The New Fantastic Four
Genre	Superhero Action Adventure
Created by	Stan Lee
Based on	Fantastic Four by Stan Lee Jack Kirby
Written by	Stan Lee
Directed by	Brad Case
Voices of	Mike Road Ginny Tyler Ted Cassidy Frank Welker
Narrated by	Dick Tufeld
Theme music composer	Dean Elliott Eric Rogers
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	13
Production
Executive producer	Lee Gunther
Producers	David H. DePatie Friz Freleng
Editors	David H. DePatie, Jr. Richard Gannon Richard Corwin
Running time	21–22 minutes
Production companies	DePatie–Freleng Enterprises Marvel Comics Animation
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	September 9 (1978-09-09) – December 16, 1978 (1978-12-16)
Related
The Fantastic Four (1967) Fantastic Four (1994)

The New Fantastic Four (on-screen title:The Fantastic Four) is an American animated series produced byDePatie–Freleng Enterprises and Marvel Comics Animation in 1978.^[1] It is the second animated series based onMarvel'scomic book seriesFantastic Four, following a1967 series produced byHanna-Barbera Productions.^[2]

The 1978 series replacedJohnny Storm with a robot namedH.E.R.B.I.E. (Humanoid Experimental Robot, B-type, Integrated Electronics) as the rights to the Human Torch were tied up withUniversal Pictures at the time for a proposed film that was never made.^[3][4]

Ownership of the series passed toDisney in 2001 when Disney acquiredFox Kids Worldwide, which also includesMarvel Productions.^[5][6][7]

After getting exposed to cosmic radiation,Reed Richards,Susan Storm and theThing, alongside their robot H.E.R.B.I.E., fight crime as the Fantastic Four.

DePatie–Freleng Enterprises had initially been slated to produce theGodzilla series whileHanna-Barbera was to produceThe New Fantastic Four, but whenLee Gunther at DePatie–Freleng acquired the rights to theFantastic Four, Hanna-Barbera objected, and this led toNBC brokering a deal between the studios wherein DePatie–Freleng would produceThe New Fantastic Four while Hanna-Barbera would produceGodzilla.^[8][9]

Universal Pictures executiveFrank Price had optioned severalMarvel Comics characters in 1978 including theHuman Torch for development as live-action TV projects and thus other studios could not use him.^[9][10] The live-actionThe Human Torch project was scrapped due to internal concerns that younger viewers would attempt to mimic the character throughself-immolation.^[9] With the rights to one of the central characters tied up, Fantastic Four co-creatorStan Lee conceived a new fourth member of the team that was inspired byR2-D2 fromStar Wars.^[9]Dave Cockrum was initially asked to draw concept art for the robot character, but he hated the idea of replacing the Human Torch and submitted intentionally bad designs that resembled household objects with wheels.^[9] The assignment was handed off to Fantastic Four co-creatorJack Kirby, who designed a streamlined flying robot named ZZ-123 that would be renamed toH.E.R.B.I.E.^[9]

When the series was initially set up at Hanna-Barbera,Mark Evanier who wrote for the Hanna-Barbera line ofGold Key Comics heard the company wanted an art style inspired by Jack Kirby's work, which led to Evanier contacting the animation director to say Kirby was available to work on the show.^[8] Kirby was allowed to work on the show with Marvel Comics agreeing Kirby's work on the series would count towards the requirements of his contract with Marvel.^[8] During their time working on the series, Marvel Comics then under the stewardship of President James Galtan decided they should become an animation company so they could deal with networks and not have to sell the rights to their properties leading to the company partnering with DePatie–Freleng and formingMarvel Productions.^[8]

While certain episodes were direct adaptations of comic stories, several alterations were made for time limitations and adherence toBroadcast Standards and Practices.^[11] WriterRoy Thomas, who worked on the series alongside Lee and Kirby, spoke about the limitations they encountered such as how theThing was not allowed to hit either people or monsters.^[11] Depictions of guns and firearms were also strictly prohibited, with Thomas crafting a scenario whereSkrulls were usingStar Trek-esquePhasers and receiving a note from the network, stating "No guns of any kind!".^[11]

In a private correspondence toMargaret Loesch, Stan Lee expressed dissatisfaction with the show's quality, and wanted to make changes for a second season.^[8] The show was cancelled after one season due to the death ofTed Cassidy, who voiced the Thing, and opposition from NBC presidentFred Silverman, who considered this adaptation to be of poor quality.^[8]

• Ted Cassidy -Thing / Ben Grimm, Sandman (in "The Frightful Four")
• Mike Road -Mister Fantastic / Reed Richards
• Dick Tufeld - Narrator
• Ginny Tyler -Invisible Girl / Susan Richards, Queen Sebel (in "The Diamond of Doom"), Queen Niel (in "The Diamond of Doom")
• Frank Welker -H.E.R.B.I.E.,Impossible Man (in "The Impossible Man")

• Jack Angel (uncredited) - Eddie (in "The Impossible Man"), Joey (in "The Impossible Man")
• William Boyett (uncredited) - Grogan (in "The Impossible Man")
• Joan Gerber -Medusa
• Don Messick -Wizard (in "The Frightful Four"),Gorgon (in "Medusa and the Inhumans"), J.J. Colossal (in "The Phantom of Film City")
• Marvin Miller (uncredited) -Blastaar (in "Blastaar, the Living Bomb Burst")
• Gene Moss - Sandro (in "The Olympics of Space"),Trapster (in "The Frightful Four"), Dean Johnson (in "Calamity on the Campus")
• Vic Perrin -Inhuman Guard (in "Medusa and the Inhumans")
• Hal Smith -Karnak (in "Medusa and the Inhumans"),Mole Man (in "The Mole Man"), Monstro (in "The Olympics of Space")
• John Stephenson -Doctor Doom,Magneto (in "The Menace of Magneto"), ProfessorGregson Gilbert (in "Calamity on the Campus"), Presenter at Science Convention (in "The Final Victory of Doctor Doom")
• Nancy Wible -Crystal (in "Medusa and the Inhumans")

In July 2012, scenes fromFantastic Four were re-cut, edited, and re-dubbed into comical shorts as part ofDisney XD'sMarvel Mash-Up series of shorts for their "Marvel Universe on Disney XD" block of programming.^[12]

Episodes of the series were included onPrism Entertainment'sMarvel Comics Video Library series. The show appeared on Volumes 2 and 7 of the series.

Morningstar Entertainment has released 2 episodes on Region 1 DVD in Canada, however bothThe Impossible Man andMeet Dr. Doom are reissues of Volumes 2 and 7 of the 1980s Prism Entertainment Marvel Comics Video Library. Both DVDs were mastered from VHS copies of those old releases, and therefore contain the Spider-Man episodes that were added on as bonus episodes to the VHS releases.^[13]Meet Doctor Doom is only available in theVillains Gift Set by Morningstar.

In April 2008, Liberation Entertainment secured the home media rights to select Marvel shows fromJetix Europe in select European territories, includingThe New Fantastic Four.^[14][15] The company had plans to release the series onDVD, but in October, the company closed their UK branch; leaving the DVD release cancelled.^[16]

In 2009,Clear Vision took over the home media rights and released the complete series in a 2-disc set titledThe Fantastic Four: The Complete Series on March 1, 2010 in the United Kingdom.^[17]

• The New Fantastic Four atIMDb
• Marvel Animation Age:Fantastic Four (1978)
• The Dreamers:The New Fantastic Four (1978)

• 1970s American animated television series
• 1970s American children's television series
• 1970s American superhero television series
• 1978 American animated television series debuts
• 1978 American television series endings
• American children's animated action television series
• American children's animated adventure television series
• American children's animated science fantasy television series
• American children's animated superhero television series
• Animated television series based on Marvel Comics
• Fantastic Four television series
• NBC animated television series
• Television series by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises
• Television shows based on Marvel Comics

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