Samurai Pizza Cats @ The Cartoon Scrapbook

Prod. Notes:

September 1990 - November 1990, syndicated

Saban, Tatsunoko

Cast:

Polly Esther .................................................................................. Sonja Ball

Mama-San ..................................................................................... Sonja Ball

Carla Crow .................................................................................... Sonja Ball

Empire Fredia Tokugawa ........................................................ Sonja Ball

Vi's Nanny .................................................................................... Sonja Ball

Dee Dee ......................................................................................... Sonja Ball

Spirit T. Car ........................................................................ Mark Camacho

Buck ........................................................................................ Mark Camacho

Road Runner ........................................................................ Mark Camacho

Lucille Omitsu ........................................................................ Susan Glover

Princess Violet Tokugawa ................................................. Susan Glover

Lucinda ..................................................................................... Susan Glover

Seymour "Big" Cheese .................................................... Dean Hagopian

"Big" Al Dente ................................................................... A.J. Henderson

General Catton .................................................................. A.J. Henderson

Speedy Cerviche ....................................................................... Rick Jones

Bad Bird ....................................................................................... Rick Jones

Meowzma O'Toole .................................................................... Rick Jones

Mojo Rojo .................................................................................... Rick Jones

Ronny Guiseborn ....................................................................... Rick Jones

Ninja Crows ................................................................................ Rick Jones

The Sundance Kid .................................................................... Rick Jones

Francine Manx ...................................................................... Pauline Little

Junior ....................................................................................... Pauline Little

Abigial ...................................................................................... Pauline Little

Wally .................................................................................. Michael O'Reilly

The Professor ................................................................. Michael O'Reilly

Guido Anchovie ......................................................... Terrence Scammell

The Narrator ............................................................. Terrence Scammell

Jerry Atrick .............................................................. Terrence Scammell

Bat Cat ......................................................................... Terrence Scammell

Emperor Fred Tokugawa ....................................... Terrence Scammell

Cannonball Battalay ................................................ Terrence Scammell

Cosmo ............................................................................ Terrence Scammell

Guru Lou ............................................................................... Walter Massey

Crow Magnon ...................................................................... Walter Massey

Synopsis:

Upon first impression, the show could be taken for another Teenage Mutant Ninja clone. But it wasn't quite. This syndicated Japanese import was actually a comic spoof of those popular “heroes in a half shell,” a fact made clear in the opening theme:

”Here come the Pizza Cats;

They’re so bad!

They’ve got more fur than any turtle ever had!”

In the town of Little Tokyo, where anthropomorphic animals reigned, three cats ran the most popular pizza joint around. By night, those same cats hit the streets to fight crime as the Samurai Pizza Cats. Speedy Cerviche led the group, fighting with his Magical Ginzu Sword. His best pal was Guido Anchovy, who battled foes with a powerful “Sun Spot Umbrella.” According to the theme song, Guido was also, “A wild romantic rover. This cat gets down-down with a love hangover.” The third and final Pizza Cat was Polly Esther, whose weapons of choice were her heart-shaped throwing stars and razor-sharp claws.

The group took its orders from Al Dente, advisor to Little Tokyo’s loony ruler, Emperor Fred. Since Fred had no discernible leadership skills, power in Little Tokyo rested in the hands of the city council, and the most powerful council member was the hot-tempered Seymour “Big” Cheese. “Big” Cheese wanted total control of Little Tokyo, and he dispatched henchmen Bad Bird and the Ninja Crows to carry out his evil wishes. The crooked councilman also controlled a gigantic robot monster, making life even more difficult for the pizza-making trio.

With monsters, ninjas, and other assorted baddies attacking, things sometimes got too hairy even for our furry feline fighters. In times of dire peril, the Pizza Cats had a fallback plan. By ringing the bells around their necks, the cats summoned the powerful Rescue Team: General Catton, Bat Cat, Spritz, and Meowzma. With the combined elemental powers of this foursome, the Pizza Cats always managed to win the day.

Although there was never any shortage of action, Samurai Pizza Cats didn’t take itself too seriously. The off-screen narrator frequently argued with the on-screen characters, and he teased the home audiences with lines like, “Is this the end of the Pizza Cats? After only seven episodes?” That tongue-in-cheek smarminess carried over into the closing theme song, a challenge to critics everywhere:

“Samurai Pizza Cats…

We hope you liked the show, it’s the best that we could do.

Samurai Pizza Cats…

If you could do better, then we’d leave it up to you.”

Episodes:

Stop Dragon My Cat Around!

If You Knew Sushi Like I Know Sushi

Underground, Underwater, Undercooked

The Great Golden Cluck

Let The Cellar Beware

Singing Samurai Sensai-tion

The Nuclear Potato

Kind Of A Drag

Double Trouble For Princess Vi

Hot and Kold Kitties

Candid Kitty

The Pizza Cats Are Only Human, Part 1

The Pizza Cats Are Only Human, Part 2

Those Transformin' Felines

The Case Of The Bogus Billionaire

The Big Cheese's I.Q. Corral

Field Of Screwballs

Speedy's Double-Time Trick

Samurai Charm School

Drummin' Up Trouble With A Big Bad Beat

Pizza Bird Delivers!

Big Cheese Shows His Filmy Substance

Son Of Big Cheese

Gender Bender Butterflies!

Pizza Cat Performance Review

Cold And Crabby In Little Tokyo

The Terror Of Prisoner Island

Destructo Robots At Popular Prices

No Talent Guido

All You Need Is Love

Polly's Magical Flute

Close Encounters Of The Pig Kind

Big Cheese's High Definition TV

Pizza Delivery Of Doom!

Youth Is For Exploding

Bad Bird Uncaged, Part 1

Bad Bird Uncaged, Part 2

A Mission In Manhattan

Unidentified Flying Oddballs

Princess Vi's Hippy-Dippy Mom

A Wet And Wild Weekend

Kung Fu Kitty Contest

Gone With The Ginzu

A Little Bit 'O Luck

Samurai Savings Time

Phoney Baloney Cat

The Cheese Who Stole Christmas

Emperor Fred Does Hard Time

Quake, Rattle, And Roll

The Big Comet Caper, Part 1

The Big Comet Caper, Part 2

The Cats Cop Cartoon Careers

Opening Lyrics:

"Will somebody please cue that bird?!

Samurai Pizza Cats (oh yeah), who do you call when you want some pepperoni?

Samurai Pizza Cats (right on), they're stampin' out crime and you know that ain't baloney.

There's Speedy Cerviche, he's the leader of the bunch (that's right),

A heck of a fighter, makes a heck of a lunch,

And little Polly Esther, who's never afraid (thats me),

Of going into battle when the bad guy's invade.

There's Guido Anchovy a wild romantic rover,

The cat gets down, down with a love hangover,

Here come the Pizza Cats, they're so bad,

They've got more fur than any turtle ever had.

They're stronger than old cheese (stronger than old cheese)

Stronger than dirt (stronger than dirt)

If you step on their tails (not on my tail),

then your gonna get hurt (don't hurt me).

Samurai Pizza Cats (they're fightin crime),

All over town

3-2-1, Pizza Cats are on the run

The big cheese is a villan, who's lower than low,

It's a rotten shame he lives in Little Tokyo.

We've got our nasty Bad Bird and his nasty Ninja Crows,

As soon as someone finds the script, we might begin the show.

Sit right back, pick up a seat and turn the sound up high,

And if you want the full effect, go eat a pizza-pie!

Samurai Pizza Caaaaaats."