CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS

CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS

(Cartoon Network UK, March 16-September 4, 2008)

Aardman Animations, DECODE Entertainment, Cartoon Network Europe

            Created and developed by Sergio Delfino, Chop Socky Chooks was a comedic love-letter to the kung fu films of yesteryear. The series was set in a city-sized shopping mall, Wasabi World, owned and ruled by Dr. Wasabi (Paul Kaye), a piranha in a water-filed suit. He enforced his will on the citizenry of the mall with the aid of his right-hand ape, Bubba (Rupert Degas), an army of ninja chimps, and a variety of robots. Opposing him and standing up for the citizens were the Chop Socky Chooks: three chickens who lived and worked in the mall under Wasabi’s nose. Chick P (based on Lucy Liu, voiced by Shelley Longworth) was the team leader, who spent her days working on the electrical system of Wasabi World when she wasn’t fighting with her razor fans. Wasabi destroyed her home to construct the mall, making her battles personal. K.O. Joe (based on Jim Kelly, voiced by Paterson Joseph) was the funky member of the team who often wore 70s-style clothing and used a grappling hook hair pick as a weapon. Rounding them out was Chuckie Chan (named after Jackie Chan, voiced by Rob Rackstraw), a proverb-spouting martial arts instructor who could weaponize his chi energy.

The Chooks: K.O. Joe, Chucki Chan and Chick P.

            Chop Socky Chooks (a combination of Asian slang for the martial arts film genre and Australian/New Zealand slang for chicken) originally aired on Cartoon Network UK from March 16 to September 4, 2008, before heading to Cartoon Network in the United States and Teletoon in Canada. The series’ theme was composed by The Eggplant Collective while the rest of the music was composed by Lou Pomanti. The series boasted the traditional Aardman design and stop-motion style, rendered in a combination of 2D and CGI with full 3D models rendered by C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures. The series ultimately ran only a single season of 26 episodes before it was cancelled and relegated to making the rounds on reruns on affiliated Cartoon Network stations.