The 1980s were very kind to round, orange cats, weren't they? Garfield was obviously the most popular of the breed: beginning in 1978, he ate his way into pop culture history and enjoyed his best years during the decade of excess. The other feline in question was Heathcliff, who appeared five years before his chubbier cousin in newspapers nationwide. It's true that neither strip was particularly complicated, though Heathcliff was the simpler of the two: it was one of those rare one-panel strips, which are tougher to pull off than one might think. The best examples of the format---Gary Larsen's The Far Side, for example---showed that a one-panel strip could be a wonderfully odd little gateway into simple and effective humor. It's not up to those standards, but creator George Gately didn't really go for the strange and surreal; this is, after all, the world of cartoons, where a talking cat is relatively normal stuff.

Heathcliff's entrance into the small screen began in 1980 with Heathcliff and Dingbat, animated by cheesy 80s studio staple Ruby-Spears. The orange cat and vampire dog weren't exactly a memorable combo, so Marmaduke replaced ol' Dingbat in the second season. This large Great Dane---also featured in a one-panel strip that's still in print---was a slightly better match, but Heathcliff's mischievous attitude was watered down quite a bit. Instead of the troublemaker fans knew and loved, they now had to endure a much cuter and cuddlier kitty cat. Survey says: cancelled!

Fortunately, our hero was resurrected in 1984 by DIC Animation with Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats. This proved to be the most popular and enduring version of our hero (at least on TV), especially since Heathcliff returned to his old self: flipping over trash cans, stealing from the local fish market, mixing it up with the neighborhood dog (and even voiced by Mel Blanc!). All in all, it wasn't exactly a groundbreaking show, but it was still a faithful translation of Gately's characters.

A few changes were made, though: Heathcliff still lived with the Nutmeg family (Grandma, Grandpa and Iggy), but the latter now looked like a young boy straight outta the 1950s. This kid even wore a friggin' bow tie, which loosely translates into "the kid in class who probably reminded the teacher about pop quizzes and got beat up later". There were also a few supporting characters dropped---including a loony female cat who admired Heathcliff---but the spirit remained the same. The orange tabby was still the star of the show, usually getting into trouble and trying to find a way out.

Heathcliff wasn't alone, of course: he shared the show with "Cats and Co.", a group of cats who lived in the local junkyard. They were equally mischievous, though they relied on get-rich-quick schemes rather than free fish and stirring the pot. There was Riffraff, a short orange fella with a floppy hat, blue scarf and cane; Hector, who always wanted to be the leader; Wordsworth, an annoying cat who wore roller-skates and talked in rhyme; Mungo, the obligatory fat purple cat thrown in for comic relief and filling background space; and Cleo, Riffraff's girlfriend. To top off the 1980's goodness, Cleo wore nothing but pink ankle warmers. I'll never understand the logic of cartoon clothing.

All things considered, it was a pretty equal balance: while Garfield often shared his show with the less-than-stellar U.S. Acres, Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats was fairly consistent during the few seasons it ran. This new 4-disc set from Shout Factory contains the first 24 episodes from the series; they even include the original bumpers (short clips that bookended commercial breaks) and closing "pet tips" from Heathcliff himself. Without any futher delay, here's your starting lineup:

Animation has come a long way in the last few decades, but Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats is a nice little slice of 1980s nostalgia in a convenient package. It's not the most solid lineup of shorts, but those weaned on Saturday morning cartoons and sugar cereal should find a good bit of enjoyment here. I wish I could say that Shout Factory pulled out all the stops for this 4-disc set, but there aren't many highlights other than the 'toons themselves. The technical presentation isn't always up to par and those who love extras may walk away a little disappointed. Let's look closer, shall we?

The audio sounds about as good as expected: it's a little thin at times, but this 2.0 Stereo mix still comes through fairly clean and clear (and yes, the music is still pretty catchy!). Unfortunately, no subtitles or Closed Captioning options were made available for this release.

The menu designs (seen above) are basic, but they're good enough to get the job done. Mild animated transitions and the show's theme liven things up a bit, plus the navigation is smooth and simple. Each 23-minute show is divided into five chapters: one for the opening, two chapters for the 11-minute shorts and one each for the closing pet tip and credits. No layer changes were detected during playback. The final packaging was not provided for this screener, but I'll let it slide.

It ain't exactly the pinnacle of animation (or DVD sets, for that matter), but Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats is still good for a laugh. 1980s nostalgia junkies will be pleased with this basic collection, while the younger crowd (I.E., the kids of said junkies) should get a kick out of these cartoons too. This 4-disc set offers a passable technical presentation (with a few drawbacks) and a small but interesting batch of extras for a reasonable price, so it's a decent choice for any animation fan. Just remember to cover your ears when Wordsworth talks and you'll be fine. Mildly Recommended.