POUND PUPPIES/ALL-NEW POUND PUPPIES

POUND PUPPIES/

ALL-NEW POUND PUPPIES

(ABC, September 13, 1986-December 19, 1987)

Hanna-Barbera Productions

MAIN CAST:

Dan Gilvezan – Cooler, Cooler Wolf

Ruth Buzzi – Nose Marie, Muffy, Charlie’s mother

Robert Morse – Howler, Barkerville

Nancy Cartwright – Bright Eyes, Buddy, Burlap

B.J. Ward – Whopper, Mrs. Simon

Ami Foster – Holly Connor, Spats

Pat Carroll – Katrina Stoneheart

Adrienne Alexander – Brattina Stoneheart, Mouseketeer #3

Frank Welker – Catgut, Snickey, Big Paw, Schap, Shaky. Wolfie, Bob the Brontosaurus, Danny, Mr. Nabbit, Bones, Shannon’s father, Jerry’s father, Tuffy, Hairball, Cheep Cheep, Robotic Rover, Squiggly, Blabber, various

In 1984, Mike Bowling created a series of plush toys called Pound Puppies. The toys were dogs of varying colors with floppy ears and droopy eyes in both large and small sizes. They came in cardboard boxes designed to resemble a doghouse and had a heart-shaped emblem by their tails with the Pound Puppies logo in it. Originally distributed by Irwin Toy in Canada, Tonka soon acquired the license and introduced them to the United States market. 

As their popularity grew, Hanna-Barbera was contracted to bring the concept to life with an animated special. Written by Tom Ruegger (who also wrote several episodes of the series) and directed by Alan Zaslove, The Pound Puppies debuted on ABC in October of 1985. The special introduced the anthropomorphized group of Pound Puppies dedicated to helping new puppies find loving homes out of a dog pound ala Hogan’s Heroes. The main crew consisted of Cooler (Dan Gilvezan, whose signature laugh was inspired by Eddie Murphy’s), a gray beagle/bloodhound mix in a blue and red jacket who led the Puppies with an outgoing and mellow personality based on the Fonz from Happy Days; The Nose (Joanne Worley using a Brooklyn accent), a boxer/bloodhound mix whose super sniffer could sniff out anything; Howler (Frank Welker), a pug/Jack Russell terrier mix who was the team’s genius inventor, wore a derby full of gadgets and spoke only by howling; and Bright Eyes (Adrienne Alexander), a Labrador retriever who was the youngest of the group and named for her bright blue eyes. The special focused on the Puppies helping a rich dog named Violet Vanderfeller (Gail Matthius) get back home after she’s thrown into the pound while trying to escape dognappers. 

The Pound Puppies as they appeared in the special on a figurine package.

The special did so well that, with the continued popularity of the toys, it was ordered into a series for the following year. Hanna-Barbera expanded on the concept they developed for the special while also making some changes both visually and with the voice cast. Cooler’s fur became white; The Nose became southern belle Nose Marie (Ruth Buzzi), whose mannerisms were modeled after Scarlet O’Hara from Gone With the Wind; the color of Howler’s clothing was changed and he was given actual dialogue provided by Robert Morse (although he still tended to howl to recover from when he had trouble relaying what he was trying to say); and Bright Eyes (Nancy Cartwright, impersonating Mae Questel) received a new face and yellow fur. Joining their crew was the new youngest member, Whopper (named for the Burger King burger, voiced by B.J. Ward). Whopper was a diaper-wearing golden retriever that had a wildly active imagination. It allowed him to don alter egos as situations called and sometimes led him into telling little white lies.

Holly with Whopper, Cooler, Howler and Bright Eyes.

The pound was a front for the Puppies’ adoption operations. As soon as a puppy was brought in and locked in a cage, they were brought down into a secret lair full of equipment designed to find them their perfect home. Once a connection was made, the pup in question and their potential owner would become bombarded with “puppy power”: a magical force that only the pure of heart can possess that allows a pet and their owner to communicate with each other. The pound possesses numerous escape tunnels that exit through everyday objects in and around the pound to allow the Puppies to get in and out without being seen. Each of the resident Pound Puppies had their own individualized dog house amongst all the standard pens.

Katrina, Catgut and Brattina.

Newly added characters included Holly Connor (Ami Foster), a kind girl who had inherited the pound from her great-aunt Millicent Trueblood (June Lockhart) and was able to communicate with the Puppies using puppy power. Millicent’s house and guardianship of Holly was given to the wicked Katrina Stonehart (Pat Carroll). Katrina, modeled after Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, was a horribly wicked and conniving woman who wanted nothing more than to shut down the pound in order to level it and build a condominium. Her bratty daughter Brattina (inspired by the wicked step-sisters from Cinderella and voiced by Alexander) and equally evil cat Catgut (inspired by Lucifer, also from Cinderella, and voiced by Welker) often aided in Katrina’s plots. Originally, Brattina was meant to be Holly’s wicked sister, but it was decided her evil would make more sense if she was Katrina’s daughter. The decision came too late to change Brattina’s design to better resemble Katrina. Much like Cinderella, Holly was made to do all their chores around the house and often took the brunt of their abuse. An episode was planned to show how Holly ended up as Katrina’s ward to the point that character models for Holly’s parents were created, but the idea was eventually scrapped. Catgut was initially the pet of pound owner Sidney Bigelow (Jonathan Winters) in the special. 

Whopper and Cooler working in the underground section.

The other major threat the Puppies had to contend with was Captain Slaughter (Peter Cullen); a partially mechanical sea captain who was responsible for the destruction of Cooler’s hometown and had an extreme hatred for Cooler. Throughout the first season, some of the characters from the special made appearances, including the dog characters Violet, Barkerville (now voiced by Morse) and Scrounger (with orange fur instead of yellow and now voiced by Gregg Berger), and the human characters Dr. Weston (now depicted as Asian and voiced by Haunani Minn) and dogcatcher Mr. Nabbit (now voided by Welker).

The Pound Puppies in front of their houses.

Pound Puppies debuted on ABC on September 13, 1986. John O’Hurley introduced the characters during the opening titles, over the theme composed by series composer Hoyt Curtin. Along with Reugger, the season was written by Earl Kress, George Atkins, Charles M. Howell IV, Denis Higgins, John Bradford, Jim Ryan, Gordon Bressack, June Patterson, Wendy West, and Mark Edens. Each episode ended with the “Pound Puppies Pet Care Corner,” which taught kids how to care for their pets.

The changes between the seasons.

The show did well enough to be renewed for a second season, but it underwent numerous changes before its return to the airwaves. Bright Eyes was made even younger and was given a new outfit. Nose Marie stopped being flirtatious with Cooler to take on a motherly role, emphasized by her appearance now resembling that of a 1950s sitcom mother. Howler’s hat no longer had its crank and he was largely written into the background--even absent from time to time. Holly was given longer hair and jeans in place of her skirt, and was no longer the owner of the pound. 

The new Holly with the new Bright Eyes and Nose Marie.

Without explanation, Katrina now owned the pound, but instead of simply shutting it down she began to concoct elaborate plans and devices to either capture or eliminate the Pound Puppies altogether. Her competency was also reduced, becoming more of a comedic villain than a serious threat. Brattina was aged two years, starting the series as 9 ½ and becoming 11 ½, and was given a new jacket. Captain Slaughter was written out of the show as the writers had no further ideas on how to use him and Cullen wasn’t available to record during the season. Another new character from the special, Mayor Fist (Sorrell Booke), made an appearance. Scrounger was given a more prominent role and gray fur, and Dr. Weston was made into an African-American named Dr. Simon (Bever-Leigh Banfield).

The series was renamed All-New Pound Puppies and debuted on September 26, 1987 with a new intro and a more vocal theme-song performed by the cast. The show adopted the typical Hanna-Barbera format of two segments per episode for the first ten episodes, with the last three resuming the original single-story format. One of those episodes was even the series’ first and only musical episode. New writers for the season included Wayne Kaatz, Haskel Barkin, Cliff Roberts, Paul Dini, John K. Ludin, Mary Jo Ludin and Kristina Mazzotti. Foster was nominated for the Young Artists Award in 1988 for “Best Animation Voice Over Group”.

The poster to the Pound Puppies movie.

While the second season was underway, production had begun on a big-screen feature film produced by Carloco Pictures, Atlantic/Kushner-Locke and The Maltese Companies for distribution by TriStar Pictures. Written by Jim Carlson and Terrence McDonnell and directed by Pierre DeCelles, Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw featured an older Whopper (still Ward) telling his niece and nephew the origins of Puppy Power. The film featured the same line-up as the series, however using different character designs as well as new Pound Puppies and representatives of Tonka’s cat-based spin-off line, Purries. Buzzi and Cartwright reprised their respective roles while Brennan Howard took over as Cooler and Hal Rayle as Howler (Welker provided his howling effects). The film was released on March 18, 1988 to abysmal reviews; particularly from fans of the series who hated the differences. The film had a short run in theaters and only grossed $587,000. It was the last product-based animated movie of the ‘80s, and TriStar’s only animated feature until 2001.

The only merchandise directly related to the series released were a series of large dolls by Irwin, although they used Cooler’s gray coloring from the special. Other merchandise was released, but all of them featured the designs and characters seen primarily from the special rather than the series. While episodes have not really been released on home video in the United States besides Legend of Big Paw, numerous episodes had been released in other countries on VHS.

EPISODE GUIDE:

Season 1:

“Bright Eyes, Come Home” (9/13/86) – A con artist comes to the pound looking to take Bright Eyes.

“How to Found a Pound” (9/20/86) – The puppies recount how Holly took over the pound and Katrina entered their lives.

“From Wags to Riches” (9/27/86) – The puppies head to a mansion with a new puppy in tow to prevent Katrina’s latest scheme.

“Snowbound Pound” (10/4/86) – A snowstorm and a power outage has Cooler, Howler and Whopper searching for a veterinarian to treat a pregnant dog they found.

“The Fairy Dogmother” (10/11/86) – A wish on a star brings Zazu, an oddball fairy dog mother who is going to help Holly win the boy she likes.

“Whopper Cries Uncle” (10/18/86) – The puppies and Holly attempt to woo money for food out of Whopper’s visiting rich uncle.

“In Pups We Trust” (10/25/86) – The puppies all grow suspicious of each other when their personal items begin to disappear.

“The Captain and the Cats” (11/1/86) – The puppies meet a trio of cats who want Captain Slaughter to capture them—the same guy the puppies are trying to rescue Whopper from.

“Secret Agent Pup” (11/8/86) – The puppies team up with new puppy Pupnick to rescue Bright Eyes from Clawfinger’s spies.

“Wagga-Wagga” (11/15/86) – Cooler is reunited with his long-lost girlfriend, Penelope, whose very name makes him angry because of their past and the destruction of their old home town.

“The Star Pup” (11/22/86) – Nose-Marie’s birth mark makes her a target for three dogs and Captain Slaughter.

“Happy Howlidays” (11/29/86) – The pound is closed after Katrina hides some overdue bills, and it’s up to Zazu to help the puppies regain their home.

“Ghost Hounders” (12/6/86) – The puppies enlist a dog actor from “Ghost Hounders” to help get rid of a ghost haunting the pound.

Season 2:

“Whopper Gets the Point / The Bird Dog” (9/26/87) – Whopper learns to accept his shots. / Bright Eyes rescues a baby bird from Catgut.

“Tail of the Pup / King Whopper” (10/3/87) – A puppy comes to the pound unable to wag his tail. / Whopper is left in charge and it goes to his head.

“Taffy Gets Fluffy / Casey, Come Home” (10/10/87) – A dirty dog ends up becoming a clean cat. / The puppies brave a dangerous quest to return a lost puppy home.

“Where Do Puppies Come From? / Pups on the Loose” (10/17/87) – Meeting expectant parents prompts Whopper and Bright Eyes to wonder where puppies come from. / The puppies have to stop their charges from fighting.

“The Invisible Friend / Kid in the Doghouse” (10/24/87) – A puppy has an imaginary friend that’s brought to life by puppy power. / A lazy kid runs away from home and moves in with the puppies.

“Little Big Dog / The Bright Eyes Mob” (10/31/87) – The small puppy Nose Marie saves and becomes attached to grows up into a big dog. / Bright Eyes falls into a bad crowd and does their dirty work, making her a wanted criminal.

“Good Night, Sweet Pups / The Rescue Pups” (11/7/87) – Whopper faces his fear of the dark. / When her parents refuse to adopt a puppy a girl runs away from home.

“Nose Marie Day / Snow Puppies” (11/14/87) – The puppies pay tribute to Nose Marie by inventing a holiday about her. / Katrina leads the puppies on an arctic adventure.

“Where’s the Fire? / The Wonderful World of Whopper” (11/21/87) – Sparky wants to be a fire-dog, but Whopper tries to change him. / Whopper tries to fight another pup’s boredom.

“Bright Lights, Bright Eyes / Dog and Caterpillar” (11/28/87) – Bright Eyes enters a talent show. / Whopper befriends a caterpillar that saves him from Catgut.

“Garbage Night: The Musical” (12/5/87) – The pound puppies go musical to help get a group of dogs off of junk food.

“Peter Pup” (12/12/87) – Holly reads Whopper and Bright Eyes a story after they accidentally break the TV.

“Cooler, Come Back” (12/19/87) – Katrina kidnaps Cooler and puts him in another dog pound where he meets a dog that refuses to be adopted. 


Originally posted in 2015. Updated in 2020.

LAZER TAG ACADEMY

LAZER TAG ACADEMY

(NBC, September 13-December 6, 1986)

Ruby-Spears Productions, Worlds of Wonder, Productions II, Inc.

MAIN CAST:

Noelle Harling – Jamie Jaren

Booker Bradshaw – Draxon Drear

Christina MacGregor – Beth Jaren

Billy Jayne – Tom Jaren

R.J. Williams – Nicky Jaren

Pat Fraley – Charlie Ferguson, Skuggs

Sid McCoy – Professor Olanga

Tress MacNeille – Genna Jaren

Frank Welker – Andrew Jaren, Skuggs, Ralphie, various

Don LaFontaine – Opening narration

After the fall of Atari in 1983, a couple of its employees—particularly Don Kingsborough and Mark Robert Goldberg—went off to create their own toy company: Worlds of Wonder (or WoW). Their first big hit came in 1985 when they licensed the rights to produce and sell Teddy Ruxpin. In 1986, they had their next big hit with Lazer Tag, created by then-Vice President of Marketing and Product Development Paul Rago.

In 1977, George Carter III was inspired by the original Star Wars to create an arena-based scored game where players would use “lasers” to tag each other. In 1982, Carter began the process of designing what would become his Photon arenas. The first opened in 1984 in Dallas, Texas and quickly began to expand around the country. 

As the laser tag craze grew, WoW developed their own version of the game with Lazer Tag, which allowed people to play anywhere and not just in specified arenas. It featured a futuristic-looking gun known as the “StarLyte pistol” and a chest harness that held a “StarSensor” affixed with Velcro. Players would shoot their guns at each other, hoping the laser from the gun would connect to the sensor on the harness, indicating that their opponent was tagged.  Gradually, new accessories were introduced into the line: a StarCap that allowed a player to take headshots; a StarVest which was a fancier version of the harness; an upgrade of the Cap called the StarHelmet; a StarBase to serve multiple functions during a game; StarTalk walkie talkies; and a StarLyte Pro rifle. Several months prior, Photon released their own home version of laser tag.

With a new craze on the rise, it was only natural for the concept to be somehow brought to television. While DiC Entertainment produced a live-action show based on Carter’s business called Photon that aired in syndication, WoW partnered with Ruby-Spears Productions to bring Lazer Tag Academy to Saturday mornings.

Beth and Jamie Jaren.

In the near-utopian future of 3010, Lazer Tag had become a national pastime with frequent competitions between the students at the academy. Jamie Jaren (Noelle Harling) was the Lazer Tag Champion, able to make her weapon, the StarLyte, do whatever she wanted it to with her mind due to a special power possessed by those in her bloodline. It could be a blaster, levitate objects, almost anything.

Drear and the Skuggs.

Trouble came when her teacher, Professor Olanga (Sid McCoy), and his team uncovered a sunken vessel that contained Draxon Drear (Booker Bradshaw) and a group of defective genetically engineered humanoid servants called Skuggs (Pat Fraley and Frank Welker) in suspended animation. Olanga revived Drear and the Skuggs and discovered that Drear was a distant relative of Jamie’s. What he didn’t know was that Drear was also a criminal from the year 2061, and upon learning how to control the StarLyte, he sent himself and the Skuggs back in time after the creator of the StarLyte technology: Jamie’s ancestor, Beth Jaren (Christina MacGregor). 

Jamie with Beth and Nicky in the 20th Century.

Jamie followed Drear back to the late 20^th Century and befriended Beth, along with her brothers Tom (Billy Jayne) and Nicky (R.J. Williams), and their dog Ralphie (Welker). Jamie posed as a foreign exchange student in order to live with her relatives, leaving the elder Jarens, Andrew (Welker) and Jenna (Tress MacNeille), fairly oblivious to their activities. Together, they followed Drear through time to prevent his plans of world domination from succeeding. When an emergency arose or some occasional guidance was needed, Jamie and Olanga could contact each other through various devices temporarily turned into holographic communicators. 

Lazer Tag Academy debuted on NBC on September 13, 1986. It was written by Dan DiStefano, Janis Diamond, Ted Field, Steve Hayes, Kayte Kuch, Cliff Roberts, Sheryl Scarborough, Matt Uitz and Diane Dixon, with music by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy. Notable announcer Don LaFontaine provided the opening narration for the series, giving viewers a quick recap of the story. 

The Lazer Tag competitions.

Things soon took a dark turn for Lazer Tag and WoW. In April of 1987, someone had seen a group of college kids playing a night game of Lazer Tag around Central Elementary School in San Bernardino County, California. They called the police reporting suspicious activity and a deputy came to investigate. One of the players, Leonard Falcon, mistook the deputy for one of his opponents and “fired” upon him. The deputy, not knowing it was a toy, responded in kind—with real ammunition.

Drear mastering the StarLyte pistol.

The negative press surrounding Falcon’s death, coupled with lower than expected sales and the stock market crash of 1987 led to WoW to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; a contributing factor in the cartoon’s cancellation after its single season since WoW was funding its production. The company’s assets were being liquidated the following year and by 1990 WoW was no more. The year prior, Photon also shut down as the fad has passed. Shortly after their dissolution, Shoot The Moon Products purchased the Lazer Tag name and licensed it to Tiger Electronics, who began producing their own line from 1996-98. Hasbro soon acquired the license in 2004 and began producing Lazer Tag under their Nerf banner, as well as developed apps to make smart devices compatible with the game. Similarly, there had been a resurgence of laser tag arenas and even competitions, clubs and events around the world featuring the game.

Tiger Electronics' version of Lazer Tag.

Saban acquired the rights to the series through his company, Saban Entertainment, and sold it into syndicated reruns. It aired in 1993 on the Sci-Fi Channel under the new name Lazer Patrol since they didn’t also own the rights to the name. It was also given a new opening sequence. Celebrity Home Entertainment released three VHS tapes containing several episodes of the series. Lazer Tag Academy: The Movie was released in 1989 and featured an abridged version of the first episode combined with “Sir Tom of Jaren,” “Redbeard’s Treasure,” “The Olanga Story” and “Jamie and the Spitfires.” Also released in 1989 was Lazer Tag Academy: Champion’s Biggest Challenge which featured the complete first episode and “Skugg Duggery.” Unlike the prior release, both episodes were presented in their original formats instead of being made into a single story. The final VHS in 1991 was named for the single episode it contained, The Battle Hymn of the Jarens. Curtains and sheets featuring the characters were produced, as was a View-Master set (although the Academy name was less prominent in favor of the brand’s name).

EPISODE GUIDE:

“The Beginning” (9/13/86) – Unknowingly reviving criminal Draxon Drear, Jamie Jaren follows him back in time to protect her ancestors from him.

“Skuggg Duggery” (9/20/86) – Drear creates a device that he intends to use to turn the Jarens into Skuggs.

“Yamoto’s Curse” (9/27/86) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE

“Pay Dirt” (10/4/86) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE

“Charles’ Science Prioject” (10/11/86) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE

“The Witch Switch” (10/18/86) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE

“The Olanga Story” (10/25/86) – Drear goes back in time to kidnap Olanga’s ancestor and ensure he’ll never be born.

“The Battle Hymn of Jaren’s” (11/1/86) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE

“Sir Tom of Jaren” (11/8/86) – Rejected for a date, Tom heads to the 6^th Century and ends up getting himself in trouble with King Arthur’s court.

“Redbeard’s Treasure” (11/15/86) – Jamie decides to help an old sea captain find an ancient treasure by traveling back to the year his map was made.

“Drear’s Doll” (11/22/86) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE

“StarLyte on the Orient Express” (11/29/86) – NO SYNOPSIS AVAILABLE

“Jamie and the Spitfires” (12/6/86) – Drear returns to the future and takes over a gang of rogue academy students in order to help him infiltrate and conquer the school.


Originally posted in 2015. Updated in 2020.

RUBIK, THE AMAZING CUBE

RUBIK, THE AMAZING CUBE

(ABC, September 10-December 10, 1983)

Ruby-Spears Productions

MAIN CAST:

Ron Palillo - Rubik

Michael Saucedo – Carlos Rodriguez

Michael Bell – Reynaldo Rodriguez, Ruby Rodriguez

Jennifer Fajardo – Lisa Rodriguez

Angela Moya – Marla Rodriguez

            While working for the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest, Ernő Rubik devised a “Magic Cube” in order to come up with a solution to the structural problem of having multiple moving parts move independently without the entire mechanism falling apart. The cube was comprised of 26 smaller cubes that interlocked with each other and connected to a central core. That allowed for each row of three cubes to be pivoted around the others vertically and horizontally. Each face of the main cube was covered in a solid color that had to be reassembled perfectly after the cube is mixed up. 

The Rubik's Cube all mixed up.

Realizing he inadvertently created a puzzle, Rubik obtained a Hungarian patent in 1975 and began releasing the Magic Cube to Budapest toy stories in 1977. The Ideal Toy Company approached Rubik with the intention of marketing the Cube worldwide, and they came to an agreement in 1979. The following year, Ideal debuted the Cube at a series of toy fairs while also working to bring it up to Western safety and packaging standards in order to sell it overseas. A lighter Cube was the result, and Ideal decided to rebrand it “Rubik’s Cube” to avoid any witchcraft connotations with the word “magic.”

Character model sheet.

The Cube gained tremendous popularity in the early 1980s. The act of Speed Cubing was started, where people would try to rapidly solve the Cube. In 1981, The Guinness Book of World Records held the first Speed Cubing world championship in Munich. The first international competition was held in Budapest the following year. A number of informal competitions have also been held, challenging competitors to solve the Cube in various conditions such as while blindfolded or underwater. 

Rubik comes to life.

At the height of its popularity, it was decided to try and expand the product’s recognition further with a Saturday morning cartoon. Produced by Ruby-Spears Productions, Rubik, the Amazing Cube focused on an alien cube named Rubik (Ron Palillo) who possessed a variety of magical powers (usually as situations dictate within the episodes). Rubik fell out of the chest of an evil magician and was found by the Rodriguez siblings; the eldest, Reynaldo (Michael Bell), the middle, Carlos (Michael Saucedo), and the youngest, Lisa (Jennifer Fajardo). Once Carlos solved the puzzle and matched up Rubik’s colored sides, Rubik came to life.

Promo art featuring Lisa, Carlos, Reynaldo, Sparky and Rubik.

Along with more supernatural threats, Rubik and the kids often dealt with normal, everyday social problems like bullies, corporate greed and thievery. To heighten the drama, Rubik could be easily scrambled by something as simple as a fall, rendering him inert. Only Carlos could solve his puzzle and revive his friend; sometimes needing to do so during a dangerous time which could make him take longer than usual. 

Pac-Man/Rubik title card.

Rubik, the Amazing Cube aired on ABC beginning on September 10^th, 1983. Praise was given for its main human characters being of Latin descent; a rarity at the time. To further fuel the Latin flavor, the series’ theme song was performed by the popular Puerto Rican boy band, Menudo. The rest of the music was composed by Dean Elliott. The series was written by Tom Dagenais, Mark Jones, Janis Diamond, Jack Enyart, Gary Greenfield, Gordon Kent, Norman Maurer and Richard Merwin, with Diamond serving as story editor. Despite the Cube’s popularity, ABC decided to hedge their bets on the series by pairing it with their then-popular Pac-Man show in what became The Pac-Man/Rubik, the Amazing Cube Hour. Unfortunately, the series was a hard sell regardless of its lead-in or source material and only ran for a single season of 13 episodes. It did continue on in reruns until the following September as a separate show. Three VHS collections of the show were released by Columbia/TriStar Home Entertainment.

Some varieties of the Cube.

While the Cube’s renown has tapered somewhat once the 80s ended, it still remains a best-selling toy. It’s often featured in movies and television shows as a character’s gimmick or a sign of intelligence. The Cube has been released in different sizes and difficulties, both in physical form and in computer programs. Books have been written about the best ways to solve it, and competitions continue on around the world. 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Pilot” (9/10/83) – Halloween night takes a strange turn when Carlos, Reynaldo and Lisa find and awaken Rubik.

“Back Packin’ Rubik” (9/17/83) – Rubik joins the kids on their camping trip.

“Rubik and the Buried Treasure” (10/1/83) – Rubik uses his powers to try and catch fish and finds a treasure instead.

“Rubik and the Lucky Helmet” (10/8/83) – Reynaldo enters a cross-country bike race.

“Rubik and the Mysterious Man” (10/15/83) – Carlos, feeling neglected, throws himself a party.

“Rubik and the Pooch Nappers” (10/22/83) – Rubik decides to give Sparky a bath,

“Rubik and the Science Fair” (10/29/83) – Chaos erupts at the school science fair.

“Rubik in Wonderland” (11/5/83) – When the TV goes out, Rubik takes the kids on a trip to Wonderland.

“Honolulu Rubik” (11/12/83) – Rubik enjoys the family’s vacation to Hawaii.

“Rubik’s First Christmas” (11/19/83) – The kids visit their grandmother for Christmas and end up having to help retrieve a stolen truck full of toys.

“Saturday Night Rubik” (11/26/83) – Clumsy Reynaldo wants to learn how to dance.

“Super Power Lisa” (12/3/83) – Rubik gives Lisa super powers in time to help save an orphanage from a crooked construction company that wants the land.

“Time Travelin’ Rubik” (12/10/83) – Rubik brings the kids to 2183 where they promptly find trouble.

HOT WHEELS

HOT WHEELS

(ABC, September 6-December 20, 1969)

Ken Snyder Properties, Pantomime Pictures

MAIN CAST:

Bob Arbogast – Jack “Rabbit” Wheeler, Doc Warren

Melinda Casey – Janet Martin

Albert Brooks – Mickey Barnes, Kip Chogi

Susan Davis – Ardeth Pratt

Casey Kasem – Tank Mallory, Dexter Carter

Nora Marlowe – Mother O’Hara

Michael Rye – Mike Wheeler

In 1968, Mattel decided to get into the die-cast car business, then-dominated for the last decade by Matchbox (which, interestingly enough, would come to be owned by Mattel decades later). Opting to produce more “tricked out” versions of cars in comparison to Matchbox’s true-to-life productions, Mattel began their Hot Wheels line. 16 cars (known as the Sweet Sixteen by collectors) were initially produced, with 11 of them designed by car designer Harry Bentley Bradley, as well as an orange track set to use the cars on.

1967 International Collector's catalogue.

With their bright paint jobs, dynamic design, and the accessories that came with the track—from a motored supercharger to a speedometer—the line proved more successful than anyone could have imagined. Especially to Bradley, who had his doubts and quit Mattel to go back to the car industry. For the next Hot Wheels wave, Bradley recommended his friend, fellow car designer Ira Gilford. Gilford ended up designing some of Hot Wheels’ greatest cars, and the 1969 line and accompanying track sets cemented Mattel’s dominance of the small toy car market.

Hot Wheels takes to the small screen. 

With their product line riding high, Mattel sought to expand their brand recognition by tapping into the growing television market. Developed by Ken Snyder, Fred Crippen and Eddie Smardan, and produced by Ken Snyder Properties with Pantomime Pictures, Hot Wheels became the first product-based series. It focused on the Hot Wheels Racing Club; a group of teenagers who worked on and raced cars under the supervision of Doc Warren (Bob Arbogast).

Ardeth, Jack, Janet and Mickey.

Jack “Rabbit” Wheeler (Arbogast) was the son of retired racing champ Mike Wheeler (Michael Rye) and the leader of the group. The other Hot Wheels included his girlfriend Janet Martin (Melinda Casey), apprentice mechanic Mickey Barnes, ambassador’s son Kip Chogi (both Albert Brooks), Wheeler’s Motors mechanic Tank Mallory (Kasem), and tomboy and wannabe racer Ardeth Pratt (Susan Davis). When not dealing with cars, the Hot Wheels hung out at Mother’s soda shop, run by Mother O’Hara (Nora Marlowe). Their primary rivals were Dexter’s Demons, led by former Hot Wheels member Dexter Carter (Casey Kasem). 

Dexter tries to recruit Ardeth.

It was intended to be everything Speed Racer was not with a focus on vehicle and driving safety from the Hot Wheels Club, juxtaposed by the scheming and recklessness of the Demons. The series aired on ABC for a single season beginning on September 6, 1969. However, it stayed on ABC’s schedule well into 1971. Each episode was broken up into two segments featuring a different story, and began with a cold open leading into the first segment. The theme was composed by Mike Curb, while Jack Fascinato did the series’ incidental music. Forward Records released the series’ soundtrack on LP.

Hot Wheels promo.

The show had reportedly undergone production before Mattel came on board to sponsor it, allowing the Hot Wheels name, and they probably would have been better off for it. During the show’s broadcast, rival toy companies filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission that Hot Wheels was nothing more than a 30-minute commercial for the product (networks were only allowed 16 total minutes of children’s advertising per hour at the time). The FCC decided that all airings of the show should be partially logged as advertising time, despite ABC’s protests that the toys themselves were never actually advertised. After two years of scrutiny and fighting, ABC decided to pull the show.

Hot Wheels the comic.

During that time, DC Comics decided to capitalize on the popularity of the toys and produced a comic book series based on the show. The series only ran six issues, but it did feature some well-known talents working on it; including Alex Toth, Dick Giordano, Len Wein and Neal Adams. The first issue dealt with the formation of the Hot Wheels Club.

EPISODE GUIDE (synopses not available at this time):

“Sky Sailor / The Funny Money Caper” (9/6/69)

“Surf’s Up / The Family Car” (9/13/69)

“The Jewel / The Buggy Ride” (9/20/69)

“Hit and Run / Ardeth the Demon” (9/27/69) 

“Avalance Country / Tough Cop” (10/4/69) 

“Underground Rough Ride / Diamonds Are a Girl’s Worst Friend” (10/11/69) 

“Get Back on that Hoarse / Dragon’s Tooth Peak” (10/18/69) 

“Show-Off / Mata Hari Ardeth” (10/25/69) 

“The Winner / The Hot Head” (11/1/69) 

“Big Race / Fire Fighters” (11/8/69) 

“Fake Out Stake Out / Front Wheel Time Bomb” (11/15/69) 

“It Takes A Team / Like Father, Like Son” (11/22/69) 

“Danger Around the Clock / Hotter Than the Devils” (11/29/69) 

“Race to Space Monkey A-Okay / Big Heart, Little Hearts” (12/6/69) 

“Hitchhike to Danger / The Doc Warren Trophy Race” (12/13/69) 

“Drag Strip / Slicker-Slicks” (12/20/69) -

TOY TOONS MONTH

            With the new My Little Pony Equestria Girls movie debuting on television this month, and the Jemand the Holograms movie hitting  theaters next month, what better time to have a month dedicated to Saturday morning shows based on toys?

Strawberry Shortcake.

            Not content to merely advertise their products, toy manufacturers have often partnered up with production companies to bring their products to life and present them to a new audience. Of course, rival companies and parent groups would tend to get the FCC involved and have injunctions created against such a practice. Either part of a program would need to be registered as a commercial for the product, or no commercials for the related products could be shown during the program. But, whatever the hoops they had to jump through, toy companies inevitably got their products on the air.

Jem and the Holograms.

            So crack open the toy box and get your imaginations started: it’s Toy Toons month on Saturday Mornings Forever!

Care Bears

BRAD ANDERSON DEAD AT 91

Cartoonist Brand Anderson died on August 30th. You can read the full story here.

Anderson created the comic strip Marmaduke, which was later turned into a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon as well as a recent live-action movie.

DEAN JONES DEAD AT 84

Actor Dean Jones died on Tuesday, September 1st, at age 84. You can read the full story here.

He played Col. Same Lane on an episode of Superman: The Animated Series and guest-starred in the Batman: The Animated Series movie Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero as Dean Arbagast and the Saved by the Bell TV movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style as Harry Bannister.