Creator – Alex Toth (Space Ghost, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast)
Starring – Mike Road (Godzilla, The Fantastic Four), Ted Eccles (Bad Ronald, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour), and Virginia Gregg (Psycho III, The Fockford Files)
Release Date – 1967
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3/5
Being born in the 80s gave me the ability to grow up through some of the most iconic television shows in history. However, previous decades had their own iconic shows as well along with some nearly forgotten series. In 1967 Hanna-Barbera released the sci-fi fantasy series The Herculoids and would have episodes rerun for two years before finally cancelling.
I’m a huge fan of Hanna-Barbera but this is one series I had never really seen before. When Warner Bros. announced the entire series was getting released on blu as part of their Archive Collection. I quickly reached out and they were kind enough to send over a review copy for me to check out.
**Spoiler Alert** The series follows a barbaric king, his wife, his son, and their group of creatures who protect their planet from invading forces and various other threats. **Spoiler Alert**
I was really excited to check out The Herculoids. I had watched Thundarr not too long ago and was really excited to check out another sci-fi fantasy series in the same line. The Herculoids was a great series that may have been the inspiration for shows like Thundarr and Masters of the Universe. It was a lot of fun but the sudden ending to the show really left me feeling empty and wanting more.
The voice acting in this one is fun but far from the best I had seen. The shows I grew up on seemed to have characters that really stand out. You find yourself thinking about the things they said days after watching episodes. However, The Herculoids doesn’t really stand out. Their voices resemble other characters from the Hanna-Barbera catalogue of the time. Also, the characters lacked the memorable personalities that make them stand out.
The story for this one is very similar to other sci-fi fantasy shows. I really enjoyed it and how the series really did take leaps and risks with it. The creatures and scenarios we find The Herculoids in is what really sold me on the show. I don’t see myself revisiting the series anytime soon but I wouldn’t mind newer episodes to dig into.
Finally, the animation is exactly what you would expect from a late 60s Hanna-Barbara’s cartoon. Honestly, I enjoyed the art style but it might not be something that stands out to some viewers. Overall, The Herculoids is a fun short lived series that brings the sci-fi fantasy elements to the viewer. It may not be memorable but it’s not bad. I really enjoyed it and the blu looks great. It does lack supplemental material but it’s worth the price.
Special Features:
None
