The Tick FAQ

VERSION 2.2
May 1996

Compiled by
James Manchester

Availability: This FAQ is posted regularly to rec.arts.comics.info, rec.arts.comics.misc, rec.answers and news.answers, rec.arts.animation, and alt.tv.the-tick. It is archived at the ftp site, rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/rec.answers/comics/tick. Permission is granted for non-profit distribution of this FAQ, provided it remains intact and original authorship is acknowledged.

Disclaimer#1: Ok, so maybe all of these questions aren't frequently asked,but I thought a FAQ consisting only of "What Tick episodes have aired?" and "Where can I find pictures of The Tick?" would be rather small. All information is as accurate as possible as of the date of this document; please let me know of any ommissions or mistakes.

Notation: Titles of comic books appear in all italics (e.g., The Tick), as do titles of episodes of the cartoon when they appear among text. The first appearance of a character is often shown with the notation (FA: The Tick #00) which shows which issue (or episode) the character first appeared. The Tick may be abbreviated Tick, The Tick: Karma Tornado as Tornado, Paul the Samurai as Paul and Man-Eating Cow as MEC.

Spoiler notice: Due to the (semi-) recent nature of Tick comics and the recent increase in popularity due to the cartoon, some of the information below could be construed to be spoiler material. Read the contents if you aren't sure and proceed at your own risk...

>>>CONTENTS<<<

* represents questions with many modifications since last version
** represents new questions since last version

0.0: Has the Tick Animated Series been cancelled?

1.0: Who is the Tick?

1.1 Who is the Tick?
1.2 Who created the Tick?
*1.3 Where and when was the Tick's first appearance?
1.4 What are the Tick's powers?

2.0: Does the Tick have any friends?

2.1 Who is Arthur?
2.2 Who is Oedipus?
2.3 Who is Paul the Samurai?
2.4 Who is Man-Eating Cow?
2.5 Who is American Maid?
2.6 Who is Die Fledermaus?
2.7 Who is Caped (or Crusading) Chameleon?
2.8 Who is Sewer Urchin?
2.9 Who is the Caped Wonder?
2.10 Who is Angus McGuire?
2.11 Who is the Human Bullet?
2.12 Who is Little Wooden Boy?
2.13 What is the Decency Squad?
2.14 Who is Soaring Red Pecker?
2.15 What other heroes does The Tick know?
2.16 Does The Tick have any normal friends?

3.0: If the Tick is a superhero, then what super-villains has he fought?

3.1 Who is...the Tick?
3.2 Who is Man-Eating Cow?
3.3 Who is Chairface Chippendale?
3.4 Who is Chainsaw Vigilante?
3.5 Who is The Red Eye?
3.6 Who is El Seed?
3.7 Who is the Breadmaster?
3.8 Who is the Terror?
3.9 Who is the Brainchild?
**3.10 Who is the Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight?
*3.11 What other villains has The Tick fought?

4.0: What is some trivial, but interesting, information about the Tick?

4.1 Why does the Tick fight crime?
4.2 Where does the Tick live?
4.3 What is the Tick's secret identity?
4.4 Does the Tick suck blood?
4.5 Does the Tick have 8 legs?
4.6 What is the significance of "SPOON!"?
4.7 What do his antennae do?
4.8 Where can I find an archive of all those witty sayings the Tick has?

5.0: Where can I find the Tick in printed media?

5.1 What Tick comics are published regularly?
5.2 Will Ben Edlund publish any more issues of The Tick?
5.3 What other comics has the Tick made appearances in?
5.4 How do I subscribe to Tick comics?
*5.5 How do I find back issues of Tick comics?
5.6 How do I contact New England Comics?
5.7 Why don't my issues of The Tick fit in my comic bags?
5.8 What are the rare issues of The Tick?
5.9 Does Ben Edlund make an actual appearance somewhere in the Tick comics?

6.0: Does the Tick make TV appearances?

6.1 Does the Tick have his own cartoon series? How long has it been on?
6.2 How many episodes are there? What are they?
6.3 Will there be more episodes?
*6.4 When can I see the cartoon?
6.5 Have any videos of the cartoon been released?
6.6 Is someone different doing Arthur's voice?
*6.7 Who does the voices for the show?
6.8 Don't I recognize some of those names?
6.9 How do I contact Fox Kids Network?
6.10 Is there any possibility of an animated or live-action Tick movie?

7.0: Where can I find the Tick on the Internet?

7.1 Is The Tick discussed on any newsgroups?
7.2 Can the Tick be found at any anonymous ftp sites?
7.3 Are there any World Wide Web pages devoted to the Tick?

8.0: Are there any clubs or associations devoted to the Tick that I can be a member of?

9.0: Are there any Tick toys?

9.1 Which 3" figures have been released?
9.2 What about Dinosaur Neil?
9.3 Will there be any future additions to this line?
9.4 What 6" poseable action figures have been released?
9.5 When were Man-Eating Cow and Die Fledermaus released?
9.6 Will there be any upcoming additions to this line?
9.7 What is The Box?
9.8 Has Taco Bell released any kid's meals that contain Tick toys?
9.9 What was the Life cereal offer?
*9.10 Isn't there a Tick video game?
9.11 What other Tick toys are there?
9.12 What about other Tick merchandise?

10.0: Who has contributed to the Tick FAQ?

11.0: Can I help with the Tick FAQ?

The Tick FAQ

0.0 Has the Tick Animated Series been cancelled?

No; from all the sources I've heard, it will be back for at least another season, maybe more.

1.0 Who is the Tick?

1.1 Who is The Tick?

The Tick is a powerful superhero. He broke out of the Evanston Hospital, an asylum in Minnesota, and became the self-proclaimed protector of The City. (The Tick #1)

 1.2 Who created the Tick?

The Tick was created by Ben Edlund. Mr. Edlund, who is now 27, grew up in Massachusetts and created the Tick his senior year in high school, at which time he was seventeen.

1.3 When and where was the first appearance of the Tick?

The Tick first appeared in the 14th issue of the NEC in-house newsletter (July-August 1986). The first comic book appearance of the Tick reprints most of what was originally in issues #14 and 15 of the newsletter with a longer storyline and was sold as a special edition of The Tick #1, of which only 5000 copies were printed; it was sold only through NEC's stores and through mail order. However, if you would like to own a copy, later printings of this fine book can be purchased at the cover price; The Tick #1 is also reprinted in The Tick Omnibus: Sunday Through Wednesday.

1.4 What are the Tick's Powers?

The Tick is mighty and nigh-invulnerable.

2.0: Does the Tick have any friends?

 2.1 Who is Arthur?

The Tick's sidekick, Arthur met the Tick early in his superhero career and they became fast friends. His moth suit, which he bought at an auction, enables him to fly. Arthur's first main appearance was in The Tick #4; however, he can be seen in the background as early as The Tick #1 (page 13).
2.2 Who is Oedipus?

Oedipus Ashley Stevens is a female ninja who had the honor of being the first superhero to fight alongside the Tick. She first appeared in The Tick #3. Oedipus has appeared only in the comics.

 2.3 Who is Paul the Samurai?

Another character who met the Tick earlier in his career is Paul the Samurai, a mighty samurai and baker. Paul had a limited 3-edition miniseries and now stars in his own self-titled ongoing comic. (FA: The Tick #4). Paul has not appeared in the cartoon.

 2.4 Who (or what) is the Man-Eating Cow?
Originally, Man-Eating Cow was one of the cows in the man-eating alligator and cow pit that Chairface lowered the Tick and Angus McGuire into (FA: The Tick #7). Angus and the Tick escaped (so did Man-Eating Cow) and Man-Eating Cow later saved the Tick from an attack by members of Chairface's gang. When the Tick decided to leave for New York (The Tick #8), he left The City in the capable hands (hooves?) of Man-Eating Cow. Man-Eating Cow made an appearance as a villain siding with the Terror in The Tick vs. Arthur's Bank Account. She also has a self-titled ongoing comic series.
2.5 Who is American Maid?

American Maid is a high-heel-shoe-flinging hero with fighting and acrobatic expertise who can sometimes be found fighting alongside the Tick. American Maid has to date only appeared in the cartoon. (FA: The Tick vs. The Idea Men)

 2.6 Who is Die Fledermaus? How do you spell Deflator Mouse?

Die Fledermaus (pronounced dee flay' der mous, but not spelled Deflator Mouse) is the fashion-conscious superhero of The City who got into the crimefighting gig more to look good than to fight crime. He dresses like a bat and has also only appeared in the cartoon. The actual term die fledermaus is German for the bat. (FA: The Tick vs. The Idea Men)

 2.7 Who is Caped (or Crusading) Chameleon?

A friend of the Tick, Crusading Chameleon has the power to climb walls and to change color to match the color of any homogeneous surface that he is on , except, maybe, the more difficult color schemes ("Can't...do...plaid..."). Crusading Chameleon has not appeared in the comics. (FA: The Tick vs. The Idea Men)

 2.8 Who is Sewer Urchin?

Another friend of the Tick, Sewer Urchin watches the sewers for criminal activity and has the ability to emit a noxious gas that can paralyze the central nervous system. Like other heroes of The City, Sewer Urchin has not appeared in the comics. (FA: The Tick vs. The Idea Men)

 2.9 Who is the Caped Wonder?

The Caped Wonder lives in The City and works for The Weekly World Planet under his secret identity, Clark Oppenheimer. He is invulnerable, can fly, can move fast with his very-quick speed, and has see-through vision and really-hot vision, with which he can make things really hot. Each proclaiming to be "Protector of The City", The Caped Wonder and the Tick never seemed to quite get along. The Caped Wonder first appeared in The Tick #1 and made a cameo appearance in The Tick vs. The Idea Men.

 2.10 Who is Angus McGuire?
Angus McGuire is the police detective and member of a government criminal investigations bureau (FA: The Tick #7) who recruited the Tick's help in stopping Chairface Chippendale from vandalizing the moon.

2.11 Who is the Human Bullet?
With his helmet in the shape of a bullet, the Human Bullet fires himself off to the scene of a crime in his giant cannon. The Human Bullet first appeared in The Tick vs. The Idea Men.

 2.12 Who is Little Wooden Boy?

While Arthur was shirked his patrol duties one night, the Tick freed this new sidekick from a block of wood. Little Wooden Boy helped the Tick fight off Swiss commandoes when he first appeared in Little Wooden Boy and the Belly of Love.

 2.13 What is the Decency Squad?

In their prime during the Golden Age of Superheroes, the Decency Squad fought villains in the WWII era. Heading up the Decency Squad was Captain Decency and his sidekick Johnny Polite. With the cry, "I vote for goodness!" Suffra-jet would fly into battle with the help of a jet strapped to her back. The Living Doll would proclaim "I'm full of tinier men!" and could come apart at the torsoe, exposing a smaller version of himself who in turn contained more 'tiny men'. Finally, with a yell, "Rockets from the Sockets!" Visual Eyes would spy on evil-doers from far away as his eyes flew to the scene of a crime. Alongside the Tick, they met up with their old foe the Terror in Grandpa Wore Tights.

2.14 Who is Soaring Red Pecker?

In his woodpecker guise, Soaring Red Pecker flies about The City doing good. As far as I know he has never met the Tick, but does know Paul the Samurai (FA: Paul the Samurai #3, miniseries).

2.15 What other heroes does the Tick know?

The Tick has fought next to The Civic-Minded Five, a superhero group consisting of Four-legged Man (FA: The Tick #11); Jungle Janet; Feral Boy (FA: The Tick #9); Carpeted Man, who shuffles around in his carpet suit building up enough static electricity to shock evil-doers; and Captain Mucilage (FA: The Tick #6, as Mucilage Man), who shoots glue from high-pressure tanks on his back. The original appearance of the Civic-Minded Five was in The Tick #9, at which time it consisted of Mr. Envelope, Oddman, Feral Boy, Radio King and Fernslinger (who met his demise at the hands of Chainsaw Vigilante.
The Tick has also met The Running Guy (FA: The Tick #6), who can run faster than ten fast men.
He met King Agrippa, Roman God of the Aqueduct (FA: The Tick #11) during an excursion to New York. Agrippa has the power to teleport water from anywhere to anywhere in the world. (Agrippa also appeared in The Tick vs. The Tick).
Bigshot (FA: The Tick #11) is a gun-carrying vigilante who the Tick met when he fought Barry at the Comet Club. Bigshot's first appearance in the cartoon is in The Tick vs. The Idea Men.
2.15 Does the Tick have any normal friends?

The Tick has made the acquaintance of Dot (FA: The Tick #8), Arthur's sister, and Mayor Blank, mayor of The City.

3.0 If the Tick is a superhero, what super-villains has he fought?

3.1 Who is...the Tick?

At one point, a superhero named Barry also called himself The Tick. He attacked him the Tick when the Tick would not give up his superhero name. Needless to say, the Tick gave him a sound beating, got to keep his superhero name, and also got to keep all of Barry's superhero gadgets and Barry's Tick Cave (The Tick #11-12). Barry also appeared in The Tick vs. The Tick.

3.2 Who (or what) is Man-Eating Cow?

See Q2.4.

3.3 Who is Chairface Chippendale?

Chairface is a powerful crime boss with a chair for a head (FA: THE TICK #7). The Tick teamed up with Angus McGuire to stop him from writing his name on the moon. In The Tick vs. Chairface Chippendale, the Tick teamed up with American Maid to stop him.

3.4 Who is Chainsaw Vigilante?

Chainsaw Vigilante seems to have a desire to rid the world of superheroes (FA: The Tick #10). He had a short-lived, self-titled comic that ran for three issues.
3.5 Who is The Red Eye?

The Red Eye is a mysterious evil man who goes about doing harm to the unsuspecting. The Tick read about him in a comic book and coincidentally met up with him soon after (FA: The Tick #8). NEC bound a mini-comic called The Red Eye with The Tick #8.
3.6 Who is El Seed?

A sentient walking plant, El Seed is the champion of vegetation and desires to take over the world in an attempt to stop the oppression of the Plant Kingdom by Animals (FA: The Tick vs. El Seed).

 3.7 Who is the Breadmaster?

The Breadmaster, with his slippery assistant, Buttery Pat, is an outcast of the baking community and commits crimes with weapons that he bakes. (FA: The Tick vs. The Breadmaster)

 3.8 Who is the Terror?

The Terror is an evil genius that has been around since even before the Golden Age of Superheroes and attempted to take over The City in The Tick vs. Arthur's Bank Account. He met with his old foes, the Decency Squad in Grandpa Wore Tights. (FA: The Tick #12)

3.9 Who is the Brainchild?

The Tick stopped the evil child genius Brainchild from smashing the moon into the earth in The Tick vs. Brainchild. During his second encounter with the Tick, he turned the Tick into a two-headed bluebird that could only speak high school French ("Je m'appelle le Tick!") and tried to auction him off to a group of supervillains in Coach Fussel's Lament.

 3.10 Who is the Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight?

The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight (Yeah, Baby!)first appeared in The Tick vs. The Tick and attempted to blow up the Comet Club while the Tick and Barry were fighting. The Evil Midnight Bomber also appeared in Armless but Harmless, and made a short cameo in Heroes.

3.10 What other villains has the Tick fought?

The Red Scare is a large, powerful villain who works for Villains, Inc. If you are a superhero, and aren't getting the publicity you deserve, Villains Inc. will, for a fee, send a supervillain to appear in public, make a scene delivering his villain soliloquy while committing a crime, and pretend to get beaten when you arrive to save the day. (FA: The Tick #6).
Dinosaur Neil was a normal man who accidentally ingested some dinosaur DNA and turned into a rampaging dinasaur. (FA: The Tick vs. Dinosaur Neil)
The District Manager, Walt Fujiyama, is a large man who was the leader of ninja operations in America. (FA: The Tick #3)
Thrakkorzog is a being from Dimension 14B who attempted to make an army of cloned Ticks in The Tick vs. The Uncommon Cold. (FA: The Tick #11)
Pineapple Pokopo is the dictator of the small island of Pokoponesia (whose resources consist of pineapples and sharks) who has his sites set on taking over Hawaii. He was also present at the party when Chairface attempted to write his name on the moon. (FA: The Tick #8)
Omnipitus, the Eater of Planets first appeared in Tick: Karma Tornado #2. The Tick was tricked into being his personal maintenance man. Omnipitus also appeared in Alone Together.

4.0 What is some trivial, but interesting, information about the Tick?

4.1 Why does the Tick fight crime?

It is his destiny to be protector of The City.

4.2 Where does the Tick live?

The Tick lives in Arthur's apartment in The City. When The Tick left off at #12, he was staying near New York in Barry's Tick Cave.

4.3 What is the Tick's secret identity?

He doesn't have one, but did at one point. His secret identity was Neville Nedd, employed by the Weekly World Planet to make crossword puzzles.

4.4 Does the Tick suck blood?

He has said as much but has never demonstrated this power.

4.5 Does the Tick have eight legs?

It's hard to tell under his costume.

4.6 What is the significance of "SPOON!"?

"SPOON!" is the Tick's battle-cry (FA: The Tick #7). Arthur also has his own battle-cry: "Not in the face! Not in the face!"

4.7 What do his antennae do?

They keep him balanced (as seen in Grandpa Wore Tights).

4.7 Where can I find an archive of all those witty sayings the Tick has?
Try Bigshot's web page .

5.0 Where can I find the Tick in printed media?

5.1 What Tick comics are published regularly?

None :). Seriously, though, The Tick is an ongoing comic currently stuck at #12. One day, we may see the long-awaited #13. Tick: Karma Tornado is ongoing at #10. Many fans express displeasure at the fact that the comics come out irregularly rather than on a monthly or other periodic basis. The Chroma-Tick reprints the original Tick comics in color.

5.2 Will Ben Edlund publish any more issues of The Tick?

My best answer to that is, "I don't know". He is currently working on the cartoon, which, if I understand correctly, is a rather large project. The status of The Tick is in limbo. He recently told Wizard (Wizard #50, December 1995) that he doesn't plan to write any more issues in the near future.

5.3 What comics contain appearances of the Tick?
Following are the Tick appearances that I know of:

5.4 How can I subscribe to Tick comics?

Many comic book retailers have what is called a "subscription service" where they will hold incoming comics for customers. Subscriptions can be ordered directly from NEC; however, the irregularity of production of Tick comics can be a source of extreme displeasure to subscribers. To contact NEC, see below.

5.5 How do I find back issues of Tick comics?

Many comic book retailers carry back issues of a variety of titles. Also, retailers can special order many back issues of Tick comics at the current printing. Sometimes back issues can also be found at comic book conventions. Back issues can be ordered directly from NEC at the current print run, and often, in earlier print runs.
NEC has also compiled The Tick #1-6 into The Tick Omnibus: Sunday-Wednesday and The Tick #7-10 into The Tick Omnibus vol II: Thursday ad Infinitum. The recently printed The Tick Omnibus vol III contains The Tick #11-12 along with some additional art and information. There is also a trade paperback which collects the first five issues of Karma Tornado.
The entire miniseries Paul the Samurai has also been collected in trade paperback form. The Tick Omnibus vol IV should be out soon; it is supposed to contain Tick's Circus of the Mighty #1-3. NEC and Marlowe & Company plan to publish Chroma-Tick #1-6 in a trade paperback in late May, 1996.
For ordering information, the address for NEC is listed below.

5.6 How do I contact New England Comics?

The snail-mail address for NEC is:

New England Comics
P.O. Box 310
Quincy, MA 02269

Phone: (617) 774-0140
Fax: (617) 774-1747

These numbers are the current numbers. I believe that the number printed in some of the earlier issues now belongs to someone else.

To contact NEC via e-mail, send mail to:

necp@necomics.com
They can also be contacted via their web page.

5.7 Why don't my issues of The Tick fit in my comic bags?

Because your bags are too small. Try golden age bags and boards if you want to keep your issues of The Tick.
5.8 What are the rare printings of The Tick?

Following are some of the rare (or scarce-enough-to-be-rare) printings of The Tick:

5.9 Doesn't Ben Edlund make an appearance somewhere in the Tick comics?

Yes; he appears in The Tick #9, page 10, second panel. He is the man in black, standing next to the guy in the Delta House t-shirt.

6.0 Does the Tick make TV appearances?

6.1 Does the Tick have his own cartoon series? How long has it been on?

Yes, The Tick Animated Series has aired since the Fall '94 season.

6.2 How many episodes are there? What are they?

So far, there are 26 episodes, all of which have aired, listed below, by season, some with original air dates:

First Season:

Second Season:

See Bigshot's Tick page for a good episode guide for both seasons!.

6.3 Will there be more episodes?

There shouldn't be any more episodes this season (all 13 having been shown already). According to Doug Katsaros, writer of the music from the Tick, the cartoon has been signed on for two more seasons.
6.4 When can I see the cartoon?

The cartoon usually airs on Saturday mornings on the FOX network. after X-Men. It appears to be on hiatus at the moment (see Q0.0). Bigshot's Tick page lists times in different areas. (When it was showing, that is).

6.5 Have any videos of the cartoon been released?
So far, The Tick vs. The Idea Men and The Tick vs. Chairface Chippendale have appeared in stores on one video, selling for around $10-$12.
6.6 Is someone different doing Arthur's voice?
Mickey Dolenz, who did the voice for the first season, was unavailable during the second season, due to other commitments. Rob Paulsen currently does Arthur's voice.
6.7 Who does the voices for the show?
Following is a list of people who do voices of the characters on The Tick Animated Series (listed by character): 



Recurring Characters




The Tick...............................Townsend Coleman
Arthur......................................Rob Paulsen
Arthur (1st season).......................Mickey Dolenz
Crusading Chameleon.........................Rob Paulsen
The Human Bullet...........................Jess Harnell
Sewer Urchin...............................Jess Harnell
Die Fledermaus...............................Cam Clarke
American Maid..................................Kay Lenz
Dot.......................................Kim Robertson




Guests and Villains





The Tick vs. The Tick


Barry......................................Jim Cummings
The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight........
					  Rob Paulsen
Orangatan sidekick.........................Jim Cummings


The Tick vs. Mr. Mental


Mr. Mental.................................Jim Cummings
Minda.....................................Kim Robertson


The Tick vs. Brainchild


Brainchild..................................Rob Paulsen 


The Tick vs. The Uncommon Cold


Thrakkorzog................................Jim Cummings



Following is the remainder of the list of voices during the first 
season:

	Pat Fraley			Pat Musick
	Roger Rose			Kevin Schon
	Dorian Harewood			Susan Silo
	Maurice LaMarche 	 	Gail Matthius
	Debi Derryberry			Dan Castellanetta
	Miriam Flynn			Phil Proctor

Following is a partial list of voices during the second season:

	Jennifer Hale      	Kevin Schon    
	Steve Susskind     	Pat Musick     
	Brad Gerrett      	Terrence Man    
	Pat Fraley       	Hank Saroyan    
	The Firesign Theatre  	Phil Proctor    
	David Ossman      	Maurice LaMarche  
	Phil Austin       	Peter Paul Bergman 
	Jim Cummings      	Susan Blu     
	John Rubinow      	Mary Kay Bergman  
	Roger Rose

6.8 Don't I recognize some of those names?

Probably; Mickely Dolenz is a member of the band, the Monkees. Dan Castellanatta does voices for the Simpsons, including Homer, Grampa Simpson, Homer's friend Barney and Krusty the Clown. Kim Robertson played Lucy, Sheriff Truman's secretary on Twin Peaks. Rob Paulsen does the voice of Yakko, Dr. Scratchensniff and Pinky on Animaniacs; the Mask on The Mask; and P.J. on Goof Troop. Jess Harnell does the voice of Wakko on Animaniacs. Maurice LaMarche voices the Brain on Animaniacs. Kay Lenz has been in some low-budget movies since the 70's, including Death Wish IV. Jim Cummings voices Goofy on Goof Troop.

6.9 How do I contact FOX Kids Network?

As far as I know, this is still FOX's address:
Fox Kids Network
5746 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028

phone: (213) 856-1000
fax: (213) 461-8240

e-mail the execs at Fox Kids:

Dan Dubelman
foxkids@metawire.com

They can also be contacted via their web page.

6.10 Is there any possibility for an animated or live-action Tick movie?

Yes; in a conversation with Bigshot, Ben Edlund mentioned that there is an outside chance of an animated or live-action movie featuring the Tick.

7.0 Where can I find the Tick on the Internet?

7.1 Do any newsgroups discuss the Tick?

There is one newsgroup completely devoted to the Tick: alt.tv.the-tick.
Discussion about the Tick can sometimes be found on rec.arts.comics.misc. Rarely, Tick action figures are made mention of on rec.toys.misc. The cartoon is sometimes discussed on rec.arts.comics.other-media. Also, there is an almost constant request to post pictures of the Tick on alt.binaries.pictures.cartoons. The Tick FAQ is regularly posted to rec.arts.comics.misc, rec.arts.comics.info, rec.answers, news.answers, rec.arts.animation and alt.tv.the-tick.

7.2 Can the Tick be found at any anonymous ftp sites?

Tick jpegs are available via anonymous ftp at ftp.sunet.se.
Tick wavs can be found at www.blackcat.org.
A text version of this FAQ can be found at rtfm.mit.edu.
7.3 Are there any World Wide Web pages devoted to the Tick?

Yes; the following are some of the most prominent Tick pages:

New England Comics, Inc.
*The official NEC page

(Fox Kid's Network's) The Tick
*The official Tick Animated Series page

(Bigshot's) The Tick Page
*Television airing information is located here, along with a good episode guide, merchandise info and Tick quotes

Duh Dwee Da Da Da Dwee Dow (The ROMAD Tick Page)
*Has a few pictures

(Soren's) The TICK
*Summary of The Tick #1-12, and a couple movies

The Tick Headquarters
*A good site, with character descriptions and pictures from the show

(Grendel's) The Tick
*Contains sound bytes from the show

Jeff's Tick Picts & Audio Clips
*Pictures and audio clips from the show (obviously)

Brandon's Tribute to the Tick
*What Brandon calls the most extensive Tick info on the web

Solex's Tick Home Page
*A rather extensive archive of .wav, .au and .zipped Tick audio files

Maggi's Incredibly Complete Tick Links Page
*A probably exhaustive list of Tick WWW pages

The TCC24Seven Tick Page
*This British TV station has a great Tick page

Gavin Suntop's: TICK HOMEPAGE!
*A whole page of the Tick...character descriptions, etc.

Darren Fallis - Home Page
*The pictures from ftp.sunet.se are shown as thumbnails here and can be downloaded directly from this page

The Tick's Dart Game
*A new and different Tick page

The Action Figure Web Page
*See pictures of the Tick figures

The Ultimate TV List: The Tick
*The Tick Page on the Ultimate TV Page

Movie Madness Merchandise
*Get your Tick merchandise here

Little Wooden Boy's Home Page

Due to the large number of Tick pages (which seems to be increasing exponentially), I don't have room to put all of them here...try Maggi's page.

8.0 Are there any clubs/associations devoted to the Tick that I can be a member of?

Yes: The Tick Society, the Mystic Order of Arachnid Vigilance. The Tick Society can be joined for $12.00 by sending a coupon from the back of Tick comics. Members receive a field kit containing the Tick Society Handbook, a glossy photo of the Tick, a Cypher-Matic Decoder Wheel, a certificate of membership, a membership card, an Official MOAV Implement of Mischief (a straw) and a Spoon! Contact NEC for membership information.

9.0 Are there any Tick toys or other types of merchandise?

9.1 Which 3" figures have been produced?

BanDai has produced a line of 3" molded figures that include the Tick, Arthur, American Maid, Sewer Urchin, Crusading Chameleon, the Human Bullet, Dyna-Mole, Dean, El Seed, and Chairface.

9.2 What about Dinosaur Neil?

The 3" figure was not produced due to "production problems". I have no knowledge of the possibility of future release.

9.3 Will there be any future additions to this line?

Yes; supposedly, BanDai will add the Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight, Die Fledermaus, Barry, Leaping Tick, Tick in a Tuxedo, Mole King, Tuun-La, Pineapple Pokopo, Lava Man and Captain Mucilage.

9.4 What 6" poseable figures have been released?

The first line of 6" figures include the Tick, Arthur, Sewer Urchin, the Human Bullet, Die Fledermaus, Man-Eating Cow, Dean, Dinosaur Neil, Dyna-Mole and El Seed. These came out Spring, 1995.
Series II came out November, 1995, and include Stop-Sign Hurling Tick, Mucus Tick, American Maid, Crusading Chameleon, Thrakkorzog and Skippy the Flying Dog.

9.5 When were Man-Eating Cow and Die Fledermaus released?

First sightings of these figures occurred in late July/early August, 1995.

9.6 Will there be any upcoming additions to this line?

There will be a series of four 6" action figure Talking Ticks.

9.7 What is The Box?

In the first cartoon, The Tick vs. The Idea Men, the Tick won the contest at the superhero convention by surviving The Box, a large mean-looking box that contains all sorts of painful tortures. BanDai plans to release The Box for use with the 6" figures.

9.8 Did Taco Bell release Tick kid's meals that contained toys?

In 1995, Taco Bell had a Tick promotion with Tick kid's meals that contained toys. These toys included a Tick finger puppet, a wall-crawling Arthur, a Tick on roller skates that smashes through a wall, a Thrakkorzog water squirter and a few vinyl decals.
Beginning February, 1996, TB released a new set of toys with Tick kid's meals. These toys were larger and nicer than the first set. They included a balancing Tick, a gliding Arthur, a submersible Sewer Urchin and a Brainchild.

9.9 What was the Life cereal offer?

Recently, Life cereal had an offer in which you could send away for a set of 4 Tick pogs and a slammer with two UPC symbols from Life cereal. This offer is good until July 31, 1996, or until supplies last.

9.10 Are those the same pogs I saw at Toys R Us?
Supposedly, the Life pogs are supposed to be limited edition. I'd know for sure if I would have received the ones I sent a way for :(. There is also a set of 60 pogs that are available at various stores that sell pogs, like Toys R Us.

9.11 Isn't there a Tick video game?

Yes; at least out for Super Nintendo and the Sega Genesis. Fortunately, someone did their homework on the cartoon and comic books. Unfortunately, they didn't develop the game itself, but it's worth a look.

9.12 What other Tick toys are there?

There is a 15" Talking Tick.
There will supposedly be a line of Micro Machines that star characters from the Tick.
There is currently also a line of wind-up toys featuring the Tick; these figures include the Tick, Arthur, El Seed, the Human Bullet, Dyna-Mole and Sewer Urchin.
Finally, there is a board game featuring the Tick and the villains that he has fought, The Tick: Hip Deep in Evil.

9.13 What about other Tick merchandise?

New t-shirts, caps and posters have popped up in stores that sell movie, tv or comic book related merchandise. NEC will send a catalog of the merchandise that they carry to anyone that writes them at the snail-mail or e-mail addresses above. NEC also has a catalog on the web.
Recently, FOX Kids Network has produced a set of trading cards for their Saturday morning cartoons. Of these cards, the Tick and the cast of the show make up a 62 card subset.
A Tick CD will be coming out that contains music from the show.

10.0 Who has contributed to this FAQ?

I would like to thank the following people for assistance (direct and indirect) with this FAQ:

David T. Chappell (davidc@leland.stanford.edu), whose Superman FAQ inspired this one and acted as a model for it.
"Roxy" Meinhold (khleyr@leland.stanford.edu), who was the first person to really help out with the FAQ.
"Bigshot" (bigshot@cipsinc.com) and The Tick Page for providing up-to-date information on certain aspects of the television show and merchandising.
Randy Matthews (randym@aloha.com) and The Action Figure Web Page, for providing info about the action figures.
Kenneth Willey, who gave some good comments and suggestions.
Eric Benchimol (ericben@io.org) and The Hype! Comic Cafefor current information. Also contributing:
Dane Johnson (klaatu@halcyon.com)
David Filip (grimlock@u.washington.edu)
Alex Hart (alhart@ucdavis.edu)
David Llewellyn (dwbl@ix.netcom.com)
Jeffrey Kreth (jkreth@Connecti.com)
Matthew Hubbard (leofosse@crl.com)
Scott Purdy (spurdy@pomona.edu)
Jonathan Steckelberg (cujs7@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu)

11.0 Can I help with the Tick FAQ?

Yes! Please let me know if you have any questions needing answers or if you have any suggestions/corrections/flames. I can be reached at chester@ren.psy.jhu.edu.

New England Comics / Fox Kids Network Disclaimer#2: The Tick and related characters are copyright © and registered trademarks ® of Ben Edlund. Related materials are copyright © New England Comics. The Tick Animated Series is copyright © FOX Kids Network, Inc. Mention of the characters and materials in this document is without permission of Ben Edlund, NEC or FOX Kids Network, but this use is not intended to challenge Mr. Edlund's, NEC's or FOX Kids Network's trademark rights or copyrights. Readers who want to learn more about The Tick are encouraged to purchase the comic books and watch the animated series. Permission is granted for non-profit distribution of this document, provided it remains intact and the original authorship is acknowledged. Any other use requires the written permission of the author.

Copyright © 1996 by James Manchester
last revised April 1996

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