The Super 6
Encyclopedia
The Super 6 was an animated cartoon
series which was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
in 1966, and shown on the NBC
television
network from 1966 to 1969. This was DePatie-Freleng's first vehicle for Saturday morning
.
The Super 6 theme song was performed by Gary Lewis & the Playboys
.
, creators of such wonders as the Super Ball
, filed a legal grievance against DePatie-Freleng over trademark infringement. Reportedly, the first commercial to air after the first televised “Captain Whammo” segment was ironically for the Super Ball.
-style bumblers, always looking for a new job. Their names (Weft, Wight and Wong) were a play on "left", "right" and "wrong". Although occupying one body, each head had its own distinct personality. One head (Weft) being that of a tough guy or ruffian
with a Irish Broque. another (Wight) being a wimpy coward with a very nervous British Accent, and the middle head (Wong) being a smart alecky Chinese
, who dispensed absurd parodies of Confucius
proverbs beginning with "Confusion say...". All three personalities were of a broad, stereotypical nature.
A prototype
version of the Brothers Matzoriley (never named on-screen, but referred to as the "Matz-O'Reillys" on the animation model sheets) appeared as a 3-headed spy in "The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation
," the first short in The Inspector
series. In the cartoon, the brothers steal a precious diamond
in the oddest ways from the Inspector. In a comic plot twist ending, they wind up winning the day after the Inspector accidentally drinks a glass of water with the diamond in it. The brothers (disguised as a nurse) steal it after a surgeon removes it during an emergency operation. This version of the character was quite different from its later incarnation, however. The first head was a sauve British-type (Pat Harrington Jr. was the original voice for the left side spy) and the third head had a Soviet-Russian accent (Paul Frees was the voice of the right head as well as the middle Chinese head). They had different voices but similar personalities - although the middle Chinese head bore some resemblance to the version that would later appear in The Super 6.
from September 10, 1966 to January 21, 1967. NBC continued to air reruns until August 31, 1969.
20 episodes (each containing three cartoons) were made.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
series which was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises
DePatie-Freleng Enterprises was a Hollywood-based animation production company, active from 1963 to 1981. They produced theatrical cartoons, animated series, commercials, title sequences and television specials. Notable among these is The Pink Panther film titles and cartoon shorts and the Dr....
in 1966, and shown on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
network from 1966 to 1969. This was DePatie-Freleng's first vehicle for Saturday morning
Saturday Morning
-Album credits:*All tracks produced by Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Executive Producer/Concept: Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Engineered by Peter McCabe and Larry Fergusson....
.
The Super 6 theme song was performed by Gary Lewis & the Playboys
Gary Lewis & the Playboys
Gary Lewis & the Playboys were a 1960s rock group fronted by Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis. They are best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "This Diamond Ring."-Original members:* Gary Lewis - Drums and vocals...
.
Plot
The show was a superhero spoof which featured half a dozen diverse characters under the supervision of a cranky dispatcher. Each show consisted of three 5-6 minute segments, with the introductory segment featuring Super Bwoing, and the latter featuring one of the other five heroes. The middle segment featured the totally unrelated The Brothers Matzoriley.The Super Six Membership
The Super 6 consisted of the following:- Super Bwoing: Noted for his rather unremarkable physique, extreme clumsiness, and a rather odd pot-shaped red helmetHelmetA helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries.Ceremonial or symbolic helmets without protective function are sometimes used. The oldest known use of helmets was by Assyrian soldiers in 900BC, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from...
with wings on it, echoing the helmet worn by the Graeco-Roman deity MercuryMercury (mythology)Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
. His preferred mode of transportation was to fly through the air on his guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, using the strings like reins on a horseHorseThe horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
. The guitar was equipped with a signal light which flashed an alert from the Super Service Headquarters when his services were required. His primary super-power was the ability to emit a super "laser beam" from his eyes. When in attack mode he would call out "ZIP, ZAM, ZOWIE and SWOOSH!". Due to his being the clumsiest of the Super Service heroes, he seemed to only get jobs if the others were busy or on holidays; in essence, the last choice and in any case better than nothing. His voice was a caricature of Jimmy Stewart's.
- Granite Man: Composed entirely of gray graniteGraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
rock, and possessed the expected powers of near-invulnerability, incredible strength and a powerful uppercut. When not working for the Super Service, Granite Man served a role as a statueStatueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
in a local park. His assistant was Percival, a messenger pigeon who would wake him from his statue mode with the words "Oh rock of power, Awake and face this dangerous hour!".
- Magneto Man: As the name implies, his powers were based on magnetismMagnetismMagnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
. He had blondBlondBlond or blonde or fair-hair is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some sort of yellowish color...
hair, and wore a red suit with a magnet drawn on his chest. His assistant was a young sidekickSidekickA sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
named "Cal", and in addition to being the brains of the pair, also gave kids at home some minor educational tidbits in science. Both heroes were from LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and had exaggerated BritishBritish peopleThe British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
accentsAccent (linguistics)In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
; Magneto Man's accent was virtually identical to that of actor Cary GrantCary GrantArchibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
.
- Elevator Man: Ironically the shortest of the Six, he wore a pale gray safariSafariA safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
suit and a large beltBelt (clothing)A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...
. By pressing one of two elevatorElevatorAn elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
buttons on the buckleBuckleThe buckle or clasp is a device used for fastening two loose ends, with one end attached to it and the other held by a catch in a secure but adjustable manner. Usually overlooked and taken for granted, the invention of the buckle has been indispensable in securing two ends before the invention of...
, he could shrink into the size of an antAntAnts are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
or grow into a giantGiant (mythology)The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
. Other than his size-changing powers, no other special abilities were ever shown, and without his belt he would be stuck at whatever size he was at that moment. With his intense narration and the occasional moment where a bad guy was killed, Elevator Man was the closest the show had to a serious, or at least minimally absurd, detective hero.
- Super Scuba: An oceanOceanAn ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
-based hero, Super Scuba wore green SCUBAScuba setA scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving....
gear and lived in an underwater cave with his secretarySecretaryA secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
"Bubbles" the mermaidMermaidA mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
. Bubbles was infatuatedLimerenceLimerence is a term coined c. 1977 by the psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe an involuntary state of mind which seems to result from a romantic attraction to another person combined with an overwhelming, obsessive need to have one's feelings reciprocated...
with Super Scuba and would also accompany Scuba on his missions. Despite being relaxed, over-confident and self-centered, he managed to use his brains and wits to defeat his opponents.
- Captain Whammo/Zammo: This muscular, long blond-haired hero was usually dispatched to fight villains of a more militaryMilitaryA military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
nature. Oddly, his uniform - a peaked military officer's cap which looked more like a witches' hatHatA hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
, pointy-toed black boots, dark sunglassesSunglassesSunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
and a red tutuBallet tutuA tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and jutting out.There are several types of ballet tutu:...
and tightsTightsTights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
- appeared anything other than military. His powers included flight and incredible strength, and he used the catchphrase of "Thither, Yonder and Away!" as he leapt to the skies. The Captain also had the power to travel back in timeTime travelTime travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
to various historical events as part of his assignments, in which he was also assisted by Private Hammo. Private Hammo was fiercely loyal to the Captain, usually jumping in front of him to protect him from danger. Whammo would then usually award the carbonizedCarbonizationCarbonization or carbonisation is the term for the conversion of an organic substance into carbon or a carbon-containing residue through pyrolysis or destructive distillation. It is often used in organic chemistry with reference to the generation of coal gas and coal tar from raw coal...
Private with a medalMedalA medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
, only to immediately confiscate it "For having a dirty uniform".
Captain Whammo vs. Captain Zammo
This character appeared in the smallest number of segments of any of the other members of the Six. After the first appearance, however, his name was changed from "Whammo" to "Zammo". According to Friz Freeling in a [1982] interview, the name change occurred when Wham-OWham-O
Wham-O Inc. is a toy company currently located in California, USA. They are known for marketing many popular toys in the past 50 years, including the Hula Hoop, the Frisbee, Slip 'N Slide, Super Ball, Trac-Ball, Silly String, Hacky Sack and the Boogie board....
, creators of such wonders as the Super Ball
Super Ball
SuperBalls or bouncy balls is a toy, invented in 1964 by chemist Norman Stingley by compressing a synthetic rubber material under high pressure...
, filed a legal grievance against DePatie-Freleng over trademark infringement. Reportedly, the first commercial to air after the first televised “Captain Whammo” segment was ironically for the Super Ball.
The Brothers Matzoriley
This third segment was unrelated to the Super Six, and starred a bizarre, three-headed character known collectively as "The Brothers Matzoriley". They were conjoined "Siamese triplets" who were Three StoogesThree Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
-style bumblers, always looking for a new job. Their names (Weft, Wight and Wong) were a play on "left", "right" and "wrong". Although occupying one body, each head had its own distinct personality. One head (Weft) being that of a tough guy or ruffian
Ruffian
A ruffian is a scoundrel, rascal or unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person.As a proper noun, Ruffian may refer to:*Ruffian , a famous thoroughbred filly racehorse*Ruffian , 2007 television movie about the racehorse...
with a Irish Broque. another (Wight) being a wimpy coward with a very nervous British Accent, and the middle head (Wong) being a smart alecky Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, who dispensed absurd parodies of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
proverbs beginning with "Confusion say...". All three personalities were of a broad, stereotypical nature.
A prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
version of the Brothers Matzoriley (never named on-screen, but referred to as the "Matz-O'Reillys" on the animation model sheets) appeared as a 3-headed spy in "The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation
The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation
The Great De Gaulle Stone Operation was the first short in the Inspector series of theatrical cartoons. On release, it was attached to the James Bond film Thunderball .The title is a play on words, being both a pun on the term, "gallstone", and a...
," the first short in The Inspector
The Inspector
The Inspector is a series of 1960s theatrical cartoons produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and released through United Artists. The titular character is based on Jacques Clouseau, a comical French police officer who is the main character in the Pink Panther series of films.-Plot:Although the...
series. In the cartoon, the brothers steal a precious diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
in the oddest ways from the Inspector. In a comic plot twist ending, they wind up winning the day after the Inspector accidentally drinks a glass of water with the diamond in it. The brothers (disguised as a nurse) steal it after a surgeon removes it during an emergency operation. This version of the character was quite different from its later incarnation, however. The first head was a sauve British-type (Pat Harrington Jr. was the original voice for the left side spy) and the third head had a Soviet-Russian accent (Paul Frees was the voice of the right head as well as the middle Chinese head). They had different voices but similar personalities - although the middle Chinese head bore some resemblance to the version that would later appear in The Super 6.
Data
The series was broadcasted by NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from September 10, 1966 to January 21, 1967. NBC continued to air reruns until August 31, 1969.
20 episodes (each containing three cartoons) were made.
Voices
- Daws ButlerDaws ButlerCharles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
- Brother Matzoriley #2, Magneto Man - Pat CarrollPat Carroll (actress)Patricia Ann “Pat” Carroll is an American actress. She performed in numerous stage productions, and portrayed the roles of "Bunny Halper" on CBS's The Danny Thomas Show, Shirley Feeney's mother on ABC's Laverne and Shirley, and is the voice of the villainous Ursula in The Little Mermaid film...
- Dispatcher "Super Chief", Additional Voices - Paul FreesPaul FreesPaul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
- Brother Matzoriley #1 & #3, Captain Whammo/Zammo - June ForayJune ForayJune Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
- Bubbles - Joan GerberJoan GerberJoan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
- Additional Voices - Arte JohnsonArte JohnsonArthur Stanton Eric "Arte" Johnson is an American comic actor. Johnson was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. His best-remembered "character" was that of a German soldier with the catchphrase: "Verrrry interesting, but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other variations]".-Early life:Johnson...
- Super Scuba - Lyn Johnson - Granite Man, Percival
- Diana Maddox - Cal
- Charles Smith - Super Bwoing
- Paul StewartPaul Stewart (actor)Paul Stewart was an American character actor known for his tough, guttural voice. He frequently portrayed villains and mobsters throughout his lengthy career....
- Elevator Man
Staff
- Supervising Director: Gerry Chiniquy
- Directors: Steven Clark, Hawley Pratt, Norm McCabe, George Singer, Robert McKimson, John Walker
- Story Supervision: John Dunn
- Writers: Tony Benedict, Alan Dinehart, Don Jurwich, Walter Black, John Freeman, Lee Mishkin, Homer Brightman, Dale Hale, Jack Miller, Bill Danch, Bill Hamilton, Michael O'Conner, Art Diamond, Cal Howard, Jim Ryan
- Storyboard & Layout: Corny Cole, Burt Freund, Bob Givens, Norm Gottfredson, Jan Green, Dave Hanan, Lin Larsen, Marty Murphy, Tony Rivera, Jacques Rupp, Al Wilson
- Animation: Frank Andrina, Bob Goe, Bob Matz, Dale Case, Manny Gould, Murray McClellan, Herman Cohen, Lee Halpern, Morey Redan, Jim Davis, Bill Hutten, Ed Soloman, Xenia Demattia, Art Leonardi, Ken Southworth, John Garling, Ed Love, Don Williams
- Backgrounds: Shelia Brown, Gloria Wood, Roger Collins, Tom Yakutis
- Supervising Film Editor: Lee Gunther
- Film Editors: Lou Gordon, Chuck McCann, Joseph J. Reitano
- Voices: Daws ButlerDaws ButlerCharles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
, Pat CarrollPat CarrollPat Carroll may refer to:*Pat Carroll *Pat Carroll *Pat Carroll *Pat Carroll *Pat Carroll *Pat Carroll...
, Paul FreesPaul FreesPaul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
, June ForayJune ForayJune Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
, Joan GerberJoan GerberJoan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
, Artie JohnsonArte JohnsonArthur Stanton Eric "Arte" Johnson is an American comic actor. Johnson was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. His best-remembered "character" was that of a German soldier with the catchphrase: "Verrrry interesting, but...['stupid', 'not very funny', and other variations]".-Early life:Johnson...
, Lynn Johnson, Diana Maddox, Charles Smith, Paul StewartPaul Stewart (actor)Paul Stewart was an American character actor known for his tough, guttural voice. He frequently portrayed villains and mobsters throughout his lengthy career.... - Music: Bill Lava
- Production Managers: Basil Cox, Bill Orcutt
- Asst. Production Managers: Armand Shaw, Harry Love
- Title Sung by: Gary Lewis
- Produced by: David H. DePatie & Friz FrelengFriz FrelengIsadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....