Batfink – The Complete Series

Synopsis

I started watching cartoons in the 80’s growing up and remembering most fondly cartoons like Transformers, Batman, Thundercats, TMNT and so forth. Oh I’ve had my fill of Looney Tunes and appreciate them greatly. But once you go past Looney Tunes a lot of the older cartoons escape me (with the exception of Droopy and Scooby Doo). Good examples are the Flintstones and almost anything out of the Hanna-Barbara lineup like Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound. So imagine my …confusion when I received Batfink – The Complete Series across my reviewer table. Batfink was a cartoon series that originally ran in the late 1960’s with influences like the Green Hornet and Batman which also ran at this time. The series was created by Hal Seeger and basically featured three main characters; Batfink, Karate and the Chief.

Batfink was the hero of the story and was obviously a bat. He had Wings of Steel (he told us about them every episode) and Supersonic Sonar Radar (Beep Beep). His sidekick Karate was a martial arts expert (or just could chop very well) but as most sidekicks wasn’t really bright and served more as the comic relief of the show. The Chief phoned in at the beginning of the show typically and told Batfink which doomsday operation must be stopped. There were many villains that would be used but most notable was Hugo A-Go-Go or the mad scientist. (He really is mad and must be stopped). He also had a knack for talking to the narrator and sometimes you almost wish he would triumph.

The show originally ran close to normal cartoon short status with episodes running at the seven minute mark. However, after the first few; the average episode ran at a mere five minutes. Furthermore, it re-used scenes constantly and there was usually not much new material animated for each episode. The dialog was decent and there were a few good puns that helped to spurn laughter in the short time frame it was given. It was by no means a classic but its easy to see how the original corny dialog and cheap catchphrases would later catch on to develop an almost cult like following.

Video

Full Screen 1.33:1 is the screen format we get. It’s decent, especially for a 60’s cartoon and does look like they spent sometime in restoring it. The colors are clear for the most part but suffer from the usual preservation techniques of the era.

Audio

Audio is where this set starts to suffer. Dolby Digital Mono 1.0 is what we get and it has that hallowed out far away sound. The dialog is able to listened to but on higher settings than what we hope for. Action sequences get a few random sounds but that’s about it. No subtitles were provided either but that wasn’t really expected due to the age of the cartoon.

Special Features

Disc One

Automatic Trailers: Milton the Monster Show & The Electric Company. Outside of that, we get a big fat nothing. No documentary, commentary; just a whole lot of episodes that serve only to create for me, dysentery.

Final Thoughts

Faster than you can say Jack Robinson, Batfink and his sidekick Karate stamp out another villain or vanquish a nefarious plot. This 60’s cartoon has developed a cult fan base over a 35 year span but more for its so bad it’s good qualities rather than quality cartoon making. The dialog is fun when watched in small doses so that you forget the constant reusing of scenes. The dvd set seems to be a lot of material but really isn’t. The video and audio are okay at best and unfortunately there are no extras to speak of. Unless you are a cult follower of this series, then it might be best to avoid this one. It’s fun for 5-6 episodes, just not 100 (You can only hear “My Wings are like a Shield of Steel” so many times).

Episodes

1. The Pink Pearl Of Persia
2. The Short Circuit Case
3. Ebenezer The Freezer
4. The Sonic Boomer
5. Big Ears Ernie
6. Batfink On The Rocks
7. Manhole Manny
8. The Mad Movie Maker
9. Nuts Of The Round Table
10. Skinny Minnie
11. Fatman Strikes Again
12. The Kitchy Koo Kaper
13. The Dirty Sinker
14. Gluey Looie
15. Brother Goose
16. The Chocolate Covered Diamond
17. The Crime College
18. Myron The Magician
19. Brain Washday
20. MPFTBRM
21. Gloves On The Go Go
22. Sporty Morty
23. Go Fly A Bat
24. Ringading Brothers
25. Out Out Darn Spot
26. Goo Goo A Go Go
27. Crimes In Rhymes
28. Stupidman
29. A Living Doll
30. The Bat Patrol
31. Dig That Crazy Mountain
32. Spin The Batfink
33. Greasy Gus
34. The Mark Of Zero
35. Swami Salami
36. The Human Pretzel
37. Jumping Jewelry
38. Roz The Schnozz
39. Karate’s Case
40. Wishbone Boner
41. Hugo For Mayor
42. The Indian Taker
43. The Devilish Device
44. Goldstinger
45. The Shady Shadow
46. Party Marty
47. The Beep Bopper
48. The Super Trap
49. Bride and Doom
50. Topsy Turvy
51. The Rotten Rainmaker
52. Gypsy James
53. The Kooky Chameleon
54. Beanstalk Jack
55. The Time Stopper
56. The Kangarobot
57. Presto Chango-Hugo
58. Curly The Cannonball
59. Robber Hood
60. Slow Down! Speed Up!
61. Sandman Sam
62. Yo Yo A Go Go
63. Hugo’s Hoke
64. Backwards Box
65. The Great Escapo
66. Watch My Smoke
67. Daniel Boom
68. Queenie Bee
69. The Thief From Baghdad
70. The Mean Green Midget
71. Double Double Crossers
72. The Baffling Bluffs Of Hugo A Go Go
73. Napoleon Blownapart
74. The Atom Boom
75. Magneto The Magnificent
76. Hugo The Crimefighter
77. The Trojan Horse Thief
78. The Zap Sap
79. Unhappy Birthday
80. Buster The Ruster
81. Karate’s Day Off
82. Mike The Mimic
83. Cinderobber
84. Bouncey Bouncey Batfink
85. The Bomber Bird
86. The Copycat Bat
87. Old King Cruel
88. Victor The Predictor
89. Goldyunlocks And The 3 Bears
90. Jerkules
91. Hugo Here, Hugo There
92. Bowl Brummel
93. Fleiderfink
94. Blankenstein
95. Whip Van Winkle
96. Tough MacDuff
97. Judy Jitsu
98. Ego-A-Go-Go
99. Father Time Bomb
100. Batfink – This is Your Life

Special Features List

• Automatic Trailers (2)

Screenshots