Line #44 WesternAnimation/Fangface


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fangface_game.png]]
2
3	->''Glistening white triangular tooth\
4	Open up a can of tomato juice''
5	-->-- '''Music/TheyMightBeGiants''', "I've Got a Fang" (reportedly inspired by this show [[note]] Probably specifically in reference to a scene in "The Invisible Menace Mix-Up", although it was actually a can of red paint[[/note]])
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7	One of the first regular series from Creator/RubySpears, debuting in 1978. Following in the formula of ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'' (which, while created by Ruby and Spears, was not a product of their production company), ''Fangface'' features four teenagers -- Kim, Biff, Puggsy and Sherman "Fangs" Fangsworth, who drive around in their convertible called the Wolf-Buggy, solving mysteries which frequently involve {{mad scientist}}s, aliens, monsters, and outlandish crimes.
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9	The big twist is that Fangs is a werewolf, who will transform into "Fangface" whenever he sees the moon. Or a picture of the moon. Or something that looks kinda like the moon. Luckily, all he needs to see is the sun (or something resembling it) to change him back. Of course, having a werewolf on your mystery-solving team has its advantages (he's often referred to as a "secret weapon"), and the team keep photos of the sun and moon on hand to initiate Fangs' TransformationSequence as necessary. Fangface is stronger, faster, and better in a fight -- although he has the bad habit of trying to eat Puggsy, especially when he hears any reference to food. In his human form, naturally, he [[AlternateIdentityAmnesia has no idea]] about any of this, and is frequently confused to find himself in a situation he has no memory of getting into.
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11	Another significant difference between this show and ''Scooby Doo'' was that all of the monsters in it were real, including the titular werewolf himself.
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13	In 1979, the second season, titled ''Fangface and Fangpuss'', aired as a segment on ''The ComicBook/PlasticMan Comedy/Adventure Show'' and introduced a new character: Baby Fangs, Fangs' infant cousin who turns into a baby werewolf called Fangpuss (which contradicts the opening narration stating that only one werewolf is born into the family every 400 years, unless Baby Fangs' lycanthropy comes from another source entirely). The show remained in the same mystery-adventure style as the first season, but episodes were now shortened to 15-minute segments. Sixteen episodes of ''Fangface and Fangpuss'' were produced for the 1979-80 season. The episodes "The Creepy Goon from the Spooky Lagoon" and "Dr. Lupiter and the Thing from Jupiter" are the only season two episodes in which Baby Fangs/Fangpuss did not make an appearance.
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15	''Fangface and Fangpuss'' ran on Creator/{{ABC}} from September 22, 1979, to September 27, 1980; it then became a separate series in 1981 and, like the original ''Fangface'', ran for just one season. After this series, Fangface and company faded into obscurity until reruns began to air on Creator/CartoonNetwork and Boomerang. A few episodes were released to VHS, but [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes the bulk of the series was only available in bootleg format]], until eventually the first series, at least, became available for digital purchase through [=iTunes=] and Amazon.
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17	Has a [[Characters/{{Fangface}} characters page]]!
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19	----
20	!!This show contains examples of:
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22	* AdventurerOutfit: Episodes set in jungles will often have one-off characters in a pith-helmet-and-khakis getup. Namely, Mr. Ling in "The Great Ape Escape", Prof. Ortega and his daughter Carmen in "A Scary Affair in the Skullman's Lair", and the evil Xeno in "A Goofy Bungle in the Filipino Jungle".
23	* AllJustADream: When Fangface reverts to Fangs, he dismisses it as such.
24	* AMinorKidroduction: The opening sequence shows us Fangs as a baby, transforming into Fangface and back.
25	* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Too many specific examples to list, and describing some of them would be next to impossible, but let's just say the show runs on cartoon logic first and foremost.
26	* ArtisticLicenseSpace: "Dr. Lupiter and the Thing from Jupiter" opens with an astronaut landing "on the surface of Jupiter".
27	* AsYouKnow: "Oh no! Every time Fangface hears a food word, he eats Puggsy! Quick! We've got to rub his foot! It's the only way to calm him down!"
28	* BatDeduction: "A Scary Affair in the Skullman's Lair" opens with Prof. Ortega finding a skull in the jungle, and treating this as proof of his theory that this region was once inhabited by a lost civilization of "[[DemBones skullmen]]". He's right, naturally.
29	* BondVillainStupidity: In "The Great Ape Escape".
30	-->They need no guards. There is no escape from our [[DeathTrap trap]]!
31	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Swami Zodak does this to both Hal Hercules and [[spoiler: Biff]].
32	** In "Dr. Lupiter and the Thing from Jupiter", the thing in question is actually an astronaut who has been turned into a BrainwashedAndCrazy monster by MadScientist Dr. Lupiter.
33	* CaptainObvious: A lot of the dialogue. Spoofed in "The Cuckoo Carnival Calamity", when Puggsy restates where they are, and Fangs excitedly agrees, "Yeah! That's what the sign says!"
34	* ChasedOffIntoTheSunset: A few episodes end with Puggsy chasing Fangs like this.
35	* CircusOfFear: "The Cuckoo Carnival Calamity" focuses on a circus strongman being brainwashed by an evil hypnotist.
36	* ComedicUnderwearExposure: Happens in several episodes when Fangface (each time after his first transformation) pulls poor Puggsy's pants for no reason; sometimes they're pulled down with his paws, while other times they're even yanked off with his fang.
37	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: A frequent habit of Fangface. For example, in the episode "The Ill Will of Dr. Chill", the eponymous villain gloats that "You've made your last mistake!" and Fangface excitedly assumes that this means he will be infallible going forward.
38	-->You hear that, Puggs? I've made my ''last'' mistake!
39	* CoolAirship / DreadZeppelin: The Sky Ghost flies one in "The Invisible Menace Mix-Up"
40	* CoolCar: The Wolf-Buggy, a bright yellow convertible.
41	* CoolBoat: "The Creep From The Deep" has a lot of scenes on nice yachts. The gang rent another yacht for a [[BusmansHoliday fishing trip]] in "The Great Ape Escape", and "A Toothy Shark Is Not Lark" is set mostly on a cruise ship.
42	* DeathTrap: The ape-man of "The Great Ape Escape" throw Puggsy and Fangface in one, and naturally [[BondVillainStupidity post no guards]] to keep an eye on them. After returning to human form, Fangs is able to escape the trap by using a well-thrown ball of chewing gum to "gum up" the trap. Later in the episode, the whole gang save Mr. Ling the explorer from being lifted into the fiery maw of the "Ape Idol".
43	** See below under InnOfNoReturn for another example.
44	* DefangedHorrors: There's some spooky visuals here and there, but the emphasis is always on comedy and adventure over fright.
45	* DontBeRidiculous. In "A Toothy Shark Is No Lark", Fangs comments that he's always wanted to go on a Caribbean cruise in the Mediterranean. Puggsy, ever the KnowNothingKnowItAll, pompously corrects him that the Caribbean is nowhere near the Mediterranean, [[HypocriticalHumor but in the North Pacific]].
46	* ForcedTransformation:
47	** Played straight in "A Heap of Trouble", where Prof. Arnos' plot is to "transform the whole faculty [of the local university] into hulking monsters!"
48	** In "Who Do The Voodoo", Puggsy is briefly changed into a frog. All of his clothes vanish, except [[MagicPants for his hat, which shrinks to frog size]].
49	** Fangface himself, whose transformations are usually deliberately triggered by his friends. He doesn't seem to ever realize what's going on.
50	* ForgottenPhlebotinum: In "A Toothy Shark Is No Lark!", Kim forgets to bring the sun and moon pictures on the cruise, making her and the others unable to trigger Fangs' transformation into Fangface or vice versa.
51	* FriendlyLocalChinatown: In "The Invisible Menace Mix-up", the gang go here to try to stop a pearl being stolen.
52	* FreakyFridayFlip: "The Creepy Goon From The Spooky Lagoon" has Fangs' brain in a [[FishPeople Fish Person]]'s body.
53	* HumanSacrifice: See DeathTrap above.
54	* IAmNotWeasel: In "The Space Monster Mishap", Fangface is deeply offended when one of the astronauts calls him a dog.
55	-->Dogs do not have a single fang! Dogs whine and bark! ''I'' snarl and growl!
56	* JustThinkOfThePotential: In "Dinosaur Daze", [[TheProfessor Prof. Ito]] hopes to capture the rampaging ''T. rex'' so it can be studied. In a rarity for this trope, he actually gets his wish!
57	* LaughTrack: The VHS release added prerecorded laughter after some of the jokes. Unfortunately, the dialogue wasn't timed around a laugh track, so a lot of lines get lost in the noise.
58	* LetsSplitUpGang: Usually once an episode, with Biff and Kim going off separately while Fangface and Puggsy get into shenanigans.
59	* MacGyvering: "We'll use those tapestries and bamboo poles to build a glider!"
60	* MarsNeedsWomen: In "The Goofy Gargoyle Goof-Up", both Fangface and the gargoyle seem to find Raquel very attractive, although the gargoyle apparently wants to turn her into another gargoyle before she can be his bride.
61	** In "Begone, You Amazon", Fangface also seems [[AmazonChaser more than a little attracted to the Amazonian warriors]]. In a G-rated way, of course.
62	* MonsterOfTheWeek / StrictlyFormula: Any given episode of the show will give you a pretty good grasp of its overall tone and format.
63	* MonochromeCasting: Averted, which was a rarity at the time. Kim is black (or at least AmbiguouslyBrown), and many incidental characters are people of colour. In the first season, at least, they also tend to avoid leaning too heavily on stereotypes, though the second season doesn't make as much effort.
64	* MonumentalDamage: A reversible example: In "The Invisible Menace Mix-up", [[PhantomThief The Sky Ghost]] uses his {{Invisibility}} Ray to turn Mount Rushmore invisible, intending to turn it back to normal only if the US government pays a hefty ransom. See RushmoreRefacement for more.
65	* NotAMask: "The Goofy Gargoyle Goof-Up" is set at a costume party in the Hollywood Hills. People regularly compliment Fangface on his great werewolf costume, and film producer Shadrach Cadillac even offers him a part in a movie. When the evil gargoyle shows up, most people seem to assume it's just a troublesome guest, and Fangface even briefly thinks it's Puggsy's costume.
66	* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent... and HOW!
67	** Even within the series, werewolves vary. The episode "Where's The Wolf That's The Werewolf" featured the gang going after... a werewolf. Not only did he look entirely different from Fangface (being more humanoid and less FunnyAnimal, though he can't seem to talk), his transformation was triggered by a potion (conveniently labeled "Werewolf Secret Formula").
68	** And then, in the same episode, Puggsy becomes a werewolf for a short time thanks to the same formula. Unlike the drastic difference between Fangs and Fangface, he looks mostly the same as normal, except for the brown fur on his hands, feet, and face. On the other hand, unlike the villainous werewolf, he can still talk, and he winds up ''acting'' like Fangface, right down to the "Ooh! Ooh!" exclamation.
69	* OutOfFocus: The end result of all the [[LetsSplitUpGang splitting the party]] and [[DistressedDude frequent]] [[DamselInDistress kidnappings]] is that Biff and Kim are usually put off to the sidelines, keeping the focus on Fangs/Fangface and Puggsy (and, in the second season, Baby Fangs/Fangpuss).
70	* PalatePropping: Fangface uses a car-jack to prop open the mouth of a ThreateningShark.
71	* PlayingSick: In "Westward Ho the UFO!". The aliens abandon their plans to conquer Earth [[EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion for fear of]] ending up like the Martians in ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' after Fangface pretends to have a contagious disease.
72	* PortraitPaintingPeephole: "I'll peep through this peephole with my peepers and take a peep!"
73	* RefugeInAudacity: It ''is'' a comedy show, isn't it?
74	* RushmoreRefacement: In "The Invisible Menace Mix-Up", [[PhantomThief The Sky Ghost]] turns Mount Rushmore [[{{Invisibility}} invisible]], holding it for ransom from the US. When Fangs and Puggsy try to turn it back at the end, they have a number of mix-ups, including putting Teddy Roosevelt's head upside down and replacing it with Fangface's head -- which [[EvilMeScaresMe terrifies Fangs]].
75	* ScoobyDooHoax: Consistently averted; unlike ''Scooby-Doo'' (and many of the other "Mystery Kid" shows of its kind at the time), the monster villains in this series are actually real. And, unlike most of those shows, they have a real supernatural creature on their side to help deal with the villains.
76	* ScoobyDoobyDoors: "The Cuckoo Carnival Calamity" has a scene like this, with the added element that Fangface is carrying a phone, whose (incredibly long) cord criss-crosses the hallway multiple times.
77	* SouthOfTheBorder: Downplayed in "The Creep From the Deep", which is set on an island off the Mexican coast. The plot revolves around an Aztec {{mummy}} and there are a few incidental characters with Mexican accents and Spanish names, but it's a fairly subtle, non-stereotypical portrayal.
78	* SpaceStation: Most of "The Space Monster Mishap" is set on one resembling Werner von Braun's design. To drive the point home, that episode briefly features a [[HerrDoktor German-accented rocket scientist]] named Prof. Werner.
79	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: In "The Great Ape Escape", Fangface uses his tooth to cut a door into the side of a mountain so he and Puggsy can escape from the ape-men... but the door doesn't lead anywhere and they get caught anyway.
80	* SweetOnPollyOliver: Fangface disguises himself as a female gargoyle to distract the male gargoyle. It works.
81	* UndeathAlwaysEnds: Kind of. "A Creep From the Deep" ends with the {{mummy}} returning to his grave, reunited with his sacred treasure - but it's clear that this is simply a rest, and he could rise again if anyone else messes with the treasure.
82	* UnusuallyUninterestingSight:
83	** A lot of incidental characters seem very unfazed to see a werewolf running around. Sometimes there's a plausible explanation (see NotAMask above) but other times they just seem to roll with it. In "There Is Nothing Worse Than A Stony Curse", a hotel bellhop specifically forbids entry to Fangface and Fangpuss, citing a "no werewolves allowed" policy, suggesting that the existence of werewolves may be common knowledge in this universe.
84	** Several second-season episodes feature ''very'' blase crowds. For example, "The Defiant Casablanca Giant" has a giant man (standing around ten to twelve feet tall) abducting a scientist from a busy restaurant and subsequently wandering around crowded Casablanca markets (while carrying a normal-sized man screaming "HELP", no less), and nobody bats an eye; and "A Goofy Bungle In The Filipino Jungle" has the team transforming Fangs and Baby Fangs into werewolves right in front of a scientist, who is completely unsurprised and doesn't even comment on it.
85	* VacationEpisode: Nearly every episode. See BusmansHoliday, above. Nevertheless, the characters' LimitedWardrobe remains in effect. The one exception is "Snow Job Jitters", where the gang put on winter coats and sweaters, though Kim's legs remain bare. In the second season's snowy episode, "The Ill Will of Dr. Chill", however, they appear once again in their traditional wardrobes, with Fangs and Puggsy in short sleeves and Baby Fangs not even properly clothed at all.
86	* WeirdMoon: The moon is always full. Always. Not that Fangs needs a full moon to transform; things like door-knockers shaped like ''crescent'' moons can do it.
87	* XanatosGambit: In "The Cuckoo Carnival Calamity", Zorak deliberately leaving a few misleading clues at his circus tent, counting on the heroes' detective skills to lead them to the wrong pier at the harbour.
88	* YouMeddlingKids: An occasional lament of the various villains.

Context WesternAnimation / Fangface