Rocko's Modern Life is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric steer Heffer Wolfe, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and Rocko's faithful dog Spunky. It is set in the fictional town of O-Town. Throughout its run to present day, this show is controversial for its adult humor, including double entendre, innuendo, and satirical social commentary, similar to The Ren & Stimpy Show. The series has gained a cult following.
Murray created the title character for an unpublished comic book series in the late 1980s, and later reluctantly pitched the series to Nickelodeon, which was looking for edgier cartoonists for its then-new Nicktoons. The network gave the staff a large amount of creative freedom, with the writers targeting both children and adults. The show premiered on September 18, 1993, and ended on November 24, 1996, totaling four seasons and 52 episodes. A special, entitled Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, was digitally released on Netflix on August 9, 2019.
The show launched the careers of voice actors Carlos Alazraqui and Tom Kenny. After the show's cancellation, much of the staff regrouped to work on SpongeBob SquarePants, created by Rocko's creative director Stephen Hillenburg.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
In 1994, Manfred Bass designed a balloon based on a titular character from Rocko's Modern Life making his debut and he was retired.