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Cartoon History Lesson #22: James Bond Jr.
For the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise, I’ve chosen to do this week’s CHL on one of my favorite childhood animated shows; James Bond Jr.
According to Wikipedia.com:
James Bond Jr. is a fictional character described as the nephew of Ian Fleming’s masterspy James Bond. The name “James Bond Junior” was first used in 1967 for an unsuccessful spinoff novel entitled The Adventures of James Bond Junior 003½ written by the pseudonymous R. D. Mascott.
“Bond., James Bond. Junior.”
The idea of Bond having a nephew was used again in 1991 as an American animated series for television in which the title character defeats threats to the safety of the free world. The series was mildly successful and spawned six episode novelisations by John Peel writing as John Vincent, a 12-issue comic book series by Marvel Comics published in 1992, as well as a video game developed by Eurocom for the NES and Gray Matter for the SNES in 1991.
While revolving around the nephew of James Bond, no surviving relatives are mentioned in Fleming’s novels, even though he unknowingly conceives a child with former Japanese movie star Kissy Suzuki in You Only Live Twice. This son makes an appearance in a later short story by Raymond Benson titled “Blast from the Past.”
The Animated Series:
The animated series, produced by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson and United Artists Corporation, debuted on September 30, 1991 and a total of 65 half-hour episodes were produced. James Bond Jr. was voiced by Corey Burton.
While attending prep school at Warfield Academy, James Bond Jr. with the help of his friends IQ (the hitherto unmentioned grandson of Q), and Gordo Leiter (the son of Felix Leiter, also not previously established), fights against the evil terrorist organization SCUM (Saboteurs and Criminals United in Mayhem, which is an offshoot of organizations like SPECTRE). Expanding on his uncle’s famous line, James Bond Jr.’s catchphrase was “Bond, James Bond. Junior.”
Like many animated series, it regularly surpasses the Bond movies in terms of fantastic gadgets and mad scientists, and the violence of the adult Bond series is nowhere in evidence. Despite this, the show was fully sanctioned by (and produced in association with) Danjaq and United Artists (the rights holders to the James Bond property).
Jaws, a recurring villain from the Roger Moore films The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, also made regular appearances, usually partnered with Nick Nack, a villain from the Roger Moore film The Man with the Golden Gun, to form a bickering comical duo. Auric Goldfinger also appears (alongside his assistant from the Goldfinger film, Oddjob), revealing he has a teenage daughter named Goldie Finger with equally expensive tastes. Many episode titles parodied the titles of Bond films, e.g. “Live and Let’s Dance.”
Main characters
The various inhabitants of Warfield Academy, comprising of James Bond Jr., his friends, Trevor Noseworthy and the two featured members of teaching staff, act as the series regulars, and all appear in almost every episode of the series. Sometimes only two or three of James’s friends will accompany him on an adventure, leaving the others behind at Warfield to create a B-plot which normally revolves around Trevor’s misguided attempts to get James into trouble.
James Bond Jr. (voiced by Corey Burton) – The series’ teenage hero and James Bond‘s nephew. He attends Warfield Academy and has lots of friends there who aid him in his missions. Romance is occasionally hinted at between Bond and Tracy Milbanks.
Horace ‘I.Q.’ Boothroyd III (voiced by Jeff Bennett) – A scientific genius and one of James’ best friends. Very intelligent, quick-witted and highly logical, he is responsible for developing and building the many artifacts and gadgets that help James defeat agents of S.C.U.M. and save the day. The series depicts him as the grandson of Q (James Bond’s gadget inventor played by Desmond Llewelyn in most of the James Bond movies). He’s mistakenly called Ike in the Italian edition.
Tracy Milbanks (voiced by Mona Marshall) – Daughter of the Academy headmaster Bradford Milbanks and one of James Bond Jr’s closest friends. She regularly accompanies James on his missions and, despite being bossy and quick-tempered, sometimes betrays her feelings for him.
Gordon “Gordo” Leiter (voiced by Jan Rabson) – The tanned, blonde, athletic and the “strong fist” of the group. Californian Gordo is also kindly and amiable. Possibly the son of 007′s CIA associate Felix Leiter, Gordon never backs down when his comrades need a little muscle to solve their problems.
Phoebe Farragut (voiced by Jennifer Darling) – Tracy’s best friend and the daughter of a rich businessman, Phoebe makes no secret of her crush on James, although the feelings are never reciprocated. In this manner, she is similar to Miss Moneypenny. Having a nerdish appearance complete with thick glasses and odd hairstyle, she is portrayed as less confident and popular than others in the group.
Trevor Noseworthy IV (voiced by Simon Templeman) – The antagonist of Warfield Academy. He comes from a wealthy family, thus he has an inflated sense of superiority and self-importance. Arrogant, egocentric and spiteful (but also cowardly and fearful), he regularly concocts outlandish plans to “unmask” Bond Jr. in order to get him into trouble and expelled form Warfield, which inevitably backfire with unpleasant consequences for Trevor.
Phobe
Bradford Milbanks (voiced by Julian Holloway) – An ex-Royal Air Force officer who now presides over Warfield Academy and is Tracy’s father. Although serious and rigid at times, at heart he is a fair and accommodating headteacher and father.
Burton “Buddy” Mitchell (voiced by Brian Stokes Mitchell) – This former FBI agent and associate of 007′s is the sports coach of the Academy. Strong and intelligent, Coach Mitchell often knows more about James Bond Jr’s activities than he lets on to his colleagues, and often risks his job by allowing James to get into danger.
Villains
There were numerous villains in the series, most of whom worked for S.C.U.M. and made recurring appearances throughout the 65-episode run. Many characters looked nothing like their movie counterparts (ex: Dr. No resembles a green-skinned, long-haired mutant). All recurring villains in the show are listed here, although some episodes (such as Sandblast featuring Egyptian megalomaniac Pharaoh Fearo) featured ‘one-off’ villains whose characteristics were too specific to the episode in question for them to be reused. It is not mentioned or addressed as to how the movie villains survived their various deaths from the films.
- Scumlord – The mysterious leader of S.C.U.M., never seen outside the shadows. He is believed by some fans to be none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He often relays commands to other S.C.U.M. villains via telescreen. He has a dog, named Scuzzball, who is often seen at his heel. Key appearances include The Beginning, Avalanche Run, Barbella’s Big Attraction and The Thing in the Ice though he commonly makes cameo appearances in episodes such as Location: Danger, Mindfield, Invaders from S.C.U.M., Catching the Wave, Danger Train and Northern Lights.
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Jaws – A dim-witted villain whose trademark is his steel teeth that destroy almost anything he chews up – and his ridiculous clothing not only serves as a small source of comedy for the series but also compliments his lack of intelligence. He usually acts as a henchman for higher-ranking S.C.U.M. agents and is often paired with Nick Nack. Unlike his movie counterpart, he actually talks. And while in the films he simply had steel teeth, in the cartoon he now has an entire lower jaw made of steel. In the novelization “A View To A Thrill”, it is explained that he was shot in the mouth during a bank robbery and “to save his life, the doctors had given him a set of metal teeth, and motors for jaw muscles.” Appearances include The Beginning, Plunder Down Under, Valley of the Hungry Dunes, Never Give a Villain a Fair Shake, No Such Loch, The Inhuman Race, Fountain of Terror, Ship of Terror, Queen’s Ransom, Avalanche Run, Barbella’s Big Attraction, Invaders from S.C.U.M., Ol’ Man River, Catching the Wave, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Sherlock IQ, Quantum Diamonds, Rubies Aren’t Forever, The Thing in the Ice, Monument to S.C.U.M. and Northern Lights.
- Nick Nack (voiced by Jeff Bennett) – A particularly small henchman with a huge chin, Nick Nack is often the butt of “short jokes” from both James Bond Jr. and his villainous “other half”, Jaws, with whom he is almost always coupled (not only in crimes but also in terms of their relatively low intellects) in S.C.U.M.’s various schemes. Appearances include Valley of the Hungry Dunes, Cruise to Oblivion, The Inhuman Race, Queen’s Ransom, Avalanche Run, Barbella’s Big Attraction, Invaders from S.C.U.M., Ol’ Man River, Catching the Wave, Sherlock IQ, The Thing in the Ice, Goldie Finger at the End of the Rainbow, Monument to S.C.U.M. and Northern Lights.
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Dr. Derange – This evil scientist with long black hair speaks with a notable French accent and has an insane passion for every kind of radioactive materials, mainly plutonium. His bizarre face (mainly his misaligned eyes) hints like he’s a victim of recent brain aneurysm or acute squint. He is by far the most frequently appearing villain in the series, clocking up at least sixteen episodes. He also features in nearly all of the spin-off material, suggesting he is also popular with fans. Appearances include The Eiffel Missile, A Race Against Disaster, The Inhuman Race, It’s All in the Timing, Fountain of Terror, Deadly Recall, Red Star One, Invaders from S.C.U.M., A Deranged Mind, The Last of the Tooboos, The Emerald Key, Canine Caper, Weather or Not, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Quantum Diamonds and Monument to S.C.U.M.
- Skullcap – A top-ranking S.C.U.M. assassin, almost always found working for Dr. Derange. His name is given after the massive steel headgear encasing the top part of his head and brain – which also gives him tremendous headache whenever something hits it strongly. Skullcap is extremely cold and insidious though not particularly cunning. Appearances include The Eiffel Missile, The Inhuman Race, It’s All in the Timing, The Last of the Tooboos, The Emerald Key, Weather or Not, Canine Caper and Thor’s Thunder.
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Auric Goldfinger (voiced by Jan Rabson) – One of Bond Jr.’s cleverest and most manipulative villains. Whenever there’s gold, there’s Goldfinger. His schemes are motivated entirely by greed, and he is most often assisted by henchman Odd Job. Appearances include Earth Cracker, Cruise to Oblivion, Goldie’s Gold Scam and Killer Asteroid.
- Goldie Finger – Goldfinger’s spoiled and equally crooked daughter, who shares her father’s love of gold and his ruthlessness in attempting to get it. Though occasionally teaming up with ‘Daddy’, she tends to prefer working with Barbella. Appearances include City of Gold, Going for the Gold, Goldie’s Gold Scam and Goldie Finger at the End of the Rainbow.
- Oddjob (voiced by Jan Rabson) – Much like Jaws and Nick Nack, this guy is mostly seen working for the other villains, especially Goldfinger. He wears an odd-looking purple jumpsuit with red-orange stripes (hence his name), red and white sports-themed sneakers, pale green half gloves, a gold huge chain necklace bearing his OJ initials, a pale green winter scarf and flying goggles. His trademark razor-sharp hat is back, too, (it is now a miniature top hat instead of a bowler hat) [it is even re-coloured purple; his hair is also now Flattop] and although originally he didn’t speak (as in Goldfinger) he mysteriously began to rarely do so later in the series. Appearances include Earth Cracker, Cruise to Oblivion, Far Out West, A Deranged Mind, Goldie’s Gold Scam, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Killer Asteroid and Garden of Evil.
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Barbella – A hot-tempered female bodybuilder. Barbella often exhibits superhuman strength. Cunning and cold, she has loyalty for no-one, least of all S.C.U.M., whom she betrays in one episode by attempting to destroy their international headquarters. She often works with Goldie Finger. Appearances include City of Gold, Barbella’s Big Attraction, Going for the Gold, A Deranged Mind and Goldie Finger at the End of the Rainbow.
- Dr. No – One of Bond Jr.’s most fiendish opponents. This version differs a lot from the original Dr. No as he has now green skin and cybernetic hands. His accent, costume and moustache are Asian-looking and many of his schemes involve ninjas, samurai swords and the like. Appearances include A Chilling Affair, Valley of the Hungry Dunes, Appointment in Macau, The Sword of Power, Far Out West, Garden of Evil and No Time to Lose.
- Spoiler (voiced by Michael Gough) – A gravel-voiced S.C.U.M. agent who leads a band of savage, chain-wielding motorcyclists, allowing quick getaways from crime scenes. He has worked for various agents including Baron von Skarin, Dr. Derange and Doctor No. Appearances include Scottish Mist, No Time to Lose and Monument to S.C.U.M.
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Walker D. Plank – A stereotypical pirate or brigand, complete with hook hand, eye-patch, wooden leg and a talking parrot (that also has an eye-patch and a peg-leg). His schemes are invariably nautical and typically involve pillage, plunder, and domination of all the oceans in the world. Jaws often works for him. Appearances include Plunder Down Under, Nothing to Play With, Never Give a Villain a Fair Shake, No Such Loch, Ship of Terror, Queen’s Ransom, S.C.U.M. on the Water, Ol’ Man River, Danger Train and Thor’s Thunder.
- Bilge and Pump – A pair of sinister seafaring sidekicks, invariably found instigating criminality on behalf of Captain Plank. Appearances include No Such Loch and S.C.U.M. on the Water.
- Baron Von Skarin – This wealthy Bavarian baron is also an international terrorist and firearms smuggler. Von Skarin is cold and cruel but never neglects his elegant appearance, as he’s usually seen wearing expensive fur coats and a monocle on his right eye. He is often seen reporting directly to Scumlord and is apparently one of his more favoured agents. He is one of the less popular (and liked by fans) villains. Appearances include Live and Let’s Dance, Dance of the Toreadors, Scottish Mist, Catching the Wave, Sherlock IQ, Rubies Aren’t Forever and Northern Lights.
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Ms. Fortune (voiced by Susan Silo) – A wealthy criminal aristocrat, Ms. Fortune’s healthy bank balance never prevents her from pursuing further riches, typically through highly illegitimate means. Appearances include Fountain of Terror, Mindfield, The Heartbreak Caper, There But For Ms. Fortune and Danger Train and in one scene during Scumlord’s meeting in Barbella’s Big Attractionwhere she plays a silent, non-speaking role.
- Snuffer – Ms. Fortune’s crooked and deeply unpleasant butler and accomplice. Though Snuffer may look and sound like a humble butler, his ambitions are not nearly so humble and he enjoys devising particularly grisly ends for Bond and his friends. Ends every sentence with ‘ma’am’. Appearances include Fountain of Terror, Mindfield, The Heartbreak Caper, There But For Ms. Fortune and Danger Train.
- The Chameleon (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – This dangerous criminal has the ability to be a facial shapeshifter because of nano-technologic mechanisms implanted under the skin on his face, which control his facial muscles allowing him to change his appearance almost instantly. Cunning and sly, he is a villain to be feared, thus giving him the name. Appearances include The Chameleon, Red Star One and The Art of Evil.
- Tiara Hotstones – This jewel-loving mercenary shares somewhat of a rapport with James Bond Jr. and despite being ruthless in achieving her aims, is inclined to pursue only jewels and money rather than power or world domination. Appearances include Dance of the Toreadors, Rubies Aren’t Forever and Dutch Treat.
- Maximillion Cortex – A diminutive villain with a very large brain – hence the name. Cortex is very wealthy but is always looking for ways to increase his bank balance further, and they’re rarely legitimate. Appearances include Lamp of Darkness and Leonardo da Vinci’s Vault.
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Leftbrain and Rightbrain – Cortex’s assistants, they are a pair of overweight halfwits whose size and intelligence counter those of their boss. While similar in appearance and completely inseparable, they are not actually related. Appearances include Lamp of Darkness and Leonardo da Vinci’s Vault.
- The Worm (voiced by Jan Rabson) – The only recurring villain in the series apparently not to have been associated with S.C.U.M., The Worm is a first-rate terrorist and hypochondriac with an intense dislike of sunlight, thus his plans often take place deep underground. Appearances include A Worm in the Apple and Pompeii and Circumstance.
Bond Girls
In most episodes James Bond Jr. encounters ‘guest’ women, whom he’s often forced to rescue. Following in the 007 tradition, many of their names are based on puns or double entendres. Some of the more notable include:
Lotta Dinaro – Daughter of an archaeologist in search of El Dorado. They are both kidknapped by Oddjob and Goldfinger. From the episode Earthcracker.
Lt. Shelley Kaysing – A US army lieutenant whom the Chameleon attempts to assassinate in order to further his plan to steal a secret army device. From the episode The Chameleon.
Marcie Beaucoup – A French spy who encounters James Bond Jr. on a hovercraft. She and Bond are captured by Dr. Derange and Skullcap and must escape from the Eiffel Tower before a missile is launched killing them both. From the episode The Eiffel Missile.
Terri Firma – The daughter of a leading seismologist who is forced to work for Walker D. Plank and Jaws when her father is kidnapped. From the episode Never Give a Villain a Fair Shake.
Hayley Comet – A student at Warfield whose professor father is kidnapped by agents of S.C.U.M. disguised as aliens from outer space (Dr. Derange, Jaws and Nick Nack, after orders from Scumlord who appears via telescreen). From the episode Invaders from S.C.U.M.
Wendy Day – A weather forecaster who assists James in preventing Doctor Derange from carrying out his plot to take control of the weather (with Derange’s assistance of Skullcap). From the episode Weather or Not.
Sgt Victoria Province – A mountie whom James befriends in Toronto; she assists him in curbing Baron von Skarin’s plan to cut electrical power to the city (which Skarin does with Jaws and Nick Nack). From the episode Northern Lights.
Marvel Comics Books:
James Bond Jr. was given a limited 12 issue run with Marvel Comics spanning from January 1992 to December 1992. The first five stories were lifted directly from the TV series, but the other seven were original stories. The Writers: Cal Hamilton & Dan Abnett. Artists: Mario Capaldi, Colin Fawcett, Adolfo Buylla, & Bambos Georgioli.
For the entire article about the series, go HERE.
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