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@@carolmunro6931 me either! One thing I DO know, though, is that Dilworth can be seen live- action in the episode 'Courage the Fly,' on a TV show that Eustace is watching and laughing at in one scene.
Think of it this way: Ramses had three dimensions while everything else in the world had two. How would a being that had an extra dimension look to us? I know that's not really how dimensions work, but it would still be weird seeing a tesseract going into itself and stuff.
The short lived series Threshold tried to visualise what something from beyond our own dimension would look like with our minds showing us it all at once and continuously shifting as we try to truly understand what we are seeing
ive watched this episode as a kid but it never scared me. only one episode got to me and it was the girl playing the violin then she turned around and jump scare.
@@MaskedHeroLucky Really? I mean I saw this as a kid and I thought it wasn't nothing special and didn't understand why people were scare of it. When I saw him, I thought he had his eyes closed and looked like a very thin cut out paper.
I used to hate seeing this episode come on as a kid. I’d have to change the channel or just turn the tv off. Because I’d have nightmares from it back then.
Same, this episode was just too intense for me as a kid, I had Scooby Doo and the alien invaders on VHS as a kid and this episode of courage was on it as a bonus, so my dad and sister always wanted to watch it after the Scooby Doo movie ended and I had to leave the room cause I was terrified lol
No joke. The bad song Ramses played scared me on two occasions years after watching that episode. Two times I would be fast asleep and my brain would start to play that song full blast in my head. Both times I woke up in a panic.
I don’t know how creepy most people find the rest of the episode, but “Doc Gerbils World” has both THE creepiest song, and some of the creepiest sound design in the whole series
Oh my God! The minute I read that sentence that song came back! It's both horribly creepy but an incredible ear worm too! Great, now that's going to be in my head all day.
The man in gauze terrorized the hearts of 90's and early 2K's kids around the world. Freaky Fred may have been the better episode, but King Ramses takes the cake in the uncanny valley department.
I was about 7 when I saw this episode and refused to watch any more Courage afterwards. My dad could tell in the days after that something had me on edge and encouraged me to talk about it. I described the episode to him and like any good dad...he immediately used it against me! XD For years he’d stand in a doorway, slowly point his hand at me and say, “Return the slaAaAAab!” It’s funny now, but at the time I was one very furious 7 year old!
@@kaitlynfuchs5319 Same here. xD I actively avoided this one episode despite loving the show for the next 10 years. He was my childhood nightmare and much scarier in my memory.
King Ramses was scary but I think even as a kid the Spirit of the Harvest Moon freaked me out more. Even as an adult a floating white realistic head with blacked out eyes causing horrible stuff to happen gives me the good goose pimples.
The contrast of CG was definitely intentional. There was a lot of great claymation or polygonal animation or even real eye/mouth overlays for it’s scares.
I'm not trying to downplay the scene as I've heard so many say it's scary, but of all the things in the show, that one scene never really scared me. It always intrigues me that others did.
Banchoking oh god 😂 yeah that’s scary too. But honestly the creepy deformed trumpet fetus from hell in the episode Perfect scares me more for some reason
You MUST do “Courage in the Big Stinkin' City” next between Schwick the creepy cockroach character, the mysterious animal in the wall and the different rooms in the apartment building Courage goes to would be a perfect
And one of _the_ funniest deliveries in the show's history: Eustace: Briefs. Shwick: Boxers. Eustace: _Briefs!_ Shwick: _Boxers!_ Eustace: *BRIEFS!!* Shwick: *BOXERS!!* (Muriel wolf whistles)
I think a REALLY creepy (but criminaly underrated) Courage episode was "The vandals of the windmill". Unlike most courage's enemies, they weren't silly-looking or goofy, but genuinely made to be treatening and creepy, but also because 90% of the episode had the sky blood-red and everything bathed in this scarlet light, and we see Eustass and Muriel getting BEHEADED ON SCREEN and they JUGGLE THEIR HEADS WHILE THEY STILL SCREAM FOR HELP! (ok, that can be a little funny, but still really messed up) And oh! Review Donald Duck's "Der Fuhrer's face" next :D
Yeah. In dark toons, you have the things that make you ask "Shouls this really be in a kid show?", and the things that make you say "This probably shouldn't be in a kids show." "The Mask" is definetly the latter.
It's safe to say that this episode scared the shit out of kids back then (I'm one of them) I think it was the uncanny and out of place CGI that got me. The same can be said with other episodes that either used CG or claymation.
Yeah I remember back in the 90s CGI in cartoons like that in of Horror Simpsons episode where Homer goes into that other world behind the bookcase was strange. I was a bit creeped out when Homer's face stretched
As a kid it throws off your equilibrium which brings a sense of uncertainty causing anxiety or just plain paranoia when they put creepy off texture characters on screen.
Does anyone remember the episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog called “The Great Fusilli” where the alligator villain turned people into literal living puppets? That episode to me was really freaky as a kid. Or the episode of Hey Arnold called “Chocolate Boy” where Arnold helps Chocolate Boy with his addiction to chocolate as a metaphor for rehab and addiction? That one was also pretty dark and sad at times for me. Would love for Doug to review those two episodes for his Dark Toon series!
Monica English I had a theory that Fusilli sold his soul to the devil for fame, and the victim turned puppets lost their souls as his offering to the devil, and because he didn’t get Courage’s soul his deal was off, and the devil in the form of those two mask with the puppet strings throughout the episode claimed Fusilli’s soul turning Fusilli into a puppet.
I remember hearing an interview from John R. Dilworth, the creator of Courage, that King ramses was designed by his late brother Jim and the inspiration was based on the style from PaRappa the Rapper
The thing that scared me the most in this ep was Eustace's greed, even in the face of the end of all and suffering of his family. I think that the real curse.
I think its actually him waving his hand to summon the next curse. He seems to wave his hands before each curse, and right after the locus disappear on the slab. Plus you can see its not a snap, he waves his hand which stays open with palm up.
I always assumed the music was physically hurting their ears, which is why they're screaming in pain. Kinda like how Cerebro was killing the mutants in X Men 2
@@MadHatter42 I thought it was both. There was an edit someone made with replacing the music with Justin Bieber's "Baby." It made more sense after that. xD
I just think it's suppsoed to be a pure joke: its an irritating, repittive song that's on a constant loop. The fact everyone acts like its HORRENDOUS TORTURE is just aprt of the joke, an overexagerration of reaction XP
I was terrified by this episode as a child! But I loved it! It was so cool and so unique for the show and the CG really helps that! The fact that it's bad CG, adds to the creepiness and I love it!! I'll always remember him saying "Return the slap, or suffer my curse" as a kid, you'll never forget that and as an adult, I still haven't forgotten it!! Thank you so much for looking at this episode Doug! It brought back all the warm fuzzy feelings of getting the shit scared out of you!!😊💖
I think this episode has always been my favorite because it's so simple and traditional, it feels like an episode you can show anyone who hasn't seen Courage the Cowardly Dog and they'll just get what kind of show it is.
Yes, I was waiting for him to review this episode. KING RAMSES! Courage is gonna be recurring on Dark Toons. Other contenders can be Demon in the Mattress, The House of Discontent, and of course Perfect.
This was the first episode of 'Courage' I ever saw, and to this day I still consider it the scariest. @ 9:42- 9:59, that also works because the locusts weren't stopped/ destroyed by Courage like the other two plagues were: Ramses called them off when he was given the slab back, so it makes sense that he can call them back again when Eustace tries to re- steal it.
@@matthewvalente5877 That's not really for kids. It's on Adult Show. He needs to do Blogs on Primal in general. Also you reminded me. He needs to do Samurai Jack and Haunted House episode. Holy Fuck
Yeah. There are quite a few episodes of Courage that could be episodes for Dark Toons. The Mask, Demon in the Mattress, House of Discontent, and Head of Beef immediately come to my mind. Was also deathly afraid of Night at the Katz Motel and Night of the Weremole when I saw them for the first time in their original airing, though I'm not sure they'd fit this series. Oh...how could I almost forget the show's pilot? The Chicken from Outer Space was quite dark and disturbing itself.
Yep, part of the reason it got cancelled actually. Had great ratings but in the "wrong age range" Nick had it for a certain kids age range but didn't get good ratings or watch time for that particular age range but did great with teens. Tldr meant for kids but was popular with teens
That was a fantastic one, especially when you see the kid that had a radiator shoved into his body😬. I would also recommend the baloney one, that freaked me out as a kid with its version of body horror.
I’m not sure if this would count as “dark” but what about Rock Bottom from Spongebob. I think it’s considerably dark for a Spongebob episode especially in the atmosphere.
Well, from a kid's point of view, there is something unnerving about getting lost. Hell, even as an adult there is something unnerving about getting on the wrong bus and having to get off it to wait for the next bus that will take you back home. This is especially true when you end up in an unfamiliar neighborhood, and when its night time.
Two episodes of Ed, Edd, n Eddy I recommend: "The day the Ed stood still", and "Halloween Boo Ha Ha". Both episodes showing just how thin Ed's tie to reality is.
And how about The Eds are Coming. BlameitonJorge added that in his 'Very disturbing episodes in kids shows' video. It makes you wonder about Jimmy's dream and what Rolf is really from.
@@cursedseagullgames lol when I was growing up, we thought the lyrics where " the sand is gone, the sand is gone. King Ramseys!! The sand is gone, the sand is gone. Ohhh honey"
Courage was full of those episodes. The spider hotel episode.. the alien's episode.. so many creepy and scary episodes that gave me nightmares. I love it lol.
This was literally the _only_ CtCD episode that creeped me out. The Harvest Moon spirit head thing? Nope. The perfect alien thing? Nope. The Great Fusilli? Nope. Some CG Pharaoh? Yep.
The CGI was much different as a kid when CGI wasn't common in TV shows yet. It was jarring. Much like the violin girl, but claymation was a little more common. However, I'm so glad that you liked this episode! Also, 8:51 he snaps his fingers because courage stopped another one of his "plagues".
This is a great cartoon, but the scariest/most impactful episodes are (IMO): The Great Fusilli, Hothead, The Demon in the Mattress (it's not that scary overall, but the buildup is good), Klub Katz, The Sand Whale Strikes/The Tower of Doctor Zhalost (both are more depressing than scary, but they are severely depressing), Conway the Contaminationist, Last of the Starmakers (again, more depressing, but very much so), Cabaret Courage, Remembrance of Courage's Past (depressing). Just in general, this show has great recurring side characters, like Dr. Vindaloo ("just keep soaking it"), Di Lung ("watch where you're goin', you fool!"), Dr. le Quack ("qu'est-ce que c'est?"), Eustace's mother ("you stupid boy"), and more :) As I went over the list of episodes to pick the ones mentioned above, I was surprised that I remember a lot of them quite vividly. This is a really memorable, well-done cartoon.
My sister and I as children were freaked out by the fact that King Ramses didn't look like the style of the rest of the show, it looked unnatural. That's why this is the most memorable courage the cowardly dog episode for me.
I love the depth of your reviews here, regarding lighting, direction, etc. I feel like most reviewers would gloss over those things, if only for lack of experience.
Damn this is so nostalgic I forgot about a lot of this stuff I remember a scene where Dexter and DeeDee where screaming and running into each other's rooms and when Dexter asks her if she saw the ghost too she replies that she loved to run and scream Damn I remembered the whole episode
I seen you talking about how the Freaky Fred episode was listed as one of the most scariest episodes of Courage but honestly, I think The Mask is one of the darkest and almost scariest episodes contextually. The main threat isn't some scary monster or anything supernatural but the very real threats that come with an abusive relationship which I think is more scary than any cartoony monster any day.
The Mask is terrifying because the threat is extremely real. It's also one of the very few episodes where the bad guy isn't misunderstood or redeemed, it's not a monster and that's why it's a real monster.
@@katlicks Exactly. While it might not be dark in a scary/horror tone like most episode of Courage, it was much darker for other reasons and brushed upon more mature themes and ideas that seemed a bit more for just some kids show. Also, I guess you can say the whole "mask" concept is also scary. Like with the fear of the unknown. The whole start of the episode has Courage fearing the masked individual mainly because he is so unsure of them. We never really see their face at first, or their expression...merely the blank stare of the mask. That fear of the unknown can also be pretty creepy...but I don't think that note was as dark as the realism with the whole "abusive relationship" tone it had for the second half of the episode.
I find it weird that rameses comes back from the dead to return his slab, usually the curse would do that job for him. And rameses should be in the duat (the realm of dead kings) living a very nice afterlife, so a slab should be the least of his worries. If it was one of his mummified body parts or the riches offered to him in tribute then it would make more sense.
I agree Dark Harvest would be good. Id also nomimate Bad Bad Rubber Piggy as I always found it uncomfortable/creepy as Dib was basically getting crippled by what Zim was doing
YES another classic Courage episode! I still recommend looking at "Demon in the Mattress", "The House of Discontent", "The Mask", and the best one of them all "Perfect"
THANK YOU!!! I asked my friends about it when I was a senior in high school back in 2012 and they all agreed that stupid episode was absolutely horrifying!
I hope he covers that episode, because it definitely is an unsettling short from this exceptionally dark series, featuring a duo of grotesque, flesh-eating zombies who were explicitly stated to be friggin’ serial killers *before* they died...
I love this show for the torture courage owners put him through by being oblivious to what courage if suffering throughout the episode its the running theme of the show and I've always loved it.
the reveal of king ramses was some pretty scary imagery for me as a kid and it still gets to me now. he's kind of creepy looking and as a kid the tone already gets you on edge and it will have you looking over your shoulder, but having an image to go with the unsettled feeling just ads to the scare factor.
Dear Douglas, Please do the courage the cowardly dog episode "the mask" it has themes of sexual and emotional abuse it's definitely the darkest episode imo With regards, Xavier
Which is how I watched it as a kid, left it on while I went to bed and got scared out of my skull. Never liked Courage as a kid because of it. Scooby Doo is my comfort food TV, was not expecting the fly that was Courage to land on it....
Is this the one where in a dream, Arnolds grandfather is a zombie and his jaw falls off? I cannot for the LIFE of me remember the name of that Hey Arnold Episode and I want to recommend it. It was so out of no where it scared me for years.
@@xloradinx That was a completely different episode--I think it was one where Arnold and Gerald have a fight and Arnold dreams that they're both old men and still not talking to one another--and Grandpa is a frickin' zombie. That was terrifying.
@@xloradinx Ghost Bride's the one where they learn of a woman who was gonna get married, but was left at the altar to find out that her fiancée got married to her sister, so she snaps, grabs an axe, chops up the newlyweds in their sleep, and then commits suicide before the cops can get her
I wasn't either. I was more disturbed by the episode that it was paired with "The Clutching Foot." The beginning of that episode when Eustace wakes up from his nap only to find that the foot fungus has almost entirely consumed him is terrifying. It becomes hilarious once the foot becomes sentient and the toes talk like mobsters--and the big toe talks just like Edward G. Robinson. However, the beginning of the episode? Terrifying. That foot fungus is just gross.
Dark, yes, but not scary. Maybe it was because I saw this episode before the great Fusilli, but nothing is outright "scary" except for the puppet room. I know everybody points fingers at the ending, and yes it's incredibly dark- especially for being the Season 1 Finale and how the series COULD have potentially ended... But if you factor in everything else that happens to Eustace, it would just go over kid's heads as just "Oh, well, that's how that one ended. They'll be fine in the next episode."
This is the most creative way to make something the most scariest villain in the entire series The animation is otherwordly the way you first lay your eyes on him The music it is dark and foreboding and fills you a sense of dread and forecoming terror coming your way THE FUCKING VOICE it is the most frightening voice that has ever been utter on a tv show period it scarred me for life The body count this episode has is insane and the fact that Eustace pretty much fucking dies at the end which is super dark This episode is the most terrifying thing ive ever seen as a child and oh how much i appreciate it
This show was made so masterfully! You can make at least 10 episodes based on it. The Mask, The Evil Moon Spirit, the spider episodes and so on. And the episodes that were not scary were just plain BEAUTIFUL! The two that have stuck with me for my entire life are the star squids and the tree... both episodes tug on the heartstrings SO HARD and they may have been the first times I cried watching something... some people had Lion King, some people had Bambi, I had the Giant Space Squids
The thing that terrified me the most was one sound, it's very faint, and only plays once- but it's when the Locusts symbol vanishes off the slab. It was the perfect sound to make for the full embodiment of both fear, and dramatic irony- since the audience knows what is about to happen, and that is the sound you hear when you know that they're done for. Ah, the childhood nightmares. :D
