The character later spun off into an independent comic book series, multiple TV adaptations, and a video game.
In 1986, eighteen-year-old cartoonist Ben Edlund created the Tick as a mascot for a newsletter of the Brockton (Massachusetts) store New England Comics, where he was a frequent customer.
Edlund expanded this into stories, beginning with the three-page tale "The Tick" in New England Comics Newsletter #14–15 (July–August – September–October 1986), in which the hero escapes from a mental institution.
[2] The character became popular and the store financed a black-and-white comic book series, with the first issue released in June, 1988, and subsequently reprinted at least nine times through the next decade, including later editions with additional content.
Edlund continued to write and illustrate these projects initially through his years as an undergraduate film student at the Massachusetts College of Art.
Townsend Coleman voiced the title character and Micky Dolenz played his sidekick Arthur, in season 1.
Edlund did not secure ownership rights to said characters, and they are now owned by the animated studio Saban, who made the series.
Due to rights issues, original characters from the Fox cartoon series could not appear in the live action series; forcing Edlund to create similar characters: Nestor Carbonell as Batmanuel (a stand-in for Die Fledermaus) and Liz Vassey as Captain Liberty (a stand-in for American Maid).
The following year, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the first season of The Tick animated series on DVD.
[4][5] He is well-intended, friendly, childlike, good-natured, high-spirited, bombastic, frequently obtuse, and prone to quipping odd, dim remarks and "inspirational" speeches filled with bizarre metaphors.
Arthur wears a white moth suit that allows him to fly; however, he is often mistaken for a bunny due to the long ear-like antennae of his costume and the fact that his wings are often folded up.
The Tick possesses superhuman strength and mass, which makes him capable of inflicting great damage on his surroundings if he is not careful.
His full strength is never actually quantified, although he is capable of lifting whole cars with a single hand and comfortably bending steel girders.
In the pilot of the 2016 series, The Tick claims to have the strength of "ten, perhaps twenty men—a crowded bus stop of men".
Empire magazine ranked him as the 28th-greatest comic book character of all time, stating that the Tick is a lovable lunk, given to overly dramatic declarations on behalf of justice.
Action figures, stickers, pogs, T-shirts, hats, party favors, costumes, and a board game were created.
In addition, many fast food restaurant chains, such as Carl's Jr. and Taco Bell offered Tick-related giveaways.