Jonny Quest...Where to Start...
This cartoon was one of my favorite cartoons during my childhood. For those who might not have heard of this brilliant show I will attempt to break it down.
We have a family...
Jonny Quest is an eleven-year-old boy, the son of Dr. Benton Quest.
Dr. Benton C. Quest is Jonny's father and "one of the three top scientists in the world", with scientific and technical know-how spanning many fields.
Roger T. "Race" Bannon is a special agent / bodyguard / pilot from Intelligence One. Governmental fears that Jonny could "fall into the wrong hands" resulted in the assignment of Bannon to guard and tutor him. Race was born in Wilmette, Illinois, to John and Sarah Bannon. He is stated to be an expert in judo, having a third-degree black belt as well as the ability to defeat noted experts and even Sumo wrestlers.
Hadji is Dr. Quest's adopted son, an eleven-year-old Hindu Indian boy. He was orphaned and living on the streets when he was taken in by the Quests. Hadji is seldom seen without his bejeweled turban and Nehru jacket. Hadji comes from Calcutta, India, being an orphan by some unexplained event; he is shown to have many mystical talents, sometimes displays hypnotic or telekinetic powers using the incantation "Sim, sim, salabim", as well as other magic-tricks such as pick pocketing or vanishing; he is also highly skilled in judo, which he originally learned from an American Marine, and later received additional training from Race Bannon. Hadji is a "seventh son of a seventh son", which indicates a child-prodigy possessing unusual perception and intelligence.
Bandit is Jonny's pet bulldog, a small white dog with black masklike coloration around the eyes (hence the name "Bandit"). Bandit often provides comic relief but is occasionally instrumental in foiling the bad guys.
The harsh real world reality of this show was this kid (Jonny Quest) was a cold blooded killer. I don't care if you're the most hardened Nazi hiding out in a secret Dinosaur infested valley only accessible by hot air balloon or a leading Chinese Scientist about to put the finishing touches on your cloned Karate army, if you met this kid and his family you did not come back in the next episode NO! you were fucking killed in the most violent way possible (Examples: Komodo Dragon or Werewolves). In fact for me growing up I seem to remember every bad guy being done in by the end of the show. Only until the mid 70s did they start the whole non violent cartoon movement "Action for Children's Television" (ACT).
We remember you Jonny!
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