Jonny Quest

When we weren't visiting archaeological digs, celebrating Halloween, reading Ripley's Believe It or Not, or seeing interesting films like the one about the Ostrich People, my sister Melissa and I* could be found watching "Jonny Quest." The adventure cartoon features the title character, his friend Hadji, their tutor and bodyguard Race Bannon, and Jonny's dad, reseach scientist Dr. Benton Quest. Dr. Quest is called upon internationally for missions that require his scientific and technical expertise. Every Saturday morning, Race and the boys - and their bulldog "Bandit" - would accompany him to solve mysteries, quell villains, and unravel nefarious plots. I called Melissa last night (on my new iPhone 4S!) to ask her which episode was her favorite, pretty certain what the answer would be. The general consensus - and our mutual opinion - is that the best and most frightening episode is "The Invisible Monster." I found it on-line, if you want to watch:

Jonny Quest - Beginning and End Credits (2:10)
Jonny Quest - The Invisible Monster, Part 1 (6:30)
Jonny Quest - The Invisible Monster, Part 2 (6:30)
Jonny Quest - The Invisible Monster, Part 3 (6:30)
Jonny Quest - The Invisible Monster, Part 4 (3:36)

Blogger Chris Webber speculates on the inspiration for the monster and remarks that "Jonny Quest" maintains "what has to be one of the biggest and most loyal fanbases of any TV animation series ever." After revisiting this cinematic gem, I agree with blogger B2, who writes: "It was the kind of episode that 40 years ago would have had my lights on all night. It was that scary! Watching today, I may have slept comfortably, but I can still recognize class when I see it. It's truly one of the most memorable of all of the Jonny Quest episodes. One thing I noticed looking at it today, the monster doesn't have the same polished appearance of the other artwork from Jonny Quest. It's a simple design with colors that change from frame to frame. But I guess with a creature made of molecular energy, you could do almost anything with it and it would look okay. And that solitary eye – creepy! And that noise – even creepier. I love it!" 

*Fashionably dressed by our Mom (see photo here).

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Other posts about cartoons:

Kilroy was here

Rube Goldberg and his U.K. counterpart

Remy Charlip

Dr. Seuss