In February 1988, Variety reported that screenwriterKevin McClory was producing an animated series titledJames Bond vs S.P.E.C.T.R.E. with an unnamed Dutch company. This series never came to fruition.[2] EON Productions later began development on James Bond Jr. alongsideMurakami-Wolf-Swenson andMGM Television. It was officially licensed byDanjaq andUnited Artists, the rights holders of theJames Bond franchise. (McClory only hadrights pertaining toThunderball.) It was the first successful attempt to bring the series to television since the 1954 adaptation ofCasino Royale.
The show features James Bond Jr., who, while attending Warfield Academy, works alongside his friends—IQ, the grandson ofQ; Gordo Leiter, the son ofFelix Leiter; and Tracy Milbanks—to combat the terrorist organization S.C.U.M. (Saboteurs and Criminals United in Mayhem), a group modeled afterSPECTRE.[3] His catchphrase, "Bond, James Bond... Junior", is a nod to his uncle's famous introduction.[4]
The series often surpasses theBond films in terms of outlandish technology, though it notably lacks the violence associated with the franchise. Several villains from the films make recurring appearances, includingJaws, Nick Nack,Julius No,Auric Goldfinger, andOddjob.[5][6] Many of the episode titles parody those of the original movies.
James Bond Jr. (voiced byCorey Burton) is the adventurous teenage nephew ofMI6 agentJames Bond. Like his uncle, he is known for his wit and flair for puns. He attends Warfield Academy and frequently embarks on missions to stop the criminal organization S.C.U.M. with his friends. A romantic interest is occasionally implied between him and Tracy Milbanks.
Horace "I.Q." Boothroyd III (voiced byJeff Bennett) is the grandson ofQ. He is a close friend of James and frequently develops devices for him and his team to use during their missions. In the Italian dub of the series, he is named "Ike".
Tracy Milbanks (voiced byMona Marshall) is the daughter of Warfield Academy's headmaster, Bradford Milbanks. She is one of James's closest friends and frequently accompanies him on missions. Her name is a reference to James Bond's late wife, Tracy.
Gordon "Gordo" Leiter (voiced byJan Rabson) is the tanned, blonde, athletic son of CIA associateFelix Leiter. He is part of James's inner circle.
Phoebe Farragut (voiced bySusan Silo) is the daughter of a wealthy businessman and Tracy's best friend. Throughout the show, she is open about her crush on James, though her feelings are not reciprocated. This dynamic mirrorsMiss Moneypenny's relationship with Bond in the original franchise.
Trevor Noseworthy IV (voiced bySimon Templeman) is a snobbish, egotistical student at Warfield Academy who comes from a privileged background. He frequently attempts to get James expelled. Trevor's schemes are typically petty and short-sighted, and thus consistently backfire.
Bradford Milbanks (voiced byJulian Holloway) is theheadmaster of Warfield Academy and the father of Tracy Milbanks. He previously worked as anRAF officer.
Burton "Buddy" Mitchell (voiced byBrian Stokes Mitchell) is thegym teacher at Warfield Academy and a formerFBI agent and associate of Bond. He serves as a mentor to James and is often aware of his secret missions, but chooses not to interfere.
S.C.U.M. (short for Saboteurs and Criminals United in Mayhem) is a global criminal organization that serve as the main antagonists of the series.
The major members of S.C.U.M. are listed in order of appearance:
Scumlord (voiced byJeff Bennett) is the leader of S.C.U.M. He operates from a dark surveillance room, always dressed in a trench coat, fedora, and sunglasses. Scumlord issues commands via telescreen and is never seen outside the shadows.
Jaws (voiced byJan Rabson) is a dim-witted but dangerous henchman, known for his powerful steel teeth, which can chew through almost anything. Unlike his film counterpart, his lower jaw is also made of metal. He typically works with senior S.C.U.M. agents and is frequently paired with Nick Nack.
Auric Goldfinger (voiced byJan Rabson) is a greedy and manipulative smuggler with an obsession for gold. His survival from falling out of his airplane during his fight with 007 inGoldfinger was not explained.
Goldie Finger (voiced byKath Soucie) is Goldfinger's spoiled daughter. Like her father, she is obsessed with gold and was first seen acting on her own in "City of Gold".
Barbella (voiced byKath Soucie) is a bodybuilder, assassin, and henchwoman to Goldfinger and Goldie Finger.
Oddjob (voiced byJeff Bennett) is a henchman who frequently works with Goldfinger. He is known for his eccentric sense of fashion. Unlike his film counterpart, Oddjob wears a metal-rimmed miniature top hat, flying goggles, a gold OJ necklace, a purple jump suit, a scarf, half-gloves, and sneakers.
Walker D. Plank (voiced byEd Gilbert) is apirate with a peg leg, a hook for a hand, and an eye-patched parrot. His schemes are reminiscent of those ofKarl Stromberg from the original franchise.
Dr. No (voiced byJulian Holloway) is a nuclear physicist one of 007's most fiendish opponents. The animated version differs a lot from the filmDr. No as he has green skin, likely as a result of his defeat at the hands of 007 in the original film. No's accent, costume and mustache have Asiatic themes and many of his schemes involveninjas, samurai swords, and the like.
Dr. Derange (voiced byJulian Holloway) is a mad scientist with long black hair, misaligned eyes, and a heavy French accent. He is obsessed with radioactive materials, especially plutonium.
Skullcap (voiced byJan Rabson) is a high-ranking S.C.U.M. assassin and ranked 17th onINTERPOL's Most Wanted list who frequently works with Dr. Derange. He has a steel dome surgically installed over the top of his head which can conduct static electricity.
Nick Nack (voiced byJeff Bennett) is a henchman with dwarfism and a disproportionately large chin. He is frequently partnered with Jaws when working for any of the senior S.C.U.M. members and is often the subject of "short jokes" from the other characters.
Baron Von Skarin (voiced byJulian Holloway) is a wealthy Bavarianbaron, an international terrorist, and an arms smuggler with a monocle over his right eye. He reports directly to Scumlord and is one of his most trusted agents.
Ms. Fortune (voiced bySusan Silo) is anaristocrat with a relentless desire for wealth and financial domination. Some of her wealth comes from owning a casino.
Snuffer (voiced byJan Rabson) is Ms. Fortune's butler who assists Ms. Fortune in her missions.
Spoiler (voiced byMichael Gough) is a gravel-voiced S.C.U.M. agent who leads abiker gang that often works under the higher S.C.U.M. operatives like Walker D. Plank and Dr. No.
The following are minor S.C.U.M. members:
Pharaoh Fearo is a pharaoh-themed villain and minor member of S.C.U.M. He appeared in "Shifting Sands", where he plotted to take over Egypt. Fearo would later appear in the accompanying John Vincent novelizationSandblast.
Viper is a cousin of Pharaoh Fearo who assisted him in his campaign to take over Egypt by posing as the Mummy of Pharaoh Hiphurrah. He would later appear in the accompanying John Vincent novelizationSandblast.
Felony O'Toole is an actress and minor member of S.C.U.M. She appeared in "Location: Danger", where she was sent to abduct Professor Braintrust.
Mask is a minor member of S.C.U.M. and a master of disguise who uses cloaking technology. He appeared in "Hostile Takeover", where he took on the alias of temporary principal William Baxter when infiltrating Warfield Academy.
Tiara Hotstones (voiced byKath Soucie) is a jewel thief and mercenary who once worked for S.C.U.M. She appeared in "Rubies Aren't Forever", where she targeted the necklace worn by her niece Ruby.
Crowbar is the minion of Tiara Hotstones.
TheS.C.U.M. Minions are the generic foot soldiers of S.C.U.M.
The Chameleon (voiced byAlan Oppenheimer) is a shapeshifting villain who can alter his appearance using subdermalnanotechnology. While he worked with Dr. Derange on one occasion, he is not affiliated with S.C.U.M.
The Worm (voiced byJan Rabson) is the only villain in the series unaffiliated with S.C.U.M., and is known for his fear of sunlight and preference for underground lairs.
Maximillion Cotex (voiced byJan Rabson) is a large-headed criminal who is unaffiliated with S.C.U.M.
Most episodes ofJames Bond Jr. were only broadcast on television and never made commercially available. On April 1, 1992, eight different single-episode VHS tapes were released in the United States.[7] The following year, six multi-episode tapes were released in the United Kingdom.[8]
In 1992,Puffin Books released six novels based onJames Bond Jr. They were written byJohn Peel under the pseudonym John Vincent.[9] A year later, Buzz Books published a separate series of books adapted from the television show by Caryl Jenner. These were significantly shorter and geared towards a younger audience.[10]
James Bond Jr. was adapted into a limited comic series byMarvel Comics between January and December 1992. While the first issues were direct adaptations of episodes from the television show, the remaining seven featured original stories. They were written by Cal Hamilton andDan Abnett and illustrated by Mario Capaldi, Colin Fawcett, Adolfo Buylla, and Bambos Georgioli.[11]
TwoJames Bond Jr. video games were released: aplatformer for theNES developed byEurocom and an action game byGray Matter. Both were published in1992 byTHQ and received mixed-to-negative reviews.[12][13]
^Erickson, Hal (2005).Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 440–442.ISBN978-1-4766-6599-3.
