August 17, 2002 (2002-08-17) – February 26, 2005 (2005-02-26)
¡Mucha Lucha! (subtitled Gigante during its third and final season) is an American animated television series that aired on the Kids' WB block on The WB from August 17, 2002, to February 26, 2005.[1] It was created by Eddie Mort and Lili Chin and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is the first animatedtelevision series intended for children created with Macromedia Flash, a program which became widely used as a medium for animation in the years.[2]
The show is set in Luchaville, a fictional town in Southern California centered on lucha libre where nearly everyone in that town wears a costume (they are never seen without their mask) and has a well-known wrestling move. These wrestling moves being capable of transforming the character in relation to the naming of the move. The series mainly centers on three friends, Rikochet, Buena Girl, and the Flea, as they struggle through the Foremost World-Renowned International School of Lucha, where they study.
Rikochet (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui and Jason Marsden)– A young wrestler who is the protagonist. He considers himself the bravest of the group, but sometimes leaps before he finds.
Buena Girl (Kimberly Brooks)– A smart, young female wrestler who always plays by the rules. She can also be very arrogant and obnoxious at times.
The Flea (voiced by Candi Milo)– A friend of Rikochet and Buena Girl who is always dirty and refers to himself in the third person. As well as having a few disgusting habits, he is also the most nervous but often proves to be a useful ally.
El Rey (voiced by Michael Donovan)– An action figure which represents Rikochet's conscience. He carries him in a backpack, but he can move and talk on his own as if he were alive. It is stated that this action figure is just part of a large merchandising euphoria related to a supreme undefeated Mexican wrestler with the same name (an allusion to Santo). Alongside the series, several other El Rey toys appear and often causes trouble with Rikochet. He always calls Ricochet "Chico" and a disgrace.
Production
¡Mucha Lucha! ran into a problem when initially pitched to Kids' WB as they wouldn't want actual wrestling seen on screen due to seeming violent. Lili Chin would have to draw visual guides to show that actual wrestling was more choreography than harmful acts of violence.[citation needed]
Music
Licensed music
Café Quijano - Desde Brasil
Los Miserables - Punk Rock Y Subversion
Celso Piña - Cumbia Poder
Tito Nieves - Shut Up
Frankie Negron - So Wonderful
Plastiko - Esfera De Cristal
Pesado - Entre Mi Corazón Tu Y Yo
El Tri - Nosotros Los Latinos
SNZ - Me Protejo
Bacilos - Bésela Ya
Charlie Cruz - Un Chin Chin
Volumen Cero - Hollywood
Los Lobos - Good morning aztlán
Broadcast
The show was also seen on Kids' WB in the United States, Teletoon in Canada, CITV and Kix in the United Kingdom, and Canal 5 in Mexico from August 17, 2002, until February 26, 2005. It also premiered on Cartoon Network internationally in 2003, and in U.S in 2004. In March 2007, the show began its first rerun on Miguzi, and was later replaced with Ben 10 for the last slot before Miguzi was shut down in the same year. The final rerun of the show lasted from 2008 to 2009, and it was removed from the lineup in 2010.
Home media
In Region 1, Warner Home Video has released one compilation on DVD and VHS that contained the first six segment-episodes from season one, titled Heart of Lucha, on August 23, 2003. The direct-to-video movie The Return of El Maléfico, was released on October 5, 2004, exclusively at Walmart, while other retailers released it on January 4, 2005, during the third and final season.
In 2019, ¡Mucha Lucha! was available remastered for the first time in High Definition for home viewers and became available on demand through Amazon Prime.[3]
In 2022, The show became available for streaming on HBO Max in Latin American countries, also using the High Definition remasters.[4]
Merchandise
A toy line based on the show was released by Jakks Pacific in 2004.[5] In this toy line included "Mix-a-Lot" action figures; these had removable body parts that could be placed on the bodies of other action figures in the series. "Signature Move" action figures were also put out, along with a toy wrestling ring. However, the second series of the toy line was canceled.
During the summer of 2003, DC Comics published a three-issue mini-series of comic books based on ¡Mucha Lucha! All three of the stories featured in these comic books were written by Eddie Mort, and have even been occasionally referenced in the TV series.
In the year 2005 the Mexican snack company Sabritas distributed promotional items in the form of tazos with a picture of various characters from the show. Totaling in 230 pogs, they were sold in two separate series. The first series was referred to as the "classic" series, while the second series was referred to as the "rematch" series.
Proposed revival
In 2014, a revival called ¡Mucha Lucha! Para Siempre was proposed which would have centered on Rikochet, Buena Girl, and the Flea as teenagers.[7][8][9] Rikochet would return home after time away with his uncle with a sense of purposelessness. Due to losing his honor as a wrestler 5 years ago to another wrestler named Guillermo El Toro. He would he find a new found sense of purpose after hearing from the tv that Guillermo El Toro would be fighting Buena Girl. Rikochet would then reconnect with The Flea and Buena girl and have a rematch With Guillermo El Toro to reclaim his honor.
^Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 568–569. ISBN978-1476665993.
^Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American-Canadian-Mexican Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 409–410. ISBN978-1538103739.
