Minoriteam

Minoriteam
Title card
Genre	Superhero, comedy
Created by	Peter Girardi Todd James Adam de la Peña
Written by	Peter Girardi Todd James Adam de la Peña
Starring	Carlos Alazraqui Dicky Barrett Michael Clarke Duncan Peter Girardi Caroline Hu Todd James Keith Lal Hope Moore Adam de la Peña Dr. Drew Pinsky
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	20 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Todd James Adam de la Peña
Producer(s)	Peter Girardi Sandi Yi-Trimble
Running time	11 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Adult Swim
Picture format	4:3 SDTV
Original run	November 6, 2005 (2005-11-06) – July 24, 2006 (2006-07-24)
External links
Website

Minoriteam is an animated television series on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The pilot episode premiered on November 6, 2005. The series officially started on March 20, 2006, and ended on July 24, 2006, with a total of 20 episodes, over the course of one season.

Plot

The plot of the show revolves around five male superheroes, each of whom is based on a racial or ethnic stereotype, who join forces to fight against a bunch of villains who are mostly discriminatory concepts. The show's artwork is largely an homage to Jack Kirby ("King Kirby" is thanked in the show's end credits), while the animation style parodies the limited animation of the Marvel Super Heroes Show of 1966. The opening tag declaring that Minoriteam is broadcast "FULLY COLORED" is both a racial reference and an homage to the "IN COLOR" or "IN TECHNICOLOR" line opening many old cartoons.

Characters

Minoriteam

• Dr. Wang, Chinese Human Calculator (Dana Snyder) - the leader of the Minoriteam. He is paraplegic. He has a terrible personality and powerful mental abilities. He also owns and operates a laundromat where he charges extra to get your clothes back from the machines. In addition, he has faked accidents to obtain legal settlements and is a compulsive gambler. He has no known non-stereotypical real life. In the episode "The Assimilator", Dr. Wang gives the team "tea" to drink and then tells them that it is his urine. His depiction as a Chinese, however, leans more to the stereotype of Northeast Chinese people, mostly with his mustache and queue, which otherwise makes his design reminiscent of Dr. Fu Manchu.

• El Jefe (Nick Puga) - is an overweight, moustached Mexican who fights crime with the Leafblower 3000, the deadliest weapon in the entire universe. His mask is a Sombrero pulled halfway down his face with eye holes cut in it. In his non-stereotypical real life, Richard Escartin is the handsome billionaire CEO of his own oil company. El Jefe is also 1/18th Viking.

• Fasto (Rodney Saulsberry) - a green-masked, T-shirt and cut-off jeans-clad African-American who is known as “the fastest man that ever was.” In addition, he seems to have the power to seduce or charm all White women in the immediate area. In his non-stereotypical real life, Landon K. Dutton is a bookish and bespectacled Professor of Women's Studies. He vigorously pursues sexual relationships with what he calls "booty" (especially White women) but is uninterested in an exclusive relationship. His father is a space-alien from the planet Blackton, which was destroyed by Balactus.

•  !Jewcano! (Enn Reitel) - a white-bearded, massively muscular man in a yarmulke (which he can throw like a deadly frisbee a la Wonder Woman's tiara) and a Star of David leotard with the powers of the Jewish faith and the fiery fury of an erupting volcano (after being knocked into a volcano accidentally by Dr. Wang). He is always screaming at the top of his lungs. In his non-stereotypical real life, wimpy young accountant Neil Horowitz dates Mika, Fasto's statuesque black younger cousin and loves soul food. Jewcano is also the member of Minoriteam who spends the most time in his civilian garb (or merely has his civilian garb shown on-screen more often than his teammates' garbs).

• Non-Stop (Keith Lal) - an Indian convenience store owner who is immune to bullets and fire because of his lead-lined skin. His non-stereotypical self, Dave Raj is an ex-professional skateboarder, a talent that comes in handy when flying on his magic carpet. While not fighting crime Dave sometimes smokes a hookah. He sometimes says "Krishna, give me strength!" when surprised, and his magic word to transform into his bearded, bare-chested, turban-clad alter ego is "Abrakazoom!".

White Shadow

The five heroes team up to fight characters who are mostly racial stereotypes, including a collective of villains comprising numerous, over-the-top Caucasian stereotypes.

The White Shadow organization, the "most evilest organization known to Man", is based in Corporate City. Its mission is to promote white supremacy and racism and oppress minorities. Its most important members appear in almost every episode. They are:

• The White Shadow (Adam de la Peña) - the leader of this organization of supervillains which is named after him. He has a one-eyed golden helmet in the shape of the "Great Seal" pyramid on the U.S. one-dollar bill, what some have considered the Freemasonry/Illuminati Pyramid. His racist personality and purple robe are reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan. Racist Frankenstein is also seen calling him Kevin, which might be his real name.

• The Corporate Ladder (Todd James) - a green-caped, pipe-smoking ladder with a stool at the top who is impossible to scale/climb (unless you're white and were born into a rich heritage); this mimics the beliefs of some who see corporations as difficult to scale for minorities. He frequently makes fun of White Shadow's leadership. He has had gambling problems in the past and his life's goal was to become a minion. He was also responsible at one point for sending the White Shadow and several members of the organization to prison.

• Racist Frankenstein (Adam de la Peña) - "Body of a monster, mind of a racist." Though his name is a direct reference to Frankenstein's monster, he is a closer parody of the depiction of Solomon Grundy from the Superfriends animated series, mocking Grundy's heavy southern accent, monstrous appearance, and tendency to refer to himself in the third person with poor grammar. Dresses like the stereotype of a WASP, usually in a yuppy-style pink sweater. Hates Black people and even black-colored objects. He is blond and has blue skin. His catchphrase is the recurring threat, "Racist Frankenstein hit Blacks with hands!"

• The Standardized Test (Peter Girardi) - a giant robot-like man with an eraser on his head and a costume patterned off a Scantron answer sheet. His form refers to the assumption that standardized tests are biased against minorities. He speaks with a robotic, monotonous voice.

Episodes

Season 1: 2005-2006

#	Title	Original airdate	Prod. Code
Pilot	"Operation Blackout"	November 6, 2005	100
The Minoriteam set out to rescue Sebastian Jefferson after The White Shadow kidnaps him. His plan is to stop black businesses from gaining power. The Minoriteam does battle with The Corporate Ladder and The Standardized Test along the way.
1	"Tribe & Prejudice"	March 20, 2006	105
After the Shysta Gumfat Indian Reservation Parking Lot Tribe's construction of a new casino is halted, due to it being built on a Pilgrim burial ground, the Minoriteam is called in to investigate. Upon searching the catacombs beneath the construction site they soon discover the true plan set forth by the White Shadow and his army of Zombie Pilgrims.
2	"El Dia Gigante"	March 27, 2006	104
Corporate City holds a lifetime achievement award in honor of El Jefe. During the ceremony, El Jefe's father and famous wrestler, El Yo attacks the team with a giant salsa puking Piñata. After Fasto and Jewcano are captured, it's up to El Jefe to confront his father and defeat him in a grueling wrestling match.
3	"Heaven Can Wait"	April 3, 2006	106
After a racist bomb blows Fasto right past black Heaven and lands him in Nordic Heaven (Valhalla), El Jefe is the only one, with his 1/18 Viking blood, to go and save Fasto from the dead Nordic women.
4	"His Story"	April 10, 2006	103
The White Shadow uses a celestial object called the White Hole to travel back in time and try to prevent Minoriteam from coming into existence. With help from a Stephen Hawking-like character, the team goes back also to try to stop it. They visit: the Maya, the ancient Egyptians and Moses, Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War battle field at Petersburg, Eskimos crossing the Bering Straits, the Sistine Chapel, etc..
5	"Tax Day"	April 17, 2006	102
The White Shadow, the "most evilest organization known to Man", is audited by the IRS, an organization "even more evilest". After years of shady schemes and poor funds he finds his own corporation is in trouble. Jewcano learns the White Shadow's secrets. Special Guest Voices Peter Graves and Dicky Barrett.
6	"Illegal Aliens"	April 24, 2006	101
The Minoriteam is abducted by other-worldy creatures who wish to learn more about stereotypes. Back on Earth, the White Shadow and company get a little bored without the Minoriteam to fight. Special Guest Voice Kevin McDonald.
7	"And Justice for Some"	May 1, 2006	107
The White Shadow tricks the Minoriteam in to entering a mirror world where everything is backwards. The team is quickly put on trial for not being racist. Inspired by Through the Looking-Glass.
8	"Women's Suffrage"	May 8, 2006	109
One woman holds the key to saving summer when questionable weather forecasting becomes deadly. Minoriteam discriminates against her as badly as one would expect the White Shadow to do.
9	"Space Driftin"	May 8, 2006	110
An interdimensional space hippie comes and shows Dr. Wang what life would be like if he never existed. A spoof of It's a Wonderful Life. Special Guest Voice Chris Elliot.
10	"Universal World Games"	May 22, 2006	111
It is said in the book of prophecies that if the Bahamas win 69 gold medals in the Universal World Games, the world will come to an end. This leads White Shadow and his minions into using their 'powers' to try to win the games. In order to stop them, Minoriteam must disguise themselves as Chekbanian athletes to keep the White Shadow from destroying the world.
11	"FOG"	June 5, 2006	112
A grape-flavored fog turns everyone's worst nightmares into reality. Non-Stop, who is immune to the fog due to his alter-ego's excessive cannabis use, is the only one who can save the day.
12	"The Internet"	May 29, 2006	108
The White Shadow has a new secret weapon – a tool known to technology aficionados as the Internet. The Minoriteam must stop him before he uses deadly search engines to uncover their true identities.
13	"Evilfellas"	June 12, 2006	113
As far back as he can remember, Corporate Ladder always wanted to be a minion. Follow his rise from a step-stool in White Shadows boardroom to a full-blown minion. The episode is a parody of Casino and Goodfellas told as 1980s flashbacks.
14	"Landon In Love"	June 19, 2006	114
Fasto's loyalties are put to the test when his mild-mannered alter ego, Landon, is romantically pursued by a beautiful fellow professor who hates Fasto. While Fasto shirks his crime-fighting responsibilities to go on a date as Landon, an incomplete Minoriteam tries to capture a criminal, "Gold Digger" aka "Maria", who coincidentally, relies on super-speed to rob banks.
15	"Le Black Coq"	June 26, 2006	115
Every villain has a back-story, and one-time successful restaurant owner John Le Coq is no exception. Watch as, in exciting flashback form, White Shadow recounts the rise and fall of The Black Coq to his visitor, the devil. Racist Frankenstein gets his head stuck in the Corporate ladder.
16	"Tremendous Class"	July 3, 2006	116
Fasto, Jewcano, and Dr. Wang take off for a first-class vacation paid for in part by a settlement from a fake accident staged by Dr. Wang. They discover a flight section far beyond first class where White Shadow & his friends are living it up. They adopt disguises which are mostly rich minority stereotypes to crash it. Meanwhile, Nonstop makes the mistake of attempting to pass airport security in full costume. He is arrested and searched supposedly because he looks like a terrorist. El Jefe does not appear in the episode because in his normal life as a CEO, he was attending a child's birthday party and in any case would have been able to afford Tremendous Class for himself.
17	"The Assimulator"	July 10, 2006	117
The White Shadow introduces the Assimulator, a villain who can transform into anything he touches. He is sent out to destroy the Minoriteam by turning them against each other and to steal Dr. Wang's secret tea, which is believed to be where he gets his intelligence. As he meets the members, he befriends them and shakes their hands, thereby copying their powers. Later they confront him, but Assimulator proves to be a challenge since he has all their powers. The Assimulator is a parody of the Super Adaptoid. Dr.Wang's "tea" turns out to be his urine.
18	"Behold Balactus, Part 1"	July 17, 2006	118
The White Shadow awakens an intergalactic evil: Balactus, destroyer of worlds. Why did WS unleash the most powerful black being in the Universe? "Three (sic) words, black on black crime." But Balactus tells WS that he will destroy ALL of the Earth. As Minoriteam fights in vain to stop him from destroying Earth, Fasto learns about his true past, and investigates a mysterious can of black-eyed peas.
19	"Behold Balactus, Part 2"	July 24, 2006	119
Series finale. The White Shadow and Minoriteam team up but fail to stop Balactus. Fasto's father's spirit emerges from the can of black-eyed peas and summons 3 other spirits from his home planet, Blackton (destroyed by Balactus), who tell Fasto that he can use his black rage to run faster than light to go back in time and learn the true name of Balactus. He does so and uses that name, "Leslie Ira ...", to impel Balactus to leave Earth just as Balactus is about to destroy it. Fasto goes to the "Projects of Solid-tude", also from the can of black-eyed peas, but they have already suffered urban decay.

DVD release

On August 18, 2010 the entire series was released on DVD by Madman Entertainment in Region 4.^[1] It is currently unknown if Minoriteam will every be released on DVD in the United States. Although Minoriteam was not released on DVD in the United States, it is available on iTunes as well as the "Build Your Own DVD" feature on the Adult Swim website.

References

1. ^ "Minoriteam Collection". Madman Entertainment. https://www.madman.com.au/actions/catalogue.do?releaseId=13548&method=view&webChannelId=11. 

External links

• Official website
• Minoriteam at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• Minoriteam at the Internet Movie Database
• Minoriteam at TV.com
• International rescue!, The Guardian, November 25, 2006
• A site mentioned at the end of "The Internet" advertising "White Shadow Racist Time Shares."