The History of PAC-MAN: The Animated Series & A Battle With The SMURFS
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PAC-MAN fever was everywhere and back in the early 80’s that meant merchandising and, beyond that, it meant a cartoon.
But how do you take a concept like PAC-MAN, the videogame, and turn it into PAC-MAN, the cartoon? And how do you do compete with the Saturday Morning juggernaut that was THE SMURFS?
SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_(TV_series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_(franchise)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man
https://pacman.fandom.com/wiki/Pac-Man_(TV_Series)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/867111224/?match=1&terms=%22pac%20man%22%20%22barbera%22
https://www.everything80spodcast.com/pac-man-cartoon/
https://www.thegamer.com/pac-man-things-old-school-fans-appreciate/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna-Barbera
https://archive.org/details/once_upon_a_chomp/mode/2up
https://www.saturdaymorningsforever.com/2015/06/pac-man.html
https://www.newspapers.com/image/939009203/?match=1&terms=%22pac%20man%22%20%22barbera%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/436136643/?match=1&terms=%22pac%20man%22%20%22barbera%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/989269942/?match=1&terms=%22pac%20man%20cartoon%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/716047253/?match=1&terms=%22pac%20man%22%20%22barbera%22
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@MontequeRichardson-n1e
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
7 billion quarters is 1.75 billion dollars.
@arerestmeredgt
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
I preferred the Smurfs. I liked the medieval-type angle.
@TheeGrumpy
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
My nostalgia for Saturday morning cartoons comes with a curious spatial synaesthesia: NBC is on the left, CBS is in the middle, and ABC is on the right.
Y'know why? Those were the columns in my newspaper TV listings.
@battlestarmarc
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Pac man is awesome.
Very addicting.
@suspectedmilitant
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
One billion dollars in quarters is….
One billion dollars.
@amysourbutts8421
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
The ice cream van in my neighborhood did Pac Man Ice Cream.. it was lemon flavored.
@DavidShockley
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
To this day, at 51 years old, I still have the Saturday Supercade theme song pop into my head from time to time. lol
@StanleyTeriaca
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Well, it should be noted that officially Ms. Pac-Man, Baby Pac-Man, and Junior Pac-Man (the games) were not official games but bootlegs. But it probably shouldn't be mentioned in your report because the report was about the tv show.
@abbycross90210
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
God I loved that show. I even begged my mom to buy me the Pac-man and Ms. Pac-man puzzle story books at our school bookfair, which I still own, and which my own kids loved as well.
@frankautrey5002
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Something you may not know? Six flags, before WB, used PacMan as their kids park theme.
@gillianorley
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
I remember watching this as a kid and, for me, the main appeal was Marty Ingles’ voice acting. Not just the sound of his voice itself, but the way he spoke. Like when he said his wife’s name, Pepper, he said it like, “Peppa.”
He was a Jewish guy who grew up in Brooklyn in the 1930 and 40s. I’m assuming it was that background that gave his manner of speaking that distinctive quality. At least, distinctive outside of 1940s Brooklyn.
@westmcgee9320
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
6:18 “Pacm’n”
Leave it to the previous generation to f a pop culture name up. 😅
@astig666
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
You forgot to mention manny "pacman" pacquiao, the famous boxer from the philippines. 🇵🇭
@karlmaw7734
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Nostalgia is my drug of choice and you are my favorite dealer.
@TibaltTheBand
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
One of the first times I genuinely laughed at a cartoon was during an episode of Pac-Man. I still remember the bit. The four ghosts were underground executing some plot and they came upon some roots showing under the dirt. Inky points out that there are roots above them and Clyde just blurts out, "Oh boy. Let's make some, 'root beer'". To this day, I can't explain why 10 year old me found that so freaking hilarious. But I literally almost rolled off of the couch at it. — Life is funny. 40 years on It can still evoke a chuckle on the right day.
@TheKitchenerLeslie
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
I watched this as a kid when it was new. Years later, I worked at a video store that Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels shopped at. They were super nice people. I didn't know until a few years ago that Marty was the voice of Pac Man.
@CJBooks4
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
So Namco was originally Atari's Japanese branch before being sold off and becoming its own thing?🤯
@alexjohnsonjustme
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Hey bro 7 billion quarters is not 6 billion dollars your math is off by a lot it's 1.75 billion dollars just thought I'd help you out with that, You're welcome!
@daxbashir6232
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
🟡
@Ggdivhjkjl
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
I had a nightmare where Pacman was trying to eat me!
@saint0wen
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Since you mentioned Lorenzo Music, it's made me realize… Have you never done a video about Garfield?????
@RexxGaming411
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
I LOVED this cartoon and up until this video completely forgot it even existed. Thanks for another great video Dan!
@Powherkrangunch
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Great segment on the Pac-Man cartoon series. What a true gem of the 80s! Your videos are always fantastic! Pacapacweeewee to you too!
@MysteryCompendium
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
The Pac-Man arcade cabinet to sweeten the deal was a nice touch
@daxbashir6232
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Puckman 🙂
@PrivateOGITH
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Pac-Man Also has the Voice of James Murray 😁
@MattD720
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
God, these videos are good.
Well done, guys!
@StarsAndDreamz
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Could you guys do an ep on Video Power, the cartoon slash game show?
(I STILL remember the address you sent a card into to be a contestant:
Video Power
PO Box 896
Madison Square Station
New York, NY 10159)
@martl8615
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
I don't know how, but every time I saw a HB cartoon as a kid, I lost interest pretty quick. Was it the slow pace? Antiquated graphics? Or the general soft themes?
The contrast with Transformers and the like, which I watched with my older brother as long as I can remember, must have spoiled me.
@starchildluke
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
is Dan dressed as Pac-Man or Dick Tracy? is Dick Tracy Pac-Man? is Pac-Man Dick Tracy? is any of this canon?
@danielcole7200
April 13, 2026 at 9:15 pm
Namco ended up making violent video games like tekken and soul calibur