Crossovers are the kind of storytelling device where the potential is limited only by a creator’s imagination. Regardless of the overall quality of the work, it’s always a remarkable event when characters and worlds collide. Many ideas for crossovers make complete sense, especially if they occur in the same universe.
Then there are crossovers between properties that are surprising. Such weird mash-ups can frequently occur in animation – especially children’s cartoons. They are often fun to see, whether discovering why they come together in the first place or just the surreal nature of seeing two wildly different characters and worlds existing in the same space.
'Kim Possible' and 'Lilo and Stitch'
In the Lilo and Stitch: The Series episode "Rufus," Stitch gets kidnapped by a mysterious force. While Lilo wants to save Stitch on her own, Pleakley and Jumba contact someone who could help – Kim Possible. But unfortunately, they discover that Dr. Hamsterviel has joined forces with Shego and Dr. Drakken to capture Stitch and clone him.
Kim takes Lilo and her alien friends along, despite being somewhat reluctant to involve a small child in such a dangerous mission. Meanwhile, Jumba is convinced that Ron Stoppable’s pet mole rat Rufus is an alien experiment and continually attempts to capture him. We can safely say that we did not see this one coming.
'Jimmy Neutron' and 'The Fairly Odd Parents'
While crossovers between Nickelodeon characters are mostly limited to video games, one key exception came with Jimmy Neutron and The Fairly OddParents. These two crossed over in three TV specials called The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour. It all begins when Timmy Turner wishes to go to the best laboratory in any universe; the lab of Jimmy Neutron. What follows is a rivalry-turned friendship that spans the multiverse.
Jimmy and Timmy switch places between their universes to meet their supporting casts, enemies, and even their animation styles. Unfortunately, while Jimmy continually asserts that Timmy’s fairy godparents are computer simulations, Timmy’s lack of foresight leads to less-than-ideal consequences.
'Teen Titans' and 'Beetlejuice'
While Teen Titans Go! has proven somewhat divisive, the episode "Ghost with the Most" has been well-regarded by fans. In this Halloween Special, they discover that the Spirit of Halloween has mysteriously disappeared. To get help, they summon the Netherworld’s greatest bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice.
Many references to his film, hit Broadway musical, and unmade Hawaiian-themed sequel is sprinkled throughout as he helps the Titans with this case. While Michael Keaton didn’t return to voice Beetlejuice, they did manage to get his original Broadway performer, Alex Brightman, to fit in the striped suit appropriately. His manic energy and fun attitude help make this crossover one of the greats.
'The Grinch Grinches The Cat in the Hat'
This is the case of the Unstoppable Force of Positivity meeting the Unmovable Object of Bad Vibes. This Dr. Seuss mash-up has a very bizarre premise - The Grinch wakes up one morning in an uncharacteristically jolly mood until his reflection starts talking to him. He reassumes his grumpy demeanor and goes out to spread misery to others. The first target he finds is The Cat in the Hat, going out for a picnic.
The Grinch begins to annoy and confuse the Cat with a weird machine, annoying the Cat to the point where he calls the Grinch a psychopath. Not until the Cat reminds the Grinch of his mother that he stops and turns a new leaf. Score another win for The Cat!
Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys
Both these shows were animated by Klasky-Csupo, so, on some level, it makes sense that the two would cross over. The end result is still a wild ride. In the film Rugrats Go Wild, the families of the Rugrats go on a tugboat behind a cruise ship that gets wrecked in a storm. They get separated on an island that just so happens to be occupied by The Wild Thornberrys.
Pretty soon, the two families intersect, as Chuckie switches places with Donnie, Angelica becomes besties with Debbie, the babies find an amnesia-stricken Nigel, and Eliza finds the family dog Spike. In the latter’s case, she can now understand him, and he’s got the voice of Bruce Willis.
'Hercules' and 'Aladdin'
The Aladdin animated show was a sequel series to the film, with the Genie free and Aladdin engaged to Princess Jasmine. Meanwhile, the Hercules animated series was a prequel show to the movie, wherein Hades attempted multiple times to kill the great hero before he became famous. So it came as a surprise to see these heroes team up in the latter’s adventures.
In the episode "Arabian Nights," Hades finds Jafar lost in the river Styx. As both villains bond with some genuinely funny banter over their defeats, the two decide to defeat each other’s enemies. While at first, they fight, Aladdin and Hercules team up to defeat their villains once again. Despite their many differences, these two turn out to be a pretty excellent pair.
'Scooby-Doo' and 'Batman'
Mystery Inc. and the caped crusader have teamed up in various TV episodes, direct-to-DVD movies, and comic books. But the first time they appeared was in 2 episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies. While the specific plots differ, both begin with Scooby-Doo and the gang finding themselves in another mystery, wherein they bump into both Batman and Robin on the same trail.
They culminate in hijinks, clues, and run-ins with the Joker and the Penguin. As this was around the era of the 60s Batman show, the villains are up to campier and silly threats, and Batman has a far less intimidating demeanor, benefiting Scooby’s antics.
'Steven Universe' and 'Uncle Grandpa'
In the Steven Universe episode titled "Say Uncle," Steven is attempting to figure out his Gem powers when he’s greeted by Uncle Grandpa. The latter quickly reassures the audience that this isn’t canon and tries many means to unlock Steven’s abilities.
The Crystal Gems quickly become involved; Garnet becomes aggressive, Pearl becomes far more hyperactive than usual, and Pizza Steve attempts to take Steven’s place before being eaten by Amethyst. It’s a strange episode that brings together two modern Cartoon Network icons with vastly different tones but remains fun nonetheless.
'Freakazoid,' 'Animaniacs,' and 'Pinky and the Brain'
Steven Spielberg helped produce many beloved animated WB shows in the 90s, so the three would often reference each other in several gags. For example, during an episode of Freakazoid, the title character gets called a wacko. Suddenly, Wacko Warner himself shows up to sing the states and capitals song. Wacko remarks that Animaniacs is Steven’s favorite show.
Freakazoid attempts to disagree, but then Brain from Pinky and the Brain shows up to argue that it’s his own show’s sophisticated wit and charm that makes it Steven’s favorite. To settle this debate, the trio go to Amblin Entertainment to ask Spielberg himself. He responds, “who are you people?”.
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue
There are infamous cartoon crossovers, and then there’s Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. This notorious 1990 television special was a PSA film commissioned to educate kids about the dangers of drug use.
As a co-production between several television stations, it features characters such as Bugs Bunny, Winnie-The-Pooh, ALF, The Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Slimer from Ghostbusters, and more. They exist as toys or merchandise belonging to a little girl whose older brother is being lured into a life of addiction. It’s a bizarre watch to see these characters come together for such as specifically dark reason.