If you came of age in the late '90s and early 2000s, you'll remember a show on Nickelodeon about an inept alien invader by the name of Zim. Lasting for two seasons,
Invader Zim premiered 17 years ago and was created by cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez, who had done comic books like
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and its spin-offs,
Squee! and
I Feel Sick, all of which featured his manic and dark art style.
This style would serve Vasquez well in his forthcoming animated series, which was a blend of colorful characters, graphic imagery, and memorable humor. Most notable among the cast were Richard Horvitz as the frenzied Zim who masqueraded as an Earth child, attempting to take over the planet and avoid detection. The only person who was suspicious was Dib Membrane (Andy Berman), a fellow classmate always trying to prove Zim was an alien. Then there was GIR (Rikki Simons), Zim's simple-minded robot companion that posed as his dog and harbored a love for taquitos. Among fans, his "Doom Song" is legendary.
Zim was canceled before its time in 2001, but it did not go quietly into the vacuum of space. In the intervening 17 years, the show has gained a powerful cult following. Appreciation for the series became so overwhelming that Nickelodeon is currently working on a
television movie that will pick up where the show left off.
SYFY WIRE spoke with the voice of Zim, Richard Horvitz, who gave fans an inside scoop on the fresh invasion attempt. Horvitz is a prolific voice actor one might recognize from shows such as
The Angry Beavers (Daggett) and
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy (Billy) and video games like
Destroy All Humans! (Orthopox) and
Ratchet & Clank (Zoni). During the interview, Richard teased the new TV movie's release, spoke about his favorite sci-fi voiceover roles, and explained why
Invader Zim was canceled in the first place.
Tighten your radioactive rubber pants and prepare for a crash-landing as Zim returns to our planet once more!
