Product Review

The 1933 film classic KING KONG formed the basis of a 1966 cartoon series that marked the first time Japanese animation was specifically created for American television. Produced by acclaimed animators Arthur Rankin, Jr., and Jules Bass (who pioneered stop-motion puppetry with their 1960s Christmas specials RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN), the cartoon fashioned a kindler, gentler version of the giant ape as he helped a scientist, Professor Bond, and his two children, Bobby and Susan, fight the world-domination plans of the evil Dr. Who on a remote tropical island. The series also featured a segment called TOM OF T.H.U.M.B. (Tiny Humans Underground Military Bureau), which chronicled the crime-fighting adventures of two four-inch-tall spies as they engaged in James Bond-style espionage. Fun and nostalgic, this second collection presents eight more half-hour episodes plus an extended-length pilot.