Howie Mandell is a man whose managed to stay relevant for many years, despite the fact most personalities from the 80s have all but faded away. In the 1980’s Mandell was a huge comedian who ventured in to movies, even lending his voice talents to shows like Muppet Babies, and is the voice of the iconic movie hero Gizmo from Gremlins. Before becoming a big personality in game shows and singing competitions, Mandell was also able to achieve what I’m assuming was a big dream for him… he garnered his own animated series on FOX kids.
Bobby’s World is one of the many animated shows about a young kid and his active imagination that started with Warner Bros’ own Ralph Phillips and ran a long line of shows like Muppet Babies, Doug, and Little Bill to name a few. Not just that, the show lasted 8 entire seasons and is still considered a classic among many 90s kids and animation fans.
Loosely based on Mandell’s childhood, and his adventures as a young boy in a large family, Bobby’s World features Mandell voicing an adventurous four year old named Bobby who uses his very vivid imagination to cope with situations that are scary, embarrassing or traumatic. He also has a teenage older sister Kelly, who is rebellious and often difficult, as well as an older brother, Derek, who often makes Bobby’s life miserable. Not only does Bobby’s World invent a hero kids can empathize with, but it influences kids in using their imagination to make hard times easier for ourselves.
At his core, Bobby is a sweet and often well-intentioned little boy whose entire world is vast, amazing, and filled with new experiences. With his toys, and his beloved superhero Captain Squash, he deals with many of life’s little obstacles. Every episode opens and closes with a patented introduction by Mandell and his animated creation Bobby. They set the stage for what the episode will involve, and Mandell seems to have a great time. In addition to the Bobby, Mandell also voices Bobby’s well-meaning and eccentric dad, a very funny source of comedy whose lunacy is balanced out by Bobby’s mother.
The fantastic Tino Insana voices Bobby’s lovable Uncle Ted, a major character in the show who is always on the same level as Bobby’s sense of adventure. Bobby has a very sweet, and often touching relationship with Uncle Ted, a character very much in the vein of Uncle Buck who is loud, charismatic, and absolutely difficult to dislike. Whenever Bobby is angry, stressed, or horrified, Uncle Ted takes it upon himself to turn a bad situation in to a fun one, and will not stop until Bobby is happy. In one episode Bobby begins having nightmares and Uncle Ted comes to the rescue to make him feel better about the dark. In another, Halloween-themed episode Bobby is forced to stay home, so he and uncle Ted build a haunted house that becomes a hit.
Bobby’s imagination is often so vivid that the animators take us in to his mind to see what he sees. Often times it’s funny and, as all kids tend to be, very literal. When his mom calls his father “All Thumbs” Bobby pictures his dad as a giant thumb, and when the dentist proclaims he’s going to scratch off a little plaque from Bobby’s teeth, he pictures the dentist scraping off an actual small plaque sign hanging from his tooth. One of my favorite gags involves Bobby being told by a security guard in a bank that he’s there to make sure no one is robbed. Bobby then pictures a masked criminal literally turning everyone in to “Rob” by writing it on their name tags.
As I mentioned earlier, Bobby’s World lasted eight entire years on FOX television in America, and went on to spawn its own side scrolling video game on the Super Nintendo, as well as a great toy tie-in with McDonald’s featuring Bobby in assorted vehicles. The show was released in limited volumes on VHS, and in some limited episodes on DVD, but has since been out of print for almost a decade. It’s a shame we’ve yet to see a special edition of the entire series on DVD or Blu-Ray, as it’s still a widely loved and fondly remembered animated series. It hasn’t aged a bit with its adorable animation and excellent voice work. I imagine even modern children will love Bobby’s wild family friendly adventures.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It appears the complete Bobby’s World series is now available on Amazon. Thanks to reader, Dale, for the tip!
