Randomdays |
If you like the Venture brothers, you ought to check out some other parodies if you can find them - the Toby Danger episode from Freakazoid, the Wishbones episode from Grimm and Mandy, and the Max Courage episode form Evil Con Carne.
In a way, I find the parodies more enjoyable than the 80's and 90's remakes.
Alex Martin |
Yep - loved it. My brothers and I used to watch it in reruns. I've thought about picking up the DVD set certainly.
It has a similar vein to the science adventure serials of the 40's and 50's (Quartermass meets Doc Savage with a hint of The Phantom). But it adds a 60's spy cool and kid hero perspective. Along with the original Space Ghost, possibly some of the best of Hanna-Barbera action-hero animation.
While the Venture Brothers started off comically brutal as a satire of the series, I have to give them credit for expanding their show. After the first season, the humor becomes less about 60's television and more about the characters and background they developed. They could have just mined the same stuff over and over, and I don't think the show would have lasted 4+ seasons.
Eradico Pravus |
I have the JQ DVD set. I don't know if it matters to you or not, but there is some minor censoring on some of the episodes. Other than that, great set.
That is so lame. Even as a kid watching re-runs in the early 70s I thought it was so cool that Race actually killed guys. What other cartoon back then had that? :)
Randomdays |
The censoring is more toward language than anything else.
Copied from an Amazon review;
"A typical EDIT from DISC ONE "Pursuit of the Po-Ho" A purple Race Bannon confronts the Po-Hos who have Dr. Quest held hostage with,"All right you ignorant savages, get a load of Aquizio you heathen monkeys!" The "REMASTERED" version is a watered down, "Get a load of Aquizio!" All the while Race's mouth is moving but no words come out!"
Eradico Pravus |
"A typical EDIT from DISC ONE "Pursuit of the Po-Ho" A purple Race Bannon confronts the Po-Hos who have Dr. Quest held hostage with,"All right you ignorant savages, get a load of Aquizio you heathen monkeys!" The "REMASTERED" version is a watered down, "Get a load of Aquizio!" All the while Race's mouth is moving but no words come out!"
Aha. Well, there certainly was a lot of blatant, over the top stereotyping. Plus my (admittedly vague) recollection is that whenever Race's old flame, Jade, made an appearance there was a misogynistic undertone.
Which was basically perfect for, you know, a six-year old boy. ;)
Alex Martin |
I figured that there was some political correctness - because Turner television owns all the Hanna-Barbera stuff, and has shown no issue with editing/colorizing/PCing the cartoons in their stocks to be more appropriate. Take a look at some of the Tom & Jerry cartoons as an example.
I would say that there was a chavaunistic tone the series, but given their target audience was pre-teenage boys from the 1960's, I am hardly surprised. I think that was why they tried to expand the cast to include Jessie (Race's daughter) and make her a bigger part of the adventures in the remake/sequel series.
Freehold DM |
I figured that there was some political correctness - because Turner television owns all the Hanna-Barbera stuff, and has shown no issue with editing/colorizing/PCing the cartoons in their stocks to be more appropriate. Take a look at some of the Tom & Jerry cartoons as an example.
I would say that there was a chavaunistic tone the series, but given their target audience was pre-teenage boys from the 1960's, I am hardly surprised. I think that was why they tried to expand the cast to include Jessie (Race's daughter) and make her a bigger part of the adventures in the remake/sequel series.
There were a few episodes of tom and Jerry that were far, far worse. My mom almost ripped the knob off the TV once in her fury.
Randomdays |
Tom and Jerry was from an even earlier time, and the "censored 11" from Looney Tunes and some of the old Popeye's were just as bad. Some of the Tom and Jerry's were altered to replace the black maid with the stereotype speech to an Irish maid with a stereotype speech, as if that waould be a big improvement. Since they were procuced for movie theaters towards an adult audience you'll see a lot of things not aimed towards kids that were okay at the time - smoking, dressing in drag, racial stereotypes (especially the WW2 ones).
But these are the ones I grew up with and as an adult now, I would rather see them complete than chopped up and altered.
Son of the Veterinarian |
I would say that there was a chavaunistic tone the series, but given their target audience was pre-teenage boys from the 1960's, I am hardly surprised. I think that was why they tried to expand the cast to include Jessie (Race's daughter) and make her a bigger part of the adventures in the remake/sequel series.
I always found it silly and pointless that Jessie's mother was some off-screen character we'd never heard of before rather than just being Jade.
Alex Martin |
So does anyone have any favorite episodes?
Agree on many of them.
Mystery of the Lizard Men - Sargasso Sea; old shipwrecks; creepy frogmen = awesomeCurse of Anubis - That is the classic mummy!
The Robot Spy - The weird eye spider bot was so cool.
The House of the Seven Gargoyles - That one is so eerie to me.
The Quetong Missile Mystery - Its got an interesting spy vibe.