Captains and Heroes
Posted at 6:00 AM on January 15, 2010
by Dale Connelly
(55 Comments)
Radio Heartland has tickets to give away to a show by Mark O'Connor and his Hot Swing Trio at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis next Wednesday, January 20th, at 9:30 pm.
We'll close off entries at 1 this afternoon, so take a chance and enter the drawing.
Don't forget to obey the rules.
And good luck!
Yesterday's discussion of children's music quickly took us back into the magical realm of kid's television and Captain Kangaroo, which reminded me of our conversation about a year ago regarding the various Captains of local TV. Several people offered recollections of media skippers they admired, including Captain Ken in St. Paul, Captain Chesapeake in Baltimore (also appearing as Captain Pitt in Pittsburgh) and Captain 11 of KELO TV in Sioux Falls.
But there was only one Captain Kangaroo.
It's hard to imagine anything quite so low-tech as a door with many doors in it holding the attention of today's kids, but perhaps I underestimate the kids. It might be today's TV programmers who don't have the attention span for this gag, or for a cartoon as handmade-looking as another favorite mentioned yesterday - the one and only "Tom Terrific (with his Faithful Dog Manfred)".
A character who could turn into anything! A plane, a steam shovel, a fire hydrant. Not only could he be a teacher, he could become a school! Tom Terrific could turn himself into a car, of course, but he could also be the highway! Need jobs? He could become a factory. Instant infrastructure - that's the sort of talent we could use on the ground in Haiti right now. Too bad cartoon magic doesn't exist in the real world. It is the everyday heroism of ordinary people that will make the difference.
Who was your favorite cartoon super hero?
Comments (55)
I am completely overcome with nostalgia Dale! I was around for the transition to the new theme song and red suit-I never thought I would see the "classic" version again.
I should have known that with YouTube, all things are possible.
Not a super hero, but I did have a bit of a crush on Johnny Quest.
Super hero-probably Underdog. We have it on dvd, but the suspense just isn't the same.
so sad for all of the folks in Haiti
meanwhile, this should be fun, since we seem to span quite a few generations on the blog? i like Speedy Gonzales but i enjoyed Pepe Le Pew also (although i don't think either was a super hero)
my favorite character on Capt. Kangaroo was banana man - he was kind of super hero. he just kept pulling bananas out of all of his many pockets while he said "wooooow!"
also want to wish Darcy and her partner all the best in Iowa this summer, as Clyde did yesterday.
Oh my... what a fab way to start the morning. Thank you SO much for finding the Tom Terrific song.
Catherine, I also liked Johnny Quest, but just young enough that I was a little scared of some of the epidodes... that big spider with the one big eye was awful.
Mighty Mouse was one of my favorites. In a Horatio Alger kind of way, it was nice to the little guy being able to come in and save the day!
and Mike, is this a new adventure in your life? best wishes
off to the barn. i wish i could take all of you with me - it just takes away all the worry of the day to be out there with them.
Good Morning All,
I am on my way to a meeting, but I can mention a favorite cartoon which is Rocky and Bullwinkle.
Greetings! I loved the Road Runner and Tom & Jerry cartoons. I also remember getting up early on Saturdays to see a cartoon about Kimba the Lion in the jungle that I especially liked. Have a great day everyone!
i am a mighty mouse fan too. i ddn't realize until yers later that it was all in opera. no spoken words.
we had a local guy on axel and his dawg that was a catoon called chuck cargo where on the mouuth moved. it was like the first action adventure cartoon i remember seeeing, can you imagine being able to crank out stuff at this level and get away with it
also recalled and enjoyed was follow the bouncing ball, little lulu and betty boop. great stuff. and remember the stuff with like cab callaway doing the minnie the moocher and the st james infirmary.it too is on youtube. look up cab calloway cartoon. (i don't know how to paste a link) great stuff
hey we could put a time capsule in the space ship with the goats and send it off to space with all our favorite tv memories. books , songs , movies and art. it would be a time capsule worth spending a couple of days going through
There was a relatively short-lived cartoon with a not-so-super hero named Hong Kong Fooey ("#1 Super Guy" - or so claimed the theme song) that was a favorite of both my brother and I. He tried to be a super hero, but mostly he was slap-stick silly. I also liked Wonder Woman (she had the invisible plane after all), but really Hong Kong Fooey was my guy.
So was Mr. Greenjeans on Captain Kangaroo (my first crush, sigh).
I will add my best wishes as well for Darcy and her partner - have a grand time in Iowa!
Oh yes, it was Mighty Mouse for me. I also loved the Captain. Bunny Rabbit was really annoying, though.
Jonny Quest - Best Cartoon Theme Song EVER! One of the best television theme songs ever, cartoon or no. Jonny Quest actually started out as an animated family-oriented drama in a prime time slot. Doug Wildley, the driving force behind the animation, tried something very different with the style of the animation. He overlayed the cells in such a way as to try and give it a 3-D look. And the stories were definitely oriented for older 'kids' and adults. It was a fantastic show and a very bold experiment for ABC.
Rocky & Bullwinkle in Frostbite Falls, Minnesota. Jay Ward's very thinly-veiled political satire is even more entertaining for adults that were around in the '60's and were savvy with the political scene, while still being entertaining for kids. The 'space race' was spoofed when Bullwinkle's grandmother's cake recipe turns out to be rocket fuel. So, two guys from the moon (Gidney and Cloyd) come down to take the recipe/formula to prevent unwanted tourism on the moon. LOL!!! And the whole 'box top scandal' was literally lifted from an actual cereal box top scandal. And the whole Cold War commentary with Boris Badenov, Natasha Fatale, and Fearless Leader. Love it!
Tom & Jerry were always 'ok' to me, until Chuck Jones left Warner Bros. and did a series of Tom & Jerry for MGM. And Jones really cut loose. All the goofy stuff that he did at Warner's he raised another notch for T & J. Very artistic, very psychedelic, almost Dali surrealistic in spots. Amazing stuff.
Underdog voiced by Wally Cox...classic. Sweet Polly Purebread always captured by Simon Bar Sinister (and his henchman, Cad). "When in this world the headlines read
Of those whose hearts are filled with greed,
To right this wrong with blinding speed goes
Underdog.
~Underdog~
Speed of lightning,
Roar of thunder,
Fighting all who
Rob or plunder.
Underdog.
Underdog!
When criminals in this world appear
And bring the laws of men to fear
Who frighten all who see or hear
The cry goes out both far and near for
Underdog.
~Underdog~
Speed of lightning,
Roar of thunder,
Fighting all who
Rob or plunder.
Underdog.
Underdog!"
Gotta get to work. I'll check back.
Huckelberry Hound and Yogi Bear. Tweety and Sylverter! Later on when I had a child there was Tiny Toons (kids of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck etc.) with Babs and Buster Bunny, Shirley the Loon... which was pretty hilarious. Was there a Mutt and Jeff?
Tim - Husband has told me about Axel and his dawg, sounded like fun.
Dale, thanks so much for the inserts - it's completely surreal to see Tom Terrific, and the opening doors with The Captain, I'd forgotten all about that. Makes you wonder if that's where Laugh-in got their opening doors idea.
Ooohh, anyone remember Heckel and Jeckel? I think they were my favorite.
Of course I loved the Captain but do need to give a shout out to Dudley Dooright of the RCMP and Atom Ant. I still use the phrase "Up and at em, Atom Ant." I could use his help this morning.
Hi...river songs: I can't think of the name, but the river song from 10 November with Prudence, Claudia and Ruth.
I'm having internet/computer issues...I can't pull up the photos! oh no!!
I'm so old, my childhood favorites predate cartoons...radio, radio, radio...teenage and college favorite: Roadrunner and coyote, available continuously during final weeks at college.
For some reason, Channel 5 in Iowa aired Astroboy in the mornings during summer vacation (right after Jack LaLaine. Haven't seen the new movie, but still remember the Japanese animation and theme song!
and on the theme song note-wow,TGitH, I had no idea about Johnny Quest, I just thought he was sooooo cute-don't ask me about Race, still conflicted about him-
BUT Animaniacs!!! How crazy was that? I have no idea what kids got out of it, but I used to come home after work and dive in.
The theme song had such great rhymes
"we're zany to the max there's balony in our slacks" comes to mind immediately.
Aunt Slappy Squirrel, Pinky and the Brain-how did they get away with all of that?
heckel and jeclke huckleberry hound (with al kabong) great memories of greaty cartoon, and rocky and bullwinkle was the best. hey tgith thats pretty scary, do you have a google button involved in all that information or is it in your head?
the flintstones started as prime time too. what an innocent time. family time with television as a bonding tool instead of a babysitter. anybody else have popcorn nights with the family in front of the tv?
For some reason, Channel 5 in Iowa aired Astroboy in the mornings during summer vacation (right after Jack LaLaine. Haven't seen the new movie, but still remember the Japanese animation and theme song!
and on the theme song note-wow,TGitH, I had no idea about Johnny Quest, I just thought he was sooooo cute-don't ask me about Race, still conflicted about him-
BUT Animaniacs!!! How crazy was that? I have no idea what kids got out of it, but I used to come home after work and dive in.
The theme song had such great rhymes
"we're zany to the max there's balony in our slacks" comes to mind immediately.
Aunt Slappy Squirrel, Pinky and the Brain-how did they get away with all of that?
Really off topic, but the Haiti disaster reminds me how small our world is. Last November at an ELCA church meeting in Minot, ND I met a young man named Ben Larson and his wife, both seminary students at Wartburg Seminary. I learned yesterday that Ben was killed in the earthquake. If any of you get a chance and are so inclined, say a prayer for Ben's wife and family. His parents are pastors in the Duluth area.
For some reason, Channel 5 in Iowa aired Astroboy in the mornings during summer vacation (right after Jack LaLaine. Haven't seen the new movie, but still remember the Japanese animation and theme song!
and on the theme song note-wow,TGitH, I had no idea about Johnny Quest, I just thought he was sooooo cute-don't ask me about Race, still conflicted about him-
BUT Animaniacs!!! How crazy was that? I have no idea what kids got out of it, but I used to come home after work and dive in.
The theme song had such great rhymes
"we're zany to the max there's balony in our slacks" comes to mind immediately.
Aunt Slappy Squirrel, Pinky and the Brain-how did they get away with all of that?
text on your phone "haiti" to 90999 and the red cross gets 10 dollars for hatai. it goes on your phone bill
Again, I apologize for the glitch that is repeat sending.
Echoing Renee's post because I knew some of Ben's family at Luther College as both a student and a teacher. Great family.
So many great families touched by this.
We did not get electricity until I was 10 and TV until I was 12. So this all relates more to what my kids watched than anything I did.
My son the video game producer is a fan and student of cartooning of all sorts. TGHITH: you and he would really click. So I will tell you that he reguarly works in the Warner Brothers Cartoon Studio.
Two discussions on Facebook right now for me relate to this. 1) There is a debate going on if it's "Duck, Duck, Grey Duck": or "Duck, Duck, Grey Goose." My wife the children's librarian explained that it is both, depending on which book you use and on each child who attended her Saturday morning sessions. But that has not settled it. They are having fun with the fact that it depends upon which elementary school they attended. 2) My daughter is commenting on how they have had to buy all the Davy Crocket DVD's for their four-year-old son because the one they ordered from NetFlix he had fallen so in love with that they have had it for 2 months. I watched it with him a couple of times and it does stand up quite well threough time.
Animaniacs, Freakazoid, and Pinky & the Brain by Steven Spielberg. The modern classics (along with Bruce Timm's Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, and Justice League...don't think they're just for kids...check them out!). Spielberg's toons were not only entertaining, they flashed kids with educational stuff. It really reminded me of Schoolhouse Rock, classic Sesame Street, and Electric Company. The Animaniacs' song of capitals or their periodic table songs are incredible. Pinky & the Brain put twists on history but they touched it...and kids pick that up. (My favorite was set in the 1960's. Brain needed a large quantity of sandlewood to take over the world. So he set up Pinky as 'the Pinkerishi,' dispensing his simple yet profound wisdom for donations of sandlewood. Things really took off when those four, fresh-faced mop-tops from Liverpool, The Feebles, started to follow him. Of course, the plan was derailed with the appearance of YoYo NoNo. Hysterical!!!)
Astro-Boy was the first 'anime' or, as it was called back then, 'Japanimation' style cartoon. Lots of people wonder why they have such a sytlized type of animation, with the huge eyes and tiny mouth, etc. It was because Japanese animators modeled their style after what they thought was the standard for American animation...Betty Boop. Huge eyes, tiny mouth...see the similarities?
Catherine - 'Race' Bannon was a stud! He was a government agent assigned to protect Dr. Benton Quest and Jonny. (Hadji showed up and became 'one of the family' too.) His real name was Roger. He got his nickname because he was so competitive. He was always asking people, "Want to race?" So, his nickname became 'Race.' He's also got ~some~ kind of past but we're never really clear on it. But, if you watch the series, you'll see he's got ties with a good looking fatale named Jezebel Jade.
Catherine--my daughter is a 1995 grad of Luther. She will not go back and visit because it it was so wonderful being there that going back may not live up to her wonderful memories.
Renee--she was an ELCA pastor in Bowman, Rhame, and Amidon from 1999 to 2004. Her husbad ran the Bible camp in Medora.She was having a very hard day yesterday in part because Pastors end up having to deal with news stories like Pat Robertson's comments. But I assume also because she knew the Larsons.
Clyde - Yeah, I think your kiddo and I would probably have some stuff to discuss. Tell him that I can come a lot closer to doing some of Mel Blanc's voiced Warner characters than the voice talent they've got doing it now. But it's also possible that the studio wants the voices to be different. I'd be interested to find out if they tried/are trying to mimic Mel's characters straight up or are intentionally trying to set them slightly apart as part of a 'next generation' type of differentiation for marketing purposes.
Clyde-Your daughter should go with her instinct. For starters, so much of the campus is different-going back to teach in 1997 was odd, but ok. Since then, the alum news tells me almost every landmark has been changed and much of the faculty that probably both your daughter and I had has retired or died.
Not saying it is not still a wonderful place, but I get what she is saying.
TGitH-I ask too-is this a google button or what-see this is my conflict about Race-same goes for most characters played by Harrison Ford. Amazing guys, but you just know you shouldn't get too close or they will break your heart.
Clyde and Catherine-your posts remind me that the world is far smaller that I even imagined. Bowman, Amidon, and Rhame are in virtually in my backyard, and my son attended the bible camp when Clyde's son in law ran it. How strange and wonderful.
TGITH--When he works at WB it is only that they are renting the studio to do voices for the games. But he may know and I will ask him; it is a very small industry. The studio is specifically built for doing voices alone and they rent it out. He usually works on games for kids TV shows. I never know what he is working on; such things are secrets.
Catherine - He wouldn't ~intentionally~ break your heart. But he's a guy with a job to do...
Renee--I thought you are in Bismarck?
Clyde - Not surprising about the secrecy. The video game industry is now very savvy when it comes to industrial espionage. Lose your idea and you can lose your entire market segment.
Did I mention that I just did my first commercial voiceover this week?
Nope, I'm in Dickinson, the Western Edge, the Queen City of the prairies, etc.
TGITH--congrats. For what?
Just to show what the industry was like before the bust. He was part of a game that was budgeted for about 12 million. It went over budget by aobut 5 million and ran about 15 weeks late. They made a profit in four days.
Wow. Is your back yard. My granddaughter Lily was born in Dickinson, Christmas Day, 2002. Nice museum there.
Husband says he remembers Crusader Rabbit.
Tim - we had popcorn/apples on Sunday nights, watched Disney and Ed Sullivan and whatever else. Sometimes with honmemade malts (since there had been the big Sunday dinner after church.
TGITH - congrats on your first voiceover!
Catherine - where in Iowa did you live? (I'm from Storm Lake and Marshalltown.)
Candles being lit this morning for everyone with connections in Haiti, and everyone there.
Heh. Yeah, I hear stories like that from some of my buddies at The Source Comics & Games in St. Paul.
Did a spot for Sieben, Grose, Von Holtum, and Carey. Did it at Brahmstedt White Noise in the Lumber Exchange building. They were VERY nice to work with. They were rather shocked that it was my first actual gig.
Renee-I keep thinking that Ben was doing what he knew to be important.
TGitH-I realize that, but can't decide if that would make it better or worse-conflicted-see? Just need to keep the boundarires clear, hard though that is.
Too bad Donna is teaching, bet she knows what I mean!
The Source used to be in Dinky Town, right?
Catherine - Just keep thiking of him when he dyed his skin purple. Or check out the first episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law. That'll help.
TGITH--sounds good for you if they were surprised it was your first gig. Sure this is part of your big plan. go for it.
Re The Source. My old brain is not quite sure of the name but I think it was the Source, a game and comic store in Dinky Town that my sone worked at from 1987 to 90.
congrats tgith i will listen for the spot.
i didn't know harrison ford was race bannon.
the character fits doesn't it? i had bus stop buddies who would go gaga for johnny quest and would reinact the show endlessly as we waited for the bus. bunch of nodak folk. should have known. i come form fargo stock but left real young. all i have is the relatives and the mentality.
clyde the games were duck duck grey duck and/or duck duck goose in my neighborhood but they were exclusively girls games. i remember thinking it looked like fun but that was a huge bridge to cross in 1960. have a good weekend
there is a free peter ostrusko concert at macpahail on sunday at 5 or 6. in their new wonderful hall.
have a good weekend rh'ers
Thanks all!
Clyde - I ~thought~ that Source was always at Larpenteur and Snelling. I know Dreamhaven used to have a Dinkytown location...
Tim, we are making a pilgrimage to Fargo this weekend to partake of the amenities and culture and see our son. Fargo has changed so much since I was a college student in Moorhead during the late 70's. It's too bad all that wonderful black farmland is under development. It was all beet, wheat, and potatoes then.
Well, my memory is gone. I will check with my son on both things but not now. He is sick, has a major milestone today on a project he joined in the midddle, and his fiancee and dog move up to San Jose from San Diego today. Anything I ask will not even appear on his radr until early next week.
Good weekend all. With this nice weather I will have to figure out where to take my wife out this weekend to get her out and about. Panera and Barnes & Noble, but must be something new ???
TGITH--my wife says it was "the Source that Nate worked at in Dinky Town.
Clyde....if you take your wife out tonight might I recommened you go see Davina & the Vagabonds @ THE WINE CAFE
301 North Riverfront Drive
Mankato, MN 56001-3549
They are a mix of New Orleans/old time: ala Squirel Nut Zippers. Very fun...
Thanks, Kate.
The Wine Cafe is block from my office. But I cannot go to concerts. A huge part of my fibromyalgia is allodynia, which means my brain turns sensory input into pain, such as loud noise, bright or odd lighting, and smells, especiallly for me the scents people wear. And I have a thing about space; can't be in crowds, which takes a bit to explain so I won't but common with FM. All of that puts me in high flight or fight response. So I will never be meeting up woth this group at concerts like they do. Sigh!!
Tim- no, Harrison Ford was not Race Bannon, I just can't completely give my heart to either of them for the same reasons.
There is a deleted scene from Empire Strikes Back with a very steamy scene between Han and Leia that had my 11-year-old screaming no,no, no,WHY? and covering his head. He does that about anything remotely resembling "mush", but I was kind of with him on that one-but I think my motivations were very different. Good for George Lucas to reconsider.
TGitH-now that you say it, I do remember the purple Race incident-doesn't help, just makes him seem more vulnerable. Looked at the Harvey Birdman (12 minutes of my life I'll never get back)-suspicions confirmed.
Don't tell me any more, I've had enough for one day!
I'd ask how you remember all this, but I sort of do too-current cell phone #, not a chance, but home phone and address when I first met Race Bannon and Astroboy,got it! (TV station was WOI out of Ames . That and WHO were originally radio stations associated with Palmer Chiropractic College. WHO stood for With Hands Only-can't remember what WOI stood for-see why I can't remember my cell number?)
Barbara, that would be in Coon Rapids (where the Racoon River gets choppy-hence the name-we could never figure out the Coon Rapids up here). Before that, we lived in Tama and my first younger brother was born in Marshalltown.
I really must stop now.
Just got the good news that the donations for the Kids Against Hunger project at my son's school are about where they needed to be in order for the kids to pack as many meals as they are able to send to Haiti next Friday! Any extra funds can go on to the next school, if they don't meet their goal.
hey clyde. if you want to get together in the cities for a cup of coffee next tiome you're up give a holler. i'll bet we could find a place that would work better than the concert settings where the noise and crowd are an issue. i'll make the same offer if i get down mankato wasy but don't see that in the tea leaves for the near future
hey clyde. if you want to get together in the cities for a cup of coffee next tiome you're up give a holler. i'll bet we could find a place that would work better than the concert settings where the noise and crowd are an issue. i'll make the same offer if i get down mankato wasy but don't see that in the tea leaves for the near future
Clyde - You were looking for something new to do? Don't know if this fits, but I just had a memory of a very pleasant afternoon Husband and I once spent in the Student Library at Gustavus in St. Peter. Not as exciting as some things, but a nice short drive from Mankato...
tim--sounds very good. Are you a tea drinker, by any chance?
Barbara--we will check that out. My wife sometimes go to chapel at GAC with friends, when she is able to walk well enough. We go to the Mankato public library some, but it has a very poor collection, except for the children's library, which is excellent, and, of course, named the Maud Hart Lovelace Room
clyde ,
you guessed right
earl gray ansd black teas for the most part.
..you?
Yes indeed. I cannot drink coffee, but it's not the caffeine. Reason I bring it up is that when we go the TC we almost always go to the Tea Source, the one in Highland Par k mostly. Blacks and Earl Grays, too, but I am starting to like green.
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