Catten Stein

This cartoon episode was inspired by the classic "Frankenstein" tale. Oilcan Harry played the mad professor, Swifty took on the part of Igor, Pearl Pureheart is the damsel in distress, and Mighty Mouse was the hero. Oilcan Harry built a monster cat to scare the villagers of mice. Pearl is caught by the monster and taken to the castle. Mighty Mouse heads to the castle and puts the monster out of service, capturing Oilcan Harry and Swifty and rescuing Pearl.

Mighty Mouse, Pearl, Oilcan Harry, Swifty

Mighty Mouse made his TV debut on Mighty Mouse Playhouse in 1955, with reruns of the original TerryToons theatrical shorts on CBS. While these theatrical cartoons aired from 1955 to 1966, it wasn't until 1979 that Mighty Mouse made his first appearance in a series created exclusively for television. In The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle, the supermouse foiled his foes with his wits, not his fists.

His co-headliners, Heckle and Jeckle, were two inseparable magpies who sought to con free meals and shelter out of the upper class (who, in all honesty, presented little difficulty for the clever and mischievous birds).

The show also featured Quackula, a vampire duck who tried to frighten those who crossed his path, but who usually ended up tripping over his own webbed feet.

An all-new 1987 series, Mighty Mouse, The New Adventures, was the brainchild of animation pioneer Ralph Bakshi. Bakshi fleshed out the Mouse's character by making him more introspective and giving him a sidekick, Scrappy, to whom he could confess his troubles.

Nearly pushing the limits on "inside jokes," this latest version concentrated on spoofing other well-known cartoons as well as bringing back characters who had long been forgotten. With the help of John Kricfalusi (who went on to create The Ren and Stimpy Show), Bakshi took no prisoners, using his latest cartoon to mock the industry he had worked in for so many years. Unfortunately, many of the references were lost on children, and the series was cancelled after two seasons.

Whether people prefer the classic do-gooder of the 50's or the edgy character from the 80's, Mighty Mouse has become one of animation's most recognizable and beloved heroes.