Wednesday Open Thread and Trivia Answers

I’m starting with the answers tonight because they ended up being kind of long. Here goes:

1. On Futurama, who is Bender named after? Bender is named after the oh-so-dreamy John Bender from The Breakfast Club.

2. There is only one actor who has provided voices for every single Scooby-Doo cartoon or movie ever made. Who is he? OK, I was wrong about this one. The answer I was looking for was Frank Welker, who usually provides the voice for both Fred and Scooby, because I believed he provided the voice for Scooby-Doo in the live action movies with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddy Prinze Jr., but it was actually Neil Fanning.  However, Frank Welker still beats out Casey Kasem by one movie, Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins, which is a made-for-TV prequel.

3. On what sketch comedy show did the Simpsons make their first appearance? I actually watched the Simpsons debut on The Tracy Ullman Show. Who knew it would go so far?

4. Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, also created what other character who is quite popular with the pre-school crowd? Little Bear. I like Little Bear, it has a charming Little House on the Prairie vibe.

5. Who is this little guy, and what is his alter ego? Perry the platypus, a.k.a. Agent P on Phineas and Ferb. He is a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action.

6. Speaking of alter egos, who were He-Man and She-Ra when they were not in super-form? Prince Adam and his twin sister Adora. I love the fact that every time Adam or Adora walks into a room, and He-Man or She-Ra walks out, all they have to say is, “They’re safe,” and everyone just says OK and their secret is safe for another day.

7. Which Bugs Bunny cartoon won an Oscar? The Friz Freleng classic “Knighty Knight Bugs” won an Oscar for Best Animated Short

8. Which animator, who helped create Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Droopy Dog, Chilly Willy, and Screwy Squirrel, was responsible for creating Red Hot Riding Hood and Swing Shift Cinderella (as well as the smokin’ hot Symphony of Slang)? I have been known to bore friends and loved ones silly singing the praises of Tex Avery. Almost every cartoon I loved growing up was the result of his toony genius.

9. Jack Riley, who provided the voice for Stu Pickles on Rugrats, had a recurring on-screen role in what popular sitcom in the 1970s? Jack Riley played Mr. Carlin, Bob’s eternally depressed patient, on The Bob Newhart Show. Riley has done so many guest appearances and voice-overs that playing “Spot Jack Riley” is one of my ongoing TV-watching games.

10. What cartoon is this still from, and why is it significant? This iconic image is indeed from “Steamboat Willie.” It is often credited as the first cartoon with a synchronized soundtrack, but my fact-checking has informed me that Max Fleischer did it first with his “Song Car-Toons” about four years earlier. However, it was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon ever released.

*Bonus – What is this classy fellow’s full name? Michigan J. Frog. I can never get his name right; I always want to say Madison, but apparently I’m the only one since you all rocked this question.

I had planned to kick off the Open Thread with an awesome cartoon clip, but then I remembered how much I love The Breakfast Club, so instead you get this: