I thought we might be onto something with a recent comment on our "bunnybear" project post on Z Recommends:

Reminds me of an old Wuzzle character from the 80s. I can’t recall if there was such a combination though.

No dice, Anjuli. According to Wikipedia, characters from the god-awful cartoon The Wuzzles included:

• Bumblelion (voiced by Brian Cummings): Half bumblebee and half lion, Bumblelion is a short, squat orange furred creature with a pink mane, fuzzy antennae, a lion's tail, small insect wings, and horizontal brown stripes up his tummy. He lives in a beehive, likes sports, is courageous, and has interest in Butterbear, below.


• Butterbear (voiced by Kathleen Helppie-Shipley): Half bear and half butterfly, Butterbear is mostly bear in appearance. She has yellow fur with a white tummy, small wings, and short antennae with flowers on their ends. She is a keen gardener who is gentle & patient despite the crazy adventures of her friends.


• Eleroo (voiced by Henry Gibson): Half elephant and half kangaroo. One of the larger Wuzzles, Eleroo is purple, with the body shape and tail of a kangaroo and an elephant's trunk and ears. He has a horizontally striped pouch (despite the fact that pouches are found only on female kangaroos).


• Moosel (voiced by the late Bill Scott): Half moose, half harp seal. Moosel is a small Wuzzle with the antlers and snout of a moose and he has flippers at the most bottom of his body. Moosel has a vivid imagination, which makes him believe in monsters.


• Hoppopotamus (voiced by Jo Anne Worley): Half rabbit, half hippopotamus. Hoppo, as she is called by her friends, is a Wuzzle who is a hippopotamus complete with a rabbit's ears, buck teeth, and cotton tail. She loves to sing and act. Hoppo is a pushy demanding diva, her often pushing the others around or aside, but she can be sweet. Hoppo has a crush on Bumblelion, but Bumblelion has his heart set on Butterbear, which makes Hoppo furious and dissatisfied. Despite the fact that she is part hippo, she is as dainty as a gazelle. Like Moosel, she is often annoyed by Rhinokey and she always tries to get away from him.


• Rhinokey (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer): Half rhinoceros and half monkey. Rhinokey is a Wuzzle who has a rhino-like snout with a horizontal-stripped horn, pink fur, and rhino-like legs. He is in a posture that is very much like a monkey's. Rhinokey is a fun-loving happy-go-lucky prankster. He loves to play practical jokes. He can be obnoxious, but is still loyal to his friends. Rhinokey is best friends with Bumblelion and (in Rhinokey's opinion) Moosel.


• Tycoon (also voiced by Bill Scott): Half Tiger and half Raccoon. Tycoon is the rich kid of Wuz. He owns a money tree.


• Croc (also voiced by Alan Oppenheimer): Half crocodile, half dinosaur; The main villain of the show. He can be referred to as either "king Croc", "Crocasaurous", or just simply Croc (also, his name is not spelled "Crock" with a k). Croc is a no-good ignoramus and does anything to get what he wants. He always wants the best of what the Wuzzles have.


• Brat (also voiced by Bill Scott): Half boar, half rat, Croc's sidekick. Brat sputters and babbles and grunts in his speech, but Croc understands what he is saying.


• Flizard (also voiced by Brian Cummings): Half frog, half lizard, Croc's other sidekick. Flizard is lacking in intelligence, but loyal to Croc.

Characters that appeared in books, but not on TV:

• Piggypine: Half pig and half porcupine.


• Koalakeet: Half koala and half parakeet.


• Pandeaver: Half panda and half beaver.


• Woolrus: Half sheep and half walrus.


• Skowl: Half skunk and half owl.

And:

• Flant: An animal that is half ant, half fly. Flants usually spoil any wuzzles' picnic.


• Mr. Pack-cat: Half pack rat, half cat. He's the owner of the island's general store.


Before you consider commenting in defense of The Wuzzles, please try to get through the following.



If you are still interested in defending The Wuzzles, I have one word for you: Flants. - Jeremiah