Bond. James Bond....Jr.....Day 51 of Bond 365

Today’s Bond 365 comes from the animated world of James Bond Jr. I don't know about you, but I find the theme very catchy and it pops right into my mind when I see "James Bond Jr". What about you? 

Kath Soucie

Kath Soucie

Born this day in 1967

Voices of Barbella, Goldie Finger and Tiara Hotstones from James Bond Jr.

Kath Soucie has had a “who’s who” type of career as an actor and as a voice actor. She started in 1979 as Becca from The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel and currently has a whooping 321 acting credits on her IMDB profile! This year so far she’s working on two television series, Star Wars Rebels as Maketh Tua and Mira Bridger and in Lalaloopsy as Tiny Might.

For this blog, it was in 1991-1992 that she lent her voice to three major characters and numerous uncredited “additional voices” as children followed the adventures of James Bond Jr. Sourcie is listed as having worked in 18 of the 65 series episodes. However, if you have a few minutes, take a look at all the projects she has been involved with over the years. I should not have been surprised, but she has worked on several video games, not just animated shows.

Since YouTube isn't letting me share the video, I've done a link so you can "see" Soucie in action as Barbella from  James Bond Jr.

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A Second Unit Started Filming, in 1997...Day 18 of Bond 365

I have to say thank goodness for google search which led me to today's Bond 365...

So, today in 1997, director Vic Armstrong led out the Tomorrow Never Dies second unit to the Peyresourde Airport in the French Pyrenees. The mountainous locale represented some place along the Russian border where a who's who of wanted men had congregated to shop arms deals. One of the most wanted men was Henry Gupta played by Ricky Jay, who would make another appearance later in the film. Bond had been on a reconnaissance mission but a decision to launch a missile at the location sends Bond in so he can make a hasty escape before the missile takes out the entire airport. Cue Sheryl Crow's theme song...

I thought I would start collecting Bond stories and once a week providing a weekly news round up, so here goes....

01/12 - Dangerous Minds reports that Johnny Cash submitted an opening theme for Thunderball that was rejected. Audio file included.

01/13 – 2015 will herald a return to the spy genre with Spectre, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Kingsman: The Secret Service. Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy has joined the ranks with Spy, a comedic spy spoof that will star McCarthy, along with Jason Statham, Jude Law and Allison Janney. The first trailer of this May film has been released.

01/14 – OSS HQ saved from the wrecking ball? It appears that the Office of Strategic Services building has been saved and plans are in the works to preserve the World War II building. 

01/14 – Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons’ six-issue comic book series The Secret Service was released this week in trade paperback from Marvel. The upcoming Kingsman: The Secret Service is based on this comic book. I reviewed the series in two parts: Part I and Part II.  

01/15 – MI6 reported on the upcoming Kingsman: The Secret Service film directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars Colin Firth, Michael Caine, and Samuel L. Jackson. The UK premier is slated for January 29. Article includes a movie clip.

One can hope that Project Petra will bring us one step closer to James Bond Jr

01/15 – A step closer to James Bond Jr as MI5 opens its doors to the British children’s show, Blue Peter. The project called Project Petra will select eight children to participate in a special spy school. This venture was prompted by the popularity of MIHigh in which children were writing in to ask how to become a spy.

01/15 – Spectre filming team is in Obertilliach shooting an intricate shooting sequence. The article included some set photos.

01/15 – NewStatesman’s Helen Lewis weighs on the black James Bond dialogue that has been ongoing over the years and rekindled by the recent Sony leaks. 

A Blast From the Past: James Bond Jr. Jaws Action Figure

Jaws Action Figure for James Bond Jr. cartoon series from Hasbro

“You’re the ultimate secret agent in the dark world of international espionage with James Bond Jr. action figures, vehicles and spy gear. Battle it out against enemy agents from the evil S.C.U.M. [Saboteurs and Criminals United in Mayhem] organization, and whatever you do, don’t blow your cover!”

Having just watched Moonraker this past weekend, the arrival of this little gem this week is timely. A novelty gift from my thoughtful boyfriend, the chomping jaw-crushing action figure comes with a steel bar (well, really plastic) and a decoder strip, because on the back of the packaging, there’s a specially coded section that includes a bio, weapons profile (I think we all know it’s the teeth!), and mission details.

What's the back of the packaging

Jaws (played by Richard Kiel, who is an incredibly kind person in real life) is just one of twelve figurines licensed by Eon Productions and manufactured by Hasbro in 1991. Jaws is outfitted with a rather bright blue suit that includes slacks that are too short to fit his 7 foot plus height, which in conjunction with his yellow tie, makes Jaws look silly. The large mouth of teeth is glaring and creates an imposing caricature of the filmic version. While no disrespect to Jan Rabson who voiced Jaws and several other characters in the cartoon, but it would have been cool if Mr. Kiel had lent his voice to this series.

There are four variants for James Bond Jr. 

James Bond Jr. has four variants ranging from his daily wardrobe to specialized mission gear (i.e. scuba gear). Junior has several villains that include Dr. No (green complexion by the way), Dr. Derange, Walker D Plank, and their henchman, Odd Job and Jaws. And thankfully, James Jr. does not have to face these dastardly characters alone – IQ, Gordo Leiter, and Buddy Mitchell are ready to help. No collection is complete without vehicles – one being James Jr.’s red sports car (I want one!) – and every up-and-coming spy in the making must have a gadget or two at their disposal when fighting the S.C.U.M. of the world! If that is not tempting enough, there are Bond points to collect! Well, perhaps that may be obsolete at this point.

Jaws even has a mission - don't forget your decoder! 

It seems that 20+ years on, the action figures are still readily available via Ebay, Amazon, and other online retailers. Prices range from about $5 to over $30 for James Bond Jr. Now, I have to decide if I want to try to collect the rest – Jaws does look lonely on my shelf – or just keep the collection to Jaws alone?

A couple of links:

Virtual Toy Chest James Bond Jr. Action Figure Photos

Behind the Toys James Bond Jr. Prototypes

Bond. James Bond….Junior…

James Bond Jr. in comic book and cartoon formats

…Well, really James Bond’s nephew, if we are going to get technical. Anyway, this past week I received a package of the James Bond Jr. comics I ordered from an Ebay vendor. All nine are in very good condition, however I am missing issues 2, 11 and 12 of the twelve part series published by Marvel Comics in 1992. The comics’ released was coordinated with the cartoon version under the same name. James Jr even had his own logo: in silhouette, a man running while in the bulls eye of a sniper scope. The series was licensed by Eon Productions and United Artists.

A cursory look at the comics revealed some interesting facts. Two of the issues I had matched with the DVD’s episode list: The Beginning (Issue #1) and Dance of the Toreadors (Issues #5). The description on the DVD indicates that James Bond and his classmates – IQ, who is Q’s grandson and Gordo, Felix Leiter’s son – fight against SCUM or Saboteurs and Criminals United in Mayhem (kind of sounds fun doesn’t it?). Tracy Milbanks and Phoebe Farragut round out the regulars as love interest and infatuated classmate, respectively. There are some familiar villains, such as Jaws, Dr. No and Goldfinger, but also some new villains that include Captain Walker D. Plank, Baron Von Skarin and SCUM Lord. At issue #8, “007’s Intrepid Nephew…” was added above the James Bond Jr logo and title, so I’m curious why that statement was added part way through the comic book series.

Left to Right: Mr. Mitchell, Phoebe, Tracy, Tracy's uncle, James, IQ, and Gordo

The story titles incorporated the problem being faced by Bond for that issue, such as “Plunder Down Under” for a deep sea base, “Sure as Eggs is Eggs!” involves a plot to steal Faberge eggs, and “Absolute Zero” where Bond Jr and his classmates have to foil Dr. No while at a ski resort. One of  things that I wondered from watching some of the cartoon episodes and what I’m hoping the comics might elude to: what is James Bond Jr.’s motive for fighting SCUM villains? It appears that the villains know the nephew, but why should he be of any consequence? How does James Jr. manage to balance school and fighting the various masterminds around the world? Is he putting his uncle out of a job? I’m curious and hope that the comics will shed some light on the subject.

I haven’t started reading the comics yet, since I’m missing three issues. Although the stories stand alone, I prefer to read each issue in subsequent order. I’ll soon be rectifying my incomplete series with another shopping spree through Ebay. Then, I can follow up with a post covering the series as a whole.