The Best Quests

 It's time to wrap up Questember, and much like this year's Flintstones February, I thought I'd end things by celebrating our favorite Jonny Quest episodes. To help out, I've enlisted several friends, some of whom you'll remember from that "Favorite Flintstones" piece, and some whom I am pleased for you to meet. So, what are the best Quests? I'll begin with my favorite. 

My pick for the best Quest is hands down "The Robot Spy." In a show full of action and adventure, it stands out as one of the more suspenseful episodes. The characters don't go on a typical globe-trotting adventure or face off against fantastical creatures. It's a simple battle of man versus machine, and in this case, what a machine the titular robot spy turns out to be! What's little more than a robotic spider has undoubtedly become one of the most recognizable design elements from the show. It's a simple design, but incredibly effective. It's easily identifiable as a robot, and its spider similarities help sell the beings threatening nature. Stopping the spy takes more than anything else the Quest crew goes up against in the entire series, making this a real rollercoaster of an episode. What starts off slow and mysterious crescendos into an explosive ending. It is for those reasons that this episode is my pick for the best Quest.  

Returning from February's "Favorite Flintstones," please welcome back Disney animator and all-around lovely person, David Pruiskma! Like myself, he picks "The Robot Spy" as his favorite.

" I was asked to do a write-up about my favorite episode of the 1960s TV series, Jonny Quest. And I want to be clear here, I am talking about the first and, in my opinion, the ONLY season of Jonny Quest. The 1964-65 episodes were a staple of my childhood television life, both in prime time and in syndication on Saturday mornings, for nearly 60 years.

When the show premiered on ABC television in 1964, I was 7, going on 8. My brother was a couple of years older, my sister a couple of years younger, but we were all there in front of the old black and white “Magnavox”, ready for each episode, every week. We loved Jonny Quest, every single adventure. But now I am tasked with choosing just one favorite episode. I believe I can do this, but first I’d like to say just a few words about this action-adventure series, the first of its kind, really. Sure there may have been earlier shows which touched on the subject of action-adventure, Clutch Cargo, Space Angel, The Mighty Hercules, and a smattering of others. But, to me, these other shows were missing one important element of the action-adventure genre…. the ACTION!

Jonny Quest, on the other hand, was loaded with action! Spaceships, Dragons, Submarines, Missiles, Monsters and more. And let’s not forget the coolness factor! This was a living, moving (albeit limited), comic book! It was James Bond for the little shavers. It featured exotic locales, complex and interesting villains, space-age technology, and even GUNS! People got hurt. People got KILLED! And villains NEVER learned their lessons or changed their evil ways, thus, they were destined to perish, and often at their own hands. So I ask you, what’s not to like about that?

It has always been my stated theory that the Quest series was very much akin to the much earlier Fleischer Superman shorts from the 1940s. I believe both shows were really layout-driven shows. The dynamic layouts in both were really the showcase elements, that and the overall design. Of course, the Superman cartoons were far more lavish in their effects and full animation because they were theatrical films with much larger budgets and longer production schedules. But Jonny Quest was made for television and had to be produced quickly and comparatively cheaper. However, what Quest may have lacked in production value, it more than made up for with the ground-breaking theme song, great performances, and exciting underscoring composed by none other than Hoyt Curtin. 

All that said, I gotta pick one episode as a favorite. So, though I particularly liked Curse of Anubis, Shadow of the Condor, The House of Seven Gargoyles, and The Invisible Monster, I would have to single out The Robot Spy as my personal favorite, and I have a number of reasons why.

First of all, I like the creepy, mysterious aspects of the episode. I dig the disturbing and spooky, other-worldly music, as Dr. Quest and Race discover and study the silent “stranger”, which at first seems like a UFO. The villain, in this case Dr. Zin, is not revealed until later in the story. I like the writing, it’s clever and fast moving. I like the fact that all are in character and likable, right from the start. For instance, Dr. Quest is more curious than frightened of the UFO at first, but as it weighs on his mind he grows more and more troubled by it. I like the way Race and Quest are concerned about the welfare of the guards who were stricken. I like the fact that the lead characters all seem to be really fond of one another and are respectful to each other. Then, of course, there’s the weird spider legs aspect of the robot, which holds a primal fear for me, and that the spy moves about stealthily and completely silently at all times, hiding, watching, waiting to strike. And, finally, the disembodied eyeball adds a level of discomfort just because… well….. because it’s a giant disembodied EYEball!

Like all little kids, my brother, my sister, and I were all planted on the floor in front of the old 

TV set, completely and totally engrossed in The Robot Spy. My Dad was sitting just behind us on the sofa and saw an opportunity for some fun. So he slowly and quietly, (almost as quietly as The Robot Spy) moved from the sofa to the floor and creeped gingerly up behind us while we were oblivious, eyes glued to that 24-inch screen in front of us. Then, at the very next tense moment on the screen, our Dad bellowed loudly at our backs, “BOO”!  With that, the three of us jumped and screamed so loud that Mom had to come in from the kitchen to see what had just happened. Dad was rolling on the floor with laughter by this time and, though still a little shaken, we all joined in the laughter with him, even Mom. And that funny, warm, and happy memory makes “The Robot Spy” a personal favorite episode of the classic animated series, Jonny Quest."   

Now, I'd like to introduce you guys to Cameron Louis Bates, of the "Scooby-Doo and Cameron Too" social media channels. Cameron here is a big Scooby fan, but he also loves the other Hanna-Barbera characters, Jonny Quest the most of all. He was more than happy to join in and discuss his favorite episode from the original series.

"I have always been captivated by "Jonny Quest" for its thrilling blend of adventure and intrigue, which first drew me in with the episode “The Werewolf of Timberland.” Created by Hanna-Barbera and premiering in 1964, this groundbreaking series was one of the early examples of animation aimed at a more mature audience, featuring complex plots and rich, detailed artwork that was a departure from the studio's usual fare. The show’s unique mix of science fiction, mystery, and action, combined with its memorable characters like the brave Jonny and his loyal dog Bandit, made it stand out. I fell in love with the series for its gripping storylines and the way it captured a sense of wonder and excitement. The adventure of "The Werewolf of Timberland," with its chilling atmosphere and suspenseful narrative, remains a standout memory, solidifying my admiration for this classic series."

Another newcomer joining us in this collab is Wendy Brydge! Another big Scooby fan, Wendy is a talented artist, and a member of the Scooby Panel podcast. Also like Cameron, she selects "The Werewolf of Timberland" as her personal favorite episode.

"I chose my first episode of Jonny Quest the same way I chose my first Nancy Drew book—I picked the scariest and most interesting sounding title. I was 8 or 9 when I started reading Nancy, but it took until I was 36 to start watching Jonny. 

I quickly picked out “Werewolf of the Timberland” as my first introduction to Jonny Quest, and it was literally love at first watch. Not only was the episode exceptionally drawn and animated, well cast and acted, and tremendously engaging, but it was also the perfect one for me: A scary werewolf story set in the Canadian forest, a wolf whose model was clearly recycled a few years later in the Scooby-Doo episode “Foul Play in Funland”, AND characters with French Canadian accents?? (I live in Northern Ontario, and my hometown is a stone's throw from the Quebec border.) Ahh, c'est magnifique! The episode was an easy 10/10. My one caveat is that I took French for 11 years in school, and every time someone on Jonny pronounced it “lou-p garou” instead of “loo garou”, I did find myself yelling at the screen, “The “p” is silent!”

I realized then and there that Jonny Quest was something special. I just didn't know how special until I had worked my way through the entire series and THERE WAS NOT ONE DUD EPISODE. Not ONE! In 26 episodes, it never lost steam, it never got stale, and it was never boring... this seriously had me questioning my loyalty to Scooby as the most perfect cartoon ever created—and suddenly I had 30+ years of Scooby collectibles screaming at me, “Oh, no, say it ain't so!”

Jonny is the ultimate adventure series, and the meticulous attention to detail in the show's many exotic settings is second to none. As an artist, the background art in every episode leaves me a bit breathless, as the quality is without a doubt gallery-worthy.

The better a show is, the more I think that we're tempted to wish it had umpteen more seasons. But this single season of Jonny Quest is so perfect that I can't help thinking that any future seasons would have fallen short of the mark. One only needs to look at Scooby-Doo to see that. The original “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?” is a mystery masterpiece, but the subtle-not-so-subtle change in style between its two seasons is palpable, and in my opinion, after season 1, Scooby never again captured 100% of the magic it initially had. If Jonny had gone on to make multiple seasons, I fear it would have suffered the same neutralizing that most other cartoons seem to have suffered.

Jonny, like Scooby, appreciated that cartoons – if done right – could be enjoyed by both children and adults equally. Clever, logical writing, and realistic animating were the key. These classics recognized that children can absolutely handle programming that's not “dumbed down” for them, and in my opinion, cartoons that assume a level of maturity in the children watching is exactly what helped them mature in the first place.

In the world of 2024, this type of complex traditional animation has sadly become a lost art. And it's ironic that the same technological advancements that contributed to traditional animation's decline are also what have allowed us to preserve Jonny Quest and Scooby-Doo for many, many years to come through physical media and streaming. At least there's that. (At heart, I'm a glass-half-full kind of gal.)

So happy 60th anniversary, Jonny! I just heard over the radio that there's been a Turu sighting in France. Better call Race and grab Bandit... the adventure's afoot!"

My next participant is a real cartoon connoisseur if you know what I mean. Introducing Austin Kelly, who takes to the sky with his favorite episode.

"I love Jonny Quest. It’s really the only Hanna-Barbera show that I could conceivably sit through without constantly checking my phone to see what time it is or when the show will be over already. Sure, there are many things to admire about many HB cartoons, but how many of them are really entertaining? Not many, sez I. But Jonny Quest just has that extra something, that comic book look crafted by Doug Wildey, those crisp cool voices by the great cast, the spontaneous exciting music by Hoyt Curtin, and arguably the best preserved show next to The Jetsons, looking incredible on Bluray like no other HB show. There are quite a few, I’m happy to say, Jonny Quest episodes that I thoroughly enjoy from start to finish. But my favorite, if I had to choose just one, would be Shadow of the Condor.

 It’s got the coolest set of characters that the show never revisited, including the fabulous Baron Heinrich von Fruelich, whose creepy persona and villainous motives were never topped again in TV cartoon history. It’s also got the feeble but wise Julio, whose scene in the dungeon where the Baron beats him senselessly probably ranks among the most violent that Hanna-Barbera ever dared to go in any of their productions. Willy the Weiner Dog also adds to the fun and, heck, that Condor is one of the spookiest and deadliest creatures I’ve ever seen on television. Granted, the show still gets held back from hitting its true stride because of the cheap HB production method, and one can only imagine how fun this would’ve been as a trimmed-down live-action two-reeler done in the golden age of the Hollywood studio system, the era this episode really belongs in. Even though its real potential may never be realized, Shadow of the Condor is great, spooky fun, and a great example of why I think Jonny Quest holds up best among all the other things that Hanna-Barbera churned out through their many years of cartoon-making."

Michael Lyons, accomplished writer and contributor to Cartoon Research, returns to this blog with the next entry. He goes right back to the beginning with his pick for the best Quest.

"In their book, Saturday Morning Fever: Growing Up With Cartoon Culture, authors Timothy Burke and Kevin Burke wrote of Jonny Quest:

“Most of the kids on Saturday morning were so annoying or useless that we rarely identified with them, but Johnny and Hadji seemed to be having so much fun on their adventures that we often wished we could be in their place.”

The reason that so many felt this way is because Hanna-Barbera’s Jonny Quest was unlike anything that had been done before or since. The series is a unique achievement in television and animation, from its design to plots to music.

It’s no wonder Jonny Quest is still celebrated sixty years after debuting. All that made the show so thrilling could be seen in the first episode, “The Mystery of the Lizard Men.”

From its opening prologue, it pulls us into the plot to the following mystery and action. 

 Artist Doug Wildey, who conceptualized the show's look, provided striking character design with bold black lines reminiscent of comic book art. This unique style can be seen in the opening scene of “The Mystery of the Lizard Men,” as a mysterious laser results in the explosion of a ship in the Sargasso Sea. It’s a striking visual that hints at what’s to come, not just on this first episode of Jonny Quest but also on the rest of the series.

As two men on a fishing boat attempt to alert the Coast Guard, we see the titular Lizard Men climb aboard the boat and then jump back into the water. After, that ship explodes, as well.

Government agents attempt to interview the survivor of the explosion in his hospital bed as he mumbles something about the Lizard Men.  The agents then realize they must bring in Dr. Benton Quest (John Stephenson), who once worked for the government. As they go through the Quest files, we, as the audience, get exposition about each character ingeniously. Jonny’s (Tim Matheson ) mother has passed (although we are mysteriously not told how), and agent Race Bannon (Mike Road) has been assigned to protect Jonny. We also learn that the Quest compound is located in the Florida Keys. As we go to the Quest Compound, we not only see Jonny and Race, but learn that the latter is also somewhat of a mentor and teacher to Jonny. We also meet Bandit, Jonny’s pup, with the black, mask-like markings that seem to have given the dog his name. As Dr. Quest meets with the government agents, he puts the facts into his computer, the Unitized Neutronic Information Center, called UNIC (pronounced "Eunice"). They learn that what’s causing the ship explosions in the Sargasso Sea is a laser (and we even get some education on what a laser is).

Dr. Quest, Race, and Jonny sail off for the Sargasso Sea (depicted as a graveyard of shipwrecks covered in sargasso weed, in some striking backgrounds). Jonny, Race, and Bandit explore a shipwreck and tangle with the Lizard Men, who are, in actuality, men in diving suits designed to look like lizards, led by a madman (Vic Perrin), who is operating a laser base from an underwater lair, and plans to use it to blast a manned rocket to the moon out of the sky. Race and Jonny are captured, but with assistance from Bandit, they manage an escape in an elaborate action sequence that rivals many seen in live-action, culminating in a speedboat chase, crash, and a fire-engulfed oil slick, accomplished through some dynamic animation. As the boats race, the evil madman fires his laser, but Dr. Quest saves the day by deflecting the laser with a mirror, exploding the villain’s ship.

“The Mystery of the Lizard Men” sets the stage perfectly, in Jonny Quest’s first episode, of all that was to come in the series (which would include the addition of Hadji) and all that fans have come to appreciate in the six decades since the series debuted. Adventures that had come before, like pulp comics, radio, and movie serials, may have inspired the show, but so many adventures since then, like the Indiana Jones and The Incredibles movies, have been inspired by Jonny Quest. It’s no wonder, as authors Timothy Burke and Kevin Burke noted, that when it came to the adventures of Jonny, Hadji, Race, Dr. Quest, and Bandit, so many kids wish they “could be in their place.”

Happy anniversary, Jonny Quest!

Last but most certainly not least, Greg Ehrbar, hot off his newest book, Hanna-Barbera: The Recorded History, arrives to discuss the quintessential Jonny Quest episode!

"Just as I felt compelled to do when asked to choose a favorite Flintstones episode when there are so many favorites, instead here is my choice for the episode that best exemplifies the entire series. Like The Flintstones, Top Cat, and The Jetsons, Jonny Quest broke new ground for entertainment, providing a series of elements that make a great animated action/adventure for television.

It has been widely reported that Jonny Quest was, to a great degree, developed by Doug Wildey. It was also a monumental effort by the studio artists, grappling with ambitious storylines involving global locales, monsters, fierce animals, vile villains, and a more sophisticated level of storytelling and artwork. Jonny Quest also presented animation challenges, as all the story, action, and settings had to be rendered in limited animation on a tight schedule.

Beyond the spectacular comic book look and difficult line work that Wildey brought to Jonny Quest, it was also inspired by cliffhanger movie series (as was Star Wars) and radio adventures. Indeed, the popular series, Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy was considered by Hanna-Barbera as a series. From the cliffhanger form and serialized radio programs came the exciting moments that came before commercial breaks. 

Among H-B’s greatest strengths were its voice actors, the music (in this case, Hoyt Curtin, Ted Nichols, and Jack de Mello), and sound effects. Viewers became attached to their favorite H-B characters through the skills of the actors as well as the stunning visuals. 

Double Danger scores on all counts. It is completely character-driven. Those unfamiliar with the characters would not necessarily appreciate how the substitution of dashing hero Race Bannon with an impostor would affect Jonny and company. While this “evil twin” premise is older than high-button shoes, in this instance there are a lot of interesting touches. Most of all, it’s a showcase for two of the series’ best recurring characters, including sinister Dr. Zin and the enigmatic Jade.

The scientific situation facing Dr. Benton Quest is developing a drug that will allow astronauts to exist in deep space for years without going crazy from the solitude (The Twilight Zone handled a similar issue with its “Where is Everybody?” premiere episode with Earl Holliman). Naturally, Dr. Zin wants to use it for mind control. In the Hanna-Barbera tradition of “don’t ask, just go with it,” Zin transforms one of his employees (from a Linked In listing?) into a duplicate of Race Bannon.

The voice work is nothing short of classic radio drama, with some of the finest actors giving it their all. Mike Road is the focal point as Race and Fake Race. In effect, he does three different voices. One is the familiar Race “Fireman’s Fund” Bannon. The second is the foreign agent, of no specific national origin for the agent in his own character. The third is the most interesting, a voice trying really hard to sound like another voice. This is a nice touch because it adds texture, as if the agent can’t quite get the American accent, sending a signal to viewers that this is the phony.

To top it off, this episode features the mysterious Jade, a beautiful spy so mysterious that one never knows what side she favors and how much power she has. She refers to an aircraft as being controlled by “one of my pilots.” Jade is an independent, Lauren Bacall-type film noir woman, attached to but not dependent on her man, with a cool veneer and seemingly endless resources. In the context of sixties TV, she was Emma Peel and Honey West in animated form, but unlike them, largely unrecognized for her iconic, pioneering status. It is Jade who immediately discovers Fake Race through the nebulous nature of her relationship with the real Race. It was somewhat mature for a 1964 TV cartoon.

Equally underappreciated is Cathy Lewis, one of the great actors of the classic radio days. She was radio’s sensible “Jane,” the co-lead (and narrator) alongside Marie Wilson (later of Where’s Huddles) in the long-running comedy My Friend Irma. On TV, she was snobby Deirdre Thompson, the sister of “Mr. B,” on the sitcom Hazel, which was a Screen Gems series concurrent with Jonny Quest. Lewis did very little animation work, which makes her performance as Jade stand out even more. 

Hadji plays a key role in the heroics in Double Danger. Hadji is the kind of “cool friend” any adventurous kid would want to know. He has untold knowledge and does amazing things that constantly surprise Jonny, and young viewers. His daring rescue by way of an elephant stampede is one of the many highlights of this episode. Bandit also gets in a few moments of cuteness and bravery (we loved Bandit - thanks Joe, sorry Doug). The conclusion portends the classic Scooby-Doo unmasking – in this case, an “unwigging” -- along with the trademark chuckling fade out. Double Danger delivers the best of all possible Quest worlds."

And on that note, we end Questember on a note as climactic as any Jonny Quest episode. Before we go, I have to give a big thanks to every participant in this collaboration. Everyone brought a unique point of view to their favorite episode, and you were all extremely kind in helping put this together. Happy sixty years to Jonny Quest, and here's to sixty more!