The Mighty Hercules

The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules
Created by	Adventure Cartoon Productions
Directed by	Joe Oriolo
Voices of	; Jimmy Tapp;
Country of origin	Canada; United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	128
Production
Producer	Joe Oriolo
Running time	5 minutes (usually compiled into 30-minute omnibuses)[citation needed]
Production companies	Adventure Cartoons For Television, Inc.
Distributor	Trans-Lux Television (former); NBCUniversal Television Distribution (on behalf of Classic Media) (current)
Release
Original network	first-run syndication
Original release	September 1, 1963 –; May 1, 1966

The Mighty Hercules is a Canadian/American animated television series based loosely on the Greek mythology character of Heracles, under his Roman name Hercules. It debuted on television in 1963.^[1] The show ran until 1966, coinciding with the sword-and-sandal genre of films popular between 1958 and 1965. Each stand-alone episode runs 5½ minutes, and in syndication was aired either as part of a block with other cartoons, or with several episodes airing consecutively to fill 30-minute time slots.^[2]^[3]

Summary[]

The cartoon features Hercules, the legendary hero, who dwells on Mount Olympus. Villains threaten the people of ancient Greece, often in the kingdom of Calydon, and Hercules comes to the rescue. When in serious danger, he puts on a magic ring which gives him superpowers. Once he puts the ring on and raises his fist, flashes of lightning (referred to as the Thunder of Zeus in several episodes) strike the ring, and Hercules is then endowed with super-strength.^[4] He does battle with nemeses such as Daedalus, an evil wizard who is the chief villain (sometimes accompanied by his pet cat Dydo). Other villains include Wilhelmine the Sea Witch (accompanied by her pet bird Elvira) and Murtis, who is invulnerable because he wears an iron helmet known as the Mask of Vulcan.^[5]

Hercules's friends and allies are:

Newton, his main sidekick, a helpful boy centaur who calls Hercules "Herc" and has a habit of repeating himself every time he speaks
Helena, Hercules's girlfriend
Prince (later King) Dorian of Calydon
Tewt, a small satyr who vocalizes only by playing his syrinx
Timon, a young human from Calydon
Pegasus, Hercules's winged steed.

Also featured atop Mount Olympus are Hercules's father Zeus and Dodonis with his crystal rock of seeing. Both often warn Hercules of the troubles going on down below in and around the Kingdom of Calydon or deep in the Lernaean Forest.

The original episode has relatively lavish animation by . In it, Hercules beats his friend Theseus in a footrace and a wrestling match, and for his victory Zeus rewards him by promising to grant any request Hercules makes. Hercules wishes to go to Earth to fight evil and injustice, but Zeus reminds him that going to Earth would cause him to lose his godly powers and become a mortal. Zeus then creates a magic ring that allows Hercules access to his godly strength while on Earth. The rest of the episode involves Hercules meeting Helena and fighting a giant named Cacus and the giant's pet dragon. None of the other familiar characters make an appearance in the episode, and it features different character designs for Hercules and Helena.

The show generally used real Greek myths as the inspiration for its episodes, but used the influences oddly. Daedalus is the evil wizard who is Hercules's most frequent foe in the cartoon, but in Greek mythology Daedalus was a skilled artisan who was not a villain at all. Cacus, the giant of the first episode, is based on the mythological monster Cacus. Other recurring creatures – such as the Nemean lion, the Lernaean Hydra, the Erymanthian Boar, and the Stymphalian birds — were taken directly from the Twelve Labors of Hercules but, unlike in the Twelve Labors, most of the creatures are not presented in the cartoon as trials for Hercules to overcome.

In addition to the ring, later episodes added new equipment for Hercules and his friends to use, such as a "moonstone beam" in his belt and an invulnerable sword and shield. Episodes invariably ended with Hercules racing towards Mount Olympus and shouting "Olympia!" after defeating the villain.

Production[]

Adventure Cartoon Productions made The Mighty Hercules in connection with Trans-Lux Television, the same company that later brought the Japanese anime series Speed Racer to audiences in the United States. The company produced 128 episodes of The Mighty Hercules, each approximately 5 minutes in length. Joe Oriolo was the producer and director, and many of the animators were veterans of the New York City animation scene, including Grim Natwick, Frank Endres, John Gentilella, George Germanetti, Reuben Grossman, and George Rufle.

The show featured two different sets of voices for the characters. The most noticeably different voice was that of Newton: his original voice sounds as if he has just hit puberty, with his voice constantly cracking, while the later episodes give him a high-pitched Mickey Mouse-like voice. There is no gradual change in the voices. Most of the early episodes have the first set of voices, and the rest have the second set, and in the seventh episode during the first season, "Double Trouble," the voices actually change during the episode, with Newton near the end of the episode speaking a line in his original cracking voice and in his very next line switching to his second, high-pitched voice, while Hercules speaks in his first voice until his final two lines of the episode, which are in Hercules's second voice. In early episodes of the first season, voice actor David Hartman, who later hosted the television show Good Morning America, voices Hercules before a different actor takes over for the remainder of the series's run; The Mighty Hercules always credits Jimmy Tapp as the voice of Hercules despite Hartman's early portrayal of the character. The series credits Daedalus's voice, depending on the episode, to Jack Mercer or . Early episodes also feature Mercer voicing Newton and other incidental characters. The voice actress for all the female voices is . The animation for the sequence of Hercules putting on and charging up his magic ring also changed subtly along with the voices. The episodes "The Minotaur" and "The Chair of Forgetfulness" provide good examples of the first set of voices and the first version of the ring sequence, while the episodes "The Nemean Lion" and "The Chameleon Creature" are good examples of the second set of voices and later ring sequence.

Music[]

The Mighty Hercules features a theme song sung by Johnny Nash, the American reggae singer-songwriter best known for 1956's "A Very Special Love" and 1972's "I Can See Clearly Now".^[6]^[7] The theme music is credited to Winston Sharples (as "Win Sharples"), who in more than two decades at Paramount Pictures had composed background music for the Superman (1941) and Popeye theatrical cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios, while the theme's lyrics were written by Sharples's son Winston Sharples, Jr., under the pseudonym "Win Singleton" (his first and middle names).^{[citation needed]} The transformative "ring anthem" frequently used as Hercules slips on his magic ring, along with several bridges of music used throughout the episodes, were taken from the 1954 film The Black Shield of Falworth, with the music credited to Joseph Gershenson but actually composed by Hans J. Salter, Herman Stein, and Frank Skinner, the longtime in-house film composer for Universal Studios.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, The Mighty Hercules was re-issued to television in a newly remastered version and was reformatted, with new title music performed by an unidentified singer replacing the familiar theme music.^{[citation needed]} The version that aired on the Canadian network Teletoon Retro, however, used the original Nash theme music.^{[citation needed]}

Episode list[]

hideSeason 1
1. Hercules Comes to Earth 2. Hercules vs. the Hydra 3. Hercules and the Stolen Ring 4. Hercules and the Magic Arrows 5. Daedalus Kidnaps Helena 6. Theft of the Magic Seal 7. Double Trouble 8. Hercules Rescues Timon 9. The Chair of Forgetfulness 10. The Strength Potion 11. Hercules vs. the Hideous Bird Beast 12. Pegasus Kidnapped 13. The Invisible Potion 14. Medusa's Scepter 15. Search for the Golden Apple 16. The Thieving Bird Hoard 17. Daedalus Becomes a Giant 18. The Stolen Treasure 19. The Cure 20. The Thunderbolt Disc 21. Sun Diamond of Helios 22. Hercules Lends a Hand 23. The Defiant Mask of Vulcan 24. The Golden Goblet 25. The Lexas Lagoon 26. Guarding of the Olympic Torch 27. Helena Cries Wolf 28. Hercules Saves the Villagers 29. Hercules and the Magic Arrows 30. Hercules Battles the Krudes Beast 31. The Cave of Death 32. Medusa's Sceptre 33. The Bewitch Birds 34. The Enchanted Pool 35. The Endless Chasm 36. Hercules Protects Helena and Newton 37. Hercules Helps King Neptune 38. The Return of the Mask 39. Hercules Saves Helena 40. The Magnetic Stone 41. The Magic Rod 42. The Minotaur 43. Hercules and the Eternal Sleep

hideSeason 2
44. The Clutching Clay Pool 45. Princess Rhea 46. The Valley of Whirlwinds 47. The Wild Boar 48. The Magic Belt of Hercules 49. The Errand of Mercy 50. The Nemean Lion 51. The Magician 52. Dorian's Wreath 53. The Unicorns 54. Wilhelmine 55. The Witch and the Magic Ring 56. Diomedes' Evil Plot 57. Hercules' Unwanted Powers 58. The Enchanted Wolf 59. Hercules and His Two Rivals 60. Hercules Saves the King 61. The Thracian Army 62. The Gems of Venus 63. The Golden Torch 64. Hercules vs. Teron, the Evil Spirit 65. Hercules Saves the Kingdom 66. Kidnapped by Wilhelmine 67. The Chameleon Creature 68. Earthquake Valley 69. Newton the Centaur 70. Helena Kidnapped – Hercules to the Rescue 71. Hercules and His Friends 72. The Magic Sword 73. Timon's Grandfather and Hercules 74. Hercules Loses His Memory 75. The Hall of Justice 76. The Cave of Callisto 77. The Powerless Hercules 78. Omar, the Sultan's Champion 79. Sandals of Electra 80. The Sea Witch 81. The Giant 82. Helena's Beauty 83. The Island of the Miros Monster 84. Hercules and the Fireball 85. Hercules Outwits the Magician 86. The Evil Weapon

hideSeason 3
87. The Giant Ruby 88. The Owl Man 89. The Chameleon Man 90. Hercules Foils the Mask of Vulcan 91. The Exploding Diamond 92. Hercules and the Sea Witch 93. The Magic Lamp 94. The Owl-Man of Parnassus 95. The Eruption of Mount Sirius 96. The Deadly Gift 97. The Thesian Thunderhorn 98. The Dreaded Beast of Charon 99. Hercules, Newton, and the Evil Magician 100. The Fiery Abyss 101. The Giant Dragonfly 102. Tewt's Magic Wand Trouble 103. The Wings of Mercury 104. The Sea Beast 105. Prometheus in Dire Danger 106. The Crafty Chameleon 107. Kingdom Under the Glass Dome 108. The Fantus Beast 109. The Lyssidian Locusts 110. Hercules Saves Caledon 111. Helena's Jinx 112. The Sinister Statue 113. Friend or Foe of Centaur 114. The Young Olympians 115. The Feast of Calydon 116. The Lava Flow 117. The Dreaded Draught 118. Underwater Battle 119. The Sidian Illusion Stone 120. Timon to the Aid of Hercules 121. The Fiery Pits of Pyros 122. The Clovis Creature 123. The Valley of Storms 124. The Centaur on Mischief Day 125. The Throne of Calydon 126. Battle of the Magic Rings 127. Diomedes and His Warriors 128. King for a Day

Audio recording[]

In 1963, Golden Records released a tie-in long-playing record for children entitled The Mighty Hercules (LP-108), with words and music by Winston Sharples.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture[]

In 2009, the Canadian jazz musician John Stetch covered the theme song from The Mighty Hercules on his album TV Trio.^[8]

DVD release[]

On October 4, 2011, Classic Media (now DreamWorks Classics) brought the series to DVD for the first time with a single-disc selection entitled The Mighty Hercules, in Region 1. All 20 episodes are from season 1, the last one being episode 40.^[9]

References[]

^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 543. ISBN 978-1476665993.
^ The Mighty Hercules at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016.
^ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2509207546004553&set=g.175656928881&type=1&theater&ifg=1
^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 392–393. ISBN 978-1538103739.
^ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 182–183. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
^ nostalgiacentral.com MIGHTY HERCULES, THE
^ theclassicrocker.wordpress.com #162 – The Mighty Hercules Theme Song, February 23, 2019
^ "TV Tunes swing on new CD". The Tucson Citizen, February 10, 2009.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Lambert, David (July 13, 2011). "The Mighty Hercules – Single-Disc DVD Release Announced for the Classic '60s Cartoon". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.

External links[]

[1] Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 543. ISBN 978-1476665993.

[toon-2] The Mighty Hercules at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016.

[3] ttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2509207546004553&set=g.175656928881&type=1&theater&ifg=1

[Perlmutter-4] Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 392–393. ISBN 978-1538103739.

[Woolery-5] Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 182–183. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved March 14, 2020.

[6] stalgiacentral.com MIGHTY HERCULES, THE

[7] theclassicrocker.wordpress.com #162 – The Mighty Hercules Theme Song, February 23, 2019

[8] "TV Tunes swing on new CD". The Tucson Citizen, February 10, 2009.^{[permanent dead link]}

[9] Lambert, David (July 13, 2011). "The Mighty Hercules – Single-Disc DVD Release Announced for the Classic '60s Cartoon". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.

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