Atom Ant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atom Ant |
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| Genre | Science fiction Comedy Adventure Action Superhero |
| Written by | Tony Benedict Warren Foster |
| Directed by | Joseph Barbera William Hanna |
| Voices of | Don Messick Howard Morris Janet Waldo Henry Corden |
| Theme music composer | Ted Nichols |
| Composer(s) | Ted Nichols |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
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| Producer(s) | Joseph Barbera William Hanna |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Distributor | Screen Gems |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | October 2, 1965 – August 31, 1968 |
Atom Ant is a tiny but mighty cartoon ant and superhero. He was created by the famous animation studio Hanna-Barbera in 1965. Atom Ant was a big star, sharing his show, The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show, with another popular character, Secret Squirrel. Later, his adventures were also shown alongside other cartoons like Precious Pupp and The Hillbilly Bears. If you watched Cartoon Network or Boomerang in the 1990s and 2000s, you might have seen his reruns!
Contents
Meet Atom Ant: Biography and Powers
Atom Ant is a special superhero ant who lives in a hidden anthill in the countryside. His anthill isn't just any home; it's super high-tech! It has a mainframe computer and even exercise equipment to help him stay strong.
Atom Ant has amazing superpowers. He can fly super fast, has incredible strength, and is almost impossible to hurt. His famous catchphrase is "Up and at 'em, Atom Ant!"
The police often call on Atom Ant for help with tough cases. They rely on him a lot because their own police force is small and doesn't have many resources. For example, in one episode called "Nobody's Fool," the police department only had two officers and one old, rusty patrol car. Atom Ant often fights funny villains like Ferocious Flea and the mad scientist Professor Von Gimmick. Some of his missions even made fun of the adventures of Batman.
Adventures of Atom Ant: Episode Highlights
Atom Ant starred in 26 exciting episodes. Each one showed him using his powers to solve crimes and help people. Here are a few examples of his adventures:
| Nº | Title | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "Up and Atom" | October 2, 1965 | |
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Atom Ant chases down a criminal named Big Fats Dynamo who escaped from prison. Atom Ant uses his smarts to catch him.
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| 4 | "Ferocious Flea" | October 23, 1965 | |
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Atom Ant tracks down a flea circus ringmaster and his star flea, Ferocious Flea, who are robbing banks without a trace.
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| 12 | "The Big Gimmick" | December 18, 1965 | |
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Atom Ant battles Professor Von Gimmick and his giant robot. The professor tries to trick Atom Ant with his one weakness: a picnic!
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| 26 | "Rock-a-Bye Boo-Boo" | October 15, 1966 | |
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Atom Ant saves a village from a huge roc egg rolling down a mountain. He returns the egg to its nest, but the mother roc thinks he stole it and causes trouble until her egg hatches.
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Atom Ant's Other Appearances
Atom Ant has appeared in many other places besides his own TV show:
- He had his own comic book, Atom Ant #1, released in 1966.
- He joined other Hanna-Barbera characters in Yogi's Ark Lark and Yogi's Gang.
- In the early 1990s series Yo Yogi!, Atom Ant was the superhero of Jellystone Town. We learned that his special "Atomic Helmet" is what gives him his powers!
- A computer game called Atom Ant: Up and Atom was released for the Commodore 64 in 1990. Players had to fly around buildings and "atomize" bombs.
- Cartoon Network made a short cartoon about Atom Ant in 2000 called "We Must All Get Ready Now."
- He made a quick appearance in a MetLife TV commercial in 2012.
- The superhero Radioactive Man in The Simpsons even uses Atom Ant's catchphrase, "Up and Atom!"
- Atom Ant was a character in an episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, where he was accused of causing pollution.
- You can spot Atom Ant in a framed picture in the movie Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon.
- He also appeared in a comic book series called Scooby Apocalypse.
- In the movie Scoob!, Atom Ant is shown as a new member of the Falcon Force team, and he has four arms in this version!
- He is set to appear in the upcoming HBO Max series Jellystone!.
Home Video Releases
You can find Atom Ant's adventures on DVD and streaming services:
- Some episodes are on Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960s Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 DVDs.
- The episode "The Big Gimmick" is on the Best of Warner Bros. 25 Cartoon Collection Hanna-Barbera DVD.
- In 2015, Atom Ant: The Complete Series was released on DVD by Warner Archive.
- You can also download The Atom Ant Show from the iTunes Store.
- Both seasons of the show are available to stream on the Boomerang (TV network) subscription app.
Voices Behind the Ant
Many talented voice actors brought Atom Ant and his friends to life:
- Howard Morris was the original voice of Atom Ant in the first season. He also voiced Muscles' Boss.
- Don Messick took over as Atom Ant's voice in the second season. He also voiced Ferocious Flea and Mr. Muto, and was the Narrator.
- John Stephenson also served as the Narrator.
- Allan Melvin voiced Muscles, Big Fats Dynamo, and many other characters.
See also
In Spanish: La Hormiga Atómica para niños
