August 27, 2022

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: DWAYNE McDUFFIE

 


DWAYNE McDUFFIE

(February 20, 1962-February 21, 2011)

 

Notable Roles: Producer, writer, editor

  

A Michigan native, McDuffie graduated the Roeper School and the University of Michigan before moving to New York to attend New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. After working as a copy editor at Investment Dealer’s Digest, McDuffie went on to work for Marvel Comics as assistant to editor Bob Budiansky. There, he helped develop the company’s first superhero trading cards set before getting his first major writing work published in the pages of Damage Control. After becoming an editor, he submitted a spoof proposal for a series called Teenage Negro Ninja Thrashers after becoming dissatisfied with the number and treatment of Marvel’s Black characters. Going freelance in 1990, McDuffie continued to write for Marvel alongside DC Comics, Archie Comics and Harvey Comics, where he wrote the comic spin-off of the Back to the Future cartoon. Along with Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle and Christopher Priest (who left in the early planning stages for personal reasons), he founded Milestone Media to bring the multicultural sensibility they felt missing from comic books. They debuted Milestone Comics in 1993, published through DC Comics, that introduced the interconnected “Dakotaverse”, named for the fictional city of Dakota where most of their stories were set. Populating it were the African-American Static, Icon and Hardware; the Asian-American Xombi; and the group Blood Syndicate comprised of various ethnicities. A victim of both the comic bust and near-sighted retailer perception, Milestone ceased operations in 1997 and became primarily a licensing company. Static was adapted into the animated series Static Shock, on which McDuffie served as story editor and wrote 11 episodes. He also wrote for Teen Titans and What’s New, Scooby-Doo? while serving as a staff writer on Justice League; where he was later promoted to story editor and producer when the series became Justice League Unlimited. Additionally, he wrote the story for the video game Justice League Heroes and several direct-to-DVD DC animated movies. Along with returning to comic work with Beyond!, Fantastic Four vol. 1, and Justice League of America vol. 2, McDuffie was hired to revamp and story edit the Ben 10 franchise for Cartoon Network, resulting in Alien Force and Ultimate Alien. During his career, he was nominated for several Eisner Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards, and won a Golden Apple Award, The Humanitas Prize, an Inkpot Award, and a Writers Guild of America Award, as well as voted Favorite Breakout Talent in Wizard Magazine’s Fan Awards. In 2011, McDuffie died of complications from emergency heart surgery. Several tributes came after his death: Justice League: Doom, Ultimate Alien’s final episode and the spin-off video game were dedicated to his memory; a diner named “McDuffie’s” appeared in Green Lantern: The Animated Series; Ultimate Spider-Man introduced the new CEO of Damage Control named “Mac” with a dedication in the same episode; the 2011 Static Shock comic reboot had the titular character attending a high school named for McDuffie; new DC Comics character and brief TV star Naomi was given the last name “McDuffie”; and the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity and Comics and The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids’ Comics were started in his honor.

 

 

Saturday Credits:
Back to the Future (comic)
Back to the Future: Forward to the Future (comic)
Static Shock
What’s New, Scooby-Doo?
Ben 10: Omniverse

August 20, 2022

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: SCOTT MENVILLE

 

SCOTT MENVILLE 

(February 12, 1971- ) 


 

Notable Roles: Spanky, Bingo Beaver, Thaddeus Micawb, Jonny Quest, Prince Dexter, Freddy Flintstone, Ralph Gumer, Captain Cortex, Wonder Kid, Red Herring, Ma-Ti, Joe McIntyre, Slightly, Hayato, Duane, Toby Danger, Ira Melman, Trouble/Kenny Braverman, Goro/Shoichi, Zack, Fraz Flub, Kevin French/C-Dog, Tubute, Robin/Tim Drake, Red X, Nightwing/Dick Grayson, Shaggy Rogers, Metamorpho/Rex Mason, Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff, Jimmy Jones, Bucky/James Barnes, Salad lad, Chrono Spanner/Ken Tennyson, Bucky Hensletter, Arthur, Sneezy, Crankshaw, Stretch/Jake Armstrong, Scott Dingleman, Dr. Octopus/Superior Spider-Man/Otto Octavius, Grady Scraps



 

The son of animator and writer Chuck Menville, Scott Menville went into the “family business” by becoming a voice actor; with his first credit being a 1979 episode of Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-DooHis first starring role came as Spanky in The Little Rascals animated series in 1982, followed by Bingo Beaver in The Get Along Gang. He proceeded to have a series of starring, minor or guest-starring roles for Hanna-Barbera Productions, Ruby-Spears ProductionsBagdasarian Productions and DiC Entertainment, while branching out into live-action acting with a guest appearance on One Big Family in 1987. That led to his having recurring roles on The Wonder Years, Full House (reprised on its sequel spin-off Fuller House), The Parent ‘Hood and others. Interestingly, he performed on both the live-action Punky Brewster and its animated spin-off. He has maintained a steady career as both a live and voice actor, doing cartoons, anime dubs and video games. Most frequently, his voice allows him to be cast in the roles of young boys like Robin in the Teen Titans franchise and Scott Dingleman in BunniculaAlong with acting, Menville is a musician. He played bass guitar for the band Boy Hits Car from their founding in 1993 until 2006. The band released three albums with Menville as a member, and their song “LoveFuryPassionEnergy” was used as the theme song for WWE wrestler Lita. Menville has been nominated for a Young Artists Award and a Behind the Voice Actors Award, winning several of the latter.

 

 

Saturday Credits: 

Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979) 

The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show

The Gary Coleman Show 

The Dukes 

The Little Rascals 

Alvin & the Chipmunks (1983) 

The Get Along Gang 

It’s Punky Brewster 

Challenge of the GoBots 

The Little Wizards 

The Real Ghostbusters 

Popeye and Son 

The Flintstone Kids 

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures

New Kids on the Block 

Peter Pan and the Pirates 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series 

Beethoven: The Animated Series

Freakazoid! 

Superman: The Animated Series 

Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? 

All Grown Up! 

Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! 

DC Nation: New Teen Titans 

Star vs. the Forces of Evil 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) 

Teen Titans Go! 

Ben 10: Omniverse 

Bunnicula 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 

Young Justice 

Big City Greens 

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: TARA STRONG

 

TARA STRONG

(February 12, 1973- )

 

Notable Roles: Hello Kitty, Patty Putty, Carly Cuts, Still Jill, Young Celeste, Hip Koopa, Hop Koopa, Yumi Francois, Agent Heather, Paige Guthrie, Skids, Illyana Rasputin, Kyle Griffin, Spot, Two-Tone, Vendela, Batgril/Barbara Gordon, Dil Pickles, Timmy McNulty, Teddy McNulty, Shareena, Tara Byron, Tutu, Nice Cindy, Ingrid Third, Traplev, Ariella Third, Bubbles, Bebe Proud, Cece Proud, Puff, Blink/Clarice Ferguson, Vicky Vale, Raven/Rachel Roth, Omi, Mercy Graves, Supergirl/Kara Danvers, Timmy Turner, Ben Tennyson, Toot Braunstein, Princess Clara, Maguro, Marrow/Sarah, X-23/Laura Kinney, Sierra McCool, Sky Blossoms, Sari Sumdac, Slipstream, Strika, Invisible Woman/Susan Richards, Daizy, Billy Batson, Mary Marvel/Mary Batson, Huntress/Helena Bertinelli, Ilana, Rogue, Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, American Dream/Shannon Carter, H.E.R.B.I.E., Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel, Iolande, Cheetah/Barbara Ann Minerva, Princess Selfrespectra, Stella’s Guardian of Sirenix, Twilight Sparkle, Penny Gadget, Black Cat/Felicia Hardy, Jessica Jones, Spider-Woman/Mary Jane Watson, Thundra, Lois Lane, Rocket J. Squirrel, Typhoid Mary/Mary Walker, Nova Prime, Terra/Tara Markov, Unikitty, Tiggy Sullivan, Miss Minutes

 

 

Born and credited as Tara Charendoff until her marriage, Strong became interested in acting at age 4 when she volunteered to perform in a school production. She worked with the Yiddish Theater and Toronto Jewish Theater and was featured in a recording of “Lay Down Your Arms” with the Habonim Youth Choir, singing the song in both English and Hebrew. Her professional debut was at the age of 13 when she starred as Gracie in Limelight Theater’s production of The Music Man. Along with a guest-spot on the show T. and T., she landed her first animated lead role in Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater. By the time she moved to Los Angeles, she had already amassed an impressive resume; a trend that would continue well into her career. Largely, her work has been in animation, but Strong has made frequent on-camera appearances, most recently in 2021 as Tiggy Sullivan on Pretty Hard Cases, as well as done video games, such as playing the protagonist of Lollipop Chainsaw, Juliette. Often, Strong gets called on to play young boy characters like 10-year-old Ben Tennyson in the Ben 10 franchise, Dil Pickles in the Rugrats franchise (excluding the Paramount+ reboot) or Timmy Turner in The Fairly Oddparents.  She inherited the role as the regular voice of DC ComicsHarley Quinn from Arleen Sorkin (in addition to already playing Batgirl), and became part of the phenomenon that was My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic as lead character Twilight Sparkle. She often uses her fame and social media presence to promote animal rescue groups, raise money for charities, decry bullying and promote Veganism. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for numerous awards including Action on Film International Film Festival, Annie Awards, Behind the Voice Actors Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards, Kids’ Choice Awards, NAVGTR Awards, Online Film & Television Association, Spike Video Game Awards, a Hollywood Gold Award, and an Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Award; winning several of them.

 

 

Saturday Credits:
Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater
Care Bears
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Piggsburg Pigs!
The Raccoons
Beetlejuice
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures
Little Shop
Wish Kid
Super Mario World
X-Men: The Animated Series
Tales from the Cryptkeeper
Gadget Boy and Heather
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat
Gadget Boy’s Adventures in History
101 Dalmatians: The Series
The New Batman Adventures
Recess
Detention
Pepper Ann
Teacher’s Pet
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
The Zeta Project
The Weekenders
Ozzy & Drix
Lloyd in Space
Fillmore!
What’s New, Scooby-Doo?
Duck Dodgers
Xiaolin Showdown
Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Ben 10
Legion of Super Heroes
The Penguins of Madagascar
Sushi Pack
All Grown Up!
Transformers: Animated
Wolverine and the X-Men
Pound Puppies (2010)
Green Lantern: The Animated Series
DC Nation: Super Best Friends Forever
DC Nation: New Teen Titans
DC Nation: Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld
Winx Club
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Young Justice
Ben 10: Omniverse
Beware the Batman
My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Teen Titans Go!
DC Nation: Shazam!
Xiaolin Chronicles
Bunsen is a Beast
Justice League Action
Ben 10 (2016)
DC Super Hero Girls (2019)
My Little Pony: Pony Life

August 13, 2022

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: RUBY-SPEARS PRODUCTIONS

 

RUBY-SPEARS PRODUCTIONS, INC.
Aka RUBY-SPEARS ENTERPRISES, RS HOLDINGS

(1977-96)

 

Key People: Joe Ruby (founder, president), Ken Spears (founder, vice president), Jerry Eisenberg (producer), Jack Kirby (production artist)

 

One of Ruby-Spears' former locations, just across from Hanna-Barbera.

 

Joe Ruby and Ken Spears began as sound editors at Hanna-Barbera Productions before turning into a valuable writing team; particularly with the creation of Scooby-Doo. When their contracts were up and their desires to advance to associate producers denied, they left Hanna-Barbera to be producers and writers at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. Eventually, they were hired away by television executive Fred Silverman to supervise the Saturday morning programming for him at CBS, and then over at ABC. By 1977, Hanna-Barbera was stretched pretty thin making several programs for all the major networks and their work quality was suffering as a result. Feeling Hanna-Barbera needed some competition, Silverman decided that Ruby and Spears should start their own production company. ABC executive Peter Roth secured financing from Filmways and Silverman promised them a commitment for one series and one special. The special, The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy, was released in 1978 as an episode of the ABC Weekend Specials. It was nominated for an Emmy, and got three sequel specials before becoming an ongoing show called The Puppy’s Further Adventures. The series was Fangface, which was pitched as kind of a reverse Scooby-Doo, and did well enough to run for two seasons. From there came a steady output of shows and specials, including The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, Heathcliff, Thundarr the Barbarian, Goldie Gold and Action Jack, Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour, Rubik, the Amazing Cube, Mister T, Alvin and the Chipmunks (for the first five years until the Bagdasarians wanted to go elsewhere), Saturday Supercade and more. By that point, their exclusivity agreement with ABC was done, allowing them to expand to the other networks as well as syndication. Each production allowed the company to grow from a shoestring operation to a full-fledged one, poaching as many Hanna-Barbera talent as they could due to the shortages at the time. One of their most notable hires was legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, brought to them by writer Mark Evanier, who reportedly enjoyed the best treatment of his entire career. In 1981, Ruby-Spears was sold to Taft Broadcasting, who also owned Hanna-Barbera making them sister companies (while still also competing for the same timeslots). In 1991, Ruby and Spears spun the company off into the independent RS Holdings, with most of their pre-1991 library being sold along with Hanna-Barbera to Turner Broadcasting System (excluding Rambo: The Force of Freedom which is owned by StudioCanal), resulting in a mix of both company’s productions populating the fledgling Cartoon Network. Ruby-Spears would produce three more series—Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa, Mega Man and Skysurfer Strike Force—and two more ABC Weekend Specials before finally closing up shop in 1996. Ruby and Spears continued to work on developing new projects under the Ruby-Spears banner for the next two decades up until the deaths of both men in 2020.

 

Promo image featuring some of Ruby-Spears' earliest characters.


Saturday Credits:
Fangface
ABC Weekend Specials (episodes)
The Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show
Heathcliff and Dingbat/Marmaduke
Goldie Gold and Action Jack
Thundarr the Barbarian
The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour
The Puppy’s Further Adventures
Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour
Rubik, the Amazing Cube
Mister T
Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983)
Saturday Supercade
Dragon’s Lair
Turbo Teen
It’s Punky Brewster
Lazer Tag Academy
Superman (1988)
Dink, the Little Dinosaur
Piggsburg Pigs!
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: SCATMAN CROTHERS

 

SCATMAN CROTHERS

(May 23, 1910-November 22, 1986)

 

Notable Roles: Cheshire Cat, Scat Cat, George “Meadowlark” Lemon, King Louie, Hong Kong Phooey/Penrod “Penry” Pooch, Louie Wilson, Rosey, Liquid Man/Nate Branch, Dick Hallorann, Sam the piano player, Uncle Moses, Jazz, Eugene the Genie, Excell Dennis

 

Born Benjamin Sherman Crothers, he began a musical career as a teenager; teaching himself how to sing and play the guitar and drums. He would play with a band in speakeasies throughout his native Terre Haute until he ended up performing five days a week on a radio show in Dayton, Ohio in the 1930s. It was there the station manager suggested he needed a catchier name, so Crothers called himself “Scatman” after his scat singing style. He released several singles through Capitol Records, and an album with High Fidelity Records, went on USO tours with Bob Hope and performed with bandleader Slim Gaillard. Crothers appeared in 3 short films before making his feature-film debut with 1953’s Meet Me at the Fair. He appeared in four Jack Nicholson films; notably Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining for which he won an Academy Award. His television career began in 1957 on an episode of The Adventures of Jim Bowie and went on to include programs like Dragnet, McMillan & Wife, Kojak, Ironside, Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Magnum P.I. and Laverne & Shirley. In 1966, Crothers went into voice acting when he took over the role of the Cheshire Cat from Sammy Davis, Jr. for Hanna-Barbera’s album for The New Alice in Wonderland (or What’s a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?) animated special, as Davis was signed exclusively to Reprise Records, and in 1970 he voiced Scat Cat in the animated film, The Aristocats. The following year, he was cast as the voice of the animated version of Harlem Globetrotter George “Meadowlark” Lemon in The Harlem Globe Trotters and The New Scooby-Doo Movies. He would later play fellow Globetrotter Nate Branch in the follow-up, The Super Globetrotters, as Meadowlark had left the team by then. In 1974 he played the title character in Hong Kong Phooey, which he reprised for Laff-A-Lympics, and provided additional voices for several other Hanna-Barbera shows. During the 1980s, he starred in three short-lived live-action series--One of the Boys, Casablanca (1983) and Morningstar/Eveningstar--as well assumed the role of the Autobot Jazz in the Transformers franchise. He was also given an NAACP Image Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After a four-year struggle with lung cancer, Crothers died in 1986 at the age of 76. He was posthumously inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame the following year.

 

Saturday Credits:
Harlem Globe Trotters
The New Scooby-Doo Movies
Hong Kong Phooey
Scooby’s Laff-A-Lympics
The Skatebirds
CB Bears
ABC Weekend Specials (episodes)
The Super Globetrotters
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1981)
Trollkins
Pryor’s Place

August 06, 2022

70TH ANNIVERSARIES

 Last stop! We've reached the absolute beginning with the shows turning





There's One in Every Family




65TH ANNIVERSARIES

 We're nearing the end with the shows turning 



IT'S A HIT*






SATURDAY PLAYHOUSE*


TRUE STORY*

*NO IMAGES OR VIDEO AVAILABLE

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: PAT CARROLL

 


PAT CARROLL

(May 5, 1927-July 30, 2022)

 

Notable Roles: Bunny Halper, Rita Simon, Pearl Markowitz, Ms. Biddy McBrain, Mrs. Hope Stinson, Hazel, Katrina Stoneheart, Grandma Arbuckle, Queen Hippolyta, Gussie Holt, Paula P. Casso, Ursula, Morgana, Old Lady Crowley

 

Patricia Ann Carroll’s career began in 1947 when she landed the role of Lorelei Crawford in the film Hometown Girl. She made her television debut in 1952 on The Red Buttons Show followed by her Broadway debut in 1955 in Catch a Star!; the latter of which landed her a Tony Award nomination. Along with appearing on a number of variety and game shows from the 1950s through the 1970s, she had a regular stint on the sitcom Make Room for Daddy as Bunny Halper, Getting Together as Rita Simon, Pearl Markowitz on Busting Loose, Mrs. Hope Stinson on the finale season of Too Close For Comfort and Gussie Holt on She’s the Sheriff; all while still appearing on stage and in film. In 1963, Carroll sued Hanna-Barbera for breach of contract after she was cast as Jane Jetson in The Jetsons and was replaced after only recording a single episode of the 24 that were guaranteed. Her voice acting debut instead game in 1966 as she provided some in The Super 6. In the late 1980s she returned to voice acting as teacher Ms. Biddy McBrain in Galaxy High School, dog Hazel in Foofur, and antagonistic dog pound owner Katrina Stoneheart in Pound Puppies. She also played the feisty grandmother of Jon Arbuckle (Thom Huge) in two Garfield holiday specials. She landed the role of sea witch Ursula in Disney’s The Little Mermaid; a role she would continue to inhabit in the majority of the character’s English-language appearances until 2020 (excluding live-action adaptations in Once Upon a Time, Descendants 2 and The Little Mermaid Live!). Carroll died of pneumonia in 2022 at the age of 95.

 

Saturday Credits:
The Super 6
Galaxy High School
Yogi’s Treasure Hunt
Foofur
Pound Puppies (1986)
Superman (1988)
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series
Disney’s House of Mouse
Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: GARY OWENS

 


GARY OWENS
(May 10, 1934-February 12, 2015)

 
Notable Roles: Roger Ramjet, Space Ghost, Blue Falcon, Captain Squash, Commander Ulysses Feral, Powdered Toast Man, 1950s Batman
 
Born Gary Bernard Altman, Owens was notable for his baritone speaking voice and deadpan comedic delivery that made him an ideal narrator and announcer for various projects—particularly of the humorous kind. He began his career as a news reporter on radio station KORN in 1952 in Mitchell, South Dakota, and was promoted to news director two years later. In 1956 he left to be a newscaster at KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa, before becoming a disc jockey at KOIL in Omaha, Nebraska. After bouncing around a few other stations, he finally ended up in California in 1959. He began a two-decade tenure at 710 KMCP (now KSPN AM) where he displayed his surrealistic humor and tendency for puns, as well as inventing nonsense words and doing amusing radio promotions. He also developed several alter-egos: gruff old man earl C. Festoon and his wife, Phoebe; stuffy businessman Endocrine J. Sternwallow; goofy good ol’ boy Merle Clyde Gumpf; and crochety old Mergenthaler Waisleywillow. In 1961 he started transitioning into film and television by providing the uncredited prologue narration for The Naked Witch (although it wasn’t released until 1964). In 1965, he made a couple of appearances on McHale’s Navy and voiced the titular character in the animated Roger Ramjet. His most well-known role came in 1968 as the announcer for the sketch comedy series Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, where he established his trademark routine of holding his hand on his ear as he spoke into the microphone. Owens had a long association with Hanna-Barbera Productions, providing either opening narrations or episode narrations for various shows like The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Yogi’s Space Race and Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, as well as various roles including the heroes Space Ghost in Space Ghost and Blue Falcon in Dynomutt, Dog Wonder and supporting antagonist Commander Ulysses Feral in SWAT Kats. Additionally, he voiced various cartoon characters on Sesame Street, the characters of Powdered Toast Man in The Ren & Stimpy Show and Captain Squash in Bobby’s World, and was even one of the prospective voices for Inspector Gadget in one of the pilot episodes. In 2004, Owens co-wrote the book How to Make a Million Dollars with Your Voice (Or Lose Your Tonsils Trying) with Jeff Lenburg, an anecdote-laden guide on how to get into voice acting. In his final years, Owens served as the promotional announcing voice for retro network Antenna TV until his death in 2015 due to complications from his life-long bout with Type-1 diabetes.
 
Saturday Credits:
Space Ghost and Dino Boy
Sesame Street
The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
Dynomutt, Dog Wonder
Scooby’s Laff-A-Lympics
Yogi’s Space Race
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Space Stars
The Mighty Orbots
Inspector Gadget (1 pilot version)
Garfield & Friends
Yogi’s Treasure Hunt
Bobby’s World
Defenders of Dynatron City
Tom & Jerry Kids Show
Eek! the Cat
Goof Troop
Raw Toonage
Skeleton Warriors
The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat
The Mask: The Animated Series
Nightmare Ned
101 Dalmatians: The Series
The New Batman Adventures
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Teamo Supremo