History WesternAnimation / CartoonAllStarsToTheRescue

''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' is a truly epic DrugsAreBad [[VerySpecialEpisode TV special]] produced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/Television Academy) (and animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions and Southern Star Studios in Australia) through a grant from UsefulNotes/McDonalds[=/=]Ronald [=McDonald=] Children's Charities (RHCC) that was originally simulcast commercial-free on Saturday morning, April 21, 1990, on all four major networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{Fox}} and Creator/{{NBC}}) along with most independent local stations and several cable networks., the special features cartoon characters ranging from WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' fame to the 1987 incarnation of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' try to teach an at-risk teen named Michael about the dangers of marijuana.

* CoversAlwaysLie: [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 Smurfette]] appears on the [[UsefulNotes/{{VCR}} VHS]] cover, but not in the special itself. Conversely, [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 Michelangelo]] ''is'' in the special, but not on the cover.

* FutureMeScaresMe: Michael is scared of the vision of him becoming a zombie heroin addict in a twisted futuristic hospital.

->''"All our favorite cartoon characters that we grew up with are coming together to talk to us about... [[VerySpecialEpisode drugs]]."''

[[quoteright:240:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cartoon_all_stars_poster_3508.png]]
[[caption-width-right:240:''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''? No. ''This'' is the most ambitious crossover in history!]]

* AlternateContinuity: Several cartoon characters are LivingToys brought to life by magic. WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984 Kermit is an alarm clock, [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 The Smurfs]] are from a comic book, Series/{{Alf}} is a framed picture, [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Garfield]] is a lamp, and WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks are implied to be from one of their records. Other characters appear without an origin for their appearance. Franchise/WinnieThePooh comes to life from being a stuffed animal, but of course that's normal for him.
* AloofBigBrother: Michael has apparently turned into this thanks to his drug use, much to Corey's distress. Her comment that "You always tell me everything!" suggests that they were very close before he started using drugs. {{Deconstructed}}, as Smoke ''exploits'' this. Smoke tries to convince Corey to try out some of Michael's stash under the pretense that she'd understand her brother better and have common ground again. Michael thankfully stops her in time and realizes his decisions don't just effect ''him''.

** Series/{{ALF}} serving as one of the key characters. It's very possible that there never would've been an ''ALF'' cartoon if the live-action TV series hadn't run as long as it did, which was mostly due to outrageous scripts written by a guy on drugs (the biopic ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_Midnight Permanent Midnight]]'' is more or less based on his relation with drugs).

* MonochromePast: Used when Michael goes back in time because, as WesternAnimation/BugsBunny tells him, "[[LampshadeHanging This is the past, and the past is in black and white]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke Get it?]]"

* SlipperySlopeFallacy: The special gives the fallacious argument that if you do any drugs at all, you'll definitely become addicted, then you will ''almost'' definitely end up wanting harder drugs.

* TroubledAbuser: Near the film's climax, Michael threatens to hurt Corey and he grabs her arm very tightly while doing so. His actions may be understandable, but at the same time he's struggling with drugs and feels out of resources. A tear comes out of his eye once Corey leaves.

** Series/{{ALF}} serving as one of the key characters. It's very possible that there never would've been an ALF cartoon if the live-action TV series hadn't run as long as it did, which was mostly due to outrageous scripts written by a guy on drugs (the movie ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_Midnight Permanent Midnight]]'' is more or less based on this).

* AdultsAreUseless: Michael and Corey's parents, especially their father, who's more concerned about his missing cases of beer. When he voices this concern, his wife laughs it off and suggests ''he forgot about drinking them while watching football.'' No wonder your son's fucked up. Lay off the lager, old man! Their mother, however, is suspicious, and Mom asks Corey if anything is wrong. She denies it.
** It's almost justified that they are unaware because Corey is afraid of telling them about Michael's drug addiction. After some coercing from Pooh, Corey decides to tell her father that Michael is acting weird, but Dad simply replies that acting weird is all a part of being a teenager. He isn't wrong though, but thankfully it all works out in the end, as the last thing Corey and Michael do is decide to tell their parents about the addiction.

* AloofBigBrother:
** Michael has apparently turned into this thanks to his drug use, much to Corey's distress. Her comment that "You always tell me everything!" suggests that they were very close before he started using drugs.
** {{Deconstructed}}, as Smoke ''exploits'' this. Smoke tries to convince Corey to try out some of Michael's stash under the pretense that she'd understand her brother better and have common ground again. Michael thankfully stops her in time and realizes his decisions don't just effect ''him''.

* AwardBaitSong: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hz1UaEVyoo#t=27m51s The ending credits version of "Wonderful Ways To Say No"]], which alters most of the lyrics to be about growing up and outgrowing cartoons, which is somewhere between sad, saccharine, and (thanks to the ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'' cast, Chipmunks, and WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984) [[CuteButCacophonic cacophonous]].

* BigBrotherBully: Michael is implied to be one to Corey.

* DrugsAreBad: The entire special, as we come to find out drugs cause lightning storms in your brain and will leave you looking like a meth head by the time you are twenty.
* FutureMeScaresMe: Something to do with becoming a zombie heroin addict in a twisted futuristic hospital.

* {{Irony}}: Series/{{ALF}} serving as one of the key characters. It's very possible that there never would've been an ALF cartoon if the live-action TV series hadn't run as long as it did, which was mostly due to outrageous scripts written by a guy on drugs (the movie ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_Midnight Permanent Midnight]]'' is more or less based on this).

* MonochromePast: Used when Michael goes back in time because, as WesternAnimation/BugsBunny tells him, "[[LampshadeHanging This is the past, and the past is in black and white.]] [[DontExplainTheJoke Get it?]]"

* ParentalObliviousness: Michael's mother talks to Corey about how worried they are about his behavior -- ''while'' their father is trying to find two cans of beer that have gone missing... ''and'' while ignoring their daughter who tells them that he's been acting strange. She, in turn, neglects to mention the theft of her piggy bank. [[SarcasmMode Wow, that's not strange at all]].
** Corey justifies this by telling Pooh that Michael will blame her if her parents find out.

* OffModel: Ridiculously so, even by the standards set by the All-Stars' cartoons:
** ALF's eyes switch colors from their usual black with white pupils to the standard white with black pupils in a couple shots.
** In the scene with Michelangelo, Smoke says an entire line of dialogue without ever even moving his lips.
** Garfield accidentally opens his mouth when everyone says "Right!" toward the end of the special.
** During his ChairReveal, Smoke briefly looks like a crude drawing. This was likely a storyboard sketch that somehow made it into the final product.
*** For the most part, characters whose shows were animated by Wang (The Disney and WB characters, Slimer, Michelangelo, Garfield and the Smurfs) have the least off-model moments. The others (especially the Muppet Babies, ALF, and those made for the special like Smoke and Michael) don't fare as well. That the special was animated in ''only six weeks'' doesn't help.

* AlternateContinuity: Several cartoon characters are LivingToys brought to life by magic. WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies1984 Kermit is an alarm clock, [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 The Smurfs]] are from a comic book, Series/{{Alf}} is a framed picture, [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Garfield]] is a lamp, and WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks are implied to be from one of their records. Other characters appear without an origin for their appearance. WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh comes to life from being a stuffed animal, but of course that's normal for him.

''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' is a truly epic DrugsAreBad [[VerySpecialEpisode TV special]] produced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/Television Academy) (and animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions and Southern Star Studios in Australia) through a grant from UsefulNotes/McDonalds[=/=]Ronald [=McDonald=] Children's Charities (RHCC) that was originally simulcast commercial-free on Saturday morning, April 21, 1990, on all four major networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{Fox}} and Creator/{{NBC}}) along with most independent local stations and several cable networks.), cartoon characters ranging from WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' fame to the 1987 incarnation of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' try to teach an at-risk teen named Michael about the dangers of marijuana.

''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' is a truly epic DrugsAreBad [[VerySpecialEpisode TV special]] produced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/Television Academy) through a grant from UsefulNotes/McDonalds[=/=]Ronald [=McDonald=] Children's Charities (RHCC) that was originally simulcast commercial-free on Saturday morning, April 21, 1990, on all four major networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{Fox}} and Creator/{{NBC}}) along with most independent local stations and several cable networks. Produced by the people who award the (primetime) Emmys (and animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions and Southern Star Studios in Australia), cartoon characters ranging from WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' fame to the 1987 incarnation of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' try to teach an at-risk teen named Michael about the dangers of marijuana.

''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' is a truly epic DrugsAreBad [[VerySpecialEpisode TV special]] produced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/Television Academy) through a grant from UsefulNotes/McDonalds[=/=]Ronald [=McDonald=] Children's Charities (RHCC) that was originally simulcast commercial-free on Saturday morning, April 21, 1990, on all four major networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{Fox}} and Creator/{{NBC}}) along with most independent local stations and several cable networks. Produced by the people who award the (prime time) Emmys (and animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions and Southern Star Studios in Australia), cartoon characters ranging from WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' fame to the 1987 incarnation of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' try to teach an at-risk teen named Michael about the dangers of marijuana.

There's been a long-standing rumor that the reason this special has never re-aired is that ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' was used without Creator/JimDavis' permission, and Davis threatened to sue if the special re-aired. However, Creator/MarkEvanier, head writer of ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'', [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/161346744015168/permalink/243420959141079/?comment_id=243472012469307&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R3%22%7D debunked the rumor on the Cartoon Research Facebook page]]. Evanier wrote, "Jim knew all about the special, he okayed Garfield's participation and approved whatever had to be approved. I believe the original plan, which got all the various copyright holders to agree to let their characters participate, called for limited airing." Creator/DisneyChannel managed to sneak in a couple of repeat airings of it, however.

''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' is a truly epic DrugsAreBad [[VerySpecialEpisode TV special]] produced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/Television Academy) through a grant from UsefulNotes/McDonalds[=/=]Ronald [=McDonald=] Children's Charities (RHCC) that was originally simulcast commercial-free on Saturday morning, April 21, 1990, on all four major networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{Fox}} and Creator/{{NBC}}) along with most independent local stations and several cable networks. Produced by the people who award the Emmys (and animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions and Southern Star Studios in Australia), cartoon characters ranging from WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' fame to the 1987 incarnation of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' try to teach an at-risk teen named Michael about the dangers of marijuana.

''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' is a truly epic DrugsAreBad [[VerySpecialEpisode TV special]] produced by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/Television Academy) through a grant from the Ronald [=McDonald=] House Charities (RHMC) that was originally simulcast commercial-free on Saturday morning, April 21, 1990, on all four major networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{Fox}} and Creator/{{NBC}}) along with most independent local stations and several cable networks. Produced by the people who award the Emmys (and animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions and Southern Star Studios in Australia), cartoon characters ranging from WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' fame to the 1987 incarnation of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' try to teach an at-risk teen named Michael about the dangers of marijuana.

''Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue'' is a truly epic DrugsAreBad [[VerySpecialEpisode TV special]] that was originally simulcast commercial-free on Saturday morning, April 21, 1990, on all four major networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{Fox}} and Creator/{{NBC}}) along with most independent local stations and several cable networks. Produced by the people who award the Emmys (and animated by Creator/WangFilmProductions and Southern Star Studios in Australia), cartoon characters ranging from WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and WesternAnimation/DaffyDuck of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' fame to the 1987 incarnation of the ''WesternAnimation/{{Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|1987}}'' try to teach an at-risk teen named Michael about the dangers of marijuana.

* AlternateContinuity: Several cartoon characters are LivingToys brought to life by magic. WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies Kermit is an alarm clock, [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 The Smurfs]] are from a comic book, Series/{{Alf}} is a framed picture, [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Garfield]] is a lamp, and WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks are implied to be from one of their records. Other characters appear without an origin for their appearance. WesternAnimation/WinnieThePooh comes to life from being a stuffed animal, but of course that's normal for him.

* AwardBaitSong: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hz1UaEVyoo#t=27m51s The ending credits version of "Wonderful Ways To Say No"]] which alters most of the lyrics to be about growing up and outgrowing cartoons that's somewhere between sad, saccharine, and (thanks to the ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'' cast, Chipmunks, and WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies) [[CuteButCacophonic cacophonous]].

* ChairReveal: ALF shows Michael "the man in charge" of his addiction by presenting him with a desk and chair, which turns around to reveal none other than Smoke. {{Subverted}} in that Smoke isn't ''actually'' the 'man in charge' but Michael has already realized that 'man in charge' of his life is actually Michael himself and Smoke just ''thinks'' he is.

* ChairReveal: ALF shows Michael "the man in charge" of his addiction by presenting him with a desk and chair, which turns around to reveal none other than Smoke. {{Subverted}} in that Smoke isn't ''actually'' the 'man in charge' but Michael realizes the 'man in charge' is actually Michael himself and Smoke just ''thinks'' he is.

* AloofBigBrother: Michael has apparently turned into this thanks to his drug use, much to Corey's distress. Her comment that "You always tell me everything!" suggests that they were very close before he started using drugs.

* BigBad: [[TheAggressiveDrugDealer Smoke]] is the [[AnthropomorphicVice embodiment of drug addiction]] who gets Michael hooked on drugs and tries to stop the titular All-Stars from getting Michael to break his addiction.

* ChairReveal: ALF shows Michael "the man in charge" of his addiction by presenting him with a desk and chair, which turns around to reveal none other than Smoke.

* AlternateContinuity: Several cartoon characters are LivingToys brought to life by magic. Literature/WinnieThePooh is a doll, WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies Kermit is an alarm clock, [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs1981 The Smurfs]] are from a comic book, Series/{{Alf}} is a framed picture, [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Garfield]] is a lamp, and WesternAnimation/AlvinAndTheChipmunks are implied to be from one of their records. Other characters appear without an origin for their appearance.

* AdultsAreUseless: Michael and Corey's parents, especially their father, who's more concerned about his missing cases of beer. When he voices this concern, his wife laughs it off and suggests ''he forgot about drinking them while watching football.'' No wonder your son's fucked up. Lay off the lager, old man!

* ParentalObliviousness: Michael's parents talk about how worried they are about his behavior -- ''while'' trying to find two cans of beer that have gone missing... ''and'' while ignoring their daughter who tells them that he's been acting strange. She, in turn, neglects to mention the theft of her piggy bank. [[SarcasmMode Wow, that's not strange at all]].

* SpaceWhaleAesop: The moral is "don't do drugs" and the execution adds "...because if you do, you'll have lightning in your brain, turn into a rule-breaking grump, cartoon characters will yell at you, and if you keep doing them, you'll want to do harder drugs and/or end up looking like a zombie, even if it all started with a mild drug like pot."