The New Adventures of Zorro (1981)
Encyclopedia
For the 1997 series see The New Adventures of Zorro (1997 TV series)
The New Adventures of Zorro is an animated television series
produced by Filmation
in 1981. The series, which has 13 episodes, is based on the fictional character
created by Johnston McCulley
. It aired as part of The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour
.
This is the only series Filmation made in which they contracted an outside, third party animation studio (although the storyboards were created by Filmation themselves). The series was outsourced to Tokyo Movie Shinsha
in Japan. All other series afterwards were animated internally by Filmation themselves. It was producer Norm Prescott
's final series with Filmation, bringing to an end the famous 'rotating producers' wheel Filmation was famous for. From Gilligan's Planet
onwards, Lou Scheimer
would handle production duties on his own.
, who fights against tyranny under a secret identity
, Zorro. He is helped by Tempest (originally "Tornado"), his black horse, and Miguel, a young swordsman (replacing Zorro's mute manservant Bernardo). Miguel wears a disguise very similar to Zorro’s (but with different colors and without a cape) and rides a Palomino
. Ramón, the captain of the garrison, is Zorro’s main foe. Captain Ramón is helped in his task of capturing Zorro by González, a foolish sergeant who is friends with the De La Vega family. Sergeant González was a character from the original Zorro story 'The Curse of Capistrano'. He had been replaced by Sergeant Garcia on the Disney series. Ironically or possibly intentionally ironically, the actor who voiced González, Don Diamond, played Sergeant Garcia's companion Corporal Reyes.
and the influence of Spanish language
and Spanish culture in the region at the end of each chapter. These kinds of educational messages were common in 1980’s animated television series of Filmation. Other examples of this are the moral advice found in chapters of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
.
The New Adventures of Zorro is an animated television series
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
produced by Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
in 1981. The series, which has 13 episodes, is based on the fictional character
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
created by Johnston McCulley
Johnston McCulley
Johnston McCulley was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro...
. It aired as part of The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour
The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour
The Tarzan / Lone Ranger adventure hour is an animated television series produced by Filmation that aired on CBS during the early 1980s....
.
This is the only series Filmation made in which they contracted an outside, third party animation studio (although the storyboards were created by Filmation themselves). The series was outsourced to Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Tokyo Movie Shinsha
, formerly known as , is a Japanese animation studio, founded on October 1946. One of the oldest and most prominent anime studios in Japan, it has also produced numerous animated series airing in other countries such as France, the United States, and Italy. The company currently uses "TMS...
in Japan. All other series afterwards were animated internally by Filmation themselves. It was producer Norm Prescott
Norm Prescott
Norman "Norm" Prescott was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Studios. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he began his radio career in the Hub, becoming program director at station WORL in the late 1940s. He went to work for Joseph E. Levine's Embassy Pictures Corp. in 1959, serving as...
's final series with Filmation, bringing to an end the famous 'rotating producers' wheel Filmation was famous for. From Gilligan's Planet
Gilligan's Planet
Gilligan's Planet is a Saturday morning cartoon produced by the Filmation animation studio and MGM/UA Television which aired during the 1982-1983 season on CBS...
onwards, Lou Scheimer
Lou Scheimer
Louis Scheimer is an Emmy and Grammy Award–winning American producer, one of the original founders of Filmation, an animation company, and also an executive producer of many of its cartoons .-Career:Early in Filmation's history, Scheimer also contributed...
would handle production duties on his own.
Plot
Don Diego de la Vega is a young man of high social position from the town of Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, who fights against tyranny under a secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
, Zorro. He is helped by Tempest (originally "Tornado"), his black horse, and Miguel, a young swordsman (replacing Zorro's mute manservant Bernardo). Miguel wears a disguise very similar to Zorro’s (but with different colors and without a cape) and rides a Palomino
Palomino
Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" base coat...
. Ramón, the captain of the garrison, is Zorro’s main foe. Captain Ramón is helped in his task of capturing Zorro by González, a foolish sergeant who is friends with the De La Vega family. Sergeant González was a character from the original Zorro story 'The Curse of Capistrano'. He had been replaced by Sergeant Garcia on the Disney series. Ironically or possibly intentionally ironically, the actor who voiced González, Don Diamond, played Sergeant Garcia's companion Corporal Reyes.
Voice cast
| Voice actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Henry Darrow Henry Darrow Henry Darrow is a prolific Puerto Rican-American character actor of stage and film. Darrow is probably best remembered for his role as Big John Cannon's teasing brother-in-law, and Buck Cannon's favorite ranch hand, and best friend, Manolito Montoya, in the 1960s television series The High... |
Zorro / Don Diego |
| Julio Medina | Miguel |
| Eric Mason Eric Mason Eric Mason is a British actor. His television credits include: Z Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, Doctor Who, Bergerac, Sea of Souls, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Minder in episode Come in T-64, Your Time Is Ticking Away and The Bill.... |
Captain Ramon |
| Don Diamond Don Diamond Donald Alan "Don" Diamond was an American radio, film, and television actor who portrayed "Crazy Cat", the sidekick and heir apparent to Chief Wild Eagle on the popular 1960s television sitcom, F Troop .-Career:... |
Sgt. González |
| Christine Avila | Maria |
| Socorro Valdez | Gov. Gen. Garcia |
| Carl Rivas | Don Alejandro de la Vega |
| Ismael 'East' Carlo Ismael 'East' Carlo Ismael 'East' Carlo is a Puerto Rican actor, sometimes credited as East Carlo, Ismael East Carlo or Ismael Carlo.-Life and career:Carlo was born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, and raised in Spanish Harlem, New York.... |
Gaspar |
Educational messages
Zorro showed the viewers information about CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the influence of Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Spanish culture in the region at the end of each chapter. These kinds of educational messages were common in 1980’s animated television series of Filmation. Other examples of this are the moral advice found in chapters of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
.