''Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse'' is a 1960s children's animated television show that was produced by Trans-Artists Productions and syndicated by Tele Features Inc. The characters were originated and created by authors

Bob Kane Robert Kane ( Kahn ; October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998) was an American comic book writer, animator, and artist who created Batman and many early related characters for DC Comics. He was inducted into the comic book industry's Jack Kirby ...

and Gerald J. Rappoport as a

parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...

of Kane's earlier creations,

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

and

Robin Robin most commonly refers to several species of passerine birds. Robin may also refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), inclu ...

. In many ways, ''Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse'' presages the

camp Camp may refer to: Areas of confinement, imprisonment, or for execution * Concentration camp, an internment camp for political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or minority ethnic groups * Extermination ...

aspects of the later ''

'' live-action series, which

William Dozier William McElroy Dozier (; February 13, 1908 – April 23, 1991) was an American film and television producer, writer and actor. He is best known for two television series, ''Batman'' and '' The Green Hornet''. Early life Dozier was born in Omaha, ...

and

Howie Horwitz Howard Santly Horwitz (May 22, 1918 – June 25, 1976) was an American television producer, remembered as the producer of ''77 Sunset Strip'' between 1958 and 1964 and the ''Batman'' television series between 1966 and 1968. Biography He was b ...

produced as a villain-driven

action-comedy The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the America ...

lampoon. Storyboard design was by Kane's assistant/ghost

Sheldon Moldoff Sheldon "Shelly" Moldoff (; April 14, 1920 – February 29, 2012) was an Americans, American comics artist best known for his early work on the DC Comics characters Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and as one of Bob Kane's primary "ghost artists" (unc ...

Plot

In the animated series, the pair are

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

animal superheroes without known

secret identities A secret identity is a person's cryptonym, incognito, cover and/or alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pimpernel in 1903, the concept was widespread in pulp ...

(the green-eyed caped crimefighter and his squeaky-voiced companion are usually addressed as simply "Courageous" and "Minute") who live in the Cat Cave. When summoned via the Cat Signal over their television set, Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse race to the scene of the crime in their sleekly feline red Cat Mobile which can convert into both the extendable-winged Cat Plane and submersible Cat Boat and thwart the criminal plots of various villains who threaten Empire City. The episodes contained storylines and screenplays and characters written by authors Gerald J. Rappoport and drawings and characters by Bob Kane. Though they fought many miscreants, the duo's recurring arch-enemy was Chauncey "Flat-Face" Frog who appeared in nearly every episode. The five-minute length of the cartoons made the series suitable for use as interstitials or airtime fillers, especially to accommodate a movie or show that ended at an unusually early time, as well as animated content for local children's shows. The first episode was broadcast on Wednesday September 14, 1960 as part of "The Tommy Seven Show" by means of channel 7, of which the call letters were WABC-TV of New York City.

Characters

Heroes

* Courageous Cat – The protector of Empire City. Whenever fighting bad guys, Courageous Cat would use his all-purpose Cat Gun or a vast variety of different

deus ex machina ''Deus ex machina'' ( ; ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; 'God from the machine') is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly or abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function is general ...

"trick guns" he pulls out of his cape that (like the

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...

's trick arrows) fire whatever the situation requires like a rope, some water, a parachute, cages, boxing gloves, lightning-like magnetic rays, or even more bizarre ammunition, and even the occasional actual bullet. In case of emergency, Courageous also has extra pre-

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

secret gadgets hidden in his belt buckle and the star emblem on his chest. * Minute Mouse – Courageous Cat's rodent sidekick.

Supporting characters

* The Chief – A canine chief of police who calls in the "furry foes of felony" via the Cat Signal. * Marilyn Mouse – Minute Mouse's movie star girlfriend. * Sassy Bones – A blonde mouse who is a chanteuse at a nightclub called The Pad with whom Rodney Rodent is enamored. * Periscope Pete – A living, breathing periscope with a bush for a body.

Villains

* Chauncey "Flat-Face" Frog – Chauncey is a chortling, cigar-smoking, derby-hatted criminal mastermind whose voice was based on Edward G. Robinson. ** Harry Gorilla – Chauncey "Flat-Face" Frog's hulking, half-witted henchman. * Professor Shaggy Dog – A mad scientist with an Albert Einstein-like mop of white hair who is tall, thin, and bewhiskered in some episodes and short and bespectacled in others. * Big Shot and Little Shot – A burly bulldog (who talks like

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

in some episodes) and his short sidekick who are generic gruff gangsters that are Chauncey "Flat-Face" Frog's rivals in crime. * The Black Cat – A sinister thief. He is a "cat burglar" who is a caricature of

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English and American actor. Known for his blended British and American accent, debonair demeanor, lighthearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing, he ...

. * Rodney Rodent – A French-accented rat artist gone bad. * Shoo Shoo Fly – A tiny insect whose small size belies its enormous appetite, its name is a reference to shoofly pie and the tsetse fly. * Robber Rabbit – A gravel-voiced rabbit thug in a black turtleneck. * Foxy the Fox – A debonair fox thief in a top hat and tuxedo. * The Great Hambone – An egotistical canine actor and master of disguise. * Iron Shark – A fish-shaped submarine. * Professor Von Noodle Stroudel/Strudel – A German-accented human scientist who is not so much a villain as oblivious to the effects of his experiments on the world around him. * Comrade and Commissar – Russian-accented, trench coat-clad foreign dog spies whom Courageous and Minute were never able to apprehend due to their "diplomatic immunity" – true Cold War villains. * The Unmentionables and The Unthinkables – Rival gangs headed by Chauncey "Flat-Face" Frog and Big Shot. Their names are a parody of ''

The Untouchables Untouchable or Untouchables may refer to: People * Untouchability, the practice of socially ostracizing a minority group of very low social status * Untouchables, word for the Dalits or Scheduled Castes of India * Untouchables (law enforcement), ...

.'' * Outrageous Cat – Courageous Cat's Wild West outlaw-style cousin who talks like

Yosemite Sam Yosemite Sam ( ) is a cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of short films produced by Warner Bros. His name is taken from Yosemite National Park in California. His real name is ''Aloysius Bartholamew Sam''. ...

. * Screwy Squirrel – A rarely seen criminal who usually appeared as part of a group. * Tony and Angel – A pair of crooks who steal an invisibility formula so that they can commit crimes without being seen.

Voice cast

Dallas McKennon Dallas Raymond McKennon (July 19, 1919 – July 14, 2009), sometimes credited as Dal McKennon, was an American actor. With a career lasting over 50 years, McKennon's best known roles include Gumby for Art Clokey, Archie Andrews in several diffe ...

– Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse

Episodes

Home video releases

A&E Home Video (distributed by New Video) released all 130 five-minute-long episodes on DVD in Region 1 on October 29, 2002.

Music

The memorable theme music by Johnny Holiday features a

walking bass Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, and classical music, for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and ...

line and is fashioned after the theme for ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

.'' It has most notably been performe
in concert
by the

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved ...

and their version of th
"Courageous Cat Theme"
featured on their album ''Rock'n Roll'' (1994). The theme was also featured in "Thousand Dollar Bill", a 1959 episode of the

Mike Connors Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor. He was best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series ''Mannix'' from 1967 to 1975. This role ...

detective series ''

Tightrope! ''Tightrope!'' is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 1959 to September 1960, under the alternating sponsorship of the J. B. Williams Company ( Aqua Velva, Lectric Shave, etc.), and American Tobacco ( Pall Mall). Pr ...

''. It also appears in "The Jackson Greene Story", a 1959 episode of ''

The Millionaire (TV series) ''The Millionaire'' is an American anthology television series, anthology series that aired on CBS from 1955 to 1960. It was originally sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. The series, produced by Don Fedderson and Fred Henry, explored the ways that ...

''. It was also sampled on

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

's first recordin
"HP Gets Busy" by High Potent
(1986),

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

'
"I'm Bad"
(1987), and

Soul Coughing Soul Coughing is an American alternative rock band composed of vocalist/guitarist Mike Doughty (also known as M. Doughty), keyboardist/sampler Mark Degli Antoni, bassist Sebastian Steinberg, and drummer Yuval Gabay. They developed a devout fa ...

'
"Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago"
(1994). In 2019, Brown Bear Records released a cover of the theme by The Gavoons o
''Brown Bear on TV''
a compilation album of covers of television themes.

Merchandise

In 1960, Simon Says Records released a 12" vinyl record entitle
''COURAGEOUS CAT in the story of “Around the World in a Daze”''
featuring Dal McKennon and Johhny Holiday performing all the voices. It runs for 24 minutes and is available to listen to o
Youtube
Other items of merchandise from the early 1960s included a Courageous Cat Sliding Squares Puzzle, a Super Slate, a Collegeville Courageous Cat halloween costume including mask, at least two coloring books, and matchbooks.

Later appearances

Reruns of ''Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse'' were shown on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

's ''

Weinerville ''Weinerville'' is an American children's variety television program on Nickelodeon. It aired from July 11, 1993 to June 30, 1997. This series was based around a giant puppet stage that was designed to look like a city called Weinerville. It was ...

'' in the 1990s along with reruns of '' Batfink'' and both segments of ''

The Alvin Show ''The Alvin Show'' is an American animated television series that aired on CBS in the early 1960s. This was the first series to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks. ''The Alvin Show'' aired for one season, from October 4, 19 ...

.'' In Germany and Austria the show was called ''Mirakulus und Supermaus'', and was broadcast as part of the German children's television show ''Bim Bam Bino (1988-98)'' on Tele 5. Some episodes were released on VHS and DVD.

Film version

In 2012 it was announced that Evergreen Media Group had acquired the rights to produce a live action/CGI film based on Courageous Cat, but as this has not manifested it is mostly likely no longer in development.Mike Fleming Jr (July 13, 2012
Batman Creator Bob Kane's 'Courageous Cat' Getting Film Treatment
''deadline.com''

Streaming services

All episodes are currently available to watch o
Amazon Prime
in the US, and most are also available on stream service
PROClassicTV
and PlutoTV.

References

External links

from the original on May 14, 2011. * {{IMDb title, 278180
Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse
on Amazon Prime
Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse
on PROClassicTV 1960 American animated television series debuts 1962 American television series endings 1960s American animated comedy television series 1960s American children's comedy television series 1960s American parody television series 1960s American superhero comedy television series American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated comedy television series American children's animated superhero television series American English-language television shows Characters created by Bob Kane Animated television series about cats Animated television series about mice and rats First-run syndicated animated television series Parody superheroes Television series created by Bob Kane