Jonny Quest Annual [1966]

[1965] Annual. Original price 9/6.
96 pages. Full colour contents.
World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd.

Based on the Hanna-Barbera television series.

Painted cover by UNNOWN (uncredited).

Contents:

 2 UNTITLED endpaper; a: UNNOWN (uncredited).

 4 UNTITLED indicia.

 5 Hanna-Barbera's Jonny Quest Annual title page.

 6 Contents

 7 Capers on Capri text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

17 The Plot on Power Island text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

27 Bandit the Bulldog text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

33 The Mystery of the Lizard Men w: UNNOWN (uncredited), based on the teleplay by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Douglas Wildey & Alex Lovy; a: UNKNOWN (uncredited).

r: Jonny Quest (Gold Key) #01 (Dec 1964).

65 Black Gold text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

75 The Town of Lost Men text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

87 The Riddle of Shark Bay text story by UNNOWN (uncredited); illustrated by UNKNOWN (uncredited).

94 UNTITLED endpaper; a: UNNOWN (uncredited).

A suitably action-packed cover, inspired by the strip inside, though made curiously two-dimensional thanks to the lack of background detail, lets us know what to expect - the animated hero caters, after all, to a particular audience, expectant of mystery and (despite Hanna-Barbera's limited animation) motion. There is something, however, a little bit 'off' regarding Bandit, whose appearance throughout the annual feels curiously off-model. The unfortunate placement of the foot of the diver to page-right makes it appear as if he is enjoying himself a tad too much - simultaneously adding a new dimension to the image, and providing a creepy subtext.

Jonny's fishing trip is cancelled - U.S. Zero Five, their Central Intelligence Organization, have informed Dr. Quest a military aircraft carrying a supply of X909, a new top-secret wonder drug, blew up on the runway at Naples Airport. Setting off to investigate the incident in a private plane, the team learn that the plane was in perfect condition, and that the explosion must have been deliberate. A black car was seen hastily departing just after the plane took off, with two unidentified men in uniform.

An all too easy problem to solve, with no sense of distress at any loss of life the aircraft's destruction occurred. So jolly is the tale, at its conclusion there is talk of fishing... Dr. Quest's inventions seem to be rather rudimentary here, and even the action is decidedly muted.

Dr. Benton Quest is busy putting the finishing touches to a top secret report on Intercontinental Ballistic Missile projection, scheduled to be studied by a major Congressional Committee in Washington, while Jonny is enjoying the sun. Having decided to take the hydrofoil out, Race gets it ready for him, and while changing in his bedroom Jonny is kidnapped. After telling Dr. Quest about the incident, the pair set out to locate Jonny.

Feeding what is known into UNIC, the computer gives out a location of interest: The Island of Red Sand, an uninhabited island two hundred miles out to sea, and whose most notable feature is vivid red sand. Hesitating to immediately investigate this lead, Quest awaits further information - which is eventually revealed as Zoltan. Race queries the name, which Quest explains belongs to Zaptan Zoltan, a man who might be plotting to control the world from the island.

An attempt to suppress Dr. Quest's research was never going to go down well, and although the story does its best to keep things moving, there isn't a sense of desperation in the hunt for Jonny. When he is eventually located, there is a ray-gun (a-la Buck Rogers) and much levity, rather than an emotional and powerful conclusion. Adding another layer of problems, the story makes use of sound effects throughout.

Bandit the Bulldog is, sadly, not much better. Fortunately a strip reprint is deployed to reengage the interest of flagging readers.

In the mid-Atlantic lies a vast stretch of becalmed waters, marked by massive islands of drifting seaweed and rotting hulks of ancient ships... Derelicts from centuries past. On the fringe of this foreboding place a tramp steamer cautiously makes its way...

A poor adaptation of the first episode, with stiff artwork and numerous backgrounds deprived of detail, doesn't suggest that much care had been taken in transferring the story to the page. The colouring is also extremely poor, with no sense of where the action is occurring.

The Town of Lost Men is, by far, the most intriguing story herein, with Dr. Quest, Jonny, and Race driving across America as part of their vacation. Arriving at a ghost town, they discover a hotel which is inhabited by men with lost looks on their faces, who do not wish to be disturbed. After driving off, Dr. Quest tells Jonny that there was, indeed, something odd going on, but that Race and Jonny are not going to be returning to the town.

Sadly the telling of the tale isn't up to the promise, though the tone is certainly that of familiar Hanna-Barbera series.

An odd, and not entirely successful, attempt at celebrating the series.

Jonny Quest Annual

[1967]