Rocko’s a wallaby and not a kangaroo. What’s the difference? A wallaby is shorter with brighter fur than a kangaroo. Although in Rocko’s case, he wears brighter patterned shirts than a kangaroo. When Rocko’s Modern Life started airing on Nickelodeon in 1993, it was easy to screw up the identity of an animated hopping character from Australia adjusting to life in America. The series quickly became a cult hit, especially by people quick to point out that Rocko’s a wallaby. His adjusting to life in O-Town isn’t helped by his best friend being an overindulging cow named Heffer Wolfe. He’s not good for advice. Even Rocko’s dog Spunky has no self-control. Poor Rocko is overwhelmed. Rocko’s Modern Life: Season One gives the first 13 episodes containing 26 cartoons of cultural mayhem.
“No Pain, No Gain” sends Rocko and Heffer to an elite workout center. It’s run by a brilliant pack of snobs that only want the best sweat shed on their towels. They find acceptance in a class run by a Richard Simmons-like character. But can they really stick to a work out routine? “Who GIves A Buck?” reminds us that you should never tell a cow that you have a brand new credit card. “Leap Frogs” was banned from Nickelodeon for a while. Mrs. Bighead puts the moves on Rocko when she believes her husband doesn’t care for her anymore. Things get strange when a spider uses the bathroom and Mrs. Bighead uses Spanish Fly on her target. This is a very adult episode that almost seems like a Duckman outtake. Even more disturbing is “Bedfellows” when Heffer moves in with his pal.
“Jet Scream” sends Rocko and Heffer to Las Vegas with free plane tickets. The problem is that Heffer just read a book about a plane crash that led to cannibalism. In case of a plane crash, wouldn’t the cow be the first devoured by the other passengers. They get to mock airport security since it was before the terrorists attacked and the TSA took over. “Trash-O-Madness” dares to disgust when garbage day hits. There’s a lot more than rolling the can to the curb in this neighborhood. “Spitballs” is the worst tale of a neighbor hating baseballs on his lawn.
“Carnival Knowledge” sends Rocko and Heffer to a carnival set up at the sewage treatment plant. The rides are disturbing like a chemical toss and the house of broken glass. Heffer is more excited about riding the Elevator to Hell. “Love Spanked” demonstrates the danger of letting Heffer find Rocko blind dates. The wallaby is in heat so he has to do something. Eventually he ends up on dating show that goes wrong. Spunky falls for a mop in “Clean Lovin.'” “Unbalanced Load” reminds Rocko to do the laundry when his clothes come to life.
The show is must viewing for adult fans of SpongeBob SquarePants for this is where the creative team originally joined forces. SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg got his big break as a writer and director for Rocko. Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob is Heffer. Mr. Lawrence speaks for Filburt Shellbach and evolved into Plankton. Carlos Alazraqui, the voice of Rocko, has done some small work on SpongeBob since his main gig for a while was being Deputy Garcia on Reno 911!. He was also the voice of the Taco Bell chihuahua.
Rocko’s Modern Life: Season One is not your normal Nickelodeon series. This wasn’t made for little kids or even tweens. This is almost Adult Swim level material except a little more taste than Assy McGee.
The Episodes
“No Pain, No Gain / Who Gives a Buck?,” “Leap Frogs / Bedfellows,” “Jet Scream / Dirty Dog,” “Keeping Up With the Bigheads / Skid Marks,” “Power Trip / To Heck and Back,” “The Good, the Bad, and the Wallaby / Trash-O-Madness,” “Spitballs / Popcorn Pandemonium,” “A Sucker For the Suck-O-Matic / Canned,” “Carnival Knowledge / Sand In Your Navel,” “Cabin Fever / Rinse and Spit,” “Rocko’s Happy Sack / Flu-In-U-Enza,” “Who’s For Dinner? / Love Spanked” and “Clean Lovin’ / Unbalanced Load.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers look fine. The lines are tight in the wavy background images. The audio is stereo. The mix is fine between the voices, music and effects. The episodes are Closed Captioned.
There are no bonus features.
Rocko’s Modern Life: Season One maintains it’s hilarious nature after nearly two decades. The little wallaby’s bumbling adventures with his dopey dog and clueless cow friend don’t lose their luster. If you remember it as a kid, you’ll appreciate it more as an adult.
Shout! Factory presents Rocko’s Modern Life: Season One. Created by: Joe Murray. Starring: Tom Kenny, Mr. Lawrence and Carlos Alazraqui. Boxset Contents 13 episodes on 2 DVDs. Rating: Unrated. Released on DVD: June 21, 2011. Available at Amazon.com.
