Courage the Cowardly Dog’s best and naughtiest episode has been remade by 120 animators

We may be living in a golden age of cartoons thanks to She-Ra and Voltron: Legendary Defender absolutely rocking the medium, but this isn’t the first time that animation has had a stellar era. You dial back the clock to the early 2000s, and the animated offerings that were busting out of studios at the time was simply amazing. Consistent, charming and imaginative, Cartoon Network was a powerhouse of fresh ideas that just couldn’t be stopped at the time.

With the likes of Codename Kids Next Door, Samurai Jack and Justice League, there was something for everyone. And then there was Courage The Cowardly Dog.

Dude, what a show. Who would have thought that a horror comedy for children starring a tiny purple dog who had to deal with all manner of crap visiting the middle of Nowhere, could be so entertaining. From the Tex Avery freakout moments, the monsters of the week and the seer absurdity of the calamity that would visit Muriel and Eustace Bagge regularly.

There were plenty of standout episodes, but the absolute pinnacle of Courage’s weirdness was easily Freaky Fred. This was Courage the Cowardly Dog at its very finest…and naughtiest. This insane premise of a mentally deranged barber descending on the Bagge household, obsessed with shearing the very fur off of Courage as he narrated his tale of past misdeeds and how very naughty he was. It’s a visual drug, an animated acid trip that has to be seen to be believed.

And for 120 animators, that episode was just begging to be remade. Joshua ‘Zeurel’ Palmer’s YouTube channel took on that Herculean task, recruiting an army of animators to put their own spin on the classic episode, retaining the original audio and pacing while throwing in remade visuals based on the dozens and dozens of unique art styles of the contributors. The end result is an homage that’s as freaky as Fred, and shows just how brilliantly Courage has aged over the years. See for yourself below:

120+ Animators come together to re-animate a classic Courage the Cowardly Dog Episode; Freaky Fred. This is a tribute and labour of love to one of the greatest cartoons made during the early 2000’s. Courage the Cowardly Dog stood out a lot to me growing up. There wasn’t a show like it, nor has there been one since. A one of a kind creepy, yet goofy, kids show that isn’t afraid to disturb the heck out of you, yet give you plenty of laughs along the way.

Thank you, John R. Dilworth, for giving us such a wonderful show. Please enjoy everyone’s hard work!

– Joshua ‘Zeurel’ Palmer

Now that’s just naaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuughty. And I absolutely love it because of that.

Last Updated: October 18, 2019