Tom Slick (TV series)
| Tom Slick | |
|---|---|
 Tom Slick in the Thunderbolt Grease-Slapper |
Tom Slick is the cartoon star of a series of shorts that aired within the half-hour animated television series George of the Jungle (ABC, 1967). It was the work of Jay Ward Productions, the creators of Rocky & Bullwinkle and other satiric animated characters.[1] Seventeen six-minute episodes were made.
The premise
Freckled, grinning, all-American racecar driver Tom Slick (voiced by Bill Scott) competes in various races with his trusty vehicle, the Thunderbolt Grease-Slapper. He is accompanied by his girlfriend Marigold (voiced by June Foray) and his elderly mechanic Gertie Growler (also voiced by Bill Scott). The two women do not always get along well. A recurring antagonist is the evil Baron Otto Matic (voiced by Paul Frees), and the Baron's stupid lackey Clutcher (voiced by Daws Butler impersonating Frank Fontaine), whom the Baron has a penchant for hitting across the head with a monkey wrench.
A running gag throughout the series is that the Thunderbolt Grease-Slapper can be converted into virtually any type of racing vehicle, often looking nothing like the original vehicle itself. Various episodes show the Grease-Slapper as a train, a stock car racer, drag racer, racing balloon, swamp buggy, submarine, even a miniaturized skateboard.
As the theme is sung, Tom's Thunderbolt Grease-Slapper suddenly "hops" out of control off a road and into a barnyard occupied by farm animals. Tom is knocked momentarily unconscious with a chicken sitting on top of his head as he drives straight into a brick wall. But he miraculously gets out of the sudden pandemonium as his car falls apart in mid-air, and suddenly falls back together again. The car then jumps onto (and off) a stone fixture bearing Tom Slick's name and gets back on the road as Tom waves his hand and smiles.
The theme's lyrics are as follows:
- Tom Slick. Tom Slick.
- Let me tell you why,
- he’s the best of all good guys.
- Tom Slick. Tom Slick.
- In the Thunderbolt Grease-Slapper, once he’s on your tail,
- he won’t quit
- because you know
- there’s no such word as fail
- to Tom Slick.
- Tom Slick.
Tom Slick in the comics
In comic books, Tom Slick appeared as a backup feature in Gold Key Comics's two-issue George of the Jungle title (1969).[2]
Episodes
List of Tom Slick episode titles and dates
| Nº | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Bigg Race" | 1967-09-09 |
| 2 | "Monster Rally" | 1967-09-16 |
| 3 | "Send In a Sub" | 1967-09-23 |
| 4 | "Snow What" | 1967-09-30 |
| 5 | "The Great Balloon Race" | 1967-10-07 |
| 6 | "I Was Railroaded" | 1967-10-14 |
| 7 | "Dranko the Dragster" | 1967-10-21 |
| 8 | "The Cupp Cup Race" | 1967-10-28 |
| 9 | "Irish Cheapstakes" | 1967-11-04 |
| 10 | "Overstocked" | 1967-11-11 |
| 11 | "Double Cross Country Race" | 1967-11-18 |
| 12 | "The Apple-less Indian 500" | 1967-11-25 |
| 13 | "Sneaky Sheik" | 1967-12-02 |
| 14 | "Cheap Skate Board Derby" | 1967-12-09 |
| 15 | "The Badyear Blimp" | 1967-12-16 |
| 16 | "Swamp Buggy Race" | 1967-12-23 |
| 17 | "Mack Buster Trophy" | 1967-12-30 |
See also
References
- ^ Scott, Keith (2014). The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose. Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-4668-6743-7.
- ^ Eury, Michael (2017). Hero-A-Go-Go: Campy Comic Books, Crimefighters, & Culture of the Swinging Sixties p. 217. TwoMorrows Publishing. ISBN 978-1-6054-9073-1.
External links
George of the Jungle | |
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| Television | |
| Films | |
| Video games | |
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