I like to get at least one item posted here per week, but unfortunately, I'm short on spare time these days. The next big piece I've been working WEEKS on is a very long article... but it feels good to go back to the style of some of the early articles here at YesterYear.
You'll find it similar in vein to my Lunchbox Snacks series as I take a deep dive on a restaurant AND motel franchise from days gone by. Unfortunately, I had hoped to have it complete by today but just couldn't finish in time. So, please enjoy this Retro Scan that features a great set of trading cards from the 1990s animated hit cartoon "Street Sharks!"
The Street Sharks is an animated superhero series about half-men/half-shark crime fighters airing from 1994 to 1997 in syndication. Like many series targeting children during that period, the cartoon was created to promote a line of action figure toys made by Mattel.
In 1996, the cartoon was paired with another line of toys, the Dino Vengers, and the show was retitled "Dino Vengers Featuring Street Sharks."
On "Street Sharks," a university professor named Dr. Robert Bolton and his lab partner Dr. Luther Paradigm created a machine known as "the gene-slammer." The slammer could change aquatic animals into anthropomorphic hybrids by combining their DNA.
Bolton is transformed into an unseen monstrosity and escapes in his attempt to prevent Paradigm from using this machine for personal power. Later, Paradigm changes Bolton's four sons, John, Bobby, Coop, and Clint, the likeness of four different sharks. When Dr. Paradigm captures their friend Bends, the resulting "Street Sharks" rescue him, and the resulting battle causes Dr. Paradigm to be combined with a piranha's DNA.
In subsequent episodes, Dr. Paradigm creates a variety of mutant animals to destroy the Street Sharks while attempting to persuade the residents of their home, Fission City, to imprison them.
The final few episodes introduced the Dino Vengers: a group of extraterrestrial dinosaurs allied with the Street Sharks against their own rivals in the Raptor Gang. When Dr. Paradigm wanted to get a sample of the Raptors' DNA to improve himself, they trick him by giving him iguana DNA, transforming him into "Dr. Iguanazoid." This leads to him working with the Raptors where they promise to reward him by correcting his DNA mistake.
In the end, Paradigm is captured and sent to prison while the Raptor Gang leaves Earth.
The Dino Vengers were later given their own series called "Extreme Dinosaurs," where they and the Raptors still fought but had different backgrounds.
.png)
Comments