The Herculoids

The Herculoids

The Herculoids title card.
Genre Animated series
Created by Alex Toth
Voices of Mike Road
Virginia Gregg
Ted Eccles
Don Messick
Composer(s) Ted Nichols
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 18 (36 segments, 1967–1969)
11 (1981–1982)
Production
Executive producer(s) William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Running time 22 min.: two 11 min. segments (1967–1969)
6 min. segments of Space Stars (1981–1982)
Production company(s) Hanna-Barbera Productions
Distributor Taft Broadcasting
Release
Original network CBS
Original release September 9, 1967 – January 6, 1968
Chronology
Related shows Space Stars
Website

The Herculoids is an American Saturday-morning animated-cartoon television series, created and designed by Alex Toth, that was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show debuted on September 9, 1967 on CBS.[1] Hanna-Barbera produced one season for the original airing of the show, although the original 18 episodes were rerun during the 1968–69 television season, with The Herculoids ending its run on September 6, 1969.

Eleven new episodes were produced in 1981 as part of the Space Stars show. The plotlines are rooted in science fiction, and have story direction and content similar to Jonny Quest and Space Ghost. This series is set on the distant planet Amzot (renamed Quasar in the Space Stars episodes). The name "Amzot" was first mentioned in the Space Ghost episode "The Molten Monsters of Moltar" (in which the Herculoids made a brief guest appearance) and in the series proper in the "Time Creatures" episode.

Synopsis

The Herculoids battled to defend their planet from menaces on Amzot/Quasar and from outer space. All of the Herculoids displayed Human-level intelligence—employing precision teamwork and complex tactics—as well as emotions, and Zandor and Tara both displayed a working knowledge of complex alien technologies as well as the ability to pilot interstellar spacecraft.

But essentially, Zandor, Tara, Dorno, and the Herculoids were all apparently fighting to keep Amzot/Quasar a technology-free, primitive planet. This is further indicated by the pseudo-barbarian outfits of Zandor, Tara, and Dorno and the fact that technology was used mainly by the various villains, but rarely if ever by the heroes.

Although the "speech" of their companions was limited and repetitive, Zandor, Tara and Dorno demonstrated that Gloop and Gleep, at least, had a comprehensive mode of communication, and that they could at least understand and interpret this language (c.f. "The Mutoids:" "Gleep says that the aliens who landed are attacking Dorno and Tundro"). The "voices" used in the shows were actually brief tracks supplied by two actors and reused throughout the series, in keeping with Hanna-Barbera's thrifty ethos.

A number of episodes featured alien invaders who came to Amzot/Quasar to seek revenge against Zandor for an unspecified battle or adventure from the past. All were apparently technocratic, and the aliens' grudges seemed basically to boil down to them being stymied in their attempts at bringing technology to Amzot/Quasar, which the apparently primitivistic Zandor wanted to avoid.

The show's opening theme was a fully orchestral composition, suggesting uncommon heroism. An alternative opening theme was also utilized for some episodes. All of the show's incidental music was recycled from Jonny Quest.

In some of the seasons, the episodes opened with the following narration: "Somewhere out in space live The Herculoids... Zok the laser-ray dragon! Igoo the giant rock ape! Tundro the tremendous! Gloop and Gleep, the formless fearless wonders! With Zandor their leader, and his wife, Tara, and son, Dorno, they team up to protect their planet from sinister invaders! All-strong! All-brave! All-heroes!! They are The Herculoids!!!"

Continuity with Space Stars

The Space Stars series included the Herculoids in its canon to show that Zandor and his family and friends were well known throughout the galaxy, and good friends of Space Ghost and the Teen Force.

Characters

There are eight regular characters who make up the Herculoids:

The Herculoids

Humanoids

The three humanoid characters were the only ones who could communicate in English.

Creatures

The five creature characters of The Herculoids are:

Other appearances

Comic books

Super TV Heroes #1 (1968) displayed the Herculoids among other Hanna-Barbera characters on its cover.
The Herculoids on the cover of Cartoon Network Presents #17 (1999).

Outside of their own TV series, the Herculoids made appearances in various comic books through the years. In 1968-1969 they appeared in issues #1-2, and issues #4-7 of the series Hanna-Barbera Super TV Heroes. In 1978 they appeared in issue #3 of the Marvel Comics series TV Stars. Between 1997–1999 they appeared in issues #5, #9, #13 and #17 of the DC Comics series Cartoon Network Presents.[2]

Animated TV series

Roughly contemporaneous to their own series premiere, the Herculoids made an appearance in an episode of Space Ghost, "The Molten Monsters of Moltar" (sources are unclear and/or inconsistent as to exact airdates). In the "Council of Doom" story arc, Space Ghost, while battling the combined might of all of his enemies, meets a number of Hanna-Barbera heroes just as they were debuting in their own respective series. Along with the Herculoids were Shazzan, Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor, the last two sharing one series.

Several episodes of Space Ghost Coast to Coast mention or show the Herculoids. In "Lawsuit", Space Ghost mentions the Herculoids planet. In the episode "Sequel", he goes to their planet and refers to it as a "rotten hippie monster commune" after they demand he leave while pelting him with stones.[3]

Gloop is mentioned by name and features prominently in the Sealab 2021 episode "Hail, Squishface".

Gloop makes several guest appearances on Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law as well. Gleep is mentioned at one point but he does make cameos in "Mindless" and "Juror in Court", and Zok makes an appearance in "Peanut Pubeerty" (Phil Ken Sebben throws a graph chart at him). Tundro makes an appearance in "Beyond the Valley of the Dinosaurs" firing his energy rocks at Phil Ken Sebben, who forgot to close the hot tub time portal to prehistoric times, Tara appears on the evolution chart in between Fred Flintstone and Race Bannon in "Evolutionary War".

The Herculoids is mentioned in an episode of The Venture Bros., where an old "fan letter" of Dr. Venture to the show is discovered. Upon reading, the letter is revealed to be more akin to hate mail; young Rusty Venture called the Herculoids hippies for not fighting in Vietnam.

Tundro and Gloop appear in an episode of Family Guy, "8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter". In the scene, Gloop fails to get a babysitting job from Lois. In protest, Tundro shows up and fires his energy rocks at Lois. (NOTE: The Herculoids is owned by Hanna–Barbera, not FOX parent News Corp..)

Gloop and Gleep appeared in a cameo as captured prisoners of a hostile alien race in the Dexter's Laboratory episode "Mis-Placed in Space".

Episodes

Original series

Episode Title Original air date Synopsis
1 The Beaked People September 23, 1967 Krokar, leader of the Beaked People, staged an invasion on the winged monkeys, purposely letting one escape so he can capture Zandor and rule Amzot. (Note: This was the only episode in the 1967 version where Dorno refers to Zandor and Tara as dad and mom; even in this episode Dorno reverts to calling Zandor by his name. In the 1981 revival series Dorno refers to Zandor and Tara as father and mother.)
2 The Raider Apes September 23, 1967 Gotron and his Raider Apes burn a village in search of gold. The Herculoids come to the villagers' aid.
3 The Pod Creatures September 16, 1967 An alien spacecraft hovers over Amzot, ordering the pod creatures to destroy all forms of life. The pods then drop onto the planet. Meanwhile, Dorno, Igoo and Gleep, on a mission to get firewood, see the pod creatures as the covers open up and start attacking the trio.
4 Sarko the Arkman September 9, 1967 Sarko (pronounced Arko in this episode) captured Igoo for unknown reasons, attacked Zandor with poisonous gas, and captured Dorno and Tundro as well.
5 The Mole Men September 30, 1967 After being woken up by a bird, Zandor investigates Marcon and the Mole Men's plans to invade the surface world, saving a condemned prisoner in the process. Meanwhile, other Mole Men are attacking the Herculoids.
6 The Pirates September 9, 1967 After killing two creatures with a treasure chest, pirates bury it on Amzot when the Herculoids approach; Dorno is captured and held hostage.
7 The Spider Man October 7, 1967 A group of spider creatures kidnap Dorno, then try doing the same with Tara. Gloop saves her while Gleep blows a horn beckoning the Herculoids to action. Zandor briefly freed Dorno with his shield but was soon captured with Dorno. After a stalemate Zandor calls the Herculoids to action for one concentrated attack. (Note: this was the first time that the Herculoids were referred to in name within the episode.)
8 Mekkor September 16, 1967 A group of powerful robots, led by a larger robot, attack the Herculoids.
9 The Lost Dorgyte September 30, 1967 Zandor rescues a young boy from a vulture; the Herculoids then take the boy back to his heavily-shadowed home because he can not live in sunlight. The insect-looking creatures attack the Herculoids on their way out.
10 Destroyer Ants October 7, 1967 A lightning storm awakens a nest of giant ant eggs. These over sized alien army ants cause havoc and destruction that Zandor and the Herculoids must put an end to.
11 Defeat of Ogron October 14, 1967 Andropon and his robots invade Amzot, where the Herculoids easily defeat them. After Andropon continuously threatens to build replacement robot armies (and Zandor continuously vows to defeat said armies), Andropon pits his top warrior Ogron against Zandor and Zok.
12 The Android People October 7, 1967 Zandor was captured by Gorvac, leader of the Android People, and created a giant evil clone of Zandor with plans to create an army of Zandor clones.
13 Temple of Trax November 4, 1967 The unnamed high priest of Trax kidnaps Tara in order to use as a sacrifice for the idol Trax, cutting off the Herculoids in their rescue attempt. Can Zandor and Zok, who are miles away, get to Trax in time?
14 Swamp Monster A hideous monster emerges from a swamp and goes on a rampage, destroying anything it comes in contact with by its radioactive touch. It eventually traps Dorno and Gleep in a cave, and it's up to Zandor and the rest of the Herculoids to rescue them and defeat the creature.
15 Laser Lancers October 28, 1967 The story starts with Zandor knocked out by the Laser Lancers and the Herculoids coming to the rescue. Magoth and the Lancers send a new wave of attackers which the Herculoids repel but its a ploy to take Dorno and Tara hostage. With Gleep's help they seal off the tunnel the Lancers used to sneak up and repel them once and for all.
16 The Raiders October 28, 1967 Sta-Lak (then unnamed) flew over Amzot; upon seeing Zandor and Zok, Sta-Lak turned his ship invisible to avoid detection, with the intent of taking Tara prisoner.
17 Tiny World of Terror October 21, 1967 Torrak shrinks the Herculoids down to microscopic size for the purpose of destroying them with his super-powered microbes and then enslaving the galaxy.
18 Prisoners of the Bubblemen October 14, 1967 Brotak and his Bubblemen kidnap Zandor and Tara for the purpose of using them as scientific experiments.
19 The Time Creatures October 28, 1967 Oton, leader of the Time Creatures, has determined that in order to rule the world, he has to change Amzot's past, starting with destroying the Herculoids and altering time in his favor.
20 The Gladiators of Kyanite November 4, 1967 After destroying the last wild creature of Kyanite, Neron and his gladiators capture Tundro. Zandor and Zok, followed by the rest of the Herculoids, arrive at the arena to rescue Tundro and fight the gladiators.
21 Mekkano, the Machine Master October 21, 1967 Trained machines break Mekkano out of an intergalactic prison, where he vows to destroy the ones who put him in prison: Zandor and the Herculoids.
22 Invasion of the Electrode Men November 11, 1967 Volton and his Electrode Men flew into a volcanic crater, setting up a dome headquarters to take over Amzot. The Herculoids were easily defeating them until Volton took Tara and Dorno prisoner. Zandor and the Herculoids had to wait until nightfall, when the Electrode Men's power was weakened.
23 Mission of the Amatons November 25,1967 Amak and the Amatons come to the planet and place control collars on some animals. When their efforts to enslave the Herculoids fail, Amak tries to kill them. Gloop and Gleep save the day by turning Amak's stun turret on him, causing his ship to crash.
24 Queen Skorra November 25, 1967 Queen Skorra unleashes a mud/lava creature which they eventually defeat but Skorra plans to force them into exile by sending her drones to capture Gleep, Gloop, Tara, and Dorno. They defend themselves long enough for Zandor and the others to return and drive off the drones. Skorra launches a mega-shield missile and closes the mega-circle to destroy everyone but Tundro creates a smokescreen while the others make a tunnel to escape and then send Skorra running.
25 Attack of the Faceless People December 2, 1967 The princess Serena of the Sun People arrives on Amzot, being pursued by Darkon of the Faceless People. Darkon wants Serena so he can control her people. The Herculoids successfully drive him off but not before he captures Zara. Zandor agrees to a swap but substitutes a berobed Gleep for Serena and they destroy Darkon's palace from the inside.
26 The Zorbots November 11, 1967 A terrible wind storm was raging on Amzot. However, Zandor noticed that winds on the left side of a canyon were aiming right, while winds were the opposite direction on the right side. Zandor and the Herculoids investigated, as Konar was destroying Amzot's atmosphere to replace it with his own. Konar sent his henchmen, who were either killed or injured by the Herculoids. As Zandor confronted Konar, Konar brought out the giant Zorbots to take on the Herculoids. Zandor chose to surrender in order to destroy the wind machine from within and, when successful, battle the Zorbots.
27 Return of Sta-Lak December 9, 1967 Sta-Lak returns to Amzot seeking vengeance and equipped with robot duplicates of Igoo, Zok, and Tundro. He captures Dorno and Tara and Zandor and the others are forced to go into his volcano lair. The robot duplicates prove no match to the originals even though the robot Igoo can spin at high speeds and has multiple arms, and the mecho-Tundro can fly. Sta-Lak enters a bubble and flees into a volcanic lavahole.
28 Revenge of the Pirates December 9, 1967 The pirate captain and his crew from "The Pirates" returns. Using an image transmitter, the captain immobilizes Zandor and the Herculoids and takes Dorno and Tara prisoner. Zok uses his neutralizing eye beams to free them and then Gloop finds the real Dorno and Tara from the transmitted images and the Herculoids launch a new assault. The captain tries to escape and Gloop blocks his escape missile tube, causing the ship to explode.
29 Ruler of the Reptons December 16, 1967 Tara is captured by the Reptons, who place her in a mind control device to make her their evil queen. She orders her people to destroy Zandor and the Herculoids, who beat them and go to rescue Tara. The Reptons send the Destructo Bats after them, but they escape, recover Tara, free her from the machine's influence, and destroy the Reptons' underground lair.
30 The Island of the Gravites December 16, 1967 Zandor and Dorno rescue a man floating in the river who says he is from Gravite Island and tells them that a villain has taken over the island. The Herculoids go to investigate and are attacked by giant gravite creatures. The creatures are being created by Lotak who wants the village because of its large deposits of gravite. Zok destroys the machine Lotak uses to make his creatures and Lotak is destroyed when his energy ray backfires.
31 Malak and the Metal Apes December 23, 1967 Malak sends his Metal Apes to attack the Sea People. Dorno is shot off of Zok by one of the creatures. Zandor and the Herculoids destroy the Metal Apes. A damaged Metal Ape returns to Malak's headquarters and is followed by the Herculoids. The Herculoids destroy the remaining Metal Apes and Zok causes a steel beam to fall on Malak and his assistant.
32 The Return of Torrak December 23, 1967 Torrak returns and sends out a giant fly to capture Tara. The Herculoids follow and discover that Torrak's warrior microorganisms are now larger and more formidable but defeat them anyway.
33 Attack from Space December 30, 1967 Amzot is being bombarded by the planet Luvanuum. Zaygot and his henchmen are trying to destroy Azmot. The Herculoids travel to Luvanuum in a ship captured from Sarco. When they land their ship is destroyed and they are attacked by winged sentries with deadly laser beams. The Herculoids destroy Zaygot's base and he escapes - they use Zaygot's ship to return to Amzot.
34 The Antidote December 30, 1967 While investigating panic among the Monkey People, Zandor confronts a giant spider and is bitten and poisoned. Dorno must go to the six-legged mustachioed Spider People within the Endless Caves with the Herculoids to get the only known antidote. The Spider People capture Dorno to hold him hostage. The Herculoids eventually stage a rescue, get the antidote, and block the Spider People's caves to cover their escape.
35 The Mutoids January 6, 1968 A ship crash lands on Amzot with a sole occupant on board. Zandor offers assistance and the passenger turns out to be a Mutoid, a race who can change their appearance to anything. The Mutoids plan to use Amzot as a launching site for their missiles to fool their enemies. Can Zandor and the Herculoids stop them in time?
36 The Crystallites January 6, 1968 A meteor crash lands on Azmot and transforms into a giant crystaline object. Zandor investigates and is attacked by the Crystalites while Tara and Dorno are captured in crystal cells. Zandor, Gloop, and Gleep steal uniforms and sneak into the fortress and free Dorno and Tara. Gloop and Zok destroy Kryton's ship and he is defeated.

Space Stars revival

Episode Title Original air date Synopsis
1 The Ice Monster Dorno is feeling depressed when Zandor treats him like a child because of his size and age. Meanwhile, an ancient indestructible robotic monster emerges from a block of ice.
2 The Purple Menace Glowing purple rocks have brought to life purple vines which cause havoc.
3 The Firebird A volcano erupts, revealing a firebird creature who has taken up residency in the volcano's crater and threatens the Herculoids.
4 The Energy Creature A meteorite containing an energy creature lands on Quasar. When it imprisons creatures in its coils, it takes on their form and properties also.
5 The Snake Riders Dorno and Gleep discover a plot by the Snake Riders to take over the planet. The Herculoids must stop the plans for planetary conquest.
6 The Buccaneer The Buccaneer and his band of pirates arrive on Quasar to look for buried treasure.
7 The Thunderbolt Saiju, a creature with a voracious appetite, comes upon some electrical-charged rocks and turns into a living electrical monster after eating them. The Herculoids learn that the effects of those rocks are temporary and try to revert Saiju to normal.
8 Return of the Ancients The descendents/survivors of a highly developed race that was wiped out on Quasar return to the planet after a 1,000-year mission, and they are not happy to find out their civilization is gone.
9 Space Trappers Space Trappers arrive on Quasar and capture the Herculoids for their intergalactic circus.
10 The Invisibles A chunk of magnilite lands in the Lost Lake of Quasar. Before long, the Herculoids go up against enemies that they cannot see. Zandor soon learns from the Zelos King Zel that his son Eezo and his followers might be the culprits.
11 Mindbender While playing, Dorno, Gloop, and Gleep discover and unearth a metal cylinder which contains a big-brained alien. When they release him, he reveals himself to be a member of race that ruled Quasar thousands of years ago. The Herculoids try to recapture the Mindbender.

Voices

The Herculoids in other languages

  • The characters' names in Japan were Targan (Zandor), Marmi (Tara), Kane (Dorno), Maryû (Zok), Rikira (Igoo), Tangurô (Tundro), Hyûhyû (Gloop) and Bôbô (Gleep).

Home media releases

On June 14, 2011, Warner Archive released The Herculoids: The Complete Original Animated Series on DVD in region 1 as part of their Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Markstein, Don (2007). "The Herculoids". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on June 19, 2014. Like the majority of Hanna-Barbera's late '60s adventure characters...The Herculoids were created by designer Alex Toth.
  2. ↑ The Herculoids (characters) at the Grand Comics Database
  3. ↑ Ghost Planet Central
  4. ↑ "The Herculoids - 'The Complete Series' DVDs: Packaging, Date, Cost and Extras".

External links

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