"Iron Man" (1994) TV series 1994-1996

Creators:

Stan Lee
Larry Lieber
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

1998 (Finland)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Industrialist Tony Stark leads his private team of superheros as Iron Man against the forces of evil.

Plot Keywords:

Superhero | Power Armor | Based On Comic | Marvel Comics | Character Name In Title

Cast

Robert Hays	...	Iron Man / ... (26 episodes, 1994-1996)
John Reilly	...	Hawkeye / ... (20 episodes, 1994-1996)
Jim Cummings	...	M.O.D.O.K. / ... (17 episodes, 1994-1996)
Dorian Harewood	...	Jim Rhodes / ... (16 episodes, 1994-1996)
Ed Gilbert	...	The Mandarin / ... (14 episodes, 1994-1995)
Tom Kane	...	H.O.M.E.R. / ... (13 episodes, 1995-1996)
James Warwick	...	Century / ... (13 episodes, 1994-1995)
Casey Defranco	...	Julia Carpenter / ... (13 episodes, 1994-1995)
Katherine Moffat	...	Scarlet Witch / ... (13 episodes, 1994)
Robert Ito	...	The Mandarin (12 episodes, 1995-1996)
Tony Steedman	...	Justin Hammer (11 episodes, 1994)

Series Directed by
Bob Arkwright		(8 episodes, 1995-1996)
Dan Thompson		(6 episodes, 1995-1996)

Series Writing credits
Stan Lee		(26 episodes, 1994-1996)
Ron Friedman		(13 episodes, 1994)
Doug Booth		(4 episodes, 1994-1996)
Greg Johnson		(4 episodes, 1995-1996)
Francis Moss		(3 episodes, 1994-1996)
Ted Pedersen		(2 episodes, 1994-1996)
Yale Rudoff		(2 episodes, 1994)
Len Uhley		(2 episodes, 1995)
Larry Lieber		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Stan Lee	....	executive producer / co-executive producer (26 episodes, 1994-1996)
Glen Hill	....	producer (3 episodes, 1994)
Avi Arad	....	executive producer (2 episodes, 1994)
Ron Friedman	....	supervising producer (2 episodes, 1994)
Matthew Edelman	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Tom Tataranowicz	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes)
Rick Ungar	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
William Anderson		(13 episodes, 1994)
Keith Emerson		(2 episodes, 1994)

Series Casting by
Tony Pastor		(1 episode, 1994)
Ralph J. Rivera		(1 episode, 1994)

Series Production Management
Christopher Keith	....	post-production supervisor (26 episodes, 1994-1996)
Mary Ann Steward	....	production manager (3 episodes, 1994)
Diane A. Crea	....	production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Del Barras	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Francis Barrios	....	storyboard artist / storyboard supervisor (3 episodes, 1994)
Michael V. Bennett	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Michel Breton	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Fred Carrillo	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Romeo Francisco	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Aleta Fritz-Kozak	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Adrian Gonzales	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Warren Greenwood	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Carlos Lemos	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Tec Manalac	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Ken Mitchroney	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Tom Nesbitt	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Michael Swanigan	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Danny Taverna	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Danilo Tolentino	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Keith Tucker	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Dave Williams	....	storyboard artist (3 episodes, 1994)
Lee Go	....	prop design / prop designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Tani Kunitake	....	prop design / prop designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Ric Quiroz	....	prop design / prop designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Wayne Schulz	....	prop design / prop designer (2 episodes, 1994)

Series Sound Department
R.D. Floyd	....	sound editor / supervising sound editor (13 episodes, 1994)
Mark Allen	....	sound designer / sound effects editor (unknown episodes)
Elliot Anders	....	voiceover recording engineer (unknown episodes)
Patrick M. Griffith	....	supervising sound editor (unknown episodes)
Paul Vitello	....	supervising sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
John Gibson	....	digital artist (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Jaclyn Seymour	....	supervising color stylist (13 episodes, 1995-1996)
Francis Barrios	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Fred Carrillo	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Adrian Gonzales	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Carlos Lemos	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Mark Rubinchik	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Jeff Snow	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Danny Taverna	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Vincenzo Trippetti	....	model designer (3 episodes, 1994)
Kirk Tingblad	....	animation director (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
Grigor Boyadjiev	....	background layout designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Richard Daskas	....	background painter (2 episodes, 1994)
Danilo De Asis	....	background painter (2 episodes, 1994)
Cesar de Castro	....	background layout designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Flamarion Ferreira	....	background painter (2 episodes, 1994)
Craig Gardner	....	background painter (2 episodes, 1994)
Sung Woo Hong	....	background painter (2 episodes, 1994)
Cotty Kilbanks	....	background painter (2 episodes, 1994)
Cesar Magsombol	....	background layout designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Tec Manalac	....	background layout designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Lorraine Marue	....	background painter (2 episodes, 1994)
Felipe Morell	....	background layout designer (2 episodes, 1994)
Brad Morris	....	background layout designer (2 episodes, 1994)

Series Casting Department
David Wright	....	casting assistant (26 episodes, 1994-1996)

Series Editorial Department
Paul B. Strickland	....	director of post-production (1 episode, 1994)

Series Music Department
Keith Emerson	....	music producer (2 episodes, 1994)
David Sibley	....	music supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Tony Pastor	....	voice director (3 episodes, 1994)
Diane A. Crea	....	production coordinator (2 episodes, 1994)
Ron Friedman	....	story editor (2 episodes, 1994)
John Meikle	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1994)
David Wright	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1994)
Jim Cerrotta	....	finishing supervisor (unknown episodes)
Tom Tataranowicz	....	voice director (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Marvel Enterprises
• Marvel Productions
• New World Television
• TMS Entertainment

Distributors

• Audio Visual Enterprises (1996) (Greece) (VHS)
• BKN (1994-1996) (USA) (TV)
• Fox Kids Network (1994-1996) (USA) (TV)
• Genesis Entertainment
• Saban Entertainment

Also Known As:

"The Marvel Action Hour: Iron Man" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | USA:TV-Y7

Company:

Marvel Enterprises

Trivia:

Iron Man's Suit is now modified for space travel (episode 2.03 "Cell of Iron")

Quotes:

Iron Man:Now no one will be able to duplicate the technology you stole, and no one will be harmed by its misuse again!

Movie Connections:

Version of "Iron Man: Extremis" (2010)

I! AM! IRON MAN! *cue electric guitar riff*

Following the success of 1992's "X-men" animated series, Marvel returned to daytime TV entertainment with "Iron Man The Animated series" as part of the "Marvel Action hour". Any discerning viewer would be able to pin point the exact purpose of this animated series, and that is to sell toys to children. As a result, whatever complexities about the character that were inherent in the comics, including his womanizing nature and his alcohol addiction, were discarded in favor of a more child friendly premise. And what could be more child-friendly than "heroic good guy team versus dastardly bad guy team".

Much of the show's first season was a dismal disappointment. It was easily a cut and paste rehash of G I Joe or the cheesy 1980s He-Man cartoon with Iron Man leading his "Force Works" team against the evil Mandarin and his cronies. Every episode was largely the same as the last: The Mandarin attempts another goofy world domination plot or to steal a new Stark invention, there is some dissension caused within Iron Man's team, evil plot seems to succeed but Iron Man's team settle their differences in time to save the day.

Formulaic, bland and actually boring at times, season 1 also featured some horrendous animation. It was not just bad in terms of 1990s standards, but bad even when compared to animated series of the 1980s or late 1970s. Artwork would constantly go "off model" and character movements were strictly twelve frames per second. Furthermore in order to save costs, the animation company would use a lot of stock footage from past episodes in subsequent ones with no effort made to cover the cost cutting measure.

A year later, Marvel re-vamped the Iron Man series by hiring a new creative team and animation company. The results were a drastic improvement. The show took a darker turn in season 2 where the Force works team is disbanded after Tony Stark betrays their trust. Now working alone with occasional help from James Rhodes Aka War Machine, Stark must fend off his competitor Justin Hammer while dealing with new threats despite the disappearance of the Mandarin.

Season 2 largely discards the formulaic style, choosing to directly adapt popular story-lines from the Iron Man comics while having more character centered episodes that deal with common themes that anyone can relate to such as phobias, trust, the price of beauty and obsession. There is also a greater sense of continuity as the affects of events in one episode carry over into the next. Koko Enterprises, known for their work on the award winning Batman The Animated series give the animation in Iron Man's second season a much needed bump in the right direction. Character movements are smoother, art detail is better and the color scheme loses that bright cheery look of season one, replacing it with heavier blacks and more angular designs.

After twenty six episodes, Iron Man the animated series remains a very mixed bag. Blame for this shows disappointing quality can be attributed to constrictions placed upon the writers to feature as many Iron Man suits as possible in each episode as free publicity for the toys. On the bright side, it got better, allowing the audience at least 13 episodes of decent animated entertainment.

2/10 for season 1 7/10 for season 2.

Average to 4.5/10 round up to 5/10