Jana of the Jungle
Encyclopedia
Jana of the Jungle is a cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera
. It first aired alongside Godzilla as The Godzilla Power Hour.
in search of her lost father (whom she never finds). Her father vanished in a boating accident when she was still a child. She has long blonde hair
, wears a dress made of unspecified animal skin and a necklace which doubles as a throwable weapon given to her by her father. Besides her animal friends Ghost the albino jaguar
and Tiko the coatimundi
(the latter more resembled a Water Opossum
), Jana has two human friends: Dr. Ben Cooper (Michael Bell) and Montaro (Ted Cassidy
), a descendant of a lost warrior tribe who is armed with a supernatural weapon known as the Staff of Power that can cause earthquake
shockwaves when it strikes the ground. Montaro rescued Jana from the boat accident in which her father disappeared.
This is one of the very few Hanna-Barbera series that is yet to be seen on Cartoon Network
or Boomerang
, possibly due to licensing by Toho. However, one of the episodes, "The Cordillera Volcano", can be found on WB's Hanna-Barbera online stream.
has recently launched a comic book, with plot by Frank Cho
and script by Doug Murray
, called Jungle Girl
, featuring a blond female character called Jana. She is a Tarzan-like heroine that lives in some kind of "Lost World
", a jungle inhabited by strange creatures including dinosaurs and cavemen.
:
Jana of the Jungle also aired as part of the USA Cartoon Express
during the early eighties, along with many other Hanna Barbera hits, like Inch High Private Eye, Huckleberry Hound, and Yogi Bear.
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
. It first aired alongside Godzilla as The Godzilla Power Hour.
Plot
The series is essentially about a female version of Tarzan named Jana (voiced by B.J. Ward), who traveled to the rain forests of South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in search of her lost father (whom she never finds). Her father vanished in a boating accident when she was still a child. She has long blonde hair
Blond
Blond or blonde or fair-hair is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some sort of yellowish color...
, wears a dress made of unspecified animal skin and a necklace which doubles as a throwable weapon given to her by her father. Besides her animal friends Ghost the albino jaguar
Jaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
and Tiko the coatimundi
Coati
Coatis, genera Nasua and Nasuella, also known as the Brazilian aardvark, Mexican tejón, hog-nosed coon, pizotes, crackoons and snookum bears, are members of the raccoon family . They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, and south-western North America...
(the latter more resembled a Water Opossum
Water Opossum
The water opossum , also locally known as the yapok, is a marsupial of the family Didelphidae. It is the only member of its genus, Chironectes...
), Jana has two human friends: Dr. Ben Cooper (Michael Bell) and Montaro (Ted Cassidy
Ted Cassidy
Theodore Crawford Cassidy , known as Ted Cassidy, was an American actor who performed in television and films. At 6 ft 9 in in height, he tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction series such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie...
), a descendant of a lost warrior tribe who is armed with a supernatural weapon known as the Staff of Power that can cause earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
shockwaves when it strikes the ground. Montaro rescued Jana from the boat accident in which her father disappeared.
This is one of the very few Hanna-Barbera series that is yet to be seen on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
or Boomerang
Boomerang (TV channel)
Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
, possibly due to licensing by Toho. However, one of the episodes, "The Cordillera Volcano", can be found on WB's Hanna-Barbera online stream.
Episodes
- The Golden Idol of the Gorgas (September 9, 1978)
- Katuchi Danger (September 16, 1978)
- The Cordillera Volcano (September 23, 1978)
- The Animal Snatchers (September 30, 1978)
- The Renegade (October 7, 1978)
- Rogue Elephant (October 14, 1978)
- The Prisoner (October 21, 1978)
- The Invaders (November 4, 1978)
- Dangerous Cargo (November 11, 1978)
- The Sting of the Tarantula (November 18, 1978)
- Countdown (November 25, 1978)
- Suspicion (December 2, 1978)
- Race for Life (December 9, 1978)
Voices
- B.J. Ward - Jana
- Michael Bell - Dr. Ben Cooper
- Ted CassidyTed CassidyTheodore Crawford Cassidy , known as Ted Cassidy, was an American actor who performed in television and films. At 6 ft 9 in in height, he tended to play unusual characters in offbeat or science-fiction series such as Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie...
- Montaro
Jana in comic books
Dynamite EntertainmentDynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
has recently launched a comic book, with plot by Frank Cho
Frank Cho
Frank Cho, born Duk Hyun Cho, is a Korean-American comic strip and comic book writer and illustrator, known for his series Liberty Meadows, as well as for books such as Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers and Hulk for Marvel Comics, and Jungle Girl for Dynamite Entertainment...
and script by Doug Murray
Doug Murray (comics)
Doug Murray is an American comic book writer. He served in the Vietnam War, and was the main writer on the popular comic book series The 'Nam.-Bibliography:*The 'Nam #1-45, 49-51, 75 Dec 1986-Dec 1990*Mark Hazzard: Merc #5-12, March 1987-October 1987...
, called Jungle Girl
Jungle Girl (Dynamite Entertainment)
Jungle Girl is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Dynamite Entertainment. Jungle Girl ran for two miniseries of 5 issues each.-History:...
, featuring a blond female character called Jana. She is a Tarzan-like heroine that lives in some kind of "Lost World
Lost World (genre)
The Lost World literary genre is a fantasy or science fiction genre that involves the discovery of a new world out of time, place, or both. It began as a subgenre of the late-Victorian imperial romance and remains popular to this day....
", a jungle inhabited by strange creatures including dinosaurs and cavemen.
Broadcast history
Jana of the Jungle originally aired in these following formats on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
:
- The Godzilla Power Hour (September 8, 1978 - October 28, 1978)
- Jana of the Jungle (November 4, 1978 - December 9, 1978)
Jana of the Jungle also aired as part of the USA Cartoon Express
USA Cartoon Express
The USA Cartoon Express was a programming block of animated productions which aired on cable television's USA Network from late 1982 to September 15, 1996...
during the early eighties, along with many other Hanna Barbera hits, like Inch High Private Eye, Huckleberry Hound, and Yogi Bear.