Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series
by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Don Messick, Gary Owens, Johnny Carson, Mike Road, Tim MathesonDirector: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
Brand: N/A
Producer: Joseph Barbera
Producer: William Hanna
Editor: Anthony Milch
Editor: Donald Douglas
Editor: Larry C. Cowan
Writer: Joe Ruby
Writer: Ken Spears
Writer: Walter Black
Writer: William Hamilton
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Mono
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: Academy Ratio, 1.33:1
Running Time: 420 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-07-17
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: H3063
Studio: Turner Home Ent
Product features:
- Actors: Vic Perrin, Alan Reed, Ted Cassidy, Keye Luke, Johnny Carson (II).
- Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC.
- Language: English. Subtitles: English.
- Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
- Not Rated. Run Time: 420 minutes.
Movie Reviews of Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series
Movie Review: You Go, Ghost!
Summary: 5 Stars
Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series
(Released July 17, 2007 by Warner Home Video) DVD Review by Joe Torcivia
In 1966, Saturday morning TV was forever changed by two landmark animated series: Filmation's THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN and Hanna-Barbera's SPACE GHOST AND DINO BOY, both premiering on CBS.
I've reviewed Warner Home Video's release of the SUPERMAN series under its own section at Amazon. It was recommended, but cautiously - as omissions and production flaws were plentiful enough to be regarded as diminishing factors. Happily, this is not the case with Warner's release of SPACE GHOST AND DINO BOY THE COMPLETE SERIES.
Space Ghost is a hooded, costumed and caped super-hero of outer space. "Space-Batman", if you will. As Batman has Robin, Space Ghost has young Jan and Jace as his teen sidekicks - along with a cute little chattering space-monkey named Blip.
If Hanna-Barbera made one mistake with Space Ghost, it was not making it a half-hour series - meaning each story would have been done in the half-hour format, as was previously done with Jonny Quest. Instead, the "tried-and-true" H-B formula of three cartoons per 30 minute show (Two Space Ghost, with one Dino Boy sandwiched in between) was employed, and played to lesser results.
If you're thinking that this sounds a great deal like the formula used in Filmation's The New Adventures of Superman, you're right -- but, with an important difference. Though the plots were just as brief and often unfulfilling, they were, on the whole, better executed, and were more on the order of compressed "Mini-Jonny Quest" shows.
Dino Boy is, happily, a better series than I remembered it. Each show, his origin is recapped in an introductory segment. A Jonny Quest / Will Robinson (...then popular on CBS's Lost In Space) resourceful sort of boy bails out of a downed plane, into one of those "lost prehistoric valleys" we'd all like to imagine really exist. He is befriended by a strong, protective caveman and a pet bronto. They run afoul of strange civilizations and stranger creatures for their six-minute segments.
As for the "Pros and Cons" of this set...
The CONS:
I'm pleased to say that most of the "Cons" that diminished the Filmation Superman set (see that review for details) are not present here. The series does appear to be complete. The transfers appear to be of reasonable quality. Minor quibble: The discs themselves are not overtly labeled or illustrated on their surface. This is all the more inconvenient when discs are double-sided, as these are.
The stories are too short. So much more could have been done with Space Ghost in the half-hour long adventure format, so common in the years to come.
The level of violence - and death - seen in the show was unprecedented for Sat-AM TV. This would be more of a "Pro", had it not help usher in the crusades by do-gooders and know-betters that persist to this day.
Space Ghost's voice, by the great GARY OWENS, is credited as "GARY OWEN" in the end credit sequence. Owens is not interviewed - nor does he provide commentary for this set. But, as he did both for the previously released "Perils of Penelope Pitstop" and "Scooby-Doo / Dynomutt Hour" sets, I can forgive that. It would have been nice to hear Owens talk some Space Ghost, though.
As with most Hanna-Barbera series, there is only one stock end-credits sequence. Voice actors heard in the show (mostly as villains) but never credited for this cost-cutting reason include H-B stalwart John Stephenson, Henry Corden, Ted ("Lurch") Cassidy, the ubiquitous Paul Frees, and surely others.
The PACKAGING is that slimmer, cheaper packaging that Warner Home Video has used since the latter part of 2005, where one disc rests upon another. You cannot handle or remove DISC TWO without first removing or handling DISC ONE. There is always potential, however slight, for damage with packaging of this sort.
The PROS:
It's Space Ghost! In 1966, I don't think it was possible for an animated character to be cooler than Space Ghost... save H-B's own earlier Jonny Quest, Hadji, and Race Bannon.
The writers credited were Walter Black and William Hamilton - both veterans of JONNY QUEST, accounting for the relative quality of the scripts.
A superb voice cast. Credited or otherwise.
Inspired use of "stock adventure music" composed for JONNY QUEST. Virtually every note comes from JQ, and a very small portion of it will "roll-forward" into SCOOBY-DOO WHERE ARE YOU. Check the opening scenes of "Scooby's Night with a Frozen Fright" or "A Tiki Scare is No Fair" for examples.
The level of violence - and death - seen in the show. As I said, this is a "Pro"!
The "Ghost Planet" headquarters and sanctuary! Batman had a "Batcave". The Fantastic Four had "The Baxter Building". Superman had "The Fortress of Solitude". But Space Ghost had HIS OWN PLANET! Told you he was cool!
The Phantom Cruiser, Power Bands, Inviso-Power, and Star Trek-like chest-level communicators integrated into the "Ghost-Gang's" uniforms! `Nuff said!
Dino Boy was fun, in an "episodic peril and escape" sorta way. Don Messick's "sounds" for Bronty the Bronto made him a sort of prototype for Scooby-Doo! Indeed, it was often like watching Jonny Quest (...or Lost in Space's Will Robinson) team up with Scooby! Mike Road ("Race Bannon" in Quest) voiced "Ugh the Caveman", further strengthening the connection with JQ. It was as violent and full of death as was Space Ghost. FUN!
After what is assumed to be the original 18 shows, there is a special six-part story with the overall title of "The Council of Doom". In it, Space Ghost's greatest enemies Metallus, Creature King, Zorak, Moltar, Brak, and Spider Woman (...some of whom WERE KILLED during the previous eighteen outings! Minor detail... Maybe it's an "Untold Ghost Tale" of the past!) team up to rid themselves of Space Ghost for good!
This is rather an amazing piece of storytelling for the time, as the "Ghost Gang" encounters OTHER HANNA-BARBERA TV HEROES (!) along the way. The Mighty Mightor, Moby Dick, The Herculoids, and the Genie Shazzan all help out as needed to execute a story the likes of which had never been done in TV animation to this point! I don't recall seeing "The Council of Doom" before, but it must have coincided with the start of the 1967 season, as the other H-B heroes present all debuted at that time. Even with six short segments to work with, the story is rushed and exhibits the occasional plot hole, but give `em High Marks for attempting this one! Very High Marks!
There is only one Special Feature, but it's a goody! A documentary on the life and career of Space Ghost's designer Alex Toth! It is an uncharacteristically LONG piece for a DVD extra, running an incredible 1 hour and 19 minutes!
Among the many interviewees are Toth's two daughters and two sons, Golden Age DC Comics artists Joe Kubert and Irwin Hasen, Warner Bros. Animation producer Bruce Timm, and a number of Toth's personal friends. Portions of Toth's own manuscripts on his accomplishments and his views on life are examined. All persons involved seem to portray Toth as passionate and driven, a superb designer and draftsman... and something of an unhappy individual. Indeed, I'd say that we get TOO close a look at the unpleasantness of the final years of his life. This is quite surprising for a cartoon DVD extra, where a "good face" is generally put on most things.
If there is a negative to this great feature, beyond its anything-but-rosy outlook, it's that, while it spends much time on Toth's early days in New York City and later move to California, his family, his career in comic books from the Golden Age thru the seventies and the ups and downs of his life, it hardly touches on Space Ghost. Now that's fine with me, personally, as I especially enjoyed the coverage of his work done for DC Comics - featuring some magnificent Batman pages - and a closer-than-expected look at this unique individual and his place in comic book history. But, if my sole purpose for purchasing this set was an interest in Space Ghost, as I suspect would be the case with most buyers, I would probably be disappointed.
To bring this review full-circle, and then to a close, I described Space Ghost as a sort of "Space-Batman". On the special feature, Bruce Timm (not surprisingly) cites Alex Toth's design for Space Ghost as one of his influences in designing Batman for his own groundbreaking BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES of the 1990s.
I highly recommend this DVD set - subject to my personal bias, of course. Buy it if you are a fan of animated adventure, Hanna-Barbera, Alex Toth, comic books (Silver Age or modern)... or "anything 1966".
Summary of Space Ghost & Dino Boy: The Complete Series
No Description Available.Genre: Children's Video
Rating: NR
Release Date: 17-JUL-2007
Media Type: DVD
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