American animated television series
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
is an American
animated
television series
, produced by
Hanna-Barbera
, which originally aired for one season on
NBC
from September 7 to November 30, 1974.
[1]
The show aired for 13 half-hour episodes.
With an ensemble voice cast consisting of
Frank Welker
,
Judy Strangis
,
Don Messick
,
Paul Winchell
and
Lennie Weinrib
,
[3]
[4]
the show follows an anthropomorphic car named Wheelie and a trouble-making motorcycle gang called the "Chopper Bunch".
[5]
The series was produced by
Iwao Takamoto
, executively produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and directed by
Charles A. Nichols
. An accompanying comic book series, with contributions from artists
Joe Staton
and
John Byrne
, debuted in May 1975,
[6]
although Byrne quit while finishing his second issue as he was unsatisfied with his creative control and felt he was overcompensated for his work. Other artists completed the series, which totaled seven comic books.
This series was commonly grouped together with
Speed Buggy
(1973) and
Wonder Wheels
(1977?78) due to the similarities in plot and characters. Reception-wise, several critics reacted negatively to the violence and portrayal of motorcycles in the series, prompting viewers to write letters to NBC in hopes that the show would be pulled off the air. It has since been released on DVD as part of Warner Bros.'
Archive Collection
on a three-disc set.
Premise
[
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]
The series takes place in a world of anthropomorphic vehicles and centers on Wheelie, his girlfriend Rota Ree, and a motorcycle gang known as the Chopper Bunch.
[7]
A writer for
Cycle World
described the premise of the show: "Wheelie, a car, is the hero, and the villains are a bunch of choppers who do everything dirty to get Wheelie, the clean, all-American car."
[8]
Nearly every episode of the series focused on the Chopper Bunch attempting to outsmart Wheelie, despite their continual failed attempts.
[3]
The show negatively depicted motorcycles and motorcyclists,
[9]
and the Chopper Bunch typically received terrible consequences for their actions, which sometimes involved the police.
[10]
Characters
[
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]
Main
[
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]
- Wheelie
(vocal effects provided by
Frank Welker
) is a red racing/stunt car resembling a
Volkswagen Beetle
.
[11]
[12]
Depicted as heroic with humanlike capabilities, Wheelie often finds himself having to contend with the Chopper Bunch, a group of hoodlum motorcycles.
[12]
Wheelie can only communicate in car horn 'beeps' and 'honks' that the other characters can understand, and also in words and symbols that flash on his windshield, including "Charge!" (accompanied by a bugle call and group shout) whenever he is aroused or angered. Wheelie is also equipped with mechanical hands that can produce any item he needs from his trunk.
- Rota Ree
(voiced by
Judy Strangis
) is Wheelie's devoted girlfriend who is frequently subjected to the unwanted affections of Chopper.
[13]
- The Chopper Bunch
is a gang of motorcycles.
- Chopper
(voiced by
Frank Welker
) is the leader of the Chopper Bunch and the show's primary antagonist. He is jealous of Wheelie and wants only to get rid of him or at least make his life miserable, and to steal Rota Ree for himself.
[13]
- Revs
(voiced by
Paul Winchell
) is a member of the Chopper Bunch who always talks in
spoonerisms
.
[7]
Winchell's performance was very similar to that of the original
Scrubbing Bubbles
TV commercials from 1973.
- Hi-Riser
(voiced by
Lennie Weinrib
) is the tallest of the Chopper Bunch, but with the lowest IQ.
[7]
- Scrambles
(voiced by
Don Messick
) is a
minibike
and the smallest and slowest member of the Chopper Bunch. He is also the one who constantly advises against most of the Bunch's schemes, but Chopper never listens to him until after the fact, at which point Scrambles endlessly shouts "Itoldja! Itoldja! Itoldja!".
Other
[
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]
- Captain Tuff
(voiced by
Paul Winchell
) is a hardened, no-nonsense police cruiser who is often seen working to keep the Chopper Bunch in line.
- Deputy Fishtail
(voiced by
Don Messick
) is a police motorcycle and eager rookie obsessed with catching the Chopper Bunch, but whose attempts usually wind up ensnaring Captain Tuff instead.
Production
[
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]
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
premiered in September 1974, about one year after the debut of
Speed Buggy
, another Hanna-Barbera cartoon with similar themes. Executively produced by
William Hanna
and
Joseph Barbera
's
Hanna-Barbera Productions
,
Charles A. Nichols
served as the series' director.
[13]
Several writers contributed to the series, including Lars Bourne,
Len Janson
,
Chuck Menville
, Robert Ogle, and Dalton Sandifer.
[13]
The show's official theme song was composed by
Hoyt Curtin
, Barbera, and Hanna.
[14]
Curtin also served as the series' music composer.
[13]
Iwao Takamoto
, who had previously worked on several series for Hanna-Barbera productions in the past, solely produced
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
.
[15]
Like other animated series created by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, the show contained a
laugh track created by the studio
.
[16]
Broadcast history
[
edit
]
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
was broadcast on
NBC
as part of their Saturday morning children's lineup between September 7 and November 30, 1974;
[17]
[18]
and before being cancelled, it continued to air regularly on the network until August 30, 1975.
[19]
The series featured a total of 13 episodes with three segments each, bringing a total of 39 segments overall. During its original allocated time slot, the show rivaled
The Bugs Bunny Show
on
ABC
and repeats of
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
on
CBS
; it also aired immediately following reruns of the animated adaptation of
The Addams Family
and right before
Emergency +4
on NBC.
[20]
In syndication, the series was replayed on several television networks after its cancellation.
USA Network
ran the series beginning May 16, 1989 and until March 28, 1991.
[19]
Sister channels
Cartoon Network
and
Boomerang
have broadcast
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
on multiple occasions since their initial launch; the former began reruns in 1995, while the latter started in 2000.
[19]
[21]
The episode featuring "Double Cross Country", "The Infiltrator", and "The Stunt Show" was featured on the Warner Bros. Presents DVD compilation
Saturday Morning Cartoons ? 1970's Volume 1
and released on May 26, 2009.
[22]
As part of the
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
's
Archive Collection
, the complete
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
series was made available on DVD as a three-disc set.
[23]
Comic book series
[
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]
In 1975, comic book artists
Joe Staton
and
John Byrne
were commissioned to create a series of books to coincide with broadcasts of the series. Published by
Charlton Comics
, it would also serve as Staton's and Byrne's first series of comic books.
[24]
[25]
After the first issue (with art by Staton) was distributed in May 1975,
[26]
Hanna-Barbera asked Byrne to create a mellower second issue, as the debut was considered "too scary" by executives. The second issue discouraged Byrne from continuing with the series, so he left after just two issues. Byrne also said he also felt wrong accepting the large amounts of money from Hanna-Barbera, which he stated was $50.00 per page.
[24]
The series continued with other artists.
[26]
A total of seven issues were made, with the final one circulating in July 1976.
[27]
Episodes
[
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]
Other appearances
[
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]
Reception
[
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]
Critical response
[
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]
"I have written to NBC suggesting the harm that exists in this program and telling them about who really rides motorcycles and how this myth they are perpetuating effects us on the road. I suggest that you and your readers watch this show, then write letters, many letters, to NBC."
?Additional comments from Van Duson, a viewer who was concerned about the series' negative depictions of motorcycles and motorcyclists.
[9]
Following the initial debut of the series, it received criticism and negative feedback on several aspects. Jack Anderson and Les Whitten, journalists for
The Sumter Daily Item
, felt that several animated television shows on NBC embodied too much violence, and listed
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
,
Speed Buggy
,
The Pink Panther
, and
Bugs Bunny
as the most "aggressive" ones on the channel. In their concerns, they claimed that children watching the series were more likely to be prone to negative "social behavior" around others. Ultimately, the two recommended that younger viewers watch Hanna-Barbera's
Devlin
due to its inclusion of "no aggression, [...] altruism, and [...] acts of sympathy explaining feelings".
[40]
A more unusual form of criticism came from the motorcyclist community. In response to the motorcycles being negatively depicted on the show, a concerned viewer named Eric L. Van Duson wrote to
Cycle
in 1975 expressing disgust. He claimed that the portrayals of motorcycles could perhaps "brainwash [...] little kids" into thinking that motorcyclists are "nasty".
[9]
Reacting to Hanna-Barbera creating several series with vehicles serving as the main characters, such as
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
, author David Perlmutter found the use of "humanized automobiles" to be too predictable and repetitive.
[41]
However, in a retrospective view of older cartoons, the staff at
MeTV
included the show on their list of "15 Forgotten Cartoons from the Early 1970s You Used to Love".
[11]
Legacy
[
edit
]
Along with
Speed Buggy
and
Wonder Wheels
,
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
was one of the many Hanna-Barbera productions that incorporated automobiles able to talk and act like humans into animation;
[19]
these three shows were dubbed together as a "trilogy" by Perlmutter.
[41]
Additionally, it was listed as "the precursor to the numerous series featuring vehicles as super-heroes" that would arrive on television in both the 1980s and the 1990s.
[12]
On the 2003
compilation album
Cartoon Network: Toon-a-Rama
, the official theme song for
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
was included on the track listing.
[14]
References
[
edit
]
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
Woolery, George W. (1983).
Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series
. Scarecrow Press. pp. 307?308.
ISBN
0-8108-1557-5
. Retrieved
22 March
2020
.
- ^
a
b
Sennett & Barbera 1989
, p. 176
- ^
David, Nina (1974).
"TV Season: 1974"
.
TV Season
. Oryx Press: 178.
ISBN
9780912700205
. Retrieved
May 16,
2017
.
- ^
Perlmutter, David (2018).
The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows
. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 691.
ISBN
978-1538103739
.
- ^
"Byrne-ing to Read: Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch #2"
.
Diversions of the Groovy Kind
. 6 December 2009
. Retrieved
6 June
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Mansour 2011
, p. 526
- ^
"Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch"
.
Cycle World
.
14
: 9, 12. 1975
. Retrieved
May 18,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Van Duson, Eric L. (January 1975).
"Letters"
.
Cycle
.
14
(2).
ISSN
0011-4286
. Retrieved
May 15,
2017
.
- ^
Kaye 1979
, p. 178
- ^
a
b
MeTV staff (June 17, 2016).
"15 Forgotten Cartoons from the Early 1970s You Used to Love"
.
MeTV
. Retrieved
May 13,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Browne & Browne 2001
, p. 164
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Terrace 1985
, p. 442
- ^
a
b
"Cartoon Network ?
Wheelie & The Chopper Bunch
"
.
AllMusic
. Retrieved
May 19,
2017
.
- ^
Lentz III 2007
, p. 397
- ^
Iverson, Paul R. (1994),
The Advent of the Laugh Track
(2nd ed.),
Hempstead, New York
: Hofstra University Archives
- ^
a
b
"Local Programs Sept. 7?13".
TV Guide
.
22
(36). September 7, 1974.
- ^
a
b
"Local Programs Nov. 30?Dec. 6".
TV Guide
.
22
(48). November 30, 1974.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Erickson 2005
, p. 901
- ^
"1974: Saturday Morning Schedule"
.
Cartoon Network
. Archived from
the original
on December 9, 2000
. Retrieved
May 18,
2016
.
- ^
"Boomerang Schedule: Saturday, June 19, 2004"
. Cartoon Network. June 19, 2004. Archived from
the original
on June 19, 2004
. Retrieved
May 13,
2017
.
- ^
"Saturday Morning Cartoons ? 1970's Volume 1"
.
Barnes & Noble
. May 26, 2009
. Retrieved
May 13,
2017
.
- ^
"Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch (TV Animated)"
.
Warner Archive Collection
. Retrieved
May 13,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Byrne 2006
, p. 21
- ^
Booker 2014
, p. 499
- ^
a
b
Sacks, Dallas & Dykema 2014
, p. 157
- ^
Overstreet 2010
, p. 269
- ^
"Local Programs Sept. 14?20".
TV Guide
.
22
(37). September 14, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Sept. 21?27".
TV Guide
.
22
(38). September 21, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Sept. 28?Oct. 4".
TV Guide
.
22
(39). September 28, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Oct. 5?11".
TV Guide
.
22
(40). October 5, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Oct. 12?18".
TV Guide
.
22
(41). October 12, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Oct. 19?25".
TV Guide
.
22
(42). October 19, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Oct. 26?Nov. 1".
TV Guide
.
22
(43). October 26, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Nov. 2?8".
TV Guide
.
22
(44). November 2, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Nov. 9?15".
TV Guide
.
22
(45). November 9, 1974.
- ^
Middleton 2015
, p. 433
- ^
"Local Programs Nov. 16?22".
TV Guide
.
22
(46). November 16, 1974.
- ^
"Local Programs Nov. 23?29".
TV Guide
.
22
(47). November 23, 1974.
- ^
Anderson, Jack; Whitten, Les (June 3, 1975).
"Saturday Mayhem"
.
The Sumter Daily Item
: 5
. Retrieved
May 18,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
Perlmutter 2014
, p. 157
Bibliography
[
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]
- Booker, M. Keith (October 28, 2014).
Comics Through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [4 Volumes]
. ABC-CLIO Publishing.
ISBN
978-0313397516
.
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The Guide to United States Popular Culture
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0879728213
.
- Byrne, John
(2006).
Modern Masters Volume 7: John Byrne
(reprinted ed.). TwoMorrows Publishing.
ISBN
189390556X
.
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Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003
(2nd ed.). McFarland & Company.
ISBN
978-1476665993
.
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The ACT Guide to Children's Television: Or How to Treat TV with T.L.C.
(illustrated, revised ed.). Beacon Press.
ISBN
0807023663
.
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Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2006: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture
(illustrated ed.). McFarland & Company.
ISBN
978-0786429332
.
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From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century
. Andrew McMeel Publishing.
ISBN
978-0740793073
.
- Middleton, Brad (February 5, 2015).
The Ultimate Guide to Vampire Television
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ISBN
978-1935303480
.
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The Official Overstreet Comic Book Companion
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ISBN
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.
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ISBN
978-0786476503
.
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.
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0670829781
.
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.
External links
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live-action series
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