The Herculoids

The Hurculoids was one of the most unique creations to come from Hanna-Barbara in the 60's. The Ghost Master Alex Toth brought life to this creation as well. The show was going to be known a Zartan but, CBS legal dept found problems with reworking Tarzan so obviously. Still it remains one of the most original and innovative cartoons to this day. I loved watching when I was a kid. I loved the strange creatures that where good and loyal. I loved the villains they were so strange and interesting. It's a shame that these cartoons don't see much air play any more. Maybe someone will see this and change that?

Zandor, Tara, and their son Dorno live on a distant planet. With their animal friends, they protect the planet from all enemies as the Herculoids. There is flying dragon Zok with laser beam eyes and tail, powerful ape Igoo, rhino-like Tundro firing energy rocks from its horn, and shape-shifting blobs Gloop and Gleep.

This Saturday morning cartoon is from Hanna-Barbera. It's two 10-min segments. It's action-packed as they seem to have an endless number of enemies kidnapping Tara and Dorno or scheming to take over the planet. The animation is good 60's TV. The creatures are memorable. The plot is simple and pretty much the same. They do recycle many shoots like Zandor using his slingshot and Zok firing its laser beams. This is great for kids.

The Herculoids might be the only great example of pulp sci-fi animation. Every episode featured a host of new alien nemeses with little or no explanation. Delightfully however it also featured little or none of the "master of the obvious" dialogue that plagued all the later Hanna Barbera cartoons; "Zoiks Scoob it's a sea monster..." The art has a very warm comic book feel. You won't find the nightmarish rainbow palette that many of todays toons are subjected to. The quality of each episode is consistently high given the archetypal characters, stories etc... In fact, it is precisely the simplistic pulpiness that keeps me wide awake even at ridiculous hours of the morning. The imaginative landscapes and creatures hooked me as a boy, and have yet to let go.

Herculoids,created by Alex Toth was unique among the numerous superhero cartoons of the 60's being done by Hanna/Barberra & others.Focusing on 5 different creatures who lived on the planet Quasar along with the human-looking Zandor,his wife Tarra, & their son Dorno,they would battle alien invaders every week.Or some menace already existing upon their world.We really never knew why Quasar was so important to all of the alien invaders who seemed to have no connection to one another.There didn't seem to be any other lifeforms like Zandor & his family,or the Hercs themselves.Were they all indigenous to the planet?But it was still funto see the weekly action with this group.Zok the flying dragon that had ray beams emanating from both eyes & tail,Igoo the huge,powerful rock-like ape,Tundro a hybrid-looking triceratops/rhino,& Gloop & Gleep,the blobs.The other animated series were about traditional looking superheroes,replete with costumes & secret identities.Here we had a family like Tarzan,Jane & boy.Instead of African wildlife,we had alien animals with various powers.The art was wonderful,as was the voice talent.In this age of revivals,Herculoids would be wonderful to see again.This time around though let's hope the mysteries of the series could be addressed.

Maybe it was a case of the right series' at the right time, but during the fall and winter of 1967 I discovered the magic of animated superheroes. And at the core of this revelation was the wonderful Herculoids.

I always thought there was a great story behind the story. What was apparently the only three humans on a planet that was home to other humanoid species... leading a band of powerful animals who also did not seem to be indigenous to the planet Amzok... changed to the planet Quasar with it's revival on NBC years later...

But the stories that were told were very gripping. There was a camaraderie and a fellowship between the family and the animals; Zok and Gloop & Gleep and Tundro and Igoo... none of them would think of allowing anything to befall Tara or Dorno... and though obviously not the most powerful of the group, Zandor was the leader and all the animals knew it...

Yeah, there was a deeper story here that never got to be told... but what they did tell was quite enjoyable in 1967 and still is in 2007. :D