Hammerman

Hammerman is a Saturday morning cartoon, starring rapper MC Hammer, which aired for thirteen episodes on ABC in the fall of 1991. It was produced by DIC Animation City and Italian company Reteitalia S.p.A., in association with Spanish network Telecinco.[2]

Hammerman
Title card
Created byAndy Heyward
MC Hammer
Directed byMichael Maliani
StarringMC Hammer
Voices ofNeil Crone
Clark Johnson
Jeff Jones
Miguel Lee
Joe Matheson
Susan Roman
Ron Rubin
Carmen Twillie
Louise Vallance
Maurice Dean Wint
ComposersThe Music Team
Mark Simon
(additional music)
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Italy
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13[1]
Production
Executive producersAndy Heyward
Louis Burrell
ProducerKevin O'Donnell
EditorsMark A. McNally
Susan Odjakjian
Running time23 minutes
Production companiesDIC Animation City
Bustin' Productions, Inc.
Reteitalia
Release
Original networkABC
Original releaseSeptember 7, 1991 (1991-09-07) 
1992 (1992)

Synopsis

Youth center worker Stanley Burrell (Hammer's real name) owns a pair of magical dancing shoes (which are alive and can speak), which when worn cause Burrell to transform into the superhero Hammerman.[3] He frequently gets advice from his "Gramps", who was a former owner of the shoes and was known as Soulman. While in the guise of Hammerman, Burrell was dressed in MC Hammer's signature purple Hammer pants and myriad golden chains.

The show was hosted by the real MC Hammer, who also sang the show's theme song, telling about the origin of Hammerman. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Gramps (Robert Nameson) was the superhero Soulman, but as he grew older, he grew weaker and was forced to retire. Gramps and his granddaughter Jodie traveled to find the next new superhero. Their search was over when they met Stanley and he put on the shoes. Each episode, Hammerman faced various social issues; at the end of each episode, MC Hammer would speak to the audience and provide methods to address these issues themselves.

Cast

Additional voices

Episodes

While the airdates and order of most episodes is unknown, "Defeated Graffiti", the first episode (as confirmed by MC Hammer's comments at the beginning of the episode), aired on September 7, 1991. The cartoon aired on Saturday mornings at 10 AM on ABC.

No.TitleWritten byOriginal air date
1"Defeated Graffiti"Reed Shelly and Bruce ShellySeptember 7, 1991 (1991-09-07)

It's time for Hammerman, the super hero with super cool dancin' shoes! In 'Defeated Graffiti', Hammerman and the Oaktown Rec Center Kids confront an ugly crime wave that's messin' up the neighborhood.

If anyone can save Oaktown... Hammerman can!
2"Winnie's Winner"Martha MoranOctober 19, 1991 (1991-10-19)
3"Rapoleon"Bob Forward and Eve ForwardNovember 16, 1991 (1991-11-16)
4"Will and the Jerks"TBANovember 23, 1991 (1991-11-23)
5"If the Shoe Fits"Steven Weiss & Paul DellNovember 30, 1991 (1991-11-30)
6"Nobody's Perfect"Robert AskinDecember 7, 1991 (1991-12-07)
7"Dropping Out"Robert Askin1992 (1992)
8"Lights, Camera, Hammer!"Robert Askin1991 (1991)
9"Blast From the Past"Robert Askin1991 (1991)
10"Who's Who"Bob Forward and Eve Forward1991 (1991)
11"Work This"TBA1991 (1991)

Critical reception

  • Entertainment Weekly journalist Dalton Ross listed Hammerman at the top of his list "Top 5 Most Ridiculous Things to Be Turned Into a Saturday Morning Cartoon", and said about the show, "When it comes to idiotic adaptations, u can't touch this."[4]

Home media

From 1992 to 1993, 3 of the 13 episodes were released on VHS by Buena Vista Home Video. There are currently no plans for a DVD release.

References

  1. "Shows A - L". Dicentertainment.com. Archived from the original on 2003-04-02. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  2. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 263–264. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  3. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 393. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  4. Ross, Dalton (September 16, 2006). "Giving Him Paws". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
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