Wolf Rock TV (partially found ABC DiC animated series; 1984)
Wolfman Jack, the title character, and his gang, on a rare color activity book.
Status: Partially Found
Wolf Rock TV was an animated series produced by Dick Clark and originally broadcast in 1984 on ABC, with 13 episodes produced and 7 episodes aired.[1][2]
It starred famed radio DJ "Wolfman Jack" (real name: Robert Weston Smith) as a fictionalized cartoon version of himself.
Plot
In the show, Wolfman Jack would host a rock music TV program with three teenagers, Sarah, Sunny, and Ricardo, while playing some real live-action music videos. A parrot named Bopper also appeared as their pet (and likely comic relief). They had a manager, Mr. Morris, who would show dislike towards the kind of music Jack showcases.
A segment was Wolf Rock News and another was The Rock N' Roll Museum with live-action interviews.
Aftermath
The series was reaired in 1989 with the other animated series Kidd Video (also music-themed, featuring teen heroes and live-action music videos) in a segment known as "The Wolf Rock Power Hour".
It is very unlikely that the series would ever come out on DVD, due to the great number of music/music videos used in the episodes that would be very expensive to license (the same problem that happened with Kidd Video).
In 2008, DiC was acquired by Cookie Jar Group. In 2012, DHX Media acquired Cookie Jar. In 2019, DHX rebranded as WildBrain, after the name of its YouTube network. In 2023, it was revealed that WildBrain still owned the distribution rights to Wolf Rock TV. Due to its obscurity, the series does not appear in WildBrain's catalogue.
Several animation cels have popped out on websites such as eBay or The Deep Archives. At least one of them has come out from the Van Eaton Galleries, in California.
Some merchandise from the time, such as stickers, coloring books, and watches have also resurfaced on auction sites.
In a 2013 Dragon Con interview, Canadian-American voice actor Maurice LaMarche revealed that he did voice work for one episode of Wolf Rock TV, but didn't give more information on the subject.[3]
Footage/Audio
A VHS recording of ABC's Saturday Morning Preview Park (dated September 7th, 1984) has surfaced on YouTube, starring "Weird Al" Yankovic with two actors in full-body suits impersonating Scrappy-Doo and Scooby-Doo. The three characters are at the "Knott's Berry Farm" theme park while talking about three upcoming animated series: Turbo Teen, Dragon's Lair and Wolf Rock TV. A very short preview of each is given at first and then Yankovic, accompanied by the dogs, visits a ride that is theme-related to the cartoon (bumper cars for Turbo Teen and a cave that hides a fire-breathing dragon for Dragon's Lair) while more details about each show are given. However, the available VHS recording stops while the "dragon cave" skit ends, and the uploader claims this is the only part he has.
The short preview of Wolf Rock TV shows a dancing young man, Wolfman Jack in an extreme close-up and Bopper breakdancing and described by the voice-over as "hip-talking and moondancing" with no mention of the other characters.
In January 2017, Lost Media Wiki user Cyber Bishop got his hands on a 30-year-old cassette tape that contains a recording of Wolf Rock TV's theme song. Despite the tape's age, Cyber Bishop has managed to record the audio from the tape and has subsequently uploaded it to YouTube.
On December 1, 2021, Youtube user mejo kallamthanam uploaded a 1984 promo for ABC's Saturday Morning cartoons, containing some footage of Wolf Rock TV, where Wolfman's character's voice can finally be heard.
On September 11, 2023, YouTube user NR Productions uploaded the first episode named "The Video Nappers". It was sourced by collector Bsh from the internet archive. The upload instantly received a copyright notice (disabling monetization) from WildBrain, claiming the whole episode length as "Wolf Rock TV 01 01". Therefore, the show has been fingerprinted and is most likely available in their archives.
Gallery
Videos
Images
A promotional image of Wolfman Jack with Bopper.
A promotional image showing the main cast.
Wolfman Jack with Bopper.
An animation cel from the series, showing Bopper and Wolfman Jack.
A cel showing the main characters.
A cel showing Wolfman Jack.
A cel showing Wolfman Jack and Bopper near Betamax tapes.
A cel showing several of the characters.
A cel showing a scene seemingly happening at the Statue of Liberty.
Another cel of the cartoon, featuring a robot, possibly from the episode "Rockin' Robot".
Another cel of the cartoon, from possibly the same "Rockin' Robot" episode.
Another cel showing some parrots; possibly friends/relatives of Bopper.
Another cel showing the other parrots.
Another cel showing these parrots.
Another cel of Bopper, possibly from the episode "Bad News Birds".
Background model sketch for a city scape.
Another background model sketch for a city scape.
Background model sketch for a control room/booth.
Background model sketch for an editing room.
Background model sketch for a museum building.
Background model sketch for the front of a museum.
Background model sketch for a museum display.
Background model sketch for a museum room.
Background model sketch for the front of a radio station tower building.
Background model sketch for a radio station entrance.
Background model sketch for a TV studio.
A very rare sticker album.
Closer look at the sticker panel.
Back of the sticker panel, showing the characters.
Closer look at the stickers.
Front of the sticker album. The inside pages are blank.
A comic ad promoting the cartoon alongside Heathcliff and Inspector Gadget.
Illustrated preview for Saturday Morning Preview Park, including "Wolf Rock TV".
Another magazine ad.
Closer look on a magazine ad.
A rare watch.
Closeup on the watch.
Rare glasses.
A rare carry bag.
Screencap of a VHS recording preview of the show - live-action part.
Screencap of a VHS recording preview of the show.
Screencap of a VHS recording preview of the show - Wolfman Jack.
Screencap of a VHS recording preview of the show - Jack closeup.
Screencap of a VHS recording preview of the show - Jack extreme closeup.
Screencap of a VHS recording preview of the show - Bopper.
Screencap of a VHS recording preview of the show - Bopper breakdancing.
External Links
References
- ↑ Dic Entertainment's website on their list of shows Retrieved 13 Jun '21
- ↑ 1998 International Television AlmanacRetrieved 16 May '22
- ↑ Behind the Voice Actors interview with Maurice LaMarche which mentions his voice acting work on the show. Retrieved 27 Dec '16