''Super Chicken'' is an animated segment that ran on the

animated television series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

George of the Jungle ''George of the Jungle'' is an American animated television series produced and created by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, who also created '' The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends''. The character George was inspired by the story of ...

''. It was produced by

Jay Ward Joseph Ward Cohen Jr. (September 20, 1920 – October 12, 1989), also known as Jay Ward, was an American creator and producer of animated TV cartoon shows. He produced animated series based on such characters as Crusader Rabbit, Rocky & Bu ...

and Bill Scott, who earlier had created the ''

Rocky and Bullwinkle ''Rocky'' is a 1976 American independent sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weat ...

'' cartoons. It debuted September 9, 1967, on ABC.

History

''Super Chicken'' was designed as a parody of the affluent

WASP A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...

archetype of the 1950s—complete with martini drinking and a sense of social obligation. The character's civilian name, Henry Cabot Henhouse III, is a nod to politician

Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (July 5, 1902 – February 27, 1985) was an American diplomat and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate and served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations in the administration of Pre ...

The character of Super Chicken is an exaggerated play on these traits, much like the crime-fighting millionaire Bruce Wayne/Batman, as well as earlier heroes like

Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

and the

Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

. The original pilot for ''Super Chicken'' included a cast featuring

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on the 1960s sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'', for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He als ...

as the voice of Super Chicken and Bill Dana, but the project was shelved and eventually recast, with Bill Scott taking over the lead role, and

Paul Frees Solomon Hersh Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986), better known as Paul Frees, was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass and Walt Disney the ...

, who impersonated

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was known for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show ...

in his performance of the Fred character.

Premise

Super Chicken is the alter-ego of wealthy Henry Cabot Henhouse III. His sidekick is Fred, a vegetarian lion. In his civilian life, Fred serves as Henhouse's butler. When trouble arises, Henhouse drinks his "Super Sauce"—often from a martini glass—prepared by Fred. He then transforms into the superhero Super Chicken, donning a plumed cavalier's hat, cape, Wellington boots, mask, and sword. Fred's accouterments consist of a well-coiffed mane, a red

turtleneck A polo neck, roll-neck (South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the neck. It can also refer to the type of neckline, the sty ...

sweater with a backwards white "F" on it, and a pair of white high top sneakers. Super Chicken's adventures typically start with the Super Coop, their egg-shaped air vehicle, transporting them to fight crime. After battles, Fred often laments his injuries, prompting Super Chicken to reply with his catchphrase, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred!" Episodes conclude with Super Chicken arresting the villain. Super Chicken's headquarters were located atop the Gulf Building, a real building located in downtown Pittsburgh.

Theme song

The theme song was written by the team of Stan Worth and Sheldon Allman, with Worth primarily composing the music and Allman handling the lyrics. The lyrics are as follows: : ''When you find yourself in danger'' : ''When you're threatened by a stranger'' : ''When it looks like you will take a lickin' (puk, puk, puk, puk)'' : ''There is someone waiting who'' : ''Will hurry up and rescue you'' : ''Just call for Super Chicken! (puk ack!)'' : ''Fred, if you're afraid you'll have to overlook it'' : ''Besides you knew the job was dangerous when you took it (puk ack!)'' : ''He will drink his super sauce'' : ''And throw the bad guys for a loss'' : ''And he will bring them in alive and kickin' (puk, puk, puk, puk)'' : ''There is one thing you should learn'' : ''When there is no one else to turn to'' : ''Call for Super Chicken! (puk, puk, puk, puk)'' : ''Call for Super Chicken! (puk ack!)''

Episodes

Appearances in other media

In 1969,

Gold Key Comics Gold Key Comics was an imprint of American company Western Publishing, created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984. History Gold Key Comics was created in 1962, when its ...

published two issues of a ''George of the Jungle'' comic book. Each issue contained a story featuring Super Chicken. Issue #1 presented "The Stolen State", and #2 "The Astounding Dr. Gizmo!", both adaptations of cartoon episodes.

References