Candle Jack/Toby Danger in Doomsday Bet/The Lobe is the second episode of Freakazoid! It originally aired on September 16, 1995.
Candle Jack[]
Plot[]
In this cartoon, presented in SCREAM-O-VISION (a byproduct of Holland's vast tulip industry), Freakazoid joins counselor Steff in watching some kids at sleepaway camp. However, disaster strikes when the kids say the name of the evil bogeyman Candle Jack -- and then can't seem to stop saying it. Every time his name is spoken, Candle Jack appears and takes the speaker prisoner.
Crew[]
- Written by Paul Rugg
- Directed by Scott Jeralds
Notes[]
- The screaming woman in the live action black and white footage is Carol Ohmart, in a clip from House on Haunted Hill.
- Kathy (the girl who tells the story about reaching for something to find it is not there) is voiced by Elisabeth Moss, who went on to play the Emmy-winning role of June “Offred” Osborne on The Handmaid’s Tale, and the Emmy-nominated roles of Peggy Olson on Mad Men and Det. Robin Griffin on Top of the Lake. She had previously played Kimmy Ventrix in the Batman:The Animated Series episode "See No Evil" and Katrina in the maudlin WWII-themed Animaniacs Rita & Runt short "Puttin' on the Blitz."
- Freakazoid breaks character and references several of the voice actors (who are depicted as if they were live action actors playing their roles), in a spoof of Jerry Lewis's muscular dystrophy telethon (with Paul Rugg using his "serious Jerry Lewis" voice, a la Mr. Director on Animaniacs). This sequence was not in the script, and was improvised by Paul Rugg in the recording booth.[1]
- This episode marks the first time that Joe Leahy is referred to by name in the show, and also the first time that he is caricatured onscreen.
- Kenneth Mars's character Dr. Hunterhanker is a clear reference to his character Inspector Kemp in Mel Brooks's 1974 film Young Frankenstein.
- This episode also marks the first appearance of Paul Harvey.
- The audio for this episode was recorded on Ash Wednesday, 1995 (March 1), just over six months before the episode aired.[2]
- Larry Storch appears as Corporal Randolph Agorn in archive footage from F Troop.
Toby Danger in Doomsday Bet[]
Plot[]
In the sole Toby Danger cartoon, we go to the Danger Semiconductor Testing Lab in Nevada. The World's Largest Semiconductor is stolen by archvillain Dr. Sin, who uses it to wreak havoc across nearby Las Vegas. Dr. Vernon Danger arrives to stop it, along with his son Toby Danger, adopted daughter Sandra Danger, and his bodyguard/co-adventurer, the gregarious "Dash" O'Pepper.
Crew[]
- Written by Tom Minton
- Directed by Eric Radomski (Uncredited)
- Storyboards by Brian B. Chin and Butch Lukic
Notes[]
- The Toby Danger intro depicts several adventurous happenings set to a jazzy score, including a robotic scorpion being shot by a tank! It also introduces the main cast.
- The short is an elaborate spoof of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon show Jonny Quest. The combination of detailed drawings and limited movements (with questionable physics) is slavishly imitated. In the original, this was the result of a limited budget; here, it is a labor of love to recreate that style.
- Most of the voice cast in this short were also the voices of the Jonny Quest characters for Hanna-Barbera. Don Messick, the original voice of Dr. Benton Quest, plays his Freakazoid! counterpart Dr. Vernon Danger. Messick is best known to Warner Bros. Animation fans as Scooby-Doo and Hamton J. Pig on Tiny Toon Adventures. Granville van Dusen, the voice of "Dash" O'Pepper, was at the time the official voice of "Race" Bannon at Hanna-Barbera. Likewise, Scott Menville, who voices Toby, had previously voiced Jonny Quest in the 1986-87 reboot series.
- Sandra takes the place of the racially insensitive character Hadji. Her backstory (having been adopted by Dr. Danger after he destroyed her village) certainly seems like a viable backstory for Hadji.
- This is the only Freakazoid! episode written by Tom Minton. Minton was a story editor and writer on Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures, and this short was in fact written for Animaniacs. However, Freakazoid! producer Mitch Schauer shared Minton's passion for creating a Jonny Quest parody, and the show was made by the Freakazoid! team.[3] Minton claims that the short was only made because a Freakazoid! episode was running short.[4] A caricature of Minton appears in the "laser" shot in the Toby Danger Intro. Minton (the visual model for the Brain) is the small angry-looking man on the left. The other two men are storyboard artists Brian Shin and Butch Lukic.
- A caricature of Barney Fife, Don Knotts's character from The Andy Griffith Show, appears, making him the second Griffith Show character to appear on Freakazoid! (after Floyd the Barber in the main title).
- The man calling for the diversion of all non-essential power is a caricature of 1950s-era Frank Sinatra. The voice by Don Messick (deliberately) sounds nothing like the real Sinatra, adding to the cheesy slapped-together feel of the cartoon.
- The blind singer is a caricature of Ray Charles, and his song is a slightly-altered version of Charles's hit "Hit the Road, Jack."
Scrapped Sequel[]
- John P. McCann wrote an unmade pilot script for an ongoing Toby Danger TV series in 1997. The script, "Danger on Ice," involved Dr. Danger battling crabs who had mutated to giant size (due to cruise ship fuel and jettisoned low-salt meals in the water) in Alaska. The script has many jokes about Danger lecturing Toby about the importance of preserving the balance of nature, while simultaneously mirthfully destroying the environment with his gadgets and plans.[5]
The Lobe[]
Plot[]
The Lobe is about to lobotomize Freakazoid with a rusty saw, to the cheers of many other supervillains gathered in a medical amphitheater. A hypnotized Steff is his unwilling nurse.
Crew[]
- Written by Tom Ruegger
- Directed by Scott Jeralds
Notes[]
- This early short includes several character models from the original Bruce Timm development of the series that otherwise went unused in the show. This line-up includes Kid Carrion, Major Danger, Deadpan, and Bombshell. On the audio commentary for the episode, Paul Rugg notes that he has no idea who these characters are.
- Several non-villains are strangely present and cheering, including Fan Boy and the high school students from "Dance of Doom."
- Even odder, Dexter Douglas appears to be cheering on Freakazoid's demise (seen all the way to the left, on the edge of the frame).
Gallery[]
Cast[]
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Paul Rugg | Freakazoid, Additional Voices |
| Tracy Rowe | Steff |
| Jeff Bennett | Candle Jack, Additional Voices |
| Ed Asner | Sergeant Mike Cosgrove |
| Kenneth Mars | Dr. Hunterhanker |
| Taylor Nix | Oscar |
| James Cronin | Buzz |
| Elisabeth Moss | Kathy |
| Don Messick | Dr. Vernon Danger |
| Scott Menville | Toby Danger |
| David Warner | The Lobe |
| Mary Scheer | Sandra Danger |
| Granville Van Dusen | Dash O'Pepper |
| Jim Cummings | Semiconductor |
| Frank Welker | Fred the Guard |
| Joe Leahy | Our Announcer |
References[]
- ↑ Audio Commentary, Episode 2.
- ↑ Audio Commentary, Episode 2.
- ↑ Audio Commentary, Episode 2.
- ↑ http://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2007/07/yogi-bear-is-made-of-metal.html?showComment=1185908940000#c3131286939440365137
- ↑ http://writeenough.blogspot.com/2010/02/danger-on-ice.html