Fortunately, the REAL Underdog is here. The cartoon version, voiced by Wally Cox, my favorite Hollywood Square, is also coming out today: three volumes of The Ultimate Underdog, six episodes each, $12.93 each from Classic Media. The product also features shorts of Tennessee Tuxedo, voiced by, would you believe, Don Adams, plus Commander McBragg and the annoying Go Go Gophers.
I was never a big fan of live action versions of cartoon characters. The Garfield movie seems a little creepy to me. But I didn't really care that much about Garfield, anyway.
The Underdog cartoon, though, I was invested in. Beginning with its faux Superman opening - "It's a bird." "It's a plane." "It's a frog." "A FROG?" - let even this 11-year-old in on the tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek joke. But it was clever, not condescending, or dopey. "Not bird or plane or even frog. It's just little ol' me [CRASH ] Underdog."
What does it say about me that I know the theme songs for all four of those cartoon segments?
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More Spider Pig on 'Simpsons' DVD and other pop culture stuff.
ROG
