Tag: BQ Field Guide

(Episode: “The Riddle of the Gold”)

Synopsis: Supervillain Dr. Zin wants to disrupt the world’s gold markets. This involves murder, a kidnapped scientist who can do quasi-alchemy, a henchman disguised as a maharajah, and some extremely irate big cats. I don’t think Zin has an efficiency expert on staff.

Tip 15: Beware reversals of fortune.

Someone* once said that man is the most dangerous game.

Even so, Dr. Quest’s spy mission to India proves the contest for first runner-up is what you might call fierce.

(Fun art thing to do: compare the screenshot below to Hokusai’s Happy Tiger in the Snow.)

In conclusion, tigers: love them, avoid them.

 

*The fellow who wrote the story of that name was Richard Connell. No idea why I have to look up that information every time I need it, yet can remember enough old musical instruments to make  Hangman opponents want to take it live-action.

 

Next time: Yet to be determined.

Next time on tQfM!: More spying, less, um, tigering.

(Episode: “The Riddle of the Gold”)

Synopsis: Supervillain Dr. Zin wants to disrupt the world’s gold markets. This involves murder, a kidnapped scientist who can do quasi-alchemy, a henchman disguised as a maharajah, and some extremely irate big cats. I don’t think Zin has an efficiency expert on staff.

Tip 14: There’s nothing wrong with mixing cutting-edge and old-school interests.

Case in point: Dr. Zin, international supervillain. His current interest is the age-old alchemical pursuit of turning non-gold things into gold—well, gold enough to fool people—even though he’s a very early adopter of this sweet video-phone system.

But isn’t it always the way? No matter how hipsterishly obscure your hobby may be, someone you can’t stand is also into it:

It’s okay to feel possessive of your interests: it’s less okay to, say,  kill people with a poisoned needle about it.

 

Next time: If you thought Ginger Snaps was scary, I give you Tom Cruise in a funny little outfit.

Next time on TQfM!: A tiger!

(Episode: “Pursuit of the Po-Ho”)

Synopsis: A scientist friend of Dr. Quest is kidnapped by credulous Amazon tribespeople who wish to sacrifice him. Dr. Quest ends up captured too, and it’s up to Race Bannon to do the silliest thing he can in this vaguely racist cartoon in order to save everyone.

Sometimes there comes a time for drastic action: when the chips are down, the odds are long, and the tribesmen want to put a couple of scientists into a pit for ill-explained reasons. In other words:

Tip 13: When the going gets tough…

Sometimes you just have to learn from bad examples rather than good ones, campers.

Still, it rescued the scientists. New episode next Monday!

(Episode: “Pursuit of the Po-Ho”)

Synopsis: A scientist friend of Dr. Quest is kidnapped by credulous Amazon tribespeople who wish to sacrifice him. Dr. Quest ends up captured too, and it’s up to Race Bannon to do the silliest thing he can in this vaguely racist cartoon in order to save everyone.

Tip 12: Try not to overlook the obvious.

Sorry to leave you all stranded in the jungle with the hordes of generic monkeys. I trust you got through the holidays, even if it may have taken a little work with a machete.

Now that we’re all back at base camp,  let’s kick off the new year with one of the most basic lessons of all.

In the immortal words of Depeche Mode, people are people. Even Dr. Quest screws that one up sometimes.

Next time: Still debating the merits of a review vs. a new Musical Interlude for Friday.

Next time on The Quest For Monday!: A little something for the ladies, and inclined gentlemen.

(Episode: “The Curse of Anubis”)

Synopsis: A political plotter thinks he can unite all Arab peoples around a stolen Egyptian artifact. Unfortunately for him, the theft gets the attention of Team Quest and of an ancient mummy, whose animated, revenge-focused existence fails to raise a single scientific eyebrow during the entire episode.

Tip 10: Make allies.

There’s a saying that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

When the enemy of your enemy is also a fiend born from the darkest depths of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, even better.

 

Special author’s note: The dialogue in that chase scene with Jonny and Hadji from last week is the most Roger-Moore-Bond thing I’ve ever seen in animation, and that includes all of Danger Mouse.

Next time: The movie I ranked as the worst I’d ever seen in 2005. It’s pretty much got to be better now.

Next time on TQfM! I don’t remember what a “Po-Ho” is, so this should be fun.

 

(Episode: “The Curse of Anubis”)

Synopsis: A political plotter thinks he can unite all Arab peoples around a stolen Egyptian artifact. Unfortunately for him, the theft gets the attention of Team Quest and of an ancient mummy, whose animated, revenge-focused existence fails to raise a single scientific eyebrow during the entire episode.

Tip 9: Motorcycle safety is very important.

Even if you’re making an improvised escape from henchmen, it’s usually a good idea to protect your head.

…Of course, some kind of helmet is more traditional.

 

Next time: A retro dance mix for your holiday. Needed more “U Got the Look,” but what can you do?

(Episode: “The Curse of Anubis”)

Synopsis: A political plotter thinks he can unite all Arab peoples around a stolen Egyptian artifact. Unfortunately for him, the theft gets the attention of Team Quest and of an ancient mummy, whose animated, revenge-focused existence fails to raise a single scientific eyebrow during the entire episode.

Tip 8: There’s nothing wrong with a little book-learning once in a while, even if you are an Intrepid Adventurer.

Gather around, troopers! Today we learn about the pathetic fallacy.

In addition to being one of those terms that sounds like an insult when shouted fast enough, the pathetic fallacy is usually used to describe nature imitating mood in art. Every crooner in a music video who ever sang sad songs to his girl in the rain was standing right in one of those things, as was nearly everyone in Wuthering Heights most of the time.

But, as its Wikipedia page reminds us, the phrase was sometimes used less to describe the devices themselves—the Rain of Sorrowful Tears, the Storm of Emotional Unrest, the Unseasonably Sunny Day of Joy—than the effect. How the sky seems less bright when you’ve just been dumped, for example.

Or how spooky the moon looks when you’re being stalked by an unearthly revenant bent on retrieving its sacred artifact. You know.

Next time: Honestly, The Bride of Frankenstein. I swear!

Next time on TQfM!: We mine similar ground to this great work of the canon.

(Episode: “The Curse of Anubis”)

Synopsis: A political plotter thinks he can unite all Arab peoples around a stolen Egyptian artifact. Unfortunately for him, the theft gets the attention of Team Quest and of an ancient mummy, whose animated, revenge-focused existence fails to raise a single scientific eyebrow during the entire episode.

Tip 7: Religion and politics don’t mix.

Like this fellow, you may think that “When there is real unity among Arab nations, Anubis will bless us”—

 

But such discussions require a very specific sort of audience.

You never know whom you might offend…and you’d better hope it’s not the gods.

 

(Author’s note: I can’t tell you all how happy I am to reach this episode. I forgot the first two Jonny Quests were straightforward adventure stories—easy to do when you’ve seen some of the weirder ones!—and have been spending many Mondays slumped over my laptop whining about how much I miss Highlander. But now…you know…we can start the party.)

Next time: Bride of Frankenstein, because I’m pretty sure I’ve really seen that one before.

(Episode: “Arctic Splashdown”)

Synopsis: When an experimental missile goes down in the Arctic, the Quests try to find it before enemy agents do. They fail in this and are captured, but manage to detonate the missile, keeping its secrets safe. They also see a lot of wildlife.

Tip 6: Don’t be afraid to take risks in service of doing the right thing.

…Especially if the right thing involves big, splashy explosions that wipe out the bad guys.

 

Next time: Found-Again Friday will likely be postponed; the good news is, the movie I once rated as the worst I’d ever seen has not yet arrived from Netflix. Which brings us to…

Next time on TQfM!: In case I haven’t mentioned it often enough, I really like mummies.