Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Ed Edd n Eddy was one of Cartoon Network's most popular and longest running original series. In honor of their anniversary, here are some facts about the Eds, and also some of my personal opinions of the series.
FACT: It is currently the longest lasting Cartoon Network original
Spanning 5 seasons (there was a so called season 6, but it was only one episode), 4 TV specials, and a TV movie, this show lasted longer than the Powerpuff Girls despite them making the bigger bucks, and saw multiple eras of Cartoon Network from the golden era which mixes new series with classic cartoon reruns and Toonami to the dark days when Cartoon Network picked up a ton of live action shows. It was one of the top rated kids shows in America.
OPINION: But in season 5, they jumped the shark
The season premiere showed many changes. The first one is the transition from cells to digital ink and paint. The biggest one can be found in the episode itself. Eddy tries to convince everyone in the cul-de-sac that summer isn't over yet, when in reality, it was time to go back to school. From this episode on, it shows them in school instead of outdoors in the cul-de-sac. This was supposed to be a summertime show. Now imagine if Phineas and Ferb did this. Then the point of the show is over. Unlike the Eds, that never happened and the series ended without jumping the shark. Thankfully, their last episode, which was the movie, ended on a higher note.
FACT: The majority of the series was animated traditionally by cells
Ed Edd n Eddy was one of the last cartoons to be made by traditional cell animation. Whereas most shows including Spongebob and the Simpsons were already moving over to digital ink and paint, the Eds were traditionally animated for all episodes except season 5. If one could view this episode in HD and not what was DVR'd and VCR'd years ago in less than standard def, the feeling of actual artwork comes alive on your screen as if the actual animation cells that you collect and hang on your wall come to life. The colors pop out right before your eyes, and boy was there color everywhere from blue and green tongues to brightly colored houses.
OPINION: It was a nightmare to parents
Ok ok....this is more of an opinion because it isn't proven anywhere about parents protesting about it like they were with Pokemon or The Simpsons, but this was the issue at my own dojo. My parents HATED the fact that I watched this show as a kid. This was due to some crude humor in this series. There were wedgies, there were immature moments. Not necessarily like in Ren and Stimpy but somewhat close. The daily obsession with this show was phenomenal, and it made doing homework time a nightmare at the household. Fortunately, those days are gone, and I always proved time and time again that I was right, and also that I still loved watching other shows as well. I miss those old Cartoon Network days, but I'm glad the Internet has opened the flood gates again to this stuff.
FACT: Look at Ed running a marathon
Matt Hill, the voice of Ed, does more than voiceover acting. He also is an athlete partaking in many marathons. In one case, he did a run that spread awareness of our planet in which he ran a marathon EVERYDAY. It is that kind of energy that gave Ed his powerful vocals in the series.
OPINION: The Kanker Sisters are TERRIFYING
Usually in a kids show, the villains are usually portrayed as fearful to a degree that you know who's wearing the black hat, but as you got older, you realize they're not scary as they are funny like Mojo Jojo, Plankton, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz. In this case, no....the Kanker Sisters were and are terrifying. They torment the Eds due to their amorous nature to the Eds (don't know that word, look it up; it was used in an episode), but they torment the other kids too. They come from a trailer park, they're a little homely, they're aggressive, wild, and brutal. And above all, they're bullies. Especially compared to how timid some characters like Johnny 2x4 and Jimmy are, they're monsters. They don't appear in all the episodes, but when they do on occasion, it was a thrill ride to say the least. No doubt they caused nightmares (yep they showed up in my dreams at least once as a kid), made you believe girls are the enemy (true to that), or may have caused....fetishes......due to the fear mongering (cue Homer Simpson hiding in the bushes). It's no wonder why the theory says that the cul-de-sac is purgatory and that the Kankers are tormenting their souls. Oh yeah, one more thing, I have a hard time looking at characters with "no eyes, hair covers them" because of Lee...that's the first thing that comes to mind. Now that the therapy session is over, let's move onto the next fact
FACT: Episode releases were mismanaged A LOT
For the most part, each episode of Ed Edd n Eddy aired when they should have, but sometimes one episode slipped the cracks. In one case, an episode scheduled to premiere in the fall snuck in during summer reruns. This was probably due to the show airing multiple times a week along side every other show. An episode claimed to be the final episode did air as such during an Ed Edd n Eddy marathon, but a year later, one more new episode aired. Oops! While unusual yes, it made things interesting as opposed to irritating. I was a witness to that such leaked episode in the summer of 2003. I only saw it once never to see it again until its official air date. I also recall a former friend telling me about the movie first since it was leaked online before officially airing 3 years or so later.
OPINION: No! The cul-de-sac is not purgatory
While there are some evidence that prove this theory including the Kanker Sisters and characters like Rolfe who may have been from a different era, there is not enough evidence. The Creepypasta claims that the Kankers are the ones terrorizing everyone right? Ok, every episode is Ed, Edd, n Eddy trying to scam everybody to losing their money just for their pleasure (oversized jawbreakers). A Kanker "sissyfit" happens every once in a while; an Ed scam happens everyday, every episode, and in some cases every where you turn. Plus, the story says Eddy died during the Great Depression, but wait....he has a disco ball and lava lamp in his room. This is just another story to "Ruin your Childhood"
FACT: So how much should Eddy charge today?
Now for a more fun fact. 20 years ago, nearly every scam that the Eds did cost either a quarter or 50 cents. We jump ahead 20 years later to see what would happen if Ed Edd n Eddy would have been around today and doing the same scams but adjusted with inflation. According to the US Inflation Calculator, that same scam today that cost 25 cents is now 38 cents, and 50 cents is now 76 cents. I hope you don't run into the Eds anytime soon.....
FINAL OPINION
Ed Edd n Eddy is a prime example of what happens when creative freedom is allowed. So much quality is gained, no major corporate BS managing and mismanaging what you can and can't do, and done with a different artistic view. While the prime target is towards kids, the mindset and the craziness of creator Danny Antonucci help makes it stand out. The Eds should not be overlooked, and is something to be discovered or rediscover again.
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