Pinney) performed the role with a gruff, gravel-voiced faux-malevolence that ultimately revealed a hesitantly nice personality. Unlike any previous appearance, King Koopa was seen with a pet creature named Ratso that best resembled a mix of dog and weasel with the large ears of a bat. Ratso had his own special "theater" where kids could also claim prizes (in which he was played by a puppet). Koopa would be seen walking Ratso on a leash in the pre-recorded opening and closing credit sequences (where he was played by a dog in a costume). Partway through the series' production, Chris Latta was fired and replaced after a string of incidents occurred, including an altercation where Latta's own son was among the child audience. Additionally, after the firing of Latta, children noticed the difference between Latta and replacement actor Pat Pinney and would insult Pinney, or call him an imposter. The entire 65 episodes of King Koopa's Kool Kartoons was produced and developed over the course of 13 weeks before being quietly cancelled. Cancellation Despite high ratings and viewership, King Koopa's Kool Kartoons was not renewed for a second season. The full reasoning behind the show's cancellation is unknown, but is partially accredited by former writer Christopher Brough to be a formal invitation from the then-president of The Walt Disney Company, Michael Eisner to Fox Kids to cancel the cartoon. The show was later aired in the United Kingdom via The Children's Channel throughout the remainder of 1990. Reception Reception of the show among children was overwhelmingly positive, but the show was not received very well by parents, as an angry letter from the Los Angeles Times newspaper shows. However, in a "Viewers' View" column in the Los Angeles Times, a parent wrote that the show's portrayal of King Koopa was "frightening for small children". In 1990, the program was nominated as the best youth program for the Los Angeles local Emmy Awards. Legacy Due to King Koopa's Kool Kartoon's one-time broadcast format, the show has become one of DIC Entertainment's and Nintendo's famous examples of lost media, and efforts to preserve the show have begun to materialize. References External links http://www.imdb.me/gerrypass?ref_=pro_nm_nav_ov_vanity Television series based on Mario 1980s American children's television series American television shows based on video games Local children's television programming in the United States American television shows featuring puppetry Television series by DIC Entertainment Television series by DHX Media