History of Animation

Comments for Blog Post # 12

2005-12-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

This week I commented on Ryan's blog post # 12 and Sarah's blog post # 12.

Robotech Blog Post # 12

2005-12-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

Last Blog I wrote about a great animated series called Voltron. Even though I loved Voltron, it could not compare to the complexities and drama of Robotech. Robotech was the end-all-be-all space opera. For those who don't know, Robotech was an 85-episode science-fiction television series about three successive extraterrestrial invasions of Earth. It was one of the first anime released in the United States to largely preserve the complexity and drama of its original Japanese source material. Robotech was a story adapted with edited content and revised dialogue from the animation of three different mecha anime series in Japan: The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada. American writers adapted the scripts of the three Japanese series into one cohesive plot and did a fantastic job doing it. This combination of the three Japanese series resulted in a storyline that spanned three generations. The plot follows the three generations of humans. Robotech starts with an alien starship landing on Earth. Humans rebuild the ship and learn parts of its technology. When a race of giants comes looking for the ship, the humans defeat them by using human emotions and music to off balance them. The 2nd Generation is about their children, while the parents have gone to find the homeworld of the giant soldiers' makers, the Robotech Masters. The Masters have come to Earth, however, and the Southern Cross must fight them off. The 3rd Generation is about the space-going humans coming back home to find out Earth has been taken over by yet another alien species. Throughout the series a mysterious power source, Protoculture, and its technological use, called Robotechnology, is paramount. Robotech deals with the causes and consequences of war on people and was definately a "serious" cartoon and has no equal. It was probably one of the greatest series of my lifetime and I have quite a few favorites.

While anime shows were brought to the US as early as the 1960s such as Astro Boy, Speed Racer, and Kimba the White Lion most were heavily edited for American audiences, with violence, deaths of major characters, sexual references, etc., completely edited out for what was assumed to be an audience of young children. Robotech broke with this tradition by leaving in some of those elements, and is thought by many to be the show that kicked off American interest in Japanese animation. It took bold steps in the somewhat conservative realm of American cartoon timeslots - major characters died, Earth was annihilated, and characters fought the odds and won. The show was extremely mature and the storylines, characters, and themes were complex. The relationships between the main characters and how the situations either brought them closer or apart actually kept my interest just to see what was gonna happen next. The animation was always superd and the show had some of the best voice acting done in any animated series to be brought over to the U.S not to mention the perfect mood-setting songs. What made the show so popular then, and still makes it amazingly popular, is a combination of storyline, mecha, characters, and music that people connected to. This was one anime I do not think I will ever forget and if you only see one series from my numerous blog posts and recommendations, then please please make it this one. You won't be disappointed.

Comments for Blog Post # 11

2005-11-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

This week I commented on Travis' blog post # 10 and Sarah's blog post # 10.

Voltron Blog Post # 11

2005-11-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend, the legend of Voltron, defender of the universe!. "Voltron -- Defender Of The Universe" was one of my favorite animated series of all time thanks to the excellent storylines, great voices, exciting action scenes and best of all, a highly memorable music theme. It was a series that should never have been cancelled. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore....Today nobody cares." (Maltan p.346) Voltron first appeared in the U.S. in the early 1980's but originated from Japan. The majority of the animation was done in Japan, and it's visibly obvious due to the anime style it was drawn in and also the occasional pantie-shots which were totally unheard of in American animation at the time but were frequently in Japanese anime. This was an extremely popular cartoon during the 80's.

The overall storyline was fairly simple although each episode contained some complex issues between the relationships of the characters (of which there were many) and also the underlying meaning of the show. The evil King Zarkon wants to rule over planet Arus, but to do so he must first defeat Voltron the legendary robot, defender of the universe. Zarkon continuously failed to defeat Voltron, and eventually his son Lotar, and his loyal witch servant Hagar took over in the attempts. Voltron was a formula series, meaning that each episode relied on a simple formula. Lotar would try to defeat Voltron using conventional methods, and fail. Then he would send a "robeast" against Voltron, and Hagar would use her magic to make the robeast larger. Voltron would then proceed to obliterate said monster. Simple yet very effective.

Voltron consisted of 5 separate lions, each manually controlled by a single pilot. The lions united to form one giant super robot "Voltron". The Voltron Force would first battle the monster with the five lions. When this did not work, they would merge the five lions into Voltron. They would commence to utterly wipe-out the invader with some very cool moves. The best weapon Voltron had was his energy sword and when he pulled this out you knew the battle was almost over. Voltron is such an impressive looking robot when he is formed, as are the individual robot lions. The transformation into Voltron was one of the coolest parts of the show. Other memorable scenes from this cartoon include the Castle of Lions, Planet doom, and the many evil beasts that the bad-guys released on Voltron. The animation was simply stunning at times.With something like 50 or more episodes made, they really did have some inventive ideas to which they portrayed beautifully. Even though it was recycled footage every time, the electricity, energy and transformation of the robot lions into feet, legs, arms, torso and head always looked and sounded great to me. Yeah, it was predictable, but it was always so friggin' cool! I still enjoy watching an episode or two of Voltron today whenever I can catch it on (which is very rare these days). I think Voltron is one of the most underrated cartoons, and if you like animated sci-fi adventures, I strongly recommend watching Voltron.

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. (Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 10

2005-11-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

This week I commented on Nghinh's Post #10 http://nluu.blogspot.com and on Eyma's Post #9 http://erafi.typepad.com.

The Tick Blog Post # 10

2005-11-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

A square-jawed, muscular man in a bright blue bodysuit, with antennae sticking up from his head, the Tick is an absurdist parody of superheroes and a comic book satyr. The Tick is high-spirited, frequently obtuse, and is prone to making odd, dim remarks and inspirational speeches filled with confusing, bizarre metaphors. His superpowers are nigh-invulnerability, which allows him to crash and bang about without injury, super strength, and something referred to as "drama power", or basically a tendency for the Tick's powers to increase as the situation becomes more dramatic. Oddly, his battle cry is "Spoooooon!" though I never really figured out why. Like many superheroes, The Tick has a sidekick: an accountant named Arthur, who wears a moth suit that allows him to fly, although he is often mistaken for a rabbit due to the long ears of his costume and the fact that his wings are often folded up inside a backpack. The Tick is impulsive, and Arthur serves as a sort of conscience; the hero often irks his sidekick. Arthur's "battle cry" is "Not in the face! Not in the face!" The Tick and Arthur were made popular by an animated television series (1994–96) which aired on the Fox Network.

In all of his incarnations, The Tick is surrounded by a cast of equally absurd superheroes and villains, many of them parodies of popular comic book characters and character types. The Tick lives in a city called, literally, "The City". In the animated series, this is the place all of the "reject" superheroes (and presumably the supervillains) are sent after their trial (a prospective superhero/villain needs to present themselves to a special council and exhibit their powers and nature. The council then decides whether the inductee is worthy of joining their ranks. Successful inductees are assigned to a specific territory, failures are sent to The City where they can't cause any harm or get in any real hero/villain's way).This parody of comic-books old and new utilizes wonderful references both to specific super-heroes and to the absurd conceptual logic behind the creation of comic-book characters. The voices are perfectly cast and the animation (while repetitive or slow at times) captures the illogical (and often insane) nature of the Tick's world. I would say (after reading the comics and seeing the live action attempts) that the cartoon series stands at the top of the heap, bringing motion of intercharacter relationships to the mix, while still remaining true to the original ideas of the author (without becoming too corny).

The show is not for everyone, mind you. You will either understand the humor and love it, or not get it and quickly turn the channel. I was hooked on it from day one. The show had memorable characters, villains and very witty dialogue. It often left me thinking to myself that many kids were not going to get the humor because the show came off as more of a comic book satire than a kiddie show. The show did offer enough action and colorful characters to appeal to the Saturday morning crowd, though.This show will always be one of my all-time favorites because of its satirical humor and memorable characters. This was a series that was too sophisticated for its environment. It didn't really fit in with the Saturday Morning kiddie fare and should have been shown in prime time. Still, it was worth getting up Saturday Morning to catch it. The show could have lasted if it was in prime time. More adults watched this show then kids did. Fox even had a small commercial showing two adults watching the show after sending their kids off to someone else's home so that they could watch it with out the kids interrupting them. This show could have lasted if only the people knew how to market it right. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore....Today nobody cares." (Maltan p.346)

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. (Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 9

2005-11-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

This week I commented on Charla's Blog Post # 9 and Ryan's Blog Post # 8.

Jim Henson's Muppet Babies Blog Post # 9

2005-11-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

Muppet Babies is, in my opinion, one of the best cartoon shows ever made, and when I was a child, it was definitely my favorite. Every episode was full of humor, imagination, wonderful music, and so much more. The music provided was very pleasing to the ear, very catchy and the show also addressed issues that children need to learn in a very tactful manner. One of the most admirable aspects of the show was the way that the show praised and encouraged the imagination. Every episode included the imagination of at least one of the Muppet babies, and each has their own personalities. That series sparked my imagination and it was so educational how they included culture as part of the episodes and taught simple everyday life lessons. Most importantly, Muppet Babies taught children who watched it important moral and social values. Jim Henson combined the humor of his Muppet characters with the innocence of childhood and succeeded in creating a sensational children's program.

For those who don’t know or have been in cave there whole lives, Jim Henson's Muppet Babies is an American animated television program that aired from 1984 to 1991 and portrayed childhood versions of the Muppets living together in a nursery under the watchful eye of “Nanny”. Nanny appeared in every episode yet viewers never saw here face only her striped socks or stockings. I loved Barbara Billingsley as Nanny. I always wished we could see her face, but maybe it was better that we couldn't. I still remember the episode where she explained why there are earthquakes. It was simple and in a way a child could understand. The Babies had active imaginations, and often embarked on adventures into imaginary worlds and perilous situations. They were often saved at the last minute after Nanny would come to see what the noise was which brought them back to reality, revealing that, for instance, the giant squid that had them in its tentacles was really just the tail end of a curtain. As an animated television series, Muppet Babies was unusual in that it frequently incorporated real footage from old films, and occasionally spoofed popular fictional characters and Hollywood films, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, and Beetlejuice. A running gag in the show involved one of the Babies, usually Gonzo, opening the closet door in search of something only to meet film footage depicting something scary and unexpected behind the door. Another running gag involves aspiring comedian Fozzie trying to tell jokes to an (imaginary) audience, only for them to boo him and throw rotten tomatoes at him. Another notable feature of this show is that it started a trend for relaunching popular character franchises as younger versions of themselves. This trend can be seen in A Pup Named Scooby Doo, Baby Looney Tunes, Flintstones Kids, and numerous others.

This show really was just incredible because it encouraged children to use their imaginations. Not many kids are into make believe anymore but muppet babies was a great show that promoted creativity. The Muppet Babies inspired many of my childhood adventures and fondest memories and pushed my imagination to the limits. I continued to watch this show well into my teens until they took it off the air. They really need to put this show back on the air and release all the episodes on DVD so that today's generation can experience the magic of it and be encouraged to unlock their imaginations. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore....Today nobody cares."

(Maltin p. 346)(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 8

2005-10-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

This week I commented on Travis' blog post #7 and Charla's blog post # 8.

The Adventures of Jonny Quest Blog Post # 8

2005-10-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

Jonny Quest first aired in 1964 and was an almost instant success, both critically and ratings-wise. It was cancelled after only one season, not because of poor ratings, but because of the fact that each episode of the show went over budget with regularity and also because the series attracted the ire of parental watchdog groups for its mature content. Notably more realistic and detailed than previous Hanna-Barbera prime time programs such as The Flintstones and The Jetsons, Jonny Quest required an attention to detail that the networks of the time were unable to afford. Being on Saturday morning, Jonny Quest became one of the main targets of parental watchdog groups. With its multiple on-screen deaths, murder attempts, uses of firearms and deadly weapons, as well tense moments, Jonny Quest was decried as the epitome of what was wrong with Saturday morning cartoons (see my first blog post), regardless of the fact that it indeed was not an original Saturday morning cartoon. The reruns were taken off the air in 1972, but returned to Saturday morning, in edited form, periodically afterwards.

Jonny Quest was a science fiction animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera. JQ was designed to evoke both the feeling of a dramatic adventure radio series and the fantasy of a comic book and succeeded on both fronts. Unlike earlier Hanna-Barbera programs, violence was not shied away from, but was used to add suspense and impact to the show (something I love). Jonny Quest is an eleven-year-old boy, the son of Dr. Benton Quest, one of the top scientists in the world, and something of a Renaissance man; his scientific and technical know-how spans many fields. Mrs. Quest is dead, the apparent victim of one of the many plots against Dr. Quest, and seldom mentioned in the story. These plots on his life made it necessary for Dr. Quest and his son to be assigned a bodyguard. The bodyguard was Race Bannon, a former intelligence agent who guards Dr. Quest, his son Johnny as well as his adopted son, an Indian boy named Hadji Singh, who is seldom seen without his jeweled turban. The character Hadji is noted as being the first major non-white character to be presented as an equal sympathetic participant in stories on American television. Another key character is Jonny’s bulldog puppy named Bandit who always gets into trouble. The Quests have a compound in the Florida Keys but Dr. Quest travels the globe studying scientific mysteries, which get him into scrapes with foes that range from espionage robots and electrical monsters to Egyptian mummies. Although most menaces were unique to the episode, one occasionally recurring foe is known as Dr. Zin, an Oriental mastermind. Several elements of Jonny Quest have become parts of American pop culture. The original 1960s series is notable as being representative of the Cold War, with most of the villains being of Eastern European or Chinese origin. When said villains are defeated, they, more often than not, scream a heavily accented "aiieee!" as they fall to their deaths, a scream that has been heavily parodied since.

JQ had everything. There was action, adventure, spies, bad guys, monsters (both giant and smaller), mad scientists, rockets, planes, boats, tanks, army guys, submarines, espionage, intrigue and everything else a little boy could dream of. Hard to believe but all of this was packed into only a half an hour. This was the coolest cartoon on in its day. And was there ever a better opening to a show? The instrumental opening was great and it let you know how much action was about to come your way. For that time and even today, this cartoon was of a higher caliber than the norm of "let's just entertain the kiddies with colorful images." I recommend this 60's series highly to those who want to see early Hanna-Barbera animation of action-adventure which was done with pretty decent scripts and never talked down to its audience. See all of the installments if you can but don't go to the 80's/90's versions as they pale in comparison. It is amazing that the JQ series during the 1960's was Hanna-Barbera's first foray into an adventure format and somehow it worked. Too bad the reruns aren't shown on Cartoon Network anymore. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore....Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346) This show is truly a classic that I will remember for the rest of my life.

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 7

2005-10-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

This week I commented on Travis' blog post # 6 and Noah's blog post # 7.

The Mysterious Cities Of Gold Blog Post # 7

2005-10-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

This week I may have went too far back into my childhood (is that possible) as this may be my most obscure childhood cartoon yet but I still think I can top it. Anyway, the story of the The Mysterious Cities of Gold is very loosely based on the children's novel, The King's Fifth, by Scott O'Dell. I read the book when I was younger but I’m probably the only one. Anyways, there were 39 half-hour episodes produced in the early 1980’s and the show was dubbed/subtitled in French, English, Swedish, German, and Japanese. Thus the show had and maintains a strong and loyal cult following (including me). The episodes were done in the typical anime serial style of one continuous story and the drawing style evolved from the traditional "manga" style to a more rounded and less exaggerated style over the course of the show. The story is set in the year 1532 and follows a Spanish orphan’s search for one of The Seven Cities of Gold in the New World.

The series was a mix of South American history, archaeology, and science fiction. All of which I find extremely interesting. Most of the backdrops in the series are based on real archaeological sites and artifacts, reproduced with near-photographic accuracy. They are, however, often combined and moved to suit the plot. Famous cities and their fictional counterparts include Machu Picchu in Peru, Tikal in Guatemala, as well as Chichen Itza in Mexico. The characters discover many lost technological wonders of the Aztecs, Inca, and Mayans, which included a solar powered boat called the Solaris as well as The Great Condor, a huge solar-powered airship. Both were capable of traveling considerable distances under the sun's power alone. To keep the action moving from episode to episode the protagonists are constantly pursued by the antagonists Gomez and Gaspar (who were Spaniards). They were also on an obsessive search for the Cities of Gold but for much more sinister purposes. My favorite part of the show was how they ended each episode. Every episode ended with a cliffhanger. You never knew what was gonna happen next. It might seem commonplace today to end with a cliffhanger but at the time it was very novel and definitely kept you wanting more. In fact the ending was one huge climactic cliffhanger which was never finished.

The show was extremely deep and the characters in the series are actually quite complicated and subtle. Several of the main characters switch sides several times in the story or keep ambiguous stances. This was a very new idea at the time. Also the storyline is very involved and is based upon the old Inca, Aztec, and Mayan legends about the legendary Cities of Gold. The storyline involved the lost city of Atlantis, hidden ancient artifacts more powerful then you can imagine, as well as an ancient global war which wiped out much of the known world just to name a few. There is some very intriguing ideas, theories, and storylines going on here. It has been far too long since I have seen an episode of this show on TV. There are rumors of a sequel series but I wouldn’t hold my breath. The ending of the last episode is so good that it begs to be continued. Thinking back though the show was probably too much for the younger viewers (over their heads). Guess I’ll never know what happens and I’ll never see the rest of the 7 Cities of Gold but at least I can scour EBAY to collect old videotapes of the show. Just another forgotten show of my youth. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore. . .Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346) Until next my loyal viewers (all two of you).

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 6

2005-10-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

This week I commented on Charla's blog post #6 and Travis' blog post #5.

The Herculoids Blog Post # 6

2005-10-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

The Herculoids premiered in 1967 and there were 36 episodes produced. This was one of the best cartoons to come out of the Hanna-Barbera Studios during the 60s and 70s and it is close in both story direction and content to Jonny Quest and Space Ghost. It had major storylines and its only downfall (in my opinion) is that they were done as ten-minute episodes. This cartoon has a cast of eight characters who all play crucial roles in the story. Zandar was the protagonist and the protector of the planet Quasar along with his wife Tara. Tara, unlike the other characters, was mostly worthless. She was the stereotypical damsel in distress and never did anything except get captured, forcing the Herculoids to go and rescue her and this served as the basis for almost all of the Herculoid episodes. Their son Dorno was also a troublemaker who constantly got himself into trouble and this also served as a catalyst for some episodes. It was the son, Dorno that always made me laugh. He refused to refer to his mother and father by those pronouns. It was always, "Zandor" and "Tara". Perhaps a subtle sociological message from the 60's about children's need to assert themselves in their relationship with their parents or something like that. The other five stars of the show “the Herculoids” (from which the show is named) are Igoo ape made from rock, Tundro the eight legged monster that was a cross between a rhino and a triceratops, Zok the dragon, who has lasers emit from his eyes and tail, and last (but no way least) two goo-like creatures named Gloop and Gleep who would always stretch and use their bodies to catch the humans when they fell or encircled them like a shield. The creatures made the show and not only were they able to work as a team, inevitably it was one creature's power every episode that would swing the tide of battle in their favor. Also, which creature it was that played the key role in that particular episode would change from episode to episode giving it the show some amount of variety. In other words, all the creatures were invaluable.

Burned into my head when I was young, the look and feel of this show lies at the bedrock of my psyche. It used the stock 60's Hanna-Barbera "action/suspense" music and sounds straight from Jonny Quest which also happens to be a favorite of mine (the glassy, sustained laser blast; the ponderous, gradually-building horn riffs; the thunderous rockslide, etc.), but somehow didn't register as being at all derivative. It was unabashed surrealism, yet had a quality rare in most surrealist works: it was completely un-self-conscious. There was never a hint that the real world was, or ever should have been, different from the one depicted in The Herculoids. It was so simple, so basic, yet so inexplicably enthralling.

The Herculoids might be the only great example of pulp science fiction animation. Every episode featured a host of new alien nemeses with little or no explanation. Delightfully however it also featured little or none of the "master of the obvious" dialogue that plagued all the later Hanna Barbera cartoons ("Zoinks Scoob it's a sea monster..."). The animation has a certain comik-book feel to it which came off very warm. You won't find the nightmarish rainbow palette that many of today’s cartoons are subjected to. The quality of each episode is consistently high given the archetypal characters, stories etc. In fact, it is precisely the simplistic pulpiness that kept me wide-awake even at ridiculous hours of the morning. The imaginative landscapes and creatures hooked me as a boy, and have yet to let go. Unfortunately for the show (and me) it incurred the wrath of the politically correct crowd at the time for being "too violent". The idea of dinosaurs shooting laser beams at each other was considered improper by the powers that be at the time in question (the late sixties). As a result, after a successful season, the show was NOT renewed for a second. Like several other cartoon series (especially those that I’m particularly fond of), it was unceremoniously dumped. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore. . .Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346) For a time Boomerang was running old episodes of the show but I haven’t seen one on in a long time (never a good sign). I can only hope that one day a DVD set will be released so that I can relive the good ole days. It goes without saying that I highly recommend this show. What classic will I unearth next week? Tune in next week, same bat channel, same bat time. Over.

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 5

2005-10-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here are the links to my comments for Travis Moore's post # 4 and for Joshua Miller's post # 4. Couldn't find any Blog posts # 5 to comment on at this time so I went with posts # 4.

Thundarr the Barbarian Blog Post # 5

2005-10-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

This week I have another little know gem of a cartoon series that I’d like to share with everyone. Thundarr the Barbarian was a Saturday morning animated cartoon show, broadcast during the early 1980s and I watched it religiously. I had forgotten about this classic (shame on me) until recently when I was at the store and I actually saw a new line of toys based on the show. Jackpot! I couldn’t help but pick a couple up and was inspired to write this weeks blog about the show. Thundarr the Barbarian had a mature setting, deep charater interactions, a complex plot as well as cultural references which are rarely (and I mean rarely) seen in the cartoons of today. I would summarize the show but it is best explained in the opening intro of every episode by the narrator so here it goes:

Narrator: “The year, 1994. From out of space, comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the moon, unleashing cosmic destruction. Man's civilization is cast in ruin. Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn. A strange new world rises from the old. A world of savagery, super-science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice. With his companions, Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword, against the forces of evil. He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!”

Now that’s one hell of a plot-line and I would love to see a movie version. I loved how the apocalypse was set in the not to distant future (1994 lol) and this was in the early 1980’s. The show was years ahead of its time. The shows setting of a post-apocalyptic wasteland typically featured ruins of recognizable geographical features from the United States, such as Mount Rushmore, New York City, or Washington, DC. Other episodes with recognizable settings are located in Central America, while one is in London. This is was one of the most memorable parts of the show. It was always cool to see how each city or landmark was affected by the apocalypse. Throughout this setting, Thundarr and his companions Princess Ariel and the Wookiee-like Ookla the Mok battled evil wizards who combined magical spells with technologies from the pre-catastrophe world. Much of the show's humor revolves around the characters' relative lack of knowledge of our time period another cool part of the show.

For a barbarian, Thundarr owed a lot to Star Wars. He wielded a glowing weapon called a Sun Sword, reminiscent of a light saber. His sidekick, Ookla the Mok, had a lot in common with Chewbacca the Wookiee. His other companion, Ariel (who was clearly in love with him, though he was oblivious of her charms), was addressed as "Princess", even though it wasn't clear what, if anything, she was Princess of. And of course, the dramatic event paraded across the screen in the opening sequence had points of similarity with the destruction of Alderaan.

Unfortunately like all of the other classic cartoons I grew up with, all reruns have pretty much stopped. Sure you might get lucky and catch an odd episode here or there on Boomerang but the chances are small. Your best bet to view the show would be to sign a petition to have the show put on DVD or to hunt down VHS copies of the show which are quite easily found on EBAY. It might sound like a lot of trouble but believe it’s worth it. This show rivals that of Thundercats and I always, always, preferred Thundarr over He-Man. Maybe nobody remembers Hong Kong Phooey but surely someone was a fan of Thundarr growing up. I don’t know why there isn’t a cartoon channel specifically devoted to Thundarr, the Herculoids, Thundercats, Gi-Joe, Transformers, He-Man, D&D, etc., etc. The list goes on literally forever. What that’s not a good idea?!? Anyways, I digress. At least I have the comfort of knowing that the Simpsons will always be on somewhere, sometime for the rest of my life lol. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore. . .Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346)

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 4

2005-09-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

This week I commented on Charla Downard's blog post #4 as well as on Lisa Hargrove's blog post # 3.

Hong Kong Phooey! Number One Super Guy! Blog Post # 4

2005-09-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong Phooey was one of my favorite shows growing up. The characters (especially Phooey himself) are extremely memorable and it is a show I will never forget as well as one that I still reference today to my friends (who have no idea what I’m talking about). Outside of the personable characters the show had my favorite opening theme of all time. Those who remember the show will surely remember the song. I don’t know how you could forget it. It was so catchy that I still remember it after all these years and I’ve been known to randomly break out singing it on occasion. To me and a few others this cartoon is a cult classic. However, because of the small number of episodes made as well as the fact that it isn’t rerun anymore anywhere almost everyone has long forgotten the show which is probably why it’s a cult classic. If you can’t tell from my previous posts, I live in the past and nostalgia runs deep for me so I thought I’d share a little known (to most) cartoon series with everyone. I highly recommend that if at all possible you track down some episodes of the show because it was that funny and you won’t be disappointed (cultural references were everywhere).

Now a little bit about the show. Hong Kong Phooey premiered on in 1974 and despite being a cult classic only remained in production for a whopping (sarcasm) 16 episodes (although the ones that were produced are all classic). The show definitely deserved better but to its credit the shows that were produced were awesome and they were run and rerun and rerun again and again over the years which is a testament to the show (Good thing because I wouldn’t even be able to see one until 15 years later… too young). The star, Hong Kong Phooey, is actually (as most superheros are) the secret alter ego of Penrod Pooch (Penry for short). Mild mannered Penry’s cover was being a janitor at the police station (which always put him in a good position to know when his help was needed of course). Whenever he overheard any trouble, Penry would dive into a filing cabinet (a classic moment in every episode) where he would change into his colorful karate crime fighting outfit and become Hong Kong Phooey number one super guy. He would then hop into his specially designed Phooey-mobile (which could and would be transformed into whatever conveyance was needed at the time). One bong of his gong and the Phooeymoblie would instantly change into a plane, a boat, a snowmobile... whatever was needed to save the day. He also, like all heroes, had a faithful sidekick (his cat Spot) who would always get him out of trouble (all without Phooey’s knowledge). He was always accompanied by his faithful cat Spot who also provided comedy relief. Penry received all of his karate know-how and crime-fighting expertise through a karate correspondence course. During the show, he would consult his textbook from the class, which was called The Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu. However, this pretty much never helped Phooey solve the case and he unknowingly relied almost entirely on chance as well as intervention of his long-suffering companion Spot (who never spoke - only sighed).

Not only was the show incredibly funny itself but as I mentioned it also had The Best Theme of All Time hands down. I still hum it after all these years and sometimes it gets stuck in my head for days. Now for the opening song. Drum roll please……

Hong Kong Phooey, number one super guy.
Hong Kong Phooey, quicker than the human eye.
He's got style, a groovy style, and a car that just won't stop.
When the going gets rough, he's super tough, with a Hong Kong Phooey chop (Hee-ya!)
Hong Kong Phooey, number one super guy.
Hong Kong Phooey, quicker than the human eye.
Hong Kong Phooey, he's fan-riffic! (-=Gong=-)

I only wish that it (as well as a bunch of other classic cartoons I could go on and on about) were still rerun on Boomerang of Cartoon Network or anywhere. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore. . .Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346) Now what are you waiting for? Go out and track this series down and watch it now!

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.)

Comments for Blog Post # 1, 2, and 3

2005-09-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the links to my comments for the first three weeks of class. For week 1 I commented on Lauren Vessey's Post #1 and Lauren Lyga's Post #1 as well as Ryan McCoy's Post #1. For week 2 I commented on Charla Downard's Post #2 and I commented twice on Sarah Henry's Post #2. For week 3 I commented on Jeon Abraham's Post #2 as well as Travis Moore's Post #2.

Thunder, Thunder, ThunderCats Ho! Blog Post # 3

2005-09-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

ThunderCats was my all time favorite cartoon. Actually, still is I should say. Man, I lived and breathed ThunderCats back in the day. I had every ThunderCats toy made and actually still have a few of them I kept. I even used to have the cloths (don’t laugh at me) I haven’t been into them recently because there are no reruns anymore at least none that I know of. The ThunderCats were brought back to life on Cartoon Network briefly a few years back but have since been removed from Toonami's rotation only to be replaced by Superfriends (I like Superfriends as much as the next guy but they don’t compare to the ThunderCats). Man, that was like a big spear through my heart. Oh well, I’m sure they’ll bring it back someday. If they don’t then I might just have to break down and buy the new boxed DVD set. Anyways for those who don’t know ThunderCats is an incredibly deep and extremely well animated series which aired from 1985-1987. Doesn’t sound like a long time but in those two seasons over 130 original episodes were created. Not bad huh. ThunderCats looked and felt like a cartoon ten years ahead of its time. Still does. There are no cartoons like it today. With its detailed characters, deep storylines, and amazing visuals the ThunderCats set the bar for all "animated cartoons" to follow.

Like many similar 1980’s animated series, ThunderCats had a simple and predictable structure. It offered a long-running battle between good (the ThunderCats) and evil (the Mutants). The ThunderCats are humanoids with distinct feline appearances while the Mutants are a rag-tag of uglies. Sounds simple enough but heres where the story gets interesting. Throughout most of the series, the action is set on a planet called Third Earth. The Egyptian-like hieroglyphics all over the planet and other visual and spoken references indicate that Third Earth is actually our own planet Earth set in a distant future. Both the ThunderCats and the Mutants are migrated to Third Earth after both the homeworlds were destroyed. The ThunderCats fled there when their home planet, Thundera was destroyed.. While the entire population of Thundera fled the disaster, only seven ThunderCats survived (eight including Jaga who died en route but appears to the ThunderCats in spirit form to offer guidance). They dwell in a substantial (and kick-ass) fortress which they built in the shape of a Cat (duh) called the Cat's Lair. In order to offer a significant challenge to the ThunderCats, the Mutants are led by Mumm-Ra, an ancient native of Third Earth. He usually resides in a pyramid as a withered corpse-like being but, by reciting "Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form, to Mumm-Ra, the ever-living!", he would transform into a much more powerful being to offer the ThunderCats an episode-long challenge before being driven back.

This is the gist of it but believe me the story dwells even deeper into the history of Third Earth as well as the background of the charecters. It was an incredibly complex and mature show for it’s time (and still is compared to the dribble kids watch today) which gave you something to think about while watching it gorgeuos visuals. This cartoon had driving action, deep characters, and one of the best cartoon villains of all time, Mumm-Ra. It had it all. How could you not love it? Everyone should do there self a favor and go watch the show now! In fact I’m lacing up my boots right now so I can go to the store and get the DVD set. I don't understand why they don't show reruns anymore. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore. . .Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346)

ThunderCats are on the move,
ThunderCats are loose,
Feel the magic, hear the Roar,
ThunderCats are loose.
Thunder, Thunder, ThunderCats, Ho!

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.

WTF did they do to Bugs and Daffy!?!?!?! Blog Post # 2

2005-09-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Talk about extreme makeovers. Take a look at what's happening to my favorite characters Daffy and Bugs. Hoping to breathe new life into its Looney Tunes franchise, Warner Bros. is launching a new cartoon series based on "re-imagined" versions of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Tasmanian Devil, Road Runner and Wile Coyote, among other classic characters and old favorites (Yosemite Sam anyone? that guy was my favorite because he would cuss up a storm yet you wouldn't know it rassan frassan son of a .... lol). Warner Bros. has tried to created hip and I must say slightly menacing-looking versions of the classic Looney Tunes characters you and I love for its new series, “Loonatics" which is set in the future. Bugs Bunny will now be known as Buzz Bunny to today’s youth and I think that this is a shame. What Warner Brothers is trying to do is update the characters' appeal among modern kids who have become spoiled by the cartoons of today (in that I mean flashy animation and effects and lots and lots of pretty colors Wow! cough sarcasm cough). The classic characters were lovable wise-crackers (insert wise-asses) who rode their irreverent humor as well as their satyr of society to stardom in the early 1940s. Unfortunately now they are merely seen as antiques at best to kids today. The ratings have been dropping consistently and Warner Brothers is trying to boost is sagging ratings on its network the WB.

Being a diehard fan of the original Warner Brothers, I am disappointed, shocked, and heart-broken to name a few. Mostly because I feel that it is every child’s duty and responsibility to watch every single Looney Tunes cartoon (as I have done many, many, many times.) I don’t want these classics to go extinct or forgotten by today’s youth and I truly feel that watching those cartoons as a kid was a very enriching and valuable experience and shaped who I am today. I feel that even if the new “re-imagined” cartoons maintain some semblance of the wit and humor and character quirks that the classic Looney Tunes had, I think that it will be lost on the youth of today because they will watch it merely for the flashy new animation and pretty colors (ooooohhhhh pretty colors). I suggest that every episode of the “Loonatics” should be immediately followed by a classic Looney Tunes episode to offset this but I digress.

However, I must say that I do understand where Warner Brothers is coming from although I don’t completely agree with such drastic and dramatic changes. Warner Bros. have long been criticized for standing still during the late '80s and early '90s at a time when Disney was reaping huge profits from its ever-growing cast of new and old animated characters. They have to keep up with the Jones’s you know. I guess that if this is the only way that the classic Looney Tunes characters (I call em’ my Boys) will live on and be viewed by today’s audience, then it’s better than nothing. It would be a shame just to send the venerable Looney Tunes cast into retirement so I guess that if that’s the only way to get ratings then I understand. I just don’t agree with it and it makes me very sad to know that the classics are going the way of the Dodo bird. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore. . .Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346). Anyways, That's all Folks! Stay "Tooned".

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. PenguinBooks, New York 2005. Page 346.

Whatever happened to my Saturday Morning Cartoons?!?!? Blog Post # 1

2005-09-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

I often sit and think about the cartoons that i had had the pleasure of watching as a child. I think that the cartoons that were aired then (1980's) were perfect for young viewers. The cartoons promoted strong imagination and made the child get lost in the action of the "GI JOES" or "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". These cartoons always taught a lesson or had a moral to the story, such as the buddy system, looking both ways before crossing the street,what to do in case of a fire, etc. Who can forget the GI JOE motto "Now you know, and knowing if half the battle. GO JOE!"? Cartoons face so much harsh criticism nowadays because of politcal correctness but they are an integral part of human life and eary childhood development. These are timeless concepts that simply must be instilled during the most influential phases of human development. And as a bonus, cartoons wrap the basics into a package that includes enough humor and character development for even hardened adults to enjoy. Cartoons offer everyone in society a refreshing escape from the dismal reality of human behavior. Their importance can only be compared as the following: Cartoons are to our televisions what comics are to the daily newspaper. Without cartoons Saturday Mornings have lost their meaning to children the world over. And the world is a poorer place because of it.

Now you've replaced Saturday cartoons with NEWS, NEWS, NEWS. Okay so children who don't have parents that can afford cable or satellite TV (which is where cartoons have migrated to) get to have their kids suffer by turning on the TV to watch the horrible images displayed in the news. Great! Other factors have led to children watching less Saturday morning cartoons and these include the introduction of cable and satellite TV, the Internet and games, as well as a poorer quality of animation. Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so there is no draw card for children to watch at any specific time or on any specific day. It is always there! A child who never knew the phenomenon of Saturday morning cartoons sees no reason to watch cartoons on Saturday mornings rather than on Wednesday nights or Sunday afternoons. Saturday morning no longer means kids in front of TV sets across the country, glued to the latest in hip cartoons.

The final question remains: will cartoons ever return to Saturday mornings to the same degree that they existed during the ‘70s and ‘80s? The answer is no. The reason for this is the same reason why people no longer watch white and black TV shows or primetime sitcoms where married couples sleep in separate beds: once things evolve, they seldom return to their simpler forms. Saturday morning cartoons were a phenomenon that now resides in the history books. It is an anomaly in the history of children’s broadcasting, the likes of which will never be seen again. Anyone who remembers the feeling of waking up on Saturday mornings and watching cartoons all day after going to school all week will keep those memories of their childhood dear in their hearts and should because Saturday morning cartoons are gone for good on broadcast networks. "Thats the trouble with the whole cartoon business. The people are not dedicated to it anymore. . .Today nobody cares." (Maltin p. 346)

(1) Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons. Penguin
Books, New York 2005. Page 346.

Testing 1 2 3

2005-09-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is a test of the emergency blogger system. Please stay tuned for upcoming posts about the History of Animation! Over.....