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Doug Widley 1964 animated series "Jonny Quest," animated by Hanna-Barbera, only lasted 26 episodes, but for Gen-Xers, it may seem like a lot more. Thanks to a series of sweet, sweet syndication deals, along with the clever remixing and repackaging of the company's 1960s and 1970s shows, Hanna-Barbera cartoons remained in reruns for decades, allowing new generations to grow up watching "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?," "The Flintstones," and, uh, "Jabberjaw." For kids of the 1980s, not a Saturday slipped past without several Hanna-Barbera shows making their way into our eyeballs, often entirely by accident.

"Jonny Quest" always seemed to make its way into my generation's cartoon rotation, and many viewers my age became very fond of the show's chintzy, stilted animation, thick-lines drawing style, and stock "laser" sound effects. The premise was the stuff of boy's adventure novels: Jonny Quest (Tim Matheson) was an 11-year-old wunderkind who was skilled in martial arts,...

Beginning in the 1950s, Hanna-Barbera emerged as one of the greatest creators of Saturday-morning cartoons of the 20th century, thanks to properties like Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and The Jetsons. As the company continued to produce excellent and popular shows, it built up a strong, nostalgic reputation that has endured well into the 21st century, despite the company being defunct. Along the way, the best characters and shows of the company have been given some fun comic books.

Hanna-Barbera's properties come from two visionary creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, whose unique style of animation dominated TV for close to two decades. From their legendary crossover shows to reinventions of their own characters, the company's IP continues to prosper today, through games, film, animation and comics - the latter of which are responsible for a slew of brilliant stories, especially in tandem with its sister company, DC Comics.

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest...

There's good news for Scooby-Doo fans looking to relive some nostalgia from the late '80 and early '90s. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo is now streaming on Max, and the series turns what you know and love about the franchise on its head. Instead of featuring the Mystery Inc. crew in their adulthood, the show ages everyone down to their childhood. Instead of being a fully grown dog, Scooby-Doo is a puppy in this series, as the name suggests.

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Release Date September 10, 1988Main Genre AnimationCast Don Messick, Casey Kasem, Carl Steven, Kellie Martin, Scott Menville Expand

The show ran for three seasons and had just 27 episodes total, but it became a cult classic that continued to air on channels such as Cartoon Network throughout the 2000s. Sadly, the show was Don Messick's last time voicing Scooby before passing away in 1997.

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo is the eighth iteration of the franchise,...

Warning: contains spoilers for Jonny Quest #2!

Jonny Quests best friend Hadji just got a major upgrade, turning him into a badass. Hadji has been Jonnys loyal sidekick for over 60 years, and together they have shared in some hair-raising adventures. Now, in Dynamites new Jonny Quest ongoing, Jonny and Hadji have been flung forward in time, and in issue two, they meet an older version of Hadji, one highly proficient in combat and weapons.

Jonny Quest #2 is written by Joe Casey and drawn by Sebastian Piriz. Jonny, along with Hadji, Race and Doctor Quest, have determined they have traveled forward in time, to the year 2024. Allying themselves with the Jonny of 2024, they travel to Kolkata, in India. The Jonny of 2024 is searching for someone who can help him, who turns out to be an older Hadji. Uncertain as to their identities and purpose, the 2024 Hadji attacks. It becomes clear that Hadji...

Warning: contains spoilers for Jonny Quest #2!

Jonny Quest lore gets a dark twist, revealing that the titular hero fought in the Vietnam War. The classic Jonny Quest cartoon, despite being aimed at children, contained dark undercurrents, namely in its villains. Yet in Jonny Quest #2, by Dynamite Entertainment, this darkness is taken a step further, as it is revealed that an older Jonny was forced to fight to participate in the Vietnam War.

Jonny Quest #2 was written by Joe Casey and drawn by Sebastian Piriz. Team Quest has been thrust into the year 2024, and have joined with the Jonny Quest of that time to get home. During a moment of downtime, Race and the Jonny of 2024 share a heart-to-heart. Race notices Jonny no longer calls him Race, and asks when he stopped. Matters get heavy as Jonny reveals he stopped calling him Race the day his number came up in 1971. According to Jonny,...

Jonny Quest has been an icon for 60 years, with the new Dynamite series set to introduce him to a new generation. The latest issue, written by Joe Casey and drawn by Sebastian Piriz, delves into a mysterious and horrifying discovery. The creators of the new series embrace the original character design, catering to both old and new fans of Jonny Quest.

Warning: contains spoilers for Jonny Quest #1!

Fans have been thrilled by the exploits of Jonny Quest for 60 years, and Dynamites new ongoing series is poised to introduce the teen adventurer to a new generation. Dynamite signed a deal with Warner Brothers/Discovery to bring some of the biggest pop culture icons of all time to comics, and Jonny Quest #1 is another strong offering, accessible to fans both old and new.

Jonny Quest #1 was written by Joe Casey and drawn by Sebastian Piriz. Picking up where the Free Comic Book Day Special ended,...

"Toonami" debuted on the Cartoon Network in 1997, back when the network was just hitting its stride. Cartoon Network debuted in 1992, and originally offered mostly old animated reruns. It was, for years, the best place to find old Droopy cartoons, as well as Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry cartoons, old DC superhero fare, and reruns of Hanna-Barbera trash like "Scooby-Doo" and "The Flintstones." 

In 1994, the network had the brilliant idea to repurpose a largely forgotten Hanna-Barbera character named Space Ghost, transforming him into a talk show host. "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" set a new dadaist tone for the Cartoon Network, proving that it could make hip, self-aware, original content in addition to its blocks of reruns. In 1996 and 1997, Cartoon Network launched a quartet of new shows -- "Dexter's Laboratory," "Johnny Bravo," "The Powerpuff Girls," and "Cow and Chicken" -- and their reputation was solidified. It was now a destination station.

The Western is a genre that's mostly gone by the wayside in recent decades, as portraits of straight-shooting American heroes and uncomplicated "bad guys" have become less digestible to the public. While popular neo-Westerns (like "Justified" or the works of Taylor Sheridan) and perspective-changing genre breakdowns have made a splash in recent yers, the genre has mostly died out. Of the relics that remain, few are as prolific and familiar as "Bonanza," a Western series that ran for an impressive 14 seasons on NBC in the '60s and '70s.

As a long-running TV series, "Bonanza" was able to chart the change — or stubborn lack thereof — within the genre and the country, frankly addressing topics like racism and bigotry while also delivering regular laughs and a dash of melodrama to loyal viewers. The series starred Lorne Green as widower Ben Cartwright and Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, and Michael Landon as Ben's three sons.

Director Chris McKay ("The Lego Batman Movie") continues developing a live-action adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series "Jonny Quest" (1964), originally inspired by Milton Caniff's comic strip "Terry and the Pirates":

"...living in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous, and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms.

“He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the US Government.

“He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields.

"Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent, though willing…

“…and able to take violent decisive action...

Franklin J. Schaffner's 1968 sci-fi classic "Planet of the Apes," written by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, is a perfectly wicked political satire set in a distant, distant future on a distant, distant planet wherein human-like beings live as mute brutes and apes have evolved into the dominant rulers of the planet. The planet is discovered by a group of Earth astronauts who flew through some sort of time vortex while in the outer cosmos, and their leader, the stalwart Taylor (Charlton Heston), finds himself having to prove to the planet's own apes that humans are indeed capable of speech and thought.

In one of the best-known twist endings in cinema history, the film ultimately reveals that the planet of the apes was Earth all along. Taylor discovers a millennia-old Statue of Liberty on a distant beach, realizing that humans destroyed themselves in a nuclear conflagration and that apes evolved in their place.

Hanna-Barbera's sci-fi sitcom "The Jetsons" debuted in 1962, only two years after the studio had a major hit with "The Flintstones". The logic behind "The Jetsons" seemed to be that if one show could work in the distant past, then a very similar show ought to work in the distant future. "The Jetsons" was set in the far-off future year of 2062, where Earth's citizens have access to flying cars, robot maids, and various other bizarro technologies the mind could fathom. Despite civilization's advances, however, George Jetson (George O'Hanlon) was still a hollowed-out salaryman in the unhappy employ of a soulless widget-making corporation. His wife Jane (Penny Singleton) was a housewife. The dull, middle-class values of the 1950s, it seems, would resurge 90 years later.

The series ran only for one 24-episode season and was canceled in 1963. It left a sizable footprint, however, and was revived for two more seasons in 1985.

The catchy...

Cartoon Network revolutionized the world of animation with its 24/7 cartoon broadcasts, starting with re-runs of classics like The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo. Original Cartoon Network shows from the '90s, like Johnny Bravo and Courage the Cowardly Dog, continue to have a strong following and are considered iconic. The Powerpuff Girls, with its fierce action, stylish animation, and hidden adult jokes, is considered the best original Cartoon Network show of the '90s, winning multiple awards and leaving a lasting cultural legacy.

The original '90s Cartoon Network shows made for a golden era for the animation powerhouse. In 1991, Ted Turner bought Hanna-Barbera Productions for $320 million. Desiring a channel to broadcast Hanna-Barbera's extensive library of cartoons, he launched the Cartoon Network channel in 1992 — the first in history to play cartoons 24/7. Initially, these programs were re-runs of classics like The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and Jonny Quest. As the channel grew,...

ThunderCats are making a comeback in a new comic series from Dynamite Comics and Warner Bros. Discovery, exploring the heroes' early days on Third Earth. Other hit franchises like The Flintstones, The Powerpuff Girls, and Jonny Quest will also be getting their own comic series in the future. The creative team for the ThunderCats series includes Declan Shalvey, Drew Moss, and Jeff Eckleberry who have proven their ability to expand on beloved properties while retaining their popularity.

The ThunderCats are returning in a new comic series, revealed at New York Comic Con. Coming next February, the series will kick off a slew of comic titles from Dynamite Comics and Warner Bros. Discovery. Several hit franchises are returning, some of which have never had their own comic series before.

The newest addition to the ThunderCats franchise has the creative team of Declan Shalvey, Drew Moss, and Jeff Eckleberry. It will explore...

The long in development live-action "Jonny Quest" movie, has hit another snag because of complaints the screenplay is based on the 1964 ABC Hanna-Barbera animated TV series, that is now being labeled as 'racist':

"...set in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms. 

"He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the U.S. Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields. 

"Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent, though willing and able to take violent decisive action...

(Welcome to Animation Celebration, a recurring feature where we explore the limitless possibilities of animation as a medium. In this edition: "The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart.")

Adult Swim has always felt like a safe haven for the weirdos of the world, a network willing to let absurdist geniuses like Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim run wild and subvert classic cartoons for a new generation no matter how bizarre things would turn out. Plenty of shows have come and gone since the channel's launch in 2001, but for the last 20 years, there has remained a constant presence that captures the heart of what makes Adult Swim such a vital network for creativity — "The Venture Bros." Created By Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick (Eric Hammer and Christopher McCulloch), "The Venture Bros." started out as a satire on the boy adventurer and Space Age adventure cartoons prevalent in...

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you? On our TV screens for more than five decades, that's where. Scooby-Doo's been a part of the pop culture lexicon for nearly all of those now 54 years. The 1960s were arguably Hanna Barbera's golden era, with The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, and Wacky Races among the most recognizable titles of the day. However, most other shows stayed confined to the '60s and '70s, only living on today in reruns. Some – notably The Flintstones – continued with spin-offs and movies, but there were often long hiatuses between projects.

As for Scooby-Doo, there's rarely been a hiatus lasting more than a few years. For the most part, it's aired continuously since its debut in the '60s. Nowadays, fans can usually count on at least one new movie per year. But what's the secret? How has the mystery-solving dog,...

Director Chris McKay ("The Lego Batman Movie") continues developing a live-action adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera action adventure animated TV series "Jonny Quest" (1964), that originally was inspired by Milton Caniff's "Terry and the Pirates":

"...living in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous, and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms. He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the US Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields.

"Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent, though willing and able to take violent...

Considered the greatest action cartoon series of all time, director Chris McKay ("The Lego Batman Movie") continues developing a live-action adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series "Jonny Quest" (1964), including aliens, monsters and high-tech villains:

"...living in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous, and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms. He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the US Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields.

"Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent, though willing and able to take violent...

Director Chris McKay ("The Tomorrow War") continues to develop his live-action "Jonny Quest" feature film for Warners, comparing it to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with aliens, monsters and high-tech villains, based on the 1964 Hanna-Barbera animated series, noted as the first action adventure cartoon depicting 'bad guys' getting killed:

The original series is set in the Florida Keys, with main characters including 'Jonny Quest', a young teen who lost his mother at an early age.   He is intelligent, brave, adventurous and athletic with a courageous proficiency in martial arts, scuba diving and the handling of firearms.

'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and scientific genius who works for the US Government.    Raising Jonny as a single father, he is willing and able to take decisive action when necessary for survival or defense.

Mike Pence look-alike 'Race Bannon' is a special agent, bodyguard and pilot from 'Intelligence One'...  ...also proficient...

Director Chris McKay ("The Tomorrow War") continues to develop his live-action "Jonny Quest" feature film for Warners, comparing it to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with aliens, monsters and high-tech villains, based on the 1964 Hanna-Barbera animated series, noted as the first action adventure cartoon depicting 'bad guys' getting killed:

The original series is set in the Florida Keys, with main characters including 'Jonny Quest', a young teen who lost his mother at an early age.   He is intelligent, brave, adventurous and athletic with a courageous proficiency in martial arts, scuba diving and the handling of firearms.

'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and scientific genius who works for the US Government.    Raising Jonny as a single father, he is willing and able to take decisive action when necessary for survival or defense.

Mike Pence look-alike 'Race Bannon' is a special agent, bodyguard and pilot from 'Intelligence One'...  ...also proficient...

As one of the longest running programs in Adult Swim history, it was devastating when "The Venture Bros." was canceled in September of 2020 after 17 years and seven seasons on the late-night line-up. What started off as a modern send-up of "Jonny Quest" quickly became one of the funniest animated series ever made. The cancelation was especially heartbreaking, as series creator Jackson Publick (aka Christopher McCulloch) had made it known that the team was currently writing the show's eighth season. Hammer expressed his disappointment of the show's ending with Comic Book Resources, saying: 

"We have a character walking away from the Venture...

The post The Venture Bros. Creators Tease the Show's Resurrection With a 'Long-form Special' appeared first on /Film.

Considered the greatest action cartoon series of all time, director Chris McKay ("The Tomorrow “War”) continues developing his live-action adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series "Jonny Quest" (1964), likening it to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with aliens, monsters and high-tech villains:

"...living in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous, and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms. He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the US Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields.

"Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent,...

The Tomorrow War director Chris McKay has teased his approach to helming an upcoming live-action adaptation of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon Jonny Quest. While not much has been said about the adaptation, McKay has said exactly what fans of the series hoped to hear, likening the project to the adventure classic Raiders of the Lost Ark, but with a slightly more adult-oriented bent.

"It's a little bit like Raiders of the Lost Ark, a little Indiana Jones, but it's a family movie-about a family, not just for families, it's gonna be a PG-13 movie. You talk about pushing the envelope for PG-13, sometimes with kid's movies they play it safe. If you're gonna do an Indiana Jones movie where the family is going out on these adventures, the kids are gonna have to get in trouble and have to be sort of be over their head. And the very first...

Donald Douglas, a film editor known for Murder, She Wrote, George Washington and The Eddie Capra Mysteries, has died. His family announced that Douglas died October 3 at Grace Pointe in Greeley, Co, after a brief illness. He was 87.

The two-time Emmy nominee was born in 1932 in Kendall, Fl. At seventeen, Douglas enlisted in the Air Force and served for four years as a radar operator during the Korean War. While training for his Air Force service in California, Douglas met and married his first wife Kaye, with whom he would have four children.

After his time in the Air Force, Douglas returned to Southern California, where he caught the attention of Hanna Barbera boss Bill Hanna and dipped his feet into film editing. Douglas launched his decades-long film editing career at Hanna Barbera and went on to work multiple shows including The Yogi Bear Show, The Jetsons, The Flintstones and Jonny Quest.

Donald Douglas, an Emmy-nominated film editor who worked on Hanna-Barbera cartoons and the Angela Lansbury crime series Murder, She Wrote, died Oct. 3 after a brief illness in Greeley, Colorado, his family announced. He was 87.

After a stint working in the tool-and-die industry, Douglas accepted an offer from William Hanna in the early 1960s to join Hanna-Barbera Productions, and he went on to edit episodes of The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Jonny Quest and cartoons featuring Yogi Bear, Peter Potamus, Magilla Gorilla, Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant.

Douglas received his first Emmy nom in 1984 for his work on the miniseries George Washington, starring Barry ...

Donald Douglas, an Emmy-nominated film editor who worked on Hanna-Barbera cartoons and the Angela Lansbury crime series Murder, She Wrote, died Oct. 3 after a brief illness in Greeley, Colorado, his family announced. He was 87.

After a stint working in the tool-and-die industry, Douglas accepted an offer from William Hanna in the early 1960s to join Hanna-Barbera Productions, and he went on to edit episodes of The Flintstones, The Jetsons and Jonny Quest and cartoons featuring Yogi Bear, Peter Potamus, Magilla Gorilla, Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant.

Douglas received his first Emmy nom in 1984 for his work on the miniseries George Washington, starring Barry ...

Development continues on a live-action "Jonny Quest" feature film for Warners, based on the 1964 ABC primetime Hanna-Barbera animated series:

Living in the Florida Keys, the characters include 'Jonny Quest',a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous, and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving, and the handling of firearms. He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the U.S. Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields. Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent, though willing and able to take violent decisive action when necessary for survival or defense.

'Race Bannon' is a special agent,...

It’s been 17 years since Adult Swim debuted The Venture Bros., an animated series that began as a send-up of the classic cartoon Jonny Quest but quickly became its own hilarious action adventure series with a deep mythology and roster of characters that would rival that of the biggest fictional universes. Unfortunately, the adventures of […]

The post ‘The Venture Bros.’ Has Been Canceled at Adult Swim After 17 Years and 7 Seasons appeared first on /Film.

Jonny Quest is a cartoon that first emerged in the 1960s, and is among Hanna Barbera's cartoon collection. The cartoon depicted young Jonny going on adventures around the world with his father Dr. Benton Quest, Race Bannon, Hadji and his dog, Bandit.

Related: Scoob!: 10 Hanna-Barbera Easter Eggs Fans Missed

A day in Jonny Quest's life was never boring as he came across characters of all kinds, usually helped defeat some kind of villain, and emerged with a new and exciting story to tell. The action cartoon had a realistic look to it that stood out from other Hanna Barbera cartoons; Jonny and the gang had plenty of exciting adventures, but IMDb determined their ten best.

Considered the greatest action cartoon series of all time, director Chris McKay ("The Lego Batman Movie") continues developing a live-action adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series "Jonny Quest" (1964), including aliens, monsters and high-tech villains:

"...living in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous, and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms. He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the Us Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields. 

"Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent, though willing and able to take violent...

In 1991, Ted Turner bought Hanna-Barbera Productions for $320 million. Desiring a channel to broadcast Hanna-Barbera's extensive library of cartoons, he and his team developed and launched Cartoon Network by 1992. The channel was the first in history to play cartoons 24/7. Initially, these programs were re-runs of classics like The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and Jonny Quest. As the channel grew, they'd add new programming that helped shape the image of the channel.

Related: Courage The Cowardly Dog: 10 Times Eustace Was Actually Nice

Shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd 'n Eddy, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast. By 1994, Cartoon Network was ranked as the fifth most popular cable channel in the United States. And it's thanks to series like these.

Updated on March 4th, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Cartoon Network is known for its original programming that was unique and engaging for all audiences. The old Cartoon Network shows, the ones...

Director Chris McKay continues developing a live action "Jonny Quest" movie, based on the 1964 ABC primetime Hanna-Barbera animated TV series, noted as the first action adventure cartoon depicting people ('bad guys') getting killed, to be produced by Rideback's Dan Lin, Jonathan Eirich, Adrian Askarieh from Prime Universe and Daniel Alter:

"...set in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms. 

"He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the U.S. Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields. 

"Raising Jonny as a single father,...

Director Chris McKay ("The Lego Batman Movie") continues developing a live-action adaptation of the Hanna-Barbera animated TV series "Jonny Quest" (1964), noted as the first mainstream cartoon to violently kill off secondary characters in every episode, featuring aliens, monsters and high-tech villains:

"...living in the Florida Keys, 'Jonny Quest' is a young boy who lost his mother at an early age. Though unenthusiastic in his schooling, he is intelligent, brave, adventurous, and generally athletic with a proficiency in judo, scuba diving and the handling of firearms. He takes on responsibility willingly, attending to his studies, and treating adults with respect.

"'Dr. Benton C. Quest' is Jonny's father and a scientific genius who works for the Us Government. He is considered to be one of the three top scientists in the world with interests and technical know-how spanning many fields. 

"Raising Jonny as a single father, he is conscientious and decent, though...

Don Lusk, an animator and director who worked on Disney classics including Fantasia, Bambi and Pinocchio before moving to Hanna-Barbera in the 1960s, died Sunday. He was 105. His longtime friend Navah-Paskowitz Asner, announced the news on social media.

Born on October 28, 1913, in Los Angeles, Lusk was just 20 when he joined the Walt Disney Company just after the Great Depression, as its animation studio was riding high on Mickey Mouse shorts. He would work on those cartoons for his first several years there before contributing to Disney’s second and third toon features, 1940’s Pinocchio and Fantasia. For the latter, Lusk worked on the classic “Nutcracker Suite” and “Pastoral Symphony” segments.

He went on to draw for cartoons and such classic Disney features as Song of the South, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians, among others.

Need a quick recap of the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:   Big News Steven Spielberg is redoing The Color Purple as a musical: Steven Spielberg is revisiting his first serious drama by producing an adaptation of the Broadway musical version of The Color Purple, partnering again with Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones. Read everything we know about the remake here.    Great News Chris McKay is directing the Jonny Quest movie: The big-screen adaptation of the classic animated series Jonny Quest is finally moving forward with The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay. Read everything we know about it here.    Surprising News Breaking Bad sequel movie...

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Chris McKay’s upcoming “Nightwing” superhero film. Likewise, it’s been over three years since word dropped about a live-action “Jonny Quest” film. Now, it appears that silence doesn’t always mean that things aren’t happening behind the scenes, as The Wrap reports that McKay has just signed on to bring “Jonny Quest” to the big screen.

For those not familiar with the popular cartoon series, “Jonny Quest” tells the story of the young titular hero as he travels around the world with his scientist father, his adoptive brother Hadji, and bodyguard/badass Race Bannon.

Continue reading ‘Lego Batman’ Director Chris McKay To Direct Live-Action ‘Jonny Quest’ at The Playlist.

Deadline has confirmed that The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay has been set to direct a live-action feature take on the 1960s Hanna-Barbera animated series Jonny Quest for Warner Bros.

Created by Doug Wildey, the series followed a young boy on global adventures with his scientist father, adopted brother Hadji, and their bodyguard Race Bannon. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback are producing with Prime Universe’s Adrian Askarieh. Daniel Alter will serve as Ep. Robert Rodriguez was previously attached to the project with screenplay drafts by Terry Rossio and Dan Mazeau.

McKay was also an editor on The Lego Movie, and a producer on The Lego Ninjago Movie, and he’s set to produce Warner’s Wile E. Coyote Movie.

“The Incredibles 2” and its predecessor “The Incredibles” take place in a world pretty much like ours, with the key difference being for a while at least, superheroes were as common as they are in comic books. And the similarities to our world have long made fans wonder when, exactly, all this is taking place. The bad news is that both movies are pretty vague about that question. The good news is that they still have a lot of hints and clues that seem to suggest a specific, highly retro time frame. Let’s take a closer look.

The first thing to remember is the context: 15 years before the start of the original film, superheroic activities were made illegal after people hurt during super-events stared suing the heroes for damages. The heroes were then forced into retirement as part of a sort of witness protection program. Furthermore, “The Incredibles 2” picks up...

Two of the summer’s most anticipated movies, “Incredibles 2” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” are franchise follow-ups with music by the same composer. Surprisingly, neither score relies much on familiar themes.

It might have been a no-brainer for tunesmith Michael Giacchino to fall back on his well-known theme for “The Incredibles” (written in 2004) or on John Williams’ even more famous fanfare for the original “Jurassic Park” from 1993. Both make fleeting appearances in the new films, but otherwise the scores are entirely new.

“There is a tendency these days to just plug and play when it comes to scores from past years,” says the Oscar-winning composer (“Up”). “Many times, it derails what you’re trying to do narratively. And the last thing I want to do is just rehash what we did before. I like to bring something new and then lean on old themes only when you absolutely need them.

Here is an image to cherish: Guillermo del Toro, as a young boy, “watching a TV series on the floor, on my belly, with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies.” It represents more than just a pleasant memory for the director when it comes to “Trollhunters,” the new animated series he co-created for Dreamworks and Netflix. In crafting the story of Jim (played by Anton Yelchin, who tragically passed away earlier this year), a young man who gets chosen by a mystical amulet to serve as protector of a hidden troll kingdom, del Toro hopes to capture the spirit of the shows he grew up watching, including classic adventure series like “Jonny Quest.”

Read More: ‘Trollhunters’ Featurette: Guillermo Del Toro and the Cast Reveal the Mythology Behind the Animated Series

While the visual master is best known for dark tales of childhood like “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labrynth,...

Guillermo del Toro’s latest project, the Netflix animated series “Trollhunters,” is meant to be a fun homage to action adventure series like “Jonny Quest,” which the director watched as a child “with milk and cookies.” But the series launches with one sad element to it — it marks one of the last acting roles of Anton Yelchin, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 27.

Read More: ‘Trollhunters’ Clip: Anton Yelchin Discovers His New Powers in Guillermo del Toro’s Animated Series

As Del Toro told IndieWire via phone, “He was an extraordinary young man and, being 52 myself, having kids that are 19 and 16, to me, the most unimaginable loss is somebody that age. Somebody that goes that young. It just hit me unexpectedly hard.”

“I had a very paternalistic sense toward him,” del Toro added. “I felt he was a young man that was enjoying a really good moment in his life.

The new branded line Shout Selects chooses Buckaroo for special-special edition treatment, with a long making-of docu just like the ones from the heyday of DVD. And this oddest of oddball sci-fi pictures has a backstory worth documenting. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Blu-ray Shout Select 1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / 34.93 Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera Cinematography Fred J. Koenekamp Production Designer J. Michael Riva Art Direction Richard Carter, Stephen Dane Film Editor George Bowers, Richard Marks Original Music Michael Boddicker Written by Earl Mac Rauch Produced by Sidney Beckerman, Neil Canton, W.D. Richter Directed by W.D. Richter

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Not content with its already well appointed special Blu-ray editions,...

Steve Pugh (DC Comics)

Most of us have no doubt been enjoying the DC’s launch of Rebirth titles, but they have launched a line of Hanna Barbera titles as well. It started last month with Jonny Quest and this week we get the a modern take on the prehistoric family The Flintstones. The classic themes of the show are still present but are presented in a more mature fashion, especially Fred’s relationship with his boss Mr. Slate. Who without a doubt will be the one putting Fred into difficult situations going forward for his personal gain. The most interesting aspect of this book was that they made Fred and Barney war veterans (I don’t remember from the cartoon if it was ever mentioned if he was a soldier). This was established pretty early on in the issues so I wonder how much it will come into play going forward.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

Just when I decided that maybe DC’s “Rebirth” might possibly be worthy – yes, I know, I had the same hopes for Batman v Superman – the other shoe dropped. Back in the 1990s I perceived DC as a centipede, with (obviously) 100 shoes to drop. Now, I’m thinking millipede.

In case you haven’t heard, DC decided to “reimagine” (lord how I hate that word) the classic Hanna-Barbera characters. Sort of like what Archie Comics just did with Archie but, in this case, totally needless.

I have little if any strong attachment to the H-b characters. Even as a kid I knew cheap, shitty animation and sub-standard writing. I loved Rocky and Bullwinkle, which employed even cheaper animation, but after mildly enjoying the first season of The Flintstones I decided life was too short – I was 10 years old – and...

Warner Bros. has had a rough go of it the last couple of years, as they continue to try and set up franchises that don't go anywhere. They are currently in the midst of launching their DC Comics Extended Universe, which faltered with a less than stellar box office reception for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. While The Lego Movie saga and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them are quite important to the studio, Warner Bros. is now banking on one of their most iconic animated properties to set up a whole new world of interconnected movies. Yes, they are using their impending Scooby-Doo animated feature to launch the Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe.

This news was revealed at CinemaCon 2016. It was in Las Vegas that Warner Bros. announced the new title of the Scooby-Doo movie is S.C.O.O.B.. Though, we're not sure yet what that stands for,...

Though a reboot of the "Scooby Doo" franchise has been in the works for a while at Warner Bros. Pictures, it turns out the studio has more ambitious plans than just one film.

Slashfilm reports that the studio announced at CinemaCon this week in Las Vegas that the new "Scooby Doo" film will be called "S.C.O.O.B." and is targeting a September 21st 2018 release.

That's not all though, it seems the film might serve as the launching pad of a proposed new wave of potentially interlocking movies based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoons. A cinematic universe of those characters which includes the likes of The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, The Smurfs, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, Wacky Races, Sealab 2020 and many others.

Rights to certain titles, such as "The Smurfs," are owned by other parties and so obviously can't take part. The potential news comes from a studio...

Classic cartoon lovers rejoice! That fantastic feline superstar returns to UK movie screens in just a few weeks. As the Hoyt Curtin TV theme proclaims, “…but above everything, he’s the most tip top…Top Cat!”. Tc, as close friends call him, did indeed debut on American TV screens on the then fledgling ABC network in September of 1961 (talk about your nine lives!). This show, along with “The Jetsons” and “Jonny Quest” was an attempt by animation studio Hanna-Barbera to replicate the prime time success of that “modern stone-age family “The Flintstones” just a year or so before. Unfortunately Tc was not the rating smash that Fred and company were, so only one season (30 half hour episodes) were produced. But the kitty con-artist and his pals endured as a Saturday morning staple,then a syndicated smash. As beloved as the show was in its native Us, “Top Cat” was an even bigger hit overseas,...

Hold onto your hats classic animation fans. It's about to get a little weird and a bit ugly up in here. DC Entertainment has decided to reimagine some of the greatest Saturday Morning Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters of all time. And of course it comes with a twist. But will fans dig it? Or is this sheer blasphemy? We have the photos courtesy of EW for you to decide.

You know their names. The Flintstones, Jonny Quest and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! have been TV staples for the last forty years, and they have amassed a huge fan base, spawning big screen movies and various other merchandise. This May, they will all return in their very own brand-new DC Comics series. The upcoming titles include Scooby Apocalypse, http://movieweb.com/jonny-quest-movie-live-action-director-robert-rodriguez/Future Quest, Wacky Raceland and The Flintstones. The story lines won't be rehashed from what has come before it, but...

Pajamas and a big bowl of sugary cereal is how many of us remember watching our favorite Saturday morning cartoons as kids. Beginning in May, DC Entertainment plans to give old fans and new the chance to relive (and extend) their childhoods with a new, modern lineup of comics based on some of Hanna-Barbera’s most popular cartoon characters, but reimagined in a fresh and contemporary fashion.

The initial lineup includes:

Scooby Apocalypse – Featuring character designs by veteran artist Jim Lee and an origin story by Jim Lee and Keith Giffen (Justice League 3001), artist Howard Porter (Superman) will provide his own unique take on Freddie, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo. “Those meddling kids” and their Mystery Machine are at the center of a well-meaning experiment gone wrong and they’ll need to bring all of their mystery solving skills to bear (along with plenty of Scooby Snacks), to find a...

In a move that feels both surprising and strangely overdue, DC Entertainment is going to release a line of comics that give new life to classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon properties, including Scooby-Doo, the Flintstones, Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, and Wacky Races. In an interview over at Entertainment Weekly, DC co-publisher Dan Didio said the mass reboot's goal is to "not just bring back versions that existed 40, 50 years ago and really look at it the way of saying, if these characters were created and interpreted today, how would they exist?" Not much is known about the content of the comics, but some of their titles suggest new slants on old concepts: Future Quest, Wacky Raceland, and, most eyebrow-raising of all, Scooby Apocalypse. And speaking of the apocalypse: A designer from Mad Max: Fury Road consulted on Wacky Raceland! The new slate is scheduled to launch in May and will feature...