Invader Zim
| Invader Zim | |
|---|---|
| File:Invaderzim-logo.gif The Invader ZIM logo. | |
| Created by | Jhonen Vasquez |
| Starring | Richard Steven Horvitz Andy Berman Rosearik Rikki Simons Melissa Fahn |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 27 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | March 30, 2001 – August 19, 2006 |
Invader Zim is an American animated television series created by comic book writer/artist Jhonen Vasquez and aired on Nickelodeon. First broadcast on March 30, 2001 (the same day as The Fairly OddParents), Nickelodeon desired a show aimed at their older viewers. The show never found a time slot that the creators of the program thought suitable and suffered in the ratings.[1] The show crew requested that Invader Zim be moved to MTV similarly to the way Ren and Stimpy had been, but this never happened. Before two seasons were completed, it was canceled by Nickelodeon.[2] It can currently be seen in reruns on Nicktoons Network In Canada, and YTV began airing the series on its Bionix programming block on September 8, 2006. Invader Zim DVD compilations have been released by Media Blasters. The series has since been translated into several different languages for foreign broadcast.
Plot
Zim is a member of the mighty Irken race, a species of alien life forms whose social hierarchy is based on height. The Irken leaders are the Almighty Tallest (during the course of the show, leadership of the Irken Empire is shared by two Tallest, Purple and Red, who are exactly the same height). Zim was banished to the planet Foodcourtia for killing all the other Invaders[3] during Operation Impending Doom I.[4]
Upon hearing of Operation Impending Doom II, Zim "quits" being banished and arrives at the Great Assigning where Irken soldiers are chosen to become Invaders, special soldiers whose mission it is to blend in with the indigenous life forms of their assigned planet and collect intelligence. Zim pleads with the Tallest to assign him a planet, and in a desperate act to get Zim as far away as possible, they assign him to a "Mystery Planet" on the outskirts of their known universe, which turns out to be Earth.
The show features Zim trying to conquer the Earth while his human arch-nemesis Dib tries to stop him. Technically, the show takes place in a world of its own, with a present-day Earth more technologically advanced than ours. Because the alternate universe aspect was never emphasized, the result is that the series appears to be set at some point in the near future.[citation needed]
Video Games
There were three video games created with Invader Zim as an included character: Nicktoons: Freeze Frame Frenzy, Nickelodeon Party Blast and Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island. In Volcano Island, Zim's spaceship and house make appearances.
Music
The music for Invader Zim was composed by Kevin Manthei and is in a digital techno style. The title music was composed by Mark Tortoroci, but Manthei arranged it. Manthei, however, did the music for the end credits and all the music for the actual episodes.
In September 2002, 7 months after the cancellation of the series, Anime Stuff-R, an internet radio website, broadcasted the Zim-phony, a 5 hour broadcast of all the music from the 26 episodes of Invader Zim composed by Kevin Manthei. This session, presented by DJ Richard Rae is the most popular that Anime Stuff-R has broadcast. Also included in this session was an interview with Kevin Manthei by Richard Rae in August 2002, where Kevin talked mostly about how the music of Invader Zim was composed and inserted in the show.
Because of the popularity of the broadcast, Anime Stuff-R made 100 MP3 CDs with the entire broadcast. They made only 100 because of copyright and financial reasons.
Kevin Manthei also released a Promo CD containing some music from Invader Zim. This Promo CD is still available but one needs to get in touch with composer Kevin Manthei to acquire it.[citation needed]
Episodes
Two seasons of Invader Zim aired. In Season 2, the animation style is slightly different from Season 1.[citation needed]. The majority of the completed season 2 episodes were never aired on Nickelodeon, although they were all eventually shown as "new episodes" on the Nicktoons Network in 2007. There were also over 10 partially finished second season episodes and a few which were still in the outline stage when the show was cancelled. These unfinished episodes include a two-part finale in which Dib was to fight the Irken Armada by going to the aid of the planet Meekrob.
There were also plans for a TV movie special, "Invader Dib", which would have possibly carried on from the finale.[5]
DVD collection and merchandise
In May 2004, Nickelodeon and Media Blasters released the first volume of an official Invader Zim DVD collection. Within weeks of its initial availability it became one of the top 100 currently selling items on popular online retailer Amazon.com[citation needed]. By late 2004, the other 2 volumes had been released. A boxed set in the shape of Zim's house has also been released which includes an extras disc with interviews and a sample soundtrack. Originally this set included a "GIR" toy but Media Blasters silently stopped including it, without notifying distributors that the package had been altered. The three DVD volumes were re-released in late 2006 as a low-priced box set.
Two series of Invader Zim figures have been produced, including Zim, GIR, Dib, Ms. Bitters, and Almighty Tallest Purple in the first series and Human Disguise Zim, Doggie Disguise GIR, Gaz, Almighty Tallest Red, and the Robo-Parents in the second. A third series was planned with Santa Zim, Elf GIR, Professor Membrane, Tak, and Nightmare Bitters, but the manufacturer, Palisades Toys, ceased operations in early 2006.[6] A multitude of other toys were produced such as the Voot Cruiser and a 12 inch "Mega GIR" with a removable dog disguise. Also, many non-licensed products exist such as iron on transfers, stickers, and keychains.
As of November 25, 2006 both seasons of Invader Zim are available for download on XBOX Live marketplace.[7] In addition, the majority of the show's episodes are available for download on iTunes.[8]
See also
- List of Invader Zim episodes
- List of planets in Invader Zim
- List of vehicles in Invader Zim
- Invader Zim merchandise
- Jhonen Vasquez
References
- ^ "Nickelodeon Cans INVADER ZIM" (HTML). 18 January, 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Adam Tierney (1 September, 2004). "An Interview with Jhonen Vasquez and Rikki Simons (page 2)" (HTML). Retrieved 2007-05-08.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Zim: "I blew up more than any other Invader" Almighty Tallest Red "You blew up all the other Invaders!" ("The Frycook What Came from All That Space")
- ^ Control Brain: (Sentencing Zim) "No longer an invader, you will be banished to the Irken snacking planet of Foodcourtia" ("The Frycook What Came from All That Space")
- ^ Zim guide with airdates Buzzyworld
- ^ "Changes at Palisades Toy" (HTML). 1 February, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Invader ZIM to be on the XBOX Live marketplace" (Press release). Microsoft. 6 November, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Invader ZIM comes to iTunes" (HTML). 20 June, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
