Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa

Plot

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa dealt with a mutation of some kind; an irradiated comet struck the late 19th century Western plains creating a miles high mesa shrouded in clouds. Everything trapped on top of the mesa was "cow-metized" by the light from the "cow-met" and "evolved" into a "bovipomorphic" state. Inspired by old tales of the Wild West, this new bovine community developed to the point where they emulated that era's way of life, including the requisite ruffians and corrupt sheriffs. However, their knowledge of Wild West living was limited, and as such, many things about their culture had to be improvised to 'fill in the blanks'. The concepts of steampunk and Weird West were utilized throughout its run.

The series focuses on trying to keep justice in the frontier territory. The lawbreakers were too much for the corrupt regulators of Cowtown (namely Mayor Oscar Bulloney and Sheriff Terrorbull) to handle by themselves. Helping them out, whether they wanted it or not, were a group of peacekeepers known as C.O.W.-Boys (the C.O.W. part is short for "Code of the West") led by Marshal Moo Montana and joined by the Dakota Dude and the Cowlorado Kid. Marshal Moo Montana and his deputies had their hands full with several ruffians and outlaw gangs that plagued the otherwise peaceful town.

Characters

C.O.W.-Boys

Marshal Moo Montana (voiced by Pat Fraley) is the leader of the C.O.W.-Boys and the marshal of Moo Mesa. Courageous and quick on his hooves, Moo "battles the bad guys and makes the West a safer place to graze". Lives by the Code of the West, which he seems to make up as he goes along (as seen in the episode "The Big Cow Wow"). He has a gun that shoots star-badges and rides a horse named "Cyclone".

Dakota Dude (voiced by Jim Cummings) is the soft-spoken muscle of Montana's posse, Dakota is calm and level-headed, as he rarely loses his temper, even in near-death experiences (as seen in "Dances with Bulls") and is scared of heights. Dakota agreed to marry Cowlamity Kate in Wedding Bull Blues to save her father's inheritance. Dakota's horse's name is "Rebel".

Cowlorado Kid (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is a Holstein cattle bull who is the youngest of the group and a self-proclaimed ladies' man with a good singing voice, regardless of his skill with the lasso and guitar.

Supporting

Lily Bovine (voiced by Charity James) is a bartender, former showgirl, and the owner of the local saloon called The Tumbleweed where the C.O.W.-Boys go for Sarsaparilla. Lily is Moo Montana's love interest. Her best friend is Cowlamity Kate.

Cody Calf (voiced by Troy Davidson as a child, Rob Paulsen as an adult in "Skull Duggery Rides Again") is a calf who idolizes Moo Montana and hopes to be a lawcow himself when he grows up. Although well-meaning, he often gets himself into serious trouble trying to "help" the lawcows, but has been a useful asset on several occasions.

Cowlamity Kate Cudster (voiced by Kay Lenz) is a tomboyish rancher and operator of the highly profitable Golden Cud Mine. She's as hardworking and hard-riding as any bull, and has enough skill with a lasso to put Cowlorado to shame.

Puma (voiced by Bill Farmer) is a white-bearded cougar and resident of Cowtown who is the resident shoeshiner.

José "J.R." Rey (voiced by Michael Horse) is a Native American bison who occasionally aids Moo, Dakota and Cowlorado if the situation needs it. He tends to ramble about the scientific principles of his inventions which the C.O.W.-Boys do not want to listen to and would be asked to show them how it works.

Tewah (voiced by Charity James) is an Indian bison in J.R.'s tribe. She is J.R.'s niece and is friends with Cody Calf.

Buffalo Bull (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is a bison who works as Cowtown's blacksmith. In the video game, he is a member of the C.O.W.-Boys. His name is a play on Buffalo Bill.

Jack (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a rabbit who works as a telegraph operator at Cowtown.

Gordon Boredon (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a prison warden who runs the prison containing the prisoners that the C.O.W.-Boys apprehend.

Antagonists

Mayor Oscar Bulloney (voiced by Michael Greer) is the greedy and corrupt mayor of Cowtown in Moo Mesa and one of the main antagonists of the series. Bulloney rigs elections (as seen in "Stolen on the River") and makes taxes so high that the Masked Bull compares it to stealing. He also serves as Cowtown's crooked justice of the peace and bank president.

Sheriff Terrorbull (voiced by Joe Piscopo) is a hunched over red-furred cattle and one of the main antagonists of the series who received this position from Mayor Bulloney. Terrorbull uses his sheriff's badge to conceal his evil intentions. When committing crimes, he disguises himself as the "Masked Bull" where he sports a different posture. Terrorbull was forced to leave Cowtown after losing a bet to Moo in "No Face to Hide" to see who can catch Shock Holiday and became sheriff of the remote town of Lonesome Gulch as Bulloney tells him to put up with it until he can think of a way to get him back into Cowtown. At Lonesome Gulch, Terrorbull continued his unlawful exploits whenever Mayor Bulloney is in need of the Masked Bull.

Saddle Sore Scorpion (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a scorpion and one of the comically inept henchmen of Mayor Bulloney and Sheriff Terrorbull. He is slightly smarter and braver than Boot Hill Buzzard, but only just. His name is taken from saddle sore, a skin ailment caused by horse riding.

Boot Hill Buzzard (voiced by Danny Mann) is a vulture who is one of the comically inept henchmen of Mayor Bulloney and Sheriff Terrorbull. As the more dimwitted of the two, he is often saddled with more than his fair share of the grunt work, especially if the job involves something embarrassing or unappealing. His name is taken from an old west slang term for a graveyard.

Barney Finkleberg (voiced by Tim Curry) is a con artist who used the alias of Jacques La Beef. The Masked Bull tried various plots to discredit him. After learning the truth about who Jacques La Beef was, Moo Montana briefly boarded the train Barney was on where he took back the stuff he tried to make off with and advised him never to return to Cowtown.

Horribull is Sheriff Terrorbull's criminal younger brother whom he breaks out of Sinquitten Federal Prison and has him pose as the Masked Bull to protect his identity after Puma saw the Masked Bull without his mask on.

Episode guide

Several of these episodes or episode titles are parodies of popular Western films or books.

Cast

Jeff Bennett as Cowlorado Kid, Hole in the Ground Gang Leader (in "The Big Cow Wow"), Frank (in "Another Fine Mesa"), Beans (in "Another Fine Mesa"), Slick Willy Weasel (in "No Face to Hide"), Sundazed Kid (in "The Down Under Gang")

Jim Cummings as The Dakota Dude, Jack, Saddle Sore, Warden Gordon Borden, Wild Bill Barker, Skull Duggery (in "Legend of Skull Duggery," "Skull Duggery Rides Again"), Gila Hooligans Leader (in "Dances with Bulls"), Toupee Turkey (in "The Big Cow Wow"), Bank Robber (in "The Down Under Gang"), Wild Bill Barker (in "No Way to Treat a Lady") Grits (in "Night of the Cowgoyle")

Troy Davidson as Cody Calf

Bill Farmer as Puma, Raw Beans (in "No Face to Hide"), Jury Foreman (in "The Cacklin' Kid")

Pat Fraley as Marshal Moo Montana, Butch Cowsidy (in "The Down Under Gang")

Michael Greer as Mayor Oscar Bulloney, Sadie Wowcow (in "Thoroughly Moodern Lily")

Michael Horse as José "J.R." Rey

Charity James as Lily Bovine, Tewah (in "The Big Cow Wow")

Kay Lenz as Cowlamity Kate

Danny Mann as Boot Hill Buzzard

Joe Piscopo as Sheriff Terrorbull

Additional voices

Charlie Adler as Billy the Kidder (in "Billy the Kidder"), Lester (in "Billy the Kidder")

Jack Angel (season 2)

Michael Bell as Shock Holiday (in "No Face to Hide"), Rooster Cogsbull (in "Night of the Cowgoyle")

Robby Benson as Five Card Cud (in "Stolen on the River")

Corey Burton (season 2)

Ruth Buzzi as Cow Belle (in "The Down Under Gang")

Jodi Carlisle (season 2)

Tim Curry as Jacques La Beef/Barney Finkleberg (in "A Snake in Cow's Clothing")

David Doyle as Rocky Bovine (in "Billy the Kidder")

Brad Garrett as Longhorn Silver (in "Cow Pirates of Swampy Cove")

Ellen Gerstell (season 2)

Michael Gough as Small Change (in "Stolen on the River")

Mark Hamill as Scavenger (in "The Cacklin Kid")

Dorian Harewood as The Great Bovini (in "Circus Daze")

Kate Mulgrew as Barbed Wire Babs/Miss Barbara (in "No Way to Treat a Lady")

Rob Paulsen as Adult Cody Calf (in "Skull Duggery Rides Again"), Cacklin Kid (in "The Cacklin Kid"), Swifty Buckhorn (in "The Fastest Filly in the West"), Pony Express Worker (in "The Fastest Filly in the West")

Crew

Ginny McSwain – Voice Director

Cary Silver – Talent Coordinator

Theme song

The theme song was sung by country artist Billy Dean, who co-wrote it with Verlon Thompson.

Home media

Twelve VHS cassettes containing episodes were released:

Stolen on the River

A Snake in Cow's Clothing

School Days

Another Fine Mesa

Bang 'Em High

The Big Cow-Wow

Bulls of a Feather

Dances with Bulls

Legend of Skull Duggery

A Sheepful of Dollars

Wedding Bull Blues

Wetward, Whoa

Toys

A toy line was released by Hasbro with designs reminiscent of Playmates Toys Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures.

Reboot

On August 11, 2023, it was announced that The Nacelle Company had purchased the rights to the original series from WildBrain and would reboot the property with a brand-new animated series and a new line of action figures and other merchandise. On June 8, 2025, Variety reported that the animated series is scheduled for release in 2027.

In other media

Video game

A four-player arcade game was also released by Konami in North America and Europe on November 19, 1992. Ryan Brown worked closely with Konami on the game's development. The game is a side-scrolling run-and-gun similar to Konami's previous game, Sunset Riders.

Comic book

Between December 1992 and February 1993, Archie Comics published a three-issue limited series titled The Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa, which was written by Brown's long-time collaborator Doug Brammer. This was followed by a regular series which ran for three issues, March–July 1993.