UNDERDOG began in October 1964 and ran an impressive 124 episodes, and stayed on the air in first run episodes and saturday morning syndication until 1973, after which it was sold to syndication for various time slots for every day of the week.
The show revolves around Shoeshine Boy who, in his alter ego of UNDERDOG fights crime and saves his city from various menaces, usually fending off attacks by his two main arch foes, Simon Bar Sinister and Riff Raff and coming to the rescue of his lady-love, Sweet Polly Purebred.
The show has one of the most recognized theme songs in the history of cartoons.
OPENING THEME:
The shows stories are generally broken into 4 part chapters, enticing the viewer to tune in for the next episode, although there are a few exceptions to that rule, especially early in the series run.Later, after the original run and early syndication with filler segments such as TENNESSEE TUXEDO, the show would air all 4 chapters in the same episode.
story arc THE FLYING SORCERERS parts 1-4:
UNDERDOG has been a staple of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1965!
+++++ UNDERDOG IN THE COMICS PART ONE: CHARLTON +++++
UNDERDOG,of course, was a perfect fit for the comics.Charlton Comics ran 10 issues from July 1970 to January 1972.
Fan Club Card
jigsaw puzzle
coin bank
Halloween costume
another Halloween costume
lunchbox
+++++ UNDERDOG IN THE COMICS PART TWO: GOLD KEY +++++
In 1975 Western Publishing obtained the rights to UNDEROG where they ran 23 comic issues under their GOLD KEY imprint, coverdated March 1975 to January 1979.Several issues were also released on Westerns "Whitman" line.The Whitman issues differ only by the "smiling W" logo in the upper left hand corner of the cover, and therefore I have elected not post the Whitmans.
PEPSI glasses,1976
Mid 1960's CHEERIOS commercial
BUTTHOLE SURFERS version of the theme song from the album "Saturday Morning Cartoons Greatest Hits"
+++++ UNDERDOG IN THE COMICS PART THREE: HARVEY and More! +++++
SPOTLIGHT Comics, 1987
In addition to a 68 page one-shot issue in 1993, HARVEY Comics had a 5 issue run from November 1992 to July 1994.
MARCH OF COMICS (Western/K.K. Publishing) promotional/give-away comic, 1977
BLACKTHORNE 3D comic,1998
in the mid 90's there was an attempt to bring UNDERDOG to the newspaper comic strips, but it never left the drawing board.Here's an example of one of the unpublished daily strips(along with it's counterpart, TENNESSEE TUXEDO).
iron on/sew on patch
a collection of various books and games
Magic Slates 1965,1974,1975
Although the complete series is as yet still unavailable, many episodes can be found on several dvd box sets from Classic Media.
In 2007 UNDERDOG was given the live- action movie treatment, in which everything that made this show sow great was thrown out the window,and as such I only post this single image from the film.
THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR---UNDERDOG IS HERE!
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