The Super 6

Gotta bring these Super 6 guys out of the vaults and into syndication, folks! Tell me how to do it, and I'll see if I can pitch in some $$$$ to help you out (I'm not made of money, mind you, but we gotta get Super 6 back into circulation!!!). This was one of the first great-fun and more sophisticated humorous animated vehicles of my early years, much in the genre of Warner Brothers' sophistication and not the mamsy-pamsy (sp.) cartoon-glut of the unfunny, action-off-camera Hanna Barbera pabulum. I loved Captain Zammo's sarcasm, and Super Scuba + Elevator Man's debonair personas. I don't recall the Brothers Matzoriley, but they can stay in the vault for all I care. Much too derogatory toward ethnicities, in my estimation. But the Super 6 themselves??? The total ultimate!!!

The SUPER 6 is one of the lost classics of 60's Saturday morning television. While I have no reason to believe that the episodes do not exist somewhere in the DePatie-Freleng vaults, this delightful animated super-hero spoof has reportedly not been rebroadcast anywhere in over thirty years, which is really a shame.

The Super 6 were comprised of Granite Man, a statue brought to life by a magical incantation, Elevator Man, who could grow or shrink by pressing a switch on his belt buckle, Magneto Man, a living electro magnet, Captain Zammo, who could fly and travel through time, Super Scuba, a water breathing version of Dean Martin's Matt Helm, and Super Bwoing, who could fly, had laser vision, super strength and was a complete incompetent. Or, as the show's theme song put it, "Five great thunderbolts of power and a bolt who is a nut."

The Super 6 were not a traditional team, like the Mighty Heroes were, rather they were all part of Super Service, a super hero agency where trouble calls were received. The Chief, a Louie De Palma for an earlier age, would take the calls in his dispatcher's booth and send the most appropriate, or in Super Bwoing's case available, hero out on the job. Our six headliners were not the only members of Super Service. Though they rarely took part in the stories, many other super hero types were frequently seen in the Super Service offices, waiting around for assignments.

As best as I can determine, there were twenty episodes of SUPER 6, which is an odd number. This is based on the following formula: each thirty minute episode featured three segments: a "Super Bwoing", a "Super Service", featuring a different member of the other five Super 6 heroes each week, and a "The Brothers Matzoriley", which was a cartoon unrelated to the Super 6 components. To further confuse matters episode guides record 21 "Super Bwoing" cartoons, 19 "Super Service" cartoons, and 20 of "The Brothers Matzoriley".

The quality of the cartoons varied greatly, especially among the Super Bwoing segments. Some, for instance "Don't Gloat Red Coat", are just incredibly dumb, while others, like "Coldpinky" are great fun. One particularly sophisticated segment was the Elevator Man cartoon "Down Please", inspired by the SF classic THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN. Alerted that the gang of an incarcerated crime boss are planning on breaking him out of the city jail, the authorities call in Elevator Man to guard the prisoner. Elevator Man becomes a twelve foot giant, believing that at that size he'll be able to handle anything. But the criminals flood the jail with gas, rendering everyone, including our gargantuan hero, unconscious. Before escaping, the crime boss presses the down button on Elevator Man's belt. When Elevator Man recovers consciousness, he finds that his belt has been removed, that he is now too small to press the "up" button, and that he is still slowly shrinking. Great stuff.

Sadly lacking a syndication or video release, SUPER 6 has too long been relegated to the memories of those who enjoyed the program when it first aired. However with classic 60's TV cartoons, such as THE FLINTSTONES, BATFINK, JONNY QUEST and DePatie-Freleng's own THE PINK PANTHER starting to see releases on DVD, one can only hope that this highly enjoyable series is returned to public view, and we can once again "meet the men from Super Service".

UPDATE: It has been nine years (17 December, 2004) since this review was originally posted and I am pleased to announce that, unheralded and without fanfare, SUPER 6 - THE SERIES was finally released on DVD a few weeks ago. All twenty original episodes, complete, uncut and in pristine condition for less than $10.00!

Love this cartoon series! Super Scuba, Granite Man, Elevator Man, Magneto Man, Super Boing and a Captain whose name I forget, with weird building design for a headquarters. It's stupid, yeah, but so what! It made a fan of the Freleng style of animation.

I remember this cartoon series very well. It even had a catchy theme song.

I was wondering if any remembers another cartoon. I don't remember the name of it. I think it was part of another series that showed different cartoons shorts.It was in Black & White. It was a Japanese cartoon that featured two Japanese brothers. One of the two would never speak aloud, he would always whisper to the other. And wore big thick eyeglasses. And when he was done whispering to his brother an off-camera voice would ask "What he say?" The the other brother would answer "He say............." And they would end the show the same way. The shyer of the brothers would whisper to his brother. Then the off-camera voice would ask "What he say?"And the other brother something like "That's all the time we have for today. So until next time kids Sayonara" Does anyone out there remember this cartoon at all?

This stuff seems corny now.

But in 1966 it was a kick start to the TV animation era. It wasn't the first mind you, but it was made specifically for this medium.

I wasn't alive yet when this bugger had it's say. I wish I was though. I've seen it on local TV during those "We don't know what else to fill this time block with" moments in the late 70's.

As a superhero show, it did the job. Villains attempt a dirty scheme, the gang thwarts. And the heroes (Elevator Man?) were at least trying to be original.

I agree. A DVD release is needed, NAY, demanded.