pretty sure I saw a Flash Gordon reference and now, I, too, want to go back through and see all the things kid me didn't even know about lol

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

A lot of cartoons back in the day were designed with a bimodal audience in mind. Something that was for the kids, but also had a bunch of stuff for the parents. It's one of the big tragedies of children's programming of the last couple decades that you get these characters like Caillou that are just horrible and they have annoying voices to match how horrible they are. Previously, children's cartoon characters might have distinctive voices, but usually nothing that was too obnoxious. One of the reasons why they would create shows that did have that twin spike in popularity was a nod to the fact that you still had to convince the parents to let the kids watch the show and if the parents could get some enjoyment out of it, it could be more of a family program to watch.

[@Camm0Blue]

I swear growing up I was the only kid who watched this show. I dressed up as dark wing duck for Halloween and all lol. Glad you did an episode on one of my favorite shows as a kid!

[@GDSZD]

Late 80s-early 90s cartoons were king we had Darkwing Duck, Freakazoid, Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Ren & Stimpy, and so many more. This was a 2nd Golden Age in my opinion.

[@kaisarr7632]

It was the best era for tv animation

[@FireAngelZero]

I completely agree, being a kid in the late 80s to early 90s is an experience kids these days will never understand… especially the fact things couldn’t be recorded or rewatched instantly like things are now… you had to deal with the episode that was airing that day/week and then the commercials in between… it’s a different time already…

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@kaisarr7632 It was the brief period where studios were trying to take the artform seriously and it showed. It was also tremendously expensive, which is part of why it didn't last and why it took so long. The main genius of Hanna Barbera was to reduce the costs of animation enough to make it reasonable to produce enough cartoons to fill a TV schedule for the year. Animation, even with modern tools and handing off much of the work to the developing world, is a very expensive thing to try and produce a TV show in. It's part of why it's so strange that we wound up with an animated version of King of the Hill rather than the live version that was originally intended.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@FireAngelZero I have so many happy cartoon memories from growing up because we still had Saturday morning cartoons and has the fun ones from the '60s and '70s as well as the really high quality stuff that was being produced in the mid-80s to early '90s. It was truly a privileged time to be a kid watch cartoons. And sadly, that's not going to happen again any time soon. Perhaps with machine learning they'll be able to spit out similar quality at a budget that is affordable in a TV show budget, but we're likely at least 10 years out from that.

[@MrsDazl]

Totally forgot about Freakazoid

[@CrowTRobot]

Makes me happy to see people my age writing his character in the Ducktales 2017 reboot and to know that Seth Rogen is trying to get a new series off the ground. I felt like the only kid who loved Darkwing Duck. My poor dad drove 2 hours to find a store that carried the action figures.

[@Camm0Blue]

You're not alone, no one else watched it amongst my friends growing up. Made it weird when I dressed up as dark wing duck for Halloween lol.

[@kevin10001]

Your not the only one I had book on cassette tape that u followed along with an actual book and at the end of the story they had the theme song on the tape and I played that portion of the cassette tape more just to hear the theme song over and over again

[@FireAngelZero]

I loved Darkwing duck. One of my favorite Disney afternoon shows… talespin was probably my second but Darkwing will always be my favorite!

[@EZ33377]

It was a popular show in my area and those action figures are super underrated.

[@hrdkorebp]

But if Seth Rogan is involved, it’ll be trash.

[@andrewalderman101]

I was college age during the run of Darkwing Duck....and never missed an episode.....it's appeal to adults, through its side jokes shouldn't be underestimated.

[@scorpionwins6378]

I remember being so excited coming home from school and sitting down right in front of the tv to watch Darkwing Duck. The entire Disney afternoon lineup was amazing. Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers, Goof Troop, Talespin, Bonkers, Aladdin the series. Good times being a kiddo in the early 90's.

[@SuaNam08]

Darkwing himself was an interesting character (Disney protagonists aren’t known for their depth or layered psychology) and the central relationship between him and his daughter is genuine and heartfelt. THAT, juxtaposed with the fact that he never really gets the one thing he wants-public adoration, is hilarious and also sympathetic. 😆

[@Erebosmagnus]

I was obsessed with this show when I was 6. My mother still occasionally quotes the "anvils for Negaduck!" gag.

[@c.w.9501]

I freaking LOVED The Phantom, The Shadow, and The Rocketeer as a kid. Crazy that they lost money, I thought they were great.

[@TheElectricMayhem]

I love the Phantom, Treat Williams REALLY goes for it and chews the scenery. It’s by no means a perfect film… The Rocketeer, on the other hand, is. It’s a crime that film wasn’t box office dynamite.

[@c.w.9501]

@@TheElectricMayhem Agreed. Pretty sure that Jennifer Connelly in the Rocketeer was what jump-started my puberty. 😂

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@TheElectricMayhem I have mixed feelings about no follow up to the Rocketeer. I agree that it deserves more attention and having seen it recently on Disney+, it holds up amazingly well. But, I also realize that if they had chosen to do a follow up, that it likely wouldn't have worked very well. It definitely should have been more influential in that it was a comic movie, but it was relatively nuanced with good guys, bad guys and really bad guys. The use of the mob as baddish guys was intriguing and something that I wish more films would do. Without the Nazis in the film, the mob guys would likely have been the bad buys.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Same here, it's a shame that those films have largely been forgotten. One of these days, I need to go back and visit the source material for those as they all had a pretty decent catalog of content that was used for the inspiration of the films. I also think that that's part of why they would up being so enjoyable, the writers had a pretty well fleshed out world to write about.

[@TheElectricMayhem]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade yeah, I'm more bummed the movie didn't see financial success (just because the team and studio deserved it) more than I am upset about the lack of sequel. If they could have struck while the iron is hot (had it been actually hot), I could have seen Cliff Secord take on Indiana Jones-type-adventures, but since my favorite Indiana Jones movie had dropped 2 years earlier, it may have been redundant.

[@julissavillatoro5725]

I LOVED Darkwing Duck as a kid. He really was my Batman, before I loved Batman: the animated series. Makes me wonder if Disney still plans on doing the Darkwing Duck reboot after canning Ducktales 2017. I hope so. I totally cried by the end of the Darkwing episodes featured in the show. It was the closest I felt for truly the impossible to happen. Keeping fingers crossed tho 🤞🏽

[@khaimk4r4su]

I would be satisfied with sporadic or special guest appearances on the current Duck Tales show or comics. Also since he is a superhero Disney can make direct crossovers with obscure heroes from their acquired intellectual properties if they wanted so.

[@CHRISTisKing197]

Yes, they're gonna redo it but darkwing duck will now be a gay black lesbian

[@Punmaster9001]

I didn't realize a lot of those aspects about Darkwing. And it was always one of thoses shows that I didn't get bored of when it came on. It's for sure one of the more memberable shows from the 90s. The biggest issue I had with it at the time was knowing that Launch pad being on it meant Duck Tales was offically over.

[@CantankerousDave]

In the very first episode, Goslyn is snoring up a storm, and DD says to himself, “This kid could wake Elvis!” Definitely written so that older folks could enjoy it, too. (I also still remember a great line from evil twin Nega-Duck: “Hey, gimme back my face! You’re getting it ugly!”)

[@amenduhbainez7056]

You seem to really enjoy and have an admiration for not only Darkwing Duck, but also the pulp comics themselves. You really should check out and maybe even do a Nerdstalgic of "The Venture Bros" as they also heavily parody and are a homage to not only the pulp heroes but also all aspects of comic books, and superhero/boy adventurer shows and movies. They are great shows in their own right but are elevated to excellent shows if you have love and knowledge of all these older comics/shows. For example in one of the later seasons there is a character named "Blue Morpho" with his assistant who are perfect parody representations of Green Hornet.

[@stephgilliam]

Darkwing Duck was, and still is, for me. As a weird little kid who loves vintage stuff, old movies, etc. it uniquely appealed to the stuff I loved at the time. The theme still gets stuck in my head.

[@TheHeIIion]

I watched darkwing duck as a kid. I'm now an adult in his mid 30's, and after watching episodes again in the last couple of years, I found that the show actually has a lot of intelligent humour in it that I never would've understood when I was younger. It's truly a cartoon that people of any age can enjoy.

[@MikeScott55]

I was a Batman fan as a kid (literally learned how to read at the age of 4 by reading Batman comics and asking how words were pronounced/what they meant) who then saw Darkwing Duck as a “Batman meets Duck Tales” story that I could only watch when we had a free trial of Disney so it was this fabled, amazing show to me as a kid. Years later, I now own the entire series and couldn’t be happier. I love Darkwing Duck AND I love all of those flop movies too. 😂

[@ijustimagineit]

Born in the early 2000s and my parents had 2 Darkwing Duck CDs. Even for the younger generations, this show still packs a punch. I remember watching the cds quite a lot when I was younger, even attempted to bring it to school for a movie day and get kids to pick it. They chose Finding Nemo I think, but it nearly got played in the gym. Even now, as a 21 year old, this show still holds a special place in my heart and I occasionally go back to rewatch it 💜

[@the_Brumeister]

One thing you have to account for is how much kids absorbed of the era this touched upon from cable TV. I liked this show because it did touch on all these tropes and probably because of what I picked up watching reruns of Warner Bros cartoons from the 30s, 40s, and 50s which were on TV at 6pm on TNT as I recall. Then you had AMC showing all the old movies and giving me my introduction to everything circa WW2. It wasn't as far away in the distant past as you might think.

[@latexu95]

0:15 But mostly just Batman (and Zorro). They both also have a bunch of colorful enemies, with striking similarities. Dr. Bushroot is Poison Ivy, Quackerjack is Joker and Liquidator is Clayface.🤔

[@abigails4088]

"the creators LOVED the show, and it was infectious" I have always been a firm believer that if you TRULY LOVE what you do, it will show in your work... you really can tell how much adoration the team had making shows like Darkwing Duck.

[@postnick]

My favorite show when I was a little kid. I still love it! - 35 year old man now!

[@crazyman8472]

“I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the batteries that are not included! I am DARKWING DUCK!” 😎

[@WDCallahan]

No matter what you're about to say, Darkwing Duck was made for ME! Going to watch the video now.

[@burntvirtue]

Darkwing Duck followed the "nighttime superhero" craze started by Burton's Batman in 89 and us 90's kids loved all of em. Batman ➡️ Dick Tracy ➡️ The Rocketeer ➡️ The Flash ➡️ Darkwing Duck ➡️ Batman Returns ➡️ Batman The Animated Series

[@iyemwatiyem]

Don't forget about Gargoyles.

[@samspotz8r8s]

As a toddler, I was obsessed with the theme song. I don't remember much else, but I like to think it sparked my love for found families too

[@denverarnold6210]

Willing to bet the line you mimicked most was "Let's get dangerous"

[@tessiepinkman]

This was my favourite show growing up in the early to late nineties in Sweden. Thank you for reminding me of it, I got that fluffy, soft feeling of nostalgia inside of me and I'll rewatch some episodes right away! Perfect saturday!

[@korganrocks3995]

Disneydags/Disneyklubben!

[@LanceCorporal_Waffles]

“Let’s get dangerous.” Is my favorite catch phrase from ANY hero. Lol

[@kyndramb7050]

I loved Darkwing Duck! I had older parents, so my grandparents are older. I loved the references to old radio shows. My Grandpa still does impressions of The Shadow, and other pulp shows. I love it.

[@t3hi84n2g]

Spent alot of my childhood with grandparents and my grandfather would listen to the old radio shows every night so I loved the Phantom and Darkwing Duck growing up. Got lucky to find the dvd box set at a raffle market some years ago.

[@JohnDoe-zr8pc]

I was about 11 when this, Ducktails, and Tail Spin were all out. What a great lineup of shows.

[@MACsToyBox]

This cartoon was EVERYTHING in the 90's. I wore purple for years because of Darkwing Duck! 💜

[@doctorbjones2283]

"Suck Gas, Evildoer!" Was my catchprase in Battlefield 1.

[@christianporter3638]

Thank you Nerdastic for hitting me right in the nostalgia feels! I used to race home with my brother to watch Duck Tales, Darkwing Duck and Power Rangers in the early 90’s

[@Hallok5]

So many good episodes and characters. Definitely a gem from childhood

[@HMF47]

To answer the question at the end, Kingsman: The Secret Service did a great job as a spoof on James Bond movies (especially the ones in the Roger Moore era) while still being an impressive action movie on its own terms (the sequel, on the other hand...).

[@denverarnold6210]

The Golden Circle wasn't bad, imo, but The King's Man really lost the spirit the first movie carried from Bond.

[@ernststravoblofeld]

It's always fun to watch a new person discover that animators make cartoons for each other.

[@kevinfox500]

Yep. It was for kids, and it worked. And, there was even a lot for adults in it as well, with the parent/child interactions. Watched it after schopl my junior and senior years, at 16 and 17, and followed it in college. Loved the show.

[@Bustaperizm]

People forget that kids shows should also be good and make sense.

[@kevinfox500]

@@Bustaperizm only the pnes that grew.up after they no longer had the Saturday ones. That's around when when the story line quality negan to decline. The late 90s into he esrly aughts was the end of the best point I can remember, having been a kid that remembers tha afternoon blocks and Saturday mornings of 1980,.tjroufh about 88. This was one that I started watching at 16, and didn't miss an episode, unless I had to get to work. That age that's a little past most childhood interests. And hell, I never tried hiding it. Actually even gor a few friends into it then, and in college.

[@NeoTechni]

RE: the final question Galaxy Quest and The Orville Fun fact: Remember that episode where Liquiduck steals the city's water and sells it back to them? He inspired Nestle to do the same

[@Godsen5]

I loved Darkwing Duck as a kid and even back then I always thought the whole show was based on Batman. I think I stand corrected.

[@marblemunkey]

"Another parody of an existing genre so good it becomes part of that genre" Offhand, Galaxy Quest 💯%

[@invisiblegrif42]

Galaxy Quest is both a hilarious Star Trek parody but also an excellent sci-fi film in its own right

[@SlickBlackCadillac]

It is pretty good. And it will go down in my memory as the last VHS we rented.

[@korganrocks3995]

Was just about to make this exact comment!

[@rphb5870]

Drake Mallard means male wild Duck. The mallard being the most common duck species that exist practically everywhere in the northern hemisphere and drake the name of the male, who in real life all have a green head, and not the pure white plumage of the domesticated duck.

[@mehlover]

One of my favorite cartoons growing up, and the opening still slaps

[@LethalBubbles]

Yes it was. Kids media really was experiencing a golden age in the 90s. Children deserve quality to help them understand the culture. They don't teach them otherwise. I remember learning so much from Looney Toons etc as a kid. It was a great springboard and very stimulating to the imagination.

[@CrowTRobot]

That super dark episode that depicted future Darkwing as a fascist Big Brother presence went right over my head. Lots of references to Dark Knight Returns and Judge Dredd that I appreciate more now.

[@deletedwaffles]

I loved that episode. They even renamed him Darkwarrior Duck and gave him the red menacing eyes.

[@Yoxiv]

I loved the show as a kid, even having my mother make me a Darkwing costume when I was in the second grade (even if the feet and beak were way too loose fitting, lol). Was so bummed when the series ended not too long after reviving the pilot villain Taurus Bulba, played by the legendary Tim Curry. And while I know the series did get a few revivals in comic book form, it was a shame the series couldn't get a proper conclusion on television. Can only wonder if the reboot will be any good, I know the Ducktales reboot from 2017 had a mixed reception, including how it chose to wildly shake up the origins of its Darkwing into a much different character

[@TheWesterlyWarlock]

Me. It was made for me. Seriously, my parents were early cable adopters specifically to sub to Disney Channel for little kiddo me. I grew up watching Tom and Jerry cartoons, Hanna Barbara cartoons thanks to networks like USA and TBS, and then of course Nickelodeon had some weird programming blocks that ended up becoming TV Land. In our house, Adam West was Batman, Andy Griffith and Don Knots were as commonplace as Bob Hope, I knew a dolphin named Flipper and a dog named Lassie, I went to bed with John Boy, and I snapped my fingers with Morticia Addams. Hell, Darkwing Duck wasn't even Disney's first stab at noir; Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers had already done it to lukewarm reception (I was a fan). Also notable is that most kids of this era grew up with Looney Tunes as part of the Saturday morning cartoon block on networks, and Animaniacs came out a year after Darkwing, so I feel like you're overstating how "out of the public consciousness" this was when I'd watched more episodes of shows like Zorro, the Green Hornet, or the Lone Ranger before I was 12 than Darkwing Duck had episodes. The show was made for Disney Channel, so it was 100% geared toward the edutainment generation. We were already into this kinda stuff! Where in the world IS Carmen Sandiego these days I wonder...

[@TheWesterlyWarlock]

All that being said, this is a very informative and very well done piece of edutainment yourself, and I am very happy to be a subscriber. Your work is always top notch! Keep it up!

[@jerryharris876]

6:38 - 6:46. Who Framed Roger Rabbit didn't lose money... it made a lot of it (it was 1988s 2nd highest grossing film [making over $329.8 mil worldwide]). That movie was all about cartoons and the detective tropes. I equated it to Dick Tracey in the world of cartoons.

[@kaisarr7632]

Easily the Best Disney Cartoon of the Disney Afternoon era.

[@altdoom]

One of my favorite shows growing up in the 90s.

[@FreshTillDeath56]

love me some Disney Afternoon classics! TaleSpin is what I gel with more, but who could forget Darkwing Duck?

[@osetrovatelstvoroznava1917]

I love Darkwing duck cause it features bond between father and daugter,which was rare in TV of that era and kinda still is even in this one.

[@SalsaConMesquite]

Boy howdy I adore me some Darkwing Duck content

[@Y2Jerms]

As a kid: it was a superhero duck As an adult: a funny parody on superhero and other good vs bad tropes. Answer: it's for kids and parents.

[@WSendam]

He was my DUCK BATMAN loved him so much ❤

[@burntvirtue]

Exactly. This video misses the point entirely. Darkwing was huge in the early 90's and we all just perceived him as "Duck Batman" a year before the Batman Animated Series gave us the real thing.

[@AB1B1]

This was my favorite cartoon

[@CocktailsConsoles]

God I miss the 90's cartoons

[@Shin_Akumi]

He was made for kids, but we were more mature as kids. The world is really sensitive now.

[@burntvirtue]

100%

[@snapbaxtoytalk]

I remember when Morgana was doing crime to pay off her student loans being such a relatable by adults aspect of her character

[@rdear]

One of my favorite things ever as a kid, was the dark wing duck magnifying glass I had. I saved up money and UPCs from cereal boxes and sent away for it. I loved that thing and the show.

[@short0811]

Dark Wing Duck and Gargoyles were my favorite shoes growing up. JALEPENO!

[@TorQueMoD]

On of my favorite cartoons when I was younger. Also can't get over the fact that Darkwing/Negaduck are voiced by Winnie The Pooh/Tigger.

[@andreasmuller4666]

90s Disney made some of the best animated shows around.

[@ArtToonsOfficial.]

For someone who loves cartoons for years I've tried to find a superhero show for me to enjoy rather it would be new or old. I grew up in gen z with the internet mostly watching youtube. I grew up with Spongebob and other modern day cartoons such as Littlest pet shop the 2013 TV show. Darkwing Duck blew me away as an adult by watching the show on Disney+ in 2022 for the first time. Disney+ has introduced me to many shows and movies that came out way before I was born. I wish I grew up with this show. Too bad I was born in the early 2000s.

[@SturtH9]

I truly believe we wont see shows of this quality ever again. Current writers cant hold a candle to this creativity.. everything is all about money.

[@3DJapan]

I loved this show at around ages 12 or 13. As a young artist I video taped the show and paused it to draw from the screen. The pause only lasted a couple minutes so I was constantly rewinding and trying to find the same frame I was on.

[@Realitybit]

Omg I used to do this with rugrats! You just unlocked a memory for me

[@mikemccutchen1412]

I can never look at the oddly shaped plastic twist-off-top of a Kool-Aid plastic bottle without thinking of Darkwing's badass plane.

[@CharginChuck]

If you want to see a parody that transcended it's nature as a parody to become a genuinely great entry into the genre, then The Orville is a perfect example. It started as just a comedic Star Trek parody, but quickly found its own voice as a sci-fi adventure series to rival even the best of Trek itself.

[@murderman8578]

The Comedy was pretty good

[@calebpeiffer2434]

Great video as always, but in your comparison to DuckTales I do feel like you’re missing the fact that it too is rooted in the pulp magazines and radio and matinee serials of the 1930s. Directly, in fact-Carl Barks started making duck adventure comics back in the 40s, which was Disney trying to get in on the popularity of stuff like Doc Savage. Darkwing Duck just looks like someone realized that since DuckTales was successful at replicating the globe-trotting archaeological adventure side of the pulp era, they should do the same exact thing but this time replicating the crime fighting superhero side.

[@DumblyDorr]

"Galaxy Quest" is my go-to example of an hommage so good it becomes an honorary member of what it is referencing.

[@michaelweech6432]

Someone who worked at my college (now 2 decades ago, and born in the 80s - pre-1987, hence older than me, let alone was born before me, and is female, as well as Northern Irish) likes this show (because she *looks like* Darkwing Duck). This was made 2 months before her 6th (hence she’d have been in Year 1 - her first Key Stage year, at her primary school), and I used to see this on Saturday mornings on ITV, in summer 1994 (where she’d have been 8, and in Year 3 - needless to say, still at her primary school).

[@raxxie]

If you haven't already, please do a video about Talespin! All the concepts felt so foreign to me as a kid but at the same time so relatable.

[@_thewhaat]

You should do a video about Count Duckula Always choosing the most interesting topics

[@BenDaresAll]

Freakazoid is waaaay deep into the... 30s? 40s? 50s? Only adults could get the references like Hot Rods from Hell and Dial M for Murder.

[@VongolaXZax]

Grew up on 90s Disney cartoons, always will enjoy 90s Nick, but Disney had some bangers as well.

[@ScottLoganSecurity]

Darkwing Duck (as a kid) was what made me fall in love with the comic book adaptation genre. By my late teens I was reading the things it parodied and loving them, too.

[@cypressbutane4575]

I watched this as a kid and strangely recently thought about watching it again?

[@nicklundy9965]

This and Freakazoid deserve a reboot.

[@CarolinaMouse]

Darkwing Duck is/was my favorite of the Disney Afternoon shows from back in the day! I love this show so much to this day!!

[@StephenLeGresley]

I'd say Darkwing's rouges gallery is a mix of DC and Marvel: Bushroot - Poison Ivy/Floroninc Man Crackerjack - The Joker Megavolt - Electro The Liquidator - Hydro Man Negaduck - Venom/Reverse Flash

[@AxisMacintosh]

I got a notification that said Darkwing Duck in it. Needless to say I was excited.

[@archmagefrey]

To answer your question...I would say Galaxy Quest into the sci-fi star trek genre. Let's get dangerous.

[@cedric3973]

90s cartoons, the pinical of good writing and animation. I watch this stuff with my young niece since she was 5 and she loved this stuff.

[@billmilligan7272]

Dick Tracy ruled at the box office, making back four times its budget in a few weeks. It was the talk of the town, and very popular, so I think you might want to do quite a bit of fact checking. And I'm the early 90s there was a huge push for 1930s and 1940s nostalgia that was pretty successful for a while. Honestly this cartoon makes perfect sense. It's a cartoon you could watch with your grandparents. Quite a bit of fact checking. Michael Eisner was CEO of Disney though most of the 1980s, not newly minted around the Darkwing Duck era. Eisner was huge! He used to personally introduce the Disney movie of the week on primetime television, starting with, "Hi, I'm Michael Eisner..."

[@irondude71]

One of my earliest memories was watching Darkwing Duck and cracking the volume during the theme song. I would have been 5. It was my fav show.

[@Anno1602player]

I still watch Darkwing Duck. One of the reasons is that the show has some violence other Disney shows have not. They often talk about death and real life guns are used pretty often. The show simply wouldnt work without some level of violence. Darkwing Duck, Talespin and Gargolys are still amoung my favourites. Sure I still watch some other shows but rarely.