Cartoons

Biography

Cartoons, also known as Cartoons DK, are a Danish Eurodance band, best known for their song "DooDah" and their cover of the 1958 novelty song "Witch Doctor×Witch Doctor1998 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks1Witch Doctor (radio mix)3:082Witch Doctor (extended mix)4:12", both hits released in 1998.
The group wears outlandish plastic costumes and wigs in live performances as caricatures of 1950s American rock and roll stars.

History

Cartoons started out as the Scooters in the late 1980s, playing rockabilly music from the 50s and 60s. In 1994, the Scooters released the album Live at Woodstock, and in 1997, they changed their name to Cartoons. Their musical style switched from rockabilly to "technobilly", their own expression of rock and roll mixed with Eurodance; many of their songs are remakes of old rockabilly hits that they covered as the Scooters. The group was first signed to FLEX Records, moving later to EMI Denmark.
Their most notable single to date is their cover version of Ross Bagdasarian's novelty song "Witch Doctor×Witch Doctor1998 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks1Witch Doctor (radio mix)3:082Witch Doctor (extended mix)4:12", which reached No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart.
It features a combination of the original's "oo-ee-oo-ah-ah, ting-tang, walla-walla, bing-bang" chorus (albeit lacking the record's double-speed playback of the chorus), driving dance beat and occasional guitar breaks. The group had further success in the UK with the Top 10 hit "Doodah" (a cover version of the American folk song "Camptown Races", adapted with completely different lyrics), the Top 20 hit "Aisy Waisy×Aisy Waisy11 August 1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Aisy Waisy (Stimulater's Radio Mix)2:572Aisy Waisy (Original Radio Mix)2:543Aisy Waisy (Stimulater's Extended Mix)4:034CD-ROM Cartoons Prijsvraag", which was performed on Jim Davidson's Generation Game, and a Top 20 debut album, Toonage×Toonage1998 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Witch Doctor3:072DooDah3:133Hold Me3:074Ramalama Daisy3:445Yoko3:286Who Put the Bomp3:487De Do Do Do De Da Da Da3:218Let's Go Childish3:069Aisy Waisy2:5710Listen to My Heart4:23 (later rereleased with extra tracks as More Toonage×More Toonage1999 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Witch Doctor3:072Doodah3:133Hold Me3:074Ramalama Daisy3:435Yoko3:266Who Put the Bomp3:487De Do Do Do De Da Da Da3:218Let's Go Childish3:069Aisy Waisy2:5710Listen to My Heart4:2111Santa Claus Is Coming to Town2:4512Just Can't Wait3:3113Millenium Megamix4:5714Tutto Passera (Italian Version Of Witch Docktor)3:0715Aisy Waisy (Stimulater's Radio Mix)2:57).
The group's second album, Toontastic×Toontastic2000 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Intro0:332Diddley-Dee3:033Little Red Ridinghood3:194Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep3:195Mama Loo3:176Alehla3:027Hippie From Mississippi3:358Breaking Up Is Hard to Do2:449Big Coconuts3:2010Eany Meany3:3911Shooby Dooby Baby3:08, did not match the success of its predecessor, but several notable hits were released from it, including "Diddley-Dee×Diddley-DeeOctober 2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Diddley-Dee (Radio)3:032Diddley-Dee (Extended)4:58", "Little Red Ridinghood", "Big Coconuts×Big Coconuts2001 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Big Coconuts3:212Hippie from Mississippi3:343Breaking Up Is Hard To Do2:43", Lally Stott's "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" and a reworked cover of Les Humphries Singers' "Mama Loo". The group was one of several artists to contribute to the soundtrack of the 2000 animated film Help! I'm a Fish, with the track "Wobble-Di-Bubble-Di-Doo".
Cartoons disbanded in 2001, with the reasons remaining initially unclear. Toonie and Sponge later revealed in a Danish TV interview that the group had planned a US tour, but these plans were cancelled following the September 11 attacks. The group briefly reunited in 2005 to promote their Greatest Toons album, released by CMC Entertainment, which featured three new tracks, including the single "Day Oh". They performed a number of shows throughout Europe, including appearances at Bonbonland and the Jelling Musikfestival.
In July 2016, Karina Jensen died of cancer, which she had been diagnosed with in 2012. She was survived by her husband and two children. In 2018, the group returned once again to perform at the "We Love the 90s" festival in Aalborg, Denmark. In April 2019, Erling Jensen died of lymphoma; he was 50 years old. Later that year, another compilation album, De Bedste, was released by Warner Music Group and X5 Music Group; it included a remix of their cover version of the Police's "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" by Sponge.
In 2020, the group returned to the studio with original producer Kenneth Bager to record a new single, "Shots×Shots24 February 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Shots3:20", which was released in 2023. Later that year, they collaborated with Marnage to produce a faster version of "DooDah", titled "DooDah 2K23×Doodah 2k2325 August 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Doodah 2k232:02".
In 2025, the group released another new single, "Gettin Saxy×Gettin Saxy23 May 2025 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Gettin Saxy2:25". Later that year, they collaborated with Tobias Bjerre and Morten Münster to produce a brand new version of "DooDah" with new lyrics in Danish (albeit with the song's chorus in English), titled "DUDA".
As of 2025, Jesper Dukholt is the sole original member. Martin Østengaard, while no longer an active member of the group, remains as a composer.

Members

True to their name, the personnel of Cartoons has cartoon-inspired nicknames. The line-up is:

Toonie – lead vocals and backing vocals
Sponge – saxophone, keyboards and bass vocals
Shooter – lead guitar and backing vocals
Buzz – double bass and occasional backing vocals
Puddy – backing vocals
Boop – backing vocals