Zorak
Encyclopedia
Zorak is a fictional character who first appeared in the Hanna-Barbera
cartoon Space Ghost
. Zorak appeared as a 7 foot tall green mantis
and is a foe of the show's titular superhero.
in 1966. He was one of Space Ghost's most feared enemies and appeared in 6 episodes, starting with "The Challenge". Zorak was voiced by Don Messick
, who spoke in a buzzy monotone
meant to evoke his insect
-like features.
revived the Space Ghost characters in 1994 for Space Ghost Coast to Coast
, a talk show where the main characters' roles were re-invented. On the new show, Space Ghost
had released Zorak from prison, but forced Zorak to act as his leader of the band 'The Original Way Outs'
from a "prison pod" with an installed keyboard. Zorak's villainous mentality remained, and he would heckle Space Ghost in most episodes. In rare instances, the two would have moments of compromise, such as when Space Ghost believes he is dying. On the Cartoon Network shows, Zorak was voiced by animator C. Martin Croker
. Croker originally imitated the monotone of Messick, but over the years took Zorak's voice in his own direction.
between the two. The episode also suggested that Zorak has a surname, Roberts. Or Space Ghost could just have been nicknaming him that. He is a fan of Metallica
although when the band came on the show, he told them to "Bite me!" — one of his favorite phrases (though he's revealed to be a big fan of the Ramones
). Others include: "I am the Lone Locust of the Apocalypse
, think of me when you look to the night sky" and "I'm Egyptian
!" He gets on best with Moltar but has low tolerance for Space Ghost, other characters and guests. He has flirted with a few of the female guests but it was mostly to annoy Space Ghost. He gains satisfaction from using Brak
in The Brak Show. Brak thinks of Zorak as a friend; Zorak likes to think he has no friends.
Zorak was initially referred to by Space Ghost as a locust
; it was not until the seventh episode, "Punch", when guest Dian Parkinson
mistook him for a grasshopper
that he mentioned that he is actually a mantis
. He explained that he did not notice Space Ghost was calling him a locust until Space Ghost brought it up. Zorak also refers to himself as "The Lone Locust of the Apocalypse", but does not explain the meaning of this title, although it could be an allusion to his destructive tendencies. It is notable that Zorak has an apparent rivalry with fellow Space Ghost villain Lokar, who is quite obviously a humanoid locust; Lokar is portrayed as elitist and more cultured than the vulgar
and crude Zorak, whom Lokar insultingly refers to as an arachnid
.
Footage from the original series for Zorak is taken from his entire crew, meaning Zorak's gloves and vest have a tendency to change color for no reason. He also has his own unique sound (which he once tried to sue Space Ghost for stealing) that he makes whenever he blinks.
Although Zorak has proven elusive concerning any parents or relatives, the episode "Hungry" introduced his likable, harmless nephew, Raymond. A miniature version of Zorak, Raymond aspires to one day be "Uh... Locust of 'pocalypse", which Space Ghost finds immensely cute. Zorak eventually devours his nephew, resulting in a brief memorial slideshow, including a photo of Moltar and Raymond in a bathtub in the middle of a busy street. Though seemingly dead, Raymond has made two appearances since his introductory episode. The first is the episode "Speck" which actually features only Raymond's voice, calling out that he's still alive, while Zorak talks loudly to mask his nephew's pleas for help (all of which goes right over Space Ghost's head). Raymond's third and final appearance was a post-credits ending to the "Zorak" episode in which he reappears to Zorak as an angel trying to earn his wings. Raymond was voiced by C. Martin Croker
, just like his uncle Zorak.
In the episode "Girlie Show", Zorak admits to being Episcopalian. This claim is repeated in "Woody Allen
's Fall Project", which featured a live staging of the scene in "Girlie Show" by staff members of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. In that episode Zorak was shown in live-action.
. On the show Brak considered Zorak to be his best friend, even though Zorak would often insult him and beat him up. Thundercleese would constantly blow up Zorak for ruining his yard. Zorak would often beat or blow up Brak's other friend Clarence. In some episodes he is in love with Brak's Mom. He was on twenty-six of the twenty-eight episodes.
named Cartoon Planet
, where Zorak appeared as a sidekick and foil for Space Ghost. Zorak also appeared briefly in a non-speaking role on what is commonly dubbed as Anime Talk Show
, a 15-minute cartoon airing after the first episode of Perfect Hair Forever
. He had a very brief, non-speaking cameo in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters along with Space Ghost
. Zorak was seen briefly on TV in the episode "Predator" of Sealab 2021
when Captain Murphy was flipping through channels and The Brak Show was on one of them. Zorak and Brak appeared in a commercial for Verizon Wireless. In the Adult Swim bumpers shown during New Year's, it is revealed that there are two Zoraks: one from Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and one from The Brak Show. Incidentally, during their brief fight, Thundercleese crushed the Coast to Coast Zorak and Space Ghost offers the Brak Show Zorak the other Zorak's position.
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...
cartoon 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...
. Zorak appeared as a 7 foot tall green mantis
Mantidae
Mantidae is the largest family of the order Mantodea, commonly known as praying mantises; most are tropical or subtropical. Historically, this was the only family in the order, and many references still use the term "mantid" to refer to any mantis. Technically, however, "mantid" refers only to...
and is a foe of the show's titular superhero.
Space Ghost
Zorak originally appeared in the animated series Space Ghost and Dino BoySpace Ghost and Dino Boy
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...
in 1966. He was one of Space Ghost's most feared enemies and appeared in 6 episodes, starting with "The Challenge". Zorak was voiced by Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald 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....
, who spoke in a buzzy monotone
Monotone
Monotone refers to a sound, for example speech or music, that has a single unvaried tone.Monotone or monotonicity may also refer to:*Monotone , an open source revision control system*Monotone class theorem, in measure theory...
meant to evoke his insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
-like features.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
Cartoon NetworkCartoon Network (United States)
Cartoon Network is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting which primarily airs animated programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991...
revived the Space Ghost characters in 1994 for 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...
, a talk show where the main characters' roles were re-invented. On the new show, 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...
had released Zorak from prison, but forced Zorak to act as his leader of the band 'The Original Way Outs'
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
from a "prison pod" with an installed keyboard. Zorak's villainous mentality remained, and he would heckle Space Ghost in most episodes. In rare instances, the two would have moments of compromise, such as when Space Ghost believes he is dying. On the Cartoon Network shows, Zorak was voiced by animator C. Martin Croker
C. Martin Croker
Clay Martin Croker is an animator and voice actor on various Adult Swim programs. He's best known for voicing the Space Ghost characters Zorak and Moltar on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. It was his idea to have Zorak and Moltar to be Space Ghost's sidekicks-Voice Acting:-External links:...
. Croker originally imitated the monotone of Messick, but over the years took Zorak's voice in his own direction.
Personality and traits
Zorak is usually grumpy and sarcastic sometimes with a sick sense of humor. He relishes insulting Space Ghost whenever possible and winding Space Ghost up so much that he blows Zorak up with his Power Bands (a running gag in the show). Zorak simply regenerates from this each time. Zorak had a small nephew at one point called Raymond. Zorak devoured him and then laughed about it. He has a gun, a Matter Intensifier, which he keeps hidden in his keyboard and sometimes gets out to give Space Ghost a zap for all the times he has blown him up. The Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode "Cahill" has a good sparSpar
In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fiber used on a sailing vessel. Spars of all types In sailing, a spar is a...
between the two. The episode also suggested that Zorak has a surname, Roberts. Or Space Ghost could just have been nicknaming him that. He is a fan of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
although when the band came on the show, he told them to "Bite me!" — one of his favorite phrases (though he's revealed to be a big fan of the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
). Others include: "I am the Lone Locust of the Apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
, think of me when you look to the night sky" and "I'm Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
!" He gets on best with Moltar but has low tolerance for Space Ghost, other characters and guests. He has flirted with a few of the female guests but it was mostly to annoy Space Ghost. He gains satisfaction from using Brak
Brak (character)
Brak is a supervillain on the 1966 Hanna-Barbera cartoon Space Ghost, portrayed as a catlike alien space pirate trying to conquer the galaxy...
in The Brak Show. Brak thinks of Zorak as a friend; Zorak likes to think he has no friends.
Zorak was initially referred to by Space Ghost as a locust
Locust
Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...
; it was not until the seventh episode, "Punch", when guest Dian Parkinson
Dian Parkinson
Dian Parkinson is a former American model and hostess on The Price Is Right.-Career history:...
mistook him for a grasshopper
Grasshopper
The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...
that he mentioned that he is actually a mantis
Mantis
Mantis is the common name of any insect in the order Mantodea, also commonly known as praying mantises. The word itself means "prophet" in Latin and Greek...
. He explained that he did not notice Space Ghost was calling him a locust until Space Ghost brought it up. Zorak also refers to himself as "The Lone Locust of the Apocalypse", but does not explain the meaning of this title, although it could be an allusion to his destructive tendencies. It is notable that Zorak has an apparent rivalry with fellow Space Ghost villain Lokar, who is quite obviously a humanoid locust; Lokar is portrayed as elitist and more cultured than the vulgar
VULGAR
Vulgar is the fourth studio album released by Dir En Grey on September 10, 2003 in Japan and on February 21, 2006 in Europe. A limited edition containing an additional DVD was also released. It featured the video of the song "Obscure", albeit a censored version...
and crude Zorak, whom Lokar insultingly refers to as an arachnid
Arachnid
Arachnids are a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek words , meaning "spider".Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial...
.
Footage from the original series for Zorak is taken from his entire crew, meaning Zorak's gloves and vest have a tendency to change color for no reason. He also has his own unique sound (which he once tried to sue Space Ghost for stealing) that he makes whenever he blinks.
Although Zorak has proven elusive concerning any parents or relatives, the episode "Hungry" introduced his likable, harmless nephew, Raymond. A miniature version of Zorak, Raymond aspires to one day be "Uh... Locust of 'pocalypse", which Space Ghost finds immensely cute. Zorak eventually devours his nephew, resulting in a brief memorial slideshow, including a photo of Moltar and Raymond in a bathtub in the middle of a busy street. Though seemingly dead, Raymond has made two appearances since his introductory episode. The first is the episode "Speck" which actually features only Raymond's voice, calling out that he's still alive, while Zorak talks loudly to mask his nephew's pleas for help (all of which goes right over Space Ghost's head). Raymond's third and final appearance was a post-credits ending to the "Zorak" episode in which he reappears to Zorak as an angel trying to earn his wings. Raymond was voiced by C. Martin Croker
C. Martin Croker
Clay Martin Croker is an animator and voice actor on various Adult Swim programs. He's best known for voicing the Space Ghost characters Zorak and Moltar on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. It was his idea to have Zorak and Moltar to be Space Ghost's sidekicks-Voice Acting:-External links:...
, just like his uncle Zorak.
In the episode "Girlie Show", Zorak admits to being Episcopalian. This claim is repeated in "Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's Fall Project", which featured a live staging of the scene in "Girlie Show" by staff members of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. In that episode Zorak was shown in live-action.
The Brak Show
Zorak also appeared in The Brak ShowThe Brak Show
The Brak Show is an animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The Brak Show is a spin-off of the animated television series, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and featured recurring characters from Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Cartoon Planet...
. On the show Brak considered Zorak to be his best friend, even though Zorak would often insult him and beat him up. Thundercleese would constantly blow up Zorak for ruining his yard. Zorak would often beat or blow up Brak's other friend Clarence. In some episodes he is in love with Brak's Mom. He was on twenty-six of the twenty-eight episodes.
Other appearances
Space Ghost Coast to Coast spawned a spin-offSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
named Cartoon Planet
Cartoon Planet
Cartoon Planet is an animated variety show that premiered in 1995 on Superstation TBS, and ran afterward from 1996 to 1997 on Cartoon Network....
, where Zorak appeared as a sidekick and foil for Space Ghost. Zorak also appeared briefly in a non-speaking role on what is commonly dubbed as Anime Talk Show
Anime Talk Show
Anime Talk Show is an animated television special that aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim on November 4, 2004...
, a 15-minute cartoon airing after the first episode of Perfect Hair Forever
Perfect Hair Forever
Perfect Hair Forever is an American comedy animated television series which is largely a parody of anime. It was created and produced by Williams Street, and aired on Adult Swim and The Detour in the US and Canada respectively...
. He had a very brief, non-speaking cameo in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters along with 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...
. Zorak was seen briefly on TV in the episode "Predator" of 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...
when Captain Murphy was flipping through channels and The Brak Show was on one of them. Zorak and Brak appeared in a commercial for Verizon Wireless. In the Adult Swim bumpers shown during New Year's, it is revealed that there are two Zoraks: one from Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and one from The Brak Show. Incidentally, during their brief fight, Thundercleese crushed the Coast to Coast Zorak and Space Ghost offers the Brak Show Zorak the other Zorak's position.