Toxic Crusaders

[Foot Soldier Clang]

So when I was growing up my favorite cartoon was actually Toxic Crusaders. It beat out TMNT by a hair really. It was a weird, obscure, short lived series, with strange mutant heroes characters who fought an evil corporation run by space insects. The show tried to teach kids how not to pollute, but in a laid back manner. Like TMNT, there were great toys by Playmates, some video games, and other great bits of merchandise. There was even talks about a live action Toxic Crusaders movie, but it was a failed venture.

TMNT was the catalyst for lots of copycats. The whole "team of strange heroes, and their one female companion" snowballed all through the late '80's through to the mid-90's with varying results. I mostly enjoyed all of them because I like that formula. The Toxic Crusaders television show, which ran on the USA Cartoon Express, lasted only 13 episodes. Part of me wishes it got at least a second season, but I'm happy with just the thirteen episodes. They're perfectly strange, and amusing.

Part of the allure for me was the variation of each character. I love TMNT, but they were all turtles who looked similar, and other mutants on the show were also animals (with the exception of Muckman and Mutagen Man of course). Toxic Crusader mutants were all ugly, but the main cast were still likeable and sweet despite of their ugliness.

Troma, the company who created the Toxic Crusaders series has all 13 episodes up on Hulu. I highly recommend anyone who hasn't seen this show to give it a shot. Like the Playmates figures, the Toxic Crusaders fit in perfectly next to the TMNT.

Here I have some pictures of my Toxic Crusaders figures:

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=36345

Toxic Crusaders on Hulu: http://www.hulu.com/toxic-crusaders


Any other Toxic Crusader fans here?