“Space Ghost: Coast to Coast” recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. It was the first original Cartoon Network cartoon and the first show on the channel aimed directly at an older audience. “Coast to Coast” parodied the late-night talk show format with characters from the 1960s Hanna-Barbera superhero series, “Space Ghost and Dino Boy.” Through its success, Cartoon Network (specifically its Adult Swim block) established itself as the home of surreal, irreverent animation. Without “Coast to Coast,” “Family Guy” wouldn’t have escaped cancellation, and “Rick and Morty” wouldn’t exist. Western adult animation would be very different without the influence of “Coast to Coast.” But that ain’t the show I wanna talk about.
You already know about “Coast to Coast” and the considerable impact it had on pop culture. And I’m sure you knew that it was based on some weird old ’60s cartoon you’re vaguely aware of. But have you actually seen the original? Some of you probably have, but I’d wager the vast majority of you answered with an unequivocal “no.” And that’s perfectly fine! I didn’t really watch the original Space Ghost until recently. Most of the folks I know who weren’t alive in the ’60s or ’70s are only familiar with Space Ghost as a contemporary of Conan O’Brien. Parodies generally don’t surpass their target in popularity, but “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast” is one of the few. That’s why I feel it is my duty to share with you this secret: the original “Space Ghost” is actually really good!
“Space Ghost” was created by the awesome Alex Toth, who was essentially the Jack Kirby of Hanna-Barbera. While some detractors criticize the quality of H-B’s animation (I don’t associate with such reprobates, but they exist), few can deny that the studio had the best designers in the business. And when it came to designing action heroes and space monsters for cartoons, none were mightier than Alex Toth. Beyond “Space Ghost,” Toth gave us the weird worlds of “Birdman,” “Sealab 2020,” and “The Herculoids.” He even worked on Hanna-Barbera’s “Super Friends” and “Fantastic Four.” In short, Toth knew how to make superheroes really super!
“Space Ghost” was one half of the aforementioned anthology show, “Space Ghost and Dino Boy.” While “Dino Boy” was plenty amusing (and maybe worth a look another day), “Space Ghost” was the clear headliner. The series followed the exploits of the eponymous Space Ghost, a mild-mannered phantom who had the power of flight and invisibility. The spectacular Space Ghost fought space crime with two children (Jan and Jace) and their pet monkey, Blip. To protect their secret identities or something, the three space cadets wore masks. Yes, even the monkey.
“Space Ghost” was not a particularly deep show. We don’t know much about where our four heroes came from, nor do we receive much insight into the psychological state of Space Ghost. First and foremost, “Space Ghost” was a cool, pulpy show produced primarily to showcase cool, pulpy things. On that level, it’s a smashing success. Episodes had titles such as “Ruler of the Rock Robots” and “The Space Piranhas.” There were monsters of every shape and size, Molten Men from the ominous ovens of Moltar, and a sinister team of villains called the Council (not Legion) of Doom. This is the stuff dreams are made of if you’re a sci-fi kid of any age.
One thing that you can pick up on even from “Space Ghost: Coast to Coast” is just how strong the character designs are. Every baddie has an out-of-this-world design that manages to charm and chill at the same time. Just look at Brak, an enemy of Mr. Ghost who would later become a beloved sidekick on “Coast to Coast.” When you divorce Brak from that wonderfully goofy Andy Merrill’s voice, he’s possibly the most gruesome sight in Saturday morning cartoons. Those vampiric fangs. Those cat-like eyes. That red mask of a face that can only be described as “alien.” When you hear Keye Luke (Mr. Wing from “Gremlins”) voice Brak, all the menace inherent in his design returns.
Brak wasn’t the only fantastic beast in “Space Ghost.” Adult Swim fans will no doubt recognize Zorak, a perpetually scowling mantis who became the bandleader on “Coast to Coast.” Less familiar to Coasters is Creature King, the diminutive dictator with orange skin and the eyes of a snake. Creech wore a mind-control device on his head that gave him dominion over all manner of beasts. He was essentially a cool monster who summoned other cool monsters, thus making him the greatest character of all time. Creech may not have made a proper appearance on “Coast to Coast,” but he did get a chance to battle the Caped Crusader in an episode of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.”
But wait! The menagerie of monsters doesn’t end there! There’s Metallus, a (you guessed it) metallic menace who wears a great helmet adorned with metal wings, controls an army of robots, and was voiced by Ted “Lurch” Cassidy. He is the man I wanted to be when I grew up. Heat Thing is a hulking golem of lava, so he’s obviously an A+ bad guy. We also have Black Widow, a proto-Goth with the power to command alien insects. Her name was changed from “Black Widow” to “Spider Woman” to avoid confusion with Marvel’s Black Widow. Unfortunately for her, Marvel created their own Spider-Woman in 1977.
Frankly, I could spend the rest of this article gushing over the rogues of Space Ghost. They’re imaginative, stylish, and grand in the manner of comic books. But they work so well because the rest of the show possesses the qualities. Outside of the inimitable “Batman” with Adam West, no other show captures the thrilling yet whimsical nature of Golden Age comics better than ‘Space Ghost.” The jazzy score and the otherworldly designs are all top-notch. Announcer Gary Owens gave Space Ghost his stentorian voice, and it’s the voice that comes to my mind whenever I think of the word “superhero.” Owens also voiced Roger Ramjet and Powdered Toast Man from “Ren & Stimpy,” so I think we all agree he was the voice of a hero.
I don’t want to say one version of “Space Ghost” is superior to the other. “Coast to Coast” is a very funny show that shaped modern comedy to a certain extent, while “Space Ghost” is a perfect comic-style adventure that influenced shows such as “Batman: The Animated Series.” Both are valid, and both were needed. We just need to remember super Space Ghost as well as silly Space Ghost. Whether he’s stopping a madman’s plot or defeating the Bee Gees, Space Ghost is the ghost with the most. (Apologies to Beetlejuice.)
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