A Look Back at 'Jonny Quest': The Pioneering 1960s Animated Saturday Morning TV Adventure Show

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Although it lasted only one TV season, Jonny Quest, with its pulsating theme music, and high-concept adventures, made its mark in pop culture history. The series, which stars the voice of the multi-talented actor Tim Matheson, became one of TV's classic Saturday morning animated series and remains one of the most groundbreaking shows of the era.

A Closer Look

Jonny Quest was initially envisioned as an animated adaptation of the classic radio serial Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.

A portion of the show's closing credits, during which African tribesmen throw spears at the Quest aircraft was intended as part of the intended Armstrong concept.

However, when comic book artist Doug Wildey was hired, he suggested replacing the Armstrong premise with an original concept, which became Jonny Quest.

Other Similarities

The original Jonny Quest TV show is also similar to ideas initially presented in the Rick Brant book series published by Grossett & Dunlap from 1947 to 1967.

The boy hero Rick Brant is the son of famed scientist Hartson Brant, who resides and is employed on his privately owned island. The Brants, along with an ex-marine named Scotty, and periodically, a Hindi boy named Chada, travel the globe on exotic adventures, with state-of-the-art gadgetry.

Behind the Scenes

John Stephenson originally voiced Dr. Benton Quest on the TV show. But Stephenson was eventually replaced by Don Messick because Stephenson's voice was considered too similar to Mike Road, who voiced Roger T. "Race" Bannon.

Meanwhile, the image of Race Bannon was based in real life on that of actor Jeff Chandler.

Conclusion

Despite any similarities to other characters in the world of radio or print, the original Jonny Quest animated TV series (which inspired a few sequels down the road) delivered its own brand of style that has satisfied audiences of all ages for decades.