Animaniacs

This is a cartoon I grew up on!!!! If you're a 1990s kid, you might remember this cartoon!

Animaniacs

-Animated series created by Steven Spielberg
-This cartoon combined the elements of old fashioned wit, slapstick, pop culture references and parodies, cartoon violence, and just general cartoon craziness
-Also featured segments that were educational, covering subjects such as math, geography, history, astronomy, science and social studies.
Did You Know?
-On Wikipedia, it says that Jess Harnell, the voice of Wakko, modeled his voice after Beatle Ringo Starr, but apparently he instead modeled it after Beatle John Lennon
-Pesto's voice is based on Joe Pesci
-The Goodfeathers is a parody of the 1990 film Goodfellas, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. The pigeons were made to resemble the film's main actors. Bobby(blue pigeon) is made to look like Robert De Niro, Squit(gray pigeon) is made to look like Ray Liotta and Pesto(purple pigeon) is made to look like Joe Pesci, even right down to the hot headed temper.

Background
-The Warner siblings and other characters live in Burbank, California. The Animaniacs live in the Warner Brothers water tower. The Animaniacs characters have had run ins with famous people and creators of the past and present along with mythological characters and characters from modern day TV.
Characters
-Yakko, Wakko and Dot.
-Voiced by Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell and Tress MacNeill.
-Yakko(wears pants) is the oldest. He's a fast talking smart alec, very reminiscent of Groucho Marx.
-Wakko is the middle child. He wears a red hat and blue sweater. He has a huge appetite and is often seen sticking his tongue out. He also is the only one to have an accent. People try to figure out what it is, whether it might be a form of a British accent or Australian. Jess Harnell modeled the Scouse accent after Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. So the former Beatles drummer is a slight inspiration for Wakko's accent
-Dot is the youngest one. She is cute and sassy, using her apparent innocence to try and manipulate and annoy those who are in her way. Most of the skits involve them being chased by Ralph, the security guard.

Wakko

Yakko

Dot

Dr. Otto Scrachandsniff
-German accented psychiatrist
-Acts as a substitute father figure to them because he is so fond of them

Hello Nurse
-Buxom blonde nurse who Yakko and Wakko are crushing on

Ralph
-Dim witted security guard chasing the Animaniacs around

Thaddeus Plotz
-Greedy, short, hot tempered CEO of Warner Brothers Studios.

Slappy Squirrel
-Aged cartoon star who can easily outmaneuver bad guys and educate her nephew, Skippy Squirrel.
-Her catchphrase is "Now that's comedy".
-She loves whacking people with her purse, using high explosives.

Buttons and Mindy
-Follows little blonde Mindy anywhere, trying to keep her out of trouble. She is about 3 or 4, with blonde hair and overalls, and loves to say "Ok, I love you bye bye" and refers to her mother as "Lady"

The Goodfeathers
-Modeled after Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta of the Goodfellas movie. The 3 pigeons are Bobby, Squit, Pesto. These pigeons always manage to get into an argument, with them beating each other up. It's usually Pesto beating up Squit and Bobby laughing. It grew from the line Pesci used in the movie "How am I funny? Like a clown? I amuse you?" Squit narrates it like Liotta did in Goodfellas, and they always land on a statue depicting Goodfellas director Martin Scorsese

L-R: Pesto(Joe Pesci), Bobby(Robert De Niro), Squit(Ray Liotta). That's who the 3 pigeons are supposed to be in the cartoon, modeled after the 3 in the picture below

Voicing
-Jess Harnell said that he did a John Lennon impression for Wakko, but changed it to resemble a young Ringo Starr

Adult intended humor
-A great deal of the comedy in this cartoon was geared towards adults, who would get it better than kids. In fact, cartoons were never originally intended for kids, only adults, because they would get the jokes and the kids wouldn't.
-For example, the Goodfeathers skit. Only those who have seen the movie Goodfellas would get that Pesto is supposed to be Joe Pesci, Squit is supposed to be Ray Liotta and Bobby is, well, obviously supposed to be Robert De Niro

Parodies
-These include:

1. Diana Ross
2. Mel Gibson
3. Barbara Walters
4. David Hasselhoff
5. Whoopi Goldberg
6. Whitney Houston
7. Howard Stern
8. Robin Quivers
9. Sandra Bullock
10. Sharon Stone
11. Jerry Seinfeld
12. Michael Jackson
13. Oprah Winfrey
14. Rush Limbaugh
15. Bruce Willis
16. Jaleel White
17. Demi Moore
18. Christopher Walken
19. Marlon Brando
20. Frank Sinatra
21. Winona Ryder
22. Paula Abdul
23. Jim Carrey
24. Sylvester Stallone
25. Robert De Niro
26. Barbra Streisand
27. Mariah Carey
28. Liza Minelli
29. Regis Philbin
30. Kathie Lee Gifford
31. Shirley MacLaine
32. Siskel and Ebert
33. Lionel Richie
34. Tom Cruise
35. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
36. David Letterman
37. Tina Turner
38. Prince
39. Aretha Franklin
40. Madonna
41. Cher
42. Sigourney Weaver

Film Parodies

1. The Lion King. Yakko took on the role of Rafiki, and Yakko accidentally drops the Simba character off the cliff and says "I thought they were supposed to land on their feet."
2. Beauty and the Beast. Rita the cat sings and Runt the dog says "That sure was pretty, Rita. I hope we don't get sued."
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dot interacts with the character "Illinois Smith"
4. The Godfather. In the Goodfeathers skit, an older pigeon arrives to break up trouble, talking and looking just like Don Corleone.
5. Rocky. Bobby has to train to box another bird similar to the way Burgess Meredith did, calling Bobby a bum

TV Parodies

1. Star Trek: The Original Series. The Animaniacs board the Enterprise, with characters like "Squatty" instead of Scotty, "Spork" instead of Mr. Spock.
2. Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
3. The Beatles were even parodied in a light, funny way.

Trends
-Instead of the song Macarena by Los Del Rio, this one is called Macadamia Nut, and is performed by the Warners

Episodes