Jonny Quest
(1964-1965/1986-1987/1996-1997, Ages 10 and Up)
7/1/22
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On my eighth Christmas morning, my little sister and I each received from our mother a VHS movie featuring a single TV episode of two very different cartoons. For her: The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room. And for me: twenty-five of the most terrifying minutes I had ever seen in fiction up to then. Like Poltergeist/Exorcist/Ring kind of terrifying. Of course, the effects have long since been dulled, but here’s the real kicker. Later on as an adult, I looked up the cartoon on Wikipedia just for fun and found the listing of the infamous episode in question, entitled “The Invisible Monster.” This is how its description ends:
“Note: this episode is generally remembered as the most frightening one in the series.”
I swear, I had not laughed so loud and so hard in a long, long time.
On the surface, Jonny Quest is your typical American kid, but his life is far from typical. His father is Dr. Benton Quest, a brilliant scientist whose life’s mission—besides caring for his only son—is to use his research for world peace. Jonny is in constant danger from enemies who would use him to compromise or exploit Dr. Quest’s work. Luckily, they are not alone. With them is Race Bannon, the Quests’ strong and steadfast bodyguard; Hadji Singh, Jonny’s adopted Indian brother and closest companion; Race’s equally adventurous and intellectual daughter, Jessie; and the Quests’ playful but fierce dog, Bandit. Together the team travels the globe seeking priceless artifacts, creating experimental devices, and studying mysterious phenomena, protecting them and each other from any who desire world domination and destruction.
Not unlike Walt Disney’s Gargoyles in the mid-1990’s, the franchise’s first series, Jonny Quest was animation juggernaut Hanna-Barbera’s first foray into the action-adventure genre, after the studio had established itself with comedic cartoons like The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, and The Jetsons. When comic book artist Doug Wildey was hired to design an animated TV adaptation of the 1930’s radio drama Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, Hanna-Barbera couldn’t obtain the rights, so Wildey borrowed its core elements to create an original story. But Jack still has a small place in the Quest legacy. In the opening shots of Jonny Quest’s end credits sequence, the two figures escaping the African warriors via hovercraft are actually Jack Armstrong and his friend Billy Fairfield. Not only would Jonny Quest pave the way for more action fare from Hanna-Barbera, like Space Ghost, The Herculoids and Birdman, it would inspire many parodies and crossovers, the best known of the former being the Adult Swim series The Venture Bros.
I was too young to remember watching much of the 60’s series other than my VHS tape, but I think my later taste in older science fiction has helped me better understand and appreciate its presentation. Though it utilizes the same limited animation as the slapstick cartoons that came before it, I think it complements rather than cheapens the authentically detailed, thick-lined action comic book design. Its episode titles and title cards resemble the beautiful hand-crafted sci-fi movie posters of old, like “The Mystery of the Lizard Men,” “The Dreadful Doll,” and the aforementioned “The Invisible Monster.” And also like vintage sci-fi flicks, the episodes are a lot more fun than the generic names would have you believe. Racially insensitive though it may be by today’s standards with its stereotypical depiction of foreign enemies and indigenous cultures, it’s still a fascinating time capsule of the Cold War era, illustrating the values and consequences of scientific progress behind the riveting exploits of a kid’s action cartoon.
I knew nothing of New Adventures as a kid, but having watched it now, I feel it neither emulated the original enough to feel nostalgic nor updated it enough to make it unique. The Real Adventures series is the one I’m most familiar with, as I watched it on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block. This revival brought its protagonist to his teen years and its franchise into the newly evolving internet age. One nice subtle touch is its use of OCR-A, an electronic font developed in 1968 to be recognized by both early computers and humans. More prominent is the addition of 3D animation via Quest World, a computer program which allows the heroes to enter cyberspace as virtual avatars. The unrefined CGI is nowhere near Code Lyoko or even ReBoot quality due to time and budget. But that’s made up for with modernized threats like cyberterrorism, nuclear warfare, and even paranormal activity to raise the stakes, making this show as much an upgrade as an update.
These and other features make comparing and contrasting the original and revival an interesting exercise in story critique and analysis. Whereas the former’s futuristic espionage look and tone remain consistent, the latter’s troubled production history and many staffing changes during its run resulted in its two seasons looking and feeling as different from each other as they both do from their 60’s counterpart. Real Adventures Season 1 revamped the characters with more believable qualities and wrote more plausible plotlines based on documented phenomena, like ancient history or cryptozoology, such as the Jersey Devil and the Revolutionary War in “The Spectre of Pine Barrens:”
HADJI: (Reading from the computer) The Jersey Devil has been blamed for the disappearance of young children . . . (with sudden shock) This has been going on for the past two centuries!
[. . .]
MOTHER: (Snarling) Stand where you are, colonialist dogs!
JOSIAH: (Arrogantly) Come for a taste of Republican lead, you Royalist cur?
Season 2, on the other hand, brought the characters back to their 60’s roots while, rather ironically, delving into more supernatural territory—aliens, demons, and ghosts, etc.—like in another episode I personally found very chilling, “The Mummies of Malenque:”
MEDICINE MAN MUMMY: (To Dr. Salazar in a raspy voice) It was our own evil that wiped us out centuries ago. We will not let you do it again!
While not objectively bad, this can make for a somewhat jarring viewing experience. Thankfully, the main characters stay the same where it matters most. Jonny is as bold as his name with a spirit to match. He has a boundless curiosity, competitive spirit, and mischievous streak, playing harmless pranks on his family (and not-so-harmless ones on the villains), but he never comes off as annoying or obnoxious. While not as scientific as his father, preferring to be in the thick of the action and using his keen intuition to stay out of trouble, Jonny cares for him deeply along with any good soul he comes across, human or otherwise:
- JONNY: (Pointing up at the sky) Hey Race! Looks like Dad’s got visitors! Come on, Bandit! Let’s see who it is!
- JONNY: You keep him busy Hadji, while I take care of Operation Push-over!
- JONNY: (To the Officer) But . . . but those poachers are still out there! What about Ndovu? What about the elephant?
- JONNY: (To Race) Clark's knife made a metal sound against the vines. Just like that spike. I knew they're fake, made out of metal.
RACE: (Approvingly) Smart kid.
- JONNY: Come on, Race! Let’s find my dad!
Dr. Benton Quest has a very kingly demeanor: dignified and firm, but benevolent and patient. He is never focused on his work to the point of obsession or negligence, nor does his thirst for knowledge close his mind to myth and legend in favor of facts or motivate him to exploit them for personal gain. He may be a top U.S. government scientist, but he is first and foremost a loving parent and a good man, the lives of others worth more to him than all the wisdom on the planet:
- DR. QUEST: (To his colleagues) You have just seen a demonstration of the power of sonic waves on a scale model. As scientists, it is our duty to explore the use of sonic waves for the good of mankind.
- DR. QUEST: (To High Lama) We came here hoping to find a monster and instead found a sapient culture more evolved in many ways than ours. We will no longer attempt to prove their existence, Holiness. Clearly to do so will only lead to their destruction.
- DR. QUEST: Disappointment? Ha, I've never heard of anything more ridiculous.
JONNY: (Jonny turns to see him; whispers uncertainly) Dad?
DR. QUEST: (To his doppelganger angrily) No one talks to my son like that.
Race, a former Special Agent, protects the Quest team and especially Jonny, “twenty-four hours a day as tutor, companion, and all-around watchdog” (JQ S1E1: “The Mystery of the Lizard Men”). Race underwent the most striking alterations out of the cast from one show/season to the next. Compared to his near identical depictions in the original and Real Adventures Season 2, in Season 1 he looks younger and lankier, with an almost distracting southern accent and a patent for witty, if corny, cowboy quips. He is well-versed in judo and various kinds of weapons and vehicles. While he performs his duty with the utmost seriousness, he is treated by his charges less like an employee and more like a member of their family, acting as Dr. Quest’s most trusted confidante and a father figure to the kids with levelheadedness, some dry humor, and grit.
- RACE: (Teaching Jonny Judo) Now Jonny, the first thing to remember--
JONNY: I know. Use your opponent’s weight against him.
RACE: Right. Like so.
- RACE: I don't know, Benton. That young lady's colder than a catfish on marble.
- RACE: (Stops Dr. Quest) No! If that twister hits Jonny and Hadji, the Outboard will be as much use as a chocolate fire screen.
- RACE: (Angrily) Surd isn't going to get away with this. If anything happens to Jesse or Jonny, I'll . . . (Heads for the exit)
DR. QUEST: Race, where are you going?
RACE: To Brattleford Prison. I'm going to get the abort code from Surd. One way or the other.
Hadji joins the team after saving Dr. Quest from an assassin’s dagger. His introspective mysticism balances out the story’s otherwise strict science, and he serves as the voice of reason to his age-mates’ impulsiveness, often speaking in proverbs and riddles—many of which go over their heads. Depending on version, he is proficient in tricks like snake-charming, levitation, and telekinesis, or in actual yogi abilities, like slowing his breathing to simulate death. His devotion to his own faith and culture is matched only by his love for his American family.
- HADJI: Wait! Wait, Jonny! Perhaps I could be of help. (Places a cloth on top of Bandit) Sim Sim Salabim! Our problem is gone! (Lifts the cloth to reveal Bandit has disappeared)
JONNY: (Amazed) Gosh, Hadji! That was great! How’d you do it?
HADJI: I cannot tell you, Jonny. It is an old trick that has been in our family for years.
- HADJI: A dog that walks around will find a stick.
JONNY: (As Bandit looks up with interest) What’s that supposed to mean?
HADJI: (Smiling) It mean be careful of what you wish for.
- JESSIE: Hey, Hadji, how come these pests aren't biting you?
HADJI: We have an understanding.
JESSIE: (Rolls her eyes) Oh, come on.
JONNY: (Skeptically) What's the trick, pal?
HADJI: (Calmly) It is an old family secret. The proper frame of mind. A correct spiritual point of view. The right eye. But mostly . . . (Pulls out a bottle of bug spray) It is this mosquito repellant. (Chuckling) Would you like some?
Jessie was a late but invaluable addition to the franchise. The first version of her (with a different backstory) appeared in the New Adventures episode “Deadly Junket” but rarely again after until she became a permanent fixture in Real Adventures. But she is no mere token female. Though the most academic of the young trio, she has a deep and earnest reverence for the world’s splendor that goes beyond mere study. She also shares the boys’ love of exploration and courage to face impossible odds for the sake of what’s right.
- JESSIE: Hey, you! Drop him! (Hits a huge thug in the face with a disk, forcing him to release Jonny) Never thought being a frisbee champ would come in handy one day!
- JONNY: See Jess? I do break for lizards.
JESSIE: (After examining the lizard Jonny nearly hit with the jeep) Lucky for you. These are fringe-toed lizards. They’re endangered.
- JONNY: Careful, Jess!
JESSIE: (Annoyed, while climbing the dangling cage Jonny and Hadji are trapped in) Ugh, I never understand why people say that! It's like, what? Am I stupid enough to take an impossible risk?
- DR. QUEST: A rubbing?
JESSIE: Right. You taught me to always make one whenever dealing with rare artifacts.
The Quests’ bulldog, Bandit, is so named due to the black mask-like markings around his eyes. Unlike most of Hanna-Barbera’s animal characters, Bandit is a natural, non-anthropomorphic dog. That said, in the first show he is the comic relief, showing human expressions and intelligence, and his curiosity—even greater than Jonny’s—often getting him into adorable mishaps. These cartoonish features were toned down in the revival to make him even more realistic. Nevertheless, he saves his human friends countless times as any brave and loyal dog does.
- BANDIT: (Races toward the Quests’ jeep which is getting away) Bark! Bark! Bark!
JONNY: (Catches Bandit as he jumps in) Aw, come on, Bandit. You know we’d never leave you.
BANDIT: Bark! Bark! Bark!
- JONNY: What do you say, huh, boy? Are you a mutt from another planet?
BANDIT: Bark! Bark! Bark!
- JONNY: (From inside the rolling mine cart) Bandit! Get help!
BANDIT: (Obediently runs down another shaft) Bark! Bark! Bark!
- BANDIT: Bark! Bark!
ESTELLA: Thanks for finding us, Bandit!
Regardless of the show or decade, I can imagine many a kid and adult finding the protagonist’s likability, relatability, and overall confidence and inner strength just as appealing as the adrenaline-fueled adventures and exotic locales he and his comrads encounter. Whether you like a good old-fashioned sci-fi B-movie or a modern technological thriller, Jonny Quest wraps up all the size and scope of both in a nice, neat little after-school package.
CREDITS:
All images, audio, and links belong to their respective owners; no copyright infringement is intended.
MAIN THEME:
“The Call” — Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund
EPISODE SONG:
“Epic Escapade” - Jake Searl
All other music and sound clips are from:
- Jonny Quest (created by Doug Wildey; owned by Hanna-Barbera [Warner Bros.])
- The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (directed by Ray Patterson; production by Hanna-Barbera Productions; distributed by Worldvision Enterprises)
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (developed by Peter Lawrence and Takashi Masunaga; directed by Mike Milo and Davis Doi; production by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons; distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution).
EPISODES:
JQ: Season 1, Ep. 1: “The Mystery of the Lizard Men”
Season 1, Ep. 3: “The Curse of Anubis”
Season 1, Ep. 5: “Riddle of the Gold”
Season 1, Ep. 6: “Treasure of the Temple”
Season 1, Ep. 7: “Calcutta Adventure”
Season 1, Ep. 10: “Alien in Washington”
NAoJQ: Ep. 4: “Deadly Junket”
RAoJQ: Season 1, Ep. 3: “In the Realm of the Condor”
Season 1, Ep. 5: “Ndovu's Last Journey”
Season 1, Ep. 7: “East of Zanzibar”
Season 1, Ep. 9: “Ezekiel Rage”
Season 1, Ep. 17: “The Spectre of the Pine Barrens”
Season 1, Ep. 22: “Expedition to Khumbu”
Season 2, Ep. 1: “The Mummies of Malenque”
Season 2, Ep. 4: “Race Against Danger”
Season 2, Ep. 16: “Other Space”
Season 2, Ep. 17: “Digital Doublecross”
Season 2, Ep. 18: “Thoughtscape”
Listen to the episode here!
Jonny Quest on Wikipedia
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on Wikipedia
Jonny Quest on IMDb
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on IMDb
Jonny Quest on Rotten Tomatoes
Jonny Quest on Metacritic
Jonny Quest on Common Sense Media
Jonny Quest on Tv Tropes
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on Tv Tropes
Buy Jonny Quest on Amazon
Buy Jonny Quest at Barnes & Noble
Buy Jonny Quest on Ebay
^^ Back to T.V. Shows, Web Series, and Other Narrative Programs
“Note: this episode is generally remembered as the most frightening one in the series.”
I swear, I had not laughed so loud and so hard in a long, long time.
On the surface, Jonny Quest is your typical American kid, but his life is far from typical. His father is Dr. Benton Quest, a brilliant scientist whose life’s mission—besides caring for his only son—is to use his research for world peace. Jonny is in constant danger from enemies who would use him to compromise or exploit Dr. Quest’s work. Luckily, they are not alone. With them is Race Bannon, the Quests’ strong and steadfast bodyguard; Hadji Singh, Jonny’s adopted Indian brother and closest companion; Race’s equally adventurous and intellectual daughter, Jessie; and the Quests’ playful but fierce dog, Bandit. Together the team travels the globe seeking priceless artifacts, creating experimental devices, and studying mysterious phenomena, protecting them and each other from any who desire world domination and destruction.
Not unlike Walt Disney’s Gargoyles in the mid-1990’s, the franchise’s first series, Jonny Quest was animation juggernaut Hanna-Barbera’s first foray into the action-adventure genre, after the studio had established itself with comedic cartoons like The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, and The Jetsons. When comic book artist Doug Wildey was hired to design an animated TV adaptation of the 1930’s radio drama Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, Hanna-Barbera couldn’t obtain the rights, so Wildey borrowed its core elements to create an original story. But Jack still has a small place in the Quest legacy. In the opening shots of Jonny Quest’s end credits sequence, the two figures escaping the African warriors via hovercraft are actually Jack Armstrong and his friend Billy Fairfield. Not only would Jonny Quest pave the way for more action fare from Hanna-Barbera, like Space Ghost, The Herculoids and Birdman, it would inspire many parodies and crossovers, the best known of the former being the Adult Swim series The Venture Bros.
I was too young to remember watching much of the 60’s series other than my VHS tape, but I think my later taste in older science fiction has helped me better understand and appreciate its presentation. Though it utilizes the same limited animation as the slapstick cartoons that came before it, I think it complements rather than cheapens the authentically detailed, thick-lined action comic book design. Its episode titles and title cards resemble the beautiful hand-crafted sci-fi movie posters of old, like “The Mystery of the Lizard Men,” “The Dreadful Doll,” and the aforementioned “The Invisible Monster.” And also like vintage sci-fi flicks, the episodes are a lot more fun than the generic names would have you believe. Racially insensitive though it may be by today’s standards with its stereotypical depiction of foreign enemies and indigenous cultures, it’s still a fascinating time capsule of the Cold War era, illustrating the values and consequences of scientific progress behind the riveting exploits of a kid’s action cartoon.
I knew nothing of New Adventures as a kid, but having watched it now, I feel it neither emulated the original enough to feel nostalgic nor updated it enough to make it unique. The Real Adventures series is the one I’m most familiar with, as I watched it on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block. This revival brought its protagonist to his teen years and its franchise into the newly evolving internet age. One nice subtle touch is its use of OCR-A, an electronic font developed in 1968 to be recognized by both early computers and humans. More prominent is the addition of 3D animation via Quest World, a computer program which allows the heroes to enter cyberspace as virtual avatars. The unrefined CGI is nowhere near Code Lyoko or even ReBoot quality due to time and budget. But that’s made up for with modernized threats like cyberterrorism, nuclear warfare, and even paranormal activity to raise the stakes, making this show as much an upgrade as an update.
These and other features make comparing and contrasting the original and revival an interesting exercise in story critique and analysis. Whereas the former’s futuristic espionage look and tone remain consistent, the latter’s troubled production history and many staffing changes during its run resulted in its two seasons looking and feeling as different from each other as they both do from their 60’s counterpart. Real Adventures Season 1 revamped the characters with more believable qualities and wrote more plausible plotlines based on documented phenomena, like ancient history or cryptozoology, such as the Jersey Devil and the Revolutionary War in “The Spectre of Pine Barrens:”
HADJI: (Reading from the computer) The Jersey Devil has been blamed for the disappearance of young children . . . (with sudden shock) This has been going on for the past two centuries!
[. . .]
MOTHER: (Snarling) Stand where you are, colonialist dogs!
JOSIAH: (Arrogantly) Come for a taste of Republican lead, you Royalist cur?
Season 2, on the other hand, brought the characters back to their 60’s roots while, rather ironically, delving into more supernatural territory—aliens, demons, and ghosts, etc.—like in another episode I personally found very chilling, “The Mummies of Malenque:”
MEDICINE MAN MUMMY: (To Dr. Salazar in a raspy voice) It was our own evil that wiped us out centuries ago. We will not let you do it again!
While not objectively bad, this can make for a somewhat jarring viewing experience. Thankfully, the main characters stay the same where it matters most. Jonny is as bold as his name with a spirit to match. He has a boundless curiosity, competitive spirit, and mischievous streak, playing harmless pranks on his family (and not-so-harmless ones on the villains), but he never comes off as annoying or obnoxious. While not as scientific as his father, preferring to be in the thick of the action and using his keen intuition to stay out of trouble, Jonny cares for him deeply along with any good soul he comes across, human or otherwise:
- JONNY: (Pointing up at the sky) Hey Race! Looks like Dad’s got visitors! Come on, Bandit! Let’s see who it is!
- JONNY: You keep him busy Hadji, while I take care of Operation Push-over!
- JONNY: (To the Officer) But . . . but those poachers are still out there! What about Ndovu? What about the elephant?
- JONNY: (To Race) Clark's knife made a metal sound against the vines. Just like that spike. I knew they're fake, made out of metal.
RACE: (Approvingly) Smart kid.
- JONNY: Come on, Race! Let’s find my dad!
Dr. Benton Quest has a very kingly demeanor: dignified and firm, but benevolent and patient. He is never focused on his work to the point of obsession or negligence, nor does his thirst for knowledge close his mind to myth and legend in favor of facts or motivate him to exploit them for personal gain. He may be a top U.S. government scientist, but he is first and foremost a loving parent and a good man, the lives of others worth more to him than all the wisdom on the planet:
- DR. QUEST: (To his colleagues) You have just seen a demonstration of the power of sonic waves on a scale model. As scientists, it is our duty to explore the use of sonic waves for the good of mankind.
- DR. QUEST: (To High Lama) We came here hoping to find a monster and instead found a sapient culture more evolved in many ways than ours. We will no longer attempt to prove their existence, Holiness. Clearly to do so will only lead to their destruction.
- DR. QUEST: Disappointment? Ha, I've never heard of anything more ridiculous.
JONNY: (Jonny turns to see him; whispers uncertainly) Dad?
DR. QUEST: (To his doppelganger angrily) No one talks to my son like that.
Race, a former Special Agent, protects the Quest team and especially Jonny, “twenty-four hours a day as tutor, companion, and all-around watchdog” (JQ S1E1: “The Mystery of the Lizard Men”). Race underwent the most striking alterations out of the cast from one show/season to the next. Compared to his near identical depictions in the original and Real Adventures Season 2, in Season 1 he looks younger and lankier, with an almost distracting southern accent and a patent for witty, if corny, cowboy quips. He is well-versed in judo and various kinds of weapons and vehicles. While he performs his duty with the utmost seriousness, he is treated by his charges less like an employee and more like a member of their family, acting as Dr. Quest’s most trusted confidante and a father figure to the kids with levelheadedness, some dry humor, and grit.
- RACE: (Teaching Jonny Judo) Now Jonny, the first thing to remember--
JONNY: I know. Use your opponent’s weight against him.
RACE: Right. Like so.
- RACE: I don't know, Benton. That young lady's colder than a catfish on marble.
- RACE: (Stops Dr. Quest) No! If that twister hits Jonny and Hadji, the Outboard will be as much use as a chocolate fire screen.
- RACE: (Angrily) Surd isn't going to get away with this. If anything happens to Jesse or Jonny, I'll . . . (Heads for the exit)
DR. QUEST: Race, where are you going?
RACE: To Brattleford Prison. I'm going to get the abort code from Surd. One way or the other.
Hadji joins the team after saving Dr. Quest from an assassin’s dagger. His introspective mysticism balances out the story’s otherwise strict science, and he serves as the voice of reason to his age-mates’ impulsiveness, often speaking in proverbs and riddles—many of which go over their heads. Depending on version, he is proficient in tricks like snake-charming, levitation, and telekinesis, or in actual yogi abilities, like slowing his breathing to simulate death. His devotion to his own faith and culture is matched only by his love for his American family.
- HADJI: Wait! Wait, Jonny! Perhaps I could be of help. (Places a cloth on top of Bandit) Sim Sim Salabim! Our problem is gone! (Lifts the cloth to reveal Bandit has disappeared)
JONNY: (Amazed) Gosh, Hadji! That was great! How’d you do it?
HADJI: I cannot tell you, Jonny. It is an old trick that has been in our family for years.
- HADJI: A dog that walks around will find a stick.
JONNY: (As Bandit looks up with interest) What’s that supposed to mean?
HADJI: (Smiling) It mean be careful of what you wish for.
- JESSIE: Hey, Hadji, how come these pests aren't biting you?
HADJI: We have an understanding.
JESSIE: (Rolls her eyes) Oh, come on.
JONNY: (Skeptically) What's the trick, pal?
HADJI: (Calmly) It is an old family secret. The proper frame of mind. A correct spiritual point of view. The right eye. But mostly . . . (Pulls out a bottle of bug spray) It is this mosquito repellant. (Chuckling) Would you like some?
Jessie was a late but invaluable addition to the franchise. The first version of her (with a different backstory) appeared in the New Adventures episode “Deadly Junket” but rarely again after until she became a permanent fixture in Real Adventures. But she is no mere token female. Though the most academic of the young trio, she has a deep and earnest reverence for the world’s splendor that goes beyond mere study. She also shares the boys’ love of exploration and courage to face impossible odds for the sake of what’s right.
- JESSIE: Hey, you! Drop him! (Hits a huge thug in the face with a disk, forcing him to release Jonny) Never thought being a frisbee champ would come in handy one day!
- JONNY: See Jess? I do break for lizards.
JESSIE: (After examining the lizard Jonny nearly hit with the jeep) Lucky for you. These are fringe-toed lizards. They’re endangered.
- JONNY: Careful, Jess!
JESSIE: (Annoyed, while climbing the dangling cage Jonny and Hadji are trapped in) Ugh, I never understand why people say that! It's like, what? Am I stupid enough to take an impossible risk?
- DR. QUEST: A rubbing?
JESSIE: Right. You taught me to always make one whenever dealing with rare artifacts.
The Quests’ bulldog, Bandit, is so named due to the black mask-like markings around his eyes. Unlike most of Hanna-Barbera’s animal characters, Bandit is a natural, non-anthropomorphic dog. That said, in the first show he is the comic relief, showing human expressions and intelligence, and his curiosity—even greater than Jonny’s—often getting him into adorable mishaps. These cartoonish features were toned down in the revival to make him even more realistic. Nevertheless, he saves his human friends countless times as any brave and loyal dog does.
- BANDIT: (Races toward the Quests’ jeep which is getting away) Bark! Bark! Bark!
JONNY: (Catches Bandit as he jumps in) Aw, come on, Bandit. You know we’d never leave you.
BANDIT: Bark! Bark! Bark!
- JONNY: What do you say, huh, boy? Are you a mutt from another planet?
BANDIT: Bark! Bark! Bark!
- JONNY: (From inside the rolling mine cart) Bandit! Get help!
BANDIT: (Obediently runs down another shaft) Bark! Bark! Bark!
- BANDIT: Bark! Bark!
ESTELLA: Thanks for finding us, Bandit!
Regardless of the show or decade, I can imagine many a kid and adult finding the protagonist’s likability, relatability, and overall confidence and inner strength just as appealing as the adrenaline-fueled adventures and exotic locales he and his comrads encounter. Whether you like a good old-fashioned sci-fi B-movie or a modern technological thriller, Jonny Quest wraps up all the size and scope of both in a nice, neat little after-school package.
CREDITS:
All images, audio, and links belong to their respective owners; no copyright infringement is intended.
MAIN THEME:
“The Call” — Briand Morrison and Roxann Berglund
EPISODE SONG:
“Epic Escapade” - Jake Searl
All other music and sound clips are from:
- Jonny Quest (created by Doug Wildey; owned by Hanna-Barbera [Warner Bros.])
- The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (directed by Ray Patterson; production by Hanna-Barbera Productions; distributed by Worldvision Enterprises)
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (developed by Peter Lawrence and Takashi Masunaga; directed by Mike Milo and Davis Doi; production by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons; distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution).
EPISODES:
JQ: Season 1, Ep. 1: “The Mystery of the Lizard Men”
Season 1, Ep. 3: “The Curse of Anubis”
Season 1, Ep. 5: “Riddle of the Gold”
Season 1, Ep. 6: “Treasure of the Temple”
Season 1, Ep. 7: “Calcutta Adventure”
Season 1, Ep. 10: “Alien in Washington”
NAoJQ: Ep. 4: “Deadly Junket”
RAoJQ: Season 1, Ep. 3: “In the Realm of the Condor”
Season 1, Ep. 5: “Ndovu's Last Journey”
Season 1, Ep. 7: “East of Zanzibar”
Season 1, Ep. 9: “Ezekiel Rage”
Season 1, Ep. 17: “The Spectre of the Pine Barrens”
Season 1, Ep. 22: “Expedition to Khumbu”
Season 2, Ep. 1: “The Mummies of Malenque”
Season 2, Ep. 4: “Race Against Danger”
Season 2, Ep. 16: “Other Space”
Season 2, Ep. 17: “Digital Doublecross”
Season 2, Ep. 18: “Thoughtscape”
Listen to the episode here!
Jonny Quest on Wikipedia
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on Wikipedia
Jonny Quest on IMDb
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on IMDb
Jonny Quest on Rotten Tomatoes
Jonny Quest on Metacritic
Jonny Quest on Common Sense Media
Jonny Quest on Tv Tropes
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest on Tv Tropes
Buy Jonny Quest on Amazon
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