You know that feeling when you're watching a movie from the early 80s and it just feels... different? Not just "old," but actually weird, risky, and visually unhinged? That’s Rock & Rule. It was Canada’s first English-language animated feature, produced by Nelvana, and it remains one of the most polarizing pieces of animation history. But honestly, if you’re talking about this movie, you’re eventually going to talk about Rock and Rule Omar. He’s the protagonist who isn’t exactly a "hero" in the traditional sense, and he’s arguably the most human thing in a world populated by mutant humanoid animals.
Omar is the lead guitarist and singer for a struggling rock band in the post-apocalyptic city of Ohmtown. He’s moody. He’s arrogant. He’s deeply insecure. While most animated leads of that era were square-jawed guys with clear moral compasses, Omar was basically every frustrated musician you’ve ever met at a dive bar at 2:00 AM. He doesn't want to save the world; he just wants his band to be famous, and he’s terrified that his girlfriend, Angel, is actually the talented one.
Who Actually Was Omar?
When Nelvana started production on Rock & Rule (originally titled Drats!), they weren't trying to make a kid's movie. They were aiming for something that could compete with Heavy Metal. Omar was designed to reflect the gritty, somewhat cynical rock culture of the late 70s and early 80s. Physically, he's a "mutant," but let's be real—he looks like a lanky, sharp-featured human with a bit of a snout. He wears a red leather jacket and carries a guitar like a weapon.
The character development of Omar is actually pretty sophisticated for a 1983 cartoon. He spends the first half of the movie being a jerk. When Mok, the legendary aging rock star (who is a weird blend of Mick Jagger and David Bowie), kidnaps Angel to use her voice to summon a demon from another dimension, Omar's first reaction isn't "I must save her." It’s more like a bruised ego. He feels replaced. It takes the entire runtime of the film for him to realize that his "power" isn't his own ego, but his harmony with Angel. It’s a message about collaborative art rather than solo stardom.
The Voice Behind the Music
There is a huge misconception that often pops up in fan forums: people think the singing voice of Omar is the same person who did his dialogue. Nope. That’s not how Rock & Rule worked. The film was a massive collaborative project involving some of the biggest names in rock history.
The speaking voice for Omar was provided by Paul Le Mat. You might know him as John Milner from American Graffiti. He gave Omar that specific, slightly nasal, blue-collar grit. It made him feel like a guy who grew up on the streets of a bombed-out city.
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However, the singing? That was a different story altogether.
For the singing voice of Rock and Rule Omar, Nelvana tapped Robin Zander, the lead singer of Cheap Trick. This is why the songs "Born to Raise Hell" and "I'm the Man" sound so incredibly polished compared to the scrappy dialogue. Zander’s vocals gave Omar a legitimacy that most animated characters never get. When Omar sings, he actually sounds like a rock star. He sounds like someone who could actually fill a stadium, which makes his internal struggle with Mok’s fame much more believable.
Why Does Omar Still Matter in 2026?
Animation has changed a lot, but the "troubled artist" trope is still everywhere. Omar was one of the first to do it in a way that felt authentic to the music industry. He wasn't a hero because he was strong; he was a hero because he eventually learned to shut up and listen to someone else's melody.
The animation on Omar is also worth a look. The legendary Frank Nissen was the production designer, and the way Omar moves on stage was heavily rotoscoped and referenced from real performers. If you watch the scene where the band performs at the club in Ohmtown, the weight of the guitar and the way he hangs his head is pure rock-and-roll posture. It isn't bouncy or "cartoony." It’s heavy.
The Mok vs. Omar Dynamic
You can't talk about Omar without talking about Mok Swagger. Mok is the antagonist, but he’s also a mirror for what Omar could become if he let his ego take over. Mok is obsessed with "The One Voice" that can summon the demon. He thinks he can control the supernatural through his own celebrity.
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Omar, on the other hand, represents the "pure" side of the craft—even if he is a bit of a brat about it. The climax of the film hinges on the idea that "My Mickey Mouse" (the song Angel sings) and the band's performance can't be stolen or forced. It has to be a genuine connection. When Omar finally joins Angel on stage to banish the demon, he isn't outshining her. He’s providing the "harmony" that Mok couldn't find. It's a surprisingly deep metaphor for the era's transition from the ego-driven prog-rock of the 70s to the more collaborative, synth-heavy pop and New Wave of the 80s.
The Lost Versions of Omar
Interestingly, depending on which version of the movie you watched, Omar might have felt slightly different. There were two main cuts of the film. The "United States" version had some dialogue changes and edits to make it more palatable for an audience that the distributors weren't sure how to handle.
In some early iterations and scripts, the character was even more abrasive. The version we got in the final theatrical release is actually the "softened" Omar. Even so, he’s still got an edge. He snaps at his bandmates, Stretch and Leo. He’s dismissive of Angel’s songwriting. It’s actually pretty bold for an animated film to ask the audience to root for someone who spends 40 minutes being a total pain. But because it's Paul Le Mat's voice and Robin Zander's singing, you kind of forgive him. You see the talent behind the attitude.
Facts About the Character You Might Have Missed
The production of Rock & Rule was a nightmare that lasted years. Nelvana nearly went bankrupt making it. Because of this, Omar’s design actually shifts slightly in some scenes. If you look closely at the "Born to Raise Hell" sequence, the fluidity of his movement is much higher than in the later scenes where the budget was starting to thin out.
- The Guitar: Omar's guitar is often noted by gear-heads as being a stylized take on a Gibson SG, which fits the "hard rock" persona perfectly.
- The Species: While the film never explicitly names what animals they evolved from, the common consensus among the animators was that they were "mutant street creatures"—cats, dogs, and rats that survived the nuclear fallout. Omar is generally seen as feline-adjacent.
- The Name: In early production notes, the band wasn't just "the band." They were looking for a name that screamed "Ohmtown," the city where the story takes place.
How to Appreciate Omar Today
If you’re looking to dive into the world of Rock and Rule Omar, don’t just watch the YouTube clips. You need to see the remastered Blu-ray. The film was shot on 35mm, and the level of detail in Omar’s world—the grime on the walls, the glow of the neon, the smoke in the clubs—is incredible.
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Most people today find the movie through the soundtrack first. Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Debbie Harry all contributed. But Omar remains the anchor. Without his journey from an insecure guitarist to a supportive partner, the movie would just be a series of music videos. He gives the film its heart, even if that heart is a little bit cynical and covered in leather.
If you're a creator or an animator, look at Omar as a masterclass in "appealing" character design that breaks the rules. He isn't traditionally "cute" or "cool." He’s lanky, his nose is too big, and his hair is a mess. But he’s memorable. That’s the secret to why Rock & Rule has survived for over 40 years despite being a box office flop. It has a soul.
Action Steps for the Dedicated Fan
If you want to truly understand the legacy of this character and the film, start with these specific steps:
- Track down the "Signature Edition" Blu-ray. This contains the "Drats!" workprint which shows a much more raw version of Omar's character arc before the studio notes smoothed him out.
- Listen to the Cheap Trick songs "Born to Raise Hell" and "I'm the Man" on a good pair of headphones. You’ll hear nuances in Robin Zander’s performance that get lost in the film’s mono or low-quality stereo mixes. It captures the "Omar" persona perfectly—aggressive but melodic.
- Compare Omar to modern "adult" animation leads. Notice how many of them owe a debt to his "anti-hero" archetype. From Bojack Horseman to the cast of Arcane, the idea of the flawed, deeply human protagonist in animation really started in places like Ohmtown.
- Look for the "Making of Rock & Rule" documentary. It features interviews with the Nelvana founders where they discuss the specific difficulty of making Omar a character that people would actually care about despite his flaws.
The movie might be a relic of the 80s, but the character of Omar is timeless. He’s the guy who thinks he’s the main character in the world, only to realize he’s just a part of the song. And honestly, that’s a lesson most of us are still trying to learn.