Chicken Scratch

Chicken Scratch is a Dexter's Laboratory animated short released on July 3, 2002 along with the theatrical film The Powerpuff Girls Movie. It was aired on November 4, 2003 on Cartoon Network.

Synopsis
Dexter gets the chicken pox and tries to find a way to cure it.

Plot
The episode begins with Dexter waking up in morning scratching himself and going to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He realizes some strange red dots on his body and is about to investigate the spots, but when he hears Dee Dee about to come into his room, he covers his body with toilet paper and orders Dee Dee out. But when Dexter begin to walk, the toilet paper falls off his body and Dee Dee sees it. Dee Dee tells him that Dexter has the chicken pox and tells him an untrue story about three evil contaminated chickens that escape from prison and begins breaking into people's house and begins to peck itchy spots on people. And when you scratch the spots, you will become an evil contaminated chicken yourself. Dee Dee also tells Dexter if he doesn't want to become an evil contaminated chicken he should not scratch his chicken pox. So he doesn't. He tried to keep himself occupied, but the itchiness was so great that he couldn't take it anymore and then he scratches like crazy, until Dexter really does turn into a chicken!

Cast

 * Candi Milo and Christine Cavanaugh (in archive sound) as Dexter
 * Allison Moore as Dee Dee
 * Tom Kenny as Robot

Theatrical release
This short film was released into theaters on July 3, 2002 with The Powerpuff Girls Movie.

Home video releases
This short film was released on VHS and DVD on November 5, 2002 with The Powerpuff Girls Movie.

Trivia

 * This short film was released into theaters on July 3, 2002 with The Powerpuff Girls Movie. It is also playable with the DVD.
 * At the near end, while Dexter scratches himself, Christine Cavanaugh does Dexter's laughing. This audio was recycled from the episode The Laughing.
 * This is the Cartoon Network's first theatrical short.
 * Due to working on Samurai Jack, this, along with "Comedy of Feathers", is the only episode Genndy Tartakovsky was involved in after Ego Trip, even animating some of the episode himself.

Production Notes

 * Strangely enough, this short, produced in 2002, has an old-film video effect on the screen, just like older episodes from 1996. It was even animated in a similar way to a classic cartoon because it was a theatrical short being released with The Powerpuff Girls Movie in theaters. Because of this, it would be like the 1966 Dr. Seuss TV special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
 * Although "The Lab of Tomorrow" and "Garage Sale" aired on November 4, 2003, they were actually made in same year in the credits. According to the credits, the animated short made in 2002 "Chicken Scratch" is re-released on November 4, 2003.

Goofs/Errors

 * When Dexter says "A new invention must be created", his lip sync is off.