Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

How they gave his own show to Tad Ghostal?

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 30, 2021

Wanna feel old? The 1994 premiere of Cartoon Network's Space Ghost: Coast to Coast is almost closer in time to the original Space Ghost and Dino Boy than the present day. And while that fictional talk show (which isn't the subject of today's review, honest) is probably how most modern audiences remember ol' SG, Hanna-Barbera's original cartoon series still holds up as an enjoyable slice of campy, Silver Age comic entertainment. But as the name implies, this one's more of a variety show: each half-hour episode begins and ends with a short Space Ghost adventure, plus we get a tangy prehistoric filling by way of the completely unrelated Dino Boy. Is the end result top-tier entertainment? Hell no, but it's still pretty fun. Warner Archive lovingly presents this 20-episode complete series in its original "sandwich" format on two dual-layered Blu-ray discs, newly polished to a scruffy shine and looking better than ever.

For the uninitiated, Space Ghost follows the adventures of our titular superhero (voiced by Gary Owens) as he travels the galaxy in his Phantom Cruiser with lame teenage sidekicks Jan (Ginny Tyler) and Jace (Tim Matheson) along with their pet monkey Blip (Don "Scooby-Doo" Messick)... which means we get three Scrappy-Doos for the price of one. Luckily, ol' SG himself is such a badass that the show stays afloat more often than not. Typical episodes introduce a colorful villain -- future Coast to Coast regulars like Zorak, Moltar, and Brak, of course, along with a few others such as Metallus, Spider Woman, and The Creature King -- and plenty of henchmen, who usually capture the kids before Space Ghost flies to the rescue. Featuring enjoyably stiff dialogue, wave after wave of cartoon tropes, and imaginative alien landscapes, these eight-minute shorts are predictable but very entertaining in small doses. I'd still have loved to see more fleshed-out stories; as-is, the closest we get is a six-part episode that closes out the series.

Dino Boy, on the other hand... well, he's just there to kill time between Space Ghost episodes. Truth be told, these equally short shorts aren't all bad; if nothing else, the exotic adventures of this titular character (voiced by Johnny "not that Johnny" Carson) give off a slight Jonny Quest vibe, and it's pretty easy to see that his dino sidekick Bronty (Don Messick, again) was a clear inspiration for Scooby-Doo. Along with their tough caveman pal Ugh (Mike Road), DB and Bronty explore an uncharted South American valley -- where the boy (real name Todd) first landed after an emergency place ejection -- while occasionally meeting and/or facing off with random tribes including the Vampire Men, the Worm People, and the Rock Pygmies. Just a few of these shorts are enough for me, but they're vastly outnumbered anyway: a total of 60 segments make up this entire series, with only 18 belonging to Dino Boy. Here's the lineup:

Episode List (3 segments each - Space Ghost / Dino Boy / Space Ghost) *

Disc One:

• "The Heat Thing" / "Marooned" / "Zorak"
• "The Lizard Slavers" / "The Moss Men" / "The Web"
• "The Creature King" / "The Treemen" / "The Sandman"
• "The Evil Collector" / "The Fire God" / "The Drone"
• "Homing Device" / "The Mighty Snow Creature" / "The Robot Master"
• "The Iceman" / "The Wolf People" / "Hi-Jackers"
• "The Energy Monster" / "Valley of the Giant" / "The Lure"
• "The Cyclopeds" / "The Ant Warriors" / "The Schemer"
• "Lokar, King of the Killer Locusts" / "The Bird Riders" / "Space Sargasso"
• "Brago" / "Giant Ants" / "Revenge of the Spider Woman"

Disc Two:

• "Attack of the Saucer Crab" / "The Rock Pygmies" / "Space Birds"
• "The Time Machine" / "Danger River" / "Nightmare Planet"
• "Space Armada" / "The Vampire Men" / "The Challenge"
• "Jungle Planet" / "The Terrible Chase" / "Ruler of the Rock Robots"
• "Glasstor" / "The Sacrifice" / "The Space Ark"
• "The Sorcerer" / "The Maksman" / "The Space Piranhas"
• "The Ovens of Moltor" / "The Spear Warriors" / "Transor, the Matter Mover"
• "The Gargoyloids" / "The Worm People" / "The Looters"

* - Episodes #19 and 20 are a six-part Space Ghost adventure, "The Council Of Doom"

• "The Meeting" / "Clutches of the Creature King" / "The Deadly Trap"
• "The Molten Monsters Of Moltar" / "Two Faces Of DOOM" / "The Final Encounter"

Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Much like their series-spanning collections of The Jetsons, Jonny Quest, and Thundarr the Barbarian, Warner Archive has once again treated this vintage Hanna-Barbera production with a careful touch. Simply put, Space Ghost and Dino Boy looks terrific on Blu-ray: featuring vibrant colors, crisp details, and (perhaps most importantly) a light layer of natural film grain, these 1080p transfers have a nicely polished but purist-friendly appearance that most major studios haven't been able to achieve on a consistent basis -- even WAC's parent company, who earned lower marks for their Scooby-Doo set in 2019. The scruffy linework is preserved nicely, while occasional mistakes and other visual goofs have not been corrected. Likewise, no compression artifacts or signs of heavy processing are here either: no noise reduction, no edge enhancement, and no banding... just a very clean and pure image that easily stands as the series' best showing on home video by a wide margin, clearly surpassing WB's own 2007 DVD set. For that reason alone, it's an essential purchase for die-hand fans and, in all respects, just one more feather in the boutique label's cap.

Shortly before its release, Warner Archive uploaded a few YouTube videos showing off their new transfers; these include the Space Ghost opening sequence (with a clip from "The Heat Thing"), one for Dino Boy's opening (with a clip from "The Worm People"). and of course the show's closing credits (preceded by a clip from "Zorak").

Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix offers a full-bodied listening experience despite its one-channel source material. Dialogue is very clear and it's mixed well with background effects and the fun original scores for both shows -- overall, it sounds right in line with era-specific entertainment from Hanna-Barbera like The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and even lesser-known fare like Birdman and the Galaxy Trio. It's not a deep and immersive affair, but one that's crisp and easy to follow from start to finish. No major damage, drop-outs, or sync issues were heard along the way.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during all 20 episodes, but unfortunately not during the bonus featurette (detailed below), This is especially annoying because Warner Bros.' 2007 DVD release of Space Ghost and Dino Boy, where the featurette first appeared, included English subtitles but they haven't been carried over here.

Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase; no inserts are included, but episode titles are printed on each disc. Only one extra is included here on Disc 2, but it's a very enjoyable feature-length tribute to Alex Toth -- this was carried over from Warner Bros.' two-disc "flipper" DVD set released back in 2007 and is well worth a look.

• Simplicity: The Life and Art of Alex Toth (88:45) - A long-form look at the life and career of illustrator Alex Toth, who originally designed Space Ghost and died in 2006, shortly before the release of Warner Bros.' DVD set. Short interviews with close friends, respected colleagues, and family members -- including Toth's four full-grown children -- paint a full-bodied portrait of the artist, who was well-known for his tireless dedication and, in some cases, a rather short tempter. It offers a nice balance of approachable human interest material with finely-tuned comic history, and will likely be enjoyed by anyone with at least a passing interest in the medium.

Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's campy as hell, and that's why we love it. Despite a few obvious shortcomings, Space Ghost and Dino Boy is still a fun throwback with memorable characters that's still very entertaining in the right mindset. It's not for everyone, of course, but if you grew up with this show (or any other Hanna-Barbera material from this era, even in reruns), it'll hold up well enough. As usual, Warner Archive has put lots of love in the recipe: preserved in its original "sandwich" format, these 20 episodes look and sound better than ever on Blu-ray. Even the feature-length DVD-era tribute to beloved comic artist Alex Toth is carried over. It's time to retire those old flipper discs if you haven't already.