In 1991, American animation was in a small resurgence. FOX
TV had a hit with the Simpson’s, Warner Brothers was working diligently on the
new Batman animated series and, due to the breakout of the Simpson’s, every
network was fast-tracking cartoons to be shown on prime-time television.
Saturday morning fare was still plugging along, though not anywhere near the
potency and creativity once had in the seventies and early eighties. Japanese
animation or anime, as it came to be known, had broken past the West coast in a
wave a few years earlier, putting to bed, for viewers at least, that cartoons
were just kid fare. For those of us that grew up watching the classic Jonny
Quest show, we knew we could handle the concepts of death and ramifications
from your actions, but somewhere down the road others began to dictate what
kids could – and should – be watching. Sure, we could have guns and “terrorist
organizations”, just make sure no one dies or gets shot. Violence is okay, just
make sure there’s a public service announcement at the conclusion so the
kiddies get some edumacation. With the first big anime invasion, animation
aficionados got their sugar high and didn’t want to let go and the smart
studios took notice.
Hanna-Barbera in 1991 was not highly regarded for
creativity. Their output was bland Saturday morning mush, hanging onto the
ragged remains of a tired series from 1970. Scooby-Doo will have his
comeuppance, but in ’91, it was a few years off and it was mostly sparked by
nostalgia. To discover a program with fluid animation, character designs that
defy the staid, simplistic forms typical of that era, beautifully painted
backgrounds and a concept dredged from the best of the old films, it was like fire
in a gas can. PIRATES OF DARK WATER was a fresh and wonderful experience, which
only aggravates when knowing the program only lasted 21 episodes.
Every week at Leaf on the Wind, I will be reviewing an
episode of PIRATES OF DARK WATER, a show that I wish more people were aware of,
or appreciated. The layout and design alone broke thirty years of convention at
the venerable H-B studio, not to mention a voice cast that carried credentials
from all over the spectrum, rivaling, in some ways, that of the Batman show.
I’ll go through an overview of the show, then following a known formula of
other “rewatch” weblogs, break down aspects of the show with group titles. Noy Jitat! Will cover the language of
Mer, the alien world we’re watching. Mutant
Scum will showcase some of the
creatures of Mer, When do we get to eat will
focus on the machinations of the character Niddler and It’s all in the art will spotlight the amazing work done to give
the show the alien feel that really sold the series. Others may appear as well,
from time to time.
It’s plainly obvious that Time Warner, that now owns
Hanna-Barbera and its output, knows the show has some marketability. The entire
series was rereleased on DVD through their Warner Archive division. While the
Archives are usually burn-to-order, no frills discs, they did do a nice job
getting these shows back into the public’s hands. It’s also one of the only
series done in this format and for fairly cheap. Get yours here: http://shop.warnerarchive.com/search.do?query=Pirates+of+Dark+Water
Get ready for the quest for the Thirteen Treasures of Rule
with Ren (George Newburn), Ioz (Hector Elizondo), Tula (Jodi Benson) and
Niddler (Frank Welker) as they race against the villainous pirate lord Bloth
(Brock Peters) and his crew across the alien, ocean world of Mer. It’s High
Adventure in the world of Dark Water and I’m going to make sure you discover
it.
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