The Nightmare Begins

Last updated
"The Nightmare Begins"
Invader Zim episode
The Nightmare Begins.png
Ms. Bitters introduces Zim to the class.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed by Steve Ressel
Written by Jhonen Vasquez
Rob Hummel
Production code101
Original air dateMarch 30, 2001 (2001-03-30)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Pilot"		Next →
"Bestest Friend"
List of episodes

"The Nightmare Begins" is the series premiere of the American animated television series Invader Zim . It originally aired in the United States on Nickelodeon on March 30, 2001. [1]

Contents

This is the first official episode to feature Richard Steven Horvitz as Zim. In the pilot episode, he was originally voiced by Mark Hamill, and then Billy West. Shortly after the cancellation of The Angry Beavers , Horvitz was brought in as a potential voice of Zim, and was asked to record over certain lines for the pilot. Though neither his nor Hamill's cuts made to an official release, he voiced Zim for the remainder of the series.

Plot

On the Irken-ruled planet Conventia, the beginning of a galactic conquest campaign known as Operation Impending Doom II is about to start. The Irkens want all the races of the universe to serve under their already vast empire, so they plan to send their elite soldiers to make the planets vulnerable so their forces can easily conquer them. Former Irken Invader Zim, who had singlehandedly ruined the original Operation Impending Doom by stealing a battle mech and unwittingly annihilating a portion of his home planet, Irk, arrives uninvited.

Reluctant to have Zim involved with the new operation, the Almighty Tallest, the two leaders of the Irken Empire, send Zim away to a distant planet on the other side of the galaxy, represented on their galactic map as a sticky note with a circle drawn onto it with a question mark in the circle. It turns out to be Earth, thus ending the assignment process. On Earth, a boy named Dib intercepts a signal and hears about the empire's plans, though no one, these being his sister and father, takes any interest.

Invaders begin receiving robot assistants called SIR (Standard-issue Information Retrieval) units. Not wanting to give away advanced technology to Zim, he is given a robot constructed of garbage named GIR, who appears unintelligent, but the Tallest convince Zim that it is an advanced model. Zim and GIR head for Earth, and upon their arrival, Zim picks appropriate disguises and constructs a base. The next day Zim, attends the local school as he believes he will learn about his enemy there. Dib is there and recognises Zim as an alien, but nobody else does. Dib makes an attempt to capture Zim but gives up when Zim gets to his base, as the front lawn is covered in laser firing lawn gnomes.

Production

Origin of Invader Zim

Richard Steven Horvitz was the third and final casting choice for Zim. Richard Horvitz JACON 2009 Orlando Florida.png
Richard Steven Horvitz was the third and final casting choice for Zim.

Prior to airing of Invader Zim, Nickelodeon desired a series to suit its "eleven to fifteen year-old" demographic. [1] The network hired alternative comic book writer Jhonen Vasquez to create the series. [2] Several ideas were considered by both Vasquez and the network, including a children-suited version of Mork and Mindy , but were dropped by the creator, who believed such ideas did not suit his genre of writing. [2]

Vasquez indicated that in the final version of the series, very little of his writing style was changed, other than restricting language and certain visuals that may not be suitable for children, including that of visuals deemed by the network as similar to the September 11 attacks [2] [3] The biggest difference that he cites is the change from working alone to working with thousands of people at Nickelodeon, calling it an "absolute misery". [3] A pilot was originally pitched to the network in 1999, [2] [4] which featured many similar elements from the series, including a mysterious portrait of a monkey hanging in Zim's house. [5]

Vasquez asked his friend, Mark Tortorici, to produce ideas for the theme music for Invader Zim. The two settled on a direction for the music and Tortorici and produced a final version of the theme. Vasquez's team selected Michael Tavera to compose music for the pilot episode. Vasquez said that he asked for several of the tracks that Tavera produced to be discarded and that ultimately the team had less than half of the number of tracks that they planned to submit. According to Vasquez, he and Tavera were not creatively "a great fit" for one another.

Vasquez described the pilot music as having a "more 'children's television' sound", with a "much more traditional and not as surprising" theme as he wanted, but added that the music "worked for the pilot". Tortorici's theme song and Tavera's cover version did not appear in the pilot as there was no credit sequence. Vasquez said that members of the Invader Zim crew laughed at Tavera's version of the theme because it was "cheesy", adding that the reaction was not mean-spirited and that Tavera had received little information about the series before submitting the music. Tavera did not become a part of the regular Invader Zim crew, while Kevin Manthei created the series' music. [6]

Writing

On the commentary it is also said that the Tallest are redesigned after this episode, which can be seen by their new armour the next time they appear in the episode Germs. All the main characters are introduced in this episode, as are the prominent locations used in the series. Important plot points such as the conflict between Zim and Dib are presented. This conflict continues throughout the series with brief moments when they're forced to work together. [7] The episode ensures to emphasise how Dib is seen as different, with characters siding with Zim from the moment they've met him, whilst having hatred for Dib. [8]

Reception

Critical

"The Nightmare Begins" was well-received overall by television critics, and was included alongside various other Nicktoons in a Wal-Mart exclusive Nickelodeon release, Nickstravangaza! #2. [9] Mac McEntrie of DVD Verdict commented positively on the episode, praising the "Great Assigning", and "Doom song" scenes, as well as the creation of Zim's house. [10]

Ratings

The premiere of The Nightmare Begins garnered a 6.0 rating/17 share (about 1.8 million views) among kids ages 2–11. [11]

Awards and nominations

In 2001, Kyle Menke won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for "The Nightmare Begins" for his storyboarding, [12] as did Steve Ressel, who won an Annie for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production for "The Nightmare Begins". [13] That same year, Steve Ressel, Jhonen Vasquez, and Mary Harrington won the World Animation Celebration award for Best Title Sequence. [14] In 2002, the sound crew was nominated for the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television - Animation for "The Nightmare Begins". [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rugrats</i> 1991–2004 American animated television series

Rugrats is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on a group of toddlers, most prominently—Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and the twins Phil and Lil, and their day-to-day lives, usually involving life experiences that become much greater adventures in the imaginations of the main characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jhonen Vasquez</span> American cartoonist

Jhonen C. Vasquez is an American cartoonist, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for creating the comic book Johnny the Homicidal Maniac—along with its spin-off comics Squee!, Fillerbunny, and I Feel Sick—and the Nickelodeon animated series Invader Zim.

<i>The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius</i> American computer-animated series

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius is an American CGI-animated television series. The second installment in the Jimmy Neutron franchise, it is based on the 2001 film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius created by John A. Davis, to which it serves as a direct sequel. It originally aired on Nickelodeon for three seasons from July 20, 2002, to November 25, 2006. The show follows an 11-year-old genius from the fictitious town of Retroville, Texas, the eponymous character, as he goes on adventures with his best friends Carl Wheezer and Sheen Estevez. Throughout the show, various mishaps and conflicts occur on these adventures, as Jimmy's various inventions go awry. The series features voices of Debi Derryberry (Jimmy), Jeffrey Garcia (Sheen), and Rob Paulsen (Carl) for the three main characters.

<i>Rockos Modern Life</i> American animated television series

Rocko's Modern Life is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric steer Heffer Wolfe, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and Rocko's faithful dog Spunky. It is set in the fictional town of O-Town. Throughout its run to present day, this show has been controversial for its adult humor, including double entendre, innuendo, and satirical social commentary, similar to The Ren & Stimpy Show. The series has gained a cult following.

<i>The Angry Beavers</i> American animated sitcom television series (1997–2003)

The Angry Beavers is an American animated television series created by Mitch Schauer for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around Norbert and Daggett Beaver, two young beaver brothers who have moved out of their parents' home to become bachelors in the forest near the fictional Wayouttatown, Oregon. The show premiered in the United States on April 19, 1997, and ended on November 11, 2003. The series has also appeared in syndication on Nickelodeon Canada. The complete series has also been released on DVD in Region 1 by Shout! Factory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy West</span> American voice actor (born 1952)

William Richard Werstine, known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor, musician and former radio personality. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film Space Jam and several subsequent projects, the title characters of Doug and The Ren & Stimpy Show, as well as the Futurama characters Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, Zapp Brannigan and many more. In commercials, he voices the Red M&M and formerly voiced Buzz for Honey Nut Cheerios. West also voices other such established characters such as Elmer Fudd, Popeye, Shaggy Rogers, Skeets, Muttley, and Woody Woodpecker. He was a cast member on The Howard Stern Show, during which time he was noted for his impressions of Larry Fine, Marge Schott, George Takei, and Jackie Martling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Dirge</span>

Roman Dirge is an American comic book writer, artist, and former magician. He is best known as the creator of the comic book series Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicktoons</span> Animated series brand used by Nickelodeon

Nicktoons is a collective name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company in their copyright bylines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Steven Horvitz</span> American actor

Richard Steven Horvitz is an American actor and comedian, best known for his voice work in animation and video games. His voice credits include the original Alpha 5 on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo, Razputin in Psychonauts, Kaos in Skylanders, Billy and his father Harold in Grim & Evil and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Grey Matter in Ben 10, Rodney in Squirrel Boy, Daggett in The Angry Beavers, Zim in Invader Zim, Orthopox in Destroy All Humans!, the Zoni in Ratchet & Clank, Bumble in Kinectimals, the Space Weaver in Broken Age, Kanchomé in Zatch Bell!, and Moxxie in Helluva Boss.

<i>Space Emperor God Sigma</i> Japanese anime television series

Space Emperor God Sigma is a mecha anime television series aired from 1980 to 1981. It ran for 50 episodes. It is also referred to as "God Sigma, Empire of Space" and "Space Combination God Sigma".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Ressel</span> American artist, writer, musician (born 1967)

Steve Ressel is an American comic book artist, animator, storyboard artist, producer and director. Steve directed animated series such as Invader Zim, The Wild Thornberrys, Duckman, Stressed Eric, God, the Devil and Bob, Rugrats and others. Ressel directed and produced the entire run of Invader Zim.

Aaron Paul Springer is an American cartoonist, animator, artist, writer, director, and voice actor. He is the creator of the Disney XD original series Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer, in which he voices the main character, Billy Dilley. He is best known for his work on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, for which he contributed to as a writer, storyboard artist and storyboard director for eight seasons, as well as co-writing and storyboarding its 2004 film adaptation.

<i>Invader Zim</i> American animated television series

Invader Zim is an American animated science fiction dark comedy television series created by comic book writer and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez for Nickelodeon. The series centers on an extraterrestrial named Zim, from the planet Irk, and his mission is to conquer Earth and enslave the human race along with his malfunctioning robot servant GIR. He is antagonized by Dib, a young paranormal investigator who is determined to stop Zim from succeeding.

<i>SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom</i> 2008 action-adventure video game

SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom is a 2008 video game, sequel to Nicktoons: Attack of the Toybots, and the fourth and final installment in the Nicktoons Unite! series. Characters from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Danny Phantom, SpongeBob SquarePants, Invader Zim, and Tak and the Power of Juju appear. This is the only Nicktoons Unite! game to not feature characters from The Fairly OddParents. The original developers of the previous games for consoles, Blue Tongue Entertainment, did not return to create this installment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosearik Rikki Simons</span> American novelist

Rosearik Rikki Allen Simons is an American voice actor, writer, cartoonist, and animator. He is best known as the voice of GIR in the Nickelodeon animated series, Invader Zim. Simons has also written a number of novels and comic series, often working with his wife, Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickelodeon Digital</span> American animation studio

Nickelodeon Digital, often shortened to Nick Digital and originally known as Nickelodeon Creative Labs, is an American animation studio based in New York City which opened in 1994. It is a division of Nickelodeon Animation Studio. Nickelodeon Digital produces some of Nickelodeon's animated series and creates digital content and motion graphics for the Nickelodeon Group. The company's Burbank, California branch creates CGI and visual effects for Nickelodeon's animated series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Hangover</span> Internet animation channel

Cartoon Hangover is a Frederator internet television channel and adult animation division, part of the YouTube Original Channel Initiative, launched in February 2012.

<i>Invader Zim</i> (comics) Comic book series

Invader Zim is an American comic book series created by Jhonen Vasquez and published by Oni Press. It serves as a continuation to the animated television series of the same name that originally aired on Nickelodeon.

<i>Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus</i> 2019 American animated science-fiction comedy film

Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus is a 2019 American animated science fiction comedy film directed by Hae Young Jung, Young Kyun Park, and Jhonen Vasquez and written by Vasquez. It is based on and is a continuation of the animated television series Invader Zim, which was created by Vasquez and originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2001 to 2002 and later Nicktoons in 2006. Richard Steven Horvitz, Rosearik Rikki Simons, Andy Berman, Melissa Fahn, Rodger Bumpass, Wally Wingert, Kevin McDonald, Vasquez, and Olivia d'Abo reprise their voice roles from the series. In the film, Zim discovers his almighty leaders never had any intention of coming to Earth and he loses confidence in himself for the first time in his life, which is the big break his human nemesis, Dib has been waiting for.

References

  1. 1 2 "Nickelodeon Cans INVADER ZIM". 18 January 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Tierney, Adam (2004-03-08). "An Interview with Jhonen Vasquez and Rikki Simons (page 1)" . Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  3. 1 2 Shattuck, Kathryn (2001-03-25). "Fishbowl Fairies and an Alien in Exile". New York Times . Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  4. ↑ Vasquez, Jhonen (2004). Invader Zim volume 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Pilot" (DVD). Media Blasters.
  5. ↑ Vasquez, Jhonen (2004). Invader Zim volume 1 DVD commentary for the episode "The Nightmare Begins" (DVD). Media Blasters.
  6. ↑ "Variations on a ZIM Theme. Mindspill April 28, 2009. Retrieved on June 18, 2009.
  7. ↑ Dib: "Just this once, we work together. Mortal enemies working together for the common good!" ( Bolognius Maximus )
  8. ↑ "Review of Invader Zim". 11 May 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  9. ↑ Lambert, David (2003-09-19). "Invader Zim's first appearance on a commercial DVD". Archived from the original on 2006-11-16. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  10. ↑ McEntire, Mac (August 22, 2005). "Invader Zim: Volume 1 - Doom Doom Doom Review". DVD Verdict. Retrieved 2005-05-07.
  11. ↑ Godfrey, Leigh (21 January 2002). "Invader Zim Cancelled". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  12. ↑ Feitwell, Jill (2001-08-13). "Emmy voices its winners". Variety . Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  13. ↑ "29th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners". ASIFA-Hollywood. 2001. Archived from the original on 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  14. ↑ "Nickelodeon Awards". Nickelodeon. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
  15. ↑ "49th Golden Reel Awards Nominees Announced". Mixonline.com. 2002-02-28. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2008-10-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.