Sniz & Fondue

Sniz & Fondue was a part of the Nickelodeon series KaBlam's lineup of short cartoons, all featuring different methods of animation. The first episode premiered, along with KaBlam!, on October 11, 1996. It was created by Michael Pearlstein (now known as Mike R. Brandon). The series ran for three seasons, ending on October 16, 1998.

Show premise
The series follows two ferrets named Sniz and Fondue. Sniz is hyperactive and rambunctious, while Fondue is calmer and more anxious. Sniz's antics would result in misadventures for the both of them. Their roommates, Snuppa and Bianca, also appeared during the first two seasons.

Production
In the early 1990s, Pearlstein was making a short-lived comic, titled Puppy Action!. Linda Simensky, who at the time was head of Nickelodeon's programming, picked up and read the first issue. Impressed, she called Pearlstein and asked him if he would like to make a pilot for a potential series. Pearlstein agreed, and thus Psyched for Snuppa was made, directed by John R. Dilworth (who later went on to create Courage the Cowardly Dog), with Jim Jinkins (known for Disney's Doug) also assisting with the production. The pilot featured singer Meatloaf voicing Snuppa. With the exception of Pearlstein, most of the crew for the pilot did not return for the series.

The series premiered in 1996, as part of the KaBlam! roster, with the episode "A Toxic Tail." Michael Pearlstein served as a writer, storyboard artist and character designer, as well as drawing and painting the series title cards and providing additional voices for the series.

Season 1 of the series employed Pitchi Poy Animation Productions, located in Israel, as the overseas studio, using traditional cel animation; Pearlstein was unsatisfied with their work, as they tended to draw the characters in the series off-model. Stock music from Associated Production Music was used during the season. The theme that played during the title card was titled "Toys for Boys" by Boris Schoska. During this season, episodes began with a quote next to the Sniz & Fondue series title card. They were: Holy Fruits!, Mommy Yes! and Snap Me Down!. This was discontinued after the first season. By the time season 2 aired, several changes to the show were made; the traditional cel animation used during the first season was retired in favor of digital coloring. The characters were slightly redesigned. The show changed its overseas studio to Funbag Animation Studios in Canada. Original music began to be featured starting this season. Viacom suggested the animation take place at Spumco, but Pearlstein insisted the show be written in New York, which they obliged.

The stress of having to do most of the work on the series took its toll on Pearlstein, who left before season 3 started airing episodes. He had been offered a 30 minute spin-off series, but declined; this slot was later given to Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants. As a result, most of the season 3 episodes were made without any involvement from its creator. The season, and ultimately series, ended on October 16, 1998, with the episode "The Great Chili Cookoff."

Characters

 * Sniz Bronkowski - Sniz is the hyperactive and boisterous ferret with a Mohawk. He often gets himself and Fondue into difficult situations, but is good natured at heart. Alongside Fondue, he is a fan of Battlestar Shapiro.
 * Squeaky Fondue - Fondue, who goes by his surname, is the more level-headed and calm friend of Sniz. However, he tends to get anxious much easier than Sniz, due to the latter's antics. He wears a blue chef's hat, and loves to cook.
 * Snuppa Doogers - One of Sniz and Fondue's roommates, and the boyfriend of Bianca. He is often annoyed by them (especially Sniz), but he is generally kind and calm.
 * Bianca Lo Bianca - Another roommate of Sniz and Fondue's, and Snuppa's girlfriend. She is more critical of them than Snuppa. She, alongside Snuppa, were dropped from the show after the second season. Additional Character Voices were provided by: Stephen Hillenburg, Craig Bartlett, Joe Alaskey, Jim Cummings, Jerry Sroka, Charlie Adler, Jerry Nelson, Maurice LaMarche, Tom Kenny, Lauren Faust, Carolyn Lawrence, Claudia Spinelli, Carlos Alazraqui, Billy West, Maria Bamford and John R. Dilworth.

Pilot (1992)

 * "Psyched for Snuppa"

Sniz and Fondue's species
For many, the species of Sniz and Fondue was ambiguous and unclear. This is further compounded by the fact they are misidentified often as different animals, including: cats, moles and even wombats. Mike R. Brandon, creator of the series, states they are ferrets.