The Mighty Heroes
Encyclopedia
The Mighty Heroes was an animated television series created by Ralph Bakshi
for the Terrytoons
company. The original show debuted on CBS
, on Oct. 29, 1966, and ran for 1 season for 21 episodes.
The series is set in Good Haven, a city that is continually beset by various supervillain
s. When trouble occurs, the city launches a massive fireworks display to summon a quintet of high-flying superhero
es into action.
in the cliffhanger
, the team always manages to regroup and fight with proper coordination to win the day. In an episode of Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
, also produced by Bakshi, the Mighty Heroes retired and became accountants with a firm called "Man, Man, Man, Man, Man & Man."
The series came about when the Terrytoons staff were pitching series proposals to the animation company's parent corporation, the CBS
television network
, only to have them all rejected. When the CBS representatives asked if there were any other proposals, Bakshi, at the time a young animator
who had been invited to the meeting, spoke up and improvised the proposed The Mighty Heroes on the spot.
The cartoons originally appeared as a segment of the long-running Mighty Mouse
Playhouse during the 1966-67 season, which was renamed "Mighty Mouse and The Mighty Heroes" in recognition of the new segment. Some weeks during the network run, two complete "Mighty Heroes" segments would open and close the show with a classic Mighty Mouse cartoon in-between. In other weeks, one Mighty Heroes episode would be split in two to open and close the show, with two Mighty Mouse cartoons broadcast in-between.
The character voices were provided by Herschel Bernardi
, who provided those of Strong Man, Diaper Man, and Tornado Man, and Lionel G. Wilson, who provided those of Cuckoo Man and Rope Man. Bernardi was also the original provider of the "Ho Ho Ho" voice of the Jolly Green Giant and of StarKist's Charlie the Tuna
voice in commercials. Wilson was also the voice of the title character in another famous Terrytoons series, Tom Terrific
.
Reruns of The Mighty Heroes were eventually syndicated by Viacom
in the 1970s as part of the Mighty Mouse package. There have also been licensed VHS
releases of some episodes and bootleg DVD
releases of the entire series, but there has never been an authorized DVD release of the show. Episodes of The Mighty Heroes also appeared in movie theatres for a time, with an episode shown to audiences, preceding the main attraction.
Their last appearance in animated form was as guest stars in the episode "Heroes and Zeroes" of the late 1980s series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
, produced by Bakshi, in which they had all retired and were running the accounting firm of Man, Man, Man, Man and Man. Even Diaper Man had grown up, evidenced by his wearing a moustache.
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...
for the Terrytoons
Terrytoons
Terrytoons was an animation studio founded by Paul Terry. The studio, located in suburban New Rochelle, New York, operated from 1929 to 1968. Its most popular characters included Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle; these cartoons and all of its...
company. The original show debuted 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...
, on Oct. 29, 1966, and ran for 1 season for 21 episodes.
The series is set in Good Haven, a city that is continually beset by various supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
s. When trouble occurs, the city launches a massive fireworks display to summon a quintet of high-flying superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es into action.
History
The team members are clumsy accident-prone bunglers who often find themselves in silly situations. A typical occurrence has them hopelessly tangled together offering each other stock apologies, often while falling en masse into an even worse situation. In combat, they are even worse, continually getting into each other's way until they are all captured by the villain (who almost always has enormous V-shaped teeth). However, after escaping the villain's deathtrapDeathtrap (plot device)
A deathtrap is a literary and dramatic plot device in which a villain, who has captured the hero or another sympathetic character, attempts to use an elaborate and usually sadistic method of murdering him/her....
in the cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
, the team always manages to regroup and fight with proper coordination to win the day. In an episode of Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures is a 1987 revival of the classic Mighty Mouse cartoon character. Produced by Bakshi-Hyde Ventures , it aired on CBS on Saturday mornings from fall 1987 through the 1988-89 season...
, also produced by Bakshi, the Mighty Heroes retired and became accountants with a firm called "Man, Man, Man, Man, Man & Man."
The series came about when the Terrytoons staff were pitching series proposals to the animation company's parent corporation, the 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...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, only to have them all rejected. When the CBS representatives asked if there were any other proposals, Bakshi, at the time a young animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
who had been invited to the meeting, spoke up and improvised the proposed The Mighty Heroes on the spot.
The cartoons originally appeared as a segment of the long-running Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse
Mighty Mouse is an animated superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox.-History:The character was created by story man Izzy Klein as a super-powered housefly named Superfly. Studio head Paul Terry changed the character into a cartoon mouse instead...
Playhouse during the 1966-67 season, which was renamed "Mighty Mouse and The Mighty Heroes" in recognition of the new segment. Some weeks during the network run, two complete "Mighty Heroes" segments would open and close the show with a classic Mighty Mouse cartoon in-between. In other weeks, one Mighty Heroes episode would be split in two to open and close the show, with two Mighty Mouse cartoons broadcast in-between.
The character voices were provided by Herschel Bernardi
Herschel Bernardi
Herschel Bernardi was an American film, Broadway, and television actor....
, who provided those of Strong Man, Diaper Man, and Tornado Man, and Lionel G. Wilson, who provided those of Cuckoo Man and Rope Man. Bernardi was also the original provider of the "Ho Ho Ho" voice of the Jolly Green Giant and of StarKist's Charlie the Tuna
Charlie the Tuna
Charlie the Tuna, the cartoon mascot tuna for StarKist Tuna, was created by Tom Rogers of the Leo Burnett Agency after StarKist hired Leo Burnett in 1961. StarKist Tuna is the name of a brand of tuna currently owned by Dongwon Industries....
voice in commercials. Wilson was also the voice of the title character in another famous Terrytoons series, Tom Terrific
Tom Terrific
Tom Terrific was an early animated series on American television, presented as part of the Captain Kangaroo children's television show....
.
Reruns of The Mighty Heroes were eventually syndicated by Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
in the 1970s as part of the Mighty Mouse package. There have also been licensed VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
releases of some episodes and bootleg 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 of the entire series, but there has never been an authorized DVD release of the show. Episodes of The Mighty Heroes also appeared in movie theatres for a time, with an episode shown to audiences, preceding the main attraction.
Their last appearance in animated form was as guest stars in the episode "Heroes and Zeroes" of the late 1980s series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures is a 1987 revival of the classic Mighty Mouse cartoon character. Produced by Bakshi-Hyde Ventures , it aired on CBS on Saturday mornings from fall 1987 through the 1988-89 season...
, produced by Bakshi, in which they had all retired and were running the accounting firm of Man, Man, Man, Man and Man. Even Diaper Man had grown up, evidenced by his wearing a moustache.
The individual Mighty Heroes
- Strong Man is the "SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
" of the group, who has incredible strength—if not invulnerability. He speaks with a friendly southern farm-boy type accent and holds a civilian job as a mechanicMechanicA mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
. His favorite fighting move is his "Jet-propelled blow" where he flies into a villain fist-first. - Rope Man is a sailorSailorA sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
who works at the Docks. A very erudite fellow with a light British accent, Rope Man's body is a seemingly unending length of ropeRopeA rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
. He can use his hands like lassoLassoA lasso , also referred to as a lariat, riata, or reata , is a loop of rope that is designed to be thrown around a target and tighten when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the American cowboy. The word is also a verb; to lasso is to successfully throw the loop of rope around something...
s, and can even weave himself into a netNet (device)A net, in its primary meaning, comprises fibers woven in a grid-like structure, and is very infrequently mentioned in discussions of philosophy. It blocks the passage of large items, while letting small items and fluids pass...
. The drawbacks to his powers are that he often gets tangled up or knotted, not rarely around his own teammates. He also tends to talk too much. - Tornado Man is a TV weatherman who can spin himself into a tornadoTornadoA tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
. He often sucks the villains into his vortexVortexA vortex is a spinning, often turbulent,flow of fluid. Any spiral motion with closed streamlines is vortex flow. The motion of the fluid swirling rapidly around a center is called a vortex...
then shoots them out towards the nearest solid wall. He speaks in a wheezy voice. - Cuckoo Man is a bird shop owner whose powers are simply birdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
-based. Unlike the other heroes, who can fly with no effort, Cuckoo Man has to flap his arms almost constantly in order to keep aloft. Cuckoo Man changes into his costume by jumping up through the bottom of his store's cuckoo clockCuckoo clockA cuckoo clock is a clock, typically pendulum-regulated, that strikes the hours with a sound like a common cuckoo's call and typically has a mechanical cuckoo that emerges with each note...
and popping out through the little door. He may be the least effectual of the heroes, but he is not useless. - Lightning Man holds a day job as an electricianElectricianAn electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
but can transform himself into a bolt of lightning in order to break boulders, or shatter dangerous objects into harmless bits. Smaller jobs simply require him to generate a small lightening strike from the battery pack in his tool kit. - Diaper Man, whose primary alias is pronounced by the announcer as "...and Di-ah-per Man," is a red-headed, diaperDiaperA nappy or a diaper is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver...
ed, yet fully articulate baby as well as the leader/brains of the group, who sounds a lot like Popeye the Sailor. His main weapon is his bottle, which by holding on to the rubberRubberNatural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
nippleNippleIn its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
, he can swing (or shoot like a slingshotSlingshotA slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
) around forcefully. The bottle can also shoot high pressure streams of baby formula. In emergencies, Diaper Man (and often Strong Man) will drink some formula from the bottle when extra strength is needed.
Episodes
Almost all of the 21 episodes were named after the enemies the Mighty Heroes encountered in each.- The Plastic Blaster (enemy The Raven)
- The Frog
- The Junker
- The Shrinker
- The Ghost Monster
- The Stretcher
- The Monsterizer
- The Drifter
- The Shocker
- The Enlarger
- The Toy Man
- The Dusters
- The Big Freeze
- The Timekeeper
- The Scarecrow
- The Time Eraser
- The Return Of The Monsterizer
- The Paper Monster
- The Raven
- The Bigger Digger
- The Proton Pulsator