Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
Promotional poster
GenreWestern
Weird West
Created byRyan Brown
Written byCliff Ruby (season 1)
Elana Lesser (season 1)
Rich Fogel (season 2)
Mark Seidenberg (season 2)
Voices ofPat Fraley
Jim Cummings
Jeff Bennett
Joe Piscopo
Michael Greer
Charity James
Kay Lenz
Troy Davidson
Danny Mann
Michael Horse
Theme music composerBilly Dean and Verlon Thompson[1][2]
ComposerGordon Goodwin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Running time23 minutes
Production companiesKing World Productions
Greengrass Productions
Gunther-Wahl Productions
(1992)
(season 1)
Ruby-Spears Enterprises
(1993)
(season 2)
Flextech Television
Mini Mountain Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 12, 1992 (1992-09-12) –
December 4, 1993 (1993-12-04)

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa is a 1992 American animated television series created by comic book artist Ryan Brown, known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.[3] It aired as part of ABC's Saturday morning lineup.[4]

It was produced by Greengrass Productions in association with King World Productions, and was animated by Gunther-Wahl Productions for its first season and Ruby-Spears Enterprises for its second. At the time of launch, it was the second animated series involving King World Productions to be broadcast (the other was the animated spin-off of The Little Rascals, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1984).

First broadcast on September 12, 1992, the show ran for two seasons of thirteen episodes each.[5]

Plot

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa dealt with a mutation of some kind; an irradiated comet struck the late 19th century Western plains creating a miles high mesa shrouded in clouds. Everything trapped on top of the mesa was "cow-metized" by the light from the "cow-met" and "evolved" into a "bovipomorphic" state. Inspired by old tales of the Wild West, this new bovine community developed to the point where they emulated that era's way of life, including the requisite ruffians and corrupt sheriffs. However, their knowledge of Wild West living was limited, and as such, many things about their culture had to be improvised to 'fill in the blanks'. The concepts of steampunk and Weird West were utilized throughout its run.

The series focuses on trying to keep justice in the frontier territory. The lawbreakers were too much for the corrupt regulators of Cowtown (namely Mayor Oscar Bulloney and Sheriff Terrorbull) to handle by themselves. Helping them out, whether they wanted it or not, were a group of peacekeepers known as C.O.W.-Boys (the C.O.W. part is short for "Code of the West") led by Marshal Moo Montana and joined by the Dakota Dude and the Cowlorado Kid. Marshal Moo Montana and his deputies had their hands full with several ruffians and outlaw gangs that plagued the otherwise peaceful town.

Characters

C.O.W.-Boys

Supporting

Antagonists

Episode guide

Several of these episodes or episode titles are parodies of popular Western films or books.

Season 1 (1992)

No. in
season
TitleWritten byOriginal air date
1"Bang'em High"Bob CarrauSeptember 12, 1992 (1992-09-12)
Mayor Bulloney and The Masked Bull make a plan to get rid of Moo Montana with literally explosive results.
2"A Snake in Cow's Clothing"Cliff Ruby
Elana Lesser
September 19, 1992 (1992-09-19)
A mysterious bull named Jacques La Beef arrives in town who has all the women drawn to him. Moo and Dakota are suspicious of him, especially after Miss Lily is robbed of the items in her new safe by The Masked Bull in a plot to discredit Jacques La Beef (who is secretly a notorious con artist named Barney Finkleberg).
3"Bulls of a Feather"Cliff Ruby
Elana Lesser
September 26, 1992 (1992-09-26)
During an attack on the stagecoach bound for Cow Town, Puma sees that The Masked Bull is actually Sheriff Terrorbull after Boothill Buzzard accidentally unmasks him. In order to save his identity after his attempt on Puma's life is thwarted by J.R., Sheriff Terrorbull must break his younger brother Horribull out of Sinquitten Federal Prison to pose as The Masked Bull and fool everyone.
4"School Days"Ted Pedersen
Francis Moss
October 3, 1992 (1992-10-03)
A new teacher (actually Boot Hill Buzzard in drag) has the children help The Masked Bull commit crime through her strange assignments.
5"A Sheepful of Dollars"Bob CarrauOctober 10, 1992 (1992-10-10)
Cowlorado volunteers for Miss Lily's cattle drive only to find out his "cattle" is actually a bad tempered sheep named Miss Ewebaby. Moo and Dakota discovery that the cattle drive is a front to delivery the money for the Elbow's Bend Hospital Veterinary Clinic where it is under Miss Ewebaby to keep it from being stolen by The Masked Bull.
6"Thoroughly Moodern Lily"Gary GreenfieldOctober 17, 1992 (1992-10-17)
When Mayor Bulloney discovers oil that is secretly buried deep beneath Lily Bovine's Tumbleweed Saloon, he quickly dispatches Lily's arch-rival Sadie Wowcow to run her out of town.
7"Wetward, Whoa"Cliff RobertsOctober 24, 1992 (1992-10-24)
Cowtown dries up and only Mayor Bulloney has water. When Cody finds the real reason for this, it is up to him to bring water back to everyone.
8"Wedding Bull Blues"Jack EnyartNovember 7, 1992 (1992-11-07)
When Cowlamity Kate doesn't receive a letter from her father who has been exploring the Mesa for 7 years, Mayor Bulloney claims he will be taking all her property since her father had no will. But when a page of one of her father's old letters shows up, stating Kate will inherit the ranch and his gold, though only if she is married, Kate plans to make Dakota her husband.
9"Legend of Skull Duggery"Marilyn WebberOctober 31, 1992 (1992-10-31)
When Cody, Carly, and Jake find a treasure map in Cowlamity Kate's attic while cleaning it, they decide to follow it to find Tom Duggery's lost silver on Skull Mountain. While competing against Saddle Sore and Boot Hill Buzzard, Cody, Carly, and Jake encounter Tom Duggery's ghost in the form of Skull Duggery. Now Moo, Dakota, Cowlorado, and Cowlamity Kate must rescue the kids from Skull Duggery.
10"Stolen on the River"Bob CarrauNovember 14, 1992 (1992-11-14)
In an attempt to get his own deputy star, Cowlorado goes undercover as Johnny Slim to catch Five Card Cud all by himself when he and his henchman Short Change take control of the Dixie Trixie river boat while in collaboration with the Dixie Trixie's captain.
11"Dances with Bulls"Mike & David BenaventeNovember 21, 1992 (1992-11-21)
Moo Montana and Sheriff Terrorbull get in a mess when they both try to capture the Gila Hooligans after the crashed the party in Cowtown that followed Mayor Bulloney's re-election. To catch the Gila Hooligans, the C.O.W.-Boys and Sheriff Terrorbull have to work together to apprehend the Gilla Hooligans.
12"The Big Cow Wow"Bob CarrauNovember 28, 1992 (1992-11-28)
The C.O.W.-Boys work to catch two snakes that make up the Hole in the Ground Gang after they robbed some bison at Mini Soda Flats. Cody is really excited about going to the Pueblo's annual Cow-Wow with J.R. and Tejua as the threat of the Hole in the Ground Gang could disrupt the whole fiesta. When Moo and the other C.O.W.-Boys run into some trouble trying to catch the gang, Cody and Tejua help to bring them to justice.
13"Another Fine Mesa"Cliff Ruby
Elana Lesser
December 5, 1992 (1992-12-05)
No one cares that it is Moo Montana's tenth anniversary as marshal. Then, Moo receives a telegram from Bessy Bluebell from his hometown of Miller Glen where the retiring sheriff T-Bone wants Moo to take over even at the time when Bat Blastagun and his henchmen are causing trouble in Miller Glen. Now Moo must decide between Miller Glen where he is beloved by the townsfolk and Cowtown.

Season 2 (1993)

No. in
season
TitleWritten byOriginal air date
14"No Face To Hide"Tony MarinoSeptember 11, 1993 (1993-09-11)
Many trains have been stolen by Shock Holiday's gang where Shock Holiday is holding them hostage until the Railroad President pays a huge ransom. When Marshall Moo fails at capturing the thief, Sheriff Terrorbull challenges him to see who catches Shock Holiday first and the loser will have to leave Cowtown.
15"The Down Under Gang"Buzz DixonSeptember 18, 1993 (1993-09-18)
Cow Belle and her sons Butch Cowsidy, Lone Grunger, and Sundazed Kid have an underground hideout called Sidewinder City which allows other outlaws to use it in exchange of a share of what they steal. When Cowlorado Kid is captured during the infiltration, Moo Montana and Dakota Dude must find Sidewinder City and rescue him while also dealing with the Masked Bull.
16"Cow Pirates of Swampy Cove"Mark JonesSeptember 25, 1993 (1993-09-25)
The pirate captain Longhorn Silver and his band of buccaneers have been robbing trains and causing trouble on Moo Mesa's waterways. With a gold shipment and Cody's money for new boots in their possession, Moo Montana, Dakota Dude, and Cowlorado Kid have to go to Newportleans to track these pirates down. While trying to get back the money, Cody is caught by the Masked Bull as part of his plan to work with Longhorn Silver to dispose of the C.O.W.-Boys. Now the C.O.W.-Boys must rescue Cody, reclaim the stolen loot, and defeat Longhorn Silver.
17"The Cacklin Kid"Mark JonesOctober 2, 1993 (1993-10-02)
Moo Montana, Dakota Dude, and Cowlorado Kid apprehend the Cacklin Kid after he was nearly disposed of by the Baying Bunch led by Scavenger who are seeking the location of where the Cacklin Kid hid the Baying Bunch's loot. At the courthouse, Cacklin Kid gets sympathy from Judge Overrule who instructs that Moo Montana, Dakota Dude, and Cowlorado Kid to safely transports Cacklin Kid to the federal penitentiary to serve out his one year sentence. Now the C.O.W.-Boys must get the Cacklin Kid to the penitentiary safely while evading the Baying Bunch who have gone to Lonesome Gulch and tricked Sheriff Terrorbull into helping them.
18"Skull Duggery Rides Again"Marilyn WebberOctober 30, 1993 (1993-10-30)
On Halloween, Skull Duggery returns upon emerging from the cave-in of his mine at Skull Mountain in order to get revenge on Moo, Dakota, and Cowlorado. This time, he has obtained an age accelerating spell with the help of his fellow ghosts where they start aging everything in Cowtown.
19"Billy the Kidder"Mark JonesOctober 9, 1993 (1993-10-09)
The C.O.W.-Boys get word from Warden Gordon Bordon that Billy the Kidder and his lizard henchmen Lester and Kisser have escaped from prison. When Lily's uncle Rocky gets caught in a cave-in upon finding the lost treasure of the Concudsadors, she plans to enlist Cowlamity Kate to help rescue him only to end up captured by Lester and Kisser so that Billy the Kidder can steal the lost treasure of the Concudsadors. Now the C.O.W.-Boys and Calamity Kate must rescue Lily and Rocky, apprehend Billy the Kidder's group, and recover the lost treasure of the Concudsadors.
20"How the West was Shrunk"Mark JonesOctober 16, 1993 (1993-10-16)
Bat Blastagun and his gang have escaped from prison where they find a shard of the comet that created Moo Mesa outside of Cowtown. Enlisting the help of the mad scientist Dr. Wolfgang Wolfenstein, Bat Masterson uses the shard to shrink everything.
21"Circus Daze"Tony MarinoOctober 23, 1993 (1993-10-23)
The Great Bovini's Wild West Circus comes to Cowtown, but amusement of the masses is the last thing on the mind of the ringmaster The Great Bovini as he uses a special stone to mesmerize anyone into stealing money. In order to keep the Cowinoor Diamond from being shipped to the Jersey City Museum, Mayor Bulloney, Saddle Sore, and Boot Hill Buzzard approach The Great Bovini to help them steal it which doesn't go well as Boot Hill Buzzard is unaffected by The Great Bovini's stone. Now the C.O.W.-Boys must work with Boot Hill Buzzard into thwarting The Great Bovini and freeing the townspeople from his control.
22"No Way to Treat a Lady"David Benavente &
Michael J. Benavente
November 6, 1993 (1993-11-06)
Moo Montana, Dakota Dude, and Cowlorado Kid have to deal with four masked marauders who happen to be ladies of the Sewing B. Ranch led by Barb Wire Babs (the criminal alias of Miss Barbara). As Cowlorado Kid goes undercover in Barbed Wire Babs' group, Wild Bill Barker is kidnapped as part of Barbed Wire Babs' plot to make counterfeit money.
23"Night of the Cowgoyle"Marilyn WebberNovember 13, 1993 (1993-11-13)
After Cowlorado Kid was unable to catch a gold thief, he, Moo Montana, and Dakota Dude look for the thief and end up escorting a wagon train led by Rooster Cogsbull through a valley where a creature called the Cowgoyle (a cattle/gargoyle creature) dwells. To make sure that the C.O.W.-Boys meet their end and the Cowgoyle is blamed for the action, Mayor Bulloney sends Saddle Sore and Boot Hill Buzzard to get the Masked Bull to dispose of them. Following the Cowgoyle's attacks, the C.O.W.-Boys work to catch the Cowgoyle while suspecting that it might be one of the suspicious wagon train travelers.
24"Boom Town or Bust"Rich Fogel &
Mark Seidenberg
November 20, 1993 (1993-11-20)
Cowlorado Kid discovers gold in a river causing the Gold Rush on Moo Mesa which even gets Mayor Bulloney, Saddle Sore, and Boot Hill Buzzard to work on claiming the gold. Upon Boom Town being formed as part of the gold rush, the C.O.W.-Boys work to keep the settlement in line. When a claim-jumper named Big Bucks and his henchmen Digalong and Stub plot to steal everyone's gold, the C.O.W.-Boys spring into action to protect Boom Town.
25"The Fastest Filly in the West"Rich Fogel &
Mark Seidenberg
November 27, 1993 (1993-11-27)
In preparation for the 11th Annual Cowtown Cross Country Race, Cowlorado Kid encounters some competition Cowlamity Kate's cousin Cowleen and her horse Tornado as well as encountering his old rival Swifty Buckhorn. Fast Willy and his henchmen plan to steal Tornado so that they can rob the Pony Express with one of the packages being the trophy for the Cross Country Race. Now Cowlorado Kid and Swifty Buckhorn must put aside their differences to help Moo and Dakota catch Fast Willy and reclaim Tornado.
26"The Wild Wild Pest"Mark JonesDecember 4, 1993 (1993-12-04)
J.R. takes Cody Calf and Buffalo Bull to the Invention Convention on the Dixie Trixie. Using his airship, Mules Verne and his henchmen steal the Dixie Trixie so that he can force all the inventors onboard to help him take over Moo Mesa by building a giant robot cowboy that will help in his plans by starting with raiding the governor's mansion.

Cast

Additional voices

Crew

Theme song

The theme song was sung by country artist Billy Dean, who co-wrote it with Verlon Thompson.

Toys

A toy line was released by Hasbro with designs reminiscent of Playmates Toys Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures.

Reboot

On August 11, 2023, it was announced that The Nacelle Company had purchased the rights to the original series and would reboot the property with a brand-new animated series and a new line of action figures and other merchandise.[6]

In other media

Video game

A four-player arcade game was also released by Konami in North America and Europe on November 19, 1992. Ryan Brown worked closely with Konami on the game's development. The game is a side-scrolling run-and-gun similar to Konami's previous game, Sunset Riders.

Comic book

Between December 1992 and February 1993, Archie Comics published a three-issue limited series titled The Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa, which was written by Brown's long-time collaborator Doug Brammer.[7] This was followed by a regular series which ran for three issues, March–July 1993.[8]

Videocassette

Twelve VHS cassettes containing episodes were released:

References

  1. ^ "Cows Vs. Bandits". Chicago Tribune. September 3, 1992. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  2. ^ "BMI – Repertoire Search". Retrieved December 15, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 698. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  4. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. pp. 465–466. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  5. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 906–908. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  6. ^ "Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa Returning Thanks to the Nacelle Company (Exclusive)".
  7. ^ "The Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa (Archie, 1992 Series)", Grand Comics Database. Accessed January 4, 2020.
  8. ^ "The Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa (Archie, 1993 Series)", Grand Comics Database. Accessed May 11, 2023.