There was a lot to process after Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl received its surprise announcement. A version of Super Smash Bros. with Nicktoons was not something anyone was expecting, yet some fans quickly realized how what an entertaining prospect it might be. One of the game's apparent strengths is that its character roster draws from the entirety of Nickelodeon's thirty-year history. Yet this means some characters may seem unfamiliar to younger fans. And while his appearance was met with glee from many millennials, no character scratched more heads than Powdered Toast Man.
Powdered Toast Man is from The Ren & Stimpy Show, one of the three original Nicktoons alongside Rugrats and Doug. All three shows premiered on the same night in 1991. However, while Rugrats and Doug are notably wholesome shows in many respects, Ren & Stimpy is the polar opposite. It proved both revolutionary and controversial, as many of its jokes challenged what adults thought was appropriate for kids. The show was also plagued with issues around its creator, John K, who was eventually fired (and Me Too-ed).
Of the three initial Nicktoons, Ren & Stimpy had the shortest run and was cancelled in 1996, likely because of its multitude of controversies. Ren & Stimpy had a short-lived, widely panned 2003 iteration on SpikeTV called Ren & Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon which was, as the titled suggests, explicitly for adults. Ren & Stimpy has a fascinating, yet troubled, history for a fascinating, troubled show. But its mark upon animation cannot be ignored, and it's readily apparent in shows like SpongeBob SquarePants that have gotten games of their own. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Ren & Stimpy paved the way for adult cartoons like Beavis and Butt-Head and South Park, either.
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl's Powdered Toast Man In Ren & Stimpy
Powdered Toast Man was a television superhero and spokesperson for Powdered Toast, a delicious breakfast which tastes "just like sawdust." He flies backwards. He can turn into Powdered Toast dust. He can shoot raisins out of his mouth at dangerous speeds. He has a phone on his tongue which alerts him to danger. His alter-ego is Pastor Toastman, a "cool youth deacon." Powdered Toast Man appeared in two in-show commercial segments before getting his own full, self-titled episode. In "Powdered Toast Man," the hero saves The Pope, voiced by legendary musician Frank Zappa. In short, the role Powdered Toast Man plays in Ren & Stimpy - long before getting Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl - is comparable to Mermaid Man in SpongeBob SquarePants.
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Powdered Toast Man would appear in three more episodes. In his final appearance, he canonically dies by holding in a burp at a dinner party, causing a build-up of pressure which makes his head fly off. After another character unceremoniously eats his head, Powdered Toast Man and his signature catchphrase, "Leave everything to me," were heard from no more. So seeing him alive and well in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a welcome sight for Ren & Stimpy fans.