Broken Frontier

Where do teenagers with powers go to be trained as superheroes? Why, Hero High of course!

In the 1970’s and 1980’s Filmation Studios were a powerhouse of animation and live-action children’s programming. Among their many programs was 1981’s Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam. The hour-long program featured animated shorts with Captain Marvel and members of the Marvel Family, more animated shorts with the Filmation created Hero High, and live action sequences with the Hero High voice actors dressed as their animated counterparts! The animated Hero High segments would go on to see a second life in syndication, strung together as an animated series and now all 26 animated segments have been placed on a two DVD set along with a plethora of extras.

The premise for Hero High is as basic as the title implies – a high school to train teenagers with powers to be superheroes. While this is a more familiar concept now when the series was first created it was still a fresh and new idea. The writers worked with archetypes and parodies but not in the way that one might expect. With series’ like this one fans have come to look for the "Superman type" or the "Batman type" or the "Captain America type" and we expect the stories to poke fun at those familiar tropes. Hero High did not go that route, instead choosing to work with more social stereotypes. For example, you have the self-absorbed, vain, semi-cowardly, cheater type in Rex Ruthless. Captain California is a stereotypical handsome, blonde, surfer boy... with a jet powered surfboard named Wipeout while Punk Rock is a... well... punk rocker (although oddly enough, Punk Rock sounds more like a 1960’s Beatnik than a punk rocker).

The Hero High students may have been "in training" but they often got the chance to prove their mettle by helping capture a number of wacky and off-beat supervillains. For example, there is Space Case – who steals outer space related memorabilia, the Human Fly who turns out to be a super strong man who is only about the size of a fly, and high seas hijacker Captain Seaweed and his werewolf henchman Wolf (get it – "Sea Wolf"?). In between supervillain action, the students had to deal with the antics of Rex Ruthless and Dirty Trixie who were always looking to cause problems or get ahead by stepping on someone else. In a treat for some comic book fans there were also guest appearances by Billy Batson/Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, and Isis.

The episodes themselves were well produced. Although there are a certain amount of stock backgrounds used as well as a reusing of stock footage the animation itself is bright, vibrant, and flows nicely. It, as well as the sound, is clean and crisp with very few flubs.

Like many of Filmation’s comedy series’ Hero High pulls deeply from the old Vaudeville traditions. The character of Peter Penguin is an obvious tribute to Harpo Marx of the Marx Brothers and older viewers will recognize the broad jokes, puns, and sight gags that fill the episodes. Despite this, there are is also a zany, off-beat, wackiness that cannot be categorized. The villains are crazy and unexpected and the character designs are equally inventive. The school principal, Mr. Sampson, for instance, is an ageing strongman who still has power when it counts but viewers can’t help giggling when his costume consists of sandals, a loincloth and a cape with a collar and tie! Even the character names are terrific – Dirty Trixie who carries a bag full of "tricks", the portly Weatherman who, of course, controls the weather... although often with the same degree of accuracy as real-life weathermen. The pre-pubescent AWOL with the power to disappear, and Bratman (who is more like Bratboy) with the ability to throw super temper tantrums!

In addition to the episodes themselves, the DVD’s feature episode commentaries from producer Lou Scheimer as well as some of the actors involved, interviews with Scheimer, actors, and writers for the series, art samples, storyboards, and scripts, and a handful of the original live-action framing sequences from the Kid Super Power Hour. Not all of these extras are stellar, however. The episode commentaries add little insight into the creation of the episode or the series in general and the live-action sequences are cheesier than the products of Wisconsin. With the sheer amount of material to be found on these DVD’s, however, any failings are more than compensated for.

Hero High is a series that easily bridges the generations. For those who remember it from their own youth it is a sweet trip down memory lane and one they can share with any kids they may have in their own lives. For those who do not remember it, it will be an introduction as enjoyable to 5 year olds as to 45 year olds. The characters are fun and charming and the adventures have enough twists and surprises to provide a thrill and more than a few laughs.