Official Tick Appreciation Thread

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THE TICK VS ARTHUR VHS TAPE FROM 1994. This is the only VHS tape I ever bought for The Tick series. Were there any other ones?

THE TICK VS. ARHUR? WRITTEN BY BEN EDLUND AND RICHARD LIEBMANN-SMITH. BASED UPON CHARACTERS CREATED BY BEN EDLUND. PRODUCED BY SUNBOW PRODUCTIONS. TM AND 1995 FOX CHILDREN'S NETWORK, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "TICK" CHARACTER TM 1995 BEN EDLUND. 1997 TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT, INC. HI-FI STEREO VHS 4183. IT'S NIGHT IN THE CITY AND THERE'S A NEW SUPERHERO IN TOWN - THE TICK! HE'S SEVEN FEET TALL, HE'S BLUE, AND HE HAS THE POWERS AND ABILITIES UNKNOWN TO ORDINARY MORTAL MEN. JOIN HIM AND HIS SIDEKICK, ARTHUR, AS THEY JUMP INTO ACTION TO RID THE CITY OF VILLAINS ONCE AND FOR ALL. WHEN THE TICK DISCOVERS THAT HIS BELOVED DOGGIE IS ACTUALLY THE WORLD'S BIGGEST RAT, HE'S SHOCKED, BUT ITS NOTHING LIKE THE JOLT HE GETS WHEN ARTHUR TURNS EXTRAORDINARILY EVIL! IT SEEMS THAT AFTER TAKING A SUPERSIZING BELT OFF A TITANTIC TROUBLEMAKER, ARTHUR'S MUSCLES GROW - ALONG WITH HIS DARK SIDE - UNTIL THE ONLY WAY THE TICK CAN STOP HIM IS TO KNOCK HIM DOWN TO SIZE! WHAT'S HAPPENING? UPC NO. 08616-24183-3-4. ISBN NO. 0-7939-4183-0

The Tick Comics Scene Magazine No. 7 (1987 2nd Series)

The Tick Comics Scene Magazine No. 7 (1987 2nd Series) Comics Scene (1987 2nd Series) 7 FN

Publisher: Starlog

Published: April 1989, Original Cover Price: $3.50

Producer Robert Kamen discusses Punisher film; Alan Moore's thoughts; Chuck Dixon interview; Bob Kane interview; Marv Wolfman comments on Batman: Year Three; Anton Furst discusses Batman; Bob Ringwood discusses Batman; Jerry O'Connell discusses My Secret Identity; Mike Uslan discusses The Return of Swamp Thing; Berni Wrightson discusses Swamp Thing; Peter David discusses the novelization of The Return of Swamp Thing; David Campiti discusses Hero Alliance; Ben Edlund discusses The Tick.

Jack in the Box Kids Meals Bag 1997

Jack in the Box Included in Jack in the Box kids meals in 1997. Each was included in a bag which featured the Tick and Speak on the front and a game on the back. Answers to the game were included on the bottom of the bag. Each toy also included a game sheet. Flexie Tick—Tick face puppet. Tick Ball—Inflatable ball with Tick sayings. El Seed Rolling Flower—The Tick in a wheeled flower pot. Tick Darts—Velcro Tick antenna darts to throw at villain targets.

The Tick Carl's Jr Cool Combos for Kids Meal 1997

Carl's Jr.

Four water squirting toys included in Carl's Jr.'s Cool Combos for Kids meals in 1997. The bag the meals came in featured the Tick and Arthur on the front and a game on the back. The answers to the game were printed on the bottom of the bag. Tick Squirter -- Push button on Tick's back Arthur Squirter—Push button on Arthur's back. Speak Squirter—Pull squeaks tail to fill with water, push to squirt. Human Ton Squirter—Squeeze the toy to squirt. 1997 Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., The Tick 97 Fox Children's Network, Inc., "Tick" Character & Ben Edlund 1997 Namkung Promotions, Inc. A Bio-Degradable Recyclable Paper Product.

The Tick Taco Bell Kids Value Meal Bag Series II 1996

Series II

Four toys included with Taco Bell Kids Meals in 1996. Balancing Tick—Tick balances on a brick wall.

Gliding Arthur—Arthur glides when thrown. Submerging Sewer Urchin—Urchin dives and resurfaces in a tub or sink. Charles the Brain Child—Ball in hole game.

The Tick Taco Bell Series I: Kids Value Meal Bag 1995

The Tick Taco Bell Series I: Kids Value Meal Bag 1995. Taco Bell discontinued Kids Meals in 2013.

Surprisingly McDonald's or Burger King never did a Tick Happy Meal, go figure...that I know of.

The Marvel Superhero The Tick Will Parody

Season 1 of the upcoming reboot will feature an epic Marvel superhero parody that not many of us might have expected. The Tick creator and executive producer had this to tease about what kind of comic character we should expect in the first season:

 

"A very, very violent vigilante character - who won't have a skull on his chest, but he will be quite hardline in his reasoning."

 

It should be interesting to see who The Tick casts to play its version of the Punisher. Ben Edlund went on in his chat with IGN at New York Comic Con to reveal that Patrick Warburton would appear on the new show in "a really interesting role." We can't say what the chances are that we'll get to see the original Tick himself playing a distinctly un-Tick type of character like Frank Castle, but it's guaranteed that Warburton would nail the role. He has the imposing stature to make for a believable non-superpowered vigilante as well as the comedic timing to guarantee a funny episode of television.

The Marvel Superhero The Tick Will Parody

 

Season 1 of the upcoming reboot will feature an epic Marvel superhero parody that not many of us might have expected. The Tick creator and executive producer had this to tease about what kind of comic character we should expect in the first season:

 

"A very, very violent vigilante character - who won't have a skull on his chest, but he will be quite hardline in his reasoning."

 

It should be interesting to see who The Tick casts to play its version of the Punisher. Ben Edlund went on in his chat with IGN at New York Comic Con to reveal that Patrick Warburton would appear on the new show in "a really interesting role." We can't say what the chances are that we'll get to see the original Tick himself playing a distinctly un-Tick type of character like Frank Castle, but it's guaranteed that Warburton would nail the role. He has the imposing stature to make for a believable non-superpowered vigilante as well as the comedic timing to guarantee a funny episode of television.

 

The Marvel Superhero The Tick Will Parody

 

Season 1 of the upcoming reboot will feature an epic Marvel superhero parody that not many of us might have expected. The Tick creator and executive producer had this to tease about what kind of comic character we should expect in the first season:

 

"A very, very violent vigilante character - who won't have a skull on his chest, but he will be quite hardline in his reasoning."

 

It should be interesting to see who The Tick casts to play its version of the Punisher. Ben Edlund went on in his chat with IGN at New York Comic Con to reveal that Patrick Warburton would appear on the new show in "a really interesting role." We can't say what the chances are that we'll get to see the original Tick himself playing a distinctly un-Tick type of character like Frank Castle, but it's guaranteed that Warburton would nail the role. He has the imposing stature to make for a believable non-superpowered vigilante as well as the comedic timing to guarantee a funny episode of television.

 

Wo..a vigilante?

The Tick Good Stuff Vinyl Toy 1994

Each has a suction cup attached. They're called FLIP FLOPS because you can hang them from your rear-view mirror or refrigerator and when they flip or flop you can view the same message on either side. Series A, B, C had different shapes and sayings such as

* CEASE AND DESIST YOU NASTY-DOERS.

* I AM SIMPLY THE TICK!

* NO APPLAUSE NECESSARY... JUST DOING MY JOB! This one says, "What Kind of World is it when you can't trust your own sidekick to be by your side?" There might be as many as 11 in this series of stuft plush vinyl toys. This one is about 6" tall. MANUFACTURED BY THE GOOD STUFF CORPORATION. 1994 TM KIDS NETWORK.

THE TICK VINYL FLIP FLOP TOY FROM GOOD STUFF 1995

This series does not come with suction cup attached nor does it have different sayings on either side. Only on one side does it say, "YOU FACE THE TICK!" They're called FLIP FLOPS because you can hang them from your rear-view mirror and when they flip or flop you can view the message on ONLY ONE side. Series A, B, C? had different shapes and sayings such as

* WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN...NOTHING!.

OR

YOU DON'T EAT CRACKERS ON THE BED OF YOUR FUTURE OR YOU GET ALL...SCRATCHY!"

There might be as many as 11 in this series of stuft plush vinyl toys. This one is about 6" tall. MANUFACTURED BY THE GOOD STUFF CORPORATION. 1994 TM KIDS NETWORK. WRITTEN ON THE TAG IS: "ALL NEW MATERIAL, POLYESTER FIBER, LICENSE PA #4828 (RC) MASS # 10-0982, OHIO # 4204 (RC), MAINE #7628, GOOD STUFF CORP., L.I.C. N.Y. 11101, MADE IN CHINA (Y) TM & 1995 Fox Children's Network, Inc., All Rights Reserved. "Tick" Character TM & @ 1995 Ben Edlund

THE TICK VINYL GOOD STUFF TOY YOU DON'T EAT CRACKERS 1995

This series does not come with suction cup attached nor does it have different sayings on either side. Both sides say, "YOU DON'T EAT CRACKERS ON THE BED OF YOUR FUTURE OR YOU GET ALL...SCRATCHY" They're called FLIP FLOPS because you can hang them from your rear-view mirror and when they flip or flop you can view the SAME message on BOTH sides. Series A, B, C? had different shapes and sayings such as

* WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN...NOTHING!.

OR

"I AM THE TICK"

There might be as many as 11 in this series of stuft plush vinyl toys. This one is about 6" tall. MANUFACTURED BY THE GOOD STUFF CORPORATION. 1995 TM KIDS NETWORK. WRITTEN ON THE TAG IS: "ALL NEW MATERIAL, POLYESTER FIBER, LICENSE PA #4828 (RC) MASS # 10-0982, OHIO # 4204 (RC), MAINE #7628, GOOD STUFF CORP., L.I.C. N.Y. 11101, MADE IN CHINA (Y) TM & 1995 Fox Children's Network, Inc., All Rights Reserved. "Tick" Character TM & @ 1995 Ben Edlund

THE TICK VINYL I AM THE TICK GOOD STUFF TOY 1995

This series does not come with suction cup attached nor does it have different sayings on either side. Both sides say, "WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN...NOTHING!" They're called FLIP FLOPS because you can hang them from your rear-view mirror and when they flip or flop you can view the SAME message on BOTH sides. Series A, B, C? had different shapes and sayings such as

"I AM THE TICK"

There might be as many as 11 in this series of stuft plush vinyl toys. This one is about 6" tall. MANUFACTURED BY THE GOOD STUFF CORPORATION. 1995 TM KIDS NETWORK. WRITTEN ON THE TAG IS: "ALL NEW MATERIAL, POLYESTER FIBER, LICENSE PA #4828 (RC) MASS # 10-0982, OHIO # 4204 (RC), MAINE #7628, GOOD STUFF CORP., L.I.C. N.Y. 11101, MADE IN CHINA (Y) TM & 1995 Fox Children's Network, Inc., All Rights Reserved. "Tick" Character TM & @ 1995 Ben Edlund

THE TICK VINYL YELLOW GOOD STUFF TOY 1995

This series does not come with suction cup attached nor does it have different sayings on either side. Both sides say, "WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN...NOTHING!" They're called FLIP FLOPS because you can hang them from your rear-view mirror and when they flip or flop you can view the SAME message on BOTH sides. Series A, B, C? had different shapes and sayings such as

* WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN...NOTHING!.

OR

"I AM THE TICK"

There might be as many as 11 in this series of stuft plush vinyl toys. This one is about 6" tall. MANUFACTURED BY THE GOOD STUFF CORPORATION. 1995 TM KIDS NETWORK. WRITTEN ON THE TAG IS: "ALL NEW MATERIAL, POLYESTER FIBER, LICENSE PA #4828 (RC) MASS # 10-0982, OHIO # 4204 (RC), MAINE #7628, GOOD STUFF CORP., L.I.C. N.Y. 11101, MADE IN CHINA (Y) TM & 1995 Fox Children's Network, Inc., All Rights Reserved. "Tick" Character TM & @ 1995 Ben Edlund

The Tick Comic Book Magazine No. 100 The Tick Meets Invincible (1st Edition May 2012)

Front Cover

Back Cover

The Tick reached issue #100 in March 28, 2012, and Invincible showed up to celebrate the occasion. Tick writer Benito Cereno pairs New England Comics' The Tick with Robert Kirkman's Image Comics character, Invincible. And though it's technically an intercompany crossover, Cereno is certainly familiar with the world of Invincible, having written back-up stories in several early issues of the series. The Tick #100 will also contain the 20-page feature "The Saga of The Tick," recapping the character's 99 previous issues.

Writer: Benito Cereno Artist: Les McClaine

Saddlestitch, 48 pages Color text, color covers

Robert Kirkman's Image Comics superhero appeared alongside his super-powered girlfriend Atom Eve in the milestone issue of New England Comics Press's series. "In a full-length 24-page epic, Invincible is transported to The Tick's universe where the two mighty heroes confront the combined threat of the master criminal Chairface Chippendale and a mysterious and menacing new villain who makes even Chairface look like an ordinary umbrella stand," reads the solicitation on Diamond Comic Distributors' Previews. "A story so awesome it requires two planets and at least one moon to contain it!" Invincible reached its own milestone 75th issue that year. While Robert Kirkman gets a lot of love for the Walking Dead, Kirkman's "Invincible" embodies the surprising and simple concept of the world's greatest superhero's progeny coming into his own and quickly realizing how in over his head he really is, Dean said. "Nothing he took for granted is true and every choice is harder than he expected. Teenagers, right?" he said. "Tick #100" pairs Invincible with the more naive pair of The Tick and his sidekick Arthur, whose most notable vigilante effort was to keep a supervillain from writing his name on the moon. The Tick and Arthur afford Invincible some levity. Invincible injects a deeper pathos into the world of his hapless insect-hero friends. The result is a story that manages to distill all that is good about "The Tick." This book is a concentrated version of "Tick" humor and action and a great showcase of two independent comics powerhouse writers. This magic that I speak of is "The Tick #100." It caught my eye because it featured another one of my favorite characters, Invincible. We have spoken often on Comical-Musings about how much I love Invincible and so it was nice to see him team up with a character from my childhood. The characters intertwine nicely and the numerous jokes that they make are really celebrations of each character. They lovingly mock the simplicity of The Tick and the stylistic similarities between Invincible stories with respect and care. The issue was a clever little departure from my regular comics that I read and it made me laugh a little bit. The "Fat Rabbit" gag was a nice touch for those who are familiar with The Tick. In the end, it was a team up between two characters that I love; One from my past and one from the present. The story was humorous and I felt satisfied with the end. As an aside, one thing that many comic books struggle to do is to provide decent jumping on points for the new reader. The Tick #100 practically lays out a red carpet with 10+ pages of back matter explaining the entire published history of The Tick. It tells you what to read and where to get it. So as far as being a crossover with a successful character from now with a forgotten character from the 90s, that provides a boost in sales and a great jumping on point, The Tick #100 was extremely successful. You can pick any and all of The Tick catalog up at New England Comics' website. At $6.99, Issue #100 is a little bit pricey in comparison to mainstream titles, but you pay for quality and this is worth it. If you liked The Tick before, give this one a read!

Benito Cereno has been writing The Tick since 2009's The Tick New Series #1, and also has contributed extensively to Image's Invincible, writing back-up stories, co-writing Guarding the Globe and authoring Atom Eve and Rex Splode miniseries. In March, those worlds collide in a very literal fashion with The Tick #100 from New England Comics, a full-on intercompany crossover between the Ben Edlund and Robert Kirkman creations. Newsarama talked with Cereno via email about why the two characters are a good pairing, the future of the series, and what he's working on next.

Newsarama: Benito, you've been writing The Tick for some time now and have plenty of experience with the Invincible world, so clearly a team-up isn't out of nowhere. But what can you tell us about the particulars of what led to bringing the two together? Was it just kind of like a, "Well, this makes sense, why not?" type of thing? And what makes them a fun pair to write together?

Benito Cereno: As far as I am aware, the Tick had never previously crossed over with a character from another company (other than I think an appearance in that book War of the Independents), and it was something the folks at NEC Press were interested in doing. They asked me for ideas, and since I had collaborated with Robert Kirkman on Invincible tie-ins before and because he and I were in the same room at the time, making it easy to ask him about it, I suggested Invincible. That is more or less the origin of it.

The great thing about Invincible showing up in The Tick is that Invincible is a character whose adventures started off relatively light-hearted, but his life took a dark turn. So he's able to look at the Tick and Arthur and kind of shake his head and say, "I wish all I had to deal with is guys trying to write their name on the moon." And Arthur kind of blushes and is like, "Well, Ithought we were cool." But it's very playful; if anything, Invincible is kind of jealous of the liberty they have to be somewhat naive.

Since before I even began my run on The Tick, I had the idea for a story that was somewhat more dramatic than The Tick is used to, but it didn't quite fit the tone of The Tick New Series. It turns out the missing piece was Invincible. The presence of a more dramatic character affects the timbre of the whole story, and really makes for a different reading experience than just reading either The Tick or Invincible alone.

Plus, in all the Invincible tie-in books I've done, I've written Atom Eve, Rex Splode, Brit, Cecil, Bulletproof and tons of others, but I have never before written Invincible himself. Even the scenes with him in Guarding the Globe were written by Kirkman, not me. So it's nice to finally be able to write Mark himself.

Nrama: The solicitation states that along with Chairface Chippendale, a new villain debuts in The Tick #100. What can you tease at this point about the character?

Cereno: This issue really picks up a lot of threads that have been woven in the subplots ofThe Tick New Series. The new villain is actually the revelation of the shadowy figure who tried to blow up The Tick in the first issue of the New Series and who aggravated Chairface by his ability to slip through the prison walls.

So we'll see who that guy is, we'll see what Chairface has been up to in the Little Big House (the prison within a prison for the exceptionally dangerous), we'll see who the new villains like Scarf Ace and Desperadoe have been working for, and several other things will be revealed.

All of this is not to say the book will be inaccessible to people who haven't been reading The Tick! Everything you need to know is in this one issue; it will just have more resonance for people familiar with the most recent series. You honestly need only the most superficial familiarity with The Tick and Invincible to get what's going on.

But the jokes are way funnier if you're familiar with both.

Nrama: Seeing how tons of guest stars are nearly obligatory for an anniversary issue, can we expect, as the cover suggests, plenty more characters beyond Tick and Invincible getting in on the fun? (Along with, apparently, a death.)

Cereno: To be completely honest, I didn't know until well after I had written the -script that this was going to be an anniversary issue. I had just been calling it "Tick/Invincible." So it didn't even really occur to me to make it an "all your favorites!" kind of issue.

That said, the issue does feature Atom Eve and a thematically appropriate Invincible villain, as well as the regular Tick cast, including Bumbling Bee and the rest, lots of Tick villains, and the surprising return of a character I think readers of the New Series will be excited about.

As for the death tease, well, it is the Tick. I wouldn't necessarily take everything at face value. Or... would I?

Nrama: The issue also contains backmatter in the form of a "Saga of the Tick" recapping the character's history - were you involved with that part at all, or is it strictly editorial? (And do you have any idea how they got to #100? With all of the different series over the years, it's a tricky one to figure out.)

Cereno: That is all editorial. It may or may not contain material from the profile of The Tick I wrote for the 2011 FCBD special, but I suspect it will be largely new material.

As for the issue counting, I suspect that will be covered in that back matter as well. I'm not sure which issues are and are not being counted. From my count, this issue is more like... #100ish. Which is close enough for The Tick, so it's good enough for me!

Nrama: Your usual Tick collaborator Les McClaine is illustrating the issue. From your perspective, do you think that the respective visual worlds of The Tick and Invincible mesh pretty seamlessly?

Cereno: Yeah! If you look at Les's work over different projects, from The Middleman to Jonny Crossbones to his "Mayhem at the Manor" print to The Tick, you can see he's a deft hand at a number of diverse styles. So he was quite handily able to incorporate Invincible into The Tick's over-the-top world.

He has no problem whatsoever depicting all the elements of this story - from the mundane beginning on Arthur's couch to a hotel full of slime monsters to an explosive climax in space - in an exciting and believable way. Les is the best. Also, he is very handsome.

Nrama: At this point, you've been writing The Tick for a couple of years now - given that you started, like so many of us, as a fan of the original comics and cartoon, what has the experience been like getting to add to the character's history?

Cereno: Very strange, and occasionally high-pressure. The Tick is a book that is - and with very good reason - inextricably associated with the initial run by its creator. Anyone who works on the book is going to inevitably be compared to Ben Edlund, and fans are not shy about that. So there's a very high standard to live up to, and you have to push extra hard to get over the disadvantage of not being Ben Edlund. I think as the New Series has gone on, you can see me getting more comfortable with these circumstances, as the first issue is me halfway imitating the voice of an episode of the cartoon, and, say, issue seven is pretty much all me.

But, yeah, I think about high school me reading , and then I think of how future editions now will have dumb stuff I thought up, like Scarf Ace and Scary Chicken and Ichthuhuu and Trousershark, and it's pretty weird, yeah.

(Incidentally, I met Ben Edlund at San Diego a few years ago. He is literally the nicest guy. Unfortunately, I had just started work on the series, so I didn't have much to show him or get advice about.)

Nrama: On that note - it has been a few months since the last new Tick issue (March, maybe?). Is the plan for more Tick material past #100, or is it wait-and-see based on how the issue is received?

Cereno: Yeah, the book has kind of been on hold while a lot of behind the scenes stuff got sorted on this issue. Kirkman said he was really busy working on a TV show or something? I haven't really heard anything about that, so I don't know.

Lots of sales on this book certainly wouldn't hurt! Come on, guys! It's a crossover! It's a round number anniversary issue! It might have a death in it maybe! Put them dollars on the table!

Seriously, yeah, the future of the series is probably somewhat contingent on the performance of this issue. Hopefully, after reading the end of this story, people will be burning to see what happens next.

The Tick - not just this issue, but the series as a whole - kind of lives and dies by pre-orders. Retailers don't know you want it unless you ask for it! Please tell your local comics retailer if you want this issue! If all else fails, there are dozens of discount online retailers who would love your preorder. Don't just assume it will be in the shelf! Nearly everyone I know told me they hadn't read the series because they were waiting for the trade, then we solicited the trade and there weren't enough preorders to justify printing it! Speak up! Ask for it by name! Help keep me in my luxurious "living indoors" lifestyle!

Nrama: Finally, what else are you working right now on that readers should know about? Is there a Tales From the Bully Pulpit 2 update?

Cereno: Yes, work has been progressing on Bully Pulpit 2. The -script is nearly done, and Graeme MacDonald is working on it in between his busy schedule animating different showsfor The Hub, like My Little Pony and Pound Puppies.

Nate Bellegarde and I have been working on a third Hector Plasm special, which we've been calling "Fantasmagoriana," but he's got a lot on his plate as well, so no telling when that might be done. Similarly, James Harren and I are trying to get Santa Claus vs. the Martians in the can for next Christmas when he's not killing it on BPRD. I'm also working with Eisner-nominated writer-artist Joel Priddy on a cool little project. It is about a mummy. We are hoping for a spring launch. Otherwise, I'm always looking for new things to work on and new people to work with. I'm friendly, my spelling is nigh impeccable, and imposter syndrome means my page rate is very reasonable. Call me!

That's a lot of details!

1993 THE TICK KARMA TORNADO #1 FIRST ISSUE (THE TICK KARMA TORNADO: CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS!)

Christopher McCulloch (Author), Bill Neville (Illustrator) Publisher: New England Comics Press (1993)

Language: English

ASIN: B000T8ZE90

Product Dimensions: 11 x 10.3 x 0.2 inches. Tick Karma Tornado is another early series in the Tick saga. These were some of the earliest comics of the Tick that weren't done by Ben Edlund. First published: October, 1993

Concept: Ben Edlund; Plot: Christopher McCulloch; Penciller: Bill Neville; Inker: Dave Garcia; Cover Inks: Jeff Whiting; Letterer: Bob Polio; Publisher: George Saurez; Managing Editor: Bill Devine; Art Director: Bob Polio; Assistant Editor: Larry Boyd; Plot: Ben Edlund; -script: Christopher McCulloch. Tick is kidnapped and forced to compete in a galactic competition with Team Earth.

Christopher McCulloch (born September 14, 1971), also known by the pseudonym Jackson Publick, is an American comic book and television writer, storyboard artist, and voice actor known for his work on several Tick properties and for the animated television series The Venture Bros.[1] He authored the comic book miniseries The Tick: Karma Tornado, a spin-off of The Tick, and was a staff writer and storyboard artist on the 1994 Tick animated series. He also worked on storyboards for PB&J Otter and Sheep in the Big City and as a writer on the 2001 Tick live-action series. He created The Venture Bros. in the early 2000s and produced its 2003 pilot episode.[2] He and Doc Hammer are the Venture Bros. co-creators, writers, editors, and directors,[2] producing the show through their animation company Astro-Base Go. McCulloch voices over 20 characters in the series, including Hank Venture, The Monarch, and Sergeant Hatred.

That's a lot of details!

 

Netflix has three shows featuring dark, wounded, brooding superheroes: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, with three more on the way. Amazon Video, meanwhile, has only The Tick—a ham-handed blue doofus. At this point, that doofus is all Amazon wants.

Amazon previewed several of its upcoming shows during a panel at New York Comic Con yesterday afternoon (Oct. 6), and the highlight was The Tick, the latest TV adaptation of the comic book character created by Ben Edlund in 1986.

An absurdist satire of the self-seriousness of the burgeoning superhero genre, The Tick arrives just in the nick of time. The character might not be new, but in this era of superhero saturation, he feels more fresh than any other hero currently on television. The Tick, in all his bumbling glory, is exactly who we deserve.

For those unfamiliar, Edlund’s character is a hulking blue mass with bouncy antennae and an immunity to bullets. He has no backstory to speak of. He just exists. Already super strong, the Tick possesses a very special ability called “drama power” that boosts his powers as the drama of any situation heightens.

In the Amazon series, the Tick is played with hilarious vacuity by English actor Peter Serafinowicz, whose hero voice is histrionic and urgent, a cross between that of Adam West’s Batman and Donald Trump. He speaks in inscrutable aphorisms: During the show’s pilot (available online now), he nervously paces while repeating the phrase, “must maintain finesse,” before attacking a group of criminals. The Tick materializes in the show’s nameless city (called only “The City”) just as its previous heroes are blinded by “weaponized syphillis,” leaving the people without a protector.

At the Comic Con panel, Edlund, who also created the Amazon series, noted that while his character has been explored on screen before (in a 1994 animated series and a short-lived live-action comedy in 2001), things are different now given the deluge of super-powered crime fighters across TV and film.

“There’s never been a public more educated to the things that define superheroes,” he said. “It’s perfect hunting ground for a character like the Tick to find things to have fun with.”

In order to set this series apart from other versions of the Tick, Edlund said the Amazon show will have more of a human element, exemplified by the character of Arthur, an unassuming, possibly mentally ill man who becomes the Tick’s sidekick (in a moth suit).

Still, it’s clear from the first 30-minute episode that we’re watching a satire. In the pilot’s intro, Whoopi Goldberg interviews Superian, the “world’s first superhero”—a handsome, arrogant spoof of Superman with pristine hair. The show will likely parody other well-known comic book characters, including Marvel’s Punisher, Edlund said.

Perhaps sensing a crowd-pleaser, Amazon last week ordered a full, 10-episode season of The Tick, to debut next year. Its absurdist humor may not be for everyone, but if you’re tired of the same superhero tropes proliferating across TV, then the Tick could be the perfect antidote.

DEC 1993 THE TICK KARMA TORNADO #2

DEC 1993 THE TICK KARMA TORNADO #2 Challenge of Champions Part 2, Electric Boogaloo released by New England Comics on January 1, 1994. The Tick: Karma Tornado was a series of short episodes unrelated to the original series. Each issue has gone through two printings. The second editions of Tick: Karma Tornado issues 3-6 each included a flip book numbered Tick’s Back -4 to -1. These were followed by the Tick’s Back issue 0, released in August 1997 which served as a prelude to Tick: Big Blue Destiny. Issue 0 was released with four variant covers: a red cover, green cover, gold cover and gold cover with no logo. The interplanetary contest storyline continues with The Tick and his unusual teammates trying to overcome some overwhelming odds! Concept: Ben Edlund; Plot: Christopher McCulloch; Penciller: Bill Neville; Inker: Dave Garcia; Cover Inks: Jeff Whiting; Publisher: George Saurez; Managing Editor: Bill Devine; Art Director: Bob Polio; Usual Gang: Staff; Plot: Ben Edlund; -script: Christopher McCulloch

Tick Karma Tornado #3: Kind Pats and Bananna Pellets

Tick Karma Tornado #3: Kind Pats and Bananna Pellets. First published: May, 1994. Concept: Ben Edlund; -script: Christopher McCulloch;Inker: Dave Garcia; Cover Inks: Jeff Whiting; Publisher: George Saurez; Editor: Bill Devine; Art Director: Bob Polio; Usual Gang: Staff; Penciller: Christopher McCulloch. The Tick (soon after the conclusion of the interplanetary games) is accidentally beamed into deep space far from his intended target Earth. He encounters a long lost spacetraveller who has a very unusual job for him!

THE TICK VERSUS TYHE IDEA MEN EPISODE ONE, SEASON ONE VHS TAPE

Original air date: 9/10/1994

Product Details

Actors: Townsend Coleman, Micky Dolenz, Rob Paulsen, Cam Clarke, Jess Harnell

Writers: Ben Edlund

Producers: Art Vitello, Carole Weitzman

Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC

Rated:

NR

Not Rated

Number of tapes: 1

Studio: 20th Century Fox

VHS Release Date: July 11, 1995

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

ASIN: 6303467709

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,055 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? This was the episode that started it all. It does a great job of introducing all the main characters of the series while still being absolutely hilarious. The episode starts off with a short interview of The Tick and Arthur, where they describe working together as superheoes, and then The Tick explains how he got his beginning. The Tick had gone to Reno to attend the Superhero tyrouts, where Superhero's demonstrate their abilities and are assigned to a city by a board of celebrity judges. Tick shows up with the 'Danger box' and blows up the entire competition, and so he is assigned to The City.

Soon after arriving at The City, he encounters Arthur, who was just fired from his accounting job. The two join up to fight crime and soon find themselves facing The Idea Men, a group of terrorists who wear masks (so no one can tell what they are saying). The Idea Men attack the city dam and all the heroes of The City turn out to try to try to stop them... This episode features these Superheroes:

The Tick, Arthur, The Blowfish Avenger, Die Fledermaus, American Maid, The Caped Chameleon, Bi-polar Bear, Captian Lemming, The Human Bullet, Fire Me Boy, and Big Shot.

This episode features these Supervillains:

The Idea Men

It also features the first appearance of Sally Vacuum, Mayor Blank, The Diner, Drama Flakes, and Arthur's Apartment.

2016 THE TICK CGC SIGNATURE SERIES EXCLUSIVE BOSTON COMIC CON EDITION NO. 1

CCG SIGNATURE SERIES, THE TICK: 2016 EXCLUSIVE BOSTON COMIC CON EDITION NO.1 NEW ENGLAND COMICS, 9/16, SIGNED AND SKETCH BY IAN NICHOLS ON 8/12/16 & SIGNED BY TONY SEDANI ON 8/14/16. JEFF MCCLELLAND STORY, DUANE REDHEAD COVER & ART. CGC NUMBER 1366190012. 9.8 WHITES PAGES. THANKS TO RICHARD HESS FOR GETTING TO ME IN RECORD TIME! WWW.CGCCOMICS.COM 1-877-NM-COMIC. THIS IS ONE OF THE SUPPOSEDLY RARE VARIANTS THAT DID NOT RECIEVE A NUMBER OF THE LIMITED EDITION OF 260.

The Tick: Karma Tornado #4 - Living Together released by New England Comics on July 1, 1994

The Tick has landed a job as a galactic man-servant/janitor/herald for the Nigh-Omnipotus who hungers for more 'Earthly delights'! How can The Tick stop this menace and return home safely? Concept: Ben Edlund; -script: Christopher McCulloch; Penciller: Dave Garcia; Inker: Jeff Whiting; Publisher: George Saurez; Editor: Bill Devine; Art Director: Bob Polio; Usual Gang: Staff; Inker: Ron Muns; Inker: Dave Garcia; Cover Art: Christopher McCulloch. Tick winds up in outer space and encounters Omnipotus.

Tick Karma Tornado #5: The Justly Compensated League of Super-Heroes First published: August, 1994

Concept: Ben Edlund; -script: Clay Griffith; Penciller: Alan Hopkins; Inker: Ron Muns; Publisher: George Saurez; Editor: Bill Devine; Art Director: Bob Polio; Usual Gang: Staff; Inker: Dave Garcia The Tick joins a league of superheroes who charge for their services. The Tick encounters THE JUSTLY COMPENSATED LEAGUE OF SUPER-HERO a group of heroes who ask for payment for their good deeds! The Tick decides to join this group which leeds to disaster... of course.