Rude Dog


Rude Dog is a fictional animated white dog originally created by artist Brad McMahon while under contract to Sun Sportswear in the 1980s as part of a line of surfing- and skateboarding-related clothing. As of 30 August 2015, Rude Dog was once again trademarked, this time in the name of original series/character creator Brad McMahon. McMahon also created Rude Dog's gang of canine misfits known as "the Dweebs", as well as Seymour, Rude Dog's nemesis.

Sun Sportswear projects

The character was a stylized version of a Bull Terrier, and the name "Rude" had the dual purpose of glorifying uncalled-for deportment and referring to the rude boy subculture of ska that was popular at the time. The majority of the clothing used angular artwork and neon colors, in keeping with the fashion trend shared by Quiksilver, Vision Street Wear, PCH, and many others.

''Rude Dog and the Dweebs''

To further market the character, Sun Sportswear also developed a Saturday morning cartoon in 1989 entitled Rude Dog and the Dweebs. Rude Dog and the Dweebs was as colorful as the clothing it advertised. The punkish pooch himself drove a 1959 pink Cadillac across a backdrop of Beverly Hills imagined in hues of pastel and neon. The series was produced by Marvel Productions.
Rude Dog runs an auto shop, where he is assisted by the Dweebs, a motley mix of mutt minions. The team includes the stuttering Dachshund Caboose, the uptight Bulldog Winston, the Smooth Fox Terrier Reginald a.k.a. Reggie, the Great Dane Barney, the Chinese Crested mix Ditzy Kibble, the Beagle Satch, and the friendly Chihuahua Tweek. Rude Dog has a girlfriend named Gloria.
Their feline foe is the vicious Seymour, and joining him in the chase is the ubiquitous dog catcher Herman and his dimwitted Rottweiler assistant Rot. Each week, Rude Dog and company balance their auto shop duties with attempts to elude the persistent Seymour, Herman, and Rot.
The show aired in the United States on CBS from September 16, 1989 to December 16, 1989 for one season. It was also broadcast around the world on various channels such as the BBC, The Children's Channel, Sky1, Gold and Nickelodeon in the U.K., Network Ten and Fox Kids in Australia, M-Net, SABC 1 and SABC 2 in South Africa, Club Super3 in Spain, ZNBC in Zambia, TV1 and TV3 in Malaysia, Dubai 33 in the U.A.E., Mediacorp Channel 5 and Prime 12 in Singapore, TVB Pearl in Hong Kong, GMA Network in the Philippines, Magic Kids in Argentina, TV3 in Sweden, Star Plus in India and TVRI in Indonesia. It also spawned home entertainment releases in the United States by Celebrity Home Entertainment through their Just for Kids home video label. In the United Kingdom it was released on the VHS Leisureview Video and Boulevard Entertainment labels.

Episodes

Home media

Beginning in 1989, select episodes were released in the United States on 30-minute, 60-minute, and 120-minute NTSC VHS tapes by Celebrity Home Entertainment's "Just for Kids Mini-Features" line.
Beginning in 1990, select episodes were released in the United Kingdom on 70-minute, PAL VHS tapes by Leisureview Video, rated U for "Universal" and deemed suitable for all ages.
The series was distributed by New World Television, which was owned by Sun Sportswear, the makers of the "Rude Dog" toys. As a result, Sun Sportswear must give approval before any future home video releases of the series are made available.
In the U.K., the series was released on VHS by Leisureview Video in 1990.
VHS titleRelease dateEpisodes
Rude Dog and the Dweebs1990Hello, Mr. Kitty? / The Fish Who Went Moo, Dweebiest Dog On The Beach / Dweeb-Illac Dilemma, No Dweebs Aloud / Ding-A-Ling Kitty

Rude Dog and the Dweebs was also released on DVD around 2005.

VHS UK ident

In 2014, listing it among 12 1980s cartoons that did not deserve remembrance, io9 characterized the series as "an animated atrocity", noting that the series appeared to glorify the "rudeness" that was the main character's defining characteristic.