The Mask: Animated Series

The Mask: Animated Series (also known as Mask: The Animated Series, or simply the show The Mask) is an American animated television series based on the 1994 film. The series aired for a total of three seasons and fifty-four episodes from August 12, 1995, to August 30, 1997. It spawned its own short-run comic book series, Adventures of The Mask. John Arcudi, former writer of the original comics, wrote two episodes of the series. The Mask was one of three animated series based on Jim Carrey movies that premiered the same year. These included the 1995–2000 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective series, and the 1995–1996 Dumb and Dumber series.
The series retained major plot points from the film, with insecure bank clerk Stanley Ipkiss using an ancient mask to gain superpowers while taking on the mischievous personality of The Mask. The major alteration is that Stanley can use the mask in daytime as well as at night. Following the events of the film, Stanley's friend and coworker Charlie thinks that Stanley threw the mask away, but Stanley discovers that his dog retrieved it and decides to keep it. Reporter Peggy Brandt is the main female character in the series, though Stanley is upset with her for selling him out to the mob. Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz's character in the film) is absent from the series and never mentioned. Niko and Dorian Tyrell, the two primary antagonists of the 1994 film who died during the course of it, do not appear in the animated series and are never even mentioned (nor the mob). Despite having a "realistic" setting in the fictional town of Edge City, the series often relies more on Tex Avery-style humor and occasionally breaks any meaningful laws of reality. For example, one episode featured the Goofalotatots, parodies of the Animaniacs, treating them as if they were naturally alive. Another featured the Mask becoming a personal assistant to the President of the United States, with the job merely handed to him (former Mask comic writer John Arcudi wrote both example episodes, a stark departure from his usual writing). Police officers are portrayed as idiots unable to recognize obvious clues. Also continued from the film were The Mask's frequent visits to the Coco Bongo: a fictional, glamorous nightclub frequented by the Edge City well-to-do, which was based on the Copacabana in New York City. The destruction of the Coco Bongo in the episode "A Comedy of Eras" horrifies and enrages The Mask, and provides him with the motivation to ultimately defeat the antagonist. During the late 1990s, Rob Paulsen appeared on the US TV talk show Donny & Marie. When talking about his role as Stanley Ipkiss/The Mask, Paulsen said, "I get to be Jim Carrey for a whole lot less cake."
A two-part crossover between The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective – another animated series based on a Jim Carrey film – aired on August 30, 1997. The crossover begins with The Mask episode "The Aceman Cometh", and concludes with the Ace Ventura episode "Have Mask, Will Travel". At the time of the original airing, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was running in the adjoining time slot immediately following The Mask in CBS's Saturday morning lineup. During the crossover, Stanley/The Mask and Ace retain their respective animation styles while appearing within the other's show. The crossover also serves as the series finale of The Mask and the second-season finale of Ace Ventura. In "Have Mask, Will Travel", Stanley catches up to Ace in Miami just as he is recruited to solve a case on a space station, leading Stanley to become The Mask and join the investigation.
The series premiered its second season in first-run syndication, mostly on local affiliates, while airing on CBS. It later aired on the Fox Family Channel from 1999 to 2000 (with "Flight as a Feather" removed due to risqué content). The show has rerun sporadically on Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels in other countries , with some markets skipping over the season two episode "Flight as a Feather" due to risqué content. Starting in 2024, reruns aired on MeTV Toons.
Seven VHS volumes of the series were gradually released by Turner Home Entertainment/New Line Home Video from 1995 to 1996, all of which are now out of print.
Upon the initial DVD release of Son of the Mask, Wal-Mart stores sold an exclusive 2-pack of the movie with the two-part pilot episode of the animated series. On April 10, 2018, Warner Bros. released the first season on DVD. The series is also available on iTunes, Amazon Video, YouTube, and Google Play. All episodes are separated into all three seasons and are also featured in an entire collection entitled The Mask: The Complete Series.
Taco Bell distributed toys based on the cartoon for a short time in 1997. In South Africa, the Spur franchise used to give out Mask toys with kiddies' burgers.