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.[1] 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[]
Season 1 title card.
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) and 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.[1]
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.[1]
Season 1 of the series employed Pitchi Poy Animation Productions, located in Israel, as the overseas studio, using traditional cel animation;[2] Pearlstein was unsatisfied with their work, as they tended to draw the characters in the series off-model.[1] 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.[1] 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.
Title card used for seasons 2 and 3.
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.[1]
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.[1] 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."[1]
Characters[]
- Sniz Bronkowski[3] - Sniz is the hyperactive and boisterous ferret with a Mohawk. ( Sniz is a punk like style and has a punk like 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[1] - 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 Doojers[1] - One of Sniz and Fondue's roommates, and the boyfriend of Bianca. He is often annoyed by them (sometimes when he’s lazy), but he is generally kind and lazy and calm.
- Bianca Lo Bianca[1] - 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.[1] 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.
Episodes[]
Pilot (1993) (2007) (2023)[]
Season 1 (1996-97) (2008-12) (2023)[]
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Airdate | KaBlam! episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "A Toxic Tail" | October 11, 1996
November 24, 2008 Febuery 12, 2023 |
"Your Real Best Friend!" |
| 2 | 2 | "Stuntbike Sniz" | October 18, 1996
December 30, 2008 Febuery 13, 2023 |
"It's Flavorific!" |
| 3 | 3 | "Mod Stylin'" | October 25, 1996
March 13, 2009 March 13, 2023 |
"Comics for Tomorrow Today!" |
| 4 | 4 | "Fashionably Fondue" | November 1, 1996
June 14, 2010 April 15, 2023 |
"Not Just for People Anymore!" |
| 5 | 5 | "Second Hand Sniz" | November 8, 1996
June 17, 2010 May 16, 2023 |
"All Purpose KaBlam!" |
| 6 | 6 | "Mr. Sniz's Wild Ride" | November 15, 1996
December 19, 2011 June 19, 2023 |
"What the Astronauts Drink!" |
| 7 | 7 | "Squeaky Clean" | November 22, 1996
December 19, 2011 June 20, 2023 |
"KaBlam! Gets Results" |
| 8 | 8 | "The Borrowers" | November 29, 1996
December 28, 2011 July 21, 2023 |
"You've Tried the Rest! Now Try the Best!" |
| 9 | 9 | "Dark Vator" | December 6, 1996
March 8, 2012 July 29, 2023 |
"Untitled" |
| 10 | 10 | "You Dummy" | December 13, 1996
April 12, 2012 July 13, 2023 |
"A Little Dab'll Do Ya" |
| 11 | 11 | "The Making of a Supermodel" | December 20, 1996
May 26, 2012 July 14, 2023 |
"Built for Speed" |
| 12 | 12 | "Rage Against the Vending Machine" | December 27, 1996
May 29, 2012 August 18, 2023 |
"Comics of Champions" |
| 13 | 13 | "War of the Supergeeks" | January 31, 1997
July 18, 2013 August 24, 2023 |
"Resistance is Futile" |
Season 2 (1997-98) (2013-19) (2023)[]
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Airdate | KaBlam! episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "Clubbed" | September 19, 1997
November 18, 2013 September 1, 2023 |
"Won't Stick to Most Dental Work" |
| 15 | 2 | "Celluloid Sins" | October 3, 1997
November 21, 2014 September 2, 2023 |
"Hurts So Good" |
| 16 | 3 | "Crustacean Sensations" | October 17, 1997
November 22, 2015 September 3, 2023 |
"Tastes Like Paper" |
| 17 | 4 | "Hello Dolly" | October 31, 1997
November 20, 2016 September 4, 2023 |
"E Pluribus KaBlam!" |
| 18 | 5 | "Chicanery Chums" | December 5, 1997
January 16, 2017 September 5, 2023 |
"Get Sam Donaldson's Mystery Bag" |
| 19 | 6 | "The Rat in the Hat" | December 19, 1997
January 18, 2018 October 6, 2023 |
"Hand Cranked For Your Enjoyment" |
| 20 | 7 | "Great Infestations" | January 2, 1998
Febuery 26, 2019 October 7, 2024 |
"KaBlam! James KaBlam!" |
Season 3 (1998) (2020-22) (2023)[]
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Airdate | KaBlam! episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Solitaire Confinement" | September 11, 1998
October 11, 2020 October 8, 2023 |
"Money Train 2" |
| 22 | 2 | "Penny Ante Vigilantes" | September 18, 1998
Ocober 15, 2021 November 9, 2023 |
"Your Logo Here" |
| 23 | 3 | "Hosed!" | October 9, 1998
November 17, 2022 November 10 2023 |
"It's All In The Wrist" |
| 24 | 4 | "The Great Chili Cookoff" | October 16, 1997
July 28, 2023 December 12, 2023 |
"Year Round Fun" |
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,[4] moles[5] and even wombats.[6] Mike R. Brandon, creator of the series, states they are ferrets.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 http://foofnscoops.wixsite.com/cnvideogame/mikerbrandon
- ↑ http://nickoozenews.blogspot.com/2016/10/tv-goes-kablam-ooze-news-halloween.html
- ↑ "Stuntbike Sniz"
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&pg=PA726&
- ↑ http://www.tv.com/shows/sniz-and-fondue/
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=YX_daEhlnbsC&pg=PA554&