Talk:Jonny Quest (TV series)

I started this page because Jonny Quest is a fascinating example of how to create a James Bond-style action adventure story that fits into a 23 minute time slot, while, in the Hanna-Barbera style of limited animation, using as few drawings as possible...thus enduring the irony of describing as much action as possible with as few drawings as possible. This is part of the charm of Jonny Quest.

Still, because the "locations" are drawings and painted backgrounds, Jonny Quest could go convincingly to places that a live action show could not afford. The directorial and story style focuses on efficiency and directness, with dialogue "up front", often spelling out feelings and character exposition with blunt force -- there's little time for subtlety.

The show's primary ideology is pro-science, pro-American, and Cold War-centric through cultural innuendo (without being specific about politics), and is a mixture of cultural inquisitiveness, cultural prejudice, and a certain lack of environmental awareness that reflects American values of the early 60's. Indeed, Dr. Benton Quest seems to be at the very heart of the military-industrial complex.

Another endearing aspect to fans is, of course, that Jonny Quest has more "pre-censorship" violence, more violence than would be permissible or appropriate today, even on prime-time cable. Being an action-adventure show, the purpose of the violence is not to provoke laughs as in a typical Hanna Barbera cartoon, but it is a "serious" matter, consistent with mainstream comic book violence of the period; although the simplified cartoon style does permit the killing at times to veer into a humorous vein.

John Graves

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