Mixels (TV series)

“We knew we wanted to get involved with LEGO in a comedy. We had been in business with LEGO on their minifig shows, and exhibiting those on Cartoon Network, and we wanted to create something that would be more of a new world, with new characters, something comedic.”

— Rob Sorcher, The Wonderful World of Mixels

Mixels is the sole TV series for the Mixels franchise that started airing on February 12, 2014 in the United States, created by John Fang and Dave Smith. The final episode of the series aired on October 1, 2016.

It consisted of animated 1-2 minute shorts and full-length, half-hour specials revolving around the Mixels; small creatures that can mix and combine with one another in creative and unpredictable storylines.

Mixels was produced by Cartoon Network Studios and aired on Cartoon Network. The series is rated TV-Y7-FV.

Plot

Mixels_Cartoon_Network — Mixels Cartoon Network

Mixels is centered around a world of colorful creatures who can mix and combine with each other leading to hilarious and surprising results. They are comical, mischievous creatures that live in tribes. Each tribe is based around something unique. The Nixels are annoying and destructive little creatures that wreak havoc over the Mixel Land, trying to tear down and break apart the tribes. They are led by King Nixel.

Aspects

There are a few major aspects that appear in nearly every, if not all, episodes of the show. They are listed below.

Title Card

Main article: Mixels (TV series)/Title Card

A title card appears at the beginning of every episode of Mixels to date. There are both minor and major differences between all of them, but they always include some variant of the Mixels logo, and often combine that with the main scene of the episode.

Action

Each episode always includes at least one Mix or Murp of two different characters. Also included in a select few episodes are Maxes of three of a tribe. There is usually a situation that is fixed using these powers.

Episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally aired (U.S. dates)
Season		Episodes	Season premiere	Season finale
	1	20 (shorts) 2 (minisodes) 1 (special) 21 (total)	February 12, 2014	August 31, 2014
	2	5 (shorts) 1 (minisode) 4 (specials) 4 (total)	March 9, 2015	October 1, 2016

Voice Cast

Carlos Alazraqui - Mesmo, Torts
Eric Bauza - Paladum, Miximals
Jeff Bennett - Dribbal, Gurggle, Jinky, Camillot, Ranger Jinx
Gregg Bissonette - Myke, Camsta
Steve Blum - King Nixel (A Quest for the Lost Mixamajig, Nixel, Nixel, Go Away), Kamzo, Kuffs (Nixel, Nixel, Go Away), Spinza
Rodger Bumpass - Flamzer, Naut, Major Nixel (Mixel Moon Madness), Narrator, Gate Keeper
Griffin Burns - Snax, Slusho, Chilbo
Chris Cox - Gox, Forx, Principal, Busto
Dave Fennoy - Globert, Boogly, Krog, Kramm, King, Sergeant
Leonard Garner - Cobrax
Justin Grollman - Nurp
Jess Harnell - Shuff, Vulk, Zaptor, Meltus, Burnard, Vaka, Zabo, Hydro, Surgeo, Hotstuff
Phil Hayes - Rokit, King Nixel (Mixel Moon Madness), Coach, Kuffs (Every Knight Has Its Day)
Richard Horvitz - Mixadel, Freezi-Breezi, Mixie Cat, Splasho, Scrud
Peter Jason - Major Nixel (A Quest for the Lost Mixamajig), Turg, Wuzzo, Fire Chief, Sharx
Tom Kenny - Flain, Seismo, Teslo, Berp, Tungster, Booger, Screeno, Mysto, Blip
Andrew Kishino - Niksput
Phil LaMarr - Chomly, Flurr, Tentro
Daran Norris - Snoof, Waka, Spugg, Tiketz, the Amphipod
Sam Riegel - Vampos
Bumper Robinson - Footi, Glurt, Wizwuz
Dave Smith - Krader, Volectro, Zorch
Brian Stepanek - Magnifo
Cree Summer - Teacher, Jamzy
Fred Tatasciore - Slumbo, Jawg, Major Nixel (season 1), Nixels (season 1)
Maddie Taylor (credited as Matt Taylor) - Glomp, Hoogi
Billy West - Balk, Gobba, Lunk

Awards and Nominations

The show was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2014 for Children's Interactive Original.^[1]

Trivia

Either the first episode or a promotional advertisement (depending on the theater) appeared before or after trailers, before The LEGO Movie in cinemas on February 7, 2014.
- There was also a sneak peek on Yahoo.^[2]
  
  Cartoon Network Studios logo (Mixels variant 1, 2014)
This is the first LEGO TV series to not be animated with CGI animation (Ninjago and Legends of Chima). Instead, this show was animated with ToonBoom Harmony software with animation by Atomic Cartoons. Then, it was animated with traditional animation at Digital eMation, Inc and later at Saerom Animation, and also with flash animation at Big Star Entertainment.
In some countries, the shorts end with the Cartoon Network Studios logo, and Vulk inside of it, shouting "Remix!"
- The Arabic and Italian dubs are the only ones that we know of that dubs this logo, though the dubbed logo seems to only show up on some occasions.
The first episode of Mixels to take up a full half-hour is Mixed Up Special. Mixel Moon Madness is the first half-hour episode to follow a single plotline, and A Quest for the Lost Mixamajig is the first half-hour episode to be originally produced as a single episode.
Credits are available in Japanese versions of clips.
Kraw,Skulzy, and the majority of Background Mixels that appear in the shows' voice actors are currently unknown.
- However, unlike Kraw, and Skulzy, the Background Mixels' voices are known and credited. It is just unsure which voices apply to which Mixels, as the characters are credited under numbers and generic names.
The Korean version of the show is the only one to have an alternate title card in its respective language.
- Other languages of the show that translate the title do have a translated logo, but don't use it in episodes, only the apps.
In the United States, in addition to airing on Cartoon Network, the shorts have aired on sister network Boomerang - first during March and June 2014.
- Currently, since the network's January 2015 relaunch, they are still airing.
The first few shorts, when uploaded to Cartoon Network's YouTube, included a different version of the Mixels logo which had a yellow-to-orange gradient rather than a solid yellow and took up most of the screen. This version of the logo also appeared on the Series 1-2 prototype bags, meaning it was likely the original logo for the franchise. Despite this, the various Mix splashes use the old gradient text, regardless of the logo.
The first season was produced in 2013, including the standalone minisodes from Mixed Up Special.
The only countries to air Mixels on a different channel than Cartoon Network are France, which airs it on the kids' channel Gulli, and Spain, which airs it on the affiliated channel Boing, due to there not being a Cartoon Network in that country.

Mixels ug poster — Mixels poster in *Uncle Grandpa*.

On May 12, 2017, the Cartoon Network series Uncle Grandpa referenced Mixels in the episode "Transitional Phase", with a poster of a generic Mixel under a modified logo.
According to Google Trends, the franchise itself was big in Eastern Europe and parts of Latin America.^[3]