The Incredible World of Riddles

The Incredible World of Riddles is a Kuboian animated media franchise created by Ashley Maverick and produced by Kubokartoonz, which originated in a series of made-for-television specials that began in 1989 on Vision Network. The franchise stars a pre-teen girl called Kacie who has adventures in an alternate dimension called Riddle World with her friends Onita, Tenet and Paddy. It was amongst Kuboia's first animated series, and the first to develop an international following.

The success of the original television series has paved way for many spin-off material, including books, theme parks and video games. It continues to maintain a popular following in its home country in the current day, with TVVC continuing to air the original series from time to time.

Premise and setting
Riddle World is a planet that is hidden in an unknown location in the universe, but one can be teleported from Earth and back by acquiring a special Riddle Gem and rubbing it vigorously. The Riddle World does not follow the customs of Earth; it is mostly inhabited by anthropomorphic non-human creatures and follows a different time structure.

The Riddle World is currently run by Mr. Riddles and his "glowup" assistant Diomo. Mr. Riddles carries a magical wand with him, though rarely uses it. The most common visitors of Riddle World are four children from Earth - two girls; Onita and Kacie, and two boys; Paddy and Tenet, who found out about Riddle World after finding the Riddle Gems on accident. Episodes and specials largely centre around what the children get up to in Riddle World, which mostly involve helping the planet's inhabitants and building up their own confidence. The franchise is themed around friendship, teamwork, trust and attitudes towards the past, present and future.

The status of Riddle World changes several times throughout the show's chronology. At first, the children are told to keep the existence of Riddle World a secret, but the rest of Earth eventually discover about it. Kacie finds out that she is destined by fate to eventually defeat Synther, an evil creature lurking in Riddle World, and become queen of Riddle World. As a result, Mr. Riddles ends up passing his wand down to Kacie, though he warns her to use it only as a last resort due to its power.

Cast
Supporting characters were voiced by Lilian Pond, Olivia Emery, Bruno Leon Vidal and Joseph Bell.
 * Ashley Maverick as Kacie
 * Melissa Emery as Tenet
 * Charlie Karma as Onita
 * Avoc Westwind as Paddy
 * Edward Reizer as Mr. Riddles
 * Harlow Morrison (1989-1990) and Flynn Raidon (1991-2005) as Diomo
 * Marty Reeve as Synther

Early development
Kubokartoonz was founded in the autumn of 1987. Shortly aftewards, Ashley Maverick was confronted by Arthur Benning if the studio could produce a children's television series that could air on Vision Network. Maverick mentioned that Benning gave her "generous funding and support" as well as a lot of creative freedom, with the only rules being that the show must have some form of educational content in it.

As she thought that a realistic or overly educational-based series would be considered boring to children, Maverick decided to make the series have a fantasy setting. She created the show's main setting, Riddle World, with the original idea that everything in the series would involve riddles and other forms of trick questions. She scrapped the idea over fears the show would get repetitive too quickly, but decided to keep the setting's name.

Maverick admitted that she was seldom reluctant to throw in ideas that could be considered bizarre. Eventually, it was decided that such ideas would be a recurring theme of several episodes but not an overly dominant one. When coming up with the main characters, she and Harlow Morrison decided to make the main cast two girls and two boys with the hopes that the show would have a general-neutral target audience. Maverick went to a nursery in Gutstone in early 1988 where she got children to draw ideas for supporting and minor characters, a few of which ended up being used in episodes.

Animation
Ashley Maverick drew a lot of the characters and backgrounds herself, although polishing up the cels and adding professional colour was done by other professionals. The series was produced entirely in Kuboia with no outsourcing at all. Maverick claims she has a technique where she can draw characters and objects professionally in a quick and efficient manner, though has never revealed what said technique is.

Most of the show's characters are drawn with round black ovals as eyes, which Maverick went with because they were easy to draw and felt that given the characters more realistic eyes made them look "ugly" and "too anime-esque". This became a staple for most Kuboian animated series in the future.

Target demographic
When creating the series, Maverick was not told whether to target the show towards older or younger children. She decided to form a "middle ground" by making the series fairly lighthearted and toning the setting to a preschool level, but also having several fantasy elements and occasionally feature darker moments in episodes. Future Kubokartoonz animated series, as well as many Kuboian animated series in general, would follow this trend.

Casting
Originally Maverick and Morrison were going to voice a majority of the series' characters themselves, but Maverick thought that children would be bored "hearing the same two voices constantly", so Morrison personally spent money hiring voice actors.

Whilst Maverick voiced Kacie, she and Morrison were able to hire Edward Reizer as Mr. Riddles, Charlie Karma as Onita, Melissa Emery as Tenet and Avoc Westwind as Paddy. All four went on to voice characters in future animated shows produced by Kubokartoonz. The supporting cast were mostly voiced by Gutstonian locals hired by Morrison, including Bruno Leon Vidal, who voiced multiple supporting characters. Vidal said he enjoyed his job so much that he agreed to continue doing it for free after Morrison said they may not have enough money to continue paying him, although he later said he was still paid for every episode his voice was heard in.

Reizer has since adapted the nickname Tone Riddles, which he based off the character of Mr. Riddles.

Music
Most of the music heard in The Incredible World of Riddles was composed by Wilfried Montgomery, who took inspiration from the music in both Disney films and programmes produced by DiC Entertainment. Later specials also feature new compositions that take inspiration from the disco and house music genres. Giorgio Moroder's 1978 single "Chase" can be heard in the special The Test of Time, and a remixed version by Montogomery appears in several episodes of the television series.

When describing the soundtrack for the franchise in a 1993 interviee, Ashley Maverick said that it cleverly blends "classic tunes that sound like they're from Winnie-the-Pooh" with "futuristic dance anthems".

The Golden Key (1989)
The franchise's first special, The Golden Key, premiered on 25th March 1989. In the special, Mr. Riddles reveals that he has found the key to the Diamond King's abandoned castle. Kacie, Onita, Paddy and Tenet explore the castle, finding clues on how to open the castle's basement. Eventually, Kacie unlocks it simply by laying her hand on it.

Kacie and Tenet's Grand Adventure (1989)
Kacie and Tenet's Grand Adventure, the second special, premiered on 17th June 1989, and marks the debut of the franchise's main villain, Synther. After he discovers that Kacie has reclaimed the Diamond Wand, Synther kidnaps Tenet to lure Kacie into a trap so he can see how competent she is. Meanwhile, Kacie initially has difficulty using the wand's powers and ends up having to solve problems without using it.

The Test of Time (1990)
The Test of Time premiered on 14th April 1990. Kacie reveals the existence of Riddle World to her mother Katrien. Meanwhile, time in Riddle World slowly collapses due to the Great Tic Toc Clock breaking due to old age. Kacie and her mother work with Paddy to restore time, although Kacie and Katrien have difficulty admitting their flaws to one another. Elsewhere, Onita and Tenet learn to improve on their confidence and independence.

The Fright Before Christmas (1990)
The Fright Before Christmas, a Christmas special and the last of the original four specials, premiered on 24th December 1990. In the special, Kacie tries to find the best present for everybody, whilst Yowie, one of Riddle World's inhabitants, manages to obtain one of the Diamond King's Magic Diamonds.

Television series
The television series aired on Bumper's Block, with new episodes airing from 14th September 1991 to 11th April 1992. A total of twenty-four episodes were produced, each running for approximately fifteen minutes each. Episodes were divided into four "volumes", each with six episodes each. According to Ashley Maverick, the six episodes in each volume were produced around the same time with similar production values. When the series was released on VHS in the 1990s, all six episodes in each volume were paired together.

When the entire series was released on DVD in 2006, they came with several extras, including four "All About..." shorts in which Kacie, Tenet, Onita and Paddy all describe who they are and some of their most notable moments in the specials and television series. All four of their voice actors reprise their roles as the characters.

Televised feature films

 * Kacie Forever (1993)
 * Crystal Clear: An Incredible World of Riddles Story (2018)

Stay Safe with Kacie
On 13th November 2020, a ten-minute animated short titled Stay Safe with Kacie was uploaded to Ashley Maverick's personal YouTube channel. The short depicts Kacie finding ways to have fun whilst spending time alone. Maverick, who reprises her role as Kacie, worked on the short throughout the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Other films
Other media in the Incredible World of Riddles franchise include interactive DVDs, edicational films and special made-for-attraction short films. In almost all cases, the cast from the mainline series reprise their roles as their respective characters.

United Kingdom
The Incredible World of Riddles debuted on Children's BBC in the autumn of 1989. From there, specials and episodes would usually premiere on Saturday afternoons roughly a week after their Kuboian premiere. It reran on CBBC until late 2001, and then aired on CBeebies from February 2002 until October 2004.

The Incredible World of Riddles later aired in the United Kingdom on POP! from 2003, with reruns airing on Tiny Pop until 2010. Since 2021, BBC Four has returned to showing the episodes and specials on a sporadic basis.

Canada
The Incredible World of Riddles had a long run in Canada, first appearing on Hodge Podge Lodge (later called CBC Playground) from 1991 until 2000. It also aired on the Family Channel round about the same time. Reruns aired on Treehouse TV from 2001 until 2010, and also ran for a short period on Teletoon Retro around 2010 and 2011.

United States
In the United States, the show aired on The Disney Channel from 1991 until 1997, and later on Toon Disney from 1998 to 2002.

European countries
The Incredible World of Riddles aired on TF1 in France, Super RTL in Germany, Italia 1 in Italy, Nederland 3 in the Netherlands and Channel One in Russia.

In 1999, Disney acquired the rights to air the series in several European markets, with both the series airing on Playhouse Disney in several markets, including Spain.

Other international airings
In Brazil, the series had a successful run on Rede Globo that lasted for over twenty years. In Japan meanwhile, it aired on TV Asahi. It also aired on ABC in Australia and Spacetoon in the Arab world.

Legacy
Because of the franchises's popularity, The Incredible World of Riddles saw many reruns on TVVC even long after it ended. The series aired on Tiny Vision from 1997 to 1999 and then on KT from 1999 to 2008. TVVC still shows episodes and specials to this day, albeit sporadically and often on special occasions such as Christmas and New Year.

According to many sources, The Incredible World of Riddles set the standards for Kuboian animation, with many cartoons produced in the country taking some form of inspiration from the series, particularly the characters, tone and setting. Ashley Maverick and Harlow Morrison expressed shock over its legacy, and never believed it would become very popular, with Maverick noting in 2018 that it was "just a cartoon that we were told to make because Vision needed something to air".

Several elements of the franchise, including its large forest environments, the pseudo-flirtatious nature of several characters and the presence of gravy spiders and deer burgers have since evolved into stereotypes associated with Kuboians and their culture.

In 1997, Kacie became the first (and currently only) fictional character to be included in the Kunning Hall of Fame.

Cult following
Since its original premiere, The Incredible World of Riddles has received a cult following amongst young adults, who find amusement in its bright and vibrant setting and unusual design of some of the characters, believing that it has "trippy" qualities. It also has a cult following in the LGBT community, with several people likening the main children characters as being bisexual, homosexual and/or pansexual due to the effeminate nature of Paddy and Tenet and due to several scenes where Kacie and Onita appear to be flirting with each other. In response, Maverick states that implications that the children were "not straight" were accidental, and that the franchise is "definitely not a LSD trip".

The Incredible World of Riddles has also proven popular amongst Brazilian and Japanese audiences. The success of the video game The Incredible World of Riddles: Kacie's Adventure in Brazil led to more people in the country being aware of the franchise.

Controversy and censorship
Although the The Incredible World of Riddles is marketed as a preschool-friendly series in Kuboia, both the specials and television series have been criticised in the United Kingdom and United States for featuring content several parents considered unsuitable for young children. One common source of complaints includes a scene in The Test of Time, where Mr. Riddles appears to be slightly under the influence of alcohol during a party. Following complaints, Ashley Maverick personally edited the scene herself to change the alcohol into a fruit juice and getting Edward Reizer to re-record his lines to make him sound more stable. The edited version was used on CBBC and CBeebies, although TVVC continued to air the original uncensored version.

The franchise has also been cited as having imagery that could frighten younger children due to the odd and over-the-top designs and voices of certain characters, particularly Chica and Whammy. A reporter for KBG News likened Whammy to the Lion from the "Lion and the Bear" segments from the Teletubbies.

Several specials and episodes feature moments in which Kacie's panties are briefly visible, which Maverick also ended up editing out for international markets.

Riddle Day
Since 1999, the 25th of March has been celebrated by fans of the franchise as "Riddle Day". It was conceived through what was originally intended to be a one-off celebration in Reichetto where fans of the show gathered together for multiple events to mark the tenth anniversary of the premiere of The Golden Key. Both Ashley Maverick and Harlow Morrison have sinced endorsed and attended the event every year. No "Riddle Day" celebrations ran in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, whilst the 2021 event was delayed to 17th June for similar reasons.

Advertisements
From 2003 to 2007, the cast reprised their roles as their respective characters for a series of advertisements for Blasteroid drinks.

Kacie was featured in an advertising campaign promoting the switch to digital television in Kuboia from 2018 to 2023. Maverick reprised her role as Kacie several times during said period for television advertisements.

Books
A series of annuals based on The Incredible World of Riddles was published from 1993 to 2004 in Kuboia and some other countries like the United Kingdom and Australia. These contain a variety of actviites, including puzzles, quizzes and some trivia based on the franchise.

A series of books targeted towards younger readers based on the franchise were published during the 1990s under the "Welcome to Reading" brand. These did not necessarily follow the chornology and plot of the main series of shorts and specials, instead often featuring some of the characters in a more ambiguous setting. These books featured full colour illustrations which were drawned by Ashley Maverick herself.

Other books, such as colouring books, were also published worldwide.

Indoor attractions
A few kiddie rides based on The Incredible World of Riddles were produced and sold throughout Europe in the 1990s and 2000s.

An official restaurant themed after the franchise, Fantasy Feast, was opened in Reichetto in 2002, and has since became a popular tourist attraction. It consists of a variety of European cuisine, such as German-style hamburgers and British-style fried fish, whilst side dishes such as french fries, garlic bread, macaroni cheese and bitterballen are helped from a buffet. The restaurant also offers free refills on all soft drinks, although it does not serve any alcohol aside from biz. Additionally, some tables come with a TV which allows guests to watch specials and episodes. The restaurant also has a merchandise shop.

Other merchanide
Kubokartoonz have produced official The Incredible World of Riddles merchandise since the 1990s, including toys and puzzles, board games, playsets, posters, costumes and other items. A wide range of merchandise based on the show is sold in Kubokartoonz World.

Tropes

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