Quest: How the World's Most Ambitious Animated Series Came to Television, more commonly referred to as The Great Jonny Quest Documentary, is a 2+ hour documentary of the creation and legacy of the Jonny Quest series.
It was created for a private event around 2007, and released online on January 4, 2008.
Creation[]
The documentary is "A File 037 Production", without any other credit attached to the video, as the creators wished to remain anonymous. According to fan Chris Webber who released the video, the creators are two men who are die-hard fans of Jonny Quest, and it took more than a year to create. The video is sometimes erroneously credited to Webber, but he was clear that he did not create it.[1]
It was made for a one-time screening at a 50th birthday party.[2]
The documentary was likely completed and first screened sometime in 2007. It acknowledges the passing of Joseph Barbera, which happened on December 18, 2006, and it was released on YouTube on January 4, 2008.
It was created on an Apple computer using Adobe Photoshop, Boinx FotoMagico, Logic Pro 7, and Quicktime.[3]
Release[]
The creators gave permission to fan Chris Webber to release the documentary online for free, with the stipulation that it was not to be sold or used in any way to create profit. It was first released on January 2, 2008 on YouTube, split into short videos in a playlist. Webber later uploaded the full high quality version to his blog for download.[4][5]
The original creators of the documentary have given me permission to share this unique documentary but ask once again that if you do download it and decide to copy it or share it, please do not sell it or in any way create profit with it.
This was their sole requirement for posting it on YouTube and now here on this blog.
Again, I am not the author of this documentary, though many folks mistake me for the creators. They are in actuality, two gents and die-hard classic Quest fans who have asked to remain anonymous, but allowed me to post their work, first on YouTube (which censors several chapters that have clips from other TV shows in them) and then finally here in this blog.
It was created for a one-time screening at a 50th birthday party, if you can believe that. The documentary took over a year to research and create, so it was one hell of a birthday gift -- and is another testament to just how loved and memorable this show was and is to so many of us from that generation.
The only request they have about sharing the doc with other Quest fans, is that while they want it shared, they want no one, under any circumstances to copy it and then sell it to other parties.
They are offering it not only for the delight of other Quest fans like themselves, but in the spirit that generosity and sharing changes the complexion of the world, deed by little deed.
Reception[]
Nick Setchfield's "Rave" for The Great Jonny Quest Documentary in SFX, August 2021
SFX Magazine editor Nick Setchfield recommended The Great Jonny Quest Documentary in the "Rants & Raves" section of SFX August 2021 issue.
Check out The Great Jonny Quest Documentary on Youtube, a wonderful fan-made celebration of Hanna-Barbera's spy-fi series from the '60s. Never saw the original show growing up – thanks, schedulers! – so this was a genuine education.
Video[]
External links[]
- Original YouTube upload: The QUEST Documentary (playlist)
References[]
- ↑ "Sorry to say, I didn't create the documentary myself but have the honor of posting and sharing it with other Quest fans." Comment on The Great Jonny Quest Documentary blog post. June 1, 2009.
- ↑ http://chriswebber037.blogspot.com/2011/09/amazing-piece-of-quest-honoring.html
- ↑ Shown in the credits of the documentary. [1]
- ↑ Chris Webber's blog: The Great Jonny Quest Documentary by Chris Webber. May 15, 2009.
- ↑ Chris Webber's blog: [2] September 16, 2011.