 | Count DuckulaOriginal Medium: TV animation Produced by: Cosgrove-Hall Productions First Appeared: 1982 image: © Cosgrove-Hall Productions. |
Count Duckula (not to be confused with Terrytoons/Filmation's Quackula) started out as a Danger Mouse villain. His first appearance was in "The Four Tasks of Danger Mouse", which first aired on Feb. 8, 1982. Tho he was a vampire, his threat didn't lie in blood sucking, because he didn't care for blood or anything that had once contained it. No, Duckula was stage-struck, and was dangerous because he'd do anything for top billing. He eventually succeeded — his own show debuted on Nickelodeon on February 6, 1988.
The origin of the vegetarian vampire lay in a mystic process
carried out at Castle Duckula, and possible only once per century,
in which the castle's master is brought to life. His faithful
manservant, Igor, called for a quantity of blood sufficient to
complete the ritual, but the rather thickwitted Nanny, a
womanservant, brought ketchup instead — and the fate of the
current Count Duckula was sealed. Despite Igor's efforts to get his
master to mend his ways, Count Duckula is more inclined to suck a
stalk of broccoli than a neck.
Duckula's speech was provided by voice actor David Jason, who also played Danger Mouse. Igor was Jake May; and Nanny, Brian Trueman. Dr. Von Goosewing, enemy of all vampires (even vegetarian ones), was voiced by Jimmy Hibbert. The narrator was Barry Clayton. The series was produced in Great Britain by Cosgrove-Hall Productions in association with Thames Television.
Between 1988 and '93, a total of 65 episodes were made. Nickelodeon aired the last of them on February 16, 1993. This pretty much coincided with the heyday of the Marvel Comics version, which started with a November, 1988 cover date and ended with its 15th issue, January, 1991.
Since 1993, the undead herbivore has been dormant. But vampires never quite die for good, so you never know when he might turn up again.
