Toxic Crusaders is an animated series based on The Toxic Avenger films. It features Toxie, the lead character of the films leading a group of misfit superheroes who combat pollution. This followed a trend of environmentally considerate cartoons and comics of the time, including Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Swamp Thing, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. As this incarnation was aimed at children, Toxic Crusaders is considerably tamer than the edgy films it was based on (although it nevertheless contain many adult-oriented jokes that would go over most children's heads). Thirteen episodes were produced and aired, with at least a few episodes airing as a "trial run" in Summer 1990 followed by the official debut on January 21, 1991. It aired on YTV 1991 to 1997 in Canada.
Prior to Toxic Crusaders, cartoons based on R-rated (under-17s must be accompanied) films had indeed been attempted with programs like Rambo: The Force of Freedom. However, the content of the Toxic Avenger films was arguably more controversial than many such films, featuring strong sexual content in addition to intense violence. Created by New York-based Troma, Inc., a company famous for such low-budget classic films as Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, Class of Nuke 'Em High, and Sgt. Kabukiman, NYPD, the animated Toxic Crusaders departed significantly from its live-action source.
Toxic Crusaders refers to a series of side-scrolling, beat 'em up/shoot 'em up/platform video games based on the American cartoon series Toxic Crusaders (1991), and Troma Entertainment's 1984 film The Toxic Avenger. The games were developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy and Sega Genesis, respectively by TOSE, Realtime Associates, and Infogrames, and released in 1992. Bandai released the NES and Game Boy games, while Sega handled the Genesis game.