MAD JACK THE PIRATE

MAD JACK THE PIRATE

(FOX, September 12, 1998-February 27, 1999)

Bill Kopp Productions, Fox Arts Animation Studios, Saban Entertainment

MAIN CAST:

Bill Kopp – Mad Jack

Billy West – Snuk, various

            Filling the void of pirate media before Johnny Depp, Bill Kopp developed Mad Jack the Pirate. The series followed the adventures of Mad Jack (Kopp), a cowardly, clumsy, inept, disgrace of a pirate who was convinced of his own superiority in everything. He captained The Sea Chicken with his faithful anthropomorphic rat first mate, Snuk (Billy West). Snuk was only marginally smarter than Jack, and never hesitated to point out his captain’s shortcomings. The pair always set out in search of buried treasure or to claim a reward but were often thwarted by circumstances and their own ineptitude.

Jack, Snuk and The Sea Chicken.

            Initially, Mad Jack was to be named Red Hook until Kopp discovered that a beer company was already using the name and wanted to avoid any issues. The inspiration for the show came from the British comedy series Blackadder, which followed a man bumbling through various periods in history. Kopp set the series on an alternate flat Earth-like planet where he could be fast and loose with history and create unpredictable events. That meant the inclusion of anachronistic things like cars, cameras and movies. While Jack and Snuk were the principal characters, a variety of other equally bizarre characters made appearances with frequent vocal contributions by Jess Harnell, Robert Pike Daniel, Tom Kenny, Charlie Adler, Cam Clarke, Sandy Fox, Brad Garrett, Kevin Meaney, Valery Pappas and April Winchell.

Mad Jack...the movie?

            Mad Jack the Pirate debuted on FOX’s Fox Kids programming block on September 12, 1998. Most of the episodes contained two segments apiece. Fox Kids was at this point owned by Saban Entertainment, who had a hand in producing the show with Fox Arts Animation Studios and Bill Kopp Productions. Kopp served as a producer and voice director, as well as wrote the majority of the scripts. Other writing was done by Steve Ochs (who also contributed some voice work), Huub Dikstaal (who also directed two segments) and Martin Olson. The show’s outlandish characters were designed by David Mucci Fassett (credited as simply Mucci) and was animated overseas by Fil-Cartoons, Inc. Shuki Levy, Haim Saban (as Kussa Mahchi) and Deddy Tzur composed the music.

Talk about a captive interview.

            Mad Jack was paired with fellow Saban property, The Secret Files of the Spy Dogs, during its original run on the network. However, while Spy Dogs went on to have a shorter second season, Mad Jack was ultimately cancelled due to poor ratings and was replaced the following fall by The New Woody Woodpecker Show. Its removal marked the last time it was seen in North American markets. The show has seen home media releases in Eastern Europe by Prooptiki and Turkey by Kanal D Home Video and has aired on Jetix Play in Turkey, following Disney’s 2001 acquisition of Saban Entertainment, and Fox Kids in Poland.      

EPISODE GUIDE:

“The Terrifying Sea Witch Incident” (9/12/98) – Jack escapes the island of the Three Witches with fellow prisoner Snuk in order to avoid marrying the lake monster.

“The Curse of the Blue Karbunkle” (9/19/98) – Jack and Snuk have to go to the Isle of the Biclops to acquire a sword to defeat a dragon guarding a gem.

“Of Zerzin, Fleebis, Queues and Cures / A Knight to Dismember” (9/26/98) – Jack tries to stay ahead of Mr. Death and get a cure for his ailment. / Jack takes a knight on a quest to rescue a princess but ends up having to rescue the knight himself.

“The Strange Case of Angus Dagnabbit / Lights, Camera – Snuk!” (10/3/98) – Jack manages to trick Angus out of his Golden Haggis, but Angus’ ghost returns to reclaim it. / After seeing a film, Jack heads to a movie studio to educate them about real piracy.

“Happy Birthday to Who? / Shipwhacked” (10/24/98) – Snuk takes Jack to an amusement park only he enjoys for Jack’s birthday. / Snuk causes them to be shipwrecked and Jack has a hard time coping with it.

“The Horror of Draclia” (10/31/98) – Jack and Snuk attempt to steal Count Draclia’s golden wand, but Draclia was expecting and gets the drop on them.

“The Treasure of the Headless, Left-Handed, Peatmoss Salesman / 999 Delights” (11/7/98) – Jack and Snuk end up arrested before their next quest and placed in the DMMV. / Jack steals a magic wand to go on a quest to find the Enchantress Victoria.

“The Alarming Snow Troll Encounter / The Case of the Crabs” (11/14/98) – Jack and Snuk end up captured by the Snow Trolls after trying to retrieve their ice cream maker from them. / Jack and Snuk are captured by the Crustacians while searching for a pink pearl on the seabed.

“Jack the Dragon Slayer / Captain Snuk” (12/12/98) – Jack sets out to rescue a princess from a dragon for a reward, only to find out the pair have fallen in love. / When an old enemy comes for Jack, he switches places with Snuk.

“The Island of Pink and Fuzzy / Uncle Mortimer” (2/6/99) – Jack and Snuk head to an island of cuteness for a treasure that ends up being cursed. / To receive his inheritance from his uncle, Jack must take Scabby Doo to the isle of Hanna Barberians while avoiding his uncle’s ghost.

“The Great Kapow! / The Snuk, the Mad and the Ugly” (2/13/99) – A starving Jack and Snuk are fed by island natives, not knowing they’re being fattened as sacrifices. / While in jail their cellmate tells Jack and Snuk about a treasure in the desert.

“Attack of the Man-Eating, Green Gorillas / The Johnny of the Lamp” (2/20/99) – Jack finds a treasure shortly before being kidnapped by an old classmate. / Jack tries to reclaim his magic lamp from a sea monster only to be eaten by it along with Snuk and Angus.

“Mad Jack and the Beanstalk / The Curse of the Mummy’s Toe” (2/27/99) – Beans taken by Snuk in a con end up growing a giant beanstalk. / Jack narrowly escapes a death trap only to be arrested for theft.

40TH ANNIVERSARIES

35TH ANNIVERSARIES

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER

THE CHILDREN’S CORNER

(WQED, April 5, 1954-1961

NBC August 20, 1955-April 28, 1956)

WQED, NBC

MAIN CAST:

Josie Carey – Host, various

Fred Rogers – Puppeteer, musician, various

            When one thinks of Mr. Fred McFeely Rogers, it’s natural to assume that the first thing that comes to mind is Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; the innovative children’s program that aired for over 33 years on PBS. But, there were actually two programs that preceded and would set the foundations for what Neighborhood would become. And one of them was on Saturday morning.

Pies to the face helped drive Mr. Rogers into television.

            Mr. Rogers had intended to enter the seminary after school, but on a trip home he was introduced to a new device: television. Mr. Rogers was both fascinated and dismayed by the concept; feeling that it could be a valuable tool in educating children but seeing that the current crop of children’s programming was more interested in pure slapstick. From that point on, Mr. Rogers decided to go into television and try to change it from within.

Josie, Fred and Daniel.

When Mr. Rogers moved to Pittsburgh in 1953, mayor David L. Lawrence had just established public television station WQED. Mr. Rogers joined the station a month after his future collaborator, Josie Carey. Under the stewardship of station manager Dorothy Daniels, Mr. Rogers and Carey were part of a handful of people prepping the station for its launch the following year. Among the ideas they were allowed to pitch was a children’s program where they would entertain and educate kids and program some free short films. The program was greenlit with Carey hosting and Mr. Rogers producing, playing the music, and acquiring the films. The night before the station went to air, Daniels gave Mr. Rogers a tiger sock puppet that he and Carey named Daniel Striped (pronounced “Stripe-ed”) Tiger after her.

Fred behind the set.

The Children’s Corner debuted on WQED on April 5, 1954. The program was a low-budgeted affair at $150 per week, with that whole amount going towards Mr. Rogers’ and Carey’s salaries, and only having a single yellow legal pad to work off of for the year. Anything else they needed came from their pockets. The studio layout wasn’t very well thought out, with an area for guests being on the other side of the building while the organ for the music was across the studio itself. Often, Mr. Rogers would have to run from his place behind the set to the organ and back again, which necessitated his wearing the sneakers he would become known for later on. Mr. Rogers often had on-screen roles as well, interacting or dancing with Carey as various characters.

Daniel Tiger in his clock.

It wasn’t intended for puppets to appear on the program at first. A clock was drawn onto the canvas backdrop of the set where a bird was intended to pop out of and deliver a random fact along with the time. When the bird failed, Mr. Rogers and Carey decided to use Daniel as a replacement for what would have been a one-time thing. However, he became a hit with the audience. Puppetry and improvisation became a hallmark of the program, which was originally intended to be centered around Carey singing and introducing whatever films Mr. Rogers could acquire. But gradually, Daniel would appear more and have improvised conversations with Carey. She never knew what the puppets were going to do, and Mr. Rogers never knew what she was going to do. The entire program was unscripted beyond a general idea of where they intended an episode to go.

Fred and Josie with Henrietta, X and Daniel.

Gradually, more puppets were added to the program. The next came King Friday XIII, whose name was a play on the superstition everyone had about the date. A contest was held during his debut to figure out what kingdom he should be the king of, and a little boy won a chance to appear on the program after writing in that his name suggested he should be King of Calendar Land. Then came X the Owl, sent to the program by a puppet company, whose home was “grown” on the set by taping an acorn to the bottom of the backdrop and the art department drawing his tree in various stages over the course of a week; Lady Elaine Fairchilde, a unique, self-confident and eccentric woman; Henrietta Pussycat, who would constantly say “meow” as she talked; and the French Grandpere. Each one was infused with their own personality, which were by extension aspects of Mr. Rogers’ own.

Josie and Fred entertain visitors with The Attic cast.

Corner would frequently have guests scheduled, such as a member of the symphony or the caretaker of the local zoo, to talk about and the teach the audience about their jobs. They also had appearances by celebrities, including Johnny Carson before he became a household name, Shirley Jones, Van Cliburn and Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz. Because the program was aired live, it was subject to a few mishaps during its run. Sometimes the guests would run short on their expected time or one of the films would break, which is when the puppets would come in to interact with Carey to fill in the remaining time. The rest of the time Carey would read books to the audience or sing, teach foreign languages and various other educational things. There were also recurring inanimate object characters and a poetry-speaking puppet mouse in a segment called “The Attic” that were voiced by Carey, Mr. Rogers, his wife, and other members of the crew. It was the only part of the program that was fully scripted, mostly by Carey.

Information about the TTT.

Part of the promotion for the program included the Tame Tiger Torganization; a mail-in club that children could join and earn stripes for doing various prescribed good deeds. On July 12^th, Carey and Mr. Rogers decided to make that Daniel’s birthday and held a contest where kids could come to the studio and attend a party for him. However, to be eligible, they needed to earn their fourth stripe by memorizing the club song, “Je Suis un Tigre Apprivoisé” (meaning: “I Am a Tame Tiger”). It was then that Carey and Mr. Rogers learned just how popular their program was as a long line of children and their parents were outside the studio the day of the party. Corner was one of the most-watched and best-loved programs at WQED at the time, enjoyed by children and adults both.

Celebrating King Friday's birthday every Friday the 13th.

In 1955, NBC executive Doris Ann came to Pittsburgh to preview a program Dr. Benjamin Spock was doing on WQED to see if it could be brought to the network. While there, she caught Corner, fell in love with the program, and presented it to the network. They contacted Carey and Mr. Rogers about bringing the program to New York. The only hitch was they had to be ready to air in four weeks to cover Paul Winchell’s vacation from The Paul Winchell program. NBC built them a new set and larger versions of their puppets. They had to change some of their routines as they couldn’t read books on the air without clearance, they couldn’t have guests come on, and certain songs were forbidden because they felt they sounded too much like other songs. They also had to hire additional crew due to union rules; which included a dresser for Henrietta, two additional musicians, and five stage hands. However, because of the nature of the program, none of them had any actual work to do.

The Children's Corner set grows and becomes more elaborate.

Corner debuted on NBC Saturday mornings on August 20, 1955. It ran for four weeks, the duration of Winchell’s vacation, and received a tremendous audience response. That prompted NBC to find a permanent place for them and brought the program back that December. Carey and Mr. Rogers determined they needed to remain at WQED because their program was the one making the station the most money, and their leaving for any period of time would be detrimental. They would commute from Pittsburgh on Friday for a production meeting, do the program on Saturday and then return later that day after filming so that Mr. Rogers could attend Sunday services at his church.

Josie and Fred open fan mail with Henry Massucci.

Despite the program’s continued success on the network, an internal conflict arose between the Public Service Department, which they were part of, and the Children’s Department. Both wanted to claim the program and neither wanted to give it up, which prevented them from getting sponsors for the program. NBC cancelled the program after 39 weeks on April 28, 1956. Unfortunately, Carey and Mr. Rogers didn’t get to enjoy their brief network success for long as the company who sent them X to use on the program decided to sue them for a payday, claiming they stole their puppet. They ultimately settled out of court.

The Neighborhood of Make Believe, home to Mr. Rogers' puppet friends.

Corner ran for 8 years, coming to a conclusion in 1961. Carey at this time had numerous commercial commitments which often led her to be late to the start of filming for Corner. She hosted Josie’s Storyland and Funsville for KDKA before heading to South Carolina to star in Wheee! Mr. Rogers was approached by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to develop a 15-minute children’s program that would feature Mr. Rogers on screen. He moved to Toronto with his friend Ernie Coombs as his puppeteer assistant. Coombs had previously worked on Corner in the art department and often covered for Carey when she was late for filming. Misterogers ran from 1963-66 and introduced many of the set pieces Mr. Rogers would use on his later program, as well as featured several appearances by Carey. Wanting to raise his children in the United States, Mr. Rogers bought the rights to Misterogers and returned to WQED to make Neighborhood, which ran from 1968-2001. Coombs stayed in Canada to serve as his replacement in the shows Butternut Square and Mr. Dressup.

Josie with her puppet friends on an album cover.

In 1954, Reed and Witting Company published Our Small World, which was written by Carey and Mr. Rogers and illustrated by Norb Nathanson containing autobiographical compositions “written” by the puppets. A number of sheet music from the songs featured on the program were published between 1955-60 by Tee Kaye Music Corporation, Small World Enterprises and Vernon Music Corporation, including “Goodnight God”, “Around the Children’s Corner”, and “Tomorrow on the Children’s Corner.” Small World, along with Hanover-Signature Record Corporation and Coral Records, also published records featuring music from the program: Around the Children’s Corner, I Know It’s Time for Christmas/Chicken Little and Tomorrow on the Children’s Corner. In 1955 the program won a coveted Sylvania Award for best local children’s show.

Daniel Tiger lives on.

Although the quality of The Children’s Corner was undeniable, it still skewed a bit sillier than Mr. Rogers was happy with. It wasn’t until he was able to produce and do Neighborhood that his pure vision for television came to light. For over three decades, he spoke to children about issues other children’s shows shied away from and did it without any of the chaos and spectacle his contemporaries employed. Following his death in 2003, his production company, Family Communications, Inc., renamed themselves Fred Rogers Productions and began producing new family-oriented programs. Amongst them is the animated Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which features the puppet characters and their children in the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

30TH ANNIVERSARIES

25TH ANNIVERSARIES

SUPER PRESIDENT

(NOTE: Intro not currently available)

SUPER PRESIDENT

(NBC, September 16-December 23, 1967)

DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, Mirisch-Rich Television Productions

MAIN CAST:

Paul Frees – Super President/James Norcross, Narrator, various

Ted Cassidy – Richard Vance/Spy Shadow

Don Messick – Various

Daws Butler – Various

June Foray – Various

Shepard Menken – Various

             The United States of America is a relatively young country when compared to the rest of the world. In that time, there’s only been a few dozen people who have held the title of President. Some were good. Some not so much. Regardless of your own views of any present or past President, there is one that many largely agree was terrible—even the people who created him! That President is…Super President!

Hero of the people.

             Super President was DePatie-Freleng Enterprises’ entry into the booming action/adventure genre that launched what we recognize as Saturday morning television. The show was broken up into two different segments. Super President focused on the President of “a modern nation”, James Norcross (Paul Frees), who also happened to be the superhero Super President. A cosmic storm granted him super strength and the ability to change the molecular composition of his body into anything, including steel, granite, ozone and water. Each change was preceded by the electrons rotating around the nucleus of his atom chest logo. He could also fly via a jet-powered belt he wore as part of his costume. Otherwise, he traveled in his flying Omnicar, which was kept in his lair accessible through a secret entrance in his office. Super President often went against mad scientists, mutated creatures, and terrorists.

The Presidential Mansion.

             Super President never explicitly stated what country Norcross was President of, however it overtly indicated that he was the President of the United States. The original design for Super President featured a red, white and blue motif with gold trim and a black hood until it was changed to the red and white design used on the show. The President’s Mansion—as it was called—resembled The White House with some additions and a new location by the coast of Capitol City. Norcross’ closest ally was Jerry Sales, his special assistant and the only person privy to his dual identity (surprisingly, considering “President” is right there in his superhero name). Sales also served as the show’s “damsel in distress”, frequently being captured and used as leverage against Norcross. The show’s setting was also never specified. While it featured elements indicative of the 1960s, it also exhibited a lot of futuristic technology in both the Mansion and in the villains’ possession.

Richard Vance and Spy Shadow.

             The other feature of the show was Spy Shadow. Secret agent Richard Vance (Ted Cassidy) worked for Interspy investigating a series of strange crimes, rescuing important kidnapped victims, or foiling the world-conquering plots of diabolical super villains typically employed by the evil organization SPIDER (Society of Plunder, International Disorder, Espionage and Racketeering) led by The Cobra. However, unlike most spies, he mastered an Eastern mind technique that allowed him to transform his shadow into the separate entity of Spy Shadow (also Cassidy, using a deeper tone). Vance usually summoned his shadowy ally to get into places he couldn’t, or to carry out the mission whenever Vance was taken out of the action by the villain. However, Spy Shadow couldn’t exist in an area devoid of light. While the Super President segment was designed to closely resemble the look of superhero comics, Spy Shadow had a different, more cartoonish look to it.

James Norcross and Jerry Sales.

             Super President debuted on NBC on September 16, 1967. The series was the brainchild of DePatie-Freleng management. Unlike other shows they’ve pitched to networks, NBC was immediately interested and bought the concept sight-unseen. It was also the first of DePatie-Freleng’s series to utilize script writers--having previously scripted their shows during the storyboarding process--after being pressured by their union. Those writers were Tony Benedict, Don Christensen, Alan Dinehart, John W. Dunn, Edgar Furth, Jack Miller, Lee Mishkin, David Scott and Ken Sobol. Each episode featured a Spy Shadow segment sandwiched between two Super President stories. Art Leonardi served as the character designer and Doug Goodwin composed the music.

Spy Shadow to the rescue!

To say the show was poorly received would be an understatement. It came on during the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson when the country had grown extremely tired of the seemingly never-ending Vietnam War. While nostalgia for the administration of John F. Kennedy may have pushed the series into quick production, memories of his assassination gave the overall concept a feeling of poor taste. Further, it came at a time when there was growing concern over the level of violence depicted in children’s television, which would completely change the Saturday morning landscape in the coming years. DePatie-Freleng was also less than pleased with the resulting series, calling it “the worst thing we’ve ever made.” It probably didn’t help matters that the show was scheduled right after reruns of DePatie-Freleng’s superior The Super 6, further shining a light on the poor writing and animation the series employed.

Super President character model.

The ratings were abysmal and the series was cancelled after its initial 15 episodes were produced. It remained on NBC’s schedule through 1968 until it was ultimately replaced by reruns of Top Cat. The only merchandise known to have existed was a Halloween costume; however a giant-size comic book was in the works. The comic would have featured references to the candidates in the upcoming election and was scrapped after the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. After that, the show has largely fallen into the wastelands of history; recalled only by retrospective websites and videos, books, and those who may have seen it as kids. 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“The Billion Dollar Bomber / The Brain Drain Game / The Condor’s Eye” (9/16/67) - Alien B’Nark holds five cities for a billion dollars ransom each. / Vance is sent to rescue a kidnapped physicist in the Swiss Alps. / The Condor plots to kidnap and hypnotize world leaders to help him plunder the world.

“Day of the Locusts / The Kilowatt Killer Caper / Monster of the Atoll” (9/23/67) – A deranged scientist uses locusts on his nation’s food supply so that the people will support a revolution. / A scientist uses electricity to either capture or destroy an atomic submarine. / A witch doctor uses a monster to keep his influence over his tribe.

“The Great Vegetable Disintegrator / Evila the Terrible / The U.F.O. Mystery” (9/30/67) – Professor DeCordo takes Jerry hostage for ransom to complete his vegetable disintegrator. / Evilia employs a hypnosis ray to conquer the world. / Professor DeCordo returns and takes Jerry hostage in the Omnicar, which the army views as a UFO.

“King of the Sea / The Mystery Rustler Caper / Man of Steel” (10/7/67) – Zegura plans to become king of the sea by flooding the East Coast. / Vance’s vacation is interrupted to investigate the mysterious disappearance of herds of cattle. / A metal menace invades a secret weapon base and captures Jerry, prompting Super President to act.

“The Case of the Destroyer Satellite / The Egyptian Rat-Trap Flap / The Electronic Spy” (10/14/67) – A rogue satellite takes out the country’s telecommunications system. / Vance learns El Kavadar has a map that will lead him to an immense treasure. / Dr. Zak plans to use his little robot to steal weapon plans from the Government Test Center.

“The Treachery of Jerry Sales / Desert Dilemma / The Earth Robber” (10/21/67) – Count Batulla puts Jerry under his control to lure Super President to his death. / Interrupting Cobra’s slave trade leads to Vance being left tied in the burning desert. / Super President investigates the sabotage of the nation’s oil fields.

“No Time Passes / The Case of the Treacherous Tugboat / The Chameleon” (10/28/67) – Captain Tempo uses his ability to freeze time to rob Capitol City. / Tugboat Family assembles her own fleet of ships, courtesy of the navy. / The Chameleon lures Norcross into a trap and disguises himself as Super President to get into the Central Nuclear Control HQ.

“Red Ray Raider / Close Shave in Burma / A Million Years of Menace” (11/4/67) – Super President traces some missing vehicles to a flying saucer. / Vance sets out to retrieve a kidnapped prince. / An asteroid eclipse revives Starga from suspended animation and he resumes his mission to make Earth inhabitable for his people.

“The Sound of Doom / The Aurora Borealis Business / The Cosmic Gladiators” (11/11/67) – Train robberies are occurring with a sound-based weapon. / Madam Shark hijacks Vance and strands him in the Arctic during its night cycle of six months. / Super President ends up on a floating space island where its ruler demands he join the Cosmic Gladiators in destroying the universe.

“The Menace of the Moles / The Big Bounty / The Interplanetary Menace” (11/18/67) – Super President investigates when a company buys up factories that have been electronically paralyzed. / Vance ends up trapped in Cobra’s building, which Cobra sends crashing to the ground. / A demonic fireball threatens to cook the entire planet.

“Tangled Terrors / The Guns of Titicaca / Birds of Terror” (11/25/67) – Dr. Greenly Thumb seeks vengeance for Earth’s neglected plant life using a series of scientific concoctions. / Vance is sent to liberate the slaves from Baron Von Willietner’s copper mine. / Giant birds help themselves to the nation’s food supply.

“Return of the Vikings / Dead-End Express / Electronic Giant” (12/2/67) – Tempora uses his resurrection machine to bring back all the great villains of the past. / Vance is tasked with guarding cargo on a train dubbed the “dead end express”. / Dr. Three escapes from prison and turns himself into a giant to get revenge on Super President.

“Spears from Space / The Contraband Caper / Toys of Death” (12/9/67) – Earth is used as a target by two beings to determine whose weapon is better. / A wounded agent leads Vance to Cobra’s contraband ship. / General Happytime uses robot toys to destroy the government.

“The Gravity Destroyer / Bandit Gambit / The President and the Pirate” (12/16/67) – Garrar plans to clear off the Earth using anti-gravity rain. / Vance heads to a small island to depose its tyrant ruler. / Super President sets out to find a pirate galleon that’s been terrorizing the seas.

“Time Crimes / The Great Trainload of Robbers / The Ice Invader” (12/23/67) – A time machine sends Super President back to ancient Crete and the Labyrinth of Minos. / A sinister producer plans to lure Vance into his movie production in order to destroy him. / Experiments turn a penguin into a creature capable of changing the climate of the planet.

STEVE DITKO DEAD AT 90

You can read the full story here.

Ditko was an artist and writer that worked in comics. He was one of the architects for the original Marvel Comics universe, co-creating Spider-Man and Dr. Strange and their worlds, as well as the Hulk's Glenn Talbot. He also created The Creeper and Shade the Changing Man for rival DC Comics. Many of these characters would be used in various media adaptations over the years, especially on Saturday mornings. Ditko's later career involved a lot of licensed work, amongst which included several issues of Marvel's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic.

DENIS AKIYAMA DEAD AT 66

You can read the full story here.

It was just reported that Akiyama had died on June 28th. While never starring on Saturday morning, he did provide voices for a variety of guest roles. He voiced Dockwell in two episodes of WildC.A.T.S.: Covert Action Teams, Iceman and Silver Samurai in X-Men: The Animated Series, Watcher Prime in Silver Surfer: The Animated Series, Mr. Referee in the English version of Medabots, Amycus and another cyclops in Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend, and Dr. Chris Johnson in an episode of Avengers: United They Stand.