2 Goliaths of the Cartoon World Meet, the Very Thought of it Will Send Trembles Down Your Spine: Bananaman vs. Appleman

Banana Man



A full episode, and I can provide more information on this, by saying (in smug mode) it's from 1984's Season 2, episode 3, entitled "Trouble At the Mill".

There quite alot of Bananaman episodes on Youtube. The more I watch, the more I appreciate that instrumental theme song. As regards to the best British cartoon theme songs, this has got to be up there with "Dangermouse". The theme is composed by Dave Cooke.

Bananaman was originally a comic strip for one of the lesser-known British comics called "Nutty". Created in 1980 by John Geering, "Bananaman was an anti-thesis to the USA's Marvel's serious God-like superheros like Batman, Superman, Spiderman etc, this was a jovial poking at the fun, as although Bananaman was extremely strong, he was also extremely thick and awkward in British eccentric kind of way, but somehow saving the day, but almost always giving Chief 'O Reilly grief. Unlike other superhero's, Bananaman, is just really as kid called "Eric Twinge" and whenever he eats a banana, well, you know the rest...

In this episode, Bananaman meets his arch-nemesis and suppoesed weight-lifting buddy Appleman. He doesn't feature much in the cartoon, and his south-west country accent, does bring him down a few notches as a worthwhile opponent. The main villains that feature the most are Dr. Gloom and General Blight. Blight is supposed to be a parody of Hitler, but it's Dr. Gloom who looks more Nazi-ish in my view. Plus they always seem to look like midgets.

The cartoon ran from 1983-1986, in a 5 minute format. The voice work is done by the comedy trio "The Goodies", at probably the tail-end of their career as a comedic force. This included Bill Oddie voicing Eric's/Bananaman pet "Crow", Chief 'O Reilly and Dr. Gloom. Bill also voices the worm in this episode. Fellow Goonies Graeme Garden voiced Bananaman and General Blight and Tim Brooke-Taylor voices Appleman here, as well as Eric.

Although the cartoon ended in 1986, it was re-runned well into the 1990's on CBBC, and it has featured in the Dandy comic since 1985. It still runs today, with new material and a new illustrationist.