View source for Raw Toonage

{{short description|Disney animated cartoon program}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Raw Toonage.png
| image_alt            =
| caption              = 
| genre                = [[Anthology series|Anthology]]<br>[[Animated series]]<br>[[Cartoon]]<br>[[Television comedy|Comedy]]<br>[[Slapstick]]
| creator              = {{Plainlist|
* Larry Latham
* Ed Wexler
}}
| based_on             = 
| developer            = 
| writer               = Laraine Arkow<br>Shari Goodhartz<br>Ralph Sanchez<br>Robert Schechter<br>Gary Sperling
| director             = 
| creative_director    = 
| voices               = [[Jeff Bennett]]<br>[[Rodger Bumpass]]<br>[[Nancy Cartwright]]<br>[[Jim Cummings]]<br>[[Steve Mackall]]
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = Patrick DeRemer
| opentheme            = "Raw Toonage Theme Song"
| endtheme             = "Raw Toonage Theme Song" (Short Version)
| composer             = [[Stephen James Taylor]]<br>Mark Watters<br>Eric Schmidt<br>Jerry Grant<br>Walter Murphy<br>Craig Stuart Garfinkle
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 1
| num_episodes         = 12 (39 shorts and segments)
| list_episodes        = <!-- name of list of episodes article goes here -->
| executive_producer   = 
| producer             = Larry Latham<br>(''He's Bonkers'', ''Totally Tasteless Video'' and host segments only)<br>Ed Wexler<br>(''Marsupilami'' cartoons only)
| editor               = 
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = 23 minutes
| company              = [[Disney Television Animation|Walt Disney Television Animation]]
| network              = [[CBS]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|1992|9|19}}
| last_aired           = {{end date|1992|12|5}}
| related              = ''[[Bonkers (American TV series)|Bonkers]]''<br>''[[Marsupilami (1993 TV series)|Marsupilami]]'' 
}}

'''''Raw Toonage''''' is an American animated cartoon program that premiered on [[CBS]] on September 19, and ended on December 5, 1992, after 12 episodes or 39 shorts and segments had been broadcast. The program was preceded by a ''He's Bonkers'' theatrical short titled ''Petal to the Metal'' that aired in August 7, 1992.

''[[Bonkers (American TV series)|Bonkers]]'' was spun off from the ''He's Bonkers'' short series and ''[[Marsupilami (1993 TV series)|Marsupilami]]'' was spun off from ''Marsupilami'' short series of the program in 1993. ''[[The Shnookums & Meat Funny Cartoon Show]]'' then was spun off from ''Marsupilami'' in 1995.

==Cast==
===Main===
* [[Jeff Bennett (voice actor)|Jeff Bennett]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hischak |first1=Thomas S. |title=Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary |date=2011 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-8694-6 |page=22 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&q=Raw+toonage&pg=PA256 |access-date=25 February 2020 |language=en}}</ref> as Jitters A. Dog
* [[Rodger Bumpass]] as Grumbles the Grizzly
* [[Nancy Cartwright]] as Fawn Deer
* [[Jim Cummings]] as Bonkers D. Bobcat, Maurice, Norman, Don Karnage (guest star from ''[[TaleSpin]]''), Leonardo the Refined Lion
* [[Steve Mackall]] as Marsupilami

===Guest stars===
* [[René Auberjonois (actor)|René Auberjonois]] as Chef Louie (from ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'')
* [[Corey Burton]] as [[Ludwig Von Drake]], Captain Hook (from ''[[Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan]]'')
* [[Christine Cavanaugh]] as Gosalyn Mallard (from ''[[Darkwing Duck]]'')
* [[Bill Farmer]] as [[Goofy]] (with his style from ''[[Goof Troop]]'')
* [[Frank Welker]]
* [[Terry McGovern (actor)|Terry McGovern]] as Launchpad McQuack (from ''[[DuckTales (1987 TV series)|DuckTales]]'' and ''Darkwing Duck'')
* [[Samuel E. Wright]] as Sebastian (from ''The Little Mermaid'')
* [[Alan Young]] as [[Scrooge McDuck]] (from ''DuckTales'')
* [[Rita Moreno]] as Tanya Trunk (episode 2)
* [[June Foray]] as Aunt Mindy

===Crew===
* [[Ginny McSwain]] – Dialogue Director
* Jamie Thomason – Talent Coordinator

==Short series and segments==
* <span style="color:gray;">Gray = Hosting</span> — 9 segments, also indicating Goofy starring in "Goofy's Guide to the Olympics" in the sixth episode.
* <span style="color:blue;">Blue = He's Bonkers</span> — 11 shorts, excluding the first short ''Petal to the Metal'' (August 7, 1992)
**In that short, Bonkers has to deliver flowers to the starlet Fawn Deer for 5 minutes or else he's fired by his boss Grumbles.
* <span style="color:green;">Green = Marsupilami</span> — 16 shorts, 13 of which became third segments of the episodes of its spin off show in 1993.
* <span style="color:red;">Red = Totally Tasteless Video</span> — 11 shorts that don't have any logical or chronological connection.

{{Episode table |total_width= |background=#500050 |overall= |title= |airdate= |episodes=
{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=1
 |NumParts=3
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Spatula Party</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">Doggie Schnauzer</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">Marsupilami Meets Dr. Normanstein</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|9|19}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) [[Ludwig Von Drake]] demonstrates various principals of toon physics.<br />(1.) Bonkers' new neighbor Fawn wants to borrow a [[spatula]], so he scurries all around the neighborhood trying to get one.<br />(2.) The life of a man who swallowed a washing machine depends on Doggie Schnauzer.<br />(3.) Marsupilami and Maurice stumble onto the laboratory of Dr. Normanstein, who happens to be looking for a brain for his new monster, Apenstein.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=2
 |NumParts=3
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Sheerluck Bonkers</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">All Potato Network</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">The Puck Stops Here</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|9|26}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) [[Don Karnage]] shows us how to look for [[treasure]], with mixed results.<br />(1.) Victorian era detective Sheerluck Bonkers tries to find out who's stolen a priceless pendant from Princess Fawn of Doe-mania.<br />(2.) This channel features programming of shows and specials, like ''[[All My Children|All My Spuds]]'' and ''[[Starsky & Hutch|Spudsky & Hutch]]''.<br />(3.) Norman uses the [[hotel]] air conditioning system to freeze the lake and challenge Mars to a game of [[ice hockey|hockey]].
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=3
 |NumParts=3
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Bonkers in Space</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">Cro-Magnum PI</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">The Treasure of the Sierra Marsdre</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|10|3}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) [[Scrooge McDuck]] demonstrates the new security system he's installed in his [[money]] bin, by trying to break in.<br />(1.) In the future, Bonkers and Jitters work at a spaceship-wash outfit in a [[space]] station, but Jitters accidentally gets cast into space while Bonkers puts the moves on Fawn.<br />(2.) A Stone Age gumshoe investigates Rock Doo-Wop's theft of ideas for new inventions from other cavepeople like the wheel and fire.<br />(3.) Norman spies on Mars and Maurice planning to go on a treasure hunt and worms his way into joining them.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=4
 |NumParts=2
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Draining Cats and Dogs</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:green;">Mars vs. Man</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|10|10}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) [[Sebastian (The Little Mermaid)|Sebastian]] tries to get to the Mervin Peevish Convention Center in time to host a variety show, avoiding being caught by Chef Louie along the way.<br />(1.) Grumbles sends Bonkers and Jitters to rescue Fawn when her pipes burst and flood her house.<br />(2.) Foreman Norman uproots Mars' tree to make space for his condominiums, but Mars squats in one of them.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=5
 |NumParts=3
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Get Me to the Church on Time</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">So You Think You Know Everything, Do You?</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">Someone's in the Kitchen with Mars</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|10|17}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) Jitters does stunt work for four Disney shows.<br />(1.) Bonkers and Jitters have a difficult time getting to Jitters' wedding with Tanya in time.<br />(2.) Two certified geniuses compete on a game show with each other and a dog.<br />(3.) Chef Norman steals Mars and Maurice's big basket of [[fruit]]. Mars and Maurice track him to the hotel [[kitchen]].
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=6
 |NumParts=4
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Ski Patrol</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">Poultrygeist</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">Romancing the Clone</span>"
 |Aux1_4="<span style="color:gray;">Goofy's Guide to the Olympics</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|10|24}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) Bonkers tries to deliver a TV to Fawn's house.<br />(1.) Bonkers and Jitters as paramedics go to take an injured skier Grumbles to the Plummet Summit Hospital for Nurse Fawn Deer.<br />(2.) A family is alarmed to find out that their house was built on the site of a fast-food chicken restaurant, and now the [[poltergeist]]s of the chickens eaten there terrorize them until an exorchicken arrives.<br />(3.) Norman dresses up as a female Marsupilami to deceive a tourist that's trying to take a picture of a Marsupilami. But Mars falls in love with Norman.<br />(4.) Goofy demonstrates various track and field events.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=7
 |NumParts=4
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Get Me a Pizza (Hold the Minefield)</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">Nightmare on Rocky Road</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">Wanna Be Ruler</span>"
 |Aux1_4="<span style="color:red;">The Porker's Court</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|10|31}}
 |ShortSummary=(1.) A black-and-white newsreel tells of how WW1 hero Bonkers bravely delivered pizzas to our boys in the front.<br />(2.) A boy who loves ice cream gets his wish when the whole world turns to ice cream and now he must face [[Freddy Krueger|Freddy Scooper]].<br />(3.) Mars and Norman compete for the title of ruler of the Wannabe tribe, and the treasure that comes with it.<br />(4.) The [[The Three Little Pigs (film)|Three Pigs]] take the [[Big Bad Wolf]] to the [[The People's Court|Porker's Court]] over the shoddy conditions of the houses that he's leased to them.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=8
 |NumParts=3
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Dogzapoppin'</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:green;">Bathtime for Maurice</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">Fear of Kites</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|11|7}}
 |shortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) [[Launchpad McQuack|Launchpad]] gives lessons in flying.<br />(1.) Bonkers has to get an important package to his boss, Grumbles, but he can't get past Grumbles' nasty dog.<br />(2.) Mars has to go through a lot of trouble to get filthy Maurice to take a bath.<br />(3.) Mars and Maurice's kite gets tangled up on the hotel rooftop, but Bellhop Norman won't let them inside to retrieve it.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=9
 |NumParts=4
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Trail Mix Bonkers</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:green;">The Young and the Nestless</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:red;">Coming Attractions</span>"
 |Aux1_4="<span style="color:green;">Jungle Fever</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|11|14}}
 |ShortSummary=(1.) Pony express rider Trail Mix Bonkers delivers two money plates to California and fights the Grumbles Kid.<br />(2.) Mars reminisces about a time when a young Mars and Maurice fought a kid-age Norman over Mars's comic book collection.<br />(3.) The snack bar where you can get popcorn, hot dogs, nachos with cheese and drinks and see movies like ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Totzilla]]'' and ''[[Rambo (film series)|Rambones]]''.<br />(4.) Mars tries to cure Maurice, but Maurice keeps sneezing into the way of a refined lion named Leonardo.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=10
 |NumParts=3
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:green;">Witch Doctor Is Which?</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">Robin Hoof</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">The Hairy Ape</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|11|21}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) [[Gosalyn Mallard|Gosalyn]] enthusiastically eggs on [[Ludwig Von Drake]] to build a monster for her.<br />(1.) [[Witch doctor|Witch Doctor]] Norman places a series of curses on Mars so that he instead of Mars will be the happiest person in the jungle.<br />(2.) Robin Hoof and his sidekick Milk Maid Marion protect the people of Sherman Forest from the evil king and his men.<br />(3.) Norman traps Maurice to take to the zoo, telling Mars that he's taking him to a party, but Mars wants to go, too.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=11
 |NumParts=3
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Quest for Firewood</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:red;">Badly Animated Man</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:green;">Safari So Good</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|11|28}}
 |ShortSummary=(<span style="color:gray;">Hosting</span>.) Marsupilami teaches Maurice how to defend himself against a bully.<br />(1.) In prehistoric times, Bonkers searches for firewood to bring back to his freezing tribe.<br />(2.) Meet Badly Animated Man, the superhero who can leap over a tall building with a single drawing, and who wields a Two-Frame-a-Minute Punch.<br />(3.) Mindy pays a visit and takes an immediate liking to Mars.
 |LineColor=500050
}}{{Episode list
 |EpisodeNumber=12
 |NumParts=4
 |Aux1_1="<span style="color:blue;">Gobble Gobble Bonkers</span>"
 |Aux1_2="<span style="color:green;">Hot Spots</span>"
 |Aux1_3="<span style="color:red;">My New Shoes</span>"
 |Aux1_4="<span style="color:green;">Prime Mates Forever</span>"
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1992|12|5}}
 |ShortSummary=(1.) Jitters lets Bonkers take one of his beloved [[turkeys]] to Grumbles for Thanksgiving dinner, not realizing that it is dinner.<br />(2.) A heat wave, a watering hole and Norman all combine to make trouble for the jungle residents.<br />(3.) A kid raps about all the cool things he can do with his new shoes.<br />(4.) Mars helps Maurice try to romance a tough female gorilla.
 |LineColor=500050
}}
}}

==History and production==
The idea for the show had an unusual genesis. [[Disney Television Animation|Walt Disney Television Animation]] was developing a 65-episode half-hour series for their [[Disney Afternoon]] block entitled ''[[Bonkers (American TV series)|He's Bonkers D. Bobcat]]''. The premise was similar to ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'', as the series dealt with the lead character's adventures post-stardom. The actual production of this series was troubled. At some point, someone had the post-modern idea to actually make the cartoons that Bonkers had starred in before becoming a policeman, and ''Disney's Raw Toonage'' was born. At the same time, [[Michael Eisner]] had purchased the rights to the popular Belgian comic strip [[Marsupilami]] created by [[André Franquin]]. ''Totally Tasteless Video'' was intended as a satire of popular culture. A host segment was added to give the program the familiar feel of the ''World of Disney'' show.

Due to the shorter production schedule, ''Disney's Raw Toonage'' was on the air before the above-mentioned half-hour program, thus adding some credibility to the back story. The program typically opens with an introduction by a famous character from Disney (such as [[Goofy]] with his style from ''[[Goof Troop|Disney's Goof Troop]]''), who attempts to share some of their expertise with the audience; then the show has a few of the above-mentioned shorts chained in a row, rounding out the half hour.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Erickson |first1=Hal |title=Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 |date=2005 |edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476665993 |pages=652–653}}</ref>

===He's Bonkers===

The premise of the '' He's Bonkers'' shorts is that Bonkers is a delivery person or a proto-hero, usually assisted by Jitters A. Dog. Conflict is provided by Bonkers' love for Fawn Deer, who mainly reciprocates his love for her. Bonkers also has a strict boss or an arch enemy, called Grumbles the Grizzly. Jitters, Fawn and Grumbles also appear in the series [[Bonkers (American TV series)|''Bonkers'']]. Each of the ''He's Bonkers'' shorts were eventually included in 4 special extra compilation episodes of the half-hour series. ''He's Bonkers'' series has 12 shorts overall.

===Marsupilami===

The ''Marsupilami'' shorts took the look of the character from the Belgian comic, but the characterization differs significantly; Marsupilami is more anthropomorphized, and speaks the language of the human characters fluently, Marsupilami in the comics can only say variations of "houba" and mimic sounds like a parrot. The secondary characters in Disney's Marsupilami series are completely different from those of the comics; in the Disney cartoons, Marsupilami is most often opposed by Norman, who appears in various different roles. Every one but three ("Wannabe Ruler?", "The Young and the Nestless", and "Hot Spots") of the ''Marsupilami'' shorts were not included in the half-hour ''[[Marsupilami (1993 TV series)|Marsupilami]]'' series. Marsupilami short series has 16 shorts overall.

===Totally Tasteless Video===

''Totally Tasteless Video'' did each show in a different style. They were stories edited by Tom Minton, who would later write ''[[Pinky and the Brain]]'' at [[Warner Bros.]] The first ''Totally Tasteless Video'' short is a parody of movie coming attraction trailers, followed by a spoof on ''[[Doogie Howser, M.D.]]'' Other notable shorts involve a badly animated superhero, a prehistoric spoof of ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'', an exorchicken fighting chicken ghosts that haunt a family, and a [[Robin Hood]] twist in the [[Jay Ward]] style of cartoons. ''Totally Tasteless Video'' series has 11 shorts overall and it didn't have its spin-off tv series.

Larry Latham produced and directed the ''He's Bonkers'', ''Totally Tasteless Video'', and host segments; Ed Wexler produced and directed ''Marsupilami''. At least one of the ''Marsupilami'' cartoons was produced with the idea of a theatrical run in mind.

[[Rerun]]s of the program were aired on [[Disney Channel]], and [[Toon Disney]]. ''Disney's Raw Toonage'' was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the category of outstanding writing in an animated program and Outstanding Music Direction and Composition in 1993. Music was composed by Stephen James Taylor (character themes and underscore), Mark Watters, Eric Schmidt, Jerry Grant, Walter Murphy, and Craig Stuart Garfinkle. As of 2002, this program is no longer shown following a lawsuit filed against Disney for the [[breach of contract]] with use of the character [[Marsupilami]] in 1997 as the rights were handed back to Marsu Productions few years later.<ref>{{cite journal |title=185 F3d 932 Marsu Bv v. The Walt Disney Company |url=http://openjurist.org/185/f3d/932/marsu-bv-v-the-walt-disney-company |journal=Open Jurist |date=1999 |volume=F3d |issue=185 |page=932 |access-date=May 3, 2024 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0179604}}
* {{youTube|gbihjd3obp0|The opening sequence}}

{{Disney Television Animation}}
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 1990s}}
{{Marsupilami}}
{{Scrooge McDuck in animation}}
{{Disney franchises}}

[[Category:1990s American animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:1990s American anthology television series]]
[[Category:1990s American children's comedy television series]]
[[Category:1992 American animated television series debuts]]
[[Category:1992 American television series endings]]
[[Category:American children's animated anthology television series]]
[[Category:American children's animated comedy television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:CBS animated television series]]
[[Category:Children's television series about talking animals]]
[[Category:Television series by Disney Television Animation]]
[[Category:Bonkers (TV series)]]
[[Category:Marsupilami]]