Dragon Hunters

Last updated
Dragon Hunters
Chasseurs de dragons (serie televisee d'animation) poster.webp
Genre Animation
Fantasy
Comedy
Created by Arthur Qwak
Directed byJean-Charles Finck
Norman J. LeBlanc (season 1)
Voices of
Theme music composer The Cure
Opening theme"The Dragon Hunters Song" by The Cure
Composers
  • Season 1:
    Philippe Vidor
  • Olivier Crouet
  • Hervé Lavandier
  • Season 2:
    Fantazio
Country of originFrance
Canada
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes52
Production
ProducersPhilippe Delarue
Samuel Kaminka
Running time23 minutes
Production companies Futurikon
Tooncan
Original release
Network France 3 (France)
Cartoon Network (USA)
Canal J (France)
Teletoon (Canada)
Super RTL (Germany)
Kix! (UK)
Seven Network (Australia)
ReleaseJanuary 14, 2006 (2006-01-14) 
July 19, 2012 (2012-07-19)

Dragon Hunters (French: Chasseurs de dragons) is an animated fantasy comedy television series created by Arthur Qwak and produced by the French company Futurikon and Tooncan. It follows the adventures of two hunters for hire through a medieval world of floating land masses that is terrorized by a widely varying menace of monsters known collectively as dragons. A 3-D feature film and a videogame based on the same creative universe have also been released.

Contents

Plot

Set in a Medieval world made of Floating Land Masses, two men, Gwizdo and Lian-Chu, are professional dragon hunters who have known each other since they were children. Perpetually flat broke, they are forced to continually stay at the Snoring Dragon Inn until they can get another dragon-hunting contract to pay their rent. The proprietress of the inn is Jeanneline, a three-time divorcee with two daughters, one of whom is also a professional dragon hunter who doesn't see her mother much.

Cast and characters

Main characters

Lian-Chu is a sword-wielding, muscle-bound warrior who actually deals out the dragon slaying. In contrast to Gwizdo, he is more kindhearted and honorable. He is also an avid knitter. In the episode "The Conjunction of the Three Moons", it is revealed that his parents were killed by a dragon, and in "Farewell Lian-Chu" it's revealed that they were killed because his uncle did not give notice to the people when the dragon was on his way to the village. He only knows how to count to 10 and can not read and thus depends on Gwizdo for this.

Gwizdo is the brains of the group, and negotiates their contracts with the helpless people terrorized by dragons. He is a small, gangly young man who speaks with a New York or New Jersey accent. He and Lian-Chu have known each other since childhood, and were raised together in an orphanage called Mother Hubbard's Farm. He is avaricious, cowardly, egotistical, cynical and unsympathetic, and abuses Hector constantly with violence and insults. However, he has a heart of gold hidden deep inside, which is elicited by Lian-Chu, Zaza or anyone else he considers a close friend. Furthermore, he is charismatic, and therefore something of a lovable rogue. In "The Orphan Farm" it's revealed that his egotism stems from his miserable childhood at Mother Hubbard's Orphan Farm, where he was bullied, abused and called names for being scared all the time. He is the one who can read, write and count at the inn, therefore Lian-Chu and Jeanneline depend on him for business and contracts. He also flies their airship, the St. George, and wears a pilot's cap (which he very rarely takes off) and goggles. A good deal of the time his attempts to exploit others' predicaments leads to failure, either because of some oversight or because his better nature prevails.

Hector is their pet dog-like-dragon who does not possess the evil nature or the great size of the ones they hunt and acts like a dog. With his fur and ears he seems to be based on a variation of the Asian dragon (similar to Falkor the Luck Dragon in The Neverending Story). His hobbies are eating and picking on other animals such as chickens or sheep. While Gwizdo is the pilot of the St. George, Hector is required to pedal for the propeller, a task he is not fond of. He speaks with a mixture of grunts and pidgin English.

Other characters

Jennyline runs the Snoring Dragon Inn, where Lian-Chu and Gwizdo live. Lian-Chu and Gwizdo owe her an ever-growing debt for room and board. She is a heavyset woman who is short-tempered, strict, irascible and cynical. She has had three past marriages, which have resulted in Zoria, Zaza and possibly other children. She's in love with Gwizdo and wants to marry him, but he's too scared to commit to a relationship. Her name is given as Jennyline on the DVDs and Janelynn on the official website. The French and German variations of her name are Jeanneline.

Zoe is Jennyline's oldest daughter, and is an accomplished dragon hunter in her own right. Like Zaza, she was inspired by Lian-Chu and Gwizdo at a young age, and trained with them to learn the moves and arts of the business. She is not a resident of the inn and makes few appearances, but is well known by the main characters. A victim of sexism, she has donned a male disguise in some parts to get more bounties, and goes by the name Zoria.

Zaza is Jennyline's youngest daughter. She resides at the Snoring Dragon Inn as an assistant. She idolizes Lian-Chu and has dreams of becoming a dragon hunter when she grows up, of which Jennyline disapproves. She spends most of her time at the inn, but occasionally joins the hunters on quests, often through her own means.

Noble Kayo is an elderly doctor whom the hunters sometimes turn to for advice regarding strange conditions, such as poison and paralysis. While intelligent, he is almost completely blind and a bit absent-minded, which makes having a straightforward conversation with him very difficult. In the French version his name is "Kao", which is pronounced the same as the French word for "chaos".

George and Gilbert Forrestal are a two-brother hunter duo, who know Lian-Chu and Gwizdo from growing up alongside them in the orphanage. They look down on Gwizdo and refer to him as a pipsqueak, and often bring up embarrassing childhood events of his. They see no room for competition, and often try to get the hunters' bounties themselves.

Prince Granion de Bismuth is the youngest son of Queen Clothilda. He is a selfless, noble, and somewhat naive hunter who hunts the dragons for free. His two older brothers were killed in dragon battles.

Episodes

Season 1

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"The Name Is Dragon"TBA
A dragon makes its nest on the roof of the inn.
2"It's a Dragon's Life"TBA
Hector runs away to pursue life in the wild.
3"Desperately Seeking Zoria"TBA
Gwizdo, Lian-Chu, and Hector search for the missing Zoria.
4"The Return of Roger"TBA
Jennyline's seemingly benign ex-husband Roger returns.
5"Little Rumble On the Prairie"TBA
Zaza finds a map leading to a dragon and forces Gwizdo and Lian-Chu to take her with them.
6"The Isle of Mist"TBA
Monks hire Gwizdo and Lian-Chu to kill a dragon that protects the Isle of Mist.
7"A Fist Full of Veggies"TBA
Gwizdo and Lian-Chu help some starving Zimbrenelle dwarves fend off a night dragon.
8"Dead Dragon Walking"TBA
The female society of Amazoomia needs the hunters' help killing a dragon that is stealing its children.
9"The Deep North Dragon"TBA
Jennyline gets fed up with Gwizdo's tab and throws him out of the tavern.
10"Billy Toughnut"TBA
Gwizdo and Lian-Chu's old friend Billy Toughnut hires them to protect his wife from a dragon.
11"There's No Place Like Home!"TBA
Jennyline prepares a feast for a noble lord, who requests a fresh dragon.
12"The Strange Taste of Cocomak"TBA
An invisible dragon with the ability to camouflage begins stalking the hunters.
13"The Conjunction of the Three Moons"TBA
Lian-Chu returns to his village to hunt down the dragon that murdered his family and friends.
14"Don't Look Now"TBA
Gwizdo and Lian-Chu fight against a dragon that can turn its enemies into stone.
15"Unwelcome Guests"TBA
A wealthy merchant comes to the inn looking to take over. Gwizdo, fearing eviction, infests the entire tavern with dragons called Smacklings.
16"The Kiwajel Thrust"TBA
A mysterious rival has been stealing the dragon hunters' contracts.
17"Gland of the Mimikar"TBA
Lian-Chu is poisoned by a dragon and can only be healed by the gland of a Mimikar. Gwizdo must overcome his cowardice to hunt down the Mimikar alone.
18"For a Few Veggies More"TBA
The hunters pretend to be bounty hunters and "hunt" themselves to appease the vengeful Zimbrenelle dwarves.
19"The Orphan Farm"TBA
Gwizdo and Lian-Chu return to their orphanage only to find it in ruins.
20"Child's Play"TBA
Zaza goes off on her first mission to kill a dragon that's been terrorizing an island.
21"The Collywoble Water"TBA
To exploit a rich island, Gwizdo has Hector pose as a vicious dragon.
22"Who's Lost Their Head Now?"TBA
Gwizdo and Lian-Chu bring back a Sizzler dragon's head, but the body comes looking for it.
23"Baby-Love, Oh Baby-Love"TBA
Gwizdo falls for a pretty young blonde and even offers his services for free.
24"Can I See Your License Please?"TBA
Gwizdo and Lian-Chu discover they aren't registered as official dragon hunters.
25"Prince Charming"TBA
Prince Charming arrives at the tavern and charms the whole community.
26"The Family Fortune"TBA
Gwizdo pretends to be the long lost son of a rich couple.

Season 2

No.TitleOriginal air date
27"Dragontagious"TBA
Lian-Chu is diagnosed with Dragontagious.
28"The Borbacks' Cemetery"TBA
Lian-Chu and Gwizdo lead an expedition to find a dragon trophy.
29"The Shipwrecker"TBA
Gwizdo offers to rid an island of their dragon problem.
30"Treasure Rock"TBA
Zoria trains a dragon to power a flying ship.
31"Dragon in the Heart"TBA
Zaza is surprised to discover a shadow dragon in the hearth.
32"The Cure"TBA
Lian-Chu and Gwizdo hunt a dragon they're forbidden to attack.
33"The High Life"TBA
Gwizdo poses as Prince Charming during the royal wedding, a grave mistake.
34"Farewell, Lian-Chu"TBA
Gwizdo's forced to hire Ulrik the Toothless as a replacement.
35"Porkfester's Pigfarm Island"TBA
Hector is left with simple instructions to watch Zaza's pig.
36"The Stuff of Dreams"TBA
Infected by a dragon's poison, Gwizdo falls into a coma.
37"Baby in the Family"TBA
The heroes hunt the dragon responsible for the death of a prince.
38"She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not... She Loves Me!"TBA
Lian-Chu is under the spell of a rare love potion.
39"The Sweetypie Clause"TBA
Gwizdo discovers the castle he inherited is a dump and the pet is a huge dragon.
40"Agheegoo"TBA
The heroes are hired to eliminate a Skeeoor, a dragon-squirrel.
41"Combat Spores"TBA
Zaza brings home a strange plant that multiplies.
42"The Convoy"TBA
The heroes unravel the mystery behind a surprise dragon attack.
43"The Legend of the Rain Dragon"TBA
The hunters hesitate to eliminate a dragon that's the protector of a village's harvest.
44"By the Book"TBA
Gwizdo is kidnapped by the Forrestal brothers.
45"Drago Menta"TBA
A sly dragon hunter tricks the gang into pursuing a dragon that possesses mind control.
46"The Grand Tournament"TBA
The hunters enter a local knitting contest.
47"The Body Beautiful"TBA
Gwizdo has face surgery that will grant him access into the castle.
48"The Master of the Dragon"TBA
The hunters pursue a dragon protected by a local boy.
49"City Bound"TBA
Gwizdo hatches a plan to steal a dragon's egg.
50"Hell Around Town"TBA
Gwizdo falls prey to a con artist.
51"Ghost Hunters"TBA
Jennyline enlists the hunters to stop a dragon's ghost from haunting the tavern.
52"The Red Dragon"TBA
Gwizdo has been kidnapped by the Red Dragon.

Broadcast

The program was featured in the United States on Cartoon Network for a few weeks around January 2006, but, after having its time slot moved, vanished from the line-up. It returned in September 2006, only to disappear again in October 2006. Up until June 2007, it was available for viewing on Cartoon Network Video. In 2011, it was airing in the U.S. on Starz Kids & Family; all 52 episodes were available for purchase and streaming on Amazon Video via Starz, broken down into six 'seasons'; 6eps, 10eps + 10eps of season 1 and 6eps, 10eps + 10eps of season 2, respectively. 50 of the 52 episodes were available in English on Netflix through their partnership with Starz though the episodes were released out of order.

A second season of 26 episodes began airing in France in August 2007. International releases of both seasons have occurred in over 70 countries. A fanbase was formed in Arabic speaking countries, due to being broadcast on MBC 3. In October 2017, the series premiered in Bangladesh on Duronto TV, dubbed in Bengali. [1]

Home media

Geneon has released five DVDs (containing episodes 1 - 17) in the U.S. and Canada.

Other media

Collectors game

The Die Drachenjäger (Dragon Hunters) collectors' game was created and distributed by Dracco Company Ltd, which was a new addition to the Dracco Company's merchandise. The game, released in Belgium, featured forty collectible figurines that resembled the monsters, dragons, and the heads of the main characters, Lian Chu, Gwizdo, Zaza, Hector, and Jennyline. The game plays identically to Dracco Heads.

A collection of figurines has also been featured by Revell.

Junior Novelizations

A series of junior novelizations of the episodes were published in France.

Comics

The comic series Chasseurs de Dragons was published by Delcourt in France and co-edited in the US by Peace Arch.

Movie

Directed by Guillaume Ivernel (who also art directed the film) and Arthur Qwak, and produced by Futurikon co-founder Philippe Delarue, a full-length computer-animated 3D movie was made by Mac Guff Ligne Paris, Futurikon and Trixter Film GmbH. The film is a prequel to the series, with Lian Chu, Gwizdo and Hector as roving travelers, and a young Zoria, then known as Princess Zoe.

A four-minute teaser was shown in both the Annecy Animation Festival and the Marché du Film in 2007.

It premiered on March 19, 2008 in Russia, [2] and on March 26 in Belgium and France, and premiered 2010 in Mexico. It premiered on April 5, 2008 in the United States as part of the Sarasota Film Festival. Rob Paulsen confirmed at a convention interview that he and Forest Whitaker were respectively voicing Gwizdo and Lian Chu.

Covers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Campbell</span> American actor (born 1958)

Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known best for his role as Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead horror series, beginning with the short movie Within the Woods (1978). He has also featured in many low-budget cult movies such as Crimewave (1985), Maniac Cop (1988), Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989), and Bubba Ho-Tep (2002).

<i>The Wild Thornberrys</i> American animated series

The Wild Thornberrys is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, Steve Pepoon, David Silverman, and Stephen Sustarsic for Nickelodeon. The series portrays the zany hijinks of a family of wildlife documentary filmmakers known as the Thornberrys, which consist of the nature documentary television host Nigel, his wife and camera operator Marianne, their 16-year-old daughter Debbie, their younger daughter Eliza, their adopted son Donnie, and a chimpanzee named Darwin. The series focuses in particular on Eliza, who has a magical ability to communicate with animals. The Thornberry family travels to every continent and wildlife environment in the ComVee, a recreational vehicle equipped with safety mechanisms to handle any terrain or body of water, to document their journeys in detail, with typical episodes involving Eliza befriending an animal and subsequently finding herself in peril.

<i>Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might</i> 1990 Japanese film

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might is a 1990 Japanese anime science fantasy martial arts film and the third Dragon Ball Z feature film. It was originally released in Japan on July 7 between episodes 54 and 55 of DBZ, at the "Toei Anime Fair" film festival, where it was shown as part of an Akira Toriyama-themed triple feature titled Toriyama Akira: The World. It was preceded by Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest and followed by Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug.

<i>Sabrina: The Animated Series</i> American animated television series

Sabrina: The Animated Series is an American animated television series based on the Archie Comics series Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Produced by Savage Studios Ltd. and Hartbreak Films in association with DIC Productions, L.P., the series is an animated spin-off of the 1996–2003 live-action series Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

<i>Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation</i> American superhero television series

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It is the first and only live-action television series in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It ran on the Fox Kids network from 1997 to 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Mouser</span> American actress (born 1996)

Mary Matilyn Mouser is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Samantha LaRusso in the Netflix series Cobra Kai, the voice of Eloise in Eloise: The Animated Series and Lacey Fleming on the ABC series Body of Proof. Mouser also took over the role of Karen Grant, Fitz & Mellie's daughter on Scandal in Season 4.

<i>Pocket Dragon Adventures</i> Spanish TV series or program

Pocket Dragon Adventures is an animated series produced by the Spanish animation studio D'Ocon Films Productions, in co-production with Televisión Española, Bohbot Entertainment, and DIC Productions. The series is based on the Pocket Dragon character created by artist Real Musgrave, best known from Pocket Dragons figurines also based on his work. The cartoon is about the Pocket Dragons who live with a kindly old wizard, and their many adventures. The show premiered in early 1998 in the United States on the Bohbot Kids Network syndicated programming strand.

The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon is a Canadian children's television series which aired on YTV in Canada and on public television stations in the United States. It aired from 1993 to 1997 and later reran until 1999. Made in live-action, it incorporated actors, full body costume characters and puppets.

Malo Korrigan is a French animated television series with 26 episodes, created by Arthur Qwak and Norman J. LeBlanc of Futurikon. It is a Futurikon - Tooncan - M6 Métropole Télévision - Canal J co-production and distributed by M6 Métropole Télévision. The English theme song is an original song composed for the TV series by Deep Forest. It was first aired in France during 2002; and later aired in the UK, Canada, Spain, Zimbabwe, Russia, Namibia, Kenya and on SABC1 in South Africa.

Arthur Qwak is a French animator and comic-book writer.

<i>Dragon Hunters</i> (film) 2008 French film by Guillaume Ivernel & Arthur Qwak

Dragon Hunters is a 2008 animated fantasy film telling the adventures of two dragon hunters, written by Frédéric Engel-Lenoir, directed by creator Arthur Qwak and Guillaume Ivernel with music by Klaus Badelt and produced by Philippe Delarue and Tilo Seiffert. It features the voices of Vincent Lindon, Patrick Timsit, Marie Drion in the French version and Forest Whitaker, Rob Paulsen and Mary Mouser in the English version. The film was produced by Futurikon, and co-produced by LuxAnimation, Mac Guff Ligne and Trixter. It shares the same creative universe as the Dragon Hunters TV series. It was released on March 26, 2008, in France and on March 20, 2008, in Russia and New Zealand. It was also distributed by Icon Productions and Bac Films. The film received a Cristal Award nomination for Best Feature and it earned $12,235,843 on a €12,000,000 budget. Dragon Hunters was released on DVD on April 5, 2008, in the United States by Peace Arch Entertainment, and on November 5, 2008, in France by Warner Home Video.

<i>The Garfield Show</i> Animated television series

The Garfield Show is an animated television series produced by Dargaud Media and Paws, Inc. It is based on the American Garfield comic strip created by Jim Davis. The animated series focuses on a new series of adventures for the characters of Garfield, Odie, and their owner Jon Arbuckle, alongside staple characters from the strip and a number of unique additions for the program. Both Davis and producer Mark Evanier, who previously wrote episodes for the 1988 original cartoon animated series Garfield and Friends, co-wrote stories for the program, with the cast including Frank Welker, Wally Wingert, Julie Payne, Jason Marsden and Gregg Berger. Welker and Berger had previously voiced various characters in Garfield and Friends.

"Flop Starz" is the third broadcast episode of the American animated television series Phineas and Ferb.1 The episode was originally broadcast on Disney Channel on February 1, 2008. In the episode, Phineas and Ferb become one-hit wonders in a morning, much to the disappointment of their sister Candace, who is trying out for the talent show The Next American Pop Teen Idol Star! Meanwhile, Doofenshmirtz converts his building into a giant robot to aid him in his attempt to conquer the Tri-State Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Keranen</span> American voice actress

Carrie Keranen is an American voice actress. Her roles include Satsuki Kiryuin in Kill La Kill, Casca in Berserk, and Alya Césaire in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir. In her live-action work, she has played Piper Tate in Untitled Web Series About a Space Traveler Who Can Also Travel Through Time.

<i>Treasure Inn</i> 2011 Hong Kong wuxia comedy film

Treasure Inn is a 2011 Hong Kong wuxia comedy film directed by Wong Jing and Corey Yuen, starring Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung, Charlene Choi, Liu Yang, Tong Dawei and Huang Yi.

Dragons, commonly referred to as DreamWorks Dragons, is an American animated television series based on the 2010 film How to Train Your Dragon. The series serves as a bridge between the first film and its 2014 sequel.

Sanjay and Craig is an American animated sitcom and television series created by Jim Dirschberger, Jay Howell, and Andreas Trolf for Nickelodeon. Produced by Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi, the series revolves around Sanjay, voiced by Maulik Pancholy, and his best friend Craig, voiced by Chris Hardwick, a talking snake.

<i>Filly Funtasia</i> 2019 television series

Filly Funtasia is an animated fantasy television series created by Jacob and Henrik Andersen for Dracco. The series follows filly Rose and her friends as they attend a magical academy in the royal kingdom of Funtasia. It is based on the Filly toy franchise. The series was originally produced by Dracco Brands, BRB Internacional, Screen 21, and Black Dragon Entertainment, but the latter three companies dropped out of producing the series around 2016, and the former dropped out in 2019. Guangzhou Huamai Animation Studios, B-Water Animation Studios, and Zhaolong Culture joined production much later and managed to complete what the other studios left behind.

<i>Blindspotting</i> (TV series) American comedy-drama television series

Blindspotting is an American comedy-drama television series and a spin-off sequel of the 2018 film of the same name. Set six months after the events of the film, the series follows Ashley after Miles, her boyfriend and father of their son, is suddenly incarcerated, forcing her to move in with Miles' mother and half-sister. It co-stars Jaylen Barron, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Benjamin Earl Turner, and Atticus Woodward.

Ghostforce is an animated television series created by Jeremy Zag that premiered on TFOU in France on August 21, 2021. The show is licensed by Disney for international distribution; in the United States, it premiered on Disney XD on October 4, 2021, before premiering on its main home Disney Channel on November 8.

References

  1. Basher, Naziba (17 January 2018). "Duronto TV kick-starts its 'season two'". The Daily Star. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  2. "Охотники на драконов / Chasseurs de dragons". pifdb.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 11 May 2008.