Customer Reviews

King Kong, Vol. 1 (Animated TV Series)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These are the first 4 half hours of the 60s cartoon KING KONG. 2 Kongs per show with a Tom from T.H.U.M.B (Tiny Human Underground Military Bureau)sandwiched in between. The Tom episodes did very little for me. However [I was a 9 1/2 oz Weakling Till One Day...] was a bit charming and a little moving. Plus the first half of the KING KONG pilot episode. If memory serves correctly. This show vanished from television slightly before GIGANTOR.These were my two favorite cartoons when I was 5-7 years old. I was devastated when these great,exciting, adventurous cartoons were removed from my life. Thank God for DVDs and Film Vaults. Both shows had boys voiced by females named Billie. Billie Lou Watt for Jimmy Sparks (GIGANTOR) and Billie Mae Richards for Bobby Bond (KING KONG) Both boys wore shorts. Both boys were in charge of controlling their giant entities as a power of ultimate good. Both shows were animated in Japan.But not at the same studio. Both shows were made in the 60s,the opus era of television entertainment. Here are a few differences King Kong was shot in color. Gigantor although made in color was shot in Black and White. King Kong would only listen to Bobby. Gigantor would respond to who ever had his control box.(Which seldom happened) The live action movie King Kong Escapes was based on this cartoon. Gigantor was based on a live action movie made in the 50s. I don't remember the title but I've seen pictures on the internet many years ago plus a copy of the vhs at a comic book store,that I regret not buying

In an obviously crass attempt to force King Kong fans to buy both disks, the pilot, which was later split into two episodes, is divided between the two volumes, with only the first half on this disk and the second half on King Kong, Vol.2 (Animated TV Series).

All in all a rather shabby presentation of a long, long, LONG awaited DVD release.

One of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid, Please release all of them. I have vol 1 and 2.

The 1966 animated series King Kong, may be most remembered for its fun theme song, which states that Kong is `ten times as big as a man'. The production was a joint venture between Japan's Tohei Animation, and Videocraft based in the USA. The project had permission to use the character King Kong, from RKO Radio Studios, the producers of the 1933 King Kong feature film.

King Kong: The Animated Series - Volume One, contains the first four, of the 24 half hour episodes that were produced. Also included, is part one of the series pilot episode. The series originally debuted in an hour long program. This pilot would later be separated into two episodes, for broadcast in syndication. Compared to the 'regular' episodes that would follow, the animation is much more vivid and rich in the pilot, and the characters are drawn a little differently as well.

The first part of the pilot, entitled 'A Friend In Need', is included and tells the story of how Kong, became a friend to the Bond family. Professor Bond (voiced by Carl Banas), an archeologist, arrives on Mondo Island to do conduct some studies. Along with him are his young son Bobby (voiced by Billie Richards), and teenage daughter Susan (voiced by Susan Conway). According to local legend, Mondo Island is home to a mysterious creature named Kong. Bobbie wanders away, and has an encounter with a hungry dinosaur, but fortunately the giant ape Kong, comes to his rescue, and befriends him. Bobbie introduces his astonished family to his new simian friend, and it is not long before the big guy saves them from a tidal wave (tsunami). It is the beginning of a grand adventure, as the Bonds and their friend Captain Englehorn, the skipper of the ship Java Queen, take the great ape out to sea, afloat on a raft. The conclusion of the pilot, The Key To The City, appears on the King Kong: The Animated Series - Volume Two DVD.

A typical episode of King Kong, consisted of two King Kong adventures, with an episode of Tom of T.H.U.M.B. sandwiched in between. Each cartoon averaged about six minutes, and the stories generally moved pretty quickly. Kong was always portrayed as being extremely gentle and non-aggressive, never getting out of control, and only resorting to violence to protect the Bonds. The relationship between Bobby and Kong is the heart of the cartoon.

The stories incorporated elements like science, crime, aliens, monsters, adventure, and danger from a number of weird sources. The adventures are generally entertaining and fun, but the short length of the cartoon, often resulted in simple or underdeveloped plots, with abrupt resolutions. The style and quality of the animation is not bad, and although the colors do appear rather washed out, the images are mostly defect free. The voice talent is very good as well. Among the better stories in this collection are 'The African Bees', where Mondo island is in the path of a swarm of African killer bees. The Bonds and Kong, make preparations to avoid the bees, but unexpected visitors stumble into harm's way. 'Dr. Who' introduces the series' most notorious reoccurring villain, who wants to use Kong for his own evil purposes. 'The Hunter' features a brilliant, but twisted big game hunter, who wants Kong for a trophy, and 'The Treasure Trap' features Bobby in danger while scuba diving in a sunken ship.

1966 was near the height of the James Bond inspired 60's spy craze, and Tom of T.H.U.M.B. was a spoof of secret agents, and the alphabet soup of agencies that employed them. Tom was actually a janitor, who along with his Asian partner Swinging Jack, was accidentally miniaturized down to three inches in height. The agency they work for, T.H.U.M.B. (Tiny Human Underground Military Bureau) is usually pitted against their rival, M.A.D. (Maladjusted, Antisocial, and darn Mean), in a series of ridiculous, over the top, adventures. The episode `I Was a Starling for the USA!', is probably the funniest of the four episodes in this collection, as M.A.D. is recruiting birds, and training them to attack airplanes. Tom and Swinging Jack, go undercover disguised as starlings (chirp), and bring this bird-brained scheme to an end. With almost no ties to reality, this extremely silly cartoon, very much of its time, which some may find racially insensitive, may have a limited appeal today.

In a nice touch, the original promo and bridge clips, featuring Bobby, Sue, and Kong, are also included. The episodes have chapter stops, and the DVD has a pretty nice menu where individual cartoons can be selected. Subtitles are not available. The two volumes that have been released cover 8 of the 24 episodes that were produced. At this rate, it would take four more volumes to complete the series. Obviously a better effort could have been made, but as no further volumes have been released thus far, it appears that demand has not been high enough. So unless the entire series is repackaged as a single release, fans of King Kong may be out of luck. Which would be unfortunate, as the series has a certain charm, and nostalgia value for those who have seen it before.

A listing of the titles contained on Volume One is below. The first and last titles in an episode are for King Kong adventures, with the middle title being a Tom of T.H.U.M.B. mission.

Episode 1:
Under The Volcano/For The Last Time, Feller I'm Not Bait/The Treasure Trap
Episode 2:
The Horror of Mondo Island/Hey That Was a Close One World/Dr. Who
Episode 3:
Rocket Island/I Was a 9-1/2 oz Weakling Till One Day . . ./The African Bees
Episode 4:
The Hunter/I Was a Starling for the USA!/The Space Men
Pilot Episode (Part One): A Friend In Need

I haven't seen this cartoon in 37 years,the DVD was like it was just aired,clear and perfect sound

First off my son and I love Kong. We've collected all the new toys, played the Xbox game to death, Kong's death that is, and watched the movies and new cartoons to the point that my wife is ready for the loony bin. That said I feel this DVD was a lost opportunity. The shows themselves are wonderful and Tom of T.H.U.M.B. while not that funny is an amusing little show to watch between episodes of Kong. The problem is there appears to be no order. The pilot show is the last one on the disk and the editing is horrible. I just wish more time and effort would be put into DVDs such as these even if it means spending a little more money.

I really enjoyed this cartoon on Saturday mornings back in the mid 1960s. And who wouldn't like Tom of T.H.U.M.B. Anyway, they did a good job restoring both the audio and video on these cartoons. I liked it better when I was a kid, but it was fun to see it again after almost 40 years. And you can't beat the price.

As a kid I absolutley adored this King Kong cartoon! I have many happy childhood memories of Kong's animated adventures as he battled the sinister Doctor Who! It was always fun watching these Kong cartoons and I'm thrilled they are now on DVD!