#Reggie Bullnerd

[itsreaditandwow2]

YOUTUBERS AS NICKELODEON CHARACTERS

Shane "Bill Jensen" Boyle as Reggie Bullnerd from ChalkZone

[alfredstvthoughts]

ChalkZone - Rudy's First Adventure/ Rudy's Story (Season 1 Episode 1; 22 March 2002)

ChalkZone, one of the most unique NickToons of the 2000s celebrated it's 23rd anniversary last week and as seems to be usual for me, I decided the time was ripe to rewatch an episode, in particular this first episode. Technically however, ChalkZone had been in existence since 1998 with a number of shorts being broadcast as part of Oh Yeah! Cartoons, which were then incorporated as part of the episodes in the first proper season of ChalkZone in 2002.

The show was about young artist Rudy Tabootie who would make frequent trips into ChalkZone, which is accessed by drawing a circle on a chalkboard where he would meet Snap, a superhero he drew as well as various chalkboard creations that have been erased. Oftentimes, he would bring his best friend Penny Sanchez with him to ChalkZone, with many adventures focusing on Rudy's ability to use chalk to draw objects to help with whatever problems he, Snap and Penny encountered. The unique chalk art style used in ChalkZone itself helped this show stand out compared to others.

The first segment actually incorporates the first ChalkZone short broadcast as part of Oh Yeah! Cartoons in 1998. It begins with new original footage of Rudy and Snap being attacked by giant birds and a cat in ChalkZone while back in the real world, Rudy's parents impatiently wait for Rudy to join them on a trip. Once Rudy returns and gets in the car, he passes his school, where the rest the segment then takes place in flashback (2 years earlier) which is where the original Oh Yeah! Cartoons short takes over (a useful way to tell when the show is reusing the old shorts is Rudy's younger design present in them).

At school, Rudy is having trouble with the bully, Reggie Bullnerd and when Rudy is caught drawing a chalk bull-like version of Reggie called Bully Nerd by his teacher, Rudy is given detention and is tasked with writing 500 lines. The chalk he is using expires during detention so Rudy gets another chalk and draws a circle, where he sees ChalkZone for the first time. Snap asks Rudy for help to deal with Bully Nerd, who is now causing chaos in ChalkZone and so Rudy enters ChalkZone for the first time where he attempts to deal with Bully Nerd by drawing various objects in the hope of defeating him.

The second segment gives a proper introduction to Penny by showing how she and Rudy first met (with Penny having first appeared in the Rudy's Date short in Oh Yeah! Cartoons which would also be aired in ChalkZone's first season). Penny is fascinated by Rudy's assignment where he tells of his adventures in ChalkZone, for which he has received a detention in which to rewrite the assignment as his teacher hates comics and is displeased that Rudy has presented it in comic format. Penny stays with Rudy as he tells what he did in ChalkZone where he and Snap came under attack by a spider who spits bubble gum webs.

As Penny does not enter ChalkZone for the first time until Rudy's Date, Penny believes Rudy is telling a fictional story here and frequently interjects with her knowledge of spiders (which she had presented her assignment on), but Rudy insists that the bubble gum spider adventure is what happened. The episode finally ends with a short musical number, Bushel Full of Yum, these musical numbers would be the traditional ending for most of the episodes.

This episode makes a great first impression for the show with both segments showing how creative the show is while reusing the first Oh Yeah! Cartoons short also helps introduce the concept of ChalkZone to aid understanding of how it all works.

I also love the 3 main characters, who are all so loveable and their interactions are really interesting to see (though we do not see Penny and Snap's interactions just yet in this first episode). Snap in particular has always been a favourite of mine, I always find him so funny with him being a superhero who is yet dependent on Rudy's chalk-drawing powers.

Even better was to come when the show reached it's full potential in future episodes, but this first episode is very much a great introduction to a classic Nicktoon, it is one I very much recommend for an interesting change of pace.

[incorrectchalkzonequotes]

Mr. Wilter: "And so, as Abraham Lincoln sat in Ford's Theater that night, John Wilkes Booth entered, drew his gun and-"

*bell rings*

Mr. Wilter: Well, that's it. Have a nice summer everyone.

Reggie: But what happened in Ford's Theater? Was president Lincoln okay?

Mr. Wilter: He was fine.

[snapsicle]

[chalkzoneoutofcontext]

[lucksunkpunk]

chewtle looks like reggie bullnerd

[theyadoretree]

ChalkZone birthday headcanons

Rudy Tabootie (born March 22, 1992, before the show had premiere in March 22, 2002)

Penny Sanchez (born September 11, 1992)

Reggie Bullnerd (August 14, 1992)

[fountainpenguin]

Okay, but for real this show is hilarious and adorable and the characters are very very great???

Is anyone else noticing how although Mikey is obviously well-versed in psychology, there are hints that he’s superstitious (given the whole thought-action fusion deal during picture day of not wanting to jinx the thing), because that’s really interesting to me. Here we have an obvious believer in science, a known advocate of classical conditioning... and yet he shows signs of being a believer in luck, fate, and a lack of control. I don’t remember ever noticing that combination of traits in a character before. What a curious choice. I like it.

I’m 99% sure he has an older sister who disgraced the family, and this is why he’s so passionate about connecting with others, understanding them, and - unless he gets distracted - doing his absolute utmost to make sure they always feel comfortable (“Do you have cheese? Do you want cheese? Help me help you”, clawing his way to head of the school welcoming committee as a little sixth-grader, “Tooth or Consequences”, “Handsome Beast”, accepting that his idol didn’t want him around and choosing not to pick a fight about it in “Mikey Is a Beast”, etc.), and why his parents are such, well... “distant helicopters” to the point of (if I didn’t misunderstand) GPS chipping him and tracking him with a drone. And, y’know, a sister would explain where the pink dress came from.

Amanda’s funny. Being a bully with bad teeth and a sophisticated vocabulary, she reminds me of “ChalkZone”’s Reggie Bullnerd (whom I adore, so good connections there!) A spoiled rotten, rich, but unpopular child who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty (literally and figuratively) was definitely a good way to go. 

I was not expecting to stumble across a young antagonist with the Deadly Sin of Lust waving above her like a flag, but if you were ever going to go for it, giving it to a hormonal middle schooler seems to work pretty well. I personally love that trait of hers, because it means that Amanda has two conflicting things her money can’t buy - Bunsen’s extinction and Mikey’s affections - and there is absolutely no way she’ll be able to have both. I like watching her get confused and flip between the two, heh. I wish the show would look into that more.

Mikey’s my shameless favorite, but Bunsen’s strict adherence to that beast code of honor he hates is rather intriguing too, and again an unexpected piece of character fleshing for someone who mainly embodies chaotic good. 

What shocked me most is how laid back Bunsen is, because although he can be excitable, it’s Mikey who’s always excited to drag him around to this or that, and Bunsen telling him to slow down and appreciate the little things. I approve. It looks like his biggest weakness is being “good to a fault”... oh man alive, he’s such a sucker for guilt trips, poor child. Being best buds with someone interested in psychology and who is so freaking passive-aggressive can’t make that any easier (it will be interesting to see Mikey’s reaction when someone finally doesn’t give in to his pouting and tearing up, because I can’t imagine he’ll take it well at all). And Bunsen has to act like an ambassador for his people and is always walking on eggshells when you really come down to it... 

While I wish the show would spend more time focusing on the low and high points of their development, the characters in it seem to be strong and well-rounded thus far, even the minor ones (and YES I LOVED Commander Cone he was incredible) and I’m interested to see how their journey continues! <3

[sumokun]

Baku: See, Reggie? This is what you should do more often. Reggie Bullnerd: Geeeeack! Yes sir! Baku: Good. (Editor's Note: Reggie Bullnerd is from the animated series ChalkZone)

[chalkportals-blog]

[incorrectchalkzonequotes]

Reggie: You're gonna eat your words, spit ‘em out, and eat ‘em again!

Rudy: That doesn't even make sense.

Reggie: I know you are, but what am I?!

[snapsicle]

Chalkzone Theory time!

partially inspired by a conversation i had with my dear friend @cybercrime-the-digital-criminal​! 

here’s the thesis: Both Snap and Blocky were created by Rudy to be his friends, caretakers, and bodyguards. This is a pretty much canonical part of their character, that’s interwoven into the narrative pretty deep-set, but it’s not immediately obvious- and that’s why i want to talk about it. 

Let’s start with what we know. The first time any imagery of Snap is shown on screen, a younger Rudy is drawing him, saying “Ugh, back to school.. Snap, to the rescue!” 

obviously he sees this character as his friend and protector- as right after he was confronted by Reggie Bullnerd (who stole his candy money), he immediately went over to the blackboard and drew Snap kicking Bullynerd’s butt (who is an obvious caricature of Reggie). This makes it clear that Rudy- at least partially- designed Snap to be able to protect him from bullies. In a way, he designed Snap to be like a personal superhero to protect him from all the bad things in his life. 

Let’s talk about the more security blanket side of Snap. We know Snap is touchy-feely- constantly grabbing onto Rudy’s hands, linking arms with him, following him around and trying to spend as much time as possible with him- including all of the fun things that Rudy wanted to do but didn’t have any friends to do them with. Rudy obviously designed Snap to actively be his friend- even directly after he was erased, he thought of Rudy as a friend and ally, even calling him affectionate nicknames like “Kiddo”, “Bucko”, “Cowboy”, and “Buddy”. (which is totally adorable). Rudy drew Snap to be his best friend, something which he didn’t really have, and his protector & caretaker- which is something that he needed. 

Let’s talk about Blocky for a minute. Of course, Blocky was drawn when Rudy was only a 1st grader, so his character design skills were... less than they are now, that’s for sure. Blocky’s personality is flat and he’s literally two dimensional- His voice is inconsistent, and he has a very simplistic design that seems to change in very slight ways every time he appears- but there’s one thing that stands out when it comes to Blocky and Rudy specifically.

Both times, in the show, where Rudy and Blocky have interacted, Rudy immediately ran up to him and gave him a big hug! once when he was 8, and the next time when he was 10- I wonder why? Most likely, When Rudy was a first grader, He would want a friend who would be comforting to him. Someone big and friendly and huggable. So- therefore- Blocky was created! Both Snap and Blocky were both created as comfort characters for younger Rudy. 

In Rudy’s present- when he’s 10, this still seems to hold up, obviously, because they’re still great friends- and Snap continues to call him affectionate nicknames like “Bucko” and “Bubbelah” and try to hang out with him as much as possible. 

So, in conclusion- Blocky and Snap were created to give comfort to a kid who was going through a really rough childhood. 

[chalkzoneoutofcontext]

[theyadoretree]

Scott McCord as Rudy Tabootie. Imagine if Rudy Tabootie gets a fan voice cast in the chalk zone revival. He could do the male like E.G. he could sing covers of Rudy and the Chalkzone Gang.

Drew Nelson as Snap. What if Drew Nelson voice Snap white in the chalk zone. I think Nelson could do the New York/Jersey accent like Candi Milo did.

I believe that Paulsen will do good with Reggie Bullnerd.

Well, that's it. I'm just doing the fan voice cast. If they get a hired to voice the grown up Rudy, Reggie and Snap. Since the 20th anniversary for it.

[fountainpenguin]

"I am Reggie the Red! And I am perfectly capable of doing things on my own!”

We couldn’t very well have ZoneSwap AU without Reggie Bullnerd!

As seen here, when Reggie “goes chalk”, his pants get darker and he sheds his sweater vest and tie for a simple white shirt that makes it easier to move around, and that he’s not so worried about getting dirty. He also takes on his “superhero with a baseball helmet” look from “Reggie the Red”. Safety first!

Just like in the show, Reggie loves messing around in ChalkZone because it offers him the sense of control over his life he so desperately seeks. In this AU, though, Reggie’s role as Reggie the Red would begin earlier (Season 1 finale probably) and last longer, a bit like Valerie’s storyline in “Danny Phantom”. And obviously, ZS!Reggie can go chalk, so he’s a smidgen like Vlad too.

Equally obviously, the red chalk - being the red chalk - has ZS!Reggie by the throat like its canon counterpart. Perhaps his biggest weakness (aside from the fact water causes him immense pain in chalk form), is that he can’t use it for longer than about five minutes at a time before it consumes him, turning him into a puppet. He can fight it (leading it to turn on him), but only for a few minutes more. Ten minutes into Reggie the Red form, he’ll collapse.

Using the red chalk has corrupted him in some way so that regular white magic chalk won’t respond for him (though he can still use non-magic chalk to erase things INTO ChalkZone). Thus, when he wants to use magic chalk, he has no choice but to return to the unfortunate red once again.

Rudy’s constantly trying to find and destroy his stash, but even if he does so, Reggie will just find another way into ChalkZone and get more. He loves the power and the fun too much to ever shrug and give it up.

And this was never pointed out in the show, but Reggie is a surprisingly decent artist for someone who never really practices, as he was easily able to whip up the doofi on short notice, Responsible Reggie was spot on, and then in “Reggie the Red” he not only designed himself the outfit, but he drew that awesome garbage truck. 

All this makes ZS!Reggie a formidable opponent for ZS!Rudy. I mean, Reggie’s neither great at drawing nor understanding the features of ChalkZone - he mostly just fumbles around - but he’s chaotic and that can be a problem.

ZS!Reggie’s signature attacking style first and foremost is “anything that seems like it would be cool”. As another nod to “Red”, his preferred physical weapon is a mallet. In addition to that, he loves to draw minions to do his bidding. This understandably disturbs Rudy, who’s sworn off drawing living things, because Reggie doesn’t care for them unless they can help him in the moment. Plus, most all except the doofi and Responsible are made of red chalk, so it doesn’t end well.

Ooh, and if anyone was wondering, after the real Bobby Sue starts crushing on Reggie, Chalk Bobby Sue starts crushing majorly on Reggie the Red, and this goes on in the background for awhile if not the remainder of the series~

Most of the Zoners call him “Red”, but Rudy and Penny call him “Reggie”.

(I also think it’s hilarious that he’s very well-cultured and proper for a fifth-grade bully. Despite being heir to a garbage company and spelling “cow” with a “k”, he likes dressing to impress- to the point of wearing his tie when he actually goes around collecting garbage, and he never speaks with contractions and is clearly familiar with a thesaurus. He’s bad with spelling many nouns, but ADJECTIVES and synonyms are his playing field. He cracks me up I love it.)

So that’s Reggie! Bonus fact: He’s also great at bowling like his canon counterpart seems to be, and has excellent eyesight and accuracy.

[incorrectchalkzonequotes]

Rudy: No, people, let's be smart and bring it off.

Reggie: Oh, so now Timmy Turner is gonna preach to us.