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Dexter's Laboratory - PB&J Otter - The Simpsons 
''Cow and Chicken'' tackles sibling rivalry, barnyard-styleBy Helen Lee, syndicated April 19, 1999 He's a four-pound chicken and she's a dewy-eyed cow. That's not so unusual, except that they're also brother and sister. The two of them star in ''Cow and Chicken,'' which airs on the Cartoon Network every weekday at 8:30 p.m. ET. A cow and a chicken? What was the creator thinking? David Feiss shrugs, ''I thought it would just be funny. To me, the word 'cow' is funny, and the word 'chicken' is funny. And I've always enjoyed drawing cows.'' Feiss says that he actually invented the characters Cow and Chicken as a bedtime story for his daughter Sarah, who was six years old at the time. ''I was too tired to read to her, so I made this thing up, kind of on the fly,'' he says. ''It was really late, and I didn't want to turn the light back on. I just kind of made this story up and she liked it. So the next morning I drew it out like a little children's book and had my wife paint it up.'' Two weeks later, executives from Hanna-Barbera, Feiss' employers, asked Feiss if he had any new ideas. Suddenly, the bedtime story turned into a cartoon show. The series features a rambunctious chicken, who acts much the way an 11-year-old human boy would. He hates being considered a coward, almost more than he hates being put into the child seat of his parents' car (they are human, by the way). He's insecure, and as Feiss puts it, cocky --''no pun intended.'' Cow is a seven-year-old female bovine who tags adoringly along on her big brother's adventures. A bit prissy, Cow often whines but has very selfless and loving qualities. Her alter ego is Supercow, who rescues her trouble-making brother whenever he needs it. ''I personally think the show's popularity is because of the character Cow," says Feiss. "She's so sweet." But, he says, his own favorite character is the Red Guy, who runs around without any pants on. ''I like how absurd and how spontaneously goofy he is,'' says Feiss, whose says his humor is inspired by Mad Magazine. For example, one revealing episode of ''Cow and Chicken'' tells viewers why the Red Guy wears no pants. It's called ''Major Wedgie.'' The idea for that show came from Feiss' son David Miguel, Feiss says. In fact, during five years on the air, many of the plots for ''Cow and Chicken,'' as well as the characters, have been inspired by his kids. ''My boy is four years older than my daughter, which is more or less what the age difference is (between Cow and Chicken),'' says Feiss. He claims that he puts his kids in Cow and Chicken's situations all the time. He also runs his story ideas by them, and if they fail to have a reaction he'll often put an idea aside. Of course, a number of Cow and Chicken plots come from his own experiences. In one episode, Chicken wants to have glasses because Cow seems so much smarter with them on. So he fakes an eye exam in order to get glasses. ''That's something I actually did,'' declares Feiss. ''I wore them for a little while, and then my head hurt so I didn't wear them anymore.'' Though Feiss says he has many more ideas in store for the series, ''Cow and Chicken'' wraps up 52 episodes this year; Cartoon Network will continue to run the show after that, but no new ones will be made. The final episodes include two musicals, which are already among Feiss' favorites. Also, six new ones air as part of the Cartoon Network's ''Smelly Telly'' promotion April 26-31. Viewers can get scratch and sniff cards from Warner Bros. Studio stores, the May '99 issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids, or Cartoon Network (P.O. Box 5064, Unionville, CT 06087). Then they tune in to the show, matching a number that appears on screen to one of the 14 scents on their cards. Feiss is currently working on a new pilot for Cartoon Network called "Lost Cat," based on an idea put forth by his wife. Meanwhile, however, Feiss is enjoying the popularity of his cartoon, especially since Taco Bell recently put ''Cow and Chicken'' toys into its kids' meals. Feiss admits, ''When the toys first came out, I was almost more excited about seeing the three dimensional toys than when the show first premiered. I've been doing animation for 20 years, but this was a thrill, it truly was.'' Top of page |