Rocket Robin Hood

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Rocket Robin Hood
Genre Fantasy
Written by Ralph Bakshi
Voices of Carl Banas
Ed McNamara
Chris Wiggins
Bernard Cowan
Len Birman
Paul Kligman
Gillie Fenwick
John Scott
Country of origin Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 52
Production
Producer(s)

Al Guest

Krantz Films, Inc.
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s) Trillum Productions
Krantz Films
Grantray-Lawrence Animation
Broadcast
Picture format Color
Original run 1966 – 1969

Rocket Robin Hood is a Canadian animated television series, placing the characters and conflicts of the classic Robin Hood legend in a futuristic, outer space setting, produced by Krantz Films, Inc. from 1966 to 1969.

Summary

Rocket Robin Hood leads his "Merry Men", including the strong, dimwitted, and likeable Little John, consummate overeater Friar Tuck (who designs all the Merry Men's weaponry), Robin's two-fisted, red-headed cousin Will Scarlet, Robin's plucky girlfriend Maid Marian, his sharp-witted right-hand man Alan-a-Dale, the scrawny, feisty camp cook Giles (a reformed crook and Gabby Hayes type), and other characters from the classic story of Robin Hood. They live in "the astonishing year 3000" on New Sherwood Forest Asteroid, and are determined to foil the despotic plans of Prince John and his bumbling lackey, the Sheriff of N.O.T.T. (National Outer-space Terrestrial Territories), and other villains such as Dr. Medulla, Manta, Nocturne, and the Warlord of Saturn. Rocket Robin Hood and his people fly in spaceships and use weapons such as “electro-quarterstaffs.”

All episodes also feature short vignettes of the various characters.

The drawing and movement styles closely resemble early Filmation productions.

Background

Rocket Robin Hood was animated and voiced by Trillium Productions, an animation studio which was part of the Guest Group—a creative group of companies owned by producer Al Guest. One of the key animators was Jean Mathieson, one of the first female animators, who later formed Rainbow Animation in Canada and Magic Shadows Inc in the U.S. with Al Guest, where they continued to produce animated TV programming.

Background designer Richard H. Thomas joined the group late in the second season and brought a dark, almost psychedelic feel to the production under director Ralph Bakshi, who would later become a well known animation producer and would be responsible for, among other things, the animated versions of Fritz the Cat and The Lord of the Rings. Third-season episodes were animated at Ralph’s Spot in New York City, although voices continued to be recorded in Toronto.

Bernard Cowan was the narrator of the show and Paul Kligman, who played J. Jonah Jameson in the animated version of Spider-Man, was the voice of Friar Tuck. Len Birman, who appeared in the movies Silver Streak (1976) and Bayo (1985), was the voice of Rocket Robin Hood. Len Carlson subbed in place of Len Birman for Rocket Robin Hood in some of the third season episodes. Carl Banas provided the voice of Little John. Chris Wiggins was the voice of Will Scarlet.

There was also a French version titled Robin Fusée, broadcast on French Canadian TV.


Voice cast

Episode list

Season 1

Episode
Pilot
Prince of Plotters
The Time Machine
Robin versus the Robot Knight
The Mystery of the Crown Jewels
The Warlord of Saturn
Safari
Wily Giles
Jesse James Rides Again
Giles the Great
City Beneath the Seas
Don Cayote McPherson
Michael Shawn the Leprechaun
Little Little John
The Marmaduke Caper
Follow the Leader
Cleopatra Meets Little John
Little George
The Magic Medallion of Morse
The Awful Truce
The Sad, Sad Sheriff of N.O.T.T.
Don't Make a Sound
Goritang
The Orbital Salesman
Marlin the Magician

Season 2

Episode
Dr. Mortula
The Space Wolf
Dr. Magnet
The Manta Menace
Young Mr. Ulysses
The Incredible Gem of Cosmo Khan
Who'll Kill Rocket Robin?
Genius in a Bottle
The Tree Kingdom of Caldomar
Catch a Comet By the Tail
The Emperor Jimmy
The Eternal Planet of Romarama

Season 3

Episode
The Dark Galaxy
Space Giant
The Haunted Asteroid
The Plot to Destroy N.O.T.T.
The Solar Sphinx
Lord of the Underworld
The Ghost Pirates
Dementia Five
Lord of the Shadows
The Living Planet
From Menace to Menace
Planet of Dreams
Slaves of Medulla
Jaws of Steel
The Storm Makers
Return Trip

Broadcast

Stations in the United States which broadcast Rocket Robin Hood in the late 1960s and/or in the 1970s. Alphabetized by city:

DVD release

E1 Entertainment released Volume 1 which contains the entirety of the first season, in November 2009 as a 4 DVD set (English and French versions, 592 minutes). They stated that the program "Safari" was not included due to unavailable footage. Safari is available for viewing on YouTube.

Whether they meant they no longer had it in their archives or just couldn't find it and what that exactly meant in terms of holding on film or video elements is unknown.

Volume 2, which encompasses all of seasons 2 and 3, was released in May 2010 as a 4 DVD set (English and French versions, 714 minutes). The French versions of these DVD collections are available separately as Robin fusée.

References

    External links

    Feature films
    Television series
    Television features
    Television shorts
    • Book:Ralph Bakshi
    • Category:Ralph Bakshi
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