Iznogoud was the 1995 Animated Adaptation of the eponymous comic book written by René Goscinny and drawn by Jean Tabary.
Broadly speaking, the plot is the same as in the comics, with Grand Vizier Iznogoud of Baghdad (voiced by Gérard Hernandez in French) aspiring to be "Sultan instead of the Sultan" and stopping at nothing to achieve his goal, only to be repeatedly foiled by his own incompetence or corruption, or by pure bad luck, usually with his world-weary henchman, Adulahf Alot, dragged along for the ride.
This was the first and only Animated Adaptation of the comics, and the scripts were based on 52 of the stories from between 1962 and Goscinny's death in 1977.
Iznogoud provides examples of:
- Alternate Continuity: Although it directly adapts stories from 1966-1972, they don't follow the plotlines exactly 1:1, even if the story titles are the same. In a sense, this is its own canon.
- Big Good: The Sultan acts as a de facto one.
- Broad Strokes: It takes the source material from the comics, but events don't happen as defined in the comics, in part due to it being a Pragmatic Adaptation.
- Butt-Monkey: Usually, it's Iznogoud, with him subjected to a Forced Transformation sometimes. Although, on occasion, Adulahf Alot becomes one if the plot calls for it.
- Comic-Book Time: None of the main characters age at all, although there's one episode where Fountain of Youth is involved, but it's the only time ageing is mentioned at all, for the sake of a one-episode gag.
- Didn't Think This Through: Often his plans are foiled because he doesn't have the foresight to consider consequences or he's not prepared things thoroughly enough.
- Evil Chancellor: Well, not quite evil, but villainous and always with a Zany Scheme to depose the sultan.
- Fat Idiot: Zig-zagged. The Sultan appears to be a bumbling idiot, and his obesity is one of his defining traits, but he isn't always as simple as he appears.
- Forced Transformation: Usually as a gag to show Iznogoud being Hoist by His Own Petard, Iznogoud ends up being physically (or sometimes mentally) transformed, often by someone he's hired and then angered.
- In "The Crazy Cruise", he is turned into a seashell by the magic of an island he is visiting with the Sultan. He is kept as a souvenir.
- The Artifact of Doom in "It's a Dog's Tune" is a magic flute that can turn people into dogs, and Iznogoud starts by turning the wizard who gave him the flute into a dog, but when he gets in front of the Sultan, he can't remember the tune and has to change the wizard back; the wizard retaliates by turning Iznogoud into a dog.
- When Iznogoud refuses to pay hypnotist De Giallo in "Big Eyes" after his attempts to hypnotise the Sultan into thinking he is a donkey are repeatedly foiled by people clapping to break the spell, De Giallo hypnotises Iznogoud into thinking he is a deaf rattlesnake, leaving Adulahf unable to break the spell.
- One drop of the elixir in "One for the Road" turns the drinker into a woodlouse; unfortunately, it's specifically the last drop in a giant demijohn, and after getting the Sultan to drink all but the last drop, Iznogoud faints and is turned into a woodlouse when the Sultan tries to use the last drop of the elixir to revive him.
- The incompetent fairy in "A Fairy Tale" tries to turn Iznogoud into the Sultan, but a cascade of misfires leads to the vizier being cloned and then turned into a pair of clothes irons.
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: "Musical Chairs" results in Iznogoud and the Sultan swapping bodies. Unfortunately for Iznogoud, he becomes such a tyrant that "the Sultan" (Iznogoud) is deposed in favour of "the vizier Iznogoud" (the Sultan).
- Hated by All: Iznogoud is hated by nearly everyone, even his employee Adulahf Alot, in contrast to the Sultan, who is liked by the populace.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: The source material was already quite comedy-oriented, but certain parts were omitted to make it easier to understand for the young audience watching. Some of the jokes have been toned down to make it more family-family friendly, and characters from the original narrative made into Composite Character.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Adulahf Alot only goes along with Iznogoud's schemes because he's employed by him; he's indifferent to the question of who actually rules Baghdad, and has long since realised that his boss' plans to become Caliph instead of the Caliph are doomed to failure. In fact, he is alternatively described as "Iznogoud's Strong-Arm Man", which is basically slang for "Hired Muscle".
- Simpleton Voice: Adulahf Alot speaks in a hick-sounding voice in the English dub, which sounds very simpleton in tone.
- Snap Back: Whatever misfortune befalls Iznogoud — being subjected to a Forced Transformation, stuck in an alternate dimension, thrown in prison — everything returns to normal in the next episode.
- Status Quo Is God: Everything is resolved by the end of the episode, no matter whether Iznogoud gets turned into a woodlouse, shrinks or body-swaps, with the next episode having things back to normal at the start.
- Universally Beloved Leader: The Sultan is beloved by most citizens.
- Villain Protagonist: Iznogoud is the protagonist, and his actions are quite villainous.
