Rocket Robin Hood

Rocket Robin Hood

Opening credits to 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 seasons 3
No. of episodes 52
Production
Producer(s) Al Guest
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s) Trillium Productions
Krantz Films
Grantray-Lawrence Animation
Release
Picture format Color
Original release 1967[1] – 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."

Each of the episodes are divided into three parts, with cliffhangers between the first and the second part, as well as the second and the third part of each 22 minute episodes.

All episodes also feature short vignettes of the various characters.

A male chorus sang the opening and the closing themes for each of the three episodes of the cartoons, in the style of the old English ballads.

Background

Rocket Robin Hood was animated and voiced by Trillium Productions, an animation studio that 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
Warlord of Saturn
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 Orbiting 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 that broadcast Rocket Robin Hood in the late 1960s and/or in the 1970s. Alphabetized by city:

In Canada, the show aired on Toronto's CITY-TV in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as CHEX-TV in Peterborough and on CJOH-TV in the Ottawa area.

DVD release

E1 Entertainment released Volume 1, which contains almost the entirety of the first season, in November 2009 as a 4-DVD set (English and French versions, 592 minutes). E1 stated that the episode, "Safari", was not included due to unavailable footage.

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

  1. ↑ Dennis, Neil Smith ; illustrated by Peter (2014). Robin Hood. Osprey Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 9781472801258.
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