Super Mates 58: Future Quest and Feedback

In a tie-in to the NEW Fire & Water Show, Saturday Morning Fever, Chris and Cindy take a look at the first two issues of DC’s new Future Quest series, starring the Hanna Barbera action heroes like Jonny Quest and Space Ghost! Then it’s time to dig into that giant pile of feedback you folks have been kind enough to send us!

 

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Clip credits:

“Wedding March” from Flash Gordon by Queen

Selected music from Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, Birdman and the The Herculoids by Hoyt Curtin.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold “Bold Beginnings” starring Diedrich Bader and Gary Owens.

16 responses to “Super Mates 58: Future Quest and Feedback

  1. The talent line-up of this book is amazing. Off to Comixology!

    I think we need to talk to Luke Daab about making the SMF theme available as its own thing. I HATE hearing my stupid voice talk over it in the promo.

    I can’t believe Chris escaped a slap when it came to referencing PAM in Carlito’s Way. I knew what he was referring to immediately. She is, uh, pretty memorable in that movie.

    1. I can’t believe it either Rob! Cindy was either in a really good mood, or off her game that day. Just take your pick.

      There’s enough of Luke’s theme that you don’t ruin it too much. 🙂

      Yes, go out and buy this comic! I think you’ll dig it. I know you liked Parker’s Aquaman run.

      Chris

  2. BTW, Cindy sings very well. I hereby request a whole show of her signing and you doing your wide range of impressions (Johnny Cash, Bale Batman, Solomon Grundy, Generic Redneck).

  3. Thanks for another great episode! I am loving the Future Quest series as it’s nice to see some old characters being injected with new life. I believe DC first approached Darwyn Cooke about this project and he did contribute some initial character designs. Cooke then suggested Shaner for the project.

    Anyone interested in Jonny Quest may want to check out the “Tom & Jerry: Spy Quest” DVD that came out last year. I stumbled across it totally by accident and couldn’t resist picking it up. The premise of a cat & mouse team up with Jonny & the gang sounds ridiculous (and it is!) but it’s a lot of fun. Tim Matheson even does a cameo as the President.

    1. Okay, how did I NOT know this existed? I’m going after this thing like NOW!!!

      Our daughter Dani and I have watched many of the recent Tom & Jerry movies, mostly aired on Boomerang. They are all pretty well done. I especially like the Robin Hood mash-up, based on the classic Errol Flynn film. This one hasn’t come up yet, but I don’t think I can wait.

      Thanks for the info Chuck!

  4. So, in the last week my wife has been hospitalised, my teeth have started to ache, my left foot has a stabbing pain inside it, I have hit a kangaroo & damaged the corner panel & underside of my car, plus I have noticed a cold sore forming on my right hand between my index finger & thumb. Tonight I listened to Super Mates feedback where Cindy pronounced a pox on me.

    Cindy Franklin = witch.

    1. Cindy says “Bwahaha! It worked!!!”

      Seriously Paul, I hope your wife is doing better, and you, the kangaroo and car are on the mend.

      I don’t think Cindy has any actual supernatural abilities, but she does have that rag doll of me with all those pins in it…

      Chris

  5. I’m waiting for Future Quest to hit the trade collection; but, this is my childhood. I was a little too young to catch most of these in first run; but, saw them in reruns, especially Jonny Quest. The blue woman doesn’t match any character I know, so I suspect she has been created for this. The whole thing reminds me, a bit, of the final few episodes of Space Ghost, when he fought the Council of Doom (made up of several of his villains). He crossed over with Mightor, Dino Boy, Shazzan and the Herculoids (I can’t recall if Birdman or Frankenstein Jr were in there) . That, in turn, seemed to inspire the Space Stars format, though Birdman and the Glaxy Trio didn’t make it. Instead we had Teen Force, which seemed to be the Galaxy Trio in all but name.

    Space Ghost did not have an origin in the series; nor did any of the adventure heroes. They just were. That DC mini gave him one, though I thought it was rather cliche. Darrel McNeil, who worked at H-B and Filmation and wrote several books and articles about animation, talked about pitching an idea to H-B with the adventure heroes, where it is like Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion, with each hero is another incarnation of the Eternal Champion. So, Space Ghost, Birdman, Mightor and maybe a couple of others would all be the same person, in different times and dimensions.

    Space Ghost was a riff on Batman; but, the Herculoids started out as Tarzan-in-space. Originally, Zandor was to be called Zartan; but, I think lawyers probably advised a change.

    Jonny Quest never addressed how Jonny’s mother died, just that Race was assigned to guard the Quests, after the death of Jonny’s Mother. I think either the revived series or one of the movie specials addressed her death. I preferred the Comico version. In that series, they established that Dr Zinn knew Dr Quest in college and knew Jonny’s mother. They did a flashback where Jonny tells Hadji about how Race came to be with them, which occurred when Jonny’s mother was dying of cancer. Race stops some assassins at the hospital. Meanwhile, Dr Zinn comes to pay his respects to Mrs Quest, in a peaceful way. it appeared that he held her in high esteem and may have been in love with her. It also established that she brought out the adventurer in both Jonny and Benton. It was a really touching story. The whole comic was great, with an episode told from Bandit’s point of view and one where we see everything from the point of view of a camera, recording events for a time capsule.

    Oh, by the way, Adam Kubert did the Jezebell Jade mini-series. The character, herself, is pretty much a riff on the Dragon Lady, from Terry & the Pirates, more than Catwoman, though Bill Finger pretty much swiped her from Terry & the Pirates (just as many of the other villains were swiped from Dick Tracy).

    I suspect this will be little more than a mini-series, no matter what they advertised. I would like to see them tackle Thundarr, though I wonder if DC can do that one as easily. Thundarr was from Ruby Spears and was bought by Ted Turner; however, it was created by Steve Gerber and his estate may have some claim on adaptations and we know Warner doesn’t like to part with cash. Don’t know; maybe not. Still, Thundarr crossing over with Kamandi would be awesome.

    Glad to hear Cindy is a fan of Dastardly and Muttley. That was a favorite of my very young years, when they spun them (and Penolpe Pittstop) off into their own cartoons. We loved that show, with all of the wild airplanes and slapstick. My dad (a teacher) used to get up (after us) and make pancakes for breakfast and let us eat in front of the tv and would join in, particularly if we were watching Bugs Bunny or Dastardly and Muttley. My dad loved airplanes and served as a mechanic in a B-36 squadron, in the Air Force (see the movie Strategic Air Command, with Jimmy Stewart, to get an idea of the plane) and enjoyed Dastardly and Muttley for that element. He also recognized Dick dastardly as Terry Thomas, from the movie Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines, a favorite film of his.

    re: Feedback and the Phantom comics-Hermes Press has reprinted all of the Charlton Phantom comics. the Don Newton issues are in Vol 6, which just came out recently. They have a volume with all of Jim Aparo’s comics coming in August.

    As for Australia and the Phantom, there is a lighthearted caper film, from Australia, from about 1980, called Touch and Go (not to be confused with the American movie, of the same title). It features a group of suburban women who pull off robberies, to support an orphanage and school. They concoct a big heist at a seaside resort hotel and casino. There is a character who does yardwork, who is always wearing a Phantom t-shirt. Then, there are the sketches from Paul Hogan’s show, which have been mentioned before. You can see at least one of those on Youtube.

    Popeye Meets The Man Who Hated Laughter can be seen, in segments on Youtube. The audio quality is pretty bad (there is a hum throughout); but, it’s watchable, if you can stand the buzzing. The animation was pretty crude, even for the era. I have a bootleg of it, Oliver and the Artful Dodger and the Lost in Space episodes that appeared on the Saturday Superstar Movie. Of the features shown on the Saturday Superstar Movie, Yogi’s Ark is included on the Yogi’s Gang set (Warner Archives), the Brady Kids is included on the recent Brady Kids dvd set, and Oliver and the Artful Dodger is included on a Hanna-Barbera specials set, on the Warner Archives. That set also features the version of the Three Musketeers that H-B did as a movie, rather than the cartoon segment of The Banana Splits. It also has an animated special of Cyrano, with Jose Ferrer voicing the character. That was broadcast as an afterschool special.

  6. ps The Saturday Superstar Movie consisted of the following “movies”:

    Brady Kids on Mysterious Island (avail on the Brady Kids dvd set)
    Yogi’s Ark Lark (avail on the Yogi’s Gang set, from Warner Archives)
    Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters (prequel to the Mad Monster Party, not collected in the US or on Youtube)
    Nanny and the Professor (based on the tv show, not collected)
    Popeye and the Man Who Hated Laughter (on Youtube)
    Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid (not collected)
    Oliver and the Artful Dodger (on the Hanna-Barbera Specials dvd, Warner Archves, and Youtube)
    Adventures of Robin Hoodnik (H-B specials dvd, Warner Archive)
    Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain (not collected)
    Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection (not collected)
    The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park (doesn’t appear to have been collected)
    Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family (on Youtube)
    The Red Baron (on Youtube, features dogs as the characters)
    Daffy Duck and Porky Pig Meet the Groovie Goolies (on Youtube)
    Luvcast USA (a takeoff on Love, American Style; not collected)
    That Girl in Wonderland (not collected)
    Lost in Space (on Youtube)
    The Mini-Munsters (on Youtube)
    Nanny and the Professor and the Phantom of the Circus (on Youtube).

    1. Thanks as always for the info Jeff. Maybe we at the Fire and Water network should just subcontract the research out to you. You always bring the knowledge!

      And yes, Hoyt Curtin was a frickin’ genius. The Quest theme alone is enough to qualify him for that distinction. Then there’s the decade of Super Friends themes, which still say “DC Comics” to me like no other music.

      Chris

      1. I’ll send you a schedule of my rates. Extra charges if I have to slog through Liefeld comics or have to explain 90’s Legion continuity. Spider-Clone Saga requires half in advance.

        1. Our son Andrew may want to cover the Clone Saga. He’s kind of obsessed with Ben Reily. He can pay the difference!

          Chris

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