Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law- A Cartoon Review
Cartoons aren't just for kids. That is a point that has been clearly proven in the last 15 years of the medium. What was once an art form primarily targeted to a young demographic, in recent years a number of cartoon programs have been developed that speak directly to an adult audience. An argument such as this can not begin without mention of Matt Groening's the Simpsons. The Simpsons was a pioneer in the new prime time animated genre that spoke less to children (though still appealed to them) and more to adults. Since then, countless other cartoons following this formula have emerged, some successful (ie. King of the Hill, South Park, and Futurama) and others not (ie. The Critic and Fish Police). Cartoon aficionados now had their choice of more mature animated fare that incorporated adult themed humor or classic animated shtick from their childhood that could tickle their inner child at hearts funny bone. But what would happen if you amalgamated both genres that blended elements from either sides of the cartoon coin? You would have Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law.

Developed by creators Erik Richter and Michael Ouweleen, Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law is a brilliant cartoon series that boasts a truly inspired premise. A former winged superhero named Birdman, who now practices law, acts as an attorney for other classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon stars in a variety of off the wall cases. Yes, legitimate classic cartoon stars. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, creators of many cartoon greats from the sixties and seventies have given their blessing on this innovative program and allowed them access to their rich library of characters. However, you have never seen Scooby Doo portrayed in this manner. It is this element that makes this show so funny and incredibly clever.

What some viewers may not know is that the central character Harvey Birdman (voiced by Gary Cole) comes from an actual former cartoon program. The character originally known just as Birdman appeared in the short lived 1967 Hanna-Barbera series "Birdman & The Galaxy Trio". In fact most of the characters that appear on this show all existed in some fashion previously. Harvey's personal secretary, the bird Avenger appeared alongside Birdman in the original series. Also the opposing council is made up of his former villains from the short lived series including Myron Reducto and my personal favourite, the scene stealing Mentok the Mind Taker. The judge is a prehistoric superhero named Mightor who appeared in another 1967 series called "Moby Dick & The Mighty Mightor". Bizarre, funny stuff.

The real gem of this program lies in the cases Harvey tackles and the subsequent appearances by the other classic Hanna-Barbera toons. Characters such as Yogi Bear, the Scooby Gang, the cast from Johnny Quest, and the Flintstones, have all popped up in episodes but nothing like you remember them. Well, that is not entirely true, one of the cool touches of the series is that all the characters are rendered in the exact animation style from their previous shows. A really nice touch from a retro perspective. The program relishes in the opportunity to both poke fun and pay homage to all the classic cartoon characters and conventions. The writers for this program are like kids in a candy store. From a cartoon standpoint this is daringly creative stuff.

For those that ever watched any of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons growing up, Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law is a dream. It is one of those shows that seems like such an obvious concept but yet you can't believe that the show exists. I found myself always wanting a cartoon like this but never thought it possible. Well it is and it is also incredibly funny. This is post modern Saturday morning cartoons for adults. And it is something to cherish. I highly recommend you tune in.

Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law is available on The Cartoon Network and Canada's Teletoon.

 

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