The Godzilla Power Hour

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Godzilla title card
Godzilla title card

The Godzilla Power Hour was an American Saturday morning cartoon, originally aired in 1978 on the NBC television network. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, the series was an animated adaption of the Japanese Godzilla films produced by Toho. Airing alongside Jana of the Jungle, hence the "power hour" aspect of the title, the series continued to air until 1981, for a time airing solo as The Godzilla Show, until its cancellation. Cartoon Network aired several reruns of the show beginning around 1998 , amid the hype surrounding TriStar's Godzilla. This run ended in 1999, though the show is periodically broadcast on Cartoon Network's Boomerang network.

The series followed the adventures of a team of scientists on the research vessel U.S. Calico, who could call upon the monster using a special communicator when in peril, such as attacks by other giant monsters. Godzilla's size in the animated series shifted radically, sometimes within a single episode or even one scene. (For instance, Godzilla's claw will wrap around a large ship, and only minutes later the team of scientists fit rather neatly on Godzilla's palm.) In addition, Godzilla's trademark atomic breath was altered so he breathed simple fire. He could also produce laser blasts from his eyes much like Superman's heat vision.

Hanna-Barbera cast Ted Cassidy to produce Godzilla's roars and growls, similar to his role in the live-action series The Incredible Hulk.

Godzooky was the nephew of Godzilla and had a light-hearted role in the show. He could fly using his small wings, even though his uncle Godzilla was unable to fly. Godzooky was voiced by Don Messick.

The basic formula of a scientific team and research vessel in league with Godzilla investigating strange phenomena was revived in another cartoon, Godzilla: The Series.

The rights to the show have reverted to Toho (the company that created and owns Godzilla), and video rights have been picked up by Classic Media, which released eight episodes of the series on DVD in June, 2006.[1]

[edit] External links


The Godzilla Franchise
The Godzilla film series: Godzilla/Godzilla, King of the Monsters!  · Godzilla Raids Again  · King Kong vs. Godzilla  · Mothra vs. Godzilla  · Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster  · Invasion of Astro-Monster  · Ebirah, Horror of the Deep  · Son of Godzilla  · Destroy All Monsters  · All Monsters Attack  · Godzilla vs. Hedorah  · Godzilla vs. Gigan  · Godzilla vs. Megalon  · Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla  · Terror of Mechagodzilla  · The Return of Godzilla  · Godzilla vs. Biollante  · Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah  · Godzilla vs. Mothra  · Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II  · Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla  · Godzilla vs. Destoroyah  · Godzilla  · Godzilla 2000: Millennium  · Godzilla vs. Megaguirus  · Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack  · Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla  · Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.  · Godzilla: Final Wars
Other Toho Science Fiction Films: Tomei Ningen  · Half Human   · Rodan  · The Mysterians  · Varan  · The H-Man  · Battle in Outer Space  · The Secret of the Telegian  ·The Human Vapor  · The Last War  · Mothra  · Gorath  · Atragon  · Matango  · Dogora  · Frankenstein vs. Baragon  · War of the Gargantuas  · King Kong Escapes  · Latitude Zero  · Fancy Paradise  · Space Amoeba  · Japan Sinks  · Prophecies of Nostradamus  · ESPY  · Visitor to the Pupil's Center  · The War in Space  · Blue Christmas  · Deathquake  · School in the Crosshairs  · All Right, My Friend   · Sayonara Jupiter  · Portrait in Prussian Blue  · Nineteen  · Tokyo Blackout  · Princess from the Moon  · Zeiram  · Mikadroid: Robokill Beneath Discoclub Layla  · Supergirl Reiko  · Nostradamus: The Prophecy  · GUNHED  · Rebirth of Mothra  · Rebirth of Mothra II  · Rebirth of Mothra III  · Japan Sinks
Television: Zone Fighter  · The Godzilla Power Hour  · Godzilla Island  · Godzilla: The Series


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