It was produced by Greengrass Productions, Gunther-Wahl Productions, Ruby-Spears Enterprises and finally Mini Mountain Productions in association with King World Productions and Flextech Television and animated by Gunther-Wahl Productions for its first season, and Ruby-Spears Productions for its second season.
First broadcast on September 12, 1992, the show ran for two seasons of thirteen episodes each. It also aired on YTV from 1992 to 1999 in Canada. The series was featured in reruns on Toon Disney from 1998 to 2001.
Plot
Like many cartoons during its time, Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa dealt with a mutation of some kind. In this case, an irradiated comet struck the late 19th century Western plains creating a miles high mesa shrouded in clouds. Everything trapped on top of the mesa was "cow-metized" by the light from the "cow-met" and "evolved" into a "bovipomorphic" state. Inspired by old tales of the Wild West, this new bovine community developed to the point where they emulated that era's way of life, including the requisite ruffians and corrupt sheriffs. However, their knowledge of Wild West living was limited, and as such, many things about their culture had to be improvised to 'fill in the blanks'. The concepts of steampunk and Weird West were utilized throughout its run.
The series focuses on trying to keep justice in the frontier territory. The lawbreakers were too much for the corrupt regulators of Cowtown (namely Mayor Oscar Bulloney and Sheriff Terrorbull) to handle by themselves. Helping them out, whether they wanted it or not, were a group of peacekeepers known as C.O.W.-Boys (the C.O.W. part is short for "Code Of the West"). Led by Marshal Moo Montana, the C.O.W.-Boys also included the Dakota Dude and the Cowlorado Kid. Marshal Moo Montana and his deputies had their hands full with various ruffians and outlaw gangs that plagued the otherwise peaceful town.
C.O.W.-Boys
Marshal Moo Montana (voiced by Pat Fraley) - Leader of the C.O.W.-Boys and marshal of Moo Mesa. Courageous and quick on his hooves, Moo Montana "battles the bad guys and makes the West a safer place to graze". Lives by the Code of the West, which he seems to make up as he goes along (as seen in the episode "The Big Cow Wow"). He has a gun that shoots star-badges. His horse's name is Cyclone.
The Dakota Dude (voiced by Jim Cummings) - The soft-spoken muscle of Montana's posse, Dakota possesses a cool temperament and rarely gets mad, even in near-death experiences (as seen in "Dances with Bulls") and is scared of heights. Dakota agreed to marry Cowlamity Kate in Wedding Bull Blues to save her father's inheritance. His horse's name is Rebel.
Cowlorado Kid (voiced by Jeff Bennett) - A Holstein cattle who is the youngest of the group and a self-proclaimed ladies' man with a good singing voice, regardless of his skill with the lasso and guitar. Cowlorado isn't a deputy yet. In "Stolen on the River," he tries to prove he's worthy of being a deputy by catching Five Card Cud only to get in trouble and be rescued by Dakota and Moo. His horse's name is Jezebel.
Supporting characters
Lily Bovine (voiced by Charity James) - A bartender, former showgirl, and owner of the local saloon called The Tumbleweed. Lily is Moo Montana's love interest. Her best friend is Cowlamity Kate.
Cody Calf (voiced by Troy Davidson) - Nicknamed "Calf-Pint" by Moo and his posse, he idolizes the marshall and hopes to be a lawcow himself when he grows up. He is apparently related to Lily Bovine in some way and lives with her, though he does not appear to be her son. Like everyone else, he refers to her as "Miss Lily". Though well-meaning, he often gets himself into serious trouble trying to "help" the lawcows, but has been a useful asset on several occasions.
Cowlamity Kate Cudster (voiced by Kay Lenz) - A tomboyishrancher and operator of the highly profitable Golden Cud Mine. She's as hard-working and hard-riding as any bull, and has enough skill with a lasso to put Cowlorado to shame. She returns Dakota's romantic feelings where she once gave him the hat he wears and nearly married him in "Wedding Bull Blues." In "The Fastest Filly in the West," it is revealed that Cowlamity Kate has a cousin named Cowleen. Her name is a play on that of the famous Wild West heroine Calamity Jane.
Puma (voiced by Bill Farmer) - A resident of Cowtown who is the resident shoeshiner.
J.R. (voiced by Michael Horse) - An Indianbison who occasionally aids Moo, Dakota, and Cowlorado if the situation needs it. He tends to ramble about the scientific principles of his inventions which the C.O.W.-Boys don't want to listen to and would be asked to show them how it works.
Jack (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A rabbit who works as a telegraph operator at Cowtown.
Villains
Mayor Oscar Bulloney (voiced by Michael Greer) - The greedy and corrupt mayor of Cowtown in Moo Mesa, Bulloney rigs elections (as seen in "Stolen on the River") and makes taxes so high that the Masked Bull compares it to stealing. He also serves as Cowtown's crooked Justice of the Peace and Bank President.
Sheriff Terrorbull (voiced by Joe Piscopo) - Selected by the corrupt Mayor Bulloney, Terrorbull uses his sheriff's badge to conceal his evil intentions. When committing crimes, Terrorbull takes on the guise of the notorious outlaw called the Masked Bull. Curiously, Terrorbull has an upright posture as the Masked Bull while he is normally seen with a hunched back. In "Bulls of a Feather," it is revealed that Sheriff Terrorbull has a criminal younger brother named Horribull. He was forced to leave Cowtown after losing a bet to Moo in "No Face To Hide" to see who can catch Shock Holiday. Afterwards, Terrorbull became sheriff of the remote town of Lonesome Gulch as Mayor Bulloney tells him to put up with it until he can think of a way to get him back into Cowtown. At Lonesome Gulch, Sheriff Terrorbull continued his unlawful exploits.
Saddle Sore (voiced by Jim Cummings) - A scorpion and one of the comically inept henchmen of Sheriff Terrorbull. He is slightly smarter and braver than Boot Hill Buzzard, but only just.
Boot Hill Buzzard (voiced by Danny Mann) - A buzzard who is Sheriff Terrorbull's other comically inept henchman. As the more dim-witted of the two, he is often saddled with more than his fair share of the grunt work, especially if the job involves something embarrassing or unappealing (such as cross-dressing). His name is taken from an old west slang term for a graveyard.
Skull Duggery (voiced by Jim Cummings) - Tom Duggery was a mean miner who had staked his claim on Skull Mountain. He had struck silver and hid it in a secret chamber within his mine. During a storm, Tom Duggery was caught in a cave-in when he didn't want to leave his silver, he then died later from presumably either suffocation or starvation. Legend says that Tom Duggery's ghost in the form of Skull Duggery still haunts Skull Mountain. When Cody, Carly, and Jake as well as Saddle Sore and Boot Hill Buzzard entered the mine, Skull Duggery manifested where he managed to eject Saddle Sore and Boot Hill Buzzard. Upon trapping Cody, Carly, and Jake, Skull Duggery started flooding the chamber that they were in. Moo Montana, Dakota Dude, Cowlorado Kid, and Cowlamity Kate were able to save the kids and defeated Skull Duggery by causing a cave-in. Skull Duggery vowed that he will be back. In "Skull Duggery Rides Again," Skull Duggery emerges from the cave-in on Halloween and plans his revenge on the C.O.W.-Boys. He makes his way to a ghost town where he gathers some ghosts to help him. Skull Duggery and his fellow ghosts start turning Cowtown into a ghost town by aging everything. Using garlic, Moo, Dakota, and Cowlorado were able to repel Skull Duggery's gang. Mayor Bulloney sends Saddle Sore and Boot Hill Buzzard to make a deal with Skull Duggery to get rid of the C.O.W.-Boys. Skull Duggery agrees to the deal....for now. Skull Duggery ages Cowlamity Kate and has one of his minions hypnotizes Dakota Dude. When it comes to the Halloween party, Skull Duggery's gang puts their plan into motion where they even double-cross Mayor Bulloney. With Dakota freed from the mind-control by an aged Cody, he, Moo, and Cowlorado lure Skull Duggery and his fellow ghosts into a trap that devised by J.R. where they are zapped to the afterlife. Before disappearing with his fellow ghosts, Skull Duggery vowed to Moo that he hasn't seen the last of him possibly indicating that he would return for more revenge.
Bat Blastagun (voiced by Neil Ross) - A bat outlaw. He and his gang caused trouble for Miller Glen where they even bested Sheriff T-Bone. When Bat Blastagun's gang returned to Miller Glen to set it ablaze, they encountered Moo Montana where he and his men were able to use tactics to drive Bat Blastagun's gang away. The next morning, Bat Blastagun plans his revenge on Moo Montana. He starts by having his gang abduct Bessy Bluebell from the Miller Glen School. Moo follows the note where he heads to Batwing Cave and falls into Bat Blastagun's trap. With help from Cyclone, Moo gets free, frees Bessy, and escapes from Bat Blastagun. Back in Miller Glen, Moo faces off against Bat Blastagun in a showdown where he manages to defeat them with help from the townsfolk. In "How the West Was Shrunk," Bat Blastagun and his gang escape from prison where they stumble upon the shard of the comet that created Moo Mesa. Upon enlisting the help of the mad scientist Dr. Wolfgang Wolfenstein, Bat Blastagun uses the weaponized shard as part of a plot to shrink the C.O.W-Boys and rob all of Cowtown's gold. Upon getting the C.O.W.-Boys shrunken, Bat Blastagun's men try to grab them until a tumbleweed sweeps them up. Bat Blastagun then makes himself a self-appointed marshal where he holds a bounty on the C.O.W.-Boys as Saddle Sore and Boot Hill Buzzard take part in it. Bat Blastagun later has Mayor Bulloney, Saddle Sore, and Boot Hill Buzzard thrown locked up as an extra precaution. After an attempt to catch the C.O.W.-Boys, Bat Blastagun shrinks Cowtown and then leads his gang back to Dr. Wolfgang Wolfenstein to recharge the shard. Using a large lizard, the C.O.W.-Boys follow Bat Blastagun's gang to Dr. Wolfgang Wolfenstein's castle. Upon reversing the device so that the shard can make things big, Moo returns to normal size and claims the shard to restore Dakota Dude and Cowlorado Kid back to normal size. Bat Blastagun and his gang are imprisoned and the shard is confiscated by the C.O.W.-Boys.
Gil - A lizard who is a part of Bat Blastagun's gang. He is shown to carry an unnamed snake member of Bat Blastagun's gang.
Sid - A spider who is part of Bat Blastagun's gang. He wields a gun that shoots webs.
Episode guide
Several of these episodes or episode titles are parodies of popular Western films or books.
Cast
Jeff Bennett - Cowlorado Kid, Hole in the Ground Gang Leader (in "The Big Cow Wow"), Frank (in "Another Fine Mesa"), Beans (in "Another Fine Mesa")
Jim Cummings - The Dakota Dude, Saddle Sore, Warden Gordon Borden, Wild Bill Barker, Skull Duggery (in "Legend of Skull Duggery," "Skull Duggery Rides Again"), Gila Hooligans Leader (in "Dances with Bulls"), Toupee Turkey (in "The Big Cow Wow"), Grits (in "Night of the Cowgoyle")
Troy Davidson - Cody Calf
Bill Farmer - Puma, Jury Foreman (in "The Cacklin Kid")
Kate Mulgrew - Barbed Wire Babs/Miss Barbara (in "No Way to Treat a Lady")
Rob Paulsen - Adult Cody Calf (in "Skull Duggery Rides Again"), Cacklin Kid (in "The Cacklin Kid"), Swifty Buckhorn (in "The Fastest Filly in the West")
Neil Ross - Bat Blastagun (in "Another Fine Mesa" and "How the West was Shrunk")
Action figures and vehicles were made by Hasbro. Story books, coloring books, and VHS home videos were put out by Random House. Halloween costumes were made by Collegeville/Imagineering LP. Farley Candy introduced a line of themed fruit snacks. Bath products by Tsumura International were also available, as well as lunch boxes by Thermos. Figural coin banks were made by Toy Dreams. Plastic dinnerware was available from Betras Plastics. Kid's Meal promotional items (3" action figures, sack, placemat, activity pack, and collectible cups) were made by Kid Stuff.
Action figures
In 1991, Hasbro Toys produced a series of ten action figures and one vehicle (Iron Horse). Marshal Moo Montana was produced heaviest while the character Boot Hill Buzzard is the rarest of the set with only a limited number released. Of the three main heroes, the Dakota Dude is the scarcest.
In 1999, to coincide with the series being broadcast on the Toon Disney channel, the Kid Stuff company manufactured a set of 3" tall action figures for its Moo Mesa Kids Meal promotion. Articulated at the shoulders, neck, and waist, the assortment consisted of Marshal Moo Montana, The Dakota Dude, The Cowlorado Kid, Miss Cowlamity Kate, Cody Calf, and the Masked Bull. These were available at participating restaurants.
Comic book series
Archie Comics released both a mini-series and regular series of Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa comic books. The first issue of the mini-series came with an exclusive pull-out wanted poster available only through the direct sales market. Three issues of both the mini-series (December 1992, January and February 1993) and the regular series (March, May and July 1993) were released.
The C.O.W.-Boys made their TMNT universe debut when they teamed up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in issue #21 of the Mirage Studios title "Tales of the TMNT." The TMNT aided the C.O.W.-Boys in stopping Sheriff Terrorbull from stealing a magic crystal shard. Moo Montana and his deputies returned in number 32 of the Tales of the TMNT series. This time the horned heroes come up against Savanti Romero and the Eye of Aga-Moo-Tu. The story takes place in the astral realm of Bov-gamesh and introduces the character Tsou-T'an-Jin, an ancient sorceress tortoise that lives on Moo Mesa. The C.O.W.-Boys make their third appearance with the Ninja Turtles in the November 2008 issue of Tales of the TMNT. The story concluded in Tales of the TMNT #58 printed in May 2009.
A special event exclusive edition of this issue was sold at a one-day event on March 31, 2007 at the Wayne Center for the Arts in Wooster, Ohio. It differs from the regular release because of its alternative cover by Andre Ponce, Ryan Brown and Steve Lavigne. It also has a special message from the arts center on the inside front cover.
Home Video releases
Various episodes of the show were released onto videocassette in 1992 by Random House Home Video.
Video game
In 1992, Konami released a coin-operated arcade game based on the series titled Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa. The game is a side-scrolling "run 'n gun" action game similar to Konami's previous wild west-themed game Sunset Riders. Ryan Brown worked closely with Konami on the game's development.
The player characters in the game are Cowlorado Kid, Dakota Dude, Marshall Moo Montana, and Buffalo Bull. The game can be configured to allow up to four players to play simultaneously.
The game's controls consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for shooting and jumping. Pressing both buttons simultaneously will cause the player character to perform a stampede attack, do a spinning jump, or use any equipped item like dynamite sticks and tomahawk blades. The player can uncover a variety of power-up items by shooting flying chickens, which includes a rapid-fire Machine Gun and a Power-Up for wider bullets. Unlike Sunset Riders, the player has a three-unit life gauge that allows the player to take three hits before losing a life.
Popular culture
The C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa make a cameo appearance in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward episode "Home Invasion". The Ninja Turtles visit the Tumbleweed Saloon in Moo Mesa in the form of a virtual simulation where they fight a cast of Cowtown villains and play a hand of cards with heroes Marshall Moo Montana, the Dakota Dude, and the Cowlorado Kid. The featured Moo Mesa villains are Sheriff Terrorbull, Boothill Buzzard, Shock Holiday, Big Bucks, Stub, and exclusive villains Lone Grunger, Butch Cowsidy, and Slick Willie Weasel.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's mom said that she named him Rayne Dakota Prescott, but always intended on calling him Dakota or Dak after Dakota Dude.
