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Pinky and the Brain is a recurring segment on Animaniacs focusing on Pinky and The Brain, two genetically-spliced lab mice who come up with various plans to take over the world. A running gag for this segment is where Brain asks Pinky if he is pondering what he is pondering; to which Pinky usually replies with something drastically different from Brain's thoughts.
In 1995, they were later spun-off into their own series with the same title, that lasted until 1998. However, while they had their own series, they still sporadically appeared in Animaniacs. Their spin-off series, in turn, spun-off another series called Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain (adding Elmyra Duff) which did not fare well with the audience or crew.
The segment returns in the 2020 reboot, structurally closer to the 1993 and 1995 shows with additional character/story developments. Following the reboot, the mice received a mini-series in 2023: The Brain Teaches World Domination (a promotional tie-in with MasterClass).
Theme Song
Description
To prove their mousey worth, they'll overthrow the Earth...
Pinky and the Brain are two genetically-spliced lab mice that reside inside a cage in Acme Labs. The Brain is a genius and is mostly serious, but Pinky is goofy and energetic. Both have the desire to take over the world [note 1] and help each other out to fulfill their world domination goals with different schemes, but end up failing every time they do.[2] In some cases, the mice end up in more stranger situations and must save the world instead, in order to be able to conquer it the next day.
Segments
Only Animaniacs-related skits are listed here. For episodes from the 1995 series, see Episode Guide (Pinky and the Brain). For the shorts from the mini-series The Brain Teaches World Domination, see The Brain Teaches World Domination#Episodes.
Animaniacs (Original Series)
Animaniacs (Reboot)
Other appearances
Animaniacs (Original Series)
- The Monkey Song (non-speaking cameo and first appearance in a cartoon)
- Nighty-Night Toon (cameo)
- Wally Llama (brief non-speaking cameo)
- Space-Probed (brief non-speaking cameo)
- Plane Pals (brief non-speaking cameo)
- Hercule Yakko
- Sir Yaksalot (cameo)
- Noah's Lark (cameo)
- Episode 35: Animaniacs Stew, In the Garden of Mindy, Pinky and the Cat, and We Found This Old Computer (Season 1, Episode 35)
- Smitten with Kittens (brief non-speaking cameo)
- Of Nice and Men (cameo)
- The Senses Song (brief non-speaking cameo)
- 'Twas the Day Before Christmas (cameo)
- A Quake! A Quake! (brief non-speaking cameo)
- A Hard Day's Warners (cameo)
- Star Truck (cameo)
- The Return of the Great Wakkorotti (cameo)
- The Big Wrap Party Tonight (cameo)
- Papers for Papa (brief non-speaking cameo)
- Pinky and the Ralph (with Ralph T. Guard in place of the Brain)
- Pitter Patter of Little Feet
- Dot - The Macadamia Nut
- Punchline (Part 1) (cameo)
- The Scoring Session (cameo)
Film
Animaniacs (Reboot)
- Suffragette City (Cameo)
- Gift Rapper (Cameo)
- The Warners’ Press Conference (Cameo)
- "Manny Manspreader" (Cameo in video thumbnails)
- Wakkiver Twist Parts 1 and 2 (Cameo)
- A Brief History of History (Cameos of The Brain)
- Episode 26 (Variable Verse - "Baby Brainy")
- "Planet Warner" (Cameo on poster, and mentioned at the end)
- D.I. Why? (Cameo on social media post)
- "The Stickening" (Cameo)
Trivia
- Nearly every animation studio who worked on the Animaniacs franchise has animated at least one Pinky and the Brain cartoon or animated the characters in another segment or production. The studios who only animated the characters in other segments or productions are Freelance Animators Co., Ltd. (who animated Pinky and the Brain in "Nighty-Night Toon" and Brain in "Of Nice and Men") and Koko Enterprises (who animated Brain in a cameo in the Freakazoid! episode "The Freakazoid"). The studios who haven't animated the characters are Varga Studio, Ltd., Philippine Animation Studio Inc., Studio Yotta, Tonic DNA, Birdo, and Fly Studio.
- In turn, Rough Draft Studios, Inc. did animation work in both of their spin-offs, but they haven't animated any other Animaniacs content as of February 2023.
- Pinky and the Brain is the first and only segment to have more cartoons in the Animaniacs reboot than it did in the original Animaniacs.
Gallery
Notes
- ↑ Pinky’s true ambitions are contradictory at best. He deduces in "Of Mice and Memes" that his and Brain’s relationship isn’t based on a shared desire to conquer the world, but rather his enabling of Brain’s systematic emotional and physical abuse. "Happy Narfday" however, shows "take over the world" is an item on Pinky's birthday list.
References
| List of Segments |
|---|
| Animaniacs (1993-1998) |
| Yakko, Wakko, and Dot: (Wheel of Morality • The Great Wakkorotti • Dot's Poetry Corner • Tower Escapes, Chases, and Returns • Animator's Alley • Useless Facts) • Pinky and the Brain • Goodfeathers • Slappy Squirrel • Buttons and Mindy • Rita and Runt • Chicken Boo • Good Idea, Bad Idea ("Skullhead Boneyhands") • Mime Time • Minerva Mink • Randy Beaman • The Hip Hippos • The Flame • Miscellaneous (Stingers) • Ensemble shorts |
| Animaniacs (2020-2023) |
| Yakko, Wakko, and Dot (Math-Terpiece Theater • Everyday Safety) • Pinky and the Brain • Starbox and Cindy • The Incredible Gnome in People's Mouths • Slappy Squirrel • Miscellaneous |