The King Kong Show
Encyclopedia
The King Kong Show is an American
/Japan
ese children's
animated television series produced in 1966 by Videocraft
of the USA
, and Japan
's Toei Animation
and is the first anime
series produced in Japan for an American company (not counting Rankin/Bass' previous Animagic
stop motion
specials, also animated in Japan). ABC
ran the series in the US
between September 10, 1966, and August 31, 1969.
This series is an animated adaptation of the famous movie monster King Kong
with character designs by Jack Davis
and Rod Willis. In this series, the giant ape befriends the Bond Family, with whom he goes on various adventures, saving the world from monsters, robots, aliens, mad scientists and other threats.
Included is a comical cartoon show called Tom of T.H.U.M.B., about a three inch tall secret agent for the Tiny Human Underground Military Bureau named Tom and his equally tiny Asian sidekick Swinging Jack who are sent out in a variety of miniature vehicles by their bad-tempered boss Chief Homer J. Chief to foil the fiendish plots of M.A.D., an evil organization made up of black-cloaked "maladjusted, antisocial and darn mean" scientists out to destroy the world.
In Japan, the first two episodes were combined into a 56-minute special, titled , and was broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi)
on December 31, 1966. The rest of the series, with the inclusion of Tom of T.H.U.M.B., was broadcast on NET as King Kong & 001/7 Tom Thumb (Kingu Kongu * 001/7 Oyayubi Tomu - キングコング・001/7親指トム), and aired on April 5 to October 4, 1967, with a total of 26 episodes.
This series was successful enough for Rankin/Bass to extend the Kong franchise to another Japanese company, Toho
(which already produced the hit King Kong vs. Godzilla
in 1962). This resulted in Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
(originally intended as a Kong film) and King Kong Escapes
, which was based on The King Kong Show.
On November 15, 2005, Sony Wonder
released 8 episodes (two King Kong cartoons separated by a Tom of T.H.U.M.B. cartoon) on two DVD
releases. The pilot episode was included, in two parts, between the two DVDs.
The following episode list describes the show as originally aired with a 6 minute King Kong episode, followed by a 6 minute Tom of T.H.U.M.B. episode, followed by another 6 minute King Kong episode.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
/Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese children's
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
animated television series produced in 1966 by Videocraft
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
of the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Toei Animation
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...
and is the first anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series produced in Japan for an American company (not counting Rankin/Bass' previous Animagic
AnimagiC
The AnimagiC is a German annual anime convention and one of the largest of its kind in the German-speaking world with currently about 12,000 visitors.-History:...
stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
specials, also animated in Japan). ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
ran the series in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between September 10, 1966, and August 31, 1969.
This series is an animated adaptation of the famous movie monster King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
with character designs by Jack Davis
Jack Davis (cartoonist)
Jack Davis is an American cartoonist and illustrator, known for his advertising art, magazine covers, film posters, record album art and numerous comic book stories...
and Rod Willis. In this series, the giant ape befriends the Bond Family, with whom he goes on various adventures, saving the world from monsters, robots, aliens, mad scientists and other threats.
Included is a comical cartoon show called Tom of T.H.U.M.B., about a three inch tall secret agent for the Tiny Human Underground Military Bureau named Tom and his equally tiny Asian sidekick Swinging Jack who are sent out in a variety of miniature vehicles by their bad-tempered boss Chief Homer J. Chief to foil the fiendish plots of M.A.D., an evil organization made up of black-cloaked "maladjusted, antisocial and darn mean" scientists out to destroy the world.
In Japan, the first two episodes were combined into a 56-minute special, titled , and was broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi)
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
on December 31, 1966. The rest of the series, with the inclusion of Tom of T.H.U.M.B., was broadcast on NET as King Kong & 001/7 Tom Thumb (Kingu Kongu * 001/7 Oyayubi Tomu - キングコング・001/7親指トム), and aired on April 5 to October 4, 1967, with a total of 26 episodes.
This series was successful enough for Rankin/Bass to extend the Kong franchise to another Japanese company, Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
(which already produced the hit King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong vs. Godzilla
is a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
in 1962). This resulted in Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
(originally intended as a Kong film) and King Kong Escapes
King Kong Escapes
King Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
, which was based on The King Kong Show.
On November 15, 2005, Sony Wonder
Sony Wonder
Sony Wonder is a children and family's music and home video arm of Sony Music Entertainment, founded in 1991. The division once distributed material from Sesame Workshop and Classic Media...
released 8 episodes (two King Kong cartoons separated by a Tom of T.H.U.M.B. cartoon) on two DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
releases. The pilot episode was included, in two parts, between the two DVDs.
Music
Theme music for the series was recorded in London, England, in 1965, using primarily British studio musicians. Canadian conductor, vocalist, and former Kitchener-Waterloo Record entertainment columnist Harry Currie provided vocal talent on the recording.Characters
- King KongKing KongKing Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
- The title character and hero. The 8th Wonder of the World, Kong was discovered on Mondo Island (sometimes known as Skull IslandSkull IslandSkull Island is a fictional island first appearing in the 1933 film King Kong and later appearing in its sequels and in the two remakes. It is the home of the eponymous King Kong and several other species of creatures, mostly prehistoric and in some cases species that should have been extinct long...
) by Bobby Bond, who he saved from being eaten by a Tyrannosaurus rex. He even saved Bobby's family from other disasters afterwards. Ever since, he has become the family's mascot and hero. - Professor Bond - The head/father of the Bond family.
- Susan Bond - The teenage daughter. She is always somewhat perplexed by Bobby and Kong's friendship. She is the basis for Susan Watson (Linda Miller) in King Kong EscapesKing Kong EscapesKing Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
. Susan is always the one that knows what Dr. Who is up to and her fear is dreaming about snakes. - Bobby Bond - The young son, and Kong's closest companion. Saved by Kong from being eaten by a T-Rex, and they have been friends ever since.
- Captain Englehorn - A friend to the family and Professor Bond's ship captain. Based on the character from the original King KongKing Kong (1933 film)King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
film. - Dr. Who - The popular recurring villain. A bald, big-brained and bespectacled mad scientist who wants to capture Kong for his own evil schemes. He has no relation to the British sci-fi seriesDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. He is the basis for Hideyo AmamotoHideyo Amamotowas a prolific Japanese actor from the Wakamatsu ward of Kitakyūshū best known for portraying Dr. Shinigami in the original Kamen Rider series as well as many other characters in tokusatsu films and the Godzilla series. Amamoto also used the pseudonym of Eisei Amamoto for most of his career, Eisei...
's character Dr. Who in King Kong EscapesKing Kong EscapesKing Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
. - Mechani-KongMechani-Kongis a remote-controlled robot double of King Kong introduced in the 1966 animated television series The King Kong Show and featured again in the 1967 film King Kong Escapes. The robot was created by Dr...
- Kong's robot double, invented by Dr. Who. He is also Kong's nemesis in King Kong EscapesKing Kong EscapesKing Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
. - Zedus - Another of Kong's recurring enemies is a giant praying mantis who preys on the residents of Mondo Island and is the second villain Kong faced.
- Craven - A giant octopus who has fought Kong at least twice.
- The Giant Slug - A giant banana slugBanana slugBanana slug is a common name for three species of air-breathing land slug in the genus Ariolimax. These slugs are often yellow in color and are sometimes spotted with brown like a ripe banana....
who is native to Mondo Island, and has appeared multiple times and fought Kong at least once.
Episode guide
- 1. King Kong (Hour long Pilot Episode). In syndication the show was split into two parts and the episodes were titled A Friend in Need and The Key to the City.
The following episode list describes the show as originally aired with a 6 minute King Kong episode, followed by a 6 minute Tom of T.H.U.M.B. episode, followed by another 6 minute King Kong episode.
- 2. Under the Volcano/For the Last Time, Feller...I'm not Bait!/The Treasure Trap
- 3. The Horror of Mondo Island/Hey, that was a Close One World!/Dr. Who
- 4. Rocket Island/I was a 9 oz. Weakling Till One Day.../The African Bees
- 5. The Hunter/I was a Starling for the USA!/The Space Men
- 6. The Jinx of the Sphinx/Cool Nerves and... Steady Hands/The Greeneyed Monster
- 7. The Top of the World/All Guys from Outer Space are Creeps/The Golden Temple
- 8. The Electric Circle/Mechanical Granma/Mirror of Destruction
- 9. Tiger Tiger/The Day We Almost Had It/The Vise of Dr.Who
- 10. King Kong's House/Tom Makes History/MechaniKong
- 11. The Giant Sloths/Tom Scores Again/The Legend of Loch Ness
- 12. Dr. Bone/Blow, Jack, Blow!/No Man's Snowman
- 13. The Desert Pirates/Tom and the TV Pirates/Command Performance
- 14. The Sea Surrounds Us/The Girl from M.A.D./Show Biz
- 15. The Wizard of Overlord/Just One of those Nights/Perilous Porpoise
- 16. The Trojan Horse/Runt of 1,000 Faces/The Man from K.O.N.G.
- 17. Caribbean Cruise/Hello, Dollies!/Diver's Dilemma
- 18. The Great Sun Spots/Pardner/Kong is Missing
- 19. In the Land of the Giant Trees/Beans is Beans/Captain Kong
- 20. Statue of Liberty Play/What Goes Up.../Pandora's Box
- 21. The Thousand Year Knockout/Our Man, the Monster/Desert City
- 22. Eagle Squadron/Never Trust a Clam/The Kong of Stone
- 23. Murderer's Maze/Drop that Ocean, Feller/The Great Gold Strike
- 24. It Wasn't There Again Today/Plug that Leak/The Mad Whale
- 25. The King Kong Diamond/The Scooby/Anchors Away
External links
- Sekai no Ôja · King Kong Daikai in Animemorial (the Japanese name of the TV special)
- King Kong · 001 / 7 Oyayubi Tom in Animemorial (contains Japanese episodes list, cast & staff) An indepth article about the series, featuring rare shots of various merchandise and tie-ins related to the series (French site) An indepth article about the series