You remember the Super Mario Bros. Super Show, right? Captain Lou Albano in a red jumpsuit, the "Do the Mario" dance, and those weirdly grainy animated segments. It was a staple of late 80s and early 90s childhoods. But there is a much weirder, more obscure corner of the Nintendo cinematic universe that almost feels like a collective fever dream. I’m talking about King Koopa's Kool Kartoons, a live-action wrap-around show that aired exclusively in Southern California for a brief, chaotic window in the late 1980s.
It’s real. It’s strange. And honestly, it’s one of the most fascinating examples of how wild licensing used to be before Nintendo became the protective, brand-conscious giant we know today.
What Was King Koopa's Kool Kartoons Anyway?
Basically, in 1989, a local Los Angeles station called KTTV Fox 11 needed a way to package old, public-domain cartoons. They didn't have the budget for a massive production, but they did have a licensing deal through DIC Enterprises. They took the most iconic villain in gaming history, slapped a guy in a heavy latex suit, and sat him in a throne room to yell at children.
This wasn't the animated Bowser. This was a live-action King Koopa.
The show followed a "hosted" format similar to Bozo the Clown or Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. King Koopa would sit on his throne, talk to the camera, and introduce cartoons that—hilariously—had absolutely nothing to do with Mario. We're talking about ancient, black-and-white stuff like Farmer Al Falfa or Mighty Mouse. The juxtaposition was jarring. You had this spike-shelled monster from a futuristic video game introducing cartoons your grandparents watched in theaters.
The Man Behind the Spikes
Christopher Collins, also known as Chris Latta, was the man inside the suit for the majority of the run. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Collins was a legendary voice actor. He was the original voice of Starscream in Transformers and Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe. He brought that same frantic, high-pitched, slightly unhinged energy to Koopa.
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Imagine Cobra Commander, but he’s a giant turtle trying to be "kool" for a live studio audience of six-year-olds. It was a choice. Collins didn't stay forever, though. Eventually, Pat Pinney took over the role. Pinney was a veteran voice actor too (he voiced Painless in the MASH* TV series and various characters in SpongeBob SquarePants), but the vibe shifted.
The Production Value (Or Lack Thereof)
The set was... something. It was meant to look like a dungeon or a castle, but it clearly looked like painted plywood and foam. Koopa sat on a massive throne, flanked by his "Koopa Pack." These weren't Goombas or Koopa Troopas from the games. No, they were literal children in the studio audience.
To get the kids involved, they’d have them wear these little hats with Koopa shells on them. They were called the "Koopa Kids." Imagine being a kid in 1989, getting hyped to see Mario, and instead, you’re stuck in a hot TV studio with a sweaty guy in a rubber suit who keeps calling you a "Koopa Kid" while a 1930s cartoon plays on a monitor.
The show also had a trophy. The "Power Player" of the week would get a "Koopa Trophy." These things are incredibly rare now. If you find one in a garage sale, grab it. Collectors go nuts for them because so few were actually handed out during the show's short run.
Why Did It Only Air in Los Angeles?
This is where the business side gets murky. King Koopa's Kool Kartoons was a localized production. Back then, syndication worked differently. DIC Enterprises, the studio that produced the more famous Super Mario Bros. Super Show, partnered with KTTV to test this localized format.
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It was a wrap-around show. That means the "meat" of the show—the cartoons—cost almost nothing to broadcast because they were out of copyright. The only real expense was the actor, the set, and the crew. It was a cheap way to fill a 30-minute afternoon slot. Because it was so localized, there are very few high-quality recordings of it today. Most of what exists on YouTube comes from old VHS tapes that people found in their attics, complete with 1980s toy commercials and tracking lines.
The Weirdest Part: The Trophies and the Giveaways
The show tried desperately to tie into the NES craze. They would give away Nintendo Power magazines and occasionally NES consoles. But the "Koopa Trophy" was the crown jewel. It was a gold-colored statue of King Koopa himself.
Actually, calling it a "statue" might be generous. It was a plastic mold.
What's wild is how the show portrayed Koopa. In the games, he’s trying to kidnap Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. In King Koopa's Kool Kartoons, he was more like a grumpy uncle. He was still a "bad guy," but he was our bad guy. He’d make jokes, interact with a puppet named Ratso (a weird dog-rat hybrid that lived in a trash can), and generally act more like a vaudeville performer than a world-conquering tyrant.
The Legacy of a Forgotten Era
The show didn't last long. It ran from late 1989 into 1990. Why did it fail? Well, for one, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show was much better produced and had actual Mario cartoons. Also, the "public domain cartoon" hook was a hard sell once kids realized they could just play the actual games or watch the much higher-quality Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 which launched shortly after.
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It’s also important to remember the context of Nintendo's branding. By the early 90s, Nintendo started tightening the screws. They wanted Mario to look the same everywhere. A local guy in a latex suit in LA didn't fit the global brand image.
But for those who saw it, it left a mark. It represents a "Wild West" era of video game adaptations where nobody really knew what worked. You had the Super Mario Bros. movie (the 1993 one) which was a dark, dystopian fever dream, and you had King Koopa's Kool Kartoons, which was a low-budget variety show.
Why You Should Care Today
If you’re a gaming historian or just a fan of lost media, this show is a goldmine. It’s a reminder that even the biggest franchises have weird skeletons in their closets. It’s also a testament to the talent of people like Chris Latta, who could take a bizarre concept and give it enough personality to be memorable 35 years later.
Finding full episodes is nearly impossible. Most of the footage that surfaces is just bits and pieces. There’s a specific kind of nostalgia for this—a grainy, analog warmth that reminds you of a time when TV felt more local and less "corporate-polished."
Actionable Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into this rabbit hole or even start a collection, here is how you should handle it:
- Scour Lost Media Forums: Websites like The Lost Media Wiki have dedicated threads for King Koopa's Kool Kartoons. They often track down new clips or higher-quality rips of the show's theme song and segments.
- Check Local LA Estate Sales: Since the show was exclusive to Southern California, most of the physical memorabilia—like the Koopa Trophies or the Koopa Kids hats—is still sitting in boxes in San Fernando Valley or Orange County garages.
- Verify the Actor: If you're watching clips online, try to spot the difference between Chris Latta's Koopa and Pat Pinney's. Latta's is much more high-pitched and aggressive, whereas Pinney's is a bit more "jolly" and deep-voiced. It’s a fun game for voice-acting nerds.
- Don't Overpay: Because of the rarity, people often try to sell "reproduction" Koopa Trophies or fake merchandise. Authentic items from the 1989 KTTV run will usually have specific Fox 11 or DIC branding on the packaging or the base of the statue.
- Digitize Your Tapes: If you grew up in SoCal in the late 80s and have old tapes of cartoons, check the beginnings and ends of the recordings. You might be sitting on a "lost" segment of the show that the internet hasn't seen yet. Uploading these helps preserve a very weird piece of Nintendo history.