From left to right: Squeek, Scratch and Colonel Bleep fly as Black Patch, The Black Knight of Pluto and Bruto the Black Robot watch on.
And now stand by for adventure!
Colonel Bleep was the first color cartoon ever made for television, created by Fran Noack and written by Robert D. Buchanan. note It features the titular Colonel, an extraterrestrial from Futura, protecting and serving Earth with the aid of his two cadets, Squeek and Scratch (a cowboy puppet and a caveman, respectively). They often meet opposition from Doctor Destructo or other villains.
The show was originally syndicated in 1957 as a segment on Uncle Bill's TV Club. 104 episodes were produced, but only 44 are known to survive today.
Colonel Bleep provides examples of:
- Artistic License – Space: In this show, space contains hazards such as "Space Tornadoes", despite there being no wind in space.
- Black Knight: This one's from Pluto.
- Contemporary Caveman: Scratch is one.
- Digital Destruction: Because of the show being public domain by 1985, most of the episodes that exists as of 2020 are fuzzy, the colors are washed and the audio is pitch shifted. The only episode that is restored is "The Treacherous Pirate" that was combined with a Speed Racer video release from Streamline Pictures in 1993.
- Episode Title Card
- Flight: Bleep has this via futomic energy.
- Limited Animation: As was typical of TV cartoons of the era.
- Living Toys: Squeek is a cowboy puppet brought to life.
- Public Domain Animation: The copyright of the show lapsed in 1985. The production company had closed down in 1970.
- Raygun Gothic: The visual design is heavily inspired by the futuristic Googie designs popular at the time.
- Rogues Gallery: Recurring enemies include Doctor Destructo, the Black Patch, and the Black Knight of Pluto.
- Slept Through the Apocalypse: How Scratch's presence in the present day is explained.
- Space Pirates: The Black Patch
- Spanner in the Works: Doctor Destructo's bat drinks all the explosive liquid intended for the christening of the flying laboratory.
- The Speechless: Squeek is incapable of speech.
- Super-Strength: Scratch possesses this.
