Greetings, true believers! A new Fantastic Four movie has just hit theaters, marking this as the 85th adaptation of the seminal Marvel Comics super squad. But this time, there’s a twist: it’s actually good! At the time of writing, I haven’t seen “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” but the reviews are glowing and the general vibe seems to be right. I’m pleased as Punch that we (probably) have a Fantastic Four movie that is conventionally satisfying, but I can’t help but appreciate the decades of cheesy Fantastic Four adaptations we have received. None of them have been great or even adequate, though it would be foolish to say they haven’t been interesting. We had the unreleased Roger Corman movie, the infamous Josh Trank body horror movie, and Galactus as a puff of smoke. Now that we apparently have a proper depiction of Marvel’s first family, the barreling takes we’ve seen over the years are almost charming. None more endearing than “Fred and Barney Meet The Thing,” a cartoon that features only Fantastic One.
“Fred and Barney Meet The Thing” is an oddity for many reasons. First airing in 1979, this hour-long animated series featured Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble, and a version of the ever-loving blue-eyed Thing. On that level, the show delivers. However, there is a fundamental part of that title that is ignored: they never meet. Sure, they’re seen together in bumpers and during the theme song segment, but never do the Stone Age duo and the rockin’ Rockman interact. Had this promise been kept, “Fred and Barney Meet The Thing” would rightfully be regarded as the most excellent cartoon ever made. Alas, it was not meant to be. “Fred and Barney Meet The Thing” did not pave the way for a spinoff starring Sue Storm as a member of Josie and the Pussycats.
That’s weird element #1. Believe it or not, it gets stranger. In a startling twist, “Fred and Barney Meet The Thing” became a triple crossover, expanding to a robust 90 minutes.What classic Marvel and/or Hanna-Barbera player was added to the line-up? Did they bring in Huckleberry Hound or Doctor Strange? None and no, for they brought in the only logical choice: Shmoo from the “Lil’ Abner” comic strip. From that point forward, the show was known as “Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo,” losing none of the previous title’s accuracy.
Fred and Barney’s segments are worth exploring, featuring two creepy, Addams-style families. But since this is The Thing’s moment, that’ll be for another day. As for Shmoo, I don’t really have much to say. I’ll let a Lil’ Abner expert cover that. I’m focusing on The Thing, and there’s a lot to unpack. First THINGs (ha.) first, The Thing is not part of the Fantastic Four here. In fact, the other members never appear. He’s still sorta Ben Grimm; he just goes by “Benjy” instead. And he’s not an astronaut exposed to cosmic radiation. Instead, he’s a scrawny teenager. By touching together two magic rings and reciting the words “Thing Ring, do your thing!”, the dorky Benjy becomes the mighty Thing. Don’t expect any Marvel supervillains. Most of Thing’s adventures are of the Scooby-Doo variety. He also speaks in a Jimmy Durante accent.
The phrase, “They don’t make them like that anymore,” is overused and often incorrect. But they genuinely don’t make them like “Fred and Barney Meet The Thing” anymore. In a way, I miss these sorts of cornball offerings that didn’t give a hoot about comic accuracy. Then-NBC President Fred Silverman wanted a show about a boy with a magic ring and told Hanna-Barbera to pick a recognizable character out of a hat. It’s terrific that we have such a caliber of comic book-inspired media now, but I also appreciate these silly, low-stakes adventures that you can enjoy with a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.
For obvious reasons, “Fred and Barney Meet The Thing” is not commercially available. It no longer airs on television, and I’m not entirely sure it wasn’t a fever dream. In an era when Marvel has become an unstoppable force in pop culture, curiosities like this are becoming increasingly rare. Gone are the days of random cartoon crossovers and Twinkie ads featuring The Hulk. Though it was cornier than creamed corn, “Fred and Barney Meet The Thing” was special. It’s a relic from the days when superheroes could be silly without major scrutiny. Yabba-Dabba-Doo, True Believers!
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