The Herculoids
Encyclopedia
The Herculoids is a Saturday morning animated television series that was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions
. The show debuted on September 9, 1967 on CBS
. Hanna-Barbera produced one season for the original airing of the show, although the original 18 episodes were rerun during the 1968–69 television season, with The Herculoids ending its run on September 6, 1969.
Eleven new episodes were produced in 1981 as part of the Space Stars
show. The plotlines are rooted in science fiction
, and have story direction and content similar to Jonny Quest
and Space Ghost
. This series is set on the distant planet Amzot (renamed Quasar in the Space Stars
episodes). The name "Amzot" was first mentioned in the Space Ghost episode "The Molten Monsters of Moltar" (in which the Herculoids made a brief guest appearance) and in the series proper in the "Time Creatures" episode.
A number of episodes featured alien invaders who came to Amzot/Quasar to seek revenge against Zandor for an unspecified battle or adventure from the past. All were apparently technocratic and the alien's grudges seemed to basically boil down to them being stymied in their attempts at bringing technology to Amzot/Quasar, which the apparently primitivistic Zandor wanted to avoid.
The show's opening theme was a fully orchestral composition, suggesting uncommon heroism. An alternate opening theme was also utilized for some episodes. All of the show's incidental music was recycled from Jonny Quest
.
In some of the seasons, the episodes opened with the following narration: "Somewhere out in space live The Herculoids...Zok the laser-ray dragon! Igoo the giant rock ape! Tundro the tremendous! Gloop and Gleep, the formless fearless wonders! With Zandor their leader, and his wife, Tara, and son, Dorno, they team up to protect their planet from sinister invaders! All-strong! All-brave! All-heroes!! They are The Herculoids!!!"
series included the Herculoids in its canon
to show that Zandor and his family and friends were well-known throughout the galaxy, and good friends of Space Ghost
and the Teen Force.
Roughly contemporaneous to their own series premiere, the Herculoids made an appearance in an episode of Space Ghost
, "The Molten Monsters of Moltar" (sources are unclear and/or inconsistent as to exact airdates). In the "Council of Doom" story arc, Space Ghost
, while battling the combined might of all of his enemies, meets a number of Hanna Barbara heroes just as they were debuting in their own respective series. Along with the Herculoids were Shazzan
, Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor, the last two sharing one series.
Several episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast
mention or show the Herculoids. In "Lawsuit" Space Ghost mentions the Herculoids planet. In the episode "Sequel" he goes to their planet and refers to it as a "rotten hippie monster commune" after they demand he leave while pelting him with stones.
Gloop is mentioned by name and features prominently in the Sealab 2021
episode "Hail, Squishface".
Gloop makes several guest appearances on Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law as well, Gleep is mentioned at one point, and Zok makes an appearance in one episode (Phil Ken Sebben throws a graph chart at him). Tundro makes an appearance firing his energy rocks at Phil Ken Sebben, who forgot to close the hot tub time portal to prehistoric times.
The Herculoids is mentioned in an episode of The Venture Bros.
, where an old "fan letter" of Dr. Venture to the show is discovered. Upon reading, the letter is revealed to be more akin to hate mail
; young Rusty Venture called the Herculoids hippies for not fighting in Vietnam.
Tundro and Gloop appear in an episode of Family Guy
, "8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter". In the scene, Gloop fails to get a babysitting job from Lois. In protest, Tundro shows up and fires his energy rocks at Lois. (NOTE: The Herculoids is owned by Hanna–Barbera, not FOX
parent News Corp.
.)
released The Herculoids: The Complete Original Animated Series on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
The dvd set has been released June of 2011 and does not feature the 11 episodes of the Space Stars Revival.
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...
. The show debuted on September 9, 1967 on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. Hanna-Barbera produced one season for the original airing of the show, although the original 18 episodes were rerun during the 1968–69 television season, with The Herculoids ending its run on September 6, 1969.
Eleven new episodes were produced in 1981 as part of the Space Stars
Space Stars
Space Stars is a 1981 NBC Saturday morning cartoon created by Hanna-Barbera which ran from 1981-1982.-Format:Space Stars ran four cartoon segments each week: Space Ghost, The Herculoids, Teen Force, and Astro and the Space Mutts. The cartoons would occasionally cross-over into one another...
show. The plotlines are rooted in science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, and have story direction and content similar to Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest is a media franchise that revolves around a boy named Jonny Quest who accompanies his father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964-65 television series and has come to include two subsequent television series, two television films, and a video game.-1964–1965...
and Space Ghost
Space Ghost (TV series)
Space Ghost is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It first aired on CBS from September 10, 1966 to September 7, 1968. The series was composed of two unrelated segments, Space Ghost and Dino Boy in the Lost Valley...
. This series is set on the distant planet Amzot (renamed Quasar in the Space Stars
Space Stars
Space Stars is a 1981 NBC Saturday morning cartoon created by Hanna-Barbera which ran from 1981-1982.-Format:Space Stars ran four cartoon segments each week: Space Ghost, The Herculoids, Teen Force, and Astro and the Space Mutts. The cartoons would occasionally cross-over into one another...
episodes). The name "Amzot" was first mentioned in the Space Ghost episode "The Molten Monsters of Moltar" (in which the Herculoids made a brief guest appearance) and in the series proper in the "Time Creatures" episode.
Synopsis
The Herculoids battled to defend their planet from menaces on Amzot/Quasar and from outer space. All of the Herculoids displayed Human-level intelligence - employing precision teamwork and complex tactics - as well as emotions, and Zandor and Tara both displayed a working knowledge of complex alien technologies as well as the ability to pilot interstellar spacecraft—but essentially, Zandor, Tara, Dorno, and the Herculoids were fighting to keep Amzot/Quasar a technology-free, primitive planet. This is further indicated by the pseudo-barbarian outfits of Zandor, Tara, and Dorno and the fact that technology was used mainly by the various villains, but rarely if ever by the heroes. Although the "speech" of their companions was limited and repetitive, Zandor, Tara and Dorno demonstrated that Gloop and Gleep, at least, had a comprehensive mode of communication, and that they could at least understand and interpret this language (c.f. "The Mutoids:" "Gleep says that the aliens who landed are attacking Dorno and Tundro"). The "voices" used in the shows were actually brief tracks supplied by two actors and reused throughout the series, in keeping with Hanna-Barbera's thrifty ethos.A number of episodes featured alien invaders who came to Amzot/Quasar to seek revenge against Zandor for an unspecified battle or adventure from the past. All were apparently technocratic and the alien's grudges seemed to basically boil down to them being stymied in their attempts at bringing technology to Amzot/Quasar, which the apparently primitivistic Zandor wanted to avoid.
The show's opening theme was a fully orchestral composition, suggesting uncommon heroism. An alternate opening theme was also utilized for some episodes. All of the show's incidental music was recycled from Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest
Jonny Quest is a media franchise that revolves around a boy named Jonny Quest who accompanies his father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964-65 television series and has come to include two subsequent television series, two television films, and a video game.-1964–1965...
.
In some of the seasons, the episodes opened with the following narration: "Somewhere out in space live The Herculoids...Zok the laser-ray dragon! Igoo the giant rock ape! Tundro the tremendous! Gloop and Gleep, the formless fearless wonders! With Zandor their leader, and his wife, Tara, and son, Dorno, they team up to protect their planet from sinister invaders! All-strong! All-brave! All-heroes!! They are The Herculoids!!!"
Continuity with Space Stars
The Space StarsSpace Stars
Space Stars is a 1981 NBC Saturday morning cartoon created by Hanna-Barbera which ran from 1981-1982.-Format:Space Stars ran four cartoon segments each week: Space Ghost, The Herculoids, Teen Force, and Astro and the Space Mutts. The cartoons would occasionally cross-over into one another...
series included the Herculoids in its canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
to show that Zandor and his family and friends were well-known throughout the galaxy, and good friends of Space Ghost
Space Ghost
Space Ghost is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space...
and the Teen Force.
Humanoids
The three humanoid characters were the only ones who could communicate in English.- Zandor (voiced by Mike RoadMike RoadMike Road is a voice actor and a Warner Bros. television series contract player whose career dates back to the 1950s....
) - The protector of Amzot/Quasar. Leader of The Herculoids. - Tara (voiced by Virginia GreggVirginia GreggVirginia Gregg Burket was an American actress best known for her many roles in radio dramas.Born in Harrisburg, Illinois, Virginia Gregg was the daughter of musician Dewey Alphaleta and businessman Edward William Gregg.-Radio:Gregg was a prolific radio actor, heard on such programs as The...
) - Zandor's wife. - Dorno (voiced by Ted Eccles in the original series, Sparky MarcusSparky MarcusSparky Marcus is an American actor born December 6, 1967 in Hollywood, California. He had a prolific career as a child actor.-Career:...
in 1981) - Son of Zandor and Tara. Despite being their son, he still refers to them by their first names, rather than "Mom" and "Dad." However this changed in the 80's revival of the series.
Creatures
The five creature characters of The Herculoids are:- Zok (voiced by Mike Road) - A flying space dragon. He can emit laser beams from his eyes and tail. His eyes also produce a "nega-beam" that can neutralize certain energy attacks. Zok can survive in spaceOuter spaceOuter space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
unaided, is capable of interstellar travelInterstellar travelInterstellar space travel is manned or unmanned travel between stars. The concept of interstellar travel in starships is a staple of science fiction. Interstellar travel is much more difficult than interplanetary travel. Intergalactic travel, or travel between different galaxies, is even more...
, and can breathe fire. - Igoo (voiced by Mike Road) - A rock apeApeApes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
. An extremely large and powerful simian, he has extremely dense rock-like skin and is nearly invulnerable to harm. In one episode, Igoo wades through a pond of molten lavaLavaLava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
. Igoo has a great fondness and devotion for Tara, and would do anything for her. - Tundro (voiced by Mike Road) - A ten-legged, four-horned rhinoRhinocerosRhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
/triceratopsTriceratopsTriceratops is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsid dinosaur which lived during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous Period, around 68 to 65 million years ago in what is now North America. It was one of the last dinosaur genera to appear before the great Cretaceous–Paleogene...
hybrid. He can shoot explosive energy rocks from his cannonCannonA cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
-horn (Zandor, Tara, and Dorno also occasionally shoot similar rocks with slingshots). His natural armor-plating is exceptionally strong, similar to Igoo's rock skin. His legs have the ability to extend to a remarkable length, somewhat like stiltsStiltsStilts are poles, posts or pillars used to allow a person or structure to stand at a distance above the ground. Walking stilts are poles equipped with steps for the feet to stand on, or straps to attach them to the legs, for the purpose of walking while elevated above a normal height...
. He can also spin his head at blinding speed, allowing him to drill through solid rock, and has the ability to make magnificent leaps. - Gloop and Gleep (both voiced by Don MessickDon MessickDonald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
) - Two protoplasmProtoplasmProtoplasm is the living contents of a cell that is surrounded by a plasma membrane. It is a general term of the Cytoplasm . Protoplasm is composed of a mixture of small molecules such as ions, amino acids, monosaccharides and water, and macromolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids and...
ic creatures. They are able to absorb and deflect energy blasts and laser beams, often placing themselves between attackers and other Herculoids to act as shields. They can also form shapes including, but not limited to: cushions, trampolines or parachutes to break falls; stretching themselves between tree limbs or rocks to act as slingshots; encircling an attacker's limbs to restrain them, or the entire body to squeeze and render them unconscious. Gloop is the larger of the two.
Other appearances
Outside of their own TV series, the Herculoids made appearances in various comic books through the years. In 1968-1969 they appeared in issues #1-#2, and issues #4-#6 of the series Hanna-Barbera Super TV Heroes. In 1978 they appeared in issue #3 of the Marvel Comics book TV Stars. Finally between 1997-1999 they appeared in issues #5, #9, #13 and #17 of the series Cartoon Network Presents.Roughly contemporaneous to their own series premiere, the Herculoids made an appearance in an episode of Space Ghost
Space Ghost (TV series)
Space Ghost is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It first aired on CBS from September 10, 1966 to September 7, 1968. The series was composed of two unrelated segments, Space Ghost and Dino Boy in the Lost Valley...
, "The Molten Monsters of Moltar" (sources are unclear and/or inconsistent as to exact airdates). In the "Council of Doom" story arc, Space Ghost
Space Ghost
Space Ghost is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space...
, while battling the combined might of all of his enemies, meets a number of Hanna Barbara heroes just as they were debuting in their own respective series. Along with the Herculoids were Shazzan
Shazzan
Shazzan is an animated television series, created by Alex Toth and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1967 for CBS. The series follows the adventures of two teenage siblings, Chuck and Nancy, traveling around a mystical Arabian world, mounted on Kaboobie the flying camel...
, Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor, the last two sharing one series.
Several episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Space Ghost Coast to Coast is an American animated parody talk show hosted by the 60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Space Ghost. The show premiered on April 15, 1994 on Cartoon Network...
mention or show the Herculoids. In "Lawsuit" Space Ghost mentions the Herculoids planet. In the episode "Sequel" he goes to their planet and refers to it as a "rotten hippie monster commune" after they demand he leave while pelting him with stones.
Gloop is mentioned by name and features prominently in the Sealab 2021
Sealab 2021
Sealab 2021 is an American animated television series. It was shown on Cartoon Network's adult-oriented programming block, Adult Swim. It premiered on November 23, 2000 and the final episode aired on April 25, 2005...
episode "Hail, Squishface".
Gloop makes several guest appearances on Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law as well, Gleep is mentioned at one point, and Zok makes an appearance in one episode (Phil Ken Sebben throws a graph chart at him). Tundro makes an appearance firing his energy rocks at Phil Ken Sebben, who forgot to close the hot tub time portal to prehistoric times.
The Herculoids is mentioned in an episode of The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
, where an old "fan letter" of Dr. Venture to the show is discovered. Upon reading, the letter is revealed to be more akin to hate mail
Hate mail
Hate mail is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient...
; young Rusty Venture called the Herculoids hippies for not fighting in Vietnam.
Tundro and Gloop appear in an episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, "8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter". In the scene, Gloop fails to get a babysitting job from Lois. In protest, Tundro shows up and fires his energy rocks at Lois. (NOTE: The Herculoids is owned by Hanna–Barbera, not FOX
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
parent News Corp.
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
.)
Original series
| Episode | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Beaked People |
| 2 | The Raiders |
| 3 | The Pod Creatures |
| 4 | Sarko the Arkman |
| 5 | The Mole Men |
| 6 | The Pirates |
| 7 | The Spider Man |
| 8 | Mekkor |
| 9 | The Lost Dorgyte |
| 10 | Destroyer Ants |
| 11 | Defeat of Ogron |
| 12 | The Android People |
| 13 | Temple of Trax |
| 14 | The Swamp Monster |
| 15 | Laser Lancers |
| 16 | The Raider Apes |
| 17 | Tiny World of Terror |
| 18 | Prisoners of the Bubblemen |
| 19 | The Time Creatures |
| 20 | The Gladiators of Kyanite |
| 21 | Mekkano, the Machine Master |
| 22 | Invasion of the Electrode Men |
| 23 | Mission of the Amatons |
| 24 | Queen Skorra |
| 25 | Attack of the Faceless People |
| 26 | The Zorbots |
| 27 | Return of Sta-Lak |
| 28 | Revenge of the Pirates |
| 29 | Ruler of the Reptons |
| 30 | The Island of the Gravites |
| 31 | Malak and the Metal Apes |
| 32 | The Return of Torrak |
| 33 | The Antidote |
| 34 | Attack from Space |
| 35 | The Mutoids |
| 36 | The Crystalites |
Space Stars revival
| Episode | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Ice Monster |
| 2 | The Purple Menace |
| 3 | The Firebird |
| 4 | The Energy Creature |
| 5 | The Snake Riders |
| 6 | The Buccaneer |
| 7 | The Thunderbolt |
| 8 | Return of the Ancients |
| 9 | Space Trappers |
| 10 | The Invisibles |
| 11 | Mindbender |
The Herculoids in other languages
or Kaijû Ô Tâgan (Monster King Targan)- The characters' names in Japan were Targan (Zandor), Marmi (Tara), Kane (Dorno), Maryû (Zok), Rikira (Igoo), Tangurô (Tundro), Hyûhyû (Gloop) and Bôbô (Gleep).
DVD release
On June 14, 2011, Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
released The Herculoids: The Complete Original Animated Series on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.
The dvd set has been released June of 2011 and does not feature the 11 episodes of the Space Stars Revival.
External links
- The Herculoids at the Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....
- The Herculoids on Don Markstein's Toonopedia