Galaxy High School

Nearly 20 years after I saw the first episode on television, I still enjoy this cartoon. The characters - both main and supporting - are colorful, and while some of them are more defined than others, none of them is perfect. Doyle could be conceited and petty, and Aimee could be jealous and easily impressed. But that's what made these characters so much fun. They were not the goody-goods that seemed to populate many cartoons of that (and this) era.

Favorites of the series include "Dollars and Sense", where Aimee is swept off her feet by rich playboy Reggie Unicycle; "The Beef Who Would Be King", a standout funny episode that's mostly an examination of the rivalry between Doyle and school bully Beef; and "Beach Blanket Blow-Up", something of a takeoff of the old Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello beach party movies.

The show isn't about accurate science (there's hardly any), and while it sports a synth-heavy 80s soundtrack, it's not about music, either. It's really about alienation - of Earthlings in an intergalactic school, of teenagers among adults, and of girls among boys (and vice versa).

It's a shame there are so few of these episodes, and that there's no DVD release. My tapes are getting pretty worn.

Doyle and Aimee were the exchange students to Galaxy High. The roles reversed at Galaxy High; Doyle was unpopular and Aimee found the weird alien creatures inviting. Aimee made friends with Booie Bubblehead (if she stayed in the sun too long, she suffered brain damage with her transparent bubblehead), Gilda Gossip (voiced by Nancy Cartwright, now famous as Bart Simpson) and vamp Wendy Garbo. Doyle is harrassed by the sensational group of bullies, Beef (a red chicken fellow whose catchphrase is "Earth stinks!" and called Doyle "Earthworm!"), Roland Rotten Egg and the subtly scene stealing Earl, a green blob (in a visit to the Disneyworld place, the little green blob is sporting a pair of black mouse ears. Too funny!). Doyle is left to become friends with the multi armed Milo de Venus, the rotund nerd and they have to work at the pizza shop. The last stand-out character was the Creep, a flying yellow sponge puff with big feet who croons like Perry Como and falls in love with any girl who notices him. Much of the adult crowd, such as faculty, were cliches, but the "students" more than made up for that. This cartoon, like Dungeons and Dragons, was just too good to be true. Amazing that much of what passes for mature cartoons now is still on a juvenile level while Galaxy High and Dungeons and Dragons were aimed at higher audiences than grammar school age, obviously. And when these shows had the slightest hint of failure in ratings, it was concluded they weren't what people wanted. Other good jokes; the talking lockers (those were grand!), a teacher shows the class how to make ice scream by squeezing the ice cube while Doyle runs from Beef and his gang behind her, "Land Shark! Everybody into the water!", and the Gym's name was Jim of course. An absolutely favourite episode was Doyle and MIlo baby sitting alien kids. A really cute talking baby with tentacles who grabbed anyone who went by and a lizard girl with a blonde haired, blue eyed baby doll were hysterical.

If Galaxy High airs anywhere soon, record the episodes to keep.

This was never a popular show but I was re-introduced to it recently while on vacation at my parents' house over the holidays. I taped about ten episodes of the series and watched them back to back one rainy day, sitting on the couch with a salad bowl full of sugary cereal, like I was a kid again.

Well, of course some of the appeal is lost as you grow up but like most things you remember fondly from growing up, much endures.

This was a great cartoon. At the time I was a big Anime fanatic and was totally engrossed in cartoons such as Robotech, Star Blazers, Voltron, etc. The quality of japanese animation was vastly superior to the garbage being churned out in american cartoons by and large.

But a few american cartoons stuck out because they had great storylines and treated kids with respect. So many cartoons then and now treat kids like they're stupid. Look at some of the better cartoons such as Muppet Babies, Bionic Six and Galaxy High. These cartoons went beyond ultra black and white/good vs evil themes. The humor was varied, often sarcastic and often tied into other culture archetypes both pop and historical. The characters were distinctive in personality and not just colored some other shade of neon blah. The stories were rarely preechy but even shows like muppet babies didn't take themselves too seriously.

Of course, we see a lot of this stuff in more recent Disney movies so as to keep the adults entertained as well as the kids, but Disney didn't invent it - not by a long shot.

So seeing these cartoons 15 years later, what can I say? Well, there's too much sound. Backround music is playing constantly and it tends to irritate after awhile. As a kid I don't remember this but it's definately noticeable now. Some of the voices are also a bit too harsh as well. But hey, I think that's me getting old more than anything else.

Some time around 1994 or so Galaxy High played on the Sci-fi channel and I was able to snap up a few more episodes. I think at this point I'm missing only two or three. Reviewing the episode list I think I've only never seen one episode.

I cannot believe this cartoon was made so few times! I must have seen every episode ten times! Not because it was my favorite, it's just because it was on every saturday for like 10 years! Well close enough anyway! The theme tune was brilliant and so were the characters! Doyle I felt sorry for! I know, I know it's just a cartoon but a phrase reversed "From hero to zero!!!" ha ha ha ha ha!!!

I absolutely loved this show when I was younger, even though I still wasn't that young when it was on. Along with "Pee Wee's Playhouse", "The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse", "Dungeons and Dragons", and "Gummi Bears", this was the coolest and wackiest show around. I thought "Alf" was different when I saw the 1st episode as a kid, but then after the 1st season it turned into absolute garbage. "Galaxy High" was not like that. This is one of the most forgotten cartoons ever. I want the freakin' dvd! Some one pick this stuff up, and release it. While you're at it, please release "Eraserhead" on dvd, and put "The Hardy Boys" tv series out too!

Somebody listen to me!

Regards,

Ramzi Abed