The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

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The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
Real-jq-video.jpg
The cover for a VHS release of two episodes
Genre Animation / Action / Adventure
Created by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and Doug Wildey
Developed by Peter Lawrence / Takashi
Voices of J. D. Roth, Michael Banyaer, Jesse Douglas, George Segal, Robert Patrick, Frank Welker (season one)
Quinton Flynn, Rob Paulsen, Jennifer Hale, John de Lancie, Robert Foxworth (season two)
Country of origin USA
Language(s) English
No. of episodes 52 (List of episodes)
Production
Producer(s) John Eng, Cosmo Anzilotti, David Lipman, Davis Doi, Larry Houston
Running time 22 minutes approx.
Broadcast
Original channel Cartoon Network
Original run August 26, 1996 – April 16, 1997
Links
(defunct) Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. A revival of the Jonny Quest franchise, it featured Jonny and his friends as teenagers with the character of Race's daughter, Jessie.[1] Creators staged the show around phenomenologist Dr. Quest's investigations of "existing, real phenomena" and mysteries in exotic locales.[2][3] Action also took place in the virtual reality of QuestWorld, a three dimensional cyberspace domain rendered with computer animation.[4]

Real Adventures suffered a long and troubled development process, prompting Hanna-Barbera to dismiss the original creative team in 1996 and hire four new producers to finish the show.[2] Two finished the previous team's work for the premiere, while the others wrote new episodes with a reworked design akin to the classic Quest.[5] First season writers crafted stories of real-world mystery and exploration, while the new team invoked more liberal science fiction and paranormal plots.[6] Each team produced twenty-six episodes for fifty-two overall.[6]

Hanna-Barbera supported the show through a massive marketing campaign with thirty-three licensees.[2] Real Adventures debuted with an unprecedentedly wide release on Cartoon Network, TBS Superstation, and TNT with twenty-one airings a week.[7][8] Critics debated the quality of animation and whether the show's spirit was true to the original.[9][10] Real Adventures failed to gain consistent ratings and the merchandise performed poorly, leading to cancellation following the second season.[5] Eight episodes were released in 1996 on VHS, and reruns appeared until 1999 on Toonami and 2003 on CNX.[8][11][12]

Development and history

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest was conceived circa 1993 as part of Hanna-Barbera's revival of the Quest franchise amidst fan interest and support.[13][2] Hanna-Barbera's chief Fred Seibert claimed in 1994 that the company received more mail concerning Quest than any other franchise.[14][2] The company planned to produce a new series, live action film, and two telefilms—Jonny's Golden Quest and Jonny Quest vs. The Cyber Insects.[15][13] Led by director Dick Sebast, the first Real Adventures development team was briefly dismissed in favor of writer Peter Lawrence and art director Takashi.[2] The latter designed the characters and Jonny to be "edgier...more handsome, rather than the cute kid he used to be," warranting comparisons to anime.[2][1] The team requested use of a new character—Race's daughter, Jessie Bannon—to create conflict with Jonny.[1] She had previously appeared in the 1986 Jonny Quest episodes as a general's daughter, and would debut in the telefilms as Race's daughter by Jezebel Jade.[5] Intended for a 1995 release with sixty-five episodes, the project fell into development hell, where it remained until early 1996.[16][2] Hanna-Barbera removed the Lawrence team and brought in John Eng and Cos Anzilotti to finish the first twenty-six episodes.[17][2][16] A third creative team led by David Lipman, Davis Doi, and Larry Houston would finish twenty-six more.[2] With Turner pushing for prompt completion, work on the episodes was strenuous and exhaustive; certain sequences had to be completely rewritten.[6][18] Completed scripts numbered roughly thirty-five pages each.[6] The second season episodes were intended to be broadcast as a separate series, but this plan was negated following the Time-Warner acquisition of Hanna-Barbera.[19]

File:Trajq-eastofzanzibar.png
Example of digital painting for a reflective water texture in East of Zanzibar

Producers contracted seven studios to animate the first season. An international team handled digital post-production and QuestWorld scenes, while Japanese and Korean animators drew traditional cel sequences.[2] Over a quarter of the first season's footage was digitally inked and painted "to enhance the background and the atmospheric elements."[2] The process was applied in "excess of 20 hours per episode...just for effects, beyond the normal things you do...We added light effects, rain, snow, glitter, reflections, fog, [which] made things much more realistic."[2] The Japan-based Mook Studios exclusively animated the second season.[6] Composer Gary Lionelli updated the original Jonny Quest theme; he and other artists wrote incidental music and cues used in both seasons. Composer Guy Moon called it the "hardest thing I've done in my life", as the producers "want it big, Big, BIG."[20] "They want a big orchestra with a good synth rig...It's great because they push me so much I'll probably replace my whole demo reel with Jonny Quest music. It's hip and it's current."[20] The show's format played the titles first, then a teaser and commercial break, then the first act and second act (with another break in between).[5] The teaser was originally intended to air before the titles.[3] Despite the censoring of deadly firearm usage (successful weapons were replaced with darts), the show maintained its predecessor's realistic violence, featuring the off-screen deaths of villains and allies.[21][22]

Hanna-Barbera leveraged Real Adventures in forty countries and fourteen languages to crack international markets.[2][23] Brandweek reported in 1995 that the show's overall budget, including merchandising and promotional costs, topped $40 million.[16] The planned debut of Real Adventures after Cyber Insects in 1995—with the sale of classic and new episodes on VHS—was part of a "Year of Jonny Quest" marketing campaign similar to 1994's "Year of the Flintstones".[24][13][25][26] Director Richard Donner and producer Lauren Shuler Donner optioned the rights for the live action film.[16][15] Slated to begin production in mid-1995, filming was pushed back to 1996 and ultimately never began.[27][5] Hanna-Barbera advertised Real Adventures in a promotional video as the "next evolution in children's programming...[redefining] television animation for the next generation."[28] The company hosted a discussion with developers Peter Lawrence and Takashi at Yanceyville in late 1995 and later aired previews at waterpark events around the United States.[29][30] The show was given an unprecedentedly wide release on TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network, airing seven nights a week for twenty-one weekly airings total.[7][8] Turner surmised "that the audiences of kids watching TNT in the morning or TBS in the afternoon and those watching Cartoon in prime time and late night are close to mutually exclusive."[31] The show premiered on August 26, 1996, three months after Cartoon Network's twenty-hour "Farewell Marathon" of original Quest.[32] Real Adventures averaged a 2.0 Nielsen rating over August and September 1996—considered a strong start for an animated series.[33] Over time the show failed to build consistent ratings or support from the teenage demographic, though it did attract adult audiences.[5][34] Turner tried to revive its fortunes with a contest for an adventurous trip to Jamaica and free merchandise.[35] Cartoon Network renew the show beyond its fifty-two episode run due to low ratings and poor merchandise sales.[5] The show was rerun for two years on Toonami until September 1999 and CNX until 2003.[11][12]

QuestWorld

Producers cultivated an element of virtual reality through QuestWorld, an area of cyberspace rendered with three-dimensional computer animation and motion capture.[2] QuestWorld was designed as an extension of contemporary technology, similar to the classic series's high-tech lasers, satellites, and robots.[4] Seibert traced its origin to "the same problem that James Bond [has]...When you look at even his newest gadgets, they're somewhat quaint."[1] Inspiration came from cyberpunk novels written by Neal Stephenson and William Gibson, including Snow Crash.[1] QuestWorld characters were created as wire frame models, augmented with faces scanned from clay busts, then digitally painted and inked.[1] A company named Buzz F/X, based in Montreal and Santa Monica, created computer animation for the first season.[36] Work began in April 1996, and animators first tackled the opening titles—a gliding journey through a canyon of green, cartographic lines with scenes illuminated upon the walls. Budgetary constraints forbade the supervision of experienced animators in Montreal, allegedly "why the opening sequence is so ugly" according to one of the company's animators.[36] Short segments of action and adventure called Quest Bytes were also produced to follow certain episodes.

File:Trajq-questworld-tobardoandback.png
Race and Surd fighting in QuestWorld from season one's To Bardo and Back

Work for Escape to Questworld and Trouble on the Colorado followed, and the untested animators worked "12 hours a day, 6 days a week in a small garage" with insufficient computers.[36] Roughly ten more were hired in July; only two had work experience. The amateur employees struggled with lighting scenes and syncing jerky motion capture from the House of Moves in Venice Beach.[36] By August, the team was working "14 hours a day, 7 days a week," and were accustomed to working full nights and mornings.[36] After two more episodes, Buzz F/X cut its losses and terminated the contract with Hanna-Barbera, which hired Blur Studio to finish season two.[36] Blur used Intergraph hardware for its sequences and Quest Bytes. The company's sharp performance in meeting deadlines and highly visible usage of Intergraph attracted press attention and sealed an amicable relationship with Hanna-Barbera.[37][38] Roughly 100 minutes of computer animation for QuestWorld was produced—more than any previous show or feature, including Toy Story.[2]

Creative direction

Dr. Quest, a famous phenomenologist, investigates mysterious occurrences and exotic locales with his son, Jonny Quest, bodyguard Race Bannon, Race's daughter Jessie, assistant Hadji Singh, and pet bulldog Bandit.[2][39] Peter Lawrence set the story several years after the classic series, with Jonny and his friends now teenagers.[3] Certain episodes took place almost entirely in the virtual environment of QuestWorld, and the team would frequently encounter the villainous Jeremiah Surd and Ezekiel Rage. Lawrence aimed to use "existing, real phenomenon"—such as the "Airstrips of Nazca, the Ruins of Teotihuacan or the possible existence of Giant Squid"—to capture the curiosity of audiences.[3] Stressing that "plausibility is a keynote", he suggested coverage of real-world mysteries, cryptozoology, exotic locales, or fictional but "believable" mysteries.[3] The Quests would sparingly encounter "monster[s] of the week...simply out to get [them]", instead battling not "necessarily malevolent" antagonists whose conflicts lay in "personal objective or ambition...opposed by Dr. Quest."[3] Lawrence stationed the family at a new compound on the coast of Maine, replete with "houses, barns and workshops."[3] Rooms suited for each character included a library for Dr. Quest, workshop for Jonny, computer-equipped den for Jessie, dojo and gym for Race, and lighthouse lookout for Hadji's meditation.[3] Lawrence equipped Dr. Quest with a fleet of air, land, and sea vehicles, including a World War II-era biplane and state-of-the-art catamaran named Questor with diving bells and smaller research vessels stored in the hulls.[3][40]

Characters

File:Trajq-expeditiontokhumbu.png
Hadji, Jessie, and Jonny from the season one episode Expedition to Khumbu

Seibert explained Jonny's age as one in which "you think you can solve problems like an adult, but you may go get yourself into trouble."[1] Lawrence wrote Jonny, age 14, as "somewhat cooler...a tough kid with a straight-ahead, right-on attitude...But he's not a punk. He's got guts...and heart...His life is cool and he embraces it wholeheartedly."[3] Lawrence and later writers emphasized that Jonny was "more a Man-Of-Action in training...than an intellectual," and created tension by contrasting his father's academic leanings with Jonny's affinity for Race's lifestyle.[3] Hadji, age 16, became Dr. Quest's personal assistant, who "does not have his mentor's formal education in the sciences but he shares his burning interest in archaeology, anthropology and, particularly, the paranormal."[3] A Sikh and student yogin, he exhibited a "fatalistic and accepting attitude to whatever is happening...[starting] from the philosophical point of view that everything is as it's supposed to be."[3] Hadji often used wise aphorisms, taken from "any culture or any source...Sometimes it will baffle Jonny."[3] Lawrence cut Hadji's classic telekinesis, and aligned his abilities with realistic yogin practices. "He doesn't say things like 'Sim, Sim Sala Bim' anymore," season one voice Michael Benyaer explained. "The writers and producers actually researched the actual yogic powers. He can do more plausible stuff. There is an episode where Hadji pretends to stop his breathing so that the bad guys think he is dead."[41]

Jessie Bannon, age 15, was characterized as "just as tough...smarter...[and] more thoughtful" than Jonny, and "more in tune with Hadji". She was "more of an egghead" who elected to spend time with Dr. Quest as Jonny did with Race.[3] Her father, age 38, retained his classic "laconic sense of humor" and "fearless and utterly dependable" nature.[3] Race Bannon retired from government work due to ethical scruples with his former intelligence agency.[1] Writers noted that Race "can't help being the overprotective Dad" for Jessie, while Jonny is "the boy Race never had."[1] His new western accent and elaborate similes were met with resistance from older Quest fans.[5] Dr. Benton Quest, age 55, retired from government research and operated from the "Quest Compound" on the coast of Maine.[3] "Driven by his desire to know more about...the inexplicable worldwide phenomena which he investigates," he was "consulted by individuals, governments and corporations to investigate any mysterious chain of events."[3] Described as "single-minded - almost to the point of obsession - in his pursuit of knowledge," he often encountered trouble as "his drive to learn blanks out more basic instincts like self-preservation."[3] Jessie appreciated his "ponderous" sense of humor.[3] Lawrence removed Bandit, the Quest's bulldog's clownish origins and presented him in useful roles.[3] Summarizing the group's behavior, he wrote:

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Second season changes

File:Trajq-withoutatrace.png
The Quest team's second season designs, from episode Without a Trace

In response to preliminary criticism over character changes, Fred Seibert hoped Real Adventures would find success as new interpretations of comic book heroes had done.[42][2] The season two team notwithstanding changed Takashi's designs and steered the show to its classic roots.[5] Hadji regained his childhood mystical powers, as according to story editor Glenn Leopold he "developed latent psionic powers that appear 'magical'."[3] Leopold resurrected spoon-bending and "rope tricks", debasing the realism of season one as "not that interesting to watch...With Hadji, the more visual his 'power', the better."[3] All characters lost an age; Jonny was now 13.[3] He returned Race to being a governmental bodyguard, sealed by an episodic visit with classic agency leader Phil Corbin.[3][43] While Race lost his western accent, Dr. Quest gained his classic red hair and rudimentary combat skills.[44] Initially resistant to Jessie, writer Lance Falk came to regard her as the "missing piece needed to complete the Quest family," and Leopold added slight romantic overtones.[6] Regarding season two episode Undersea Urgency and others, fans complained that Jessie was reduced to a damsel in distress with stereotypically-female pink clothes.[44] Falk defended his decision to portray her as having realistic, "human" fears.[44][5] An academic paper on animated gender stereotypes later pointed out that Jonny saved Jessie from danger six times during an episode.[45]

Leopold and Falk took greater creative liberties with Real Adventures, invoking ghosts, other dimensions, and megalomaniacal schemes. Whereas Lawrence's team wrote "lots of spiritual, mystical plots...[where] they uncover a lot of hoaxes," the second season team geared towards a "slam-bang adventure show with real monsters" and the "action's emphasis more [on] Jonny" and his friends.[6][3] Falk explained, "I strive for accuracy...but if it gets in the way of "cool"...cool's gonna win out every time (as it should)," and emphasized that "Jonny Quest is a show with one foot in the fantastic, and one foot solidly based in reality."[21][6] Resistant to the ubiquitous use of QuestWorld, the team was nonetheless contractually obligated to use the concept throughout the new season.[6] Falk felt that virtual reality paradoxically undermined the show's "strong connection to reality," and suggested that after so many dangerous incidents Dr. Quest would have simply turned the system off.[5] The team brought back several classic characters passed over by Lawrence, including Pasha the Peddler, Jezebel Jade, and Dr. Zin.[6] Falk also honored Quest creator Doug Wildey by creating an eponymous grandfather for Jonny who ranches the western United States in the episode Nuclear Netherworld.[6] Leopold introduced Estella Velasquez as Jessie's mother to retcon the telefilms, as Jade "would never get married to anybody."[6] Writers episodically eliminated villains Rage and Surd in favor of new adversaries.[6] Comparing Quest without Zin to "James Bond without S.P.E.C.T.R.E.", Falk penned a season finale featuring the robot spies from the eponymous classic episode and a visceral fight between Dr. Quest and Zin.[6] With the Maine compound destroyed in the aftermath, the creative team planned to revive Palm Key as the Quest home in new episodes. However, Cartoon Network did not renew Real Adventures, despite a pledge to explore the history of Jonny's mother in the season premiere.[6]

Cast

The first season of Real Adventures featured J. D. Roth as Jonny, George Segal as Dr. Quest, Robert Patrick as Race, Jesse Douglas as Jessie, and Michael Benyaer as Hadji. A childhood fan of the original series, J.D. Roth remarked that he was "so into the idea of what they were trying to accomplish that I had to be Jonny."[41] Roth was attracted by Jonny's characterization as "a real kid, who has real instincts, who wants to help people. He has star quality."[46] He found that "[Jonny] doesn't think about how he's going to do it; he just wants to go do it...he is full of enthusiasm, and it is infectious."[41] Roth admired the show's educational quality, something he had tried to integrate in his personal television pilots.[46] He later expressed that "Jonny is crazy about his dad. He looks up to him and thinks he is the smartest man ever to walk to face of the earth. He has the typical teenage relationship with his father, but his father definitely sees something in him. Dr Quest knows that Jonny is going to be something really special."[41] Michael Banyaer enjoyed playing Hadji—"[he] is one of the few roles for an ethnic actor that is not a bad guy. I mean, how many East Indian heros have been on television? Hadji is for the sensitive kids out there. He is the outsider in all of us."[41] A Star Wars fan, Banyaer also relished the opportunity to work with Mark Hamill.[41]

When asked about the introduction of Jessie to the team, Jesse Douglas stated, "I'd be bummed if I upset anybody. Jessie is pretty cool. It is not like she is a girl who is whining all the time. If anything, she is a really good springboard for the rest of the storyline."[41] Roth supported her, claiming that "Jonny hasn't discovered girls yet but when he does Jessie would be the type of girl he'd like to be with...I think something will happen between them but right now Jess is his best friend."[41] Second season changes prompted Hanna-Barbera to buy out the first cast's contracts and hire new actors.[5] Season two featured Quinton Flynn as Jonny, John de Lancie as Dr. Quest, Granville Van Dusen (initial episodes) and Robert Foxworth as Race, Jennifer Hale as Jessie, and Rob Paulsen as Hadji. Turner contacted Don Messick to reprise his role as Dr. Quest, but he suffered a stroke during early sessions and died the next year.[6] His recorded dialogue included work on the episode Rock of Rages, one line of which survived overdubbing by de Lancie.[47] Van Dusen voiced Bannon in the 1986 Quest series, and Foxworth took over the part coincidentally after an audition for Dr. Quest.[6] Paulsen previously voiced Hadji in the two Quest telefilms.[48]

Marketing

Turner Home Entertainment pushed a massive marketing campaign to promote Real Adventures, working with a "small army" of thirty-three licensees and sponsors.[49][8] The company claimed to invest $20 million towards merchandising and promotion, with each network spending $5-7 million.[49] Other press reports pegged the budget at $40 or even $100 million.[16][50] Wall Street Journal called Quest a "property to watch" in 1995; People and Good Housekeeping considered it a surefire blockbuster.[4][51][52] Potential merchandisers were given a digital style guide with a collection of Quest artwork, coloring instructions, and product mock-ups.[53] Pillsbury included $3 mail-in rebates for future Quest videos, display contests, and instant coupon offers on over twenty million packages.[16] Campbell Soup Company released six holographic miniature posters on the same number of SpaghettiOs cans. Over five thousand Pizza Hut restaurants held a two month long give-away of figurines with meals. Galoob secured figurine licensing rights in 1995 and created a product line of vehicles, figures, and Micro Machines for fall 1996 release.[16] The figures were not popular outside of the United States; new designs were shelved and the line discontinued in 1997.[54][55][56] General Mills outfitted boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch with offers for tee shirts and other items.[49] Upper Deck Company used art, sketches, and plots from the first season to create a card collection with sixty individual pieces. Turner also marketed Zebco fishing poles bearing the Quest logo.[57]

Several products were listed in the "Quest Adventure Value Pack" catalogue, which encouraged $40 savings through combined purchases.[49] Among other products, the catalogue was packaged with Kid Rhino's cassette audio adventure based on the episode Return of the Anasazi.[58] The show's credits advertised a soundtrack available from Rhino, but such a release was never otherwise promoted or sold.[5] The campaign culminated with the release of eight season one episodes over VHS with suggested retail prices of $12.98 per unit.[8] The size of the push left one newspaper reviewer wondering, "are [the Quests] back because they're too cool to die, or because they're too well known to be squandered as a licensing product?"[10] Hanna-Barbera chief Fred Seibert expected high sales and success:

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Dark Horse Comics composed a twelve issue series released over the show's first run; publisher Mike Richardson felt that "the massive exposure Turner is giving Quest...could truly drive traffic into the comic stores. The potential is staggering."[59] Kate Worley wrote the Real Adventures series while Francisco Lopez illustrated.[59] Editor Phil Amara stressed that they would endeavor to tribute the classic Jonny Quest as well.[59] The company worked with Galoob to ship comic shop locator phone numbers and URLs to previews with figurines. Dark Horse also released a special three-issue series through mail offers with over eight million boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios as advertised on television.[59][8] The release of the first issue was preceded by the inclusion of three two-page "mini-adventures" packaged with existing Dark Horse products.[59] The issue Countdown to Chaos, featuring season two villain General Vostok, was nearly adapted into a season two episode.[21] A lifetime fan of Quest, Eisner Award-winning Paul Chadwick drew the cover of the final issue, depicting Jonny's descent into a cave on Easter Island.[60][61] Terry Bisson and other authors working under the alias "Brad Quentin" also produced eleven original novellas, continuing exploration of adventure and virtual reality themes.[62][63] One critic appreciated that the book's original stories may draw kids to reading.[64] All merchandise was ultimately based on the season one designs.

Cover-Up At Roswell

File:Trajq-coverupatroswell.png
Exploring Tanzania (from episode Ndovu's Last Journey) in the game

Virgin Interactive produced an adventure game for the series named Cover-Up At Roswell, released in August 1996 for $34.95.[8][65] Turner New Media announced that Virgin's "non-violent adventure games suitable for pre-teen girls and boys, fits...our vision of what family entertainment should be."[39] The storyline recycled fifty minutes of footage and art from six season one episodes to construct a new story, concerning the tracking down of alien artifacts and the owner's liberation from an autopsy at the Pentagon.[66][39] The Quests are hindered by Jeremiah Surd and the Men in Black of General Tyler, who plan to misuse the technology.[65] Gameplay consists of clicking areas on images of locations—whether the Serengeti plains or Manhattan—to navigate paths in search of the objects.[65] Occasionally, players encounter mini games, such as the task of guiding a diving bell away from rocks or shooting rats with a slingshot. Though characters appear on screen, there is no dynamic movement apart from mini games.[65] Virgin designed certain segments in 3D and included special Chromatek plastic viewing glasses. Episode footage was dubbed over by Michael Banyaer as Hadji, Charles Howerton as Dr. Quest, and the season two cast. Allowing access to personal and government files at two points in the game, Roswell contains a vehicle guide to the Real Adventures series and several in-universe e-mails.[67] These communications range from dossiers on the Quest team to a demand from a restaurant owner that Race reimburse him for damages caused when the bodyguard mistook a busboy for a criminal mastermind.[67] The game's music featured a "high-intensity orchestral sound" prone to monotony due to repetition.[65] One reviewer cited a lack of replay value and different modes of difficulty as weaknesses, but stated that Roswell offered "good entertainment and variety".[65] Critics were divided over the puzzles' difficulty, naming it both "ingenious" and "elementary."[68][65]

Quest World Adventure

Hanna-Barbera staged an international contest in February 1997 called "Quest World Adventure", the prize being a trip to a secret island (Jamaica) in July.[69] Commercials instructed fans to jot down geographical destinations in episodes during sweeps and mail them to Cartoon Network.[69] Advertisements appeared on Time Warner's television channels, Sports Illustrated for Kids, DC Comics publications, radio stations, and Warner Brothers stores.[35] Local cable operators were encouraged to submit their own spots, generating 34,000 ads among 174 cable systems for a total of $3.4 million cross-channel media support.[69] 50,000 children with a median age of 10 entered the competition, and 20,000 answered correctly.[70] Turner randomly selected ten viewers from the United States and nine from Latin America and Asia as winners.[70] They and 200 others received Quest-themed adventure packs, including a backpack, flashlight and siren, travel journal, pen, T-shirt, and glow sticks.[35] Cartoon Network aired the names of winning children on a special feature in which Jeremiah Surd personally issued threats.[71]

The nineteen winners and up to three family members received travel itineraries for an all-expenses-paid trip to Ocho Rios, Jamaica.[70] Planners kept the destination secret until shortly before travel.[72] In Jamaica, kids would combat Surd's "environmental terrorism" by preventing him from finding the Jamaican "Irie" stones.[69] Children received clues on the mission by e-mail seemingly written by Jonny himself.[71] Posing as the kids' allies, network employees prepared clues, buried treasure, and hosted barbecues, reggae concerts, and rafting trips.[35] Participants searched for the stones at the White River, Dunn's River Falls, and Prospect Plantation; hosts filmed the proceedings for possible future promotions.[70] The quest centered on cerebral challenges—the kids reportedly had to "really think in order to solve the riddle and save the world."[70] Attendees learned about the history and ecology of Jamaica.[70] The adventure ultimately doubled the show's ratings for February sweeps and tripled Questworld.com's hits threefold.[69] Brandweek magazine awarded it the year's top honors for a global marketing promotion.[69]

Critical reception

File:Trajq-jessiebentondarkestfathoms.png
Dr. Quest and Jessie, a subject of initial debate, in season one's The Darkest Fathoms

Announcement of Jessie Bannon's inclusion caused a backlash among certain Quest fans and TV Guide's editors, who feared that Jonny and Jessie would become entangled in a romantic relationship.[73] The television magazine declared that "Jonny & Co. have always gotten along just fine without any icky females," and a Miami Herald columnist called her an "effort to rewrite the past to conform to the socio-political mandates of the present...This is PC—pretty crazy—run amok."[74] Conversely, Billboard magazine welcomed the change to the otherwise all-male cast.[8] Fred Seibert responded by stating, "Jessie is a little older and smarter than Jonny...We're not doing Moonlighting here."[73] The fiasco subsided after Cyber Insects aired, in which the Atlanta Journal-Constitution declared Jessie to be "no 'icky girl'...Not only does she save Jonny's life when disturbingly large fire ants attack, but she also teaches him patience."[75] A test screening of Cyber Insects to 30-35 year old males revealed that though some questioned her addition, most "understood that just like the [original] series, [the update] is a reflection of its times."[75] Following its debut, Cinefantastique wrote that Real Adventures remained "true to the familiar formula" of the classic series, and praised an "impressive cast."[41] Another critic affirmed that Real Adventures maintained the violence and off-screen deaths of classic Quest—as even the opening titles featured "explosions, murder and mayhem"—and recommended the show to "die-hard adult fans".[22] Chicago's Daily Herald called the first episode "vintage Quest".[10] The Panama City Times-Herald echoed this position:

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An editor for The Washington Post judged the first season as "grittier and more lifelike" than the original Quest.[76] Chicago Tribune critic Allan Johnson agreed that Real Adventures was less "way-out" and contrasted the two shows in detail.[77] He extolled the age jump, as Jonny and Hadji were now old enough to be part of the action.[77] He considered Jessie "cool...she gives Jonny grief just because she can, and she's not afraid of the action."[77] Conversely, he did not enjoy the "toned down" portrayal of Race Bannon.[77] The authors of 1998's Saturday Morning Fever felt the show seemed to lack "the sense of why the original was so successful."[78] They praised Jessie and her resemblance to Dr. Quest, but lambasted the many differences between the two seasons. The authors ultimately preferred the second, as it contained more classic references and characters.[78] Hanna-Barbera founder Joseph Barbera considered Real Adventures a "disaster" because "they changed was the story and the character".[79] He went on that "that's their business. Everybody needs to do their own thing."[79]

The Toronto Star scathingly criticized the show for hosting "facile plots heavily laced with jarring science fiction and incongruous computer animation," and called QuestWorld a "poorly explained techno-gimmick."[9] Though praising the computer animation, The Star regarded the traditional sequences as "flat and textureless, with minimal characterization, unnaturally stiff movement and poor execution of shading and shadow."[9] Ted Cox of the Chicago Daily Herald disagreed, lauding "realistic" traditional and digital animation—"such as the play of light on the ocean."[10] Cox conceded that in some spots, motion seemed "remarkably uneven".[10] Greg Aaron of HotWired praised the franchise's return, but warned against QuestWorld hype, arguing that "it will take more than visual sophistication to hook today's viewers".[1] Senior vice president of production Sherry Gunther admitted that the motion capture technology was "best reserved for recording broad movements...because the technology is still a little crude."[1]

Alberto Menache expanded this criticism of QuestWorld in Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Video Games, calling the virtual reality simulation a "failure" laden with "many mistakes."[80] The size difference between the motion capturers and the actual characters caused unsteady animation and shaking, consequently mismatching interaction with props or uneven terrain.[80] Menache levied blame upon the show's budget, which did not allow for digital post-production and review. Producers instead expected "plug-and-play" results straight from the capture studio.[80] Menache concluded that the QuestWorld sequences were the result of a "pipeline set up for mass production" with little testing or advance planning.[80] These criticisms mirrored the comments of Buzz F/X animator Francois Lord, who revealed that most of the company's teams were inexperienced and forced to deliver on a rushed schedule.[36] Lord pointed out that aside from having experienced workers, Blur Studio—the second QuestWorld animation company—"had twice as [much] time as we did and twice as [much] money."[36] Menache was less critical of the facial capture, considering it "medium-quality...but still acceptable for the kind of television budget this project had."[80]

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Greg Aaron (October 1996). Pop: Review of Jonny Quest. Archived from the original on 1998-12-06. Retrieved on 18 June, 2007.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 Mendoza, N.F. (October 1996). "Heeeeere's Jonny! Jonny Quest Returns With a New Look and a New Series from Hanna-Barbera.". Animation Magazine 10 (9). 
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 Peter Lawrence, Glenn Leopold (1994-05-18, 1996-01-17, 1996-02-06). The New Jonny Quest Writer's Bible. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Tony Simmons (1996-12-15). The `Quest' continues. Panama City Times Herald. Archived from the original on 1999-01-29. Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 Lance Falk (1997-08-06). Lance Falk's Semi-Official JQ:TRA FAQ.
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 Bob Miller (1996-11-17). Interview with Lance Falk. Animation Planet Magazine. Retrieved on June 19, 2007.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 (1996-08-26) "'QUEST' FOR EXCITING SHOW STOPS HERE: THREE NETWORKS PLAN TO AIR ADVENTURES OF BOY NAMED JONNY". Charleston Daily Mail p. 10A. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Benezra, Karen (1996-01-29). "Hut, Mills join Quest.". Billboard 37 (5). 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Mietkiewicz, Henry (1996-08-28). "Animated fool's gold on YTV New series feature cartoons that try to capitalize on fairly recent fads". Toronto Star p. B1. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Cox, Ted (1996-08-26). "New 'Jonny Quest' a little older and more marketable for creators". Chicago Daily Herald p. B4. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Toonami Downloads: Jonny Quest. Retrieved on 24 June, 2007.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 (2003-04-13) "The Guardian: CNX". The Guardian. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Timm, Lori (1994-09-15). "CUE CARD>LOST ON QUEST FOR BROAD APPEAL". Peoria Journal Star p. C1. 
  14. ↑ (1994-04-27) "THESE ACTION STARS REALLY ARE CARTOONS". San Jose Mercury News p. 3E. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Strauss, Bob (1995-07-30). "ON THE SET, IT'S EITHER HER WAY OR THE HIGHWAY - SHULER-DONNER'S INSISTENCE JUST A WAY TO SHOW SHE CARES". Daily News of Los Angeles. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Lefton, Terry (1995-06-19). "TURNER RELAUNCHES 'QUEST'". Brandweek 36 (25). 
  17. ↑ (1995-05-03) "JONNY'S ON A QUEST IN 1995". Chicago Tribune KIDNEWS p. 8. 
  18. ↑ Interview with Lance Falk. Animation Artist Magazine (2000). Retrieved on June 19, 2007.
  19. ↑ Winnie Lim's TRAJQ FAQ (1997). Retrieved on June 20, 2007.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Jennifer Clay (1996). Guy Moon. BMI. Archived from the original on 1996-10-20. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Lance Falk (1997). Lance Falk Episode Commentary #9 General Winter. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Heldenfels, R.D. (1996-08-26). "'7TH HEAVEN' MAY WELL BE TOO DOWN-TO-EARTH NEW WARNER BROS. SHOW FIRST ARRIVAL IN EXPECTED WAVE OF EARLY-EVENING FAMILY PROGRAMMING THIS SEASON". Akron Beacon Journal. 
  23. ↑ (1996-07-30) "BUSINESS ROUNDUP". The Washington Times p. B11. 
  24. ↑ Carter, Tammi (1995-11-19). "FINE TUNING". The Times-Picayune p. T51. 
  25. ↑ Reader, Stephanie (1994-06-01). "RADIO, TV, MUSIC: TODAY BRINGS SOMETHING NEW - OLDIES - AT 91.7 FM". Tacoma News Tribune p. E13. 
  26. ↑ Angrisani, Carol (September 1995). "Turner embarks on Cartoon 'Quest.'". Supermarket News. 
  27. ↑ Hollywood Reporter (1994-04-25). "Live-Action `Johnny Quest' in the Works". The San Francisco Chronicle p. E3. 
  28. ↑ Jonny Quest Promo Video. Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  29. ↑ Scheid, Darren (1996-07-08). "Dive-In Theater crowd to 'toon in at water park". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 
  30. ↑ (1995-12-08) "PRODUCERS IN YANCEYVILLE TO DISCUSS JONNY QUEST". Greensboro News & Record. 
  31. ↑ Walley, Wayne (1996-08-26). "'JONNY QUEST' IS BACK WITH TRIPLE DEBUT". Electronic Media 15 (35). 
  32. ↑ Vancheri, Barbara (1996-05-03). "IT'S A BOY FOR WPXI'S FINNEGAN". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette p. 34. 
  33. ↑ Haddad, Charles (1996-10-01). "Cartoon Network tops 30 million, Large subscribership helps sell advertising". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution p. C7. 
  34. ↑ Moore, Scott (1997-03-29). "CARTOON KINGDOM TV EXECUTIVES SEE ANOTHER ANIMATION REVIVAL IN THE EARLY SUCCESS OF FOX'S KING OF THE HILL.". The Washington Post p. 3D. 
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 Incentive Performance Center. Jonny Quest Ratings Soar with Real-Life Adventure Contest. Incentive Performance Center. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 36.7 Francois Lord (1997-04-11). Francois Lord's Commentary. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  37. ↑ (1997-02-12) "Intergraph Workstations Play Starring Role in "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest" at Blur Studio". Business Wire. 
  38. ↑ James McWilliams (1997). Intergraph takes on new 'Quest'. The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on 1997-07-28. Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 (1996-03-18) "Virgin Sound and Vision inks licensing agreement with Turner New Media; VSV brings Hanna-Barbera's The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest into computer age with CD-ROM". Business Wire. 
  40. ↑ Vehicles. QuestFan. Retrieved on 20 June, 2007.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 41.7 41.8 Kingston, F. Colin (October 1996). "Older and bolder, the cartoon quester returns on Turner TV.". Cinefantastique 28 (3). 
  42. ↑ Rollins, Ron (1996-10-22). "SEEN & OVERHEARD". Dayton Daily News p. 3C. 
  43. ↑ Lance Falk (1997-02-23). Lance Falk Episode Commentary #5 Race Against Danger. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Lance Falk (1997-02-14). Lance Falk Episode Commentary #3 Thoughtscape. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  45. ↑ Kelly Eick (May 1998). Gender Stereotypes in Children's Television Cartoons. California Polytechnic College of Liberal Arts. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Ellen Gray (1996-08-21). The new `Jonny Quest' is full of ideas for children's programming. Knight-Ridder Media. Archived from the original on 1997-04-30. Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  47. ↑ Lance Falk (1997-02-08). Lance Falk Episode Commentary #1 Rock of Rages. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  48. ↑ IMDb: Rob Paulsen. Internet Movie Database Inc.. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
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  50. ↑ (1995-06-21) "Ned Beatty leaving "Homicide' series". St. Petersburg Times p. 2B. 
  51. ↑ (1995-07-10) "Fast forward.". People 44 (2). 
  52. ↑ (Dec. 1996) "WHAT'S HOT THIS YEAR". Good Housekeeping 223 (6). 
  53. ↑ Jonny Quest Digital Style Guide. [http//questfan.com QuestFan]. Retrieved on 24 June, 2007.
  54. ↑ (1997-10-20) "BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS". The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois). 
  55. ↑ Jonny Quest: Quest Headquarters. Archived from the original on 1997-04-13. Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  56. ↑ Jonny Quest Unproduced Toys. Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  57. ↑ Norman, Forrest (2000-02-19). "Proper rod and reel key for young anglers". Fort Myers News-Press p. 8C. 
  58. ↑ The new KID RHINO TAKES A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF JONNY QUEST. Knight-Ridder Media (1996-09-17). Archived from the original on 1997-06-14. Retrieved on 19 June, 2007.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 59.2 59.3 59.4 New Jonny Quest comics series supports TV launch. Dark Horse Comics (1996). Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  60. ↑ (1996-03-23) "Paving concrete career". The Washington Times. 
  61. ↑ Eisner Award-winner Paul Chadwick provides cover for Jonny Quest. Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  62. ↑ (1996-06-15) "Owensboro native taking novel approach to home state". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. 
  63. ↑ Reese, Jean (1999-06-15). Internet Books for Educators, Parents, and Students. Libraries Unlimited, 203-204. ISBN 1563086972. 
  64. ↑ (August 1997) "The Real Adventure of Johnny Quest: The Forbidden City of Luxor. (book reviews)". Australian Journal of Language and Literacy. 
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 65.3 65.4 65.5 65.6 Bueno, Tony (1996-11-01). "ELECTRONIC ADVENTURES". Dallas Morning News p. 3C. 
  66. ↑ (1996-10-05) "HELP JONNY QUEST SAVE THE WORLD". Palm Beach Post p. 3D. 
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 Cover-Up At Roswell. QuestFan. Retrieved on 24 June, 2007.
  68. ↑ (1996-12-21) "VISIONS OF COMPUTER GAMES SWIM IN THEIR HEADS". Albuquerque Journal p. 7. 
  69. ↑ 69.0 69.1 69.2 69.3 69.4 69.5 T.L. Stanley (1998-03-09). The Cartoon Network: making an old series new again - Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. Brandweek. Retrieved on 15 June, 2007.
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 70.2 70.3 70.4 70.5 Brink, Graham (1997-06-30). "Jamaican quest awaits real-life boy". St. Petersburg Times. 
  71. ↑ 71.0 71.1 Coughlin, Kerry (1997-06-12). "HITTING THE TRAIL WITH JONNY QUEST HUDSON YOUTH WINS A TRIP TO JAMAICA TO JOIN THE HUNT FOR A DASTARDLY VILLAIN". Akron Beacon Journal. 
  72. ↑ Shaw, Mary-Liz (1997-06-07). "CONTEST WINNING IS FAMILY AFFAIR". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. 
  73. ↑ 73.0 73.1 Eldredge, Richard L. (1995-08-13). "Unionites have `Reason' to patronize bookstores". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution p. M2. 
  74. ↑ Pitts, Leonard (1995-08-05). "JONNY QUEST'S NEW 'ICKY FEMALE' PROVES PC HAS GONE WAY TOO FAR". The Miami Herald p. 1G. 
  75. ↑ 75.0 75.1 Eldredge, Richard L. (1995-11-12). "Sunday Buzz: Ex-Beatle's publicist having Best of times". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution p. M2. 
  76. ↑ Moore, Scott (1996-10-03). "New fall series for kids: A season of plenty". The Washington Post. 
  77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 77.2 77.3 Johnson, Allan (1996-08-13). "JONNY QUEST' GETS PUMPED '60S 'TOON IS MORE IN YOUR FACE FOR THE '90S". Chicago Tribune. 
  78. ↑ 78.0 78.1 Burke, Timothy; Kevin Burke (1998-12-15). Saturday Morning Fever. St. Martin's Press, 114-115. ISBN 0312169965. 
  79. ↑ 79.0 79.1 Evenson, Laura (1997-06-03). ""Yabba Dabba Do!" Hanna-Barbera's Saturday morning artwork at Cartoon Art Museum". The San Francisco Chronicle p. B1. 
  80. ↑ 80.0 80.1 80.2 80.3 80.4 Menache, Alberto (October 1999). Understanding Motion Capture for Computer Animation and Video Games. Morgan Kaufmann, 52-53. ISBN 0124906303. 

External links

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