Turning over the reins to Sharry again this week (as I still can’t find that Superman Coloring Book) and she’s got a doozy based on the Krofft Supershow it’s WonderBug but it also has an intro by the long forgotten Kaptain Kool and the Kongs.
Whitman also handled the Krofft Supershow comic (which had Bigfoot and Wildboy and Magic Mongo as well) the art in this book is pretty stylised and cartoony, I think it suits the subject matter well.
As I kid, I thought WonderBug was the bomb maybe because it was a live action version of Speed Buggy ( My fave as a kid) combined with a little bit of Shazam!
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The book opens as the show did with Kaptain Kool and the Kongs, Sharry pointed out that this book is based on the second season as they are wearing their toned down outfits. In the first season, the group had a more glammed out look. Kaptain Kool BTW went on to direct, most notably a lot of episodes of “Friends”.
The mention of Flatbush was something Sharry also wanted to point out, he was dropped by season 2. So why was he mentioned here?
The single most important colouring book page ever made. Breathtaking isn’t it?
Even though it’s impossible to top the “Turkey eats his lunch” page, we trudge on to the Wonderbug adventure. Wonderbug was the only show to survive season 1 of the Krofft Supershow, both Dr.Shrinker and Electra Woman were dropped.
The gang arrives in Mexico and C.C. gets recruited to help lift some pottery.
Barry and CC soon discover this is part of a smuggling ring (there is always a smuggling ring).
Dun-dun-duuuuun! The magic horn is parped and Schlep Car becomes Wonderbug, why they wouldn’t always drive in a car that can fly is beyond me.
Eventhough it’s a colouring book page it totally serves as a reminder on how fake Wonderbug was. I remember most of the time the car was a puppet in front a blue screen or a really unconvinving model, still, that’s part of the charm isn’t it.
The bad guys are sent to Mexican prison and the gang is off to get all the bootleg star wars figures they can carry. Sharry also mentioned to me that David Levy, Barry from Wonderbug is a psychology professor
at Pepperdine University in CA. If you go on their website, anyone can
easily find him and contact him. She’s living proof as she has his autograph and the news that he still has one of those double zero shirts in his closet.
Got a colouring book you’d like to guest review? Drop me a line!
Previous Colouring Book Theatre Entries can be found here.
Coming Next Week: Superman! (perhaps?)
oh…my…god…
Hate to disagree with you, but Rachel’s father was played by Ron Leibman. Kaptain Kool was played by Michael Lembeck who was Mackenzie Phillips’s husband on One Day at a Time. Lembeck is mostly a director now and hasn’t acted much in the last 20 years or so.
You’re totally right, he directed some friends episodes, I got my wires crossed. Dur!
Everyone knows you don’t help carry pottery in Mexico, pleeeease!
I WANT this coloring book! I loved Wonderbug!