Courage the Cowardly Dog is arguably Cartoon Network's most unique cartoon. Since the show ended in 2002, there hasn't been a horror-themed cartoon aired on Cartoon Network of this capacity. While CTCD wasn't The Texas Chainsaw Massacre scary, it was pretty nightmarish to be a children's show. Its dark humor and paranormal themes were terrifying within themselves, but what made the show out of the ordinary was its extraneous elements. For example, in episodes such as "Return The Slab," King Rameses appeared as if he didn't belong and had a completely different animation style than Courage, Eustace, and Muriel.
While the show could be terrifying, fans of the show found the show to be a brilliant unicorn. There was even a petition to renew the animated series. So, why was it canceled? Was it canceled at all? Let's see!
10 Why The Show Ended, The World May Never Know
There is much speculation on why the show came to an end. A Reddit user explained that a Tumblr user said that the network canceled the show due to the episode "The Mask," which covered domestic abuse and implied a same-sex relationship, a progressive topic at the time. Other speculations surrounding the cartoon coming to an end also stem from the show being too frightening for kids, which is plausible.
However, the most realistic answer could be that the show had a four-season run. Four seasons is about how long many cartoon series last unless they run as long as Rugrats or The Family Odd Parents. The video "107 Courage the Cowardly Dog Facts You Should Know!" explains that Dilworth got an offer to renew the show, but he felt it was time for the show to end.
9 Kath Soucie Voice Acted On The Show
While mentioning Rugrats, it should be brought up that Kath Soucie voice acted on CTCD. Soucie voiced Phil and Lil on Rugrats, and she also provided the voice for Little Muriel in the episode "The Great Fusilli." Upon listening closely, you will notice the inflections from Lil's voice on Rugrats.
8 The Show Originally Appeared As A Short In 1996
John Dilworth pitched the series Hanna-Barbera's animated shorts showcase What a Cartoon!. The pilot episode of CTCD, "The Chicken From Outer Space," aired on Cartoon Network on February 8th, 1996. Interestingly, the show did not become a full-fledged series until 1999.
7 'Friends' Inspired The Names Of Eustace And Muriel
What made CTCD so unique is that its inspiration drew from so many places. You never quite knew what to expect in each episode. For example, some of the cartoon's slapstick humor was Charlie Chaplin-inspired. Who would have that the TV show Friends would also be an inspiration? Eustace and Muriel are the middle names of Chandler Bing and Ross Geller, respectively.
6 The Show's Setting Has Real-Life Inspiration
The setting takes place in Nowhere which is a fictional place in Kansas. Inspiration for this imaginary place in Kansas came from the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl is a drought that descended on the Central Plains in 1931. Kansas farmers were used to droughts, but this drought lasted about four years. This parallel makes a lot of sense because CTCD takes place on a barren, isolated-looking farm.
What's even more interesting is that there's a Nowhere, New Mexico. There was an elderly couple who lived together with their dog who reported paranormal occurrences, such as seeing Skinwalkers, a type of harmful witch that could disguise themselves into animals. Oddly enough, after talking about what they saw, the couple disappeared, and only the dog remained. This theory, among many others, exists.
5 Courage's Dialogue Progressively Became Cut Short
In season one of the series, viewers heard Courage speaking quite a bit. However, the creators believed that Courage talked too much. As a result, they decreased his dialogue in later seasons. Courage is most known for his nonsensical screams, babble, or gibberish, particularly when scared or frustrated.
4 You Hear Variations Of 'Mission Impossible' Every Time Courage Saves The Day
What also made CTCD brilliant was how it used sound effects. The people who worked on the cartoon didn't want it to sound like anything else or use the typical sounds other animated series used. Sound within the series sets up particular moments. For example, viewers knew when an element in the show was supposed to be comedic or when danger was coming. Although the main character was named "Courage," the pink anthropomorphic dog was quite brave, always coming to his owners' rescue. Each day he did, you could hear variations of the Mission Impossible score playing.
3 Eustace Was Supposed To Scare Courage With A Double-Barrel Shotgun Vs. A Mask
Many horrible things happened to the titular character throughout the show's four-season run. However, no one wanted the show to go as dark or gory as Eustace scaring Courage with a double-barrel shotgun. That would not have been appropriate for a kid's show. Instead, the network wanted to go in a different creative direction and opted for Eustace's signature mask versus a gun.
2 'CTCD' Had A CGI Short
For some reason, when animators revive a show, they love to use CGI animation. You can see this same animation style in the Rugrats reboot. The CGI short that premiered in 2016 was called "The Fog of Courage." Some viewers preferred the older animation style better. However, many people loved the episode stating that it had an authentic feel.
1 There Was Talk Of A Reboot
In 2019, Lad Bible reported that Dilworth spoke about a CTCD prequel. However, Dil Worth did say that he didn't know how the development would go or where it was going. It would be quite an experience seeing how the creator and writers of the show would bring the animated series to life in modern times. The show was already ahead of its time when it aired. Then again, many reboots end up not having the same magic as the original. Therefore, fans of CTCD may not be upset if there isn't a reboot.