Gli Snorky - Snork - The 1984 animated series

November 28, 2020

Snorky (Snorks in the original English) is an American-Belgian animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired for a total of four seasons (and 65 episodes) on NBC from September 15, 1984 to May 13, 1989. The program continued to be available in syndication from 1987-1989 as part of the third season of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera.

The early years (1977-1981)

In 1977, Freddy Monnickendam, a Belgian businessman and artist, first made contact with the comic industry when he negotiated the rights to the Smurfs comics with Father Abraham. He later became the head of SEPP, the Dupuis subsidiary, as the publisher responsible for merchandising the Smurfs comic series. Then he negotiated the contract between Peyo, NBC and Hanna-Barbera for the creation of a new cartoon series of the Smurfs; Peyo wanted the show to be as faithful as possible to its original comics, but instead wanted it to be more mainstream and accessible. These negotiations would then have resulted in a legal dispute between the two men due to the division of rights and the money involved. As a final result, he decided to compete with the Smurfs success, starting a new cartoon series.

Development, concept and first comic (1981-1984)

In June 1981, Nic Broca [fr] created the first character drawings made for “Diskies”, a very first iteration, made for the comic series Spirou et Fantasio. Soon, the debut Snorks comic was released in January 1982 by Broca himself. Freddy Monnickendam, after fighting in court with fellow Belgian cartoonist Peyo, sought a series that could rival the success of The Smurfs, as he sought and failed to buy the rights since 1977. He acquired the Snork rights from Nic Broca, and they both started a partnership with Hanna-Barbera to produce this new cartoon series. Subsequently, a three-minute pilot episode of Snorks was made for NBC, although it was not seen by the public.

Premiere as a cartoon series (1984-1989)

Snorky (Snorks in the original English) premiered as an animated series on September 15, 1984 and ended on May 13, 1989. It ran for five years. Unlike Freddy Monnickendam had hoped, he was unable to take Snork's success to the same heights as the Smurfs, which led to the end of his collaboration with Nic Broca [fr] and ultimately the dissolution of SEPP. Although Snork's success has been limited, the cartoon show has gained fans around the world, making appearances in popular culture and getting various product lines.

History

Snorkels are a breed of small and colorful anthropomorphic marine creatures that live happily in the underwater world of Snorkland. They have mouthpieces on their heads, which are used to quickly push them through the water. When a Snork gets excited, its tube makes a “snork” sound. They have much of the same technology as contemporary humans, adapted to their aquatic environment. Snorkers use clams as their currency ("clams" is also a slang term for money).

According to Snorky's backstory, which was featured in the show's opening theme worldwide (season 1634 in America) [clarification needed], some ventured to the surface (which Snorkers believe is "outer space") in XNUMX. and they watched a Royal Navyship of the Spanish Armada being attacked by pirates. The captain ended up in the water and that was the first contact between the species when the Snorkes saved his life, to which the captain later expressed his gratitude by noting the encounter in his log, even if very few humans believe in the existence of the Snorkeling. Since then, Snorkels have adopted various human habits, such as wearing clothes.

There are some episodes that have human encounters with Snorkers. In the episode "Allstar's Freshwater Adventure", Snork (who are Saltwater Snork) meet Freshwater Snork. Freshwater snorkels have two snorkels on their heads and a distinctive biochemistry of saltwater snorkels.

Characters

Superstar / all star Seaworthy (voiced by Michael Bell)

an athletic, yellow-skinned snorkel, generally regarded as the hero of the series. He is intelligent, courageous and generous, usually serving as the leader of his gang during their various adventures. Superstar he has a great interest and excels, in science and invention, just like his uncle, Dr. Galeo Seaworthy. Every time that Superstar reaches a "light bulb moment", his belt buckle starts to turn, giving him a "brilliant idea". It is the love interest of Bubbly and was the best friend of Fluffy when they were younger. He has a little sister named Little Star. Superstar he once joked that he will never understand female Snorkels in the episode "Learn to Love Your Snork" when he can't understand why. Bubbly is angry.

Little light / Dimitris “Dimmy” Finster (voiced by Brian Cummings)

An athletic, orange-skinned Snork, Little light he imagines himself as a comedian as well as a fighter, but his attempts usually lead to embarrassing results. She learned ballet from Daffney to improve her snorkeling skills. He also has a huge appetite and hates being called by his full name. He is a good friend of Superstar and Daffney's love interest, even though he is temporarily replaced by JoJo as Daffney's date at the debutante ball and becomes jealous. Fluffy he often calls him "Dimwit". He once had a crush on a little mermaid that he saved from a storm and the evil one Doctor Stranosnorky. Since the start of the third season, he is canceled from the storylines for unknown reasons, but makes a few cameo appearances.

Bubbly / Casey Kelp (voiced by BJ Ward)

A salmon pink skinned Snork with red hair that is tied in braids with two green bows. He usually wears a green shirt that exposes his navel and matching pants. Intelligent, courageous and kindhearted. Casey will defend anyone, Snork or sea creature, when he thinks they are being targeted or are in danger. She is also quite good at drawing. She was once angry about her "giant" snorkel and went out of her way to hide / make it smaller. It is the love interest of Superstar and Daffney's best friend. However, in season 4, in the episode "Snorkerella" Casey has a huge crush on a Snorkball player named Stevie and eventually becomes her prom date, making her relationship with him seem non-existent. Superstar; he also seems to have a crush on Fluffy in the episode “The Day They Fix Junior Wetworth” where she kisses him.

Daffney Gillfin (voiced by Nancy Cartwright)

A pretty coral colored and purple haired Snork wearing a bob hairstyle and a red star shaped hair clip. She is always worried about her appearance, but she has a good heart at heart. She won the title of “Miss Junior Snorkland” in a beauty contest with the help of Yucky, a small rainbow swanfish (very similar to The Ugly Duckling). With a talent in fine arts, Daffney becomes the star of the show as a replacement for Tallulah Bankfish (a famous Broadway theater actress from New Snork City) in a play, and entered a piece of sculpture for an art show. . She is Casey's best friend and is Dimmy's love interest before he is canceled from the show. She also has a good relationship with JoJo (who she once called Daffney "Alberta Einsnork") and Lettuce, with whom she shares fashion tips, and once worked as a fellow trapeze artist in a circus.

Fluffy / Wellington Wetworth, Jr. aka "Junior" (voiced by Barry Gordon)

An orange skinned snorkel with blue hair who is a stubborn snorkel but basically has a good heart. He is often described as a wealthy snob who takes care of his parents, especially his father the governor. During the first two seasons Fluffy is seen as a minor villain, due to his rude, dishonest and snobbish attitude towards other Snorkers, especially Superstar and his gang. In seasons 3 and 4 Lettuce and Lil Seaweed became the main villains as well Fluffy he's gotten more genuine, but his stubbornness is still there. He was the best friend of Superstar when he was younger until defending himself didn't go to his head. Fluffy he became jealous of Superstar and its competitive side really comes into play. During the first two seasons (especially the fourth season), he seems to have a crush on Bubbly (in season 4, she kissed him), but as of season 3 he is often seen with Daffney and frequents the gang of Superstar.

Curl / Tooter Shelby (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker)

A green-skinned, good-natured Snork with dark green hair who is suffering from aphasia, due to which he can "communicate" only through "horns" and "beeps". His parents will never share this speech disorder, even if his mother has a bite. However, he is much loved by his friends who seem to have no problem understanding him. Has the ability to communicate with part of the marine life. He once fell in love with another Snork named Tadah.

Watchman / corky (voiced by Rob Paulsen) - An orange skinned Snork. He works as a Snork Patrol Officer, a devoted Snorkland defender and quite a workaholic. He drives a multifunctional submarine and his home is filled with the many medals he has won for his heroic achievements. It is appreciated by all Snorkers and gets along well with Superstar and his friends.

Small tentacle / Occy (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) - The domestic octopus of Superstar. It was once owned by Fluffy until the latter abandoned him. Small tentacle did not get along with Fluffy and will do anything to embarrass and / or chase Fluffy. On the contrary, Small tentacle is very loyal to Superstar. A musician, Small tentacle held a sold out concert to help Superstar to raise funds for the heavily indebted Dr. Galeo. He is the only non-Snork main character on the show.

JoJo (voiced by Roger DeWitt) - A strong, fearless, tanned-skinned male Snorker who grew up and lives in the wild, the Snork equivalent of Tarzan. Unlike his friends in Snorkland, JoJo has two snorkels, which make him faster and stronger than everyone else, but he doesn't like being taken as just a "big, brave and simple hearted hunk". He loves freedom and above all marine fauna, with which he is able to communicate and tame. Sometimes he is a little uncomfortable with "civilization", which he thinks is "too much" for him. On the other hand, JoJo seems to enjoy the prehistoric era a lot and immediately falls in love with Daffnork (a prehistoric version of Daffney). Become Daffney's date at the debutante ball after saving her life. It also helps Watchman to help others from time to time.

Fengy - A dogfish and JoJo's companion since he was a child.

Ziffin / Willie Wetworth (voiced by Fredricka Weber) - An orange-skinned Snork boy, younger brother of Fluffy, is someone to whom Ziffin admires even if at times Fluffy is rude to him. Ziffin he is cheerful, talkative and popular with other Snorkers. He is friends with Little Star.

Great Glu Glu / Governor Wellington Wetworth (voiced by Frank Nelson in seasons 1 and 2, Alan Oppenheimer in season 3)

An orange skinned male Snorker with lavender hair. Vain and self-centered, Governor Wetworth is a stereotypical politician who generally evades blame and takes undue credit, therefore disliked by most Snorkers. As a father of Fluffy e Ziffin, wants that Fluffy follow in his footsteps. He doesn't like Doctor Galeo, Superstar and his gang for stealing the spotlight. He is also the younger brother of Captain Long John, a kind old pirate friend of Superstar e Bubbly. Governor Wetworth often forgets and messes up his public speeches. Show a good side of yourself from time to time by donating to charity and encouraging Fluffy to earn their own money for buying a car.

Doctor Galileone / Dr. Galeo Seaworthy (voiced by Clive Revill)

A bespectacled, purple-skinned male Snorker with white hair and a mustache. A scientist and inventor, he has saved Snorkland numerous times from villains and disasters with his contraptions, the occasional knots of which also act as a recurring gag throughout the series. He is the uncle of Superstar, brother of the Doctor Stranosnorky and friend of the gang of Superstar, which often provides them with various devices for their adventures. He has successfully built a time machine that helps his prehistoric friend Ork get home.

Mr Seaworthy (voiced by Bob Holt) - A yellow-skinned male Snorker. He is the father of Superstar e Little Star and the manager of the Snorkland Steam Plant, responsible for providing energy for buildings and automobiles, as well as heat for heating and cooking needs for Snorktown residents.

Little Star / Smallstar Seaworthy (voiced by Gail Matthius) - A yellow-skinned Snork girl. She is the little sister of Superstar and friend of Ziffin. She appears to be cute, curious, friendly, but very mischievous. He once drew on Governor Wetworth's monument and scribbled his face with red crayon Bubbly.

Mrs Seaworthy (voiced by Edie McClurg) - A female Snorker with glasses, yellow skin and pink hair, mother of Superstar e Little Star. She owns a beautiful and expensive blue coral necklace passed down to her through many generations in her family.

Mr Kelp (voiced by Robert Ridgely) - A male Snork with light pink skin, red hair and glasses and the father of Bubbly. Kelp grocery store owner.

Mrs Kelp (voiced by Joan Gerber) - A light pink-skinned Snorkel woman and the mother of Bubbly.

Aunt Marina (voiced by Mitzi McCall) - A light pink-skinned Snork female with reddish hair, the aunt of Bubbly. Passionate about acting and theater, and good friend of the famous actress Tallulah Bankfish.

Mrs Wetworth (voiced by Joan Gardner) - A Snork Woman with bluish hair, the mother of Fluffy e Ziffin. She is usually seen correcting her husband, Governor Wetworth, during her speeches, as she tends to forget her words or mispronounce.

Grandfather Wetworth (voiced by Frank Welker) - An orange-skinned Snork. He is the grandfather of Fluffy e Ziffin and Wellington's father Wetworth. Grandpa Wetworth is a clever cheater who acts as if he knows less than what he does. He is an elderly male who is young in heart and spirit as well as being tech savvy. Fluffy always tries to outdo him in tricks, but Grandpa Wetworth is always one step ahead. He is appreciated by everyone and he likes them Superstar and his friends.

Miss Sponge / Ms. Seabottom (voiced by Edie McClurg) - A female Snork with yellow skin and glasses. She is a high school teacher and appears to be the only teacher who takes students on field trips.

Matilda (voiced by Mitzi McCall) - An overzealous Snorker woman with long blonde hair and a mole next to her left eye. She is seen as a cheerleader during a game and she really enjoys dancing. She has a big crush on Fluffy, who tries to avoid it but never seems to succeed.

Bibo and Biba / SNIP and SNAP - A pair of Robo-Snork, with male SNIP and female SNAP. They were created by Lettuce to get rid of Watchman and then take control of Snorkland. They pretend to be UFOs when they first appear. After successfully framing Watchman and having started it, allow a Lettuce e Lettuce to take control of Snorkland. So with a change of heart and SNAP being dismantled by a furious Lettuce, SNIP helps the bandwidth Watchman e Superstar to get rid of Lettuce e Lettuce. Later, Dr. Galeo manages to rebuild SNAP and create a communication device that allows SNIP and SNAP to make basic word sounds.

The Council of Elders (voiced by Peter Cullen and Michael Bell) - A group of four Snork Elders who are the true leaders of Snorkland and are mostly seen in the shadows. They are known to keep Governor Wellington Wetworth in check.

antagonists

Doctor Stranosnorky / Dr. Strangesnork "Seaworthy" (voiced by René Auberjonois) - A purple-skinned male Snork who has white hair adorned with black lightning-like stripes. He is a wicked and absent-minded mad scientist who often forgets his name. Try to conquer Snorkland with various schemes and inventions. He is jealous of his brother, Doctor Galeo, and wants to take revenge on him and his nephew, Superstar.

Finneus (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) - An orange catfish with black stripes. He is the helper and childhood companion of the Doctor Stranosnorky. Always remember al Doctor Stranosnorky everything he forgets.

Lettuce / Bigweed (voiced by Michael Bell) - The main villain of the series since the third season. It should be a large green seaweed-like creature with magical abilities, such as disguising itself as a Snork or any other form of marine life. He tries to conquer Snorkland and enslave the Snork but always ends up being outsmarted. Her hair turns out to be an important ingredient in curing the rare disease Superstar at a certain point. At the end of season 4, he is friends with Superstar.

Lettuce / Lil 'Seaweed (voiced by BJ Ward) - female assistant to Lettuce wearing a red hair bow and makeup. Same sort of Lettuce with similar magical abilities, but at a lower level. About the same age as Superstar and his friends. Later, she is forced by Snorkland social services to attend school due to her age. While Lettuce you call it "klutz", the two share a strong bond. Lettuce he also forms a secret friendship with Daffney.

Weed and Wood - The two friends and secondary helpers of Lettuce.

The Great Snorky Vampire / The Great Snork Nork (voiced by Frank Welker) - An indigo-colored Snork Vampire and the Snork equivalent of Count Dracula. Unlike others, its mouthpiece is on the front of its face, pointing downward like an elephant's trunk, and it has three fins on its head. It has fangs and sleeps like a bat, hanging upside down from the ceiling. Hate and avoid light at all costs. He has magical abilities and can fire electric bolts from his hands. He wants to conquer Snorkland and is always accompanied by two helpers, who are miniature versions of him without the magical abilities. Even though he only appears in two episodes of the third season, he is always shown in the title sequence.

The Snork-Eaters (various voices) - Large red creatures known to prey on Snork. The only thing that scares them is a type of fish called the Snork-Eater Eater, with tiny bodies and huge mouths. Additionally, King Neptune also has the power to banish Snork-Eaters.

Serena the Mermaid - A miniature Snork-sized mermaid with long blonde hair. She is saved from a storm and later from the Doctor Stranosnorky da Little light e Bubbly, and is transformed into a normal siren by the magnifying machine of the Doctor Stranosnorky. No longer worried about her size, she returns with her friends to the world of mermaids after giving a Bubbly one of her hair accessories and having kissed Little light on the cheek.

King Neptune - A character from ancient Roman mythology who served as ruler of the sea Poseidon. He is depicted as a merman controlling the rise and fall of the tides with a magical seashell. Most Snorkers believed that King Neptune was a myth until he appears after losing his magical shell, which is later found by Ziffin. King Neptune also has the ability to banish Snork-Eaters.

Esky - A green colored male Snork living in Polo Snork. She wears winter clothes and accessories like everyone else in her area. Although he lacks self-confidence, he is brave, responsible and the fastest Snork in his area, having once saved his town and gang of Superstar by Snork-Eaters with the help of a friendly Snork-Eater Eater fish.

ebb - A good-natured cream-colored Snork with a protruding front tooth that snorts and talks backwards. Shunned for his eccentricities in his hometown, Ebb left and settled on a deserted and degraded reef in Snorkland. Initially traded by Superstar and from his gang for being a faceless Snork Monster, befriend them and become an excellent snorkel player. However, his new home will be rebuilt into a clamdominium by Governor Wetworth. The gang of Superstar then he plays a joke and makes the place look haunted, and Ebb accidentally "saves" the governor's life by chasing away the "monsters". He is thus rewarded with a nice apartment on the cliff for his "heroic deeds".

Ork - A prehistoric Snork with long red hair, which had been frozen in an ice cube for two million years and discovered by Dr. Galeo, Daffney and JoJo. The Snork equivalent of a Stone Age caveman, Ork has poor grammar skills, dresses like Jo-Jo and is deeply nostalgic when trapped in "modern" Snorkland. However, having lived in the present day for two months, he experiences a bit of "culture shock" when he finally returns home via Galeo's time machine. Stating that things are no longer as he remembers them, Ork decides to return to Snorkland with his new friends.

The Snork Eaters - Small orange fish that can communicate with Snorkels. Their mouths can be opened and expanded to a great extent, specifically suited to Snork-Eaters.

Episodes

1 Season

01. Journey to the Source / The Invasion of the Buzzing Fish
02. The portrait of the Great Glù Glù / Aliens in Snorkylandia
03. A spy in Snorkylandia / Tentacolino's Girlfriend
04. The snorkymania / The horse race
05. The Charity Ball / Camping Holidays
06. The treasure of Snorkylandia / Snorkydance
07. Ciuffino's secret / Front page news
08. The blue coral necklace / Up and down the sea
09. The monster of Snorkness / The surf competition
10. The double game of Superstellino / 200 by Ciuffino
11. Lucetto dancer / The handcuffs of the ancient Snorky
12. A dance lesson / Ostrichetta and her girls
13. The Seaweed King / Whale in Snorkylandia

2 Season

01. The snorkite epidemic / Ricciolo's disease
02. The rock salt mine / An adventurous journey
03. A tube too big / Doctor Strangesnorky
04. Ricciolo, first in the standings / A too heavy water sphere
05. Frizzina, aquatic amazon / The algae-sweepers in exile
06. Dango Mangiasnorky vegetarian / A tide too low
07. Tentacolino, best friend / Ghosts in Snorkylandia
08. Ciuffino, governor of Snorkylandia / A guard squid
09. A double friend / A nice soaking fish
10. The pearl of permanent energy / The smallest mermaid in the ocean

3 Season

01. All is well that ends well / Superstellino's disease
02. The marine circus / Two extraterrestrials in Snorkylandia
03. The siege of the mangiasnorky / The game of shadows
04. The obstacle race / The plant of Neptune
05. A rival for Tentacolino / Dangerous games
06. The Sand Witch / The Treasure Map
07. Masked ball / School elections
08. The Magic Ring / Space Adventure
09. Try it again Jo-Jo / The oldest of the Snorky
10. Snorky County's Longest / Spectrum Shortcut
11. A firefly as a friend / A busy campsite
12. The berries of madness / A princess for Ciuffino
13. The golden dolphin / A strenuous vacation

4 Season

01. A healthy fight / An impossible friendship
02. Jokes of memory / The magic dust
03. Dreams of glory / A friend fallen from the sky
04. A Stupid Snorkysaur / The brain-swapping machine
05. The most beautiful invention / Lord Tentacolino
06. Ciuffino's super fuel / The ghost of the prince
07. Snorkylandia snorka / Ciuffino's double
08. Robot too efficient
09. An eventful show
10. The pearl of wisdom
11. Demonstration of courage
12. The big lesson
13. Ork, the prehistoric friend
14. The Ice Wizard
15. The world of fairy tales
16. The marine park
17. The night of the blue moon
18. The queen of the fall prom
19. Snorwood Forest
20. The Clown Fish Circus
21. The treasure of the forgotten island
22. A new game
23. The science fair
24. Ciuffino's transformation
25. Lettuce and white musk
26. A difficult mission
27. The pearl of desires
28. The magic lamp
29. The scepter of power

Technical data

Original title snorkels
Original language English
Country United States
Author William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Studio Hanna-Barbera
Network syndication
1st TV September 1984 - January 1989
Episodes 65 (complete) (108 segments)
Episode duration 12 min
Italian network Italia 1
1st Italian TV 8 September 1985
Italian episodes 65 (complete) (108 segments)
Italian episode length 22 min
Italian dialogues Ludovica Modugno
Italian dubbing studio Group Thirty
Gender comedy, humorous, adventure