Jonny Quest (1964)

My favorite cartoon, 27 July 2007

Back in the 60s, I was convinced that "Jonny Quest" was the single greatest cartoon ever created. It was something special. It had a more adult feel to it and, therefore, to my 5 year old mind, that made it more real. Watching today, I realize how wrong my notions of reality were, but there's no denying a more serious tone or style to "Jonny Quest" than any other cartoon on at the time. But there's also no denying how good it really was. I was incredibly envious of Jonny and the adventures he and Hadji were allowed to go on. Battling mummies, chasing a giant robotic spider, and fighting off giant condors were just part of the fun. And what about Race Bannon – what small boy worth his salt didn't want to grow up and be like Race? He was awesome. Finally, I would argue that there were other positive aspects of the show beyond entertainment. This may sound completely ridiculous to someone who never watched "Jonny Quest", but it inspired a real interest in science and history in me and my brother. I look at the show as having had a very positive influence on us.

I have fond memories of many of the episodes, but if I had to pick just one as a favorite, I think I would go with "The House of the Seven Gargoyles". Talk about creeping me out – I hid my head under the covers. I still have the most vivid memories of that episode. I recently picked up the DVD set and, over the past couple of months, I've been making my way through the episodes. Forty years later, I'm still enjoying them and "The House of Seven Gargoyles" is still pretty creepy. To my delight, my four year old son has watched a couple of the episodes with me. I was thrilled when I realized how much he was loving it. Like father, like son – how cool is that?

10/10