Korgoth of Barbaria

Last updated

Korgoth of Barbaria
Korgoth1.jpg
Genre Black comedy
Action
Splatter
Created by Aaron Springer
Written byAaron Springer
Directed by
Voices of
Narrated byCorey Burton
Composer Lee Holdridge
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes1
Production
Executive producerAaron Springer
Running time22 minutes
Production companies Cartoon Network Studios
Williams Street
Original release
Network Adult Swim
ReleaseJune 3, 2006 (2006-06-03)

Korgoth of Barbaria is an American adult animated television pilot created by Aaron Springer, a storyboard artist, writer and director for Dexter's Laboratory , The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy , Samurai Jack , and SpongeBob SquarePants , who previously created another failed pilot at Cartoon Network Studios called Periwinkle Around the World. He would later go on to produce Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer for Disney XD. Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack, directed the animation for the pilot. This was not the only time he worked on a pilot created by Springer, as Tartakovsky also produced and directed Periwinkle Around the World. It is the first Cartoon Network Studios production to be co-produced by Williams Street.

Contents

It was first aired in the United States on June 3, 2006, at 12:30 AM (EST) on Adult Swim. On June 18, Adult Swim ran a bumper announcing that Korgoth of Barbaria was officially picked up as a series, because of its critical and commercial success with garnering high ratings. Later events, including a formal petition to revive the show [1] and an Adult Swim bumper announcement mentioning its cancellation, [2] indicate that it was dropped before production began due to high production costs.

Overview

As of Comic-Con 2006 the show was scheduled to release sometime in spring of 2007. As of December 29, 2007, the only mention of the show on the Adult Swim website was an intro graphic with the words "you couldn't handle more than one anyway".

Adult Swim re-aired the pilot episode on the night of October 31, 2008, as part of an advertised "Halloween Stunt" night, where rarely seen programs such as Welcome to Eltingville and Boo Boo Runs Wild were aired, rather than the usual programming line-up for a Friday evening. [3]

In November 2010, Adult Swim ran a bumper listing shows that were not picked up and brief reasons why. Korgoth was listed with the explanation as "too expensive". [2]

Adult Swim re-aired the pilot (teased as a "surprise") on November 3, 2013, as a part of their Toonami block.

Adult Swim re-aired the pilot again on January 29, 2019.

Episode

Summary

From the Adult Swim website:

In a dark future wasteland, the great cities have risen and fallen, primordial beasts have reclaimed the wilderness and thieves and savages populate sparse, dirty towns. From the frozen north emerges a warrior known as Korgoth, and his merciless savagery may be his only key to survival.

Korgoth of Barbaria followed the exploits of the eponymous Korgoth (voiced by actor Diedrich Bader), [4] and parodied Conan the Barbarian , as well as the sword and sorcery subgenre in general. The show was set in a post-apocalyptic world where sorcery and the remnants of technology exist simultaneously. The heavy metal/thrash metal musical theme was composed by Lee Holdridge. [5]

Plot

Korgoth is infected with a deadly parasite by Gog-Ma-Gogg and extorted to steal an item known as "The Golden Goblin of the Fourth Age" from the wizard Specules, who Gog believes to have recently died. He journeys with a group of Gog-Ma-Gogg's henchmen to Specules' castle, picking up a girl and killing several things along the way. The group reaches the castle and begin to plunder it. As Korgoth searches for the Golden Goblin, Specules returns, explaining that he was on vacation. Specules uses his magic to kill or incapacitate all but Korgoth, who proves too strong for the ridiculous creatures that the wizard conjures through chewing gum. As a last resort, Specules uses his magic directly against Korgoth; however, he is knocked off-balance and accidentally kills Korgoth's girl. Angered, Korgoth takes a two-pronged candle stick holder and impales Specules through the eyes, only to find that the wizard has magically transferred his head onto the dead girl's body. Specules proceeds to fly out the window. Korgoth returns to Gog-Ma-Gogg with the Golden Goblin (a simple novelty item) and gets the elixir for the deadly parasite, though the elixir takes many seasons to take effect. Korgoth is last seen walking away, pulling a cart full of medicine bottles.

Voice cast

The main character, Korgoth Korgoth2.jpg
The main character, Korgoth

Home media

Adult Swim and distributor Warner Home Video released Adult Swim in a Box in October 2009, a DVD box set of a variety of different Adult Swim shows. Korgoth of Barbaria was featured on this box set on a special DVD along with Welcome to Eltingville , the pilot episode of Perfect Hair Forever , Totally for Teens , and Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge . [6] In June 2010, the bonus DVD from "Adult Swim in a Box" was made available for separate purchase on (the now defunct) Adultswimshop.com.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Network Studios</span> American animation studio

Cartoon Network Studios is an American animation studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio is the production arm of Cartoon Network, and was founded on October 21, 1994, as a division of Hanna-Barbera, until the latter was absorbed into Warner Bros. Animation on March 12, 2001.

<i>Dexters Laboratory</i> American comic science fiction animated television series

Dexter's Laboratory is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network as the first Cartoon Cartoon. The series follows Dexter, an enthusiastic boy-genius with a hidden science laboratory in his room full of inventions, which he keeps secret from his unsuspecting parents, who are only referred to as Mom and Dad. Dexter is at constant odds with his older and more extraverted sister Dee Dee, who always gains access to the laboratory and inadvertently foils his experiments. Dexter has a bitter rivalry with his neighbor and classmate Mandark, a nefarious boy-genius who attempts to undermine Dexter at every opportunity. Prominently featured in the first and second seasons are other segments focusing on superhero-based characters Monkey, Dexter's pet lab-monkey/superhero, and the Justice Friends, a trio of superheroes who share an apartment.

Samurai Jack is an American animated action-adventure dystopian television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The show is produced by Cartoon Network Studios. Tartakovsky conceived Samurai Jack after finishing his work on his first Cartoon Network original series, Dexter's Laboratory, which premiered in 1996. Samurai Jack took inspiration from Kung Fu, the 1972 televised drama starring David Carradine, as well as Tartakovsky's fascination with samurai culture and the Frank Miller comic series Ronin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genndy Tartakovsky</span> Russian-American animator

Gennady Borisovich "Genndy" Tartakovsky is a Russian-American animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known as the creator of various animated television series on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, including Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, Primal, and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.

<i>Dynomutt, Dog Wonder</i> American TV series or program

Dynomutt, Dog Wonder is an American animated television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1977. The show centers on a Batman-esque superhero, the Blue Falcon, and his assistant, Dynomutt, a bumbling, yet effective robotic dog who can produce a seemingly infinite number of mechanical devices from his body. As with many other animated superheroes of the era, no origins for the characters are ever provided.

<i>12 oz. Mouse</i> American adult animated television series

12 oz. Mouse is an American adult animated television series created by Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. The series revolves around Mouse Fitzgerald, nicknamed "Fitz", an alcoholic mouse who performs odd jobs so he can buy more beer. Together with his chinchilla companion Skillet, Fitz begins to recover suppressed memories that he once had a wife and a child who have now vanished. This leads him to seek answers about his past and the shadowy forces that seem to be manipulating his world.

<i>Perfect Hair Forever</i> American adult animated television series

Perfect Hair Forever is an American adult animated television series created by Mike Lazzo, Matt Harrigan, and Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. The series revolves around a young boy named Gerald Bald Z and his quest to find perfect hair.

<i>Spider-Man</i> (1981 TV series) American TV series or program

Spider-Man is a 1981–82 American animated TV series based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is the second Spider-Man cartoon, following the 1967 series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Raisner</span> American voice actor

Craig T. Raisner was a voice actor, composer, writer and film/television producer. He was a native of Toledo, Ohio, known primarily for playing Gog-Ma-Gogg in Cartoon Network's Adult Swim animated series Korgoth of Barbaria.

Aaron Springer is an American cartoonist, animator, artist, writer, director, and voice actor. He is best known for his work on the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, for which he contributed to as a writer, storyboard artist and storyboard director for the first eight seasons, as well as co-writing and storyboarding its 2004 film adaptation. He is also the creator of the Disney XD original series Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer, in which he voiced the main character, Billy Dilley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Network (Australian and New Zealand TV channel)</span> Australian and New Zealand television channel

Cartoon Network Australia & New Zealand is an Australian pay television channel launched on October 3, 1995 and owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Asia-Pacific. It primarily shows animated programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabbot</span> 1st episode of the 1st season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force

"Rabbot" is the series premiere of the animated television series Aqua Teen Hunger Force. A rough-cut version of this episode originally aired in the United States prior to the launch of Adult Swim on December 30, 2000 on Cartoon Network unannounced, the final cut of this episode later aired on Adult Swim on September 16, 2001. In the episode Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad investigate the recent destruction of Carl's car, while a giant mechanical rabbit destroys downtown.

<i>Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge</i> 2010 American TV series or program

Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge is an American animated television series pilot created by Dave Willis and Matt Harrigan; mainly produced by Williams Street and animated by Radical Axis. Rated TV-MA, the pilot episode aired on Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim on March 29, 2010, but was not picked up for a full series.

<i>Totally for Teens</i> 2011 American TV series or program

Totally for Teens is an American failed television pilot created by Derrick Beckles and Sabrina Saccoccio for Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim. It eventually aired on Adult Swim's "DVR theater" on January 19, 2011.

<i>Sym-Bionic Titan</i> Animated science-fiction television series

Sym-Bionic Titan is an American animated television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky, Bryan Andrews and Paul Rudish for Cartoon Network. The series focuses on a trio consisting of the alien princess Ilana, the strict but rebellious alien soldier Lance, and the robot Octus, who arrive on Earth and combine themselves to create the titular Sym-Bionic Titan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adult Swim in a Box</span> DVD box set

Adult Swim in a Box is a seven-disc DVD box set produced by Williams Street and released by Warner Home Video on October 27, 2009. The box set contains various seasonal volume releases from Adult Swim series, as well as several pilots that were pitched to the network. The box set was first announced by Warner Home Video on July 31, 2009, to be released in October of the same year. The set was promoted as having a roughly threefold value, totaling 21 hours and 20 minutes of content.

<i>Eltingville</i> (comics) Series of comics by Evan Dorkin

Eltingville is the name given to a series of comics created by Evan Dorkin. The series ran in his comic books Dork and House of Fun before it received a two-issue run through Dark Horse Comics in 2014. Eltingville was adapted into a pilot for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block in 2002, but was not picked up for an official series. The series has won three Eisner Awards, beginning with the 1995 story Bring Me the Head of Boba Fett. Of the series' title, Dorkin chose to name the series Eltingville after Eltingville, Staten Island, where he worked off and on in a comic book store for six years.

<i>Primal</i> (TV series) American animated television series

Primal is an American adult animated action horror television series created and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky for Cartoon Network's night-time programming block, Adult Swim. It is the first combined action/sci-fi/horror animated series from Cartoon Network Studios and Williams Street.

References

  1. Bring Back Korgoth of Barbaria on petitionhosting.com
  2. 1 2 "Adult Swim Pilots Update". Bumpworthy.com. October 31, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
  3. "Animated Shorts: Max Atoms' Swan Song - 'Underfist'". Newsarama. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  4. "Krod Mandoon vs. Korgoth of Barbaria: Which Spoof Winneth?". WIRED. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  5. Korgoth of Barbaria (TV Short 2006) , retrieved July 7, 2017
  6. "Korgoth of Barbaria DVD release, as part of Adult Swim in a Box, 2009". Archived from the original on November 7, 2017.