I honestly had no idea “Wacky World of Ronald McDonald” was a series of VHS video tapes released with almost ten volumes. I only remember in the Halloween of 1998 when the McDonald’s around the corner from where I lived began selling “Scared Silly” as an exclusive gift parents could buy for their kids. Though I am an animation nut and will try any animated movie or show at least once, this series seemed kind of like pandering to me, then. Much to my surprise, this series was animated and scored by the folks at Klasky Csupo, the amazing team behind “Rugrats” and “Aaah! Real Monsters!”
Watching it many years after its initial release at McDonald’s, I’m surprised how entertaining the cartoon is. At almost an hour in length, the opening introduction is similar to “Pee Wee’s Play House.” Ronald McDonald lives in an M shaped house, with his own cynical talking dog, and has his own devices that allow him to get up and start the day. He begins planning a camping trip with his friends from the McDonald’s land, and once he steps out of his house, he’s an animated character. The animation on the series is on par with usual Klasky Csupo animation. Their style is whimsical and original, and works toward seasonal series wonderfully. They also bring with them an incredible respective team of voice actors like Maurice LaMarche, Kathy Soucie, Charlie Adlard, Pamela Adlon, and Dee Bradley Baker, just to name a few.
They voice the more memorable characters from McDonald’s land including the Ham Burglar, the Fry Kids, and Grimace, of course. When Ronald and his friends go camping, they run across the Far Flung Phantom, who begins haunting them and chases them in to a local mansion. There, they engage in mad cap comedy, dodging ghosts, and following the mentally challenging riddles by a floating head that makes them put their teamwork to the test. Most of the riddles involve food clues of some kind, and the inevitable reward is the realization that their friendship is important. All things considered while the episode packs in a ton of McDonald’s subliminal imagery, “Scared Silly” is a fun and funny Halloween themed adventure in the tradition of Klasky Csupo who are no stranger to unique and entertaining adventures.