Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n Wrestling
Encyclopedia
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling is an American animated television series that originally aired on CBS
Saturday mornings from September 14, 1985 to December 6, 1986, with reruns airing until June 27, 1987.
. It featured animated adventures of popular WWF stars from the time, including its title character Hulk Hogan
and his group of wrestlers fighting against a group of rogue wrestlers led by Roddy Piper
.
Hulk Hogan was the leader of the faces
, or good guys; consisting of Junkyard Dog
, Captain Lou Albano
, André the Giant
, Wendi Richter
, Superfly Jimmy Snuka
, Hillbilly Jim
, and Tito Santana
.
Roddy Piper was the leader of the heels
, or bad guys; consisting of Iron Shiek, Nikolai Volkoff
, The Fabulous Moolah
, Big John Studd
, and Mr. Fuji
. The show followed predictable cartoon archetypes concerning good characters triumphing over evil-doers in wacky situations, typical of children's cartoons in the 1980s.
Rarely referenced, wrestling was simply a device to determine the good guys from the bad guys. The wrestlers themselves appeared in the live-action segments of the show; however, they did not provide the voices for their animated counterparts. These were instead performed by professional voice actors. One recurring live-action segment was the music video
for the cover of "Land of a Thousand Dances
" recorded by several WWF wrestlers for The Wrestling Album
.
The theme to Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling is "Hulk Hogan's Theme" composed by Jim Steinman
which was Hogan's entrance theme before "Real American" was adopted as Hogan's entrance theme. The vocal version of the song is called "Ravishing" which is sung by Bonnie Tyler
and featured on her album Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
.
Due to the show being animated, and the longer production times that resulted, the show often failed to keep pace with the events of the WWF at the time. This resulted in certain wrestlers turning heel (or, in non-wrestling terms, a villain) in regular WWF programming but remaining good guys on the cartoon and vice versa. It also depicted Hogan as having a full head of hair, as opposed to the noticeably receding hairline he sported in the ring.
WWE retains the rights to the program.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Saturday mornings from September 14, 1985 to December 6, 1986, with reruns airing until June 27, 1987.
History
The show was animated and produced by DiC EntertainmentDiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
. It featured animated adventures of popular WWF stars from the time, including its title character Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and his group of wrestlers fighting against a group of rogue wrestlers led by Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
.
Hulk Hogan was the leader of the faces
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
, or good guys; consisting of Junkyard Dog
Junkyard Dog
Sylvester Ritter was an American professional wrestler and professional football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as The Junkyard Dog...
, Captain Lou Albano
Lou Albano
Louis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, then he became a manager, until 1995....
, André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
, Wendi Richter
Wendi Richter
Wendi Richter is a retired American professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom she held the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship twice. In the 1980s, she joined the World...
, Superfly Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
, Hillbilly Jim
Hillbilly Jim
Jim Morris , best known to fans as Hillbilly Jim, is an American professional wrestler and disc jockey. He was one of the World Wrestling Federation's most popular wrestlers of the mid-to-late 1980s.-Career:...
, and Tito Santana
Tito Santana
Merced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
.
Roddy Piper was the leader of the heels
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, or bad guys; consisting of Iron Shiek, Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...
, The Fabulous Moolah
The Fabulous Moolah
Mary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy...
, Big John Studd
Big John Studd
John William Minton was an American professional wrestler and actor who was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd.-Career:...
, and Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
. The show followed predictable cartoon archetypes concerning good characters triumphing over evil-doers in wacky situations, typical of children's cartoons in the 1980s.
Rarely referenced, wrestling was simply a device to determine the good guys from the bad guys. The wrestlers themselves appeared in the live-action segments of the show; however, they did not provide the voices for their animated counterparts. These were instead performed by professional voice actors. One recurring live-action segment was the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the cover of "Land of a Thousand Dances
Land of a Thousand Dances
"Land of a Thousand Dances" is a song written and first recorded by Chris Kenner in 1962. The song is famous for its "na na na na na" hook, which was added by Cannibal & the Headhunters in their version of the song in 1965, whose version peaked at number thirty...
" recorded by several WWF wrestlers for The Wrestling Album
The Wrestling Album
The Wrestling Album is a music album released by the World Wrestling Federation in 1985. It was the first album released by the WWF. It features mostly theme music of wrestlers on the roster at the time.- Production :...
.
The theme to Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling is "Hulk Hogan's Theme" composed by Jim Steinman
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
which was Hogan's entrance theme before "Real American" was adopted as Hogan's entrance theme. The vocal version of the song is called "Ravishing" which is sung by Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
and featured on her album Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire is the sixth studio album by Bonnie Tyler. Released in 1986 peaked at no.24 on the UK album chart and no.106 in the US, though the album gained success in continental Europe....
.
Due to the show being animated, and the longer production times that resulted, the show often failed to keep pace with the events of the WWF at the time. This resulted in certain wrestlers turning heel (or, in non-wrestling terms, a villain) in regular WWF programming but remaining good guys on the cartoon and vice versa. It also depicted Hogan as having a full head of hair, as opposed to the noticeably receding hairline he sported in the ring.
WWE retains the rights to the program.
Season 1 (1985)
- The Junkyard 500 / Junkenstein
- The Four Legged Pickpocket
- André's Giant Problem / Clean Gene
- Gorillla My Dreams
- Cheaters Never Prosper / Driving Me Crazy
- The Wrestler's New Clothes / A Lesson in Scouting
- Hog Society / Wrestling Roommates
- Moolah's Ugly Salon / The Duke of Piperton
- Robin Hulk & His Merry Wrestlers
- Small But Mighty
- Rock 'N Zombieske
- The Last Resort
- Bucket
Season 2 (1986)
- Ballot Box Boneheads / Alibano and His 40 Geeks
- Captain Lou's Crash Diet / Muscle Madness
- 10 Little Wrestlers
- Big John's Car Lot / Big Top Boobs
- The Foster Wrestler
- Ballet Buffoons / Battle of the Bands
- Amazons Just Wanna Have Fun
- The Art of Wrestling / The Blue Lagoon
- The Superfly Express
- Junkyard Dog's Junkyard Dog / My Fair Wrestler
- Ghost Wrestlers
- The Wrong Stuff
- Rowdy Roddy Reforms / Three Little Hulks
Voices
- Charlie Adler as Rowdy Roddy PiperRoddy PiperRoderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
- Lewis ArquetteLewis ArquetteLewis Michael Arquette was an American film actor, writer and producer. Arquette was known for playing "J.D. Pickett" on the TV series, The Waltons, where he worked from 1978–1981.-Life and career:...
as Superfly Jimmy SnukaJimmy SnukaJames William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a... - James Avery as Junkyard DogJunkyard DogSylvester Ritter was an American professional wrestler and professional football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as The Junkyard Dog...
- Jodi CarlisleJodi CarlisleJodi Carlisle is an American actress. She appeared in several television and film roles since 1982.-Voice work:Voice actress Jodi Carlisle has been doing voice work for a number of years, beginning on the cartoon series Pac Man in 1982...
as Wendi RichterWendi RichterWendi Richter is a retired American professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom she held the NWA Women's World Tag Team Championship twice. In the 1980s, she joined the World...
, The Fabulous MoolahThe Fabulous MoolahMary Lillian Ellison , better known by her ring name The Fabulous Moolah, was an American female professional wrestler. She began her career working with promoter Billy Wolfe and his wife, wrestler and trainer Mildred Burke, as well as working alongside professional wrestler "Nature Boy" Buddy... - George DiCenzoGeorge DiCenzoGeorge Ralph DiCenzo was an American character actor and one-time associate producer for Dark Shadows. He was in show business for more than 30 years, with extensive film, TV, stage and commercial credits.-Life and career:...
as Captain Lou AlbanoLou AlbanoLouis Vincent "Captain Lou" Albano was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969, then he became a manager, until 1995.... - Ron FeinbergRon FeinbergRonald A. Feinberg was an American character actor and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. He can be seen playing the character Fellini opposite Don Johnson in the postapocalyptic film A Boy and His Dog. Ron made a number of appearance on Mission: Impossible...
as André the GiantAndré the GiantAndré René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride... - Pat FraleyPat FraleyPatrick "Pat" Fraley is an American voice actor, who is best known as the voice of Krang, Casey Jones and numerous other characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
as Hillbilly JimHillbilly JimJim Morris , best known to fans as Hillbilly Jim, is an American professional wrestler and disc jockey. He was one of the World Wrestling Federation's most popular wrestlers of the mid-to-late 1980s.-Career:... - Ron GansRon GansRonald Kenneth Gans , sometimes credited as Ron Kennedy, was an American voice-over artist and character actor, known for portraying Sebastian the alley cat on The Disney Channel's Dumbo's Circus and the voice of Eeyore on Welcome to Pooh Corner. He also voiced the Stunticon Drag Strip in The...
as Nikolai VolkoffNikolai VolkoffJosip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation... - Brad GarrettBrad GarrettBradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
as Hulk HoganHulk HoganTerrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... - Ernest Harada as Mr. FujiHarry FujiwaraHarry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
- Aron KincaidAron KincaidAron Kincaid was an American actor perhaps best known for playing Killer Croc on Batman: The Animated Series and Sky Lynx on The Transformers. He also voiced characters for The Smurfs, and DuckTales, among others...
as The Iron Sheik - Chuck Licini as Big John StuddBig John StuddJohn William Minton was an American professional wrestler and actor who was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd.-Career:...
- Joey Pento as Tito SantanaTito SantanaMerced Solis better known by his ring name Tito Santana, is an American professional wrestler whose heyday spanned from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, though he continues to appear on the independent circuit. He is best known from his time in the World Wrestling Federation...
- Neil RossNeil RossTheodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
as Mean Gene OkerlundGene OkerlundEugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund is a semi-retired American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan...