''Mighty Max'' is an American
animated action/
horror
Horror may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Genres
*Horror fiction, a genre of fiction
** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction
**Korean horror, Korean horror fiction
* Horror film, a film genre
*Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
that aired from 1 September 1993, to 2 December 1994, based upon the
British Mighty Max toys, an outgrowth of the
Polly Pocket
Polly Pocket is a toy line of dolls and accessories first founded and designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983 and licensed by Bluebird Toys from 1989 until both entities/properties were acquired by Mattel in 1998.
History
Polly Pocket was first designe ...
line, created by
Bluebird Toys
Bluebird Toys plc was a British toy company. They are responsible for the Polly Pocket brand, Havok wargame and Disney Tiny Collection. Previous toy lines include Manta Force, Oh Penny, the British version of Oh Jenny from Matchbox Toys, Mig ...
in 1992.
It ran for two seasons, with a total of 40 episodes airing during the show's run.
Plot
The series follows Max, an adventurous teenage boy who receives in the mail a small statue of a
fowl, inscribed with
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs (, ) were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, used for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with some 1,000 distinct characters.There were about 1,00 ...
whereof the translation states: "You have been chosen to be the cap-bearer. Go to the mini-mart and wait for a sign, Mighty Max". Shocked by the message, Max drops the statue, shattering it and revealing a red baseball cap emblazoned with a yellow "M", which he dons. The cap is capable of projecting
wormhole
A wormhole (Einstein-Rosen bridge) is a hypothetical structure connecting disparate points in spacetime, and is based on a special Solutions of the Einstein field equations, solution of the Einstein field equations.
A wormhole can be visualize ...
-like "portals" through which Max can
teleport across
space and time Space and Time or Time and Space, or ''variation'', may refer to:
* ''Space and time'' or ''time and space'' or ''spacetime'', any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single interwoven continuum
* Philosophy of space and time
Sp ...
.
Upon arriving at the mini-mart, Max is chased by a
lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
-monster sent by antagonist '
Skullmaster'. As Max flees, the cap teleports them to the
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
n desert, where he befriends Virgil, a nearly
omniscient
Omniscience () is the capacity to know everything. In Hinduism, Sikhism and the Abrahamic religions, this is an attribute of God. In Jainism, omniscience is an attribute that any individual can eventually attain. In Buddhism, there are diffe ...
Lemurian whose appearance is that of an
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
"fowl" (a
running gag in the series is that Max refers to Virgil as a "chicken" to which the
Lemurian replies "Fowl, actually"), who explains that Max's reception of the cap was prophesied c. 3000 B.C. Thereafter Max, Virgil, and Norman, his
Viking
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
bodyguard, travel together around the world, defending
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
against the minions of Skullmaster, who is responsible for the downfall of the
Lemurians. Norman is supposedly
immortal and identified as or with
Sir Lancelot,
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
,
Samson, and
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
. Most plot-driving episodes involve Skullmaster or one of his monstrous followers; but in many episodes, Max is required to stop an independent
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
. While all episodes involve travel across
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
, one involves
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
, and the portal can even extend into the
astral plane
The astral plane, also called the astral realm or the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical, medieval, oriental, and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions.G.R.S.Mead, ''The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tra ...
(as seen in the episode "
Souls of Talon
''Mighty Max'' is an American animated action/ horror television series that aired from 1 September 1993, to 2 December 1994, based upon the British Mighty Max toys, an outgrowth of the Polly Pocket line, created by Bluebird Toys in 1992. It ra ...
").
While generally lighthearted and comical, the show's violence and descriptions of violent acts were considered excessive by some viewers. Many episodes began with a depiction of the story's principal monster killing a victim, whereas the
series finale
A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...
featured Max, Norman, and Virgil pitted against Skullmaster and their previously defeated foes. Both Norman and Virgil are killed, leaving Max to defeat Skullmaster. Unable to do so, Max uses the cap in order to
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
to the events of the first episode, creating a time paradox. At first, he experiences ''déjà vu'', but after he reads Virgil's modified letter, he recalls everything, and decides to use the knowledge he gained from the initial timeline to set it right in order to defeat Skullmaster once and for all.
Characters
Heroes
* Max (voiced by
Rob Paulsen
Robert Frederick Paulsen III (born March 11, 1956) is an American voice actor, known for his roles in numerous animated television series and films. He received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program and three Anni ...
) – Max is the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
of the series: a rambunctious, clever, and blond teen empowered, through a series of adventures, to protect the signature cap that enables travel through various places. Max sometimes claims reluctance to retain this role, but Virgil and the cap leave him with little choice.
* Virgil/Narrator (voiced by
Tony Jay
Tony Jay (2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006) was a British actor.
A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive bari ...
) – Virgil, a
fowl-like humanoid, is the last living
Lemurian, and Max's
mentor. He is over ten thousand years old, and knowledgeable of both past and future, but often frustrated by Max's carefree ways (which include teasingly calling Virgil a "chicken") and frequently reminded of having mentored Skullmaster, who consequently destroyed his people later on. Virgil would often send unusual messages to Max on where to go in order to get taken through a portal to meet up with him.
* Norman (voiced by
Richard Moll as an adult,
Jason Marsden as a child) – Norman is Max's bodyguard who, after failing to prevent his father's defeat, vowed to become the greatest warrior that ever lived (
cf. "
Norman's Conquest
''Mighty Max'' is an American animated action/ horror television series that aired from 1 September 1993, to 2 December 1994, based upon the British Mighty Max toys, an outgrowth of the Polly Pocket line, created by Bluebird Toys in 1992. It ra ...
"). After a lifetime of battle, Norman was appointed by Virgil to his current role. He earned his
immortality
Immortality is the concept of eternal life. Some modern species may possess biological immortality.
Some scientists, futurists, and philosophers have theorized about the immortality of the human body, with some suggesting that human immorta ...
by defeating the Conqueror, an undefeated champion, and swore to defend the Mighty One with his life if necessary (cf. "Dawn of the Conqueror"). As the Mighty One's bodyguard, Norman is usually serious but, unlike Virgil, seems to enjoy Max's carefree ways. Norman's exploits through the ages were the basis of numerous legends, including those of
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
,
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
,
Samson,
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
, and
Little John. Norman is shown throughout the series to be fearless, but not above disgust and has a fear of spiders. It is hinted in the final episode that he may have finally met his match in combat and died at the hands of an enormous spider. His common
catchphrase is, "I eat
for breakfast", usually naming his enemy. Another is the wry statement made upon meeting one of the many monsters they encounter, "That is a big
.
Allies
* Max's Mother (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) – A blonde
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
who works for the local museum. She often travels all over the world and usually leaves Max to his own devices. More than once Max has had to rescue her; but despite misgivings, she and Virgil often have historical discussions and she is one of the few people who can out-talk Virgil.
* Bea (voiced by
Kath Soucie) – Bea is one of Max's two best friends. Bea is an intelligent young girl who has assisted and sometimes rescued Max. Level-headed and cool under pressure, she often balances Max's exuberance with a more intellectual approach.
* Felix (voiced by
Corey Burton) – Felix is Max's friend who takes Max's new heroism in stride. Felix has assisted Max on numerous occasions, but usually gets left behind when the adventure starts, only to be relied upon thereafter.
* Thor – Thor is Max's pet
green iguana and loyal companion. During Max's first encounter with antagonist Dr. Zygote, Thor was "devolved" into a
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
and ended up rescuing Max from Zygote's ''
Tyrannosaurus rex''-like "Mutosaurus" (as seen in "
Zygote's Rhythm"). Later, Max "devolved" Thor back into his usual, pocket-sized self.
Villains
* Skullmaster (voiced by
Tim Curry) – The main
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
of the series and the nemesis of the Mighty One. Skullmaster is an ancient warrior/
sorcerer whose lust for power has driven him to destroy the
Lemurians. Afterward, Skullmaster was imprisoned underground after the final battle with Max's predecessor Maximus where he took command of the inhabitants there. During the second season, Skullmaster is freed to roam the earth itself and seeks to control the universe.
** Warmonger (voiced by
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) – Warmonger is a
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
and Skullmaster's errand runner. Cruel and sadistic, he briefly showed ambition when he tried to kill Skullmaster in the episode "I, Warmonger", but found himself ignorant of what to do with his newfound power and position. The death of Skullmaster proved to be a ruse and Skullmaster himself was proud of Warmonger for showing such deviousness.
** Rock Monsters – A race of rock monsters that serve Skullmaster.
** Skeleturtles – A race of skeletal turtles that serve Skullmaster.
* Lava Lord (voiced by
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) – Lava Lord is the previous ruler of Underworld, dethroned and sealed in solid rock by Skullmaster. At the beginning of season 2, Lava Lord was freed and recovered the allegiance of the Lava Beasts. He planned to destroy Skullmaster with a giant
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
called Magusn. Though Lava Lord has no love for humans, his hatred for Skullmaster has caused him to align with Max on more than one occasion.
** Magus – A giant lava-powered robot working for Lava Lord who treated it like his own son.
** Lava Beasts – Creatures of molten rock that served Lava Lord until his defeat by Skullmaster, and later restored to him.
* Cyberskull (voiced by
Danny Goldman
Daniel Goldman (October 30, 1939 – April 12, 2020) was an American actor and casting director. He was most widely recognized as the voice of Brainy Smurf in Hanna-Barbera's ''The Smurfs'' (1981–1989).
Early life
Goldman graduated from Far R ...
) – Marlin Curt is a programmer who merged with a
computer virus
A computer virus is a type of computer program that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. If this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be "infected" with a compu ...
and discovered that he can alter reality and become electricity. He plotted revenge on the founder of ''MegaCorp'' for stealing his ideas. Cyberskull later returned to create a physical body for himself.
* Professor Eggbert Zygote (voiced by
Kenneth Mars
Kenneth Mars (April 4, 1935 – February 12, 2011) was an American actor. He appeared in two Mel Brooks films: as the deranged Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in '' The Producers'' (1967) and Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friedrich Kemp in ''Young ...
) – Eggbert Zygote is a
mad scientist
The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly amb ...
with plans to manipulate evolution. In his first appearance in "Zygote's Rhythm", he developed a machine that devolved reptilian life to their dinosaur forms. Max unintentionally evolves him into a form with a large brain. Zygote escapes into the sea following the fight. In "Zygote Music", Zygote has mastered the psychic abilities that came with his new form. He captures a telepathic boy whom he believes to be the key to human evolution. He is "defeated" when he evolves into a being of pure consciousness, losing interest in "such primitive concepts as good and evil".
* Arachnoid (voiced by
René Auberjonois
René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony Aw ...
) – Dr. Stanley Kirby is a scientist who was mutated into the half-
spider
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
Arachnoid.
* Talon (voiced by
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to:
Sports
* Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor
* David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier
* David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer
Oth ...
) – A giant skull-like entity that feeds on the souls of the living. He requires Mighty Max's cap to escape from the
astral plane
The astral plane, also called the astral realm or the astral world, is a plane of existence postulated by classical, medieval, oriental, and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions.G.R.S.Mead, ''The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western Tra ...
into our dimension. In "Armageddon Outta Here", Skullmaster uses Talon to carry a message to Max to show up at Stonehenge or else he will kill Virgil.
* Fuath – A gigantic clockwork stone golem that was created by a sect of druids to plan revenge on humanity. Max, Virgil, and Norman were able to defeat Fuath by taking out the crystal that powered it. In "Armageddon Outta Here", Skullmaster summon Fuath to fight Lava Lord and Magus.
List of episodes
Cast
*
Corey Burton – Felix
*
Tim Curry – Skullmaster,
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
*
Tony Jay
Tony Jay (2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006) was a British actor.
A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive bari ...
– Virgil/Narrator
*
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
– Max's Mother
*
Richard Moll – Norman
*
Rob Paulsen
Robert Frederick Paulsen III (born March 11, 1956) is an American voice actor, known for his roles in numerous animated television series and films. He received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program and three Anni ...
– Max
*
Kath Soucie – Bea
*
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
– Warmonger, Lava Lord
Additional voices
*
Charlie Adler
Charles Michael Adler (born October 2, 1956) is an American voice actor and voice director. He is known for his roles as Buster Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Ed and Bev Bighead on ''Rocko's Modern Life'' and Ickis on ''Aaahh!!! Real Monst ...
– Calimarus, Ernie, Football Coach
*
René Auberjonois
René Murat Auberjonois (; June 1, 1940 – December 8, 2019) was an American actor and director. He was best known for portraying Odo on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He first achieved fame as a stage actor, winning the Tony Aw ...
– Arachnoid, Nadja
*
Michael Bell – Hydra (Good Side)
*
Hamilton Camp –
*
Glen Chin
Glen Chin (January 27, 1948 – August 16, 2018) was an American actor of Chinese descent who starred in film and television.
Background
Chin was born in Stockton, California on January 27, 1948. He was the eldest of eight children. His father o ...
– Lao Chu/Ki Wan
*
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
–
Beowulf
''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...
, Conqueror, Doom Dragon, J. "Ollie" Oleander Pettybone, sorcerer Ravendark
*
Miriam Flynn – Professor MacDougal
*
Brad Garrett – Spike
*
Linda Gary –
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
*
Ellen Gerstell –
*
Danny Goldman
Daniel Goldman (October 30, 1939 – April 12, 2020) was an American actor and casting director. He was most widely recognized as the voice of Brainy Smurf in Hanna-Barbera's ''The Smurfs'' (1981–1989).
Early life
Goldman graduated from Far R ...
– Marlin Curt/Cyberskull
*
Dorian Harewood –
*
Michael Horse – Yana-Ya-In
*
Charles Kimbrough – Dr. Robert Scorpio
*
Clyde Kusatsu –
Hanuman
Hanuman (; sa, हनुमान, ), also called Anjaneya (), is a Hindu god and a divine '' vanara'' companion of the god Rama. Hanuman is one of the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is an ardent devotee of Rama and on ...
*
Katie Leigh – Jiffy
*
Victor Love
Victor Love is an American actor, best known for the role of Bigger Thomas in the 1986 movie adaptation of the Richard Wright novel ''Native Son'', for which he was nominated the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.
Filmography
Film
...
–
*
Kenneth Mars
Kenneth Mars (April 4, 1935 – February 12, 2011) was an American actor. He appeared in two Mel Brooks films: as the deranged Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in '' The Producers'' (1967) and Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friedrich Kemp in ''Young ...
– Professor Eggbert Zygote
*
Jason Marsden – Young Norman
*
Kate Mulgrew –
Isis
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
*
Ron Perlman
Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...
– Goar
*
Henry Polic II
Henry Albert Polic II (February 20, 1945 – August 11, 2013) was an American stage, screen, and voice actor, best known as Jerry Silver on ''Webster''.
He earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from Florida State University and later served in t ...
– Nemo
*
Roger Rees –
*
Neil Ross
Neil David Ross is a British-American voice actor and announcer. Noted for his Trans-Atlantic accent, he has provided voices in many American cartoons, most notably ''Voltron'', ''G.I. Joe'', and ''Transformers'', as well as video games, inclu ...
– Hydra (Bad Side)
*
Michael Fenton Stevens
Michael Fenton Stevens (born 12 February 1958) is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for being a founder member of The Hee Bee Gee Bees and the voice behind the ''Spitting Image'' 1986 number 1 hit "The Chicken Song". He also starred ...
*
Paula Tiso
Paula Tiso is an American voice actress.
Tiso works in many niches of voiceover including promo, radio imaging, and commercial as well as video games and narration.
She has narrated the true crime ID channel series ''The Devil Speaks'', as ...
–
*
B.J. Ward – Mrs. Fudder
*
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to:
Sports
* Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor
* David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier
* David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer
Oth ...
– Talon
* Olivia Virgil White – Mujaji
*
Paul Williams – Mad Scientist
*
JoBeth Williams
Margaret JoBeth Williams (born December 6, 1948) is an American actress and television director. Her directorial debut with the 1994 short film ''On Hope'' earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. In 2009 she began ...
– Countess Moska
*
Bill Woodson – Woman
Crew
*
Gordon Hunt – Voice Director
*
Phil Roman
Philip Roman (born December 21, 1930) is an American animator and the director of the ''Peanuts'' and ''Garfield'' animated specials. He is the founder of animation studios Film Roman and Phil Roman Entertainment.
Early life
Philip Roman was bo ...
– Executive Producer
*
Mark Zaslove
Mark Zaslove (born June 7, 1959) is an American television and film writer, director and producer and novelist, in live-action and animation. He has won two Emmy Awards and the Humanitas Prize. He has created a wide range of content from the child ...
– Story Editor (season 1)
*
Gordon Bressack – Story Editor (season 2)
Availability
Select episodes of the show were released on
VHS in
NTSC
The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by National Television System Committee (NTSC)National Television System Committee (1951–1953), Report and Reports of Panel No. 11, 11-A, 12–19, with Some supplement ...
and
PAL formats.
Despite its popularity, the series has never been available on DVD or any digital service.
Epilogue
In all episodes, a short ending scene preludes the credits, wherein Max is shown at his desk in his room, where he
discusses with the audience some aspect of the episode in an educational way (similar to other children's cartoon series, including ''
The Magic School Bus''), usually the location where the events took place, the type of monster that was fought, etc. Occasionally, Max is shown in another setting such as a
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
or
museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...
, or is simply heard recorded on an
answering machine (such as "Armageddon Outta Here", the
series finale
A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...
); but these sequences were not broadcast on some channels, such as the British terrestrial airings on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
(though included on the
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
airings). Generally, the educational messages at the end of each shows were of scientific, historical, or cultural significance (for example, the mythology of another culture; new astronomical theories of the time; the biology of a
giant squid
The giant squid (''Architeuthis dux'') is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum size at around Trace ...
; or the fact that
Native Americans were first believed to be Indians by European explorers).
In addition to the epilogue, facts are unobtrusively given in show, often by Virgil's comment.
Merchandise
The merchandising was far more popular than the show itself. Mighty Max toys were sold as play-sets of varying sizes with very small (usually non-articulated)
figurine
A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cl ...
s inside. Each play-set contained a Mighty Max figure as well as one or more villains and sometimes Virgil, Norman, or both. There were a small series of larger, more expensive play-sets with various mechanical and electronic features such as opening jaws (on an island play-set shaped as a
dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
's head) and lights. Almost all episodes of the TV series were based at least loosely on one of the Mighty Max play-sets.
In 1994, due to the popularity of the play-sets at the time, the
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
Happy Meal offered a toy play-set featuring Mighty Max.
In February 1995, a video game, ''
The Adventures of Mighty Max
''The Adventures of Mighty Max'' is a side-scrolling action-adventure video game developed by British studio WJS Design and published by Ocean Software for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. The game is based on t ...
'', was released for the
SNES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Euro ...
and
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan as ...
(which were packaged with a VHS copy of ''Day of the Cyclops'' and ''Let Sleeping Dragons Lie'', respectively.) A handheld game was also released by
Tiger Electronics and Systema.
The show generated other merchandise such as a
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
(10 issues), a sticker album, at least one puzzle, and
board game
Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.
Many board games feature a comp ...
s.
In some countries, replicas of Max's cap were sold,
although not all are officially licensed merchandise.
References
External links
*
The ''Mighty Max'' Portal (fan site)*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mighty Max (Tv Series)
1990s American animated television series
1993 American television series debuts
1994 American television series endings
First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
Fiction about wormholes
USA Action Extreme Team
BBC children's television shows
American children's animated action television series
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated horror television series
American children's animated science fantasy television series
Television shows based on Mattel toys
Television shows adapted into video games
Lemuria (continent) in fiction
Television series by Film Roman
Television series by Universal Television
Television series by Mattel Creations
Animated television series about teenagers