| Jonny Quest | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Also known as | The Adventures of Jonny Quest |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Doug Wildey |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Hoyt Curtin |
| Composers | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Producers | |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 18, 1964 (1964-09-18) – March 11, 1965 (1965-03-11) |
Jonny Quest (also known asThe Adventures of Jonny Quest) is an American animatedscience fictionadventure television series about a boy who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. It was produced byHanna-Barbera Productions forScreen Gems, and was created and designed by the late comic book artistDoug Wildey.
The show was inspired byradio serials and comics in the action-adventure genre, and featured more realistic art, human characters, and stories than Hanna-Barbera's previouscartoon programs.[2] It was the first of several Hanna-Barbera action-based adventure shows—which would later includeSpace Ghost,The Herculoids, andBirdman and the Galaxy Trio—and ran onABC in prime time on early Friday nights for one season from 1964 to 1965.
After 20 years of reruns, during which time the series appeared on all three major U.S. television networks of the time,new episodes were produced for syndication in 1986 as part ofThe Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera's second season. Twotelefilms, acomic book series, and a second revival series,The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, were produced in the 1990s. Characters from the series also appear throughoutThe Venture Bros., which was developed as a parody of it.
Comic book artistDoug Wildey, after having worked on Cambria Productions' 1962 animated television seriesSpace Angel,[3] found work at theHanna-Barbera studio, which asked him to design a series starring theradio drama adventure characterJack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.[4]
Wildey wrote and drew a presentation, using magazines likePopular Science,Popular Mechanics, andScience Digest "to project what would be happening 10 years hence", and devising or updating such devices as a "snowskimmer" andhydrofoils. When Hanna-Barbera could not or would not obtain the rights to Jack Armstrong, the studio had Wildey rework the concept. Wildey said he "went home and wroteJonny Quest that night—which was not that tough." For inspiration, he drew onJackie Cooper andFrankie Darro movies,Milton Caniff'scomic stripTerry and the Pirates, and, at the behest of Hanna-Barbera, theJames Bond movieDr. No. As Wildey described in 1986, producer Joe Barbera had seen that first film about the English superspy "and wanted to get in stuff like '007' numbers. Which we included, by the way, in the first [episode of]Jonny Quest. It was called 'Jonny Quest File 037' or something. We dropped that later; it didn't work. But that was his father's code name as he worked for the government as a scientist and that kind of thing."[4] Wildey stated that Hanna-Barbera refused to give him a "created by" credit, and that he and the studio "finally arrived on 'based on an idea created by', and that was my credit."[4]
Jonny Quest debuted onABC at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 18, 1964.[5] As comics historianDaniel Herman wrote,
Wildey's designs onJonny Quest gave a cartoon a distinctive look, with its heavy blacks [i.e. shading and shadow] and its Caniff-inspired characters. ... The show was an action/adventure story involving the feature's namesake, an 11-year-old boy. The cast of characters included Jonny's kid sidekick, named Hadji, Jonny's globetrotting scientist dad ... and the group's handsome bodyguard, secret agent Race Bannon, who looks as if he stepped out of the pages of [Caniff's comic strip]Steve Canyon. ... The look ofJonny Quest was unlike any other cartoon television show of the time, with its colorful backgrounds, and its focus on the characters with theirjet packs,hydrofoils, andlasers. Wildey would work on other animation projects, but it was with his work onJonny Quest that he reached his widest audience, bringing a comic book sense of design and style to television cartoons.[6]
Wildey did not design the more cartoonishly drawn petbulldog, Bandit, which was designed by animatorRichard Bickenbach.[4]
Although they do not appear in any episode, scenes from theJack Armstrong test film were incorporated into theJonny Quest closing credits.[4][7] They feature Jack Armstrong and Billy Fairfield escaping fromAfrican warriors byhovercraft. The test sequence and several drawings and storyboards by Wildey were used to sell the series to ABC and sponsors.[citation needed]
| Scenes from the abandonedJack Armstrong test film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
The show'sworking titles wereThe Saga of Chip Baloo, which Wildey said "wasn't really serious, but that was it for the beginning",[4] andQuest File 037.[8][9][10] The nameQuest was selected from a phone book, for its adventurous implications.[4][11]
The five main characters of the show are:
The Quest family has a home compound in theFlorida Keys located on the island ofPalm Key, but their adventures take them around the world as they travel the globe studying scientific mysteries, which generally end up being the work of various adversaries. These adversaries range fromespionage robots and electric monsters to Egyptianmummies and prehistoricpterosaurs.
Although most antagonists appeared in only one episode, there are recurring antagonists such as Dr. Zin, an Asiancriminal mastermind.[21] Dr. Zin and other characters were voiced byVic Perrin.
Race's mysterious old flame Jade (voiced byCathy Lewis) appears in two episodes, as do the characters of Corbin, an Intelligence One agent, and the Professor, a scientist colleague of Dr. Quest's.
Hadji's friend Pasha Peddler appears in the episode "Calcutta Adventure" and is instrumental in arranging Hadji's adoption by the Quest family. Pasha appears to make a living by buying and selling anything he can profit from, and he aids the Quests in their adventure. Although Pasha is presented as and claims to be a native of India, he speaks in jazz-tinged colloquial English. Notably, his skin tone resembles the Quests and not other Asian characters in the show. Although it is never stated outright, it is implied that Pasha is the U.S. Marine who originally taught Hadji to speak English and raised him, which is supported by the fact that Pasha is a skilled helicopter pilot.[citation needed]
Jonny Quest aired from September 18, 1964, to March 11, 1965, in prime time on theABC network and was an almost instant success both critically and ratings-wise. However, it was canceled after one season due to its high production costs.[citation needed]
Jonny Quest also aired on CBS Saturday mornings/early afternoons from 1967 to 1970.
Like the originalStar Trek television series, the series was profitable in syndication, but this was not as well-known when the show was canceled in 1965. Along with another Hanna-Barbera series,The Jetsons,Jonny Quest is one of the few television series to have aired on each of theBig Three television networks in the United States.[citation needed]
Beginning in 2024 reruns aired onMeTV Toons.
| No. | Title | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Mystery of the Lizard Men" | Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Douglas Wildey, and Alex Lovy | September 18, 1964 (1964-09-18) | |
While investigating the disappearance of multiple ships in theSargasso Sea, Dr. Quest discovers a secret laser base (operated by a foreign provocateur and protected by lizard-suited scuba divers) hidden aboard an 18th-century shipwreck. Note: Hadji does not appear in this episode. | ||||
| 2 | "Arctic Splashdown" | Walter Black | September 25, 1964 (1964-09-25) | |
A foreign submarine crew races Dr. Quest and his recovery team (aboard an Americanicebreaker) to a downed experimental missile in theArctic ice cap. Note: This episode marks the first appearance of Hadji. | ||||
| 3 | "The Curse of Anubis" | Walter Black | October 2, 1964 (1964-10-02) | |
A former archaeologist friend-turned Arab nationalist revolutionary named Ahmed Kareem, who is being stalked by a vengefulmummy, attempts to frame Dr. Quest and Race for the theft of a pricelessEgyptian statue. Note: This is the only episode where Vic Perrin voices somebody other than Dr. Zin (Dr. Ahmed Kareem in this case). | ||||
| 4 | "Pursuit of the Po-Ho" | William D. Hamilton | October 9, 1964 (1964-10-09) | |
While going to the aid of a captive fellow scientist in theAmazon jungle, Dr. Quest is abducted (for ritual sacrifice) by a tribe of hostile native warriors. | ||||
| 5 | "Riddle of the Gold" | Herbert Finn and Alan Dinehart | October 16, 1964 (1964-10-16) | |
While investigating a bar of fake gold from a supposedly exhausted Indian mine, Dr. Quest discovers an alchemistcounterfeit ring (conceived by his nemesis Dr. Zin and operated from the palace of an impostorMaharaja) that could damage the global financial market. Note: First appearance of Dr. Zin and the first episode where Don Messick voices Dr. Quest. | ||||
| 6 | "Treasure of the Temple" | Walter Black | October 23, 1964 (1964-10-23) | |
While on anarchaeological expedition to an ancient Mayan city in theYucatán jungle, Dr. Quest is threatened by a greedy, ruthless Britishtreasure hunter named Perkins and his native confederates searching for riches in the same ruins. | ||||
| 7 | "Calcutta Adventure" | Joanna Lee | October 30, 1964 (1964-10-30) | |
| 8 | "The Robot Spy" | William D. Hamilton | November 6, 1964 (1964-11-06) | |
Dr. Zin sends a large, black, cyclopean, four-legged spider-like robot (by a flying saucer-like craft) to a U.S. government research facility in theAmerican Southwest to steal the secrets of a para-power ray gun on which Dr. Quest is working. | ||||
| 9 | "Double Danger" | Joanna Lee | November 13, 1964 (1964-11-13) | |
An impostor disguised as Race is infiltrated into Dr. Quest's expedition to gather a rare pharmaceutical plant by Dr. Zin (who covets the plant's potential mind-control properties) in the jungles of Thailand. Note: The first appearance of Jade and the final time John Stephenson voices Dr. Quest. | ||||
| 10 | "Shadow of the Condor" | Charles Hoffman | November 20, 1964 (1964-11-20) | |
After anemergency landing in theAndes Mountains, Race is challenged to an aerialdogfight by Baron Heinrich von Frohleich, an old Germanfighter ace ofWorld War I fame. (Frohleich possesses a collection of vintage aircraft at his Bavarian-style castle in South America.) The Baron's machine guns, however, are loaded — Race's arenot. Note: This is the only episode where Race refers to Dr. Quest by his first name of Benton. | ||||
| 11 | "Skull and Double Crossbones" | Walter Black | November 27, 1964 (1964-11-27) | |
In theCaribbean Sea, a new cook aboard the Questresearch vessel, betrays his employer to a gang of Mexican pirates that are seeking a sunken treasure chest that are discovered by Jonny. | ||||
| 12 | "The Dreadful Doll" | William D. Hamilton | December 4, 1964 (1964-12-04) | |
While researchingmarine biology in the Caribbean, Dr. Quest encounters a phonywitch doctor who is protecting a secretsubmarine base (under construction by a criminal contractor) with his supposed voodoo powers. | ||||
| 13 | "A Small Matter of Pygmies" | William D. Hamilton | December 11, 1964 (1964-12-11) | |
When the members of his team descend in a plane crash over uncharted jungle territory, Dr. Quest must rescue them (with the help of local authorities) from a tribe of hostilePygmy warriors. | ||||
| 14 | "Dragons of Ashida" | Walter Black | December 18, 1964 (1964-12-18) | |
On a visit to Japan, Dr. Quest finds that an oldbiologist friend (having gone insane) is breeding over-sized carnivorous lizards for the purpose of hunting human prey. | ||||
| 15 | "Turu the Terrible" | William D. Hamilton | December 25, 1964 (1964-12-25) | |
While searching for a rare strategic mineral in theAmazon jungle, Dr. Quest and Race discover a prehistoricPteranodon, trained by a wheelchair-bound slave driver to capture and guard native workers needed for his mining operation. | ||||
| 16 | "The Fraudulent Volcano" | William D. Hamilton | December 31, 1964 (1964-12-31) | |
While investigating unusual tremors on a tropical island in the South Pacific, Dr. Quest and Race uncover a secret ray gun base operated by Dr. Zin and protected byhovercraft-mounted guards hidden deep within a local volcano. | ||||
| 17 | "Werewolf of the Timberland" | William D. Hamilton | January 7, 1965 (1965-01-07) | |
While hunting for samples of petrified wood in theCanadian Rockies, Dr. Quest is threatened by a gang oflumberjacks (one of whom disguises himself as awerewolf) intent on protecting their gold-smuggling operation. | ||||
| 18 | "Pirates from Below" | Walter Black | January 14, 1965 (1965-01-14) | |
The Quest home compound inFlorida is attacked by foreign submarine-borne agents, intent on hijacking a new prober submarine that Dr. Quest is developing for theUnited States Navy. | ||||
| 19 | "Attack of the Tree People" | Walter Black | January 21, 1965 (1965-01-21) | |
Jonny and Hadji are marooned by shipwreck on an island off the coast of the African continent where they are adopted by a tribe of friendly brown gorilla-like apes. They protect Jonny and Hadji from the Australian poachers Silky and Chopper intent on kidnapping them for ransom. When the poachers managed to abduct Dr. Quest and Race, Jonny and Hadji must persuade the apes to help rescue them and defeat the poachers. | ||||
| 20 | "The Invisible Monster" | William D. Hamilton | January 28, 1965 (1965-01-28) | |
Dr. Quest responds to the distress signal from a fellow scientist, who has accidentally unleashed an (invisible) energy monster on a South Pacific island. Note: This episode is generally remembered as the most frightening one in the series. | ||||
| 21 | "The Devil's Tower" | William D. Hamilton | February 4, 1965 (1965-02-04) | |
While doing atmospheric research in the Africansavanna, Dr. Quest uncovers an inaccessibly high plateau populated by prehistoriccavemen who have been trained as slave laborers fordiamond mining by Klaus Heinrich von Dueffel, a Nazi war criminal in hiding. | ||||
| 22 | "The Quetong Missile Mystery" | William D. Hamilton | February 11, 1965 (1965-02-11) | |
While investigating the contamination of marine life in China, Dr. Quest discovers a secret missile base operated by a rogue general and protected by treetop-posted guards hidden deep within a local swamp. Note: The title card shows "The 'Q' Missile Mystery" for the 1964–65 season's re-run of this episode. | ||||
| 23 | "The House of Seven Gargoyles" | Charles Hoffman | February 18, 1965 (1965-02-18) | |
On a visit to the castle residence of a Norwegian fellow scientist, Dr. Quest must help protect his colleague's latest invention (the anti-gravity generator) from a cat-burglar disguised as one of a row of sevengargoyles on the roof who regularly breaks into the estate. | ||||
| 24 | "Terror Island" | Story by: Doug Wildey Teleplay by: Alan Dinehart and Herbert Finn | February 25, 1965 (1965-02-25) | |
Dr. Quest is kidnapped by a rival scientist who needs help with his experiments to develop gigantic crab, spider, and lizard creatures at a secretHong Kong-based laboratory compound. Note: The second appearance of Jade. | ||||
| 25 | "Monster in the Monastery" | Charles Hoffman | March 4, 1965 (1965-03-04) | |
During a trip toNepal, the Quest encounter a band of terrorists disguised asYetis who attempt to overthrow the local spiritual/government leader (aDalai Lama-style figure), who is an old friend of Dr. Quest's. | ||||
| 26 | "The Sea Haunt" | Charles Hoffman | March 11, 1965 (1965-03-11) | |
Responding to a maritimedistress signal in theJava Sea (east of Indonesia), the Quest group is stranded aboard an abandonedfreighter ship with anamphibious humanoid. | ||||
All writing credits taken fromClassic Jonny Quest.
See alsoThe New Adventures of Jonny Quest.
Items released in the United States during or shortly after the show's original run on ABC included:
Various episodes of the classic series have been released on VHS and DVD over the years.
On May 11, 2004,Warner Home Video releasedJonny Quest: The Complete First Season on DVD in Region 1, which features all 26 episodes of the original series,[31] although some have been edited for content, and nearly all episodes have incorrect closing credits.[32]
On June 11, 2019, Warner Home Video (via theWarner Archive Collection) released the original 1960sJonny Quest series onBlu-ray for the first time. For this release, a new, high-definition master was created,[33] and the episodes were presented unedited and uncensored. The missing dialogue removed for the 2004 DVD version has been restored, but the audio has problems that were on the DVD set.[34]
On October 27, 2016,La-La Land released a limited-edition 2-CD set of music from the series, including an extended version of the opening theme minus the sound effects.
| Television series | |
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| Films | |
| Video games | |
| See also | |
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