Hero High: The Complete Series

I should begin this review with a confession: I remember very little about Hero High when it ran on broadcast television on Saturday mornings back in 1981. Presumably my attention was simply devoted to a rival network. However, my love for both Filmation and anything BCI/ Ink & Paint puts out led me to ordering the Hero High box set and I'm quite glad that I did.

For starters the set includes all 26 animated episodes of the series (each episode runs about 8 minutes long) with writer commentary on a couple of them. Disc 1 contains the first 14 while disc 2 contains the remaining 12 and a host of interesting special features including interviews with many of the show's actors and producers. We even hear from producer Lou Scheimer in several of the interviews.

The show (for those who have not yet had a chance to enjoy it) is surprisingly well done and clearly provided the source material for more recent super hero spoofs such as Sky High and The Incredibles. Rather than compete directly with the campy superhero animation out at the time (Hanna Barbara's Superfriends for example), Hero High knew not to take itself too seriously instead choosing to poke fun at both itself and comic action in general.

The episodes are fairly short romps in a tradition of good clean fun rather than epic good versus evil and to be completely honest, some of the humor contained within is on par with the type of material one would expect in sitcoms from the era.

Additionally the second disc contains an episode of the live action skit that came packaged in the Kid Super Power Hour at the time. This, too, can be viewed with writer and actor commentary, which really adds to the value of reliving the experience.

The package itself is in a league of its own (as all BCI/ Ink & Paint sets tend to be) with colorful sleeve art and a book that not only lists all of the episodes but also provides color photographs, a synopsis of each one and a trivia pertaining to the episode! Talk about going above and beyond to deliver quality. The picture quality is quite crisp and clean (showing no indication of the era) as are the audio tracks. Once again Ink & Paint have provided a masterpiece compilation worthy of shelf space on any collector's entertainment center.

Included on this two-disc set are the following episodes:

Disc 1:

1) Boo Hoo
2) Starfire, Where Are You
3) The Art of Ballot
4) The Captives
5) Do the Computer Stomp
6) A Fistful of Knuckles
7) Rat Fink Rex
8) High Rise High Jinx
9) Off Her Rocker
10) A Clone of his Own
11) Follow the Litter
12) Game of Chance
13) Malt Shop Mayhem
14) The Umpire Strikes Back

Disc 2:

15) The Not So Great Outdoors
16) Track Race
17) Cover Twirl
18) The Human Fly
19) My Job is Yours
20) The Big Bang Theory
21) What's News
22) He Sinks Sea Ships
23) Girl of his Dreams
24) The Blow-Way Blimp
25) Jog-A-Long
26) Law of the Pack

I loved this show as a kid!!! The run was very brief and I could never remember the exact title, but lo and behold when I found it I bought it right away. Oh, the memories! Even the old NBC logo makes an appearance. The characters were typically Filmation quality (lots of laugh track and stilted jokes), but the premise was fun and the live performances made the show. I have shared the DVD with my own children and they think the show is hilarious. My only complaint is I would have liked to have seen more of the live performances and a few episodes of Shazzam would have been icing on the cake.

I remember this show. Tho I was 15, I always enjoyed cartoons, still do today. I was scoffing at it then, and, as usual, now I do find some aspects enjoyable about it (mainly Rex Ruthless, who I liked then and now).

As others note, this is NOT the Shazam segments, tho they all aired together in the same program 30 years ago. This clearly was supposed to be the comedy heroes compared to Shazam (Captain Marvel) who was the 'serious' hero (fighting Sivana and a caterpillar?)

I guess now the interesting part to me is that this was proposed as superhero Archies and that deal fell thru. Yes, the show and characters are clearly set up as the Riverdale gang (can't quite picture Veronica as Dirty Trixie. Jughead as Punk Rock?)

Another aspect I have always pondered over the years was how none of the performers went on to other programs. Maylo McCaslin, who was Trixie, married Willie Aames of 8 is Enough, but I'm really surprised none of them were drawn into soap operas, especially the two blondes.

I guess what always intrigued me, even as a teen, was the live performers clearly enjoyed doing the corny jokes and songs, so they were devoted to the program (always a plus)

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 8 reviews  3.9 out of 5 stars