April 13th, 2021 
Michael Lyons 
It’s been a match made in Monster Movie heaven. Fans have eagerly awaited Godzilla vs. Kong since its debut on March 31 (in theaters and HBO Max).
The film has also divided these devotees into two camps: “Team Kong” or “Team Godzilla.” No matter where your loyalty may lie, there’s no denying that it’s fun to look back at both famous monsters’ histories through the years.
Part of that history involves animation. And while their cartoon shows aren’t often immediately thought of during the monstrous career retrospectives of King Kong and Godzilla, looking back on them is a guilty a pleasure as a bowl of sugary cereal.
The King Kong Show, ABC, 1966
Produced by the Rankin/Bass Studio, this was the first animated version of King Kong and featured him in a more docile role. Here, Kong, befriended by a young boy named Bobby Bond, becomes somewhat of a pet/protector to Bobby and the entire Bond family.
King Kong was even given a friendly, “cartoony” look for the show.
The shows follow plots that were very similar to several shows at the time (most notably Hanna-Barbera’s Frankenstein, Jr, which debuted that same year). Each week, Kong would help the Bond family out of a jam they had found themselves in (usually while going up against their enemy, Dr. Who).
The King Kong Show was the first Anime series produced in Japan for an American company (Rankin/Bass’ stop-motion specials had been made in Japan, but this would be the first 2D project).
Best of all, the show had quite the catchy, oh-so-60s theme song: “King Kong, you know the name of King Kong/You know the fame of King Kong/Ten times as big as a man!”
The Godzilla Power Hour, NBC, 1978
Speaking of earworm Saturday morning theme songs, there was this show’s: “Up from the depths, thirty stories high/Breathing fire, his head in the sky/Godzilla!”
In 1978, Hanna-Barbera partnered with Producer Henry G. Saperstein, who owned the rights to Godzilla’s character, for an animated version of the famous film monster.
The Godzilla Power Hour episodes had somewhat similar plots as The King Kong Show. Here, Godzilla had befriended and assists a group of scientists onboard the research ship, the Calico. Godzilla’s look is very much in keeping with his imposing image from the live-action films.
However, to “cute up” Godzilla, Hanna-Barbera added the character of Godzooky. He was Godzilla’s nephew and a wide-eyed, pint-sized version of Godzilla, a little cowardly and a little clumsy.
The character was introduced to endear the formidable Godzilla to a younger audience, but Godzooky isn’t the strangest thing about this version of Godzilla. The different formats of the show are eclectically bizarre.
As the show went on for another two years, The Godzilla Power Hour was extended. New co-stars were added, bringing about title changes such as The Godzilla/Globetrotters Adventure Hour, Godzilla/Dynomutt Hour with The Funky Phantom and even The Godzilla/Hong Kong Phooey Hour!
Godzilla: The Series, Fox, 1998
After Godzilla made a well, monstrous, comeback in the Summer of 1998 with the big-budget behemoth of a live-action film from the creators of Independence Day, came this animated series that served as a sequel of sorts.
Dr. Patrick Tatopoulos (played by Matthew Broderick in the film and voiced by 90210’s Ian Ziering here) leads an ecological team seeking out mutant species. The Dr. comes across an egg that hatches and eventually grows into Godzilla and imprints on the Dr, helping him and the team.
As with the earlier King Kong and Godzilla animated series, the monster is once again transformed into a “good guy” and a crime-solving team member.
This series was executive produced by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the writers, producers, and directors of the live-action film. It also features actors Malcolm Danare, Kevin Dunn, and Michael Lerner, voicing their characters’ animated versions from the original movie.
So, while it doesn’t boast a catchy theme song, it does have some continuity and DNA from its source material.
Kong: The Animated Series, Fox, 2000
Coming off of the success of Godzilla: The Series came this animated show that brought back Hollywood’s other significant monster again. Much like 98s Godzilla, this served as a sequel, as well…this time to the 1933 original King Kong.
On the show, a doctor clones Kong after he falls from the Empire State Building and brings him back to “Kong Island.” Years later, when an expedition comes to the island and a villainous member of the group, Professor De La Porta, steals stones that control the island’s balance; it’s up to the rest of the expedition (joined of course by Kong) to travel the world and regain the stones.
The series only ran for one season but had enough of a following to spawn two direct-to-video sequels after its cancellation.
Kong: King of the Apes, Netflix, 2016
This well-executed computer-animated series came from the studio 41 Entertainment. In the future (the year 2050), this show once again puts a friendlier, “family pet” spin on the character. As a young ape chased by hunters, Kong is rescued by a young boy Lucas and raised by the young boy’s family.
Alcatraz in San Francisco has been transformed into a Natural History Museum. Kong is the main attraction until the show’s villain (Richard, Lucas’s twin brother) frames him, and the great ape unwittingly releases destruction on the museum.
After, Richard unleashes an army of dinosaurs on the world and only Kong (now a fugitive after destroying the museum) can stop them.
A favorite of kids and adults when it aired, this series not only boasted a more original plotline but some impressively choreographed action and battle scenes.
So, whether your “Team Kong” or “Team Godzilla,” here are some other monstrous adventures to keep you rooting.
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