Duckman Seasons 3 & 4

Before Family Guy and sometime after Fritz The Cat there was Duckman, the world's horniest, tackiest, most misogynist, misanthropic, selfish and wittiest cartoon character. This is the second and final box set, gathering the remaining 48 episodes of this cult animated series, which was prematurely cancelled in the mid-'90s. Jason Alexander (at the time riding high on Seinfeld) perfectly lends his voice to the randy, over-the-top Duckman while his cerebral, deadpan partner, Cornfed, provides the perfect foil and keeps the show grounded in reality. Adding to the lunacy are Duckman's dysfunctional extended family and his arch enemy: King Chicken (Tim Curry). Fans will overdose on Duckman's hormone-driven vulgarity during the course of this mid-priced set's 1,077 minutes (nearly 18 hours including bonus features), spread over seven discs. Highlights include the stylish black-and-white "Noir Gang" featuring a femme fatale (Bebe Neuwirth) to parody Duckman's career as a private dick (that's detective); "Exile in Guyville," which chronicles a war between the sexes; the Kafka-esque "Once and Future Duck," which explores multiple Duckmans; and the hilarious "Pig Amok," where Cornfed loses his cherry to Duckman's cranky sister-in-law Bernice (guest starring Penthouse founder and Duckman's hero Bob Guccione). There aren't many clunkers here, which makes it a pleasure to watch an entire disc in one sitting. Duckman was remarkably consistent during its four-year run. You either "got" Duckman or you hated his feathery guts. Like the first Duckman box, this one offers few bonus features. There is a fascinating 16-minute interview with creator Everett Peck and Cornfed voice actor Gregg Berger discussing casting the show over excerpts of the pitch pilot. There's just over a minute of pencil tests and three more from the pilot. Sorry, no audio commentaries. There are at least two minor edits, apparently because the CBS/Paramount folk didn't want to pay for music licenses in "Where No Duckman Has Gone Before" and "Role With It." These will outrage Duckman purists who will probably hang onto their old VHS tapes or unedited digital downloads. Finally, the four-season pack pairs this box with the season one-and-two box set.