Rocket Power
Encyclopedia
Rocket Power is an American
animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon.
.
from 1999 to 2004. As part of the Nick on CBS block, it aired on CBS
from 2002 to 2005. Nick GAS aired the series for a short time, and teen network The N aired the series starting in 2006 until 2009. Rocket Power currently airs on Nicktoons
, and, although it premiered only a few months before the new millennium, has recently been announced to air on TeenNick
as part of their The '90s Are All That
block. As of October 3, 2011, one episode of Rocket Power aired as part of the U-Pick with Stick digital media face of The '90s are All That.
, and Maximum Rocket Power Live: The Battle for Madtown Park, a live-action extreme-sports dramatic arena play that briefly toured the U.S. Midwest in spring 2002, before being canceled over low ticket sales (it had originally been scheduled to tour about 40 cities all over the U.S., all the way into the fall). Even with the moderate success of the show, there is no spin-off planned.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon.
Premise
Rocket Power involves the daily situations of a group of best friends named Oswald "Otto" Rocket, Regina "Reggie" Rocket, Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez, and Sam "Squid" Dullard, as they live in the fictional town of Ocean Shores, California, a beach front city based on Oceanside, CaliforniaOceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
.
Airing history
It originally aired on NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
from 1999 to 2004. As part of the Nick on CBS block, it aired on CBS
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...
from 2002 to 2005. Nick GAS aired the series for a short time, and teen network The N aired the series starting in 2006 until 2009. Rocket Power currently airs on Nicktoons
NickToons Network
Nicktoons is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Viacom. It is a sister service of the Nickelodeon cable channel...
, and, although it premiered only a few months before the new millennium, has recently been announced to air on TeenNick
TeenNick
TeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
as part of their The '90s Are All That
The '90s Are All That
The '90s Are All That is a programming block that airs on TeenNick. The block shows requested Nickelodeon shows from the 1990s, airing in a two-hour block running every night from midnight to 2 a.m., with an encore from 2 to 4 a.m...
block. As of October 3, 2011, one episode of Rocket Power aired as part of the U-Pick with Stick digital media face of The '90s are All That.
Main characters
- Oswald "Otto" Rocket (Joseph AshtonJoseph Ashton (actor)Joseph Ashton Valencia is an American film and voice actor.-Personal life:Ashton was born Joseph Ashton Valencia in California; both of his parents have Cherokee ancestors. His father is a California Highway Patrol officer and his older brother is Mathew Valencia, a voice actor...
): the main protagonist, and Twister's best friend, Otto is an obsessive, compulsive, and greatly successful athlete, whose arrogant attitude and short-sighted judgment often get him into trouble, though he always makes things right in the end. Otto is usually seen to be the most driven and intense in skateboarding, surfing, etc. - Maurice "Twister" Rodriguez (Ulises CuadraUlises CuadraUlysses Cuadra Jr. is an American actor and voice actor involved in cinema, television, and animation. English-language TV audiences may recognize him as the voice of Vaz on Clifford the Big Red Dog, and of Twister Rodriguez on the Nickelodeon animated series Rocket Power and Segura on Disney...
): Otto's best friend, a "daredevil" on wheels, aspiring "videographer," and known for exhibiting a notable lack of intelligence, "Twister" hates to be called by his real name. He is often seen being teased by his big brother Lars. Twister is the most clever despite his sometimes absent-mindedness. He seems to have a crush on Reggie. - Sam "Squid" Dullard (Sam Saletta; Gary LeRoi GrayGary LeRoi GrayGary LeRoi Gray is an African-American actor and voice actor involved with movies, television, and animation. He is most recognized for his childhood role as Nelson Tibideaux, the son of Sondra Huxtable Tibideaux and Elvin Tibideaux on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show...
; Sean MarquetteSean MarquetteSean Anthony Marquette is an American actor and voice actor.-Life and career:Marquette was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Patricia Helen "Tisha" and Jorge Luis "George" Rodriguez, a nuclear engineer...
): a Kansas native, who, while not as athletically gifted as the others, has found a niche as the brains and conscience of the group and also a "rock-solid" goalie when they play hockey ("New Squid in Town", "Power Play"). Sam's reputation of being the smartest member of the group is, at times, one of his flaws. The character of Sam is based on the show's creator. Sam's mom is over-protective, and she once forced Sam to skip the 5th grade. Sam was originally the least athletic character, but eventually developed an expert level of surfing and decent abilities in other sports. His love for pancakes was also portrayed in many episodes. The "N" on his shirt stands for New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as it was originally Sam's home state during character development, this was later changed to Kansas, but the N on his shirt was never removed or altered. Sam is the only member of the "gang" to use a long surfboard rather than the harder-to-ride shorter boards. - Regina "Reggie" Rocket (Shayna FoxShayna FoxShayna Bracha Fox is a former American voice actress, the voice of Reggie Rocket on Nickelodeon's animated series, Rocket Power. She is also credited as the voice of Savannah on All Grown Up!.-Biography:...
): Otto's older sister by two years, Reggie is an aspiring publisher who, while no less competitive and skillful as an athlete, is of calmer disposition and greater maturity. Reggie is most noted for her "magazine" (dubbed "The Zine"). - Ray (Raymundo Roinks) Rocket (Johnny Kassir): father of Otto and Reggie and the owner of the Shore Shack. Ray is 44 years old, a widower, and a surfer of no renown. He drives a "vintage WoodieWoodieA woodie is a car body style, especially a station wagon, where the rear bodywork is constructed of wood framework with infill panels of wood or painted metal....
," a 1962 Mercury. In Rocket Power: The Big DayRocket Power: The Big DayThe Big Day is the hour-long series finale of the Rocket Power animated television series. The series' conclusion was sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and aired on Nickelodeon on August 2, 2004.-Plot:...
, Ray and Tito's cousin, Noelani, get married, allowing Reggie and Otto to have a mother figure. - Tito. (Ray BumataiRay BumataiRay Bumatai, byname of Raimund Bumatai was an American musician, singer, recording artist, and actor who worked in comedy and live entertainment in Waikiki and in live-action production and animation in Hollywood.Bumatai was born in Offenbach am Main, Germany, the older brother of stand-up...
): a Hawaiian surfer and self-styled philosopher who helps his best friend Ray run the business. He also cooks hamburgers and french fries. Tito is also Ray's cousin. He has a young nephew who occasionally visits from the islands, named Keoni Makani (professional surferSurfingSurfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
Matty Liu), who appeared in a few episodes. - Lars Rodriguez (Lombardo BoyarLombardo BoyarLombardo Boyar is an American character actor and has been active in television, animation, cinema, and video games since 1996. Some of Boyar's notable performances include a brief part as convenience-store robber Ramon Garcia on Fox's 24 and a starring role as burglar Eddie Tesoro in the movie P.S...
): Twister's older brother, who routinely picks on him and the kids. When his group competes against the Rockets they usually lose.
Secondary characters
- Eddie Valentine (Jordan Warkol): The self-styled "Prince of the Netherworld," he is an occasional participant in the Rockets' activities and a frequent target of Lars' bullying. The son of a magician couple, he favors an outfit of a hooded cloakCloakA cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks are as old as human history; there has nearly always been...
and a "scary" mask. - Oliver Van Rossum (David GallagherDavid GallagherDavid Lee Gallagher is an American actor. Beginning a prolific career as a child actor and model at the age of two, Gallagher is a five-time Young Artist Award nominee and Teen Choice Award winner, best known for his role as Simon Camden on the long running television series 7th Heaven, as well as...
): At first Sam's main rival in intelligence, he later became a close friend to the gang along with Eddie. He never played sports, and was only into academics until he met Sam. In the episode where Oliver met Sam, it was made clear that he would rather watch a documentary of a "dung beetleDung beetleDung beetles are beetles that feed partly or exclusively on feces. All of these species belong to the superfamily Scarabaeoidea; most of them to the subfamilies Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae of the family Scarabaeidae. This beetle can also be referred to as the scarab beetle. As most species of...
rolling dungFecesFeces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
balls" than participate in physical activity. - Officer Shirley (C. C. H. Pounder): One of the only police officers in Ocean Shores as the only other time other police officers are shown is during the television film "Reggie's Big Break". Officer Shirley does what she can to keep the peace. A minor character, a relationship between her and Raymundo is implied numerous times in the show, usually by means of pet names. She refers to Raymundo as "Big Ray".
- Trish and Sherry (both voiced by Lauren TomLauren TomLauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her...
): Reggie's best friends, surfers, and members of the state volleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team. Both had peripheral importance to the plots and appeared in a handful of stories. - Mackenzie Benders (Rosslynn TaylorRosslynn TaylorRosslynn Taylor, also known as Rosslynn Taylor-Jordan, is an American actress, voice-over artist, and casting director. She is known for her starring role on Nickelodeon's ChalkZone, as the voice of the spunky Queen Rapsheeba...
): The five-year-old ankle-biter. She continually annoys and torments the members of "the gang", but has a crush on Twister. - Conroy Blanc (Obba BabatundéObba BabatundeObba Babatundé is an American actor of stage and screen, known for his Emmy-nominated performance in the television movie Miss Evers' Boys, a NAACP Image Award-nominated performance in the TV movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, and a Tony Award-nominated role for his performance as C.C...
): Owner of the skate park, Madtown, he later becomes Otto and Twister's teacher at their school. Conroy's parents were apparently vindictive, as shown in one episode, when Conroy was intent on finding the person(s) responsible for ruining a newly-poured cementCementIn the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
skate ramp in Madtown Skate Park. Conroy is originally from JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. - Merv and Violet Stimpleton (Henry GibsonHenry GibsonHenry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
and Edie McClurgEdie McClurgEdie McClurg is an American character actress. She is known for her perky North Central dialect , common to persons from Middle America.-Career:...
): The Rockets' neighbors. Merv tries to live a life of leisure, but becomes easily frustrated with many, especially the Rocket gang. Because of this, he has the Madtown Skate Park opened so that the kids can skate without disturbing anyone. Merv is a retired electrical engineer and is usually depicted as angry and somewhat eccentric, although he does have a friendly side, particularly towards his wife. Violet is quite the opposite, always smiling and cheerful. Her pride and joy is growing violets in her garden. She is also a prolific cook, though her food is not always edible. - Doug Dullard: Sam's estranged father who works in the corporate industry. It is implied that he is always working, which clouds his better judgment. He tries to be the "cool dad" by including Sam's friends in their plans, but it ends up with him talking on his cell phone and ignoring Sam. Though he may seem neglectful, he has good intentions.
- Noelani Makani Rocket (Kim Mai GuestKim Mai GuestKim Mai Angela Guest is a voice actress of European and Vietnamese descent. She is known to speak fluent French and Italian.- Anime/Animation roles :* .hack//Liminality - Narumi* .hack//SIGN - Subaru...
): Tito's cousin, Ray's new wife, and Reggie and Otto's stepmom. She is introduced in Rocket Power: Island of the MenehuneRocket Power: Island of the MenehuneIsland of the Menehune was the third feature telefilm based on the Rocket Power cartoon series. It aired on Nickelodeon on July 19, 2002 and was also released onto VHS and DVD in 2004, the year Rocket Power ended.-Plot:...
. She is cautious because Ray's first wife Danni, Noelani's best friend, was killed in a surfing accident when Reggie and Otto were little. Noelani and Ray get married in Rocket Power: The Big DayRocket Power: The Big DayThe Big Day is the hour-long series finale of the Rocket Power animated television series. The series' conclusion was sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and aired on Nickelodeon on August 2, 2004.-Plot:...
. - Lt. "Tice" Ryan: Coast Guardsman and lifeguard who has appeared in several episodes. Known to be a buzz kill on the group's activities. Enjoys enforcing rules with an iron fist and, in essence, runs the beach.
- Tony Hawk (Tony HawkTony HawkAnthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
): Professional skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. The Rocket Power gang skates and snowboards with him in the one episode wherein he appears. - Keoni Khaloa Herbert Makani Jr.: Tito's younger cousin from Hawaii, he visits Ocean Shores for a surf competition and after a day of making Otto feel less important, apologizes and admits he just wanted to fit in.
Other projects
Other projects related to Rocket Power and developed under the aegis of Klasky-Csupo and/or Nickelodeon have included Rocket Power: Beach BanditsRocket Power: Beach Bandits
Rocket Power: Beach Bandits is a 2002 video game for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance derived from the Nickelodeon cartoon Rocket Power. The game homages the James Bond and Doctor Who traditions through its use of elaborate set pieces and gadgets.-Plot:A business tycoon named Eric...
, and Maximum Rocket Power Live: The Battle for Madtown Park, a live-action extreme-sports dramatic arena play that briefly toured the U.S. Midwest in spring 2002, before being canceled over low ticket sales (it had originally been scheduled to tour about 40 cities all over the U.S., all the way into the fall). Even with the moderate success of the show, there is no spin-off planned.
Television films
External links
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- Webpage at Klasky-Csupo