Classic Cartoons: Hong Kong Phooey
Time to reach into my collection for some more classic cartoons. This time, let’s talk about the Number One Super Guy: Hong Kong Phooey!
Holy shit, I love that tune! And then there’s this cover version by Sublime. Yes, this is one of the all-time great cartoon theme songs.
As the the lyrics indicate, Hong Kong Phooey is a bumbling superhero who “in reality” is Penry, the police department janitor. When Penry catches wind of crime, he jumps into the file cabinet (you know, instead of a phone booth) and becomes Hong Kong Phooey. Aided by his striped cat “Spot”, HKP cruises the streets in his Phooeymobile and figures out how to capture criminals with the aid of his manual, “The Hong Kong Book of Kung Fu”.
It’s fantastic stuff.
Hong Kong Phooey originally aired in the mid-70s, just before I was born, but I was luckily able to catch the show in reruns on the USA Cartoon Express (best cartoon show ever). It’s a Hanna Barbera production from the peak of their run, which means that you’ll recognize voices from other HB productions and the animation has the same (some might argue “shoddy”) style as other HB ‘toons from that period. Either way, I love the show, as does my son. Unfortunately, there were only sixteen episodes of Hong Kong Phooey. The good news is, they can all be purchased in one slick collection right here: Hong Kong Phooey – The Complete Series
