Return to 50 Webs.
The Official TaleSpin Places List
12th Update: 12/01/2013- Complete Redesign of This Page! Cape Suzette Locations Page Added! Phase #1 is complete. Phase #2 is to come soon.
Special Thanks to Michelle for the suggestion.
All dates shown are based on the TaleSpin world and should not be taken as dates in real life. Remember that TaleSpin takes place in its own world; but in a funny twist, the settings do 'bear' [sic] some relationship with real life in the 1920's (gangsters), 1930's (The Depression with Kit's back story and one scene from "Save the Tiger") and the 1940's (Rebecca's apartment with the waterfall.) If anyone know any more locations in the actual TaleSpin series (The TaleSpin Comics do count); please e-mail me at: gweagle@eastlink.ca.
All citations are from the TaleSpin Source Page (which I have a hard copy of); Wikipedia and various comics/episodes of the show in general.
Legends: {} - Additional Notes, [ ] - TV Episode/Comic Episode
Air Race Headquarters {Air Field} [Feminine Air/Waiders Of The Wost Tweasure]
Summary Of Area: Only a half-hour's flight from Cape Suzette, the Air Race Headquarters is home to a number of air contests, including the "Great Air Scavenger Hunt." Several pilots come from far and wide to participate in these flying events, pilots such as Airplane (Plane) Jane and Cool Hands Luke. Planes taxi across the field's packed-dirt airstrip and take off down a wooden ramp built atop a grassy precipice overlooking the ocean. Among the most noted air challenges held here are the "Great Armadillo Cook-off and Air Rally" (shown in Waiders Of The Wost Tweasure) and the aforementioned "Great Air Scavenger Hunt." The Armadillo Air Rally consists of a series of qualifying cook-off rounds, culminating with a race between two finalists to release a festive armadillo balloon. The Great Air Scavenger Hunt is more a challenge of wits: pilots receive clues to the locations of hidden items, which they must retrieve and return to the airfield first in order to win.
Denizens of Air Race Headquarters
Air Race Headquarters Contest Official - A goat furry wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie who has a fetish for eating mattresses during work. He oversees the contests and acts as judge and referee in a hot air balloon hanging from a rope near the starting line where he watches the action. Voiced by S. Scott Bullock.
Air Clubs {Sponsors} [Feminine Air]
Summary: In order to compete in the various air races (particularly the Great Air Scavenger Hunt), pilots must be sponsored by one of the local aviation clubs. This policy is mandatory for entering many of the big air competitions, and regulates contest participation by keeping novice pilots and cut-rate pilots from crowding out experienced, qualified pilots. Several air clubs have tents pitched right alongside the airfield for race sponsorship purposes.
[1.] Aero Cubs - They are an air club sponsor. Despite being called cubs; their official is a Saint Bernard dog who wears a blue coat and pilot's hat with an orange triangle symbol. It is believed that the Aero Cubs refused to sponsor Baloo because Coolhands Luke snitched on them that Baloo is working for Rebecca Cunningham. The Aero Cub official does speak; but his voice is unknown at this time.
[2.] The Cloudhoppers - They are an air club sponsor. Their official is an orange tabby cat who wears a green coat, red shirt and a whistle around his neck. He refuses to sponsor Baloo for the same reason the Aero Cubs do.
[3.] The Sky Vikings - They are an air club sponsor. Their official is a wolf furry with goggles on his head and a brown jacket. He refuses to sponsor Baloo for the same reason as the other clubs.
[4.] The Knights Of Air - They are an air club sponsor. Their official is a dog with a grey mustache; wearing a pilot's cap with goggles on it and a brown jacket . He refuses to sponsor Baloo for the same reason as the other clubs.
[5.] The Air Kings - They are an air club sponsor. We never get to see the official for the group because they slammed their doors on Baloo before getting a chance to see him; refusing to sponsor him for the same reason as the other clubs.
[6.] Daughters of Aviation - An all female pilot sponsor group that sponsors girl pilots who want to make it big against the male dominated flying world. They are often the butt of jokes from sexist pilots like Coolhands Luke and the other sponsors because the club is exclusive to females. Mary Lamb is the official of the group and apparently has ties with Rebecca Cunningham; who serves as the navigator for Tan Margaent (Baloo in a non-rigid gender role disguise) during the Great Air Scavenger Hunt, which she defeated Coolhands Luke who was DQ'ed from the event for stealing Rebecca's stuff at the end of the Feminine Air episode.
Note: The acronym for Daughters of Aviation is DOA; which often means "Dead On Arrival"; which is used to mock Baloo by Coolhands Luke over having to choose them over all the other groups because of Coolhands snitching on the other clubs to not sponsor him because Baloo works for a boss who is female.
Mary Lamb - A sheep furry wearing glasses wearing a pink dress and sunflower type hat which has a ribbon in the back. She is the official of the Daughters Of Aviation. She allows Tan Margant (Baloo) to be sponsored when her ace star pilot (who was not named) couldn't find a babysitter for their child. Voiced by Susan Silo.
Airplane Jane [Waiders Of The Wost Tweasure] - While not an official member of the Daughters of Aviation; she has set her mark as a female pilot. Voiced by Susan Silo.
Resident Villains/Heels
Cool Hands Luke - Cold Hands is a large polar bear, who rivals Baloo in size, and has a highly aggressive, chauvinistic, narcissistic, and has a sociopath like (he claims when caught cheating that he does not have a conscience) attitude. He makes fun of the fact that Baloo works for a woman, and presses the issue to drive business away from Higher for Hire. His winning streak in the Air Scavenger Race (achieved through cheating) was broken when Rebecca and Baloo (in his "Tan-Margaret" persona) beat him and revealed him to be a fraud. Coolhands has since been banned for life from the competition for his cheating ways. Voiced By Ronald Feinberg. (Source: Wikipedia)
Did You Know? - The name of the sexist pilot is a pun on the 1965 book and 1967 prison film Cool Hand Luke. The character Luke was a decorated war veteran in the 1940's when he was sent to prison for cutting the heads off parking meters. The movie did $16.22 million domestic at the time ($111.24 million domestic in 2012).
Alpacian Mountains {Think Peru/Brazil} [Destiny Rides Again]
Summary of Area: Reaching thousands of feet into the sky, the snow-capped peaks of the Alpacian Mountains form one of the largest mountain chains in the world. Known for their majestic beauty, the Alpacian Mountains cover hundreds of square miles and are interspersed among a series of lakes, forests, and barren flats dotted with mud pits. Cross-currents and dangerous up drafts make the Alpacian range a tricky area for pilots to traverse. The Alpacan Mountains are home to several unique varieties of animals, including a rare species of giant condor. Nestled among the mountains are numerous small villages and towns, many of which are adjacent to forested areas. Deep within one of these forests lies a secret ancient temple, supposedly the resting place of the legendary Idol of Doom. (Source: TaleSpin Source Page)
Did You Know? - Alpacas are a domesticated species of South America camelid and looks like a small llama in appearance. Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to be beasts of burden, but were bred specifically for their fiber. Alpaca fiber is used for making knitted and woven items, similar to wool. These items include blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America, and sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world. The fiber comes in more than 52 natural colours as classified in Peru, 12 as classified in Australia and 16 as classified in the United States. In the textile industry, "alpaca" primarily refers to the hair of Peruvian alpacas, but more broadly it refers to a style of fabric originally made from alpaca hair, but now often made from similar fibers, such as mohair, Icelandic sheep wool, or even high-quality English wool. In trade, distinctions are made between alpacas and the several styles of mohair and luster. (Source: Wikipedia for summary; see References and External Links for more information.)
Points of Interest
[1.] Vicuna Village - Nestled within the Alpacan mountain range, the quaint little town called Vicuna Village is one of several small villages located along the base of the Alpacan Mountains. Peaceful and friendly, the humble people of Vicuna Village live as farmers and merchants, traditional occupations for natives of this area. Adobe houses and hand-built cottages make up the town and serve as shops and homes (sometimes both). Much of the history of Vicuna Village is preserved in folklore, passed down through the generations. The superstitious villagers hold to many ancient legends — particularly the legend of the one called the "Great Llama," a hero who would rid the land of the evil Idol of Doom which terrorized the people centuries ago. Several of these legends do have basis in fact, as was demonstrated when the Idol of Doom recently resurfaced and the Great Llama did emerge to destroy the evil forever, thereby saving the village from destruction. Notable inhabitants of Vicuna Village include Una, a local fortune teller and mystic. Last in a line of fortune tellers to inherit the map to the Idol of Doom's location, Una takes credit for setting the Great Llama on the "path to his destiny." Another less admirable character is El Gato (The Cat in Spanish), who originally found the Idol of Doom and attempted to use its power for his own selfish purposes. (Source: TaleSpin Source Page)
Did You Know? - Vicuna is actually a name for one of two South American camelids who live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is also related to the llama; and is a producer of a very expensive fine wool that must be caught in the wild and can only be shorn every three years. This animal was an endangered animal (at 6,000 when it was declared endangered) in 1974; before recovering to 350,000 today. It's also considered the national animal of Peru. (Source: Wikipedia for the summary; see References and External Links for more information.)
[2.] The Secret Ruins - Long ago, according to local legend, a powerful sorcerer constructed a terrible weapon called the "Idol of Doom." Using this device, the sorcerer was able to summon great destruction upon the inhabitants of the land. Finally, the people rose up and took the Idol from its maker, but they were unable to destroy the mystical statue. Instead they built a secret temple deep within the forests of the Alpacan Mountains, to hide the Idol until the day that a hero — the "Great Llama" — would destroy the evil forever. Concealed near a swamp area somewhere in the Alpacan jungles, the secret temple consisted of a labyrinth of wind tunnels, designed to confuse intruders and lead them in circles. Only by following the directions on an ancient scroll could one locate the central chamber, where upon a pedestal sat the legendary Idol of Doom. Undisturbed for centuries, the temple collapsed when the villainous El Gato seized the Idol and used its destructive powers to make good his escape.
Denizens Of Vicuna Village
Una: The Fortune Teller: She looks like a large, brown haired jaguar who wears a red , a yellow shirt with blue chest chaps; a red belt; a large purple skirt. She also has a ankh necklace (a mystic version of a cross) around her neck. She is the one who shows Baloo that destroying the Idol Of Doom is his destiny according to the legend of the area. She runs a local fortune teller shop which sells crafts; and has a rooster for a friend (the same one who lured Kit into her shop). Her shop was also ransacked by El Gato later on in the episode. Voiced by Mitzi McCall.
Did You Know? - Una is a city in Bahia, Brazil. Its population in 2008 was 25,287 inhabitants. It is located about 36 miles (58 km) south from Ilheus. The municipality was founded on August 2, 1890. The GDP per capita is R$ 2,649 (IBGE / 2005). The average temperature is 24.7°C (approx.). There is a popular tourist resort Comandatuba Island nearby. Also in a more unflattering term; the Una is also a virus; widely distributed in South America, where infections have been detected in mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts such as humans, birds and horses. It was first isolated in the Psorophora ferox mosquitoes in the state of Pará, Brazil. The virus is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America, such as Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Panama, Surinam, Trinidad and Venezuela. It is the only member of the SFV complex which has activity reported in Argentina, where two strains of the virus, (Cba An 979 and Cba An 995) have been isolated from febrile or dead equines at Rio Segundo and Colonia Videla, two villages located in the province of Córdoba. The reporting of the Una virus in Argentina demonstrates an enlargement of the southern limit of the distribution of this virus group. Una virus is a subtype of the Mayaro virus (MAYV)4, one of the Semliki Forest Virus (SFV) complex of the Togaviridae family. According to the Baltimore classification of viruses, it is a class IV virus. It has a linear single-stranded RNA genome. The Una virus is an Arbovirus or arthropod-borne virus, transmitted primarily by an arthropod species.
Una's Rooster - This animal first appears to grab Kit's hat and lure him away to Una's Fortune Telling Shop from Baloo when in the village. I don't believe the rooster even made noise; if so, it's likely voiced by Frank Welker.
Other Denizens - Many of the denizens in Vicuna Village are in fact dog noses (dogs people sometimes called) which is strange considering that dog noses rarely appear anywhere else. ADR group voices to be determined. Professor O'Bowens also made an appearance in the village during the El Gato flyover to the village with the Idol of Doom; but doesn't speak here.
Llama - Appears to lick Baloo's face when Baloo wears the llama ears visor which he brought from a street corner dealer in Vicuna village. Voiced by Frank Welker.
Ancient Item/Artifacts
The Idol of Doom - Long ago in a quiet village nestled deep in the Alpacian mountains, a powerful sorcerer built a mysterious and terrible weapon — the Idol of Doom. This gold statuette, shaped like a llama, possessed destructive magical powers which could by summoned by anyone who recited a version of the incantation:
"Idol of doom, storm and fire,
Great
golden llama, grant my desire."
Using the idol's mystic power, the sorcerer terrorized the peaceful land for many years, until its people finally rose up as one and took the idol from him, intending to destroy it. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done — the Idol of Doom was indestructible, impervious to damage of any kind. Many were driven insane trying to destroy the idol, which was eventually hidden in a secret temple deep within the Alpacan jungle. There it was to remain, until a prophesied hero would come — the "Great Llama" — to destroy the evil forever. A line of fortune-tellers was entrusted with a prophetic scroll and a special bracelet which would guide the Great Llama to his destiny. The Great Llama turned out to be Baloo, who was travelling through the area with Kit on his vacation. Recognized as the destined hero by local fortune-teller Una, Baloo was given the bracelet and instructed to destroy the Idol of Doom before a local named El Gato could find it. Defeating El Gato, Baloo finally fulfilled his destiny by ordering the Idol to obliterate itself.
Resident Villains/Heels
El Gato - A huge, maniacal swarthy-looking feline with a thick Spanish accent and a nasty temper, wearing a colourful poncho, Mexican-styled sombrero and braided hair. Flying on a huge condor named Max, he's persistent on obtaining the Idol of Doom, a golden llama-statuette talisman famed to have great mystical powers for those who control it which he wants to use for evil and almost succeeds when he tries to wrangle it from Baloo and Kit's unwanted possession. He was defeated when Baloo ordered the idol to fry his condor Max; and the lightning blast plucked all the feathers off of Max and free fell into a muddy pit below. Voiced by Jim Cummings.
Did You Know? - El Gato means: The Cat in Spanish. (Source: Wikipedia)
Max - The giant condor that Kit bounced into during cloud surfing at the beginning of the episode. He is mostly the transportation El Gato uses when he has the Idol Of Doom and is terrorizing Vicuna Village. Voiced by Frank Welker.
Crow - El Gato also has a black crow at his side who is mostly a Warner Brothers rib (note the sign holding spot) and wears a similar sombrero; only in a shade of white rather than Gato's grey shade. Voiced by Frank Welker.
Aridia {Think Egypt} [In Search of Ancient Blunders]
Summary of Area: Once the powerful kingdom of a great desert pharaoh, the tiny country of Aridia is now a modest way point for explorers and adventurers traversing the desert. Consisting of a few scant towns and villages, Aridia suffered for many decades with a poor economy, upheld only by the archaeological work done by Aridia's Ministry of Culture. Most of these archaeological efforts were directed toward finding the legendary lost pyramid of King Utmost, the sole container of Aridia's once-rich culture. Through the efforts of archaeologist Myra, the famous pyramid was discovered and Aridia's economy revitalized by a rampant increase in tourism.
Ancient Item
[1.] The Tablet of King Utmost - The Tablet of King Utmost is one of the world's rarest archaeological treasures, a map which provides the only clues to finding the long-lost pyramid of the ancient Aridian pharaoh, King Utmost. Containing hieroglyphics in Aridian, the tablet uses references like the sun and nearby landmarks to indicate the precise location of the pyramid. The lost tablet was found, of all places, on sale in a thrift shop. Transported to Aridia by Baloo and Wildcat, the tablet was turned over to minister of culture Myra, who deciphered the tablet and determined that not only was the lost pyramid located underneath the city's airport, but it was also built upside-down! Amazingly, an incident with Air Pirates unearthed the pyramid and placed it right-side up again — it and the ancient tablet are now part of Aridia's Museum of Ancient History, which Myra supervises as curator.
Denizens of Aridia
Myra: A petite brunette vixen dressed in khakis, a pith helmet and wears square-rimmed glasses, is the State Archaeologist and Minister of Culture for the tiny desert country of Aridia. (Though not canon, her fans gave her the last name of Foxworthy). A genuinely nice and very intelligent woman, her sunny disposition is nearly the exact polar opposite of Katie Dodd's. She enlists Baloo and Wildcat to help find a lost pyramid, in order to create a tourist attraction for her impoverished country. Normally slow to anger, but not afraid to stand up and show some backbone when it really counts. Voiced by Liz Georges.
Points of Interest
[1.] Ministry of Culture: A prominent institution in Aridia, the Ministry of Culture oversees the archaeological and historical research done within the desert country's borders. Established to promote education in Aridia's cultural roots, the Culture Ministry painstakingly catalogues every artifact that turns up amid the ruins of the desert. The Ministry of Culture office, located within walking distance from the airport, functions as a veritable gallery for the small collection of Aridian relics, tablets, pottery, and statues either dug from the sands or identified on collector's markets around the world. State archaeologist and Minister of Culture Myra supervises this office and also curates the Museum of Ancient History, just next door.
[2.] Museum of Ancient History: Aridia's Museum of Ancient History, situated next door to the Ministry of Culture, underwent a miraculous transformation — from a humble home for the surplus items in Myra's office to the hottest spot in Aridia — when the long-lost pyramid of King Utmost conveniently came crashing down on the premises. For a modest admission fee, daily tour groups can follow museum curator Myra on a tour back in time through Aridia's greatest national treasure. Porcelain vases and fragile items were destroyed when the pyramid "dropped in," but the monument itself and the rest of its contents remain intact. The visitors touring the museum each day can gaze upon ancient works of art, survey walls of Aridian hieroglyphics, and listen for "the voice of the pharaohs" in the pyramid's halls.
[3.] Casbah Cafe: It may come as a surprise to some to learn that the Casbah Cafe is actually one of the more modern buildings in Aridia. Built and furnished in the style of a western saloon, the Casbah Cafe is the best restaurant in town — nothing much to brag about, given that it's the town's only restaurant. With transportation scarce in Aridia and most of the population living in squalor, the cafe has known nothing but hard times. The owner hoped that early interest in Aridia's ancient ruins would bring a wave of scholars and archaeologists to visit his establishment. To that end, each menu in the Casbah Cafe educates guests on Aridia's culture and the pyramid of King Utmost. The interior of the Casbah Cafe features the main dining area, a bare-wood floor occupied by several tables and a bar along the back wall. A second-floor balcony holds a dusty upright piano, presumably there to lend musical ambiance to the place (if someone's around to play it). Behind the double doors lies the kitchen, where waiters cook up the house special for whoever happens to pass through the cafe's swinging doors. Once teetering on the brink of failure, the sleepy Casbah Cafe has turned into a regular oasis as tourists flock to Aridia to see the new Museum of Ancient History and stop by the cafe to sample some of the local delicacies (formerly, bean dip and potatoes).
Did You Know? - Casbah is basically known as either a kasbah or qasbah. In the al-Baha and Asir provinces of Saudi Arabia and in Yemen, the word "qasaba" usually refers to a single stone or rock tower, either as part of a tower house or a tower isolated on a hilltop or commanding a field. It was a place for the local leader to live and a defense when a city was under attack. A kasbah has high walls, usually without windows. Sometimes, they were built on hilltops so that they could be more easily defended. Some were placed near the entrance to harbours. Having a kasbah built was a sign of wealth of some families in the city. Almost all cities had their kasbah, this building being something necessary for the city to survive. When colonization started in 1830, in northern Algeria, there were a great number of kasbahs that lasted for more than 100 years. The word kasbah may also be used to describe the old part of a city, in which case it has the same meaning as a medina quarter. The Spanish word alcazaba is a cognate naming the equivalent building in Andalusia or Moorish Spain. In Portuguese, it derived into the word alcáçova. In Turkish and Urdu the word kasaba refers to a settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city; in short, a town. In India, a qasbah is a small town distinguished by the presence of Muslim families of rank.
[4.] The Pyramid of King Utmost: One of the last and grandest remnants of Aridia's ancient past, the long-lost pyramid of King Utmost is considered Aridia's greatest archeological treasure, containing almost the entirety of Aridia's rich culture. For thousands of years, the great pyramid's location was an utter mystery. The only clue to its location lay in an ancient stone tablet engraved during King Utmost's reign, which provided the exact coordinates of the lost monument. As it turned out, the pyramid was located directly underneath Aridia's main airfield — buried upside-down in the sand! For all the folklore surrounding King Utmost's lost pyramid, very scant evidence existed in the official records of the pharaohs to confirm the monument's existence. Howbeit, the absence of a pyramid dedicated to one of Aridia's greatest rulers seemed highly conspicuous, especially in light of the prosperity and cultural advancement which graced Utmost's reign. In reality, King Utmost had long ago ordered all records of the pyramid destroyed as part of a royal cover-up. One stone tablet escaped the pharaoh's purge, and centuries later led Myra Foxworthy to the lost pyramid and the story a forgotten table of hieroglyphics told. At the height of his reign, King Utmost commanded his foreman to build a great pyramid in his honor. In a spectacular blunder, the foreman read the blueprints wrong, and constructed the entire building upside-down! King Utmost, deeply embarrassed by the mistake, pronounced a curse upon the foreman, transforming him into a mummy who would wander the pyramid and stop anyone who stumbled onto the secret. The curse would be broken only if the pyramid were turned right-side up, which essentially condemned the foreman to an eternity of restless solitude. The foreman's fate sealed as tightly as the pyramid's entrance, King Utmost wiped all knowledge of the pyramid from the royal chronicles. Utmost, however, left much of his treasure and material wealth inside the underground storehouse, marking the lost pyramid as the great, undiscovered repository of Aridia's highest cultural period.
The disintegration of the pharaonic dynasty thrust Aridia's people into poverty, but recent archaeological interest in the area raised the locals' hopes that King Utmost's pyramid would be found. Following the coordinates in the ancient stone tablet, Myra learned that the airport's main landing field was actually the top surface of the inverted pyramid! She also encountered the cursed mummy, and translated the ancient hieroglyphics outlining the pyramid's history. Unfortunately, Don Karnage had taken an interest in the lost pyramid as well, and he and his Air Pirates set to work to claim King Utmost's treasure as their own. Running cables from the pyramid to the Iron Vulture, the pirates actually lifted the entire structure free from the sand and tried to carry it away. Atoning for his past mistake, the mummy guardian freed the cables and the pyramid fell to a perfect landing on the site for the upcoming Museum of History — right-side up. Thorough exploration of King Utmost's pyramid has proven the legends true — the pyramid is a trove of riches and knowledge from Aridia's ancient past. Preserved intact since its building (aside from the jarring impact of a several-hundred-foot drop), the great pyramid houses samples of art, sculpture, and architecture dating back thousands of years. The most fascinating thing of all is the unusual building approach the foreman took to accomodate a pyramid built upside-down: ancient statues are bolted to the floor (which used to be the ceiling), and room designs allow accessibility and make architectural sense regardless of the pyramid's orientation. The main entrance leads to a maze of tunnels and passageways that run throughout the entire pyramid. Despite the absence of windows, the halls and chambers of the great pyramid seem to be lit by an unearthly light — although some rooms, such as the Chamber of Eternal Night, remain plunged in pitch black darkness. Ramps and ladders allow movement up and down the various levels of the pyramid, wherein lie the treasure rooms of King Utmost.
Ancient pyramids have a reputation for secret traps to discourage thieves and robbers. Thankfully, all the pitfalls and dropouts in King Utmost's tomb were put in the ceiling rather than the floor, rendering them useless now that the pyramid stands right-side up. The discovery of King Utmost's long-lost pyramid has proven every bit the boon to Aridia's economy that Myra hoped it would be. As the new Museum of Ancient History, the pyramid draws scores of tourists per day to gaze upon the foreign wonders from centuries past. The once-fearsome mummy, his curse lifted, now lies in a state of repose in the main chamber where he serves as the museum's star attraction. Besides taking in enough money to replace the airport runway and transform Aridia's quiet community into a boom town, the museum has also reawakened pride in the hearts of Aridia's people and given them hope for their country's future. The mummy is believed to be voiced by either Frank Welker or John Stephenson; since the mummy's moans are similar to the ones used in Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
Bambezi [Mentioned in Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: The coastal region of Bambezi is renowned for its prosperous fishing industry. Though one of the most productive seafood exporters in the world, Bambezi has a very backwards approach to harvesting fish. Among the many local superstitions is the use of clamshells as "fish communicators" to lure unsuspecting schools of fish toward Bambezian fishing boats.
Did You Know? - Bambizi is the name of a company who designs Nursery Furniture in the United Kingdom.
Bambino Island [Mentioned In Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: This remote island is home to some of the finest hospitals and clinics in the world, including several noted child-care and baby clinics like the Bambino Island Baby Clinic.
Banana Republic [Mentioned in Paradise Lost]
Summary of Area: An independent colony, the Republic of Banana is known to fresh produce markets as a leading distributor of banana crops. The Banana Republic does not grow the bananas themselves — its role is to market shipments provided by banana farmers outside the country.
Did You Know? - The Banana Republic is also a colony in Ducktales as seen in Allowance Day. It is basically a banana pun version of Cuba.
Bart's Deli [Mach One For The Gipper]
Summary of Area: This isolated waterfront delicatessan, owned and run by a burly male bearded cat furry named Bart (wearing a lime green tank top and a white hat) with white shorts, offers sandwiches, lunch meats, and various other foodstuffs for modest prices. It has become somewhat of an out-of-the-way general store occasionally visited by pilots and sailors. Bart's Deli is best known for its assortment of pickles, particularly Bart's prize-winning gherkins featured during the annual Pickle Hoedown.
The Annual Pickle HoeDown - An event held for the past eight years, the Pickle Hoedown invites backwater pickle farmers and delicatessen owners to come together once each year and celebrate their favorite food. Bart, owner of a ramshackle waterfront store called "Bart's Deli", is particularly well-known for his prize-winning gherkins, which have become a regular favorite at this event.
Bayou Country [The Sound And The Furry]
Summary of Area: A backwater territory filled with bluegrass and toadstools, Bayou Country is inhabited mainly by a handful of settlers and their families. A relatively undisturbed area, Bayou Country has few claims to fame beyond the good-tasting gumbo the locals make. Bayou Country is home to "furries," cute little rodent-like creatures which dwell in trees and in tunnels dug beneath the swamp grass.
Denizens of Bayou Country
Furries: Furries are small rodent-like animals indigenous to the swamplands of Bayou Country. Mischievous and impish, these cuddly creatures love to frolic in the marshes and bluegrass of their home. Furries are usually five inches tall and are covered with short, silky fur all over their bodies, ending in a tuft of colorful hair on their heads. These creatures are skittish and wary of strangers, but are loyal friends once their trust is earned. Similar to rodents, furries live on a diet consisting of grass, roots, and berries. Their favorite delicacy, however, is the large swamp mushroom found only in Bayou Country. The furries’ size conceals a ferocious appetite and they love to feast on these giant toadstools whenever they can. Furries live in a complex network of tunnels beneath the bayou. The soft swamp mud makes excavation a breeze for the industrious furries, who burrow through miles of soil in building their homes. Once complete, the tunnel system rarely requires expansion, except when making room for a new family or constructing a detour around a blocked passageway.
Furries make excellent pets. Their intelligence and inherent cuteness puts them in high demand by pet stores everywhere. Capturing the little beasts is another matter — timid by nature, furries retreat into their underground burrows at the first sign of danger. An act of friendship can win the furries over, but only as long as they’re sure they won’t end up imprisoned in a cage. Furries are sought after for other things besides being simple pets. Several unscrupulous individuals are not above herding the little animals for selfish purposes. Outfitted with electronic collars, furries are commonly dropped into airplanes by dishonest mechanics from backwater locales. A harmonic-vibration remote control signal triggers the collar, delivering the furry an electric shock that causes it to run rampant, disassembling anything in its path. The mechanic casually retrieves the exhausted little creature and then makes a bundle offering his services to the bewildered owner of the broken-down craft. Special attacks include; Frenzy: A mild electrical shock, usually delivered via a collar, can send a furry into a frenzied state, in which the creature quickly and systematically dismantles any mechanical object nearby. Pantomine: Furries' high-pitched babble, a form of communication, is unintelligible to most people. To compensate, a furry may play charades to get a point across.
Notes: Spike, Spanky, Maxine, Homer are the names Charles WildCat gave to them.
Bearmuda Island (Bearmuda Trapezoid) [Bearly Alive]
Summary of Area: The islands of Bearmuda form what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful island chains in the world. Bearmuda — the central island in the region — is an idyllic tropical paradise resplendent with lush foliage and shimmering lagoons. One may only wonder how these lovely islands were ever regarded as one of the most terrifying areas on earth, a land through which pilots refused to travel. Legends abound regarding the Bearmuda Trapezoid, as this island group was commonly named. Over the course of several years, famous aviators such as Amelia Airhead, the Kitty Hawk Kids, and Charles Limburger mysteriously disappeared while flying through this area. The tragic disappearances were at first attributed to disorientation due to the strange thick clouds which surround the area. Superstitious aviators later took this to mean that the Bearmuda Trapezoid was cursed and would swallow up any pilots who flew near it. After twenty years, however, the disappearances were revealed to be the work of eccentric aircraft designer Howard Huge, who was working on his last and most ambitious project, the Titanium Turkey. To ensure his privacy, Huge had installed a giant magnet which could pull planes from the skies over Bearmuda. Imprisoning the pilots, Huge salvaged key components from their planes for use in building the Turkey. Howard Huge is now serving a lengthy prison sentence for his crimes, but the superstitions surrounding the Bearmuda Trapezoid have yet to be dispelled.
Resident Heels/Villains
Howard Huge: a rich but maniacal hippopotamus airplane designer. His name is an obvious pun on famed aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. When Baloo encountered him, he was kidnapping pilots and stripping their planes for parts and materials to build a gigantic flying wing, which he called the "Titanium Turkey". Famed airplane designer Howard Huge was once a pioneer in the aerospace industry. Huge's ingenious designs for passenger and cargo aircraft — coupled with a flair for the unusual — placed him among the top aviation engineers in the world. One of his most notable designs, the Cabin Cruiser 107, gained praise from aviation executives as one of the first passenger planes built with a special emergency escape hatch. Strangely enough, the hatch was concealed underneath one of the passenger seats — one of Huge's quirky personal touches. However, Huge's strange approach to aviation design drew skepticism from leading aerospace design firms. "Weird" became the word to describe Howard Huge's increasingly unconventional airframes, which departed from accepted standards in favor of artistic vision and groundbreaking potential. Eventually he was laughed right out of the airplane business. Ostracized and dejected, Howard Huge left Cape Suzette for parts unknown, but not before vowing that he would someday prove everyone wrong by constructing a plane that would revolutionize air travel. Several years passed, and few wondered or cared about what became of Huge, who had apparently disappeared from the face of the earth.
Over many years a series of mysterious midair disappearances occured near a chain of islands called the Bearmuda Trapezoid. Famous and non-famous aviators alike vanished without a trace while navigating the Trapezoid, spooking many pilots and causing them to regard the area as a deathtrap. No one flew near Bearmuda for nearly two decades, until it was discovered that the long-absent Howard Huge was behind the baffling disappearances. What's more, Huge had used parts from his captives' planes to put the finishing touches on his last and largest pet project — the Titanium Turkey. Rivaling even the Spruce Moose in size, the 250-foot-long, 600-foot-wide Titanium Turkey is regarded by Howard Huge as his greatest masterpiece of aviation design — he proclaims it the "eighth wonder of the world." Built secretly by Huge over the course of twenty years and hidden in a cave on the island of Bearmuda, the Turkey is indeed the most unique aircraft in existence, with the exception of the Air Pirates' infamous Iron Vulture. Strange designs are Howard Huge's trademark and his Titanium Turkey is no exception. A giant flying wing, the Titanium Turkey does not have a traditional center fuselage. Instead, giant twin pontoon floats make up the plane's fuselage, while the leading edge of the upper flight surface contains the cockpit. The rest of the airframe is all wing, dotted with a total of eighteen rear-facing propellor engines which provide the massive thrust needed to drive the plane forward.
To the layman's eye, the Turkey seems like a ridiculous excuse for an airplane. Learned individuals claim that the plane's unusual design breaks about 17 laws of aerodynamic theory. However, in apparent defiance of those laws, the Titanium Turkey manages to fly and fly very well. With its eighteen engines roaring in unison, the Turkey is capable of reaching airspeeds of 300 miles per hour or more! Its extraordinarily large wing surface allows it to fly at high altitudes, although the plane's maximum ceiling has not yet been determined. The main function of the Titanium Turkey is to serve as a passenger transport. Two decks filled with 216 seats each, arranged theater-style, can hold over 400 passengers. Facilities on other decks include escalators, small lounges and recreation areas, first-class compartments, and a kitchen not yet equipped for service. As for safety devices, in preparation for the plane's maiden voyage, Huge intended to attach a smaller plane to the exterior of the Turkey to serve as a lifeboat in case of an emergency. The nerve center of this enormous plane is the cockpit, occupying its own separate deck at the leading edge of the upper wing. A vast array of controls and instruments are spread out before four captain's stations on the bridge deck.
The Titanium Turkey cannot be flown at full efficiency with fewer than four people in the cockpit, although two or even one can manage. The controls are wired to the hydraulic-powered wing surfaces through the plane's electrical system, greatly improving the aircraft's response to the pilot's commands. Repair supplies are available onboard, including tools, backup devices, and extra spools of electrical cable. A ceiling-mounted periscope (another quirky Howard Huge touch) grants the pilot visibility toward the rear and anywhere around the plane at adjustable levels of magnification. No one knows how Huge acquired the manpower and raw material to build the Titanium Turkey. He must have started on the plane shortly after the Great War, when building materials and parts were readily available. This would mean that Huge was working on the aircraft before he retired, secretly funneling supplies toward construction while he himself continued designing for other companies. One thing is known, though: Howard Huge wanted his pet project kept secret at all costs, especially from the aviators who frequently skirted the fringes of the Bearmuda Islands. Therefore on a pinnacle of the central island, Huge constructed a giant electromagnet aimed at the skies over the Bearmuda Trapezoid. On its lowest power setting, the electromagnet could disrupt aircraft communications and jam a plane's instrument readings. On full power, the magnet was strong enough to snatch a cargo plane from 10,000 feet and reel it in under the power of its magnetic grip. Anyone unlucky enough to stumble upon Huge's work would be captured, thus ensuring the secrecy of his project.
Using this device, Huge captured several planes and pilots — including legendary pioneers Amelia Airhead, the "Kitty Hawk Kids" Wilbur and Orville, and Charles Limburger. Hiring some goons as guards and workers, Huge imprisoned the pilots and salvaged key components from their planes to use in building the Titanium Turkey. As he had hoped, news of the disappearances caused pilots to fear the Bearmuda Trapezoid, guaranteeing Huge's privacy. Meanwhile, these four famous aviators (as well as a little-known flyer by the name of Oscar Wiggerstomper) remained Huge's prisoners for years. Howard Huge's last capture was the Sea Duck, from which he needed Baloo's ultra-accurate Googleshlocker gyro-compass as the finishing touch to his masterpiece. Fortunately, Rebecca, Kit, and Wildcat discovered Huge's plot while searching for Baloo. Freeing Baloo and the captives, they managed to steal the Titanium Turkey and fly it all the way back to Cape Suzette. The Air Police later arrived at Bearmuda, arresting the plane's renegade designer. The famous aviators have been reunited with their families, and Howard Huge currently serves a long-term prison sentence. As for the Titanium Turkey, the city's Aviation Board voted against dismantling the plane. Instead it has been tucked away in a corner of Cape Suzette harbor, waiting to be added to the Museum of Aviation's collection. He is voiced by Charles Adler. He is briefly mentioned in My Fair Baloo in creating the Spruce Moose; another absurd air craft which is used for the rich to have parties.
Howard Huge's Prisoners
Amelia Airhead - A hen furry ace pilot who flew around the world before going missing and was the prisoner of Howard Huge. Not to be confused with Amelia Bearheart (mentioned in Bygones) who may or may not be inspired by Amelia Airhead.
The Kittyhawk Kids -
Oscar Wiggerstomper - An armadillo pilot who is spy and is remembered for doing absolutely nothing of note except being kidnapped by Howard Huge. He also tries to get a job at Higher For Hire after being rescued. Voiced by S. Scott Bullock.
Bedevilled Island [Gruel & Unusual Punishment]
Summary of Area: This seemingly peaceful jungle island, situated in a remote tropical region only a few hundred miles from the Elizabeth Tapir Center, is home to one of Thembria's most dreaded maximum-security prison camps. "Bedevilled Island", as it is known, stands as one of the few Thembrian colonies to exist outside the borders of official Thembrian airspace. Thembria's worst prisoners are sent to Bedevilled Island, where they spend their lengthy prison sentences doing hard labor in a sweltering tropical climate. The island's main prison complex resides in a small clearing surrounded by a dense jungle. Tall wooden fences, with guard posts mounted along the camp's perimeter, encompass a random collection of thatched huts, barracks, and ramshackle buildings patrolled by armed Thembrian soldiers. The camp commander, Colonel Slammer, governs the prisoners with unyielding authority, showing no mercy to those who disobey his stringent rules. Work details and hard labor exercises are held daily, as well as forced marches along paths through the jungle. The prisoners at Bedevilled Island face a rather bleak existence, working long hours and living on meager food. Insubordination usually results in extensions of one's prison term, or a few hours in the "hot box" as punishment. Several prisoners have tried to escape and failed; to date, only one successful escape has ever been made from Bedevilled Island.
Did You Know? - Gruel & Unusual Punishment's original episode title was Bedevilled Eggheads and was a two parter.
Points of Interest
[1.] Hot Box - As if the searing heat of the tropics wasn't punishment enough for condemned Thembrians acclimated to the frosty chill of their homeland, Colonel Slammer's hot boxes make isolation periods for rebellious prisoners positively unbearable. These solar ovens use the sunshine to send temperatures inside soaring to a thermometer-popping 200 degrees Fahrenheit (according to Slammer's brags), putting the occupant on the fast track to sweating away those extra stubborn pounds.
[2.] Main Office - A fenced hut in the corner of the compound next to the guard barracks is home and office to Colonel Slammer, the warden of Bedevilled Island Maximum Security Prison. Viewing his headship over the prison as an honour, Colonel Slammer has made the island his domain, even importing a cushy touring car (built during the Thembrian motor shortage) to carry him on excursions into the jungle. Inside his office, Slammer keeps file cabinets filled with documents on each prisoner. The two guards posted on day long watch outside the front door presumably keep inmates out; not that any want to be in, where reprimanded convicts are put to work pedalling a stationary bike that powers the ceiling fan over Colonel Slammer's desk.
[3.] Mess Hall - The old adage that says "An army travels on its stomach" also applies to prisons. The number of mouths to feed, including Thembrian guards as well as condemned men, explains why base planners made the mess hall the largest structure in the compound. Prisoners and soldiers alike share meals under the same roof, a commonality never experienced back in the social system of the Thembrian state (but nothing that makes for interesting table conversation, given the circumstances.) Like other buildings in camp, the mess hall was made from materials at hand on the island: wood, bamboo, and rocks. Seasonal rains have opened gaping holes in the canvas roof that provides welcome shade to those below. Long tables and benches sit in rows upon the packed-dirt floor; up to six prisoners can share one table, three on either side. Though free to choose their own seats and mingle, most inmates eat their meals in silence, as do the guards among them. All daily meals usually feature steaming hot bowls of gruel, a staple of Thembrian diets, as the soup du jour. However, when supplies run low, the prison staff keep the gruel and leave prisoners only the steam! (And sometimes cold steam, at that.) Many would consider this cruel and unusual punishment, but most Thembrian prisoners regret only that they aren't allowed a second helping.
[4.] Rock Pile - The closest thing to an exercise yard in the Bedevilled Island camp is the rock pile, a place where Colonel Slammer puts inmates for an afternoon's diversion. Like the jungle marches and regular work details, breaking down boulders keeps prisoners active and engaged in something other than planning a jailbreak or a revolt. No one knows where these rocks came from, and no one knows where they should go, but pulverizing every last one with a sledgehammer is an exercise in futility. The largest stones, impervious to harm, will remain in the prison longer than the prisoners will.
[5.] Shooting Range - When an inmate constantly refuses to obey orders, commits a number of grievous offences above his sentenced crimes while incarcerated, or persistently violates Colonel Slammer's rules for prison conduct, there can be only one recourse. Summary execution suits the colonel's ruthless style, as long as there's ammo to spare and the prisoner is a proven troublemaker. Ever in keeping with Thembrian thoroughness, the firing squad uses cannons; after all, it's against the rules for prisoners not to die at their own execution.
Denizens/Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Colonel Slammer - . Voiced by the late Alan Melvin.
[2.] Professor Krackpotkin - . Voiced by John Stephenson.
BoomStone Mining Settlement [Citizen Khan/Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: A desolate town situated in the middle of scorching badlands, the desert settlement of Boomstone is now one of the most valuable mining communities in existence. Owned by Khan Industries, Boomstone is the sole supplier of urgonium, an unusual mineral with highly explosive properties. Boomstone was acquired by Khan Industries for its silver mine, located just outside of town. Sheriff Gomer Cleghorn and his deputy Wendell, Boomstone locals, were originally put in charge of overseeing the mining operation for Khan, with monthly reports to be sent out by assistant Clementine Clevenger. However, with Khan so far removed from activities in Boomstone, Sheriff Gomer took complete control of the settlement. Anyone who happened to pass through the area was arrested by the sheriff on some trumped-up charge, then sentenced to work in the silver mine. Eventually the silver ran out and Khan Industries had just about given up on the operation. That's when the miners discovered a vein of urgonium, at which point Sheriff Gomer began 'losing' Miss Clevenger's reports. He and Wendell schemed to steal as much of the precious mineral as possible — with Khan not being the wiser — and sell it to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for Gomer and Wendell, their plot was exposed to Shere Khan, and the two now work as miners under new mining foreman Miss Clevenger. Boomstone itself is nothing more than a ramshackle collection of buildings along a dusty dirt road. The only way in or out of Boomstone is by plane, thus restricting the area from most outside visitors. Large portraits of Shere Khan can be found everywhere in town, an imposing reminder of who really runs the operation.
Points of Interest
[1.] Boomstone Courthouse/Jail: The seat of town administration in Boomstone is the courthouse, located squarely in the middle of the settlement. The cracked paint and peeling plaster indicate that the court has seen better days since the town's founding. When Khan Enterprises acquired Boomstone, the courthouse became the headquarters for Khan's mining employees — Gomer, the mine foreman, later turned the courthouse into the center for "official justice," where he could play sheriff and judge at the miners' expense.
[2.] Boomstone Hotel: If the Boomstone Hotel ever did good business in the frontier days, no one could tell by looking at the tenement that faces the town's watch tower. The hotel provides lodging for Boomstone's only permanent residents, the crew that supervises Khan's mining interests. Hot during the daytime and drafty at night, the hotel has no hired staff but is a better place for visitors to stay than the town jail. Abutting the building is a small tool shop with a gas pump out front to refuel the Bronco patrol planes, and a water trough out back that's kept filled even though there are no horses. Since becoming forelady of the Boomstone operation, Clementine Clevenger has reformed the hotel into a meeting place for her embroidery club, made up of the wives of new miners.
[3.] Red Eye Saloon: At the end of the boardwalk sits the "Red Eye" Saloon, the only bright spot in Boomstone. Whatever its history was in the days of cowboys and Indians, the present Red Eye captures the charm of that early, exciting time in details like the indoor lanterns and the hitching posts outside. The townsfolk have kept up the place nicely over the years; today's inhabitants use the saloon for eating, entertainment, and informal meetings about Shere Khan's mine operation. No saloonkeeper works at the Red Eye, but a handful of locals keep the pantry filled and the dishes clean. Food stocks include hardy vegetables, preserves, fresh game, and assorted canned goods, which can be whipped up into a small banquet when important visitors are in town on business. Rustic touches include vintage bottles lining the bar shelves, a couple of paintings, and a steer's skull mounted over the cash register. For recreation, guests can take a cue and shoot some pool at a billiard table in back.
[4.] Boomstone Mine: The true heart of Boomstone is the mine complex just outside town. Decades ago, prospectors tapped a vein of silver ore and followed it straight into the hillside, laying support beams and track as they dug. Khan Industries bought the mine years later and hired itinerant workers to operate mining machines that tunneled deeper in search of precious metal. When the silver ran out, so did Khan's interest in the Boomstone operation. However, the miners soon struck a new kind of ore — explosive urgonium — which wrecked their mining drills and led greedy mine foreman Gomer to enslave his own crew. The entrance tunnel expands into a large chamber, the hub wherefrom a number of mine shafts branch out in pursuit of mineral deposits. Kerosene lamps illuminate the rough-hewn mine walls and the wreckage of ore excavators strewn about the mine floor — a reminder that urgonium can only be removed by hand, with extreme care. Those in charge seldom lock the iron gate at the mouth of the mine after a day's work, knowing that no one can get into or out of Boomstone except by plane.
[5.] Telephone Booth: The sombrero-shaped adobe hut next to the watch tower holds the public phone, Boomstone's link to the outside world. Sheriff Gomer listed the telephone out of order for weeks following the discovery of urgonium, to prevent Ms. Clevenger from reporting to Khan Tower in Cape Suzette
Resident Villains/Heels
Gomer Klegghorn - A not-too attractive hog wearing a small-town Western frontier sheriff outfit with an abrasive voice who's actually a mine foreman in Boomstone working for Khan Enterprises, withholding information from Khan on the explosive urgonium. With his less-than-smart cohort and deputy Wendell, he forces any passersby to work in the mines on trumped-up charges and even imprisons them. Baloo, Kit and Wildcat manage to stop Cleghorn and Wendell in an exciting mid-air chase involving rotten kumquats that gum up their getaway planes. They're later charged and ironically sentenced to work in the very same mine they held their former captives in. Voiced by David Doyle.
Deputy Wendell - Giomer's coyote officer sidekick who seems to always screw up and get burned by Gomer's attempts to kill "Shere Khan" (Wildcat). Voiced by Frank Welker.
Denizens of Boomstone
Clementine Clemenger - A tall, smart, earthy and attractive blonde feline dressed up in Western clothing with an American Southern accent, she's the unwitting secretary/court reporter/Girl Friday of the corrupt and self-appointed Sheriff Gomer Cleghorn in the small, Western frontier-type mining town of Boomstone (read Tombstone, Arizona) owned by Khan Industries that the Higher for Hire crew of Baloo, Kit and Wildcat are forcibly landed by the unscrupulous sheriff and his dim-witted minion deputy, Wendell. Fed up with the corruption of Cleghorn for hijacking and kidnapping people to mine for the highly volatile and yet-to-be valuable substance urgonium and hording it from Khan, she (and the others) mistakes Wildcat for the corporate magnate after an explosion soots his face with tiger-like markings that makes him look like Khan (and decides to impersonate after Baloo convinces him to in order to leave), whom she has a deep admiration for. When the kidnapped "miners" hold Wildcat hostage to leave the mine, she sneaks off to phone Khan's international headquarters in Cape Suzette where she unknowingly speaks to the real Shere Khan about the situation, when she gets cut-off by a passing-by Cleghorn who locks her up in her boarding room and Khan decides to investigate his own "kidnapping". After a daring escape and rescuing Baloo and Kit from Cleghorn's jail cell, she leads them to the mine where the sheriff and deputy blow-up the entrance and decide to make their getaway just as Khan arrives by his private plane to find out what's going on. In the aftermath of catching the crooked lawmen and meeting the distant CEO, she becomes the new foreman of the urgonium mine. She appreciates Wildcat's gentleness, innocent sincerity and mechanical genius, with him having mutual feelings for her as well (calling her "Clemmie"); they both fall in love. Also appears in Sheepskin Deep as a cameo. Voiced by Kath Soucie.
Miners -These miners work against their will for the mine when Gomer took over. When Wildcat appears to them as Shere Khan; they hold Wildcat hostage for their freedom. They now work for Clementine Clemenger who took over as the mine as the foreman. The giraffe miner is voiced by Ronald Feinberg; but the mole and dog miners are unknown at this time.
Bulgaria/Hysteria/Malaria [Mentioned in Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: Located between the neighbouring countries of Bulgaria and Malaria, the country of Hysteria was originally a territory over which the two nations fought in one of the pettiest struggles of the Great War. Years of senseless fighting took their toll on both the people and the countryside, until the Great War armistice forced the feuding nations into a truce. Out of that truce was born a third country, occupied by people from both Malaria and Bulgaria — and appropriately named "Hysteria."
Did You Know? - Bulgaria is one of the few countries in TaleSpin that exists in the real world in some form. It is in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered with Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by parasitic protozoans (a type of unicellular microorganism) of the genus Plasmodium. Commonly, the disease is transmitted via a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito, which introduces the organisms from its saliva into a person's circulatory system. In the blood, the protists travel to the liver to mature and reproduce. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever and headache, which in severe cases can progress to coma or death. The disease is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions in a broad band around the equator, including much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Bulldoon [??]
Summary of Area: A notable battle of the Great War was held near the territory of Bulldoon, with then-commander Ivanod Spigot somehow gaining a decisive victory for Thembrian forces. With this victory, Spigot earned for himself the title "Beast of the Battle of Bulldoon."
Note: The Cape Suzette entry here is a hyper link to said page. Click on the large underlined red Cape Suzette entry to proceed.
Cardi's [Mach One For The Gipper]
Summary of Area: Wedged between two spire-like mountains, the island port of Cardi's is a popular way point for pilots along the Usland shipping lanes. A rickety landing ramp — which makes landings hazardous — leads to a small airfield nestled between the twin mountains of the island. Giant warehouses along the airstrip store cargo crates for pickup and delivery, making Cardi's a critical transfer point along many trade routes.
Points of Interest
[1.] Sally's Alley - Hotshot flyers visiting Cardi's can park their planes on the tarmac and cool their heels in the diner called Sally's Alley. Sally's best customers are pilots, who are welcome to sit back and enjoy a cold milkshake with a slice of Sally's mouth-watering cherry pie, or swap tall tales over a friendly game of pool. Framed photographs and posters commemorate important moments in aviation history, while the clocks on the back wall mark the minutes passing in standard time zones. Test pilot Ace London drew crowds of adoring fans to Sally's Alley during regular stopovers at the height of his career.
[2.] Warehouse - The main warehouse, typical of mass-storage facilities set up at limited-service airstrips, holds every piece of cargo brought into Cardi's. Freight deliveries from airplane motors to canned goods can be deposited in Cardi's warehouse until air crews come along to claim them. Port management likes to keep cargo moving so the place don't get overstocked, and recommends that customers keep track of which shipment is theirs.
Carl's Bear Caverns [Polly Wants a Treasure]
Summary of Area: A vast series of caves within a mountain located in Tucker Forest, Carl's Bear Caverns was once the place where Captain Juan Tumannie — a sea pirate of the Great War days — hid his incredible million-dollar fortune. A person who never trusted maps, Captain Tumannie entrusted the fortune to his parrot Ignatius (Ignatz for short), who memorized the treasure's exact location and essentially became a living, breathing treasure map. Known to hate intruders, Tumannie installed countless boobytraps within Carl's Bear Caverns, most of them concentrated around the spot where the treasure was hidden. Falling stalactites and collapsing floors paled in comparison to Juan Tumannie's big trap, designed as a final measure against trespassers. Unfortunately, while searching for the treasure with Don Karnage on their heels, Baloo, Kit, and Ignatz accidentally tripped the big trap, setting off a chain reaction of earthquakes which completely levelled Carl's Bear Caverns — and with it the million-dollar fortune. Ignatz the parrot, meanwhile, has come away from the disaster with a lucrative job at the Cape Suzette Museum of History, recounting Captain Juan Tumannie's fabulous exploits to crowds of museum-goers.
[1.] Tucker Forest - Located not far from Cape Suzette, Tucker Forest is a densely wooded area adjacent to Carl's Bear Caverns, the location of pirate captain Juan Tumannie's golden treasure. Tall pine trees and lush undergrowth make Tucker Forest a beautiful spot during the day, but dismal and almost spooky after nightfall.
Carnuvia [Citizen Khan]
Summary of Area: A tropical region known for its agricultural industries, Carnuvia is the chief producer of Carnuvian kumquats, a delicious and highly valuable brand of fruit. Produce markets pay top dollar for large shipments of Carnuvian kumquats — and for fast delivery as well, since Carnuvian kumquats will spoil quickly unless properly stored and transported.
Castle Von Bruinwald/Bearvaria [The Balooest of the Blue Bloods]
Summary of Area: This palatial estate, located outside of Cape Suzette is the ancestral home of the illustrious Von Bruinwald baronage. Containing 650 rooms, Castle Von Bruinwald is one of the world's largest surviving castles. Due to three centuries of unpaid back taxes, however, the castle has been repossessed by the law firm of Featheridge, Featheridge, and Nowinski. Castle Von Bruinwald is an incredibly vast structure, containing countless dining rooms and guest rooms, many master bedrooms, several bathrooms, a library, an indoor swimming pool, and a basement kitchen. Most of the outlying areas of the castle have not been tended to in years, due to the enormous size of the estate and the confusing layout of the castle's hallways. Furthermore, dozens of deadly booby traps have been installed in the castle, as part of the housekeepers' attempts over the years to exterminate the Von Bruinwald line. Bearvaria is part of the old country in TaleSpin; known for it's baked cupcakes.
Did You Know? - Bearvaria is a play on Bavaria; which is the largest state in Germany (Since TaleSpin was created in 1990; it would have been West Germany from May 1949- October 1990) and known for it's royalty in dukes and kings.
The Baron of Von Bruinwald Line
Astonishing as it may seem, Baloo is actually distantly related to royalty — namely, the prestigious Von Bruinwald baronage. Considered the "bluest of blue bloods," the Von Bruinwald line lasted for nearly 300 years and consisted of no less than twelve barons, each of which bore a striking resemblance to Baloo himself. Valued at $500 million, the Von Bruinwald estate was indeed one of the wealthiest in history. However, legend held that there was a mysterious curse upon the Von Bruinwalds, a curse responsible for the untimely (and most unusual) demises of all twelve barons. While only five of the barons' demises were officially explained by Hans in the show (shown as highlighted in yellow) ; there is evidence to point out the other seven barons' demises:
Baron #1: Killed when a warthog teared his heart out when served on a platter. Baron #2: Killed in the swimming pool by a shark. Baron #3: Killed when he was set on fire by a flaming chocolate bear. Baron #4: Killed when he was shocked to death by an electric eel in the soup he ate. Baron #5: Killed when sliced by the SLICER OF DEATH in the icebox. Baron #6: Killed when someone (probably Helga; knowing her) placed a pad of butter on the parapet of the castle and he fell to the ground. Baron #7: Killed when sliced in half by a swinging sickle on the stairs. Baron #8: Killed by a falling chandelier in the dining room. Baron #9: Killed when a cupcake was poisoned and choked on his own blood. Baron #10: Killed by flying knives and international objects and fell into a trap door to the moat. Baron #11: Killed by a room filled with golden cupid statues shooting real golden arrows. Baron #12: Killed when he was tied against a roasting sheet in the FIREPIT FROM HELL.
Since Baloo was related indirectly to the Von Bruinwald lineage, it took some time for financial representative Austin Featheridge — of the "Featheridge, Featheridge, and Nowinski" law firm — to track him down. Proclaimed to be the long-lost 13th Baron of Bruinwald, Baloo was whisked away to Castle Von Bruinwald to enjoy his new lifestyle. Before long, however, the mysterious "Von Bruinwald curse" began plaguing Baloo as well. A little amateur sleuthing by Baloo and Rebecca revealed that the twelve barons had actually been done in by their housekeepers, who made each demise appear to have been a peculiar accident. This grisly task had been passed down from generation to generation of housekeepers, and with no successor to the Von Bruinwald line after Baloo, the inheritance would ultimately revert to the current butler and maid, Hans and Helga! Surviving numerous attempts on their life, Baloo and Rebecca called in police to apprehend the two housekeepers. Unfortunately, there was yet a curse on the Von Bruinwalds — 300 years' worth of unpaid back taxes — which forced Mr. Featheridge to repossess the entire estate, ending Baloo's brief tenure as a Baron of Bruinwald. It is believed that the 13th Baron "died" by being taxed to death.
Points of Interest
[1.] Castle Entrance & Interior - The Von Bruinwald manor, past its three hundredth anniversary, serves as a prime example of the late-baroque architecture which was the highlight of Usland's colonial period. Designers of the day blended old-world sensibility and imported materials with stone and lumber procured fresh from the hinterlands. The result greatly pleased the head of the Von Bruinwald family, newly appointed as First Baron of his house. Generations after the castle's housewarming, the Von Bruinwald estate has become renowned as the last of its kind. A tour of Castle Von Bruinwald begins at the entrance, elevated from ground level. The sizable main doors form a pointed arch, a design motif copied throughout the castle's interior. Walking through Castle Von Bruinwald is like turning back the pages of history. The more "modern" portions of the castle feature embroidered rugs and marble floors, while the majority of rooms on the lower floor retain bare stone surfaces punctuated by tapestries and paintings. Pillars, archways, and high ceilings predominate the architectural scheme. Visitors should bring a candlestick or flashlight along when venturing deep into areas not equipped with electric lighting, where suits of armour stand like grave sentinels in halls adorned with the Von Bruinwald coat-of-arms. Early considerations for turning the castle into a museum must be put off until all 650 rooms are examined; there may yet be secrets hidden in some undisturbed recess of the manor.
[2.] Courtyard - The expanse of the estate's front lawn perfectly complements the towering Castle Von Bruinwald. From the stairway leading up to the castle doors, one may enjoy a breathtaking green vista surrounding the paved circuit of the driveway. The estate gardeners take special pride in their cuttings, keeping hedges and shrubbery looking like geometrically-perfect works of art. Three water fountains, topped by statues of bears strumming harps, show the only evidence of the irrigation system that keeps the castle grounds and its plants well-watered. The trimmed arches and hedge walls on either side of the main path make a splendid setting for an afternoon game of hide-and-seek.
[3.] Cupid Room - Red satin sheets, heart-shaped marks on the bed frame and curtains, and a host of baby-faced gold statues with bows and arrows — these elements are what prompted guests to affectionately name this the "Cupid Room." Decorators may have gone overboard when they assembled this posh suite, across the hall from the master bedroom, that is presumed to be kept for female guests or married couples. The innocent faces of the little cherubic archers mask their true sinister purpose, as arrow-shooting weapons placed by murderous housekeepers — it is thought that at least one Bruinwald Baron got the point.
[4.] Dining Room - The main banquet hall of Castle Von Bruinwald conjures the image of a throne room, if not a grand ballroom (found elsewhere). The dining room sports a domed ceiling supported by a ring of pillars and buttresses, with openings wherein axe-bearing stone sculptures stand. A beautiful crystal chandelier hangs over a long table that can seat between two and twenty people. The castle menu featured whatever the Baron might like, along with family favorites such as wild boar (cooked rare, as all the Von Bruinwalds liked their meat; according to Helga), Bavarian cupcakes, and carved chocolate ala flambé.
[5.] Front Gate - An elaborately gilded double gate separates Castle Von Bruinwald's courtyard driveway from the twisty forest road leading off from the estate. Mounted on remote-controlled hinges, the gate can be opened and shut from the castle, eliminating the need for a posted guard. As an extra security feature, the gate can be electrified simply by throwing a switch at the castle's base. The powerful current runs through both sides of the gate, keeping intruders in as easily as it keeps them out.
[6.] Hall of Barons - The Hall of Barons is a musty shrine to the prestigious Von Bruinwald baronage. Unlit and unvisited for long periods of time, the gallery illustrates the lives of the twelve barons through a collection of portraits and keepsakes, dating back to the First Baron. The subjects of the portraits are typically showcased in their finest clothes, decked out with jewelry, medals of honour, and other regalia. Accompanying paintings show the barons engaged in a favorite pastime or pursuit, giving the sense of what life must have been like among the aristocracy. In the flicker of candlelight, the faces are eerily lifelike; one might swear the painted figures are watching him.
[7.] Kitchen - Down a path of dank steps is the castle cellar, deep within the very foundations of the house. Herein lies the kitchen, where the servants prepare meals for the Baron and for themselves. Kitchen furnishings include shelves of dishes, cutlery, and utensils; a suspended rack holding assorted kitchenware; full-service oven; pantries stuffed with baking items in bulk; and a deluxe icebox/ refrigerator. The Von Bruinwalds' appetites kept the kitchen staff hopping to fix meals, which a dumbwaiter conveyed to the upper floor for serving. Knowing the Barons' weakness for midnight snacks, treacherous housekeepers through the years rigged the cellar with booby traps all the way to the basement steps. The kitchen proper contains not only a rotating wall section, but also a hidden guillotine in the fridge, a flame thrower in the stove, flying kitchen paraphernalia, and a furnace pit concealed under a trapdoor in the floor.
[8.] Master Bedroom - None of Castle Von Bruinwald's guest rooms compare to the master bedroom in size and comfort. Richly decorated and furnished for a king, the Barons' quarters provided ample amenities, such as a four-poster bed with fine linen sheets and bookshelves holding classic volumes for after-hours reading. A telephone on the nightstand, the newest convenience, permitted the latter Baron to make calls from the privacy of his own bedroom. An arsenal of door locks were meant to keep out the so-called Von Bruinwald family curse, but all they did is confine the Baron to the dangers in his own room, like a candle holder that turns into a flame thrower. The bookcase also rotates to reveal secret passages, which evil servants skulked around in to place their own curse on the Von Bruinwalds.
[9.] Swimming Pool - Every modern home has a bathtub, but very few have one the size of a swimming pool! The castle's private bath doubles as the Baron's own indoor water park, the centre piece of the castle's recreation rooms. One might take a spin around the soap suds in a small paddle boat — being ever watchful for sharks, even though they haven't been sighted in this part of Castle Von Bruinwald since the Second Baron.
Resident Villains/Heels
Hans and Helga - The homicidal servants of the von Bruinwald Castle in Bearvaria (read Bavaria) who live to serve and kill the von Bruinwald family in order to gain their inheritance from it when Baloo becomes the latest Baron to hold the title. The badger butler Hans provides everything from placing a shark into the pool and spooking him with a family curse to make him paranoid; while the shrew housekeeper Helga dishes out poisonous meals to serve the pilot. They then go on a rampage to finish him and his house guests off. They finally are stopped after Baloo fakes his own death with Rebecca's help, tipping off the local authorities just as the von Bruinwald family lawyer tells him they're foreclosing the castle and confiscating the fortune due to centuries of unpaid taxes. Hans is voiced by the late Stan Jones; while Helga is voiced by the late Joan Gerber.
Cosar's Lodge [Paradise Lost]
Summary of Area: An upper-class resort, the distinguished Cosar Lodge is home to several international clubs for hunters and trappers. Explorers and professional big-game hunters the world over commonly gather there to plan group expeditions and safaris. Members of the Cosar Lodge clubs are known to pay enormous amounts to participate in rare hunting opportunities, but don't take kindly to people leading them on expensive "snipe hunts."
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] O'Roarke - An obnoxious, raspy-voiced bull who tricks Baloo and Wildcat into taking him to a mysterious land of dinosaurs that come alive with the aid of a magical waterfall, presumably to start a touring business, however his motives are considerably darker than what he leads the others to believe. After his plans are foiled, Baloo and Wildcat shut off the waterfall that hides the valley forever, but due to the mechanic's good nature and wonder over the prehistoric creatures, he secretly allows the waterfall to open up and allows the dinosaurs to live in peace. Voiced by Jim Cummings.
Crabtown [Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: Just a stone's throw from Bambezi, the village of Crabtown is a major importer of various types of seafood crustaceans, from crabs to lobsters. Crabtown importers typically order crates of crabs flown in by the planeful, an assignment most pilots would rather pass up.
Dead End Cave [Captains Outrageous]
Summary of Area: The tunnel known as "Dead-End Cave" lies within the largest of a series of islands about fifteen miles south of Louie's Place. This treacherous cavern, snaking along underneath the island's surface, is so named because it has no end — other than a hideous giant skull hewn out of the rock wall. No one knows who carved this nightmarish visage; it is possible that ancient pirates once used Dead-End Cave as their lair.
Dinswipe [??]
Summary of Area: In a daring skirmish near this outlying territory during the Great War, then-commander Ivanod Spigot achieved another victory for the Thembrian motherland — adding "Death-Dealing Demon of Dinswipe" to his list of titles.
Elizabeth Tapir Centre [Gruel & Unusual Punishment]
Summary of Area: Founded by the famous Starrywood actress of the same name, the renowned Elizabeth Tapir Center is a weight-loss clinic "where the big stars go when they get too big." Located on a remote tropical island several hundred miles from Cape Suzette, this prestigious "fat farm" is known for having the strictest weight-loss counsellors around, as well as exhaustive (and exhausting) diet and fitness programs. Movie-star members and aggressive advertising have contributed to the clinic's astounding success.
Fermosa Mountains [Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: Situated in a desolate frozen territory, the Formosa Mountains form the most treacherous mountain chain on earth. Howling winds and snowstorms batter the craggy peaks of the Formosa range. At higher altitudes, though, the dark clouds give way to calm winds and sunny skies.
[1.] Mount Neverest - A formidable peak 2,000 feet in height, is located within the heart of the Formosa Mountains. Atop Mount Neverest grows a rare species of arctic kumquat tree — little-known to the outside world, as the plants are all but completely covered by the snow which rapidly accumulates in that area.
Did You Know? - Fermosa is the last name of Rahel la Fermosa (Ladino for "Rachel the Beautiful"; originally Rahel Esra; c. 1165, Toledo – 1195, Toledo) was a Jewish woman who lived in Toledo, Spain in the twelfth century. She was the paramour of King Alfonso VIII of Castile, husband of Leonora of England, for almost seven years. Under her influence a number of Spanish Jews were appointed to positions within the royal court. This led to discontent among the clergy and nobility. Rahel's enemies had her murdered, together with those of her coreligionists in the court, in the presence of the king himself. This love-story, which had been relegated to the realm of fable by the Marquis de Mondejar (Memorias Historicas, xxiii. 67 et seq.) and other Spanish literary historians, is related as a fact by Alfonso X, grandson of Alfonso VIII, and by the latter's son Sancho IV. In the proper context; Fermosa Mountains means "The Beautiful Mountains". Mount Neverest is a play on Mount Everest which is the highest mountain in the real world. It's unknown if Mount Neverest is the highest mountain in the TaleSpin; but it is believed to be nowhere near as high as the real thing as it is at least 27,000 feet shorter than the real thing.
Grafia [For Whom The Bell Klangs]
Summary of Area: Located near the site of the lost city of Tinabula, Grafia is one of the largest cities in that desert area. Established several years ago as a small colony in the region near Tinabula, Grafia has since grown into a prosperous, thriving community. Grafia bases its economy primarily on guilders, an old-world currency which finds widespread use among many of Grafia's citizens. Clubs and dance halls spread throughout Grafia contribute to the city's active night life. Archeologists and adventurers visit Ghafia on a regular basis, using it as a base of operations for conducting their desert explorations. Several of their discoveries have been donated to the Grafia museum, including the three legendary Golden Bells of Tinabula, recovered by archaeologist Katherine (Katie) Dodd after five years of searching. These priceless artifacts were last used by Thadeous E. Klang — mysterious "finder of lost antiquities" — to resurrect the lost city of Tinabula, so he could use the city's terrible golden weapon to demand a one-million-guilder ransom of Grafia.
Points of Interest
[1.] Casbah Club - After a evening of dancing, a couple out on the town can share an intimate dinner at the Casbah Club, one of the city's more notable restaurants. Though short on style compared to the jazzy, flashy ardour of the Ritz Cafe, the Casbah Club caters to dating pairs partaking in Grafia's night life. Despite similarities in name and region, this place is very far removed from the humble "Casbah Cafe" located in Aridia.
[2.] Grafia Motel - Travellers new to the city of Grafia can find inexpensive lodging at the Grafia Motel. Situated just off the beaten track to Grafia's bustling entertainment district, the motel does brisk business renting rooms to wayfaring explorers, foreign visitors, and other transients. Some of the town's newly-adopted locals have settled in here — archaeologist Katie Dodd, for instance, owns an apartment on the top floor. Guests will find their accomodations comfortable, if sparse: a bed (or two, if the room is shared), a small sofa, table and chairs, dresser, full-length mirror, coat rack, and closet. Rooms on the upmost floor have open-air skylights; lodgers would do well to secure their valuables for protection against Grafia's baser elements.
[3.] Grafia Police Headquarters - The Grafia police station is home to the town's constabulary, an armed police force organized like a military unit (a distinct throwback to the age in which Ghafia was first colonized). The town constables do a fine job of maintaining law and order in the city; they are overseen by a staff sergeant who reports to the chief of police himself. The Ghafia P.D. owns a small force of light tanks as police vehicles, but the town is far from being under martial law — the tanks are dispatched into the desert only to deal with threats such as nomad uprisings.
[4.] Ritz Cafe - Neon sign blazing into the streets of Grafia's downtown, the Ritz Cafe shines as the premier hot spot in the desert city. Of all the swing joints and all the nightclubs in all of town, nothing compares to the Ritz's sophisticated evening scene, a mixture of sparkle and sublime. A place this classy allows visitors by reservation only; wander in without calling ahead and you might make the acquaintance of Brutus, the club bouncer. Once a modest cover charge is paid, an evening of food, drink, and socializing awaits among Grafia's nocturnal inhabitants. (Formal wear is suggested.)
Denizens of Grafia
[1.] Katie Dodd - A vixen archaeologist who discovered the lost city of Tinabula in the desert nation of Grafia. This tall, feisty and voluptuous redhead has as much attitude as she does in looks and intelligence; prone to stand-offish behavior and not afraid to tell any man to go jump in a lake. However, this did not stop Baloo and Louie from showing off for her in a futile attempt to compete for her attentions. Voiced by Ellen Gerstell.
[2.] Grafia Sergeant - Member of the Grafia police force. Has a black mustache, bear with a pinkish nose. He wears an all white suit with golden trim and a brown bobby hat. Voiced by Henry Polic II (misnamed Henry Polic III in the credits).
[3.] Grafia Police Chief - Top enforcer of the Grafia police force. A dog furry with a blue bobby hat on; along with a grey coat, blue sweater and blue pants. His voice is unknown at this time; he might be voiced by Jack Angel.
[4.] Ritz Cafe Usher - Hippo Maitre D'Hotel (head waiter in French) of the Ritz Cafe. If you don't have reservations; he'll sic his Gorilla bouncer Brutis on you and have you ejected from the building. The usher is voiced by Jack Angel; while Brutis the gorilla bouncer is voiced by Frank Welker.
[5.] Harem Dancer - A female cat in harem gear wanting to sell a map and information to a great treasure to Baloo and Louie at the end of the two parter. Baloo and Louie refuse and slam the map into her. Voiced by Susan Silo.
Heralda Riviera [Feminine Air]
Summary of Area: The "place of timeless sand," the Heralda Riviera is a deserted atoll located out in the middle of the ocean, relatively far away from most shipping lanes. The reason why the island remains deserted is that quicksand covers almost two-thirds of the beach. Naturally, this makes landing and exploration extremely dangerous and accounts for the Heralda Riviera's complete lack of inhabitants.
Did You Know? - The name is a parody of Geraldo Rivera who is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and talk show host. Rivera hosts the newsmagazine program Geraldo at Large and appears regularly on Fox News Channel. He is also well known from his history as a reporter and TV personality, and as the host of the talk show Geraldo from 1987 to 1998.
Hanger Sale [Polly Wants a Treasure]
Summary of Area: An airfield located outside of Cape Suzette which is situation on top of a steep mountain; with it's own airstrip. It is considered by some as the world's highest pawn shop.
[1.] Goose Junk Salesman - A male goose furry who wears a brown trench coat, a blue shirt (with yellow flower splash design) and a light brown hat. He was assaulted by Mad Dog and Dumptruck who demanded to know where a parrot was; before informing them that it was in the Sea Duck which just left before Mad Dog and Dumptruck arrived. Voiced by Jim Cummings.
Hyena's Port [A Touch of Glass]
Summary of Area - The lazy seaport community of Hyena's Port is an area often visited by pilots and seafarers. Wealthy families own summer houses and compounds across the inland countryside, where they vacation and store valuables.
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Buffy & Muffy Vanderschemere - A fox con artist couple posing as a rich, snobbish clients who tricks Higher for Hire to transport some valuable family jewels to Hyenasport looking to get the Sea Duck in lieu of payment for the guaranteed clause for theft or lost of the jewellery as deemed by Rebecca, which they make an effort to lose the jewels at every opportunity that includes throwing them out one of the seaplane's windows and after landing at Louie's Place by putting the blame on Louie for the "stolen" jewels who find the nightclub/motel too seedy for their tastes. Later exposed by the nightclub owner as frauds wanted by the law and proving the diamonds are fakes, they're overpowered by him and Rebecca just minutes after they've taken-off with the plane. Muffy is dressed in a blue dress and wide-brimmed hat, a pearl necklace, bangles on her ankles and has blond hair (that turns out to be a wig) and Buffy is dressed like a golfer while both are imitating Bostonian blueblood accents, although Buffy does sound a bit like Thurston Howell, III. Muffy actually looks like a dog at first; until Rebecca takes the wig off; exposing her as a fox. Muffy is voiced by the late Linda Gary; while Buffy is voiced by Frank Welker.
Iron Vulture [Various Episodes]
Summary of Area: Like a vulture, she swoops out of the sky to prey upon the defenseless and unwary. Her ominous profile is a familiar and dreaded sight to cargo pilots. An airship of titanic proportions, the Iron Vulture belongs to the fearsome Air Pirates of Don Karnage, who plunder the skyways at will from their fortress-like flagship. Even the largest cargo planes pale in comparison to this enormous vessel. A quarter mile in length, the Iron Vulture is without doubt the largest airship ever built — as well as the most infamous airborne vehicle in history. The Iron Vulture is a staggering feat of aircraft design. From bow to stern, the Vulture spans an incredible 1,200 feet! The rear tail fin adds a extra 300 to this, bringing the Vulture's overall length to a grand total of 1,500 feet. To enhance the Vulture's already-intimidating presence, the Air Pirates crafted a look for the ship similar to that of a monstrous bird of prey. The Vulture's prow is shaped like an enormous beak, while her towering stern sail and the protruding designs behind the bridge vaguely resemble giant feathers. The gaudy purple and gold color scheme of the airship, personally selected by Don Karnage, further establishes the Vulture's resemblence to a bird of prey. The Vulture's beak contains a mechanized "jaw" platform which lowers to provide access to the interior of the ship. The main hangar, which makes up most of the Vulture's interior, is a cavernous bay capable of holding three full squadrons of fighter planes as well as several cargo aircraft. The jaw itself acts as a runway extension; it is usually closed while traveling or landing (often to prevent captured planes from escaping) and opens to dispatch fighters. A manually-operated gear system originally served to raise and lower the jaw — when it proved too slow and cumbersome in emergencies, Karnage replaced the gears with hydraulics. As mentioned above, the Iron Vulture can hold up to thirty planes in its main cargo bay. Most of the fighters are usually stored out of sight in smaller adjoining hangars, cleverly concealed behind wall panels. Two large bomb bay doors in the floor of the hangar can be opened to jettison cargo, dump plundered aircraft, or launch fighters. For some operations like deploying submarines, a smaller circular port within the bay doors themselves can be used. Controls to release the bay doors are located in the bridge and at key spots in the hangar; all are linked to an alarm system throughout the ship that sounds when the doors are opened. Should the flight deck become too crowded for safe takeoffs or landings, a hydraulic lift platform carries planes from the hangar to the upper deck of the Vulture. Other means of access into the ship are two one-man hatches in the upper deck of the Vulture, leading to catwalks suspended at dizzying heights above the hangar floor. Numerous concealed doors are also installed in the sides of the Vulture's outer hull, though their exact locations are unknown. These hatches, all but forgotten by Karnage and his crew, open directly to the outside and must have been originally designed as emergency escape routes.
The Iron Vulture is equipped with twelve vertical propeller engines, six on each side of the upper runway. When used on full throttle, they can lift over 100 tons of cargo (exact specifications are unavailable). It is suspected that some internal buoyancy system, possibly helium tanks in the superstructure, bear most of the ship's empty weight. In addition to the vertical engines holding the Iron Vulture aloft, two massive rear-facing prop engines drive the ship forward. Due to the sheer size of the engine system, the Vulture's engines are powered by turbine generators located deep within the ship. Because of the unique configuration of the vertical engine system, lightning strikes can play havoc with the Iron Vulture's maneuvering. Start-up time for the engines is remarkably short; the Vulture can be up and flying in under a minute. The Iron Vulture commonly cruises at 35 to 40 miles per hour, but she is capable of exceeding 100 mph at full throttle. Navigation is accomplished by shifting power between the two rear engines as a method of steering. The giant tail fin, which deflects wind flow like a plane's rudder, preserves a stable course. Since the Iron Vulture was designed as an airborne battleship, its engines conserve as much fuel as possible for maximum efficiency. Huge tanks in the aft of the ship store enough fuel for over an estimated four weeks of nonstop flight! Whenever possible, Karnage lands the Vulture in a remote area of the ocean to conserve its precious fuel supplies and recharge the main generators. The watertight hull of the Vulture enables it to rest indefinitely in the water (just as long as nobody opens the bomb bay doors, that is). No one knows just how Karnage manages to get enough fuel to keep the Iron Vulture operating as often as it does. The entire ship is controlled from the bridge overlooking the Iron Vulture's prow. In a nod to pirate tradition, the steersman uses an old-fashioned ship's wheel to pilot the craft. Throttle levers control the power of the ship's rear engines while a single lever activates and throttles the main propulsion system. Various gauges and pipes adorn the base of the ship's spacious main windows, which offer a striking view of the Iron Vulture's surroundings. In case the view is obstructed or the steersman simply wants to see behind the Vulture, a ceiling-mounted periscope provides a 360-degree field of visibility. Don Karnage personally commands the ship from a stylish captain's chair bolted to the floor in the middle of the room.
The rest of the Vulture's interior is contained within the huge double hulls on either side of the main hangar. These consist of a veritable maze of corridors, hallways, and catwalks leading to different areas of the ship. The confusing layout of the Iron Vulture means that one unfamiliar with the ship can get lost very easily. Without a map or firsthand knowledge of the ship's interior, a person can wander for what seems like hours through the dimly-lit corridors. Installed almost as an afterthought by the Vulture's original designers, the ventilation system feeds from the main hangar bay and circulates air throughout the entire ship. After so many years in storage, the Vulture is quite musty and the air smells faintly of mothballs. In addition, the air ducts are infested with roaches and other vermin which often emerge in various parts of the ship. Resourceful as always, the Vulture's crew has learned to make the best of the situation by capturing a few of the critters and holding "cockroach races" as shipboard entertainment. Individuals bent on infiltrating the vessel may use the ventilation shafts to avoid detection. The Vulture's hallways are distinguished by levels. The upper level of the interior contains the turbine generators for the engines, as well as the prison block, a section lined with prison cells and holding areas of all shapes and sizes. Each cell is different but all are secure and practically impossible to escape, unless a prisoner is particularly clever. It is estimated that nearly 200 people could be held captive aboard the ship at one time, but usually the cells remain empty. Any occupants are usually victims of Air Pirate raids — few stay for more than a couple of days before they are released outright, held for ransom, or worse. The communications room of the Iron Vulture is also on the upper level near the aft section of the Vulture. Once a standard multi-frequency transceiver, the ship's radio has been rewired countless times and upgraded with jury-rigged parts and electronics. As a result, the Iron Vulture can pick up frequencies across the entire civilian range plus military and other "shielded" channels. Moreover, it can transmit messages in any of these frequencies as well as in a special "pirate" shortwave signal that authorities are still trying to unscramble. Patching into secure frequencies is simple for the pirates. As an added bonus, the radio scrambles signals along that same frequency on other planes' radios in the area. The Iron Vulture's radio system can only be accessed from the radio room or the bridge — it is also connected to a retractable loudspeaker underneath the ship for publicly broadcasting Karnage's long-winded announcements. The Vulture's intercom, a separate system, can be accessed at terminals located throughout the ship; the system feeds into the bridge radio to relay messages to those at the helm. Additionally, a small network of voice tubes carries announcements and general orders from the bridge to the main decks, crew quarters, and the Vulture's engine room.
The middle decks are composed of the crew quarters, small to mid-sized cabins containing four bunks each. Few pirates get a room all to themselves, five or six shipmates usually sharing one room. As a result, the berths are a haphazard tangle of random belongings and assorted clutter, barely fit for even the most hardened fighting men. Only the captain's mates and Don Karnage himself have their own private quarters. Any unoccupied rooms are used as storage areas for clothes, equipment, and junk. The Vulture's galley is also located on the middle level. Like all airship galleys, this small room is built for economy. Multi-range ovens and compact cooking equipment, salvaged from downed passenger liners, is installed in available nooks and crannies of empty kitchen space. While not up to sanitary standards, the galley is capable of preparing enough food each day to keep Karnage's men satisfied. There are two main eating areas in the ship — a spacious mess hall which was converted from a munitions hangar, and a smaller private room near the galley itself where Karnage and his more trusted crewmen dine. Air pirates are known to have sloppy table manners; needless to say, mealtime on board is not for those with weak stomachs. At full capacity the Iron Vulture's food stores contain enough stock to feed the entire ship's crew for four weeks. Weapons and equipment storage make up the lower deck of the Vulture. A repair booth adjoins the hangar where pirate mechanics modify weapons and patch up damaged fighters. Also on the lower decks is the treasure room, a huge vault holding the Air Pirates' ill-gotten gains. Valuables stored here do not remain on the Vulture very long — the pirates commonly unload their store back at base each month. However, a sizable portion of riches remains on board at all times for the captain's enjoyment.
The Iron Vulture was designed primarily as a giant airborne hangar, but it features several impressive weapons systems that allow it to function independently of fighter support. The Vulture's primary weapons are the enormous front cannons. Among the largest and most powerful weapons ever produced, these huge artillery guns were banned from production soon after the Great War ended. Kept in concealed bays on either side of the Vulture, these cannons are capable of causing massive destruction. In fact, using these guns the Air Pirates may stand a fair chance of eliminating Cape Suzette’s cliff defenses. Fortunately, an acute shortage of heavy ammo forces the Pirates to conserve what few shells they have. Two other large cannons cover the aft section of the Vulture. For broadside attacks, the Iron Vulture deploys six medium cannons hidden behind concealed panels along the sides of the ship. Other weapons aboard the Vulture include numerous small machine guns scattered across the lower hull, as well as a rarely-used topside cannon. Defensively, the Iron Vulture is one of the most well-armored ships in the air. The strength of the vessel is a testament to its solid construction. Several layers of bolted metal plates and armor form an extremely resiliant exterior impervious to most attacks. Vulnerable points include the propeller engines and the bridge, as well as the dozens of portholes scattered across the airship's hull. And even the massive Iron Vulture is no match for a full-scale barrage from fighter planes or cliff guns, a fact which makes Don Karnage particularly inclined to run from a fight once the enemy starts shooting back. When attacks fail, Karnage commonly employs subterfuge to mask the Vulture's presence, with varying degrees of success. Schemes to sneak the Iron Vulture into Cape Suzette have ranged from the barely plausible to the outlandish — including disguising the ship as an ocean liner, covering it with a blanket of smoke to resemble a storm cloud, and painting it 'invisible.' In one notable incident, the Vulture masqueraded as a Broccoli Day parade float! Each attempt suffers the usual failure attributable to either poor timing or just plain bad luck.
The Air Pirates make it a point to avoid direct confrontation with the authorities whenever possible. Due to this and the irregularity of the pirates' attacks, authorities are hard-pressed to determine the Iron Vulture's location with any certainty. The laws of international airspace also complicate the Air Police's attempts to apprehend the pirates over "free waters." Considering the number of chance encounters and close calls the Vulture has had with coastal fighter planes over the years, it seems only a matter of time before Karnage and his men are caught. But as long as the Iron Vulture roams the airways, the skies will never be truly safe.
Itsybitsia [Sheepskin Deep/The Golden Sprocket Of Friendship/The Bigger They Are, The Louder They Oink/On A Wing & A Bear]
Summary of Area: A small tropical nation inhabited by jungle-dwelling pygmies, Itsy-Bitsia was formed years ago as a colony made up of several neighbouring territories deep within the rain forest. Consisting of smaller provinces which include Patagoita and Zibaldo, Itsy-Bitsia is loosely governed from the capital city of Teensy-Weensia. While Itsy-Bitsia was supposed to have gathered the different pygmy tribes into a unified whole, it has done little more than stand to represent the collective pygmy population. Individual tribes live independently of each other, supervised only by a small national militia operating along the borders of the various territories.
[1.] Patagoita - A province of Itsy-Bitsia, Patagoita is inhabited by several pygmy tribes indigenous to it and the neighboring province of Zibaldo. One of the locals' more unique customs is their ritual "rain conga dance," performed in Patagoita each year to celebrate the coming of the annual monsoon season. Several prancing pygmies have displayed this interesting tribal custom at the Cape Suzette Friendship Festival.
[2.] Zibaldo Island - A province of Itsy-Bitsia, the tropical territory of Zibaldo is inhabited by numerous pygmy tribes, dwelling in walled villages deep within the heart of the rain forest. Unlike most other pygmy tribes, however, the natives of Zibaldo are unusually hostile toward outsiders. Fierce predators such as lions also roam the jungles of Zibaldo, a fact which would deter all but the most courageous (or foolhardy) explorers from venturing too far into the jungle interior. The outer fringes of the rain forest, on the other hand, are quite safe and often are visited by sightseers and picnicking tourists. Fortune hunters know that Zibaldo is a major source of truffles, mushroom delicacies favoured by the upper class. Tales are told of vast truffle fields hidden deep within secluded jungle glades. At $50 per truffle, entrepreneurs could very easily make thousands of dollars on a successful harvest. The best way to locate truffles is to bring along special truffle-hunting babirusa pigs to sniff them out. Unfortunately, pig meat (in truffle stew) happens to be the favorite dish of most pygmy tribes. For their own safety, tourists are expressly forbidden to bring live pigs or pig-based foodstuffs into the area. Furthermore, Itsy-Bitsia's state militia has installed numerous guardposts along Zibaldo's border, to ensure no such "contraband" is smuggled into the jungle.
Notable Moments
[1.] The Itsybitsia Backwards Takeoff - One of Baloo's more interesting skills took place in Itsy-Bitsia, where Baloo and Louie were collecting cocktail umbrellas for Louie's Place. Angry because the monsoon season was starting and they were without umbrellas, the local pygmies attacked the Sea Duck with spears and maraschino cherry bombs. To escape, Baloo flew backwards down the airstrip, spun the Duck around, and opened up the throttle just in time to get airborne. (as shown in On A Wing & A Bear in a flashback)
Jackomanka [The Golden Sprocket of Friendship]
Summary of Area: Populated almost entirely by jackals, the country of Jackomanka is known for the many contributions it has made to gymnastics and professional athletics. Many outstanding performers hail from Jackomanka, such as the acclaimed "Juggling Jackals," a juggling team which served as Jackomanka's representative at the Cape Suzette Friendship Festival.
Java/Crackyertoa [Mentioned Feminine Air]
Summary of Area: Crackyertoea, east of Java (or so goes the popular saying), is one of the chief suppliers of Grade-A coffee beans, the source of some of the richest coffees known. Coffee bean plants are abundant across the island, although their tough stems require chainsaws to cut through them for harvesting. Crackyertoea is often one of the first locations included as part of the "Great Air Scavenger Hunt."
Did You Know? - Java is one of a few countries/areas that exists in the real world. Java (Indonesian: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million (excluding the 3.6 million on the island of Madura which is administered as part of the provinces of Java), Java is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated places in the world. Java is the home of 60 percent of the Indonesian population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is located on western Java. Much of Indonesian history took place on Java. It was the center of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, the Islamic sultanates, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Java was also the center of the Indonesian struggle for independence during the 1930s and 40s. Java dominates Indonesia politically, economically and culturally. Formed mostly as the result of volcanic eruptions, Java is the 13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in Indonesia. A chain of volcanic mountains forms an east-west spine along the island. It has three main languages, though Javanese is dominant, and it is the native language of about 60 million people in Indonesia, most of whom live on Java. Most of its residents are bilingual, with Indonesian as their first or second languages. While the majority of the people of Java are Muslim, Java has a diverse mixture of religious beliefs, ethnicities, and cultures. Although coffee is a major food stamp produced in Java; it also produces tea, sugarcane, rubber and quinine (used in tonic water, wines and sports drinks). Also Crackyertoea is a play on words which mean breaking your toe.
Joe's Flying School [The Old Man And The Sea Duck]
Summary of Area: A famous flight academy founded by ace pilot Joe McGee, "Joe's Flying School" was regarded by many as one of the finest flying schools of the Great War era. A bomber pilot, Joe wrecked his leg while saving his crew from a burning plane. Grounded for life, Joe started this down-to-earth flying school in a remote badlands area and trained some of the War's best pilots. The airfield itself is surrounded by rock walls some one hundred or so feet high. Located within a remote section of the desert, Joe's Flying School is over twenty miles south of the nearest town, making it rather secluded. The airstrip runs the length of the canyon enclosure, flanked by hangars and buildings which make up the flight school. Because the whole area is surrounded by sheer cliffs, the only way out is through a narrow passage at the north end of the runway. Lacking fancy equipment or sophisticated training techniques, Joe McGee instead taught pilots "seat-of-the-pants" flying, using crude but elaborate mechanical rigs and a small squadron of biplanes and gliders. Joe's studies ranged from minor refresher courses to full-fledged pilot training, but Joe would always manage to instill a love of flying in his students, a love which he himself held dear. Since Joe's death twenty years ago, the airfield has gone to ruin. A landslide near the cliff entrance years ago has made the airfield completely inaccessible to all but the most skilled pilots. All that remains of Joe's Flying School today is a desolate airstrip, dotted with abandoned buildings and the rusting skeletons of old biplanes. But the spirit of Joe McGee lives on in the memories of his friends and former students.
"Denizens" Of Joe's Flying School
[1.] Joe McGee - Few remember or know anything about Joe McGee. An unknown legend, Joe was one of aviation's unsung heroes not so much for his exploits in the air, but for those he did on solid ground. Grounded by a leg injury, Joe McGee founded a ramshackle flight school which produced some of the best pilots of his era. His friendliness and down-to-earth personality — as well as a tremendous love for the sky — made Joe an inspiration to those pilots fortunate enough to know him. Joe McGee had enlisted in the Usland armed services several years before the outbreak of the Great War. A respected officer, McGee had previous experience as a pilot from flying crop dusters and tour planes. Interested in the military's new Air Corps division, Joe felt that he could make the transition fairly easily. Starting out as a flight instructor and navigator, Joe McGee rose quickly through the ranks. His exemplary training skills, his patience with inexperienced young cadets, and his respect for his men earned Joe a promotion to head flight instructor and co-pilot of the squadron's lead bomber — an old plane by today's standards, but then one of the most advanced planes of its time. McGee's good-natured personality and natural leadership made him popular with his squadron mates, and eventually McGee was made captain of the lead bomber's flight crew. Under his confident command, the team ran several successful sorties. For his accomplishments, Joe McGee won numerous decorations, including the coveted Legion of Valor. However, one fateful evening while returning home from a night mission, one of the bomber's left engines inexplicably caught fire. His plane out of control and rapidly losing altitude, Joe quickly helped all his men to escape the burning plane before the flames reached the fuel lines. Joe himself bailed out just before the bomber exploded and he parachuted to safety. Everyone escaped alive, but Joe suffered a bad leg injury that left his right leg useless. This handicap meant that he was grounded, unable to fly any more missions.
But just because Joe couldn't fly did not mean that he could no longer contribute to aviation. Armed with his knowledge of aircraft and flight training, McGee travelled to a remote wasteland locale where he established a school that would become one of the best academies for pilots — "Joe's Flying School." Situated in a open pocket of land surrounded by cliffs, Joe's flight school attracted the best and brightest of the air force's cadets. Joe McGee's training program was anything but conventional. Using mock aircraft props and elaborate home-made simulators, Joe taught his crew of young fledglings to master the art of piloting. Despite the barren landscape and crude equipment, Joe McGee's training was made special by his passionate love of flight, a love which he passed on to his pupils. Joe's love for life and the sky was so inspiring that it touched the lives of his students as well, who excelled in their classes and became some of the best pilots of their generation. The end of the War meant the end of a tremendous pilgrimage of aspiring young flyers to Joe's academy. Joe's school had become something of a legend and still attracted students, but in dwindling numbers. Sadly, Joe McGee passed away a few years later. A landslide shortly thereafter blocked the entrance to the airfield, separating the legendary flight school from the rest of the world. Over the years, the remains of Joe's Flying School rusted away and fell into disrepair, but the legend of Joe McGee has been kept alive by his students and old squadron mates, many of whom became notable aviators themselves. To this day, Joe's spirit lives on in the hearts of his friends and colleagues. He trained the best — some say, he was the best. Voiced by the late Hal Smith.
Kafusalum [The Idol Rich]
Summary of Area: The modern-day empire of Kafusalum dates back thousands of years, to the days when the Sultan of Kafusalum was one of the world's richest rulers and Kafusalum was a prosperous kingdom. Today, however, Kafusalum is merely a shadow of its former glory. Kafusalum's economy uses Torbits, a currency whose value severely plummeted during the Great War. Nevertheless, Kafusalum holds considerable sway in world events. Recently, the Sultan of Kafusalum offered a 13 million torbit reward for the return of a valuable idol, stolen from the kingdom centuries ago and hidden within the Land of 1,001 Lakes, thus sparking a widespread treasure hunt for the rare artifact.
Notable Artwork/Other Stuff
[1.] The Idol of Kafusalum - The Idol of Kafusalum is one of the most valuable artifacts in the world. Made of carved wood, the Idol was stolen from its native land centuries ago and hidden somewhere within the Land of 1,001 Lakes for a thousand years. The only clue to its location was this cryptic riddle:
"The Idol is in the Land of 1,001
Lakes,
Right under your nose."
Determined to retrieve this important part of his country's history, the sultan of Kafusalum offered a thirteen million Torbit reward for its return, drawing fortune hunters from far and wide to hunt for the idol. Only two — Baloo and Colonel Spigot — discovered the Idol's location in the fire swamp of Moose Lake. Spigot claimed the idol for Thembria, but strange circumstances during his return forced him to relinquish the idol to Baloo, who collected his reward from the Sultan. The Idol is currently on display in the Museum of Kafusalum.
[2.] Torbits - Torbits are an ancient, outmoded type of money found in distant regions. An extremely inflationary currency, torbits plummeted in value during the Great War. Today a torbit is worth roughly one hundredth of one cent — 10,000 torbits equal a single Usland dollar! What torbits lack in value they somewhat make up for in volume. For example, 13 million torbits sounds like a fortune to one unfamiliar with torbits. That amount equals roughly $1,300 in Usland currency — still a decent sum. Few kingdoms still use the torbit, but the desert kingdom of Kafusalum bases its economy on torbit currency.
Klopstokia [Whistlestop Jackson, Legend]
Summary of Area: The quaint old country of Klopstokia, governed by newly-elected President Myron and Finance Minister LaFong, is one of the newest of the "old-world" countries. Established a hundred years ago as a tributary of a larger, more powerful nation, Klopstokia fought many years for its own freedom. A heroic revolution by Klopstokia's people during the Great War resulted in their finally gaining liberty. Today, Klopstokia celebrates its national independence day — June 13 — with an elaborate fireworks display, ranked among the world's most dazzling celebrations. Cape Suzette's Higher for Hire air cargo service currently holds a lifetime contract with Klopstokia to deliver fireworks for the celebration, an agreement made possible through the efforts of legendary aviator Whistlestop Jackson.
Denizens of Klopstokia
[1.] President Myron -
[2.] Finance Minister LaFong -
Kukamonga [Mentioned in Feminine Air]
Summary of Area: Not available at this time.
Did You Know? - Kukamonga is a parody of Cucamonga (also, Coco Mongo, Cucamungabit, and Cucomogna) which is a former Tongva-Gabrieleño Native American settlement in Los Angeles County, California. Its precise location an location in the San Gabriel Valley.
[1.] At Your Service Delivery Services - The country of Kukamonga commonly imports shipments of coconuts, most of them provided by Mr. Robert Service's "At-Your-Service" Delivery Service through independent shippers. Mr. Robert Service is a sexist rabbit owner (because he doesn't like Rebecca as the owner of Higher For Hire and prefers that owners have sideburns; a mark of a male according to him.) of the "At Your Service" delivery service; known for shipping coconuts to Kokamonga. Voiced by S. Scott Bullock.
Lake Flaccid [War of the Weirds/From Here To Machinery]
Summary of Area: Lake Flaccid, situated near Lake Farrow and Lake Forsythe a few dozen miles inland from Cape Suzette, was the target of a little-publicized Army blunder involving false reports of "invaders from Mars.".
[1.] Mount Rezika - Situated near Lake Flaccid, Mount Rezika is one of several mountains in the area where Shere Khan's private plane — piloted by the Auto-Aviator mechanical pilot — was attacked by Air Pirates.
Did You Know? - Lake Flaccid is a play on Lake Placid, New York; which was home to the 1980 Winter Olympic Games (and was well known for the "Miracle On Ice" when the USA won it's first and only gold medal in ice hockey). Strangely; Lake Flaccid has also been used as a city name in "The Simpsons". The word Flaccid alone means "A part of the body that is soft, hanging loosely or limply; so far as to look or feel unpleasant.". Lake Forsythe is based on TaleSpin storyboarder Holly Forsythe (which sadly; she didn't do storyboards for the episode in question). There is village named Farrow in Alberta, Canada. Mount Rezika is based on DTVA producer Tom Rezika.
Land of Midnight Sun [Double or Nothing]
Summary of Area: The territory of the Arctic Circle surrounding the North Pole is a place of pristine beauty. Ice floes and icebergs sparkle like crystal in the shimmering, frigid sea, unwarmed by the sunlight that hovers on the horizon for six months straight each year. It is this peculiar phenomenon, an effect of the earth's tilt at the poles, that earns this place its name — the Land of Midnight Sun. Few in the civilized countries of the temperate zones and beyond know anything about the frozen north besides what they might read in Better Igloos and Ice Gardens. Eskimo polar bears inhabit the Land of the Midnight Sun, living in small village clusters atop the ice fields and frozen floes. The Eskimos subsist on a diet of fish pulled from the waters below the ice layer; rarely is fishing productive along the ocean, where local killer whales do most of their feeding. Eskimos travel throughout the region on dog-sled, a common mode of transportation in the Arctic.Traders rarely venture to the far north, but those who do find natives willing to swap furs for cash, or barter for food or items that help them catch enough fish to last the winter.
Lhasa Apso [On A Wing and a Bear]
Summary of Area: The tranquil, peaceful country of Lhasa Apso occupies a mountainous region in the far east. The inhabitants of Lhasa Apso are a simple people, dwelling in small villages which dot the valleys and mountainsides. Lhasa Apso is also home to the revered Dhagi Lama, an ancient order whose secret spicy-chicken recipe has been passed down from generation to generation.
Did You Know? - Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog breed originating in Tibet.[1] It was bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries, to alert the monks to any intruders who entered. Lhasa is the capital city of Tibet and apso is a word in the Tibetan language meaning "bearded", so, Lhasa Apso simply means "long-haired Lhasa dog". There are, however, some who claim that the word "apso" is a corruption of the Tibetan word "rapso", meaning "goat-like",[2] which would make the equivalent translation "wooly Lhasa dog." Dhagi Lama is a play on word with the Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Tsongkhapa (1357–1419). The name is a combination of the Sino-Mongolian word dalai meaning "vast sea" and the Tibetan word བླ་མ་ (bla-ma) meaning "guru, teacher, mentor".[1] According to Tibetan Buddhist doctrine, the Dalai Lama is the rebirth in a line of tulkus who are considered to be manifestations of the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteśvara. The Dalai Lama is often thought to be the leader of the Gelug School, but this position belongs officially to the Ganden Tripa, which is a temporary position appointed by the Dalai Lama who, in practice, exerts much influence. The line of Dalai Lamas began as a lineage of spiritual teachers; the 5th Dalai Lama assumed political authority over Tibet. For certain periods between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lamas sometimes directed the Tibetan government, which administered portions of Tibet from Lhasa. The 14th Dalai Lama remained the head of state for the Central Tibetan Administration ("Tibetan government in exile") until his retirement on March 14, 2011. He has indicated that the institution of the Dalai Lama may be abolished in the future, and also that the next Dalai Lama may be found outside Tibet and may be female.[2] The Chinese government rejected this and asserted that only it has the authority to select the next Dalai Lama.[3]
Notable Moments
[1.] The Krakatoa Touchdown - While safeguarding the Dhagi Lama's recipe ingredients, Baloo and Kit were attacked by Don Karnage and his Air Pirates over the Lhasa Apso countryside. It was here that Baloo performed one of his most famous maneuvers — after losing the Pirates with a loop-de-loop, Baloo made a three-point landing inside a volcano, the first time on record that anyone had accomplished such a feat. Today, Baloo's maneuver is spoken of in those parts as the "Krakatoa Touchdown." One of Louie's special treats at Louie's place is named "The Krakatoa Special".
Did You Know? - Krakatoa, or Krakatau (Indonesian: Krakatau), is a volcanic island situated in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is also used for the surrounding island group comprising the remnants of a much larger island of three volcanic peaks which was obliterated in a cataclysmic 1883 eruption, unleashing huge tsunamis (killing more than 36,000 people) and destroying over two-thirds of the island. The explosion is considered to be the loudest sound ever heard in modern history, with reports of it being heard up to 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from its point of origin. The shock waves from the explosion were recorded on barographs around the globe. In 1927 a new island, Anak Krakatau, or "Child of Krakatoa", emerged from the caldera formed in 1883 and is the current location of eruptive activity.
Loclyn [Stuck On You]
Summary of Area: Loclyn is a moderately industrialized community located near a quiet forest area. Since the Great War, Loclyn has enjoyed tremendous growth in commerce and industry, by exporting many of its manufactured goods to Cape Suzette. Dominant industries in Loclyn include pharmecuticals, textiles, and chemicals. One chemical plant in particular produces "Super Sticko Adhesive," one of the strongest and longest-lasting glues on the open market — within a few hours of application, the glue becomes permanent (a good reason for consumers to handle Super Sticko products with extreme care).
The Lost Valley [Paradise Lost]
Summary of Area: Somewhere in the heart of the Mogabi Desert lies a desolate crater, one of many strewn about the barren wasteland of the Mogabi. Ordinarily this place would not be considered unusual — but according to legend, once every 100 years at sunrise, ancient water pours from a river deep within the earth. Magically, a legendary lost paradise arises from the sand, complete with lush plants and prehistoric creatures. This enchanted landscape lasts until sunset, at which point the ancient water ceases to flow and the mythical paradise vanishes for another hundred years. Such fairy tales are generally discredited by reputable explorers, but the legend of the Lost Valley has existed since time immemorial, recorded only in a single clay talisman thousands of years old. Inscribed upon the talisman in an arcane language is the location and legend of the Lost Valley. As the legend explains, the plants and dinosaurs of the lost paradise were somehow crystallized by the sun and mingled with the dust of the valley. Trapped within the sands of the Mogabi, these life forms are re-animated by the ancient water, which flows from a natural spring blocked by two stone doors. Every 100 years at dawn, the sun lines up perfectly with the edge of the crater, producing a beam of sunlight which separates the stone doors and allows the water to flow freely. At sunset the doors close, the river dries up, and the jungle and its creatures disappear for another century. No one knows for sure whether the Lost Valley is fact or fiction. One safari guide named O'Roarke claims to have witnessed the Lost Valley's wonders. However, without corroborating stories from his companions, or the actual clay talisman with the valley's location (which was conveniently destroyed), O'Roarke's account is regarded as senseless raving — and the Lost Valley remains no more than a myth.
Ancient Items
[1.] Medallion of Lost Valley - According to a legend, in the uncharted regions of the Mogabi Desert there exists a lost valley. Every one hundred years, ancient water flows from deep within the earth, magically transforming this deserted crater into a lush paradise filled with prehistoric creatures. The valley lies somewhere within the most desolate region of the Mogabi, and is virtually unfindable unless one knows precisely where to look. This clay talisman provides just that information — inscribed in an archaic language, the medallion contains a map to the Lost Valley. The medallion's most recent owner was a hunter, O'Roarke by name, who planned to turn the valley into a private hunting reserve. However, when his first hunting party arrived to find only a barren wasteland, one of O'Roarke's angry patrons snatched the medallion and broke it into a dozen pieces. Without that map, the Lost Valley will remain forever lost.
Louie's Island [Various Episodes]
Summary of Area: After rigorous shifts of hauling air cargo, most pilots need a chance to relax and unwind before embarking on their next delivery run. Yet a nice doze in a comfortable hammock or a leisurely weekend fishing trip doesn't always satisfy your average cargo pilot. He wants to go somewhere fun and exciting, a place that caters to the thrill-seeking side of his nature and proves there’s more to life than deadlines and deliveries. The "garden spot of the South Seas," Louie’s Place invites worn-out cargo jockeys from far and wide to settle down at quaint plank-and-barrel tables and enjoy a cold glass of fruit juice after work hours (sometimes during them!). Offering wild entertainment, welcome accomodations, delightful refreshments, and first-rate refuelling and repair service, Louie’s Place is a pilot’s paradise.
Points of Interest
[1.] The Island Itself - For centuries, the spot destined to become world-famous as Louie's Island was only one remote island in a string of small land masses dotting the sea, several hundred miles offshore from Cape Suzette. Overgrown and uninhabited, these rocky islands were regularly navigated by seafarers who followed winding trade routes through the region to reach Usland's coast. Tropical storms made such routes extremely perilous, shipwrecking many ocean vessels on the islands' sandy shores. Tales also abound of sea pirates who prowled those waters, ambushing unwary ships from island hideouts such as Dead-End Cave, ten miles south of Louie's. It was hundreds of years later when Louie first came to the island. Then a small-time entertainer and bartender in Cape Suzette, Louie dreamed of building his own nightclub, a place offering only the finest blend of food, music, and entertainment. Conveniently, the spot he'd chosen lay near air and sea shipping lanes, guaranteeing a steady stream of customers. Acquiring a "squatter's" claim on the land — a deed which renews itself each year so long as the holder occupies the property — Louie immediately claimed salvage rights on an old shipwreck and fashioned the derelict boat into a nightclub. From its first day of business, Louie's Place became something of a landmark to flyers in the South Seas region. Everyone said Louie would fail, but thanks to the support of hundreds of thirsty cargo pilots, Louie's Place survived a rough start and turned into an astounding success. Having just celebrated its fifth anniversary, the popular haven (and its equally popular owner) attracts patrons from around the globe to enjoy good food and good times.About a quarter-mile in diameter and filled with lush tropical vegetation, Louie's island provides a scenic tropical home for the small jungle tavern known as Louie's Place. The island's most outstanding feature is the inland cliff range, a series of steep rocks rising hundreds of feet above the ocean.
Perched at the cliffs' peak, atop a metal frame supported by timber beams, is a large "Louie's" sign greeting visitors to the island. Every evening, an automatic timer activates the dozens of coloured light bulbs installed around the edges of the sign, creating an impressive glowing display visible for miles. The natural splendor of Louie's island explains why the island is popularly known as the "garden spot of the South Seas". Palm trees, banyans, and tropical ferns are among a variety of exotic plants found within the dense jungle surrounding the rocks. A series of sparkling waterfalls cascade down the cliff side and into a jungle stream which runs throughout the island, branching into several small pools and lagoons deep within the heart of the jungle. Few animals inhabit the jungle interior, so visitors are free to take a leisurely stroll along grassy footpaths and wooden bridges, enjoying the tranquil beauty of their surroundings. Long, sandy beaches occupy the island's uneven shoreline, interspersed with numerous hills and grassy knolls. Louie's Place itself is situated on the western shore, the most accessible portion of the island's coast. Rocky islets, some of which contain small caves, lie scattered in shallow water around the remainder of the shoreline. Several of the larger rock formations serve as nesting places for seabirds. On the eastern shore, barely noticeable from the opposite side of the island, lies a small dock and a couple of buildings Louie uses for storage. Very proud of his island home, Louie occasionally runs tours for visitors. Many of these excursions include brief forays into the jungle or trips up and down the cliffs in hand-operated cable cars. Plans to expand the tour with a sight-seeing railroad have met with dismal failure due to lack of funds and manpower, as well as Louie's own reluctance to needlessly spoil the jungle habitat. Even so, Louie has made several alterations to his island property already, including the rumoured addition of booby traps hidden at strategic points in the cliffs — self-defence measures, Louie claims, in the unlikely event someone would attempt to run him off his island.
[2.] Louie's Place - Nestled against the trunk of a giant banyan tree, the popular island nightclub called Louie's Place is the hottest refreshment spot in the South Seas. Over the course of a few short years, this seemingly quaint establishment has become famous among pilots, travellers, and party goers from Cape Suzette and nearby regions for its delicious fruit drinks, uproarious parties, and its energetic manager and host, Louie himself. Louie's Place is constructed entirely around the wreck of an old sailing ship which came with the island property. Rather than disposing of the shipwreck, Louie transformed the boat into part of his club using bits of leftover wood and material to hand-fashion the club's main structure. What was once the ship's mast now serves as the main support beam for the building's tall, thatched-hut roof. Bamboo-pole framework surrounds thatched walls and ceilings, lending a jungle flavour to the club's makeshift architecture. Ornate wooden tiki masks — many of them gifts from Louie's customers — adorn the upper walls and balconies while aircraft propellers hang from the rafters high above, acting as ceiling fans. Crude tables built from planks and wooden barrels occupy the club's main seating area, which also serves as an impromptu dance floor during festivities. Various other small tables and booths, constructed out of all manner of "found" items, line the walls around the main floor. Furthermore, the main cabin of the shipwreck Louie's Place is built upon has been converted into a special lounge room. The best seats in Louie's club are typically reserved for special customers such as business "headhunters" and other affluent, important, or favourite guests. Of course the true centrepiece of Louie's Place is the bar, located adjacent to the main dining floor. Rows of bottles on the back shelves contain fruit juices and various beverages, all of them awaiting use in one of Louie's many elaborate concoctions. Louie himself mans the bar with remarkable flourish and dexterity, serving up hot fudge sundaes, sarsaparilla sodas, mango shakes, and other refreshments for hungry patrons. One of Louie's most oft-requested dishes is his world-famous Krakatoa Special, an incredibly delicious combination of ice cream and chocolate syrup topped with blazing sparklers for added effect.
Louie's Place also offers a diverse menu of meals, cooked up in the nightclub's main kitchen. Despite Louie's slightly messy and somewhat unorthodox cooking practises, he manages to keep his kitchen organized and well-stocked. Available cuisine ranges from burgers and fries to banana burritos, as well as the ominous "All-You-Can-Stand-For-A-Dollar" special. Louie does kitchen duty only occasionally, preferring to tend bar while his expert staff of cooks and waiters handle most of the meal orders. One of Louie's personal specialties is his mouth-watering pizza pie, a delicacy among pilots and pizza lovers everywhere. A large alcove in the back wall of the club houses a stage used for Louie's various shows and musical numbers. Usually improvised, these offbeat performances feature music provided by pianist Montgomery and the Louie's Place band. Louie often takes the stage himself, contributing his own inimitable brand of scat-singing lyrics. Guests are encouraged to join in the jamboree, often sending the whole house into wild overnight parties famous for their ability to cause partygoers to lose all track of time. Casual music fans may prefer a selection of lively tunes from the club's jukebox instead. Scheduled events at Louie's include jam sessions such as the bongo-drum beating "Aloha Night" band, and the new annual "Carmen Meringue Night" celebration.
The popularity of Louie's Place has spread from Cape Suzette to Thembria, drawing customers from all corners of the world. Over the years, Louie's Place has acquired an incredibly diverse clientele. Among the many hundreds of customers who have passed through the club's doors are cargo pilots, business people, foreign travellers, treasure hunters, traders, merchants, tourists, archaeologists, adventurers, celebrities, and plain, ordinary party goers. Louie's best customers have always been pilots, both corporate and freelance flyers. Despite predictions that Louie's Place would fail, the devoted patronage of cargo pilots from Cape Suzette and nearby ports saw Louie through his difficult first year of business. Today Louie's Place thrives on the support — moral and financial — provided by aviators who've stood by Louie since day one, most notably Baloo, ace pilot and Louie's best pal. Louie's Place serves as a meeting place for pilots from around the globe who come to Louie's to refuel their planes, order some fruit drinks, and spin tales of their latest aerial escapades and encounters. Healthy rivalries exist between members of various aviation groups, most notably ragtag freelancers and elitist Khan Industries pilots. Even Thembrian aviators on detached duty occasionally drop by Louie's Place to participate in a little friendly debate. One particular point of interest is Louie's "Air Ace Wall of Fame," a bulletin board located behind the bar counter, containing photos of prominent aerial hotshots. Despite their differences, Louie's regular customers are a rather close-knit bunch, often gathering at the club to celebrate Christmas and other holidays. While most of the rabble who frequent Louie's Place are a little rough around the edges, Louie knows them all very well and would personally vouch for their trustworthiness. Louie values good music, good times, and good friends above all else and treats his longtime customers as a family of sorts. However, even Louie can't let friendship interfere with doing good business, particularly when customers start running up large ice cream tabs. As his house rule goes, "When the tab runs high, kiss scoops goodbye!"
[a.] Louie's Office - Whenever Louie isn't serving up drinks or partying the night away, he usually relaxes in a comfortable chair in his private office. Just a small back room with a desk and ceiling fan, Louie's cluttered office contains many souvenirs, mementos, and treasured objects collected over the years Louie's Place has been in business.
[b.] Louie's Kitchen - The hottest spot next to the dance floor is the kitchen in the back of Louie's Place, its ovens and stoves kept sizzling with fresh meals, made ready to eat. Herbs, spices, and seasonings find their way into Louie's flavourful dishes, which he makes without the aid of recipes. This "anything goes" school of cuisine sometimes involves cooking practices that no legitimate health department would condone, but Louie lets customers judge the results: from the acquired taste of guacamole tacos to Louie's world-class pizza pie that everybody loves (just don't ask how he mixes the tomato sauce). Meals can be eaten at Louie's Place or ordered to go; from time to time Louie has toyed with ventures into food delivery, and he now runs his own catering business.
[c.] Lounge - Customers who want a table away from the main floor's craziness, a cozy spot with some privacy, or simply a seat with a view should visit the upper-deck lounge, once the main cabin of the wrecked ship around which Louie built his nightclub. The carved banister, salvaged curtains, and antique cannon — all well preserved — lend a period charm to this room, a remnant from the great age of sailing. Guests to the lounge may drink in the ocean vista while sipping on drinks, or avail themselves of a seaside stroll by exiting through the club's back door.
[d.] Louie's Quarters - Unlike many nightclub owners, Louie lives with his business. His private bedroom can be found right down the hall from the kitchen, decked out with drapes, floor mats, and tiki masks much like the rest of Louie's Place.
[e.] Basement - When Louie built his place around the old ship that had crashed, he sealed off the wreck's unused areas. The boat's hold became the basement of Louie's Place, full of furniture and articles a hundred years old, once the property of the ship's long-departed captain. These items might fetch a handsome price on collector's markets, but Louie keeps the basement locked up. A few longtime customers (who ought to know better) say the cellar might be haunted.
[3.] Services: Louie's Place not only is a popular nightclub and refreshment spot, but also serves as a valuable way station for aviators. Located near several air shipping lanes, Louie's Place gets lots of business from overseas cargo pilots and local flyers, many of whom drop by Louie's for a quick bite to eat and some much-needed aircraft repairs. Moreover, the island's position "about a tankful (of gas) from Cape Suzette" makes Louie's a crucial refuelling stop for planes travelling to and from the harbour city. Accessible only to seaplanes and amphibious aircraft, the main docks at Louie's feature a refueling station and repair shed manned by a capable crew of Louie's "grease monkey" workers. Louie undercuts many of his larger competitors by offering better service at lower prices — as well as the finest fuel available, as he puts it, "this side of the other side." The main fuel tanks, connected to a pair of gas pumps on the docks, hold enough gasoline to fully refuel dozens of planes. Rarely are the fuel reservoirs ever pumped completely dry, as Louie has them replenished on a regular basis by suppliers from the mainland. Louie's workers also perform standard maintenance checks on aircraft, tuning and repairing engines and other components as needed. Able to get faulty engines up and running by the time a pilot returns from the evening's entertainment, Louie's Place mechanics can fix most routine problems and restore planes to normal operating condition within a matter of hours. More extensive repairs, however, usually those involving replacement parts, may require overnight work.
To accomodate overnight visitors, Louie also manages a cheap inn above his nightclub. Bamboo huts, suspended within the branches of the banyan tree overlooking Louie's Place, are often rented out as inexpensive lodging to guests who wish to spend the evening. Connected by a maze of rickety wooden staircases and bridges, these ramshackle suites contain little in the way of conveniences — simply a bed, a lamp, some drawers, and not much else. Understandably, few boarders remain here any longer than is absolutely necessary. In addition to his various customer services, Louie also maintains a lost-and-found department, basically a garage behind the club filled with assorted junk and various unclaimed miscellany. The area remains a permanent storage ground for worthless and discarded items, once even harboring an ancient monoplane some old coot abandoned because the crate's engine wouldn't hold any oil.
Ancient Items
[1.] Magic Spells Of The Sea - Ancient mariners held many myths and superstitions about the ocean. Through the ages, this sailors' lore was compiled into a volume entitled Magic Spells of the Sea. A collection of spells dealing with every problem from scurvy to squid, this book was a regular part of a ship's reading material up to the previous century. While most sea captains regarded it as mere superstition, a few actually believed in the writings contained in the book.
Spell To Dispel Phantom Flying Dutchmen's
"Mermaids and herrings and ancient boat
slips,
Take to the heavens, illusionary ships.
Forever and
always to sail the skies,
Now part from this world, on wings to
arise."
Denizens of Louie's Island
[1.] Louie L'Amour - Also from The Jungle Book, is a fun-loving orangutan who wears a Hawaiian shirt, a straw hat and lei, and owns the island nightclub and motel "Louie's Place", located near but outside the protection of Cape Suzette. It also serves as a refueling station/pit stop area for pilots. He is Baloo's best friend (not the case in Jungle Book but also in the later Jungle Cubs) but sometimes can be competitive with him when it comes to women, treasure-hunting and, on occasion, in business matters. His hold on the island is somewhat tenuous, though through his own ingenuity and the aid of his friends he's managed to avoid losing it (in the episode "Louie's Last Stand"). Voiced by Jim Cummings.
[2.] All Of His Monkey Assistants -
[3.] Captain William Stansbury - A 19th-century lion naval captain who crashed his clipper ship a hundred years ago onto what is now the island where Louie built his nightclub on and whose ghost haunts when it is magically resurrected from during a casual night of carousing. Frightened off the island and back to Cape Suzette, both Baloo and Louie tell about the haunting to an overtired Rebecca who disbelieves them. Returning with trepidation, the place is deserted until his apparition appears before them in solid form and is highly enamoured by the businesswoman. With his handsome looks and gentlemanly manners, Rebecca becomes smitten with him, but in reality he is a snobbish, judgemental and bothersome poltergeist who prevents them from leaving the island, so Baloo and Louie try to exorcise him out of the nightclub, if rather noisily. Seducing her under the moonlight with his charms during a walk on the island, the lonely ghost wants to take Rebecca away from the real world which she falls for in her tired state of mind. Finding a Book of Spells in the ruins underneath Louie's Place that will get rid of Stansbury forever and return everything back to normal, Baloo and Louie go through a series of the Captain's tricks to maintain the fantasy with Rebecca and keep them at bay which they partially succeed. After the pilot gently convinces his tearful employer that this isn't the life for her by connecting her responsibilities with Higher for Hire and her daughter Molly, Rebecca reluctantly finishes off the spell that sends the ghostly captain back into the spirit world, promising to wait for her in the afterlife. To console her broken heart, Louie gives Rebecca the painting of Stansbury that she hangs prominently on the wall in her bedroom. Voiced by Peter Reneday.
[4.] Aunt Louise L'Amour - While not officially from Louie's; she is related to Louie. Louie's rich and extremely ugly ace aviator aunt who loves to party. Much to her nephew's chagrin she wreaks havoc everywhere she goes (particularly in his place of business), calls him "Louis," and aggressively chases handsome men who speak with accents (like Don Karnage and dashing French pilot Jacques Toujour) and ruins their lives. She suffers a broken heart quite easily yet always bounces back with a new flame at the ready. Voiced by Jim Cummings.
Lyndon/White Cliffs Of Rover [Mentioned In Bygones]
Summary of Area: None available at this time.
[1.] White Cliffs of Rover - An immense glacier formation, the famous White Cliffs of Rover are the birthplace of many of the ocean's icebergs. Huge chunks of ice regularly break free from the sides of the frozen cliffs, floating out to sea along ocean currents. Stretching for many miles, the White Cliffs of Rover is where Rick Sky and the Squadron of Seven — famous pilots of the Great War — lay encased in ice for nearly twenty years, after being caught in a snowstorm while transporting a shipment of silver for the war effort.
Denizens of Lyndon
Rick Skye - There were many heroes born of the Great War, but no hero so great as Captain Rick Sky. Ace fighter pilot and leader of the legendary "Squadron of Seven," Rick Sky was one of the most famous aces of the Great War. The exploits of him and his comrades have become legendary among aviators, serving as the subject of countless pulp serial magazines. Rick Sky's courage and unshakable loyalty to his men and his country won him a vast following amidst many who, due to a mysterious incident, had once branded him a traitor. Rick Sky was born about thirty years previous to the War. Brought up in a middle-class family, Rick was an extremely bright and good-natured lad with sharp eyes and catlike poise and coordination. As he grew older he also developed a passion for aircraft, which in that time were an exciting new innovation. Extremely polite and honorable to a fault, Rick always put others' needs before his own, even at risk to his own reputation. By the time Rick neared thirty years of age, the Great War broke out. Rick had already passed civilian flight training with flying colours and just received his pilot’s license. Eager to serve his country as well as perfect his flying skills, Rick volunteered as one of the very first air fighter pilots in history. Before long, Rick Sky had racked up numerous victories and was the toast of the Allied army. With his promotion to Captain, Rick was awarded command of a half-dozen crack pilots. Rick immediately requested seven Stropwith Dromedaries — the most advanced fighter planes of the War era — and divided them among his new companions. Dubbed the "Squadron of Seven," the newly-reorganized group proved to be the best in the war and gained a reputation as fierce and valiant fighters. The Squadron of Seven was one of the greatest legends of the air war. Not a single plane or pilot was lost in the squadron's entire career, and a total of nearly 100 enemy planes fell before their guns. Unsatisfied with routine patrols of the front, Rick Sky and his men took the air war behind enemy lines.
Using hand grenades and strafing tactics, the Seven pioneered the art of air-to-ground assault, often winning decisive victories for allied ground forces. The Squadron of Seven also saw action in the decisive Battle of the Great War. Fought on land and sea as well as in the air, this battle was the turning point of the War and saw Rick Sky and his men — accompanied by several other squadrons and famous aces — defeat an overwhelming number of enemy planes and turn the initiative of the War to the allied side. Of course, Rick Sky himself was the real legend. Affable, daring, and quick with a grin, Sky often joked about many of his own mishaps — like the time his stray shots ricocheted off bedrock and cut a line straight up his plane's belly, making him the first pilot in history to shoot himself down! Ironically, it was after this mission that Rick Sky was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a top award for service airmen, for defeating a squadron of enemy bombers. When it came to fighting, Rick was entirely serious. Piloting his trusty Stropwith into the thick of the battle, Rick showed unshakeable courage and tenacity. He was a cunning tactician and a superb shot despite the inaccuracy of early machine guns. Chivalrous as well as courageous, Rick often used his superior marksmanship to disable the engine of an enemy plane, giving his adversary a chance to at least crash-land safely. For sparing their lives on several occasions, Rick earned the respect of his foes. He also won the admiration of his countrymen. Good news being scarce on the home front, the public embraced the Squadron of Seven's aerial exploits. Rick Sky's adventures were featured on almost every comic book and pulp magazine published, and hundreds of young boys grew up with the dream of flying as Rick's wingman. At the squadron’s peak, Rick Sky had personally downed 37 aircraft, a remarkable feat for a Great War pilot. It was at this time that allied command decided to entrust the Squadron of Seven with more important tasks, the most crucial of which was shipping funds for the war effort.
Thus the Squadron’s newest orders were to transport a shipment of valuable silver bars. The Seven's flight path took them around enemy territory via a detour through the White Cliffs of Rover. Days passed before allied command realized that they had not heard from Sky at all during his flight. A later report confirmed that Rick Sky and his men had never reached their destination. The Squadron of Seven had vanished without a trace, evidently with the silver bars still in their possession. The public was horrified, shocked to think that the man once counted as a hero had absconded with a fortune in silver. When the War ended a few months later, historians closed the book on the Squadron of Seven, denouncing them as criminals and traitors. Rick Sky comic books still had many devoted readers, although Sky's adventures were tarnished by his new reputation as a thief. But many remained puzzled as to the Squadron of Seven’s mysterious disappearance. Neither Sky nor his men had enough fuel to travel very far off course, and the only places to land along their route were either the frozen Cliffs of Rover or enemy territory. Besides, what could possibly drive a man as noble and honourable as Rick Sky to steal from his own country? Questions such as these lingered for two decades, until something remarkable happened: a pilot from Cape Suzette claimed to have found Rick Sky! Not only that, but the pilot had also recovered the missing silver! The pilot had been evading Air Pirates over the ocean when he spotted someone on the water. Landing his seaplane, he rescued a stranger claiming to be Rick Sky. The last the stranger could recall, he and his men had been caught in a sudden snowstorm near the White Cliffs of Rover while delivering a shipment of silver. Strangely enough, "Rick Sky" did not look anywhere near 50 years old, and he was convinced that the Great War was still being fought.
After several misadventures and a trip to the White Cliffs, the truth was discovered. Blown into the cliffs by the snowstorm, the Squadron of Seven had been encased alive in solid ice for twenty years! Apparently, this freak occurrence prevented them from aging, as Sky and his comrades did not look one day older than they had when they'd disappeared. Their planes and the silver were still intact, and Sky asked the pilot to complete their mission for them while the Squadron fended off an attack by Air Pirates. Authorities were understandably skeptical about the whole story until the pilot showed them the silver and an old logbook which had belonged to the stranger. Comparison between the logbook and war reports stored at the Cape Suzette Museum of History verified that the stranger was indeed who he claimed to be — Captain Rick Sky. The legendary logbook is now on display at the Cape Suzette museum, the final piece in a twenty-year-old puzzle. All charges have been dropped against Rick and his men, but they have not been heard from since, apparently content to dwell by themselves than in a world that has passed them by. History now pays tribute to Rick Sky, ace of aces and a true hero. Rick is voiced by Simon Templeman; Reggie (one of the Squadron of Seven) is voiced by Neil Ross.
Macadamia [Road to Macadamia]
Summary of Area: Ruled by King Amok and his beautiful daughter, Princess Lotta Lamour, the kingdom of Macadamia is among the desert's wealthiest and most prosperous civilizations. A popular trade city founded thousands of years ago, Macadamia quickly grew into a rich and powerful kingdom, trafficked by traders and foreign merchants. Legends abounded of Macadamia's affluence; among them, rumours of a vast treasure vault hidden within the walls of Macadamia's royal palace. In recent years, however, Macadamia has faced several hardships, most notably a sudden depression which crippled the kingdom's economy and left its current ruler penniless. Reportedly, King Amok had squandered the kingdom's money, an accusation which led Amok's most trusted advisor, Chancellor Trample, to fear that the people might lead a revolt against their ruler. Trample promised to donate his fortune to save the kingdom in exchange for the Princess's hand in marriage. In reality, Trample was behind the kingdom's depression. Having secretly stolen the king's tax money and turned several of the palace guards to his side, the greedy chancellor sought to dethrone Amok and rule Macadamia himself. Fortunately, Trample's plot was exposed and the stolen tax money returned, restoring Macadamia to its former prosperity.
Points of Interest - City
Summary: The kingdom of Macadamia has long held sway over commerce in the land it occupies, an arid country of stone canyons and soft sands freckled by palm trees. The broad-leafed trees act almost as signposts, guiding trading caravans until they catch sight of the city of Macadamia, whose glistening gold palace dome beckons merchants with the promise of fortunes to be made.As stunning by night as it is by day, Macadamia embodies all the mystery and enchantment told in legendary stories of the far east. Its history of late contains a little original intrigue, authored by the no-good Chancellor Trample in his bid for royal power.
[1.] Marketplace & City Gates - Macadamia is a trade city, a focal point for the exchange of merchandise and goods. Money blooms in the desert from trade conducted on either side of the city's imposing walls, which divide trafficking merchants from Macadamia's resident shopkeepers. On the outside is the free marketplace, where any vendor can pitch his tent and peddle consumables, fabrics, and livestock. Within the city walls are local stores offering a variety of homegrown items, including chocolate-covered nuts (Macadamia's biggest export). The main gate has doors ornamented with brass knockers shaped like the king's face. The doors are barred after sunset, the normal end of the business day in Macadamia, to secure the city until next morning's dawn.
[2.] The Streets of Macadamia - The streets of Macadamia are desert sand, pressed down by foot, wheel, and camel hoof over the centuries. Byzantine architecture permeates the city, characterized by the onion-shaped domes planted atop buildings and towers. Archways, overhangs, and balconies jut from the sides of the colorful, striped walls. The peace keepers in Macadamia are guards sent out from the royal palace to stop trouble. The king's guards periodically collect tribute from his subjects; one might think the taxes onerous if not for the fact that everyone does very well by business in Macadamia.
Points of Interest - The King's Palace
Summary: Like something out of a fairy tale or ancient story, the royal palace of Macadamia represents the pinnacle of the kingdom's splendor. Ornately decorated in bands of blue, gold, and earthen hue, it overlooks the city and the marketplace from just behind the main gate. Impressive to behold from any vantage point, the palace is indisputably the city's most striking feature. Much more meets the eye inside the palace than out. The wealth of Macadamia has inspired many a legend of magnificent treasures hidden within the palace walls — tales more telling than one might predict, as we shall see.
[1.] Throne Room - The desert kingdom of Macadamia is a sovereignty presently run by King Amok. He and his daughter, the lovely Princess Lotta Lamour, rule their subjects justly and have seen their kingdom through some troubled times. The spirited Princess Lamour tempers her compassion for her people with a strong will, and serves as a steadying influence upon her excitable, yet benevolent father. The king's audience chamber is a grand court with tapestries hanging between chandeliers, windows leading to outside balconies, and braziers burning merrily along the walkway up to King Amok's throne. The golden peacocks perched on the back of the chair are the traditional emblems of Macadamia's royal house. Seated on the throne with the princess at his left hand, King Amok administers justice, grants trade agreements, and safeguards the precious monies committed to his trust. The doorway to the king's right leads to his personal chambers. Never is the king without protection in his own palace. Armed guards stand outside the door, ready to rush in at a moment's notice. In addition, the pull of a cord opens the mouth of a great furnace under the pathway; a surefire deterrent for would-be attackers.
[2.] Palace Hallways - The labyrinth of passages and corridors inside the palace complex make the interior resemble a small city of its own. Most rooms have high ceilings, some expanding into atriums that take in two floors. Alcoves in the hallways hold pots and decorative vases; lamps and braziers are everywhere, as are houseplants. As King Amok gets few visitors, the halls and staircases are empty aside from burly, sword-carrying guards that patrol the palace.
[3.] Outdoor Court & Gardens - A pleasant outdoor garden awaits at the back of the palace; this private court is reserved for members of the royal family and their welcomed guests. The garden's delights include fragrant flowers and manicured hedges, as well as porcelain sculptures placed on pedestals within the greenery. Afternoon browsers may relax on a bench near the hedge maze, or under a canopy next to the fountain and reflecting pool. Others may stop and say hello to the palace pet, a gray cat that has made the garden its home.
[4.] Royal Suite - Those in search of the greatest example of Macadamian hospitality need look no further than the royal suite of Macadamia's palace. On an upper floor directly over the throne room itself, this living space proves why the desert kingdom became famous for wealth and generosity. Long-ago rulers of Macadamia kept the royal suite for distinguished persons and foreign ambassadors, in order to make a good impression on their guests. During King Amok's reign, Chancellor Trample claimed the royal suite for himself; when his duties were ended, so was the habit of allowing the king's adviser to occupy this coveted space. It would be impossible for guests not to be comfortable in a room like this: everything in the royal suite is engineered for convenience and luxury at one's fingertips. Lounging around on a pile of huge pillows and picking peeled plums out of a dish, one cannot help but fall into a state of utter relaxation. (No wonder there were never any foreign disputes, if diplomats got this sort of treatment!) This being the case, the royal suite's role in diplomatic overtures seems to explain the air of mystery and political intrigue that always surrounded it. Macadamia's past rulers were generous but not stupid, and preferred to move freely about their own palace despite the presence of strangers. This would then explain the installation of secret doors and passageways connecting key rooms in the palace, with which each generation of royals were well accustomed.
[5.] The Treasure Room - Stories carried home by visiting dignitaries and rumours among Macadamia's locals of the fabulous fortune kept by their leaders, over the years, took on a life of their own and developed into legend. Greatest of these was the notion that somewhere inside the royal palace was a vast treasure vault bearing the riches of many kings. Every generation in Macadamia believed these fairy tales, and eventually the royal family themselves accepted the legends as true. Every legend has some basis in fact: Princess Lotta Lamour did discover a room filled with treasure in the royal suite, behind a secret door opened by a switch in the bedpost. However, what she found was all the tax money which the traitorous Chancellor Trample had stolen to pay for his reign as Macadamia's next king. Many citizens accept this as proof of the legend; others are unconvinced, and some insist that the fabled hoard still remains hidden within the royal fortress.
Denizens of Macadamia
[1.] King Amok - The aged and congenial rabbit monarch of the Kingdom of Macadamia and Princess Lotta Lamour's father. Dressed in a cross between a king and a court jester, he appears at first as not too bright but is a shrewd leader who is manipulated by his scheming Royal Chancellor Trample to consider abdicating his throne by making him believe he's too incompetent to rule the people and almost allows him to marry Princess Lotta against her wishes in order to restore the faith of the monarchy. After the plot fails, Amok frugally rewards Baloo and Louie with the cargo order of ten sacks of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and an invoice of $192.12 that they came for in the first place. Voiced by the late Howard Morris.
[2.] Princess Lotta Lamour - The vixen crown princess of the Middle-Eastern Kingdom of Macadamia is smart, beautiful and strong in comparison to her seemingly dim-witted monarch rabbit father King Amuck and not only becomes the target for Baloo and Louie's affections during a cargo pick-up to the country, but also of the power-hungry buzzard Chancellor Trample who wants to marry her in order to run the kingdom in staging a palace coup d'etat by withholding back the tax money of the national treasury to create a public uprising that she, Baloo and Louie foil in time. Although she does like both Baloo and Louie, she does not fall for either one of them but is grateful for restoring her kingdom back to the rightful rulers. Voiced by Kath Soucie.
[3.] Chancellor Trample - A conniving vulture out to ursurp the throne of King Amok in order to gain the riches of the royal house of Macadamia at first by secretly raising taxes to make the king unpopular and the kingdom's citizens and coffers poor. At the time of Baloo and Louie's arrival, he hatches another scheme to marry Amok's daughter Princess Lotta Lamour as the three of them attempt to uncover the plot despite him having his own small army of Royal Guard rhinos at his command. When Trample's plans go awry, he confesses his crimes (after seeing King Amok welding a giant golden hammer), begging to be locked up and tortured than endure more of Baloo and Louie's antics, which all parties agreed heartily. Voiced by Jim Cummings for the first part; and then Michael Rye for the rest.
[4.] Trample's Guards - Rhino guards wearing purple pants, royal purple vests and pink hats welding scimitars. The voices are currently unknown.
Maswich Village [Double or Nothing]
Summary of Area: The lakeside town called Maswich Village is a quiet, peaceful community, albeit with one very serious problem: cats. Hundreds of stray felines for years occupied the streets and docks of Maswich Village, sheer torture for the allergic locals. Fortunately, a pair of Cape Suzette traders — now regarded as the town's heroes — brought with them "Sparky the Half-Pint Sled Dog," who chased all the cats out of Maswich Village. Free to breathe again, the grateful townspeople have made Sparky their honorary village watchdog.
Mogabi Desert [Paradise Lost]
Summary of Area: Over a million square acres of sand make up the Mogabi Desert, a scorching expanse of barren wilderness. Except for the most determined archeologists and explorers, few people bother travelling all the way to the Mogabi, regarding the desert as nothing more than an "oversized sandbox." However, rare tales are told of a mysterious valley hidden somewhere within the desert wastes. According to legend, this valley is home to a jungle paradise teeming with prehistoric creatures.
Mondo Bobo [Double or Nothing]
Summary of Area: Relatively small and obscure, the desert kingdom of Mondo Bobo is a rather out-of-the-way trading outpost. Being so far removed from the rest of civilization, the people of Mondo Bobo practice some very peculiar customs. One of the most peculiar is their "Olympic Diving Competition," held once every generation to select the next heir to the throne.Participants in the diving competition hurl themselves from a high cliff onto solid ground many feet below. Whoever scores a perfect 10 not only gets to marry the chieftain's daughter, but also gains the royal inheritance. Divers must slow their descent to achieve higher scores (and sustain fewer injuries), usually by means of a parachute or some such device. With this in mind, sharp traders can make a bundle by selling ordinary umbrellas to the locals during the diving competition.
Mongrelia [The Golden Sprocket of Friendship]
Summary of Area: A relatively modest cultural center, the nation of Mongrelia has made several contributions to the performing arts, particularly dance and the theater. Among the most notable of these are the "Mongrelian Mimes," a troupe of performers whose elaborate pantomime routines are featured at the annual Cape Suzette Friendship Festival, as well as on international tours.
Moola Boola [Double or Nothing]
Summary of Area: None at this time. I lost my notes.
Denizens of Moola Boola
[1.] Bobo The Trader - A grey rabbit furry mechanic who is resident of the island. He wears blue overalls, light blue scarf, red shirt; and a hat which acts like a slot machine/cash register. Known to be honest and sneaky at the same time. Voiced by Frank Welker.
Moose Lake [Idol Rich]
Summary of Area: The central lake in the area known as the "Land of 1,001 Lakes," Moose Lake is one of the most distinct spots in this territory, so named because its shape vaguely resembles the silhouette of a moose's head and antlers. Unlike the other lakes in this region, Moose Lake is filled not with water but with a thick oily sludge, slippery enough to make seaplane landings and boat navigation hazardous. For this reason, Moose Lake became the perfect hiding place for the legendary Idol of Kafusalum, an ancient artifact stolen centuries ago and hidden in the Land of 1,001 Lakes. No one had any clues to where the idol was hidden, aside from the cryptic phrase, "Right under your nose," which supposedly referred to the idol's location. The true meaning of this phrase becomes clear when Moose Lake is viewed upside-down, revealing the shape of a nose and mustache! The "nostril" of Moose Lake (or the moose's "eye," as viewed) is actually a small island containing a foreboding lagoon known as the Fire Swamp. The swamp pool collects a strange bubbling liquid which bursts into flame through some unknown chemical reaction. The trees and land surrounding the lagoon are rigged with a network of booby traps, designed to keep trespassers from escaping with the lost idol.
Myopia [Mentioned in The Time Bandit]
Summary of Area: The coastal nation of Myopia is a leader in the scientific studies of optometry and astronomy. Unusually clear skies year-round and open vantage points make Myopia a prime spot to view celestial bodies such as "Cleanser's Comet."
Did You Know? - Myopia is known as a condition of being near sighted. It's also a metaphor for being short sighted in a reality based world.
New Fedora [Stormy Weather]
Summary of Area: The small mountain locale of New Fedora, established atop a vast range of hills, is home to the New Fedora Airfield, where stunt flyers and air shows perform on a regular basis. New Fedora was the place where stunt pilot Daring Dan Dawson (of "Daring Dan's Dazzling Circus of the Air") was apprehended and brought to justice, on charges of exploitation and intentional endangerment of his performance partners, the last being a 12 year old male bear cub.
Nomad's Land [The Bigger They Are, The Louder They Oink]
Summary of Area: The barren plains of Nomad's Land are among the most inhospitable of wilderness areas. Tall stone buttes and sagebrush occupy these desolate badlands, which serve as a home for wandering nomad tribes. Fierce and extremely hostile warriors, the nomads of Nomad's Land commonly ride wild ostriches (no relation to Gorilla Birds), whose tail feathers are of great value to certain merchants.
Denizens of Nomad's Land
[1.] Nomads - Mostly male furry goats wearing red pants, red capes and red turbans. They are known for their archery skills and ride on ostriches. The ostriches and Nomad riders are voiced by Frank Welker.
NoSmokey Mountains [Baloo Thunder]
Summary of Area: Located several miles from Cape Suzette, the NoSmoky Mountains are a series of isolated rock columns separated by forested valleys. Many, many years ago, the NoSmoky region was heavy with volcanic activity, concentrated mainly in the tallest peaks of the mountain range. Fortunately, all of the active volcanoes in the area have since shut down, allowing the NoSmoky region to develop lush forest growth. The peacefulness and solitude of the NoSmoky Mountains makes it the perfect spot for quiet thinking. Khan Industries inventor Buzz has taken advantage of the NoSmokies' tranquility to construct his own private "thinking spot" within one of the area's now-dormant volcanoes. Outfitted with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, Buzz's cavern retreat allows him to escape the pressures of Khan Tower and concentrate solely on his inventions. To guarantee his privacy, the forest around Buzz's secret retreat is riddled with elaborate automated boobytraps designed by Buzz himself.
[1.] Buzz's Private Retreat - The appearance of a giant bear trap or mechanized hands armed with a huge tennis racquet means that you have just stumbled into the vicinity of Professor Buzz's secret retreat in the NoSmoky Mountains. Familiar with the area for a long time, Buzz found the calming atmosphere of the NoSmokies the ideal cure for frazzled nerves and jumbled thoughts. When he reached the position of Khan Industries' chief inventor, Buzz planted his very own private laboratory in the center of a burned-out volcanic peak — a thinking spot where he could unwind and dream up new inventions, free from workplace hassles. Determined to keep snoops and spies from disrupting his top-secret work, Buzz has placed automated defenses in the forest floor and tree canopy to drive away troublemakers. So effective are these robotic traps that Buzz pays visitors virtually no heed, but he will disarm the devices if he expects company. A tunnel entrance to Buzz's secluded laboratory lies beneath a camouflage mat within the trap zone; unwitting persons may stumble upon the opening by accident and unceremoniously drop in for a visit. Other, less painful means of entry are also available, known to invited guests and Buzz himself. The chimney-like central cavern of the mountain, opening to the sky, serves as the main work area. Buzz stores scientific equipment, castoff inventions, and miscellaneous junk in the numerous caves adjoining the spacious laboratory chamber. In seclusion, Buzz tinkers with devices and scribbles down thoughts and inspirations; the professor claims that some of his best ideas came to him during vacations here, away from Khan Tower.
Panda-La {Think China} [Last Horizons]
Summary of Area: The "City Beyond the Last Horizon," the mysterious civilization known as Panda-La is perhaps the grandest legend known to explorers. An ancient city somewhere in the mountains of the far east, magnificent Panda-La was supposedly filled with wonders beyond imagining — giant pagodas that reached up to the sky, gold and silver treasures rivalling those of the world's richest empires, and much more. Though the story of Panda-La had existed for untold centuries, no one could prove whether or not the city really existed. Many explorers tried desperately to locate the legendary civilization, but could never reach it. As they explained, Panda-La would be right in front of them, a glimpse just over the next mist-shrouded hill — but after a mad rush to reach the spot, the explorers would find nothing. Countless searches for the elusive city all ended the same. If it ever did exist, Panda-La truly was "beyond the last horizon," always too far away to grasp. The one person with the best chance of finding Panda-La was Baloo, who had a similar encounter with the lost city several years ago. Determined to prove himself as worthy of public praise as celebrated explorer Monty Mangrove, Baloo left Kit, Rebecca, and his other companions behind in a quest to find the City Beyond the Last Horizon. Days passed before a violent sandstorm stranded the Sea Duck in a desolate mountainous region; but here, Baloo finally discovered what he'd travelled the globe to find — the city of Panda-La. Nestled in a fertile valley on a huge rock perched high atop a mountain peak, Panda-La indeed had all the making of the legends. Giant pagodas filled the mountaintop countryside, and the Pandas themselves were friendly and prosperous, just as the legends claimed. Warmly greeted by the city's leader Wan-Lo, Baloo was quickly accepted into the Panda-La culture and shown all the wonders of the city, including Wan-Lo's palace and his massive treasure room. Eager to please their "honoured guest," Wan-Lo and his people offered Baloo every courtesy imaginable.
But despite their generosity, the Pandas acted somehow cautious and reserved, as if they were harbouring some secret. When Baloo returned to Cape Suzette, that dark secret was revealed. Transformed into a monstrous airborne armada, the entire city of Panda-La had followed Baloo home, with the sole intention of conquering Cape Suzette. The Pandas of Panda-La proved themselves an exceptionally duplicitous people, pleasant on the outside but treacherous and warlike underneath. In their floating cities, the Pandas had been able to conquer ancient cities (at least those foolish enough to send ambassadors to them) by means of powerful weapons. Not all Pandas were ruthless as those of Panda-La — these lived to conquer, and where they conquered, they lived. This peculiar trend also explained the aforementioned elusiveness of the city. With inflatable balloons stored in each building, the entire city could move to a different location in a matter of hours. Armed with cannons and special heat-seeking missiles designed to chase aircraft, the Pandas laid waste to Cape Suzette's cliff guns and defence squadron. Most of Cape Suzette evacuated before Baloo, vowing to make up for his terrible mistake, flew off on a virtual suicide mission to destroy the flying city. Aided by his friends, Baloo heroically managed to wipe out the entire Panda-La fleet — sending the City Beyond the Last Horizon to its final resting place, beneath the waves of Cape Suzette's harbour.
Denizens of Panda-La
[1.] Wan-Lo - Is the panda emperor of the city of Panda-La (read Shangri-La). When Baloo rediscovered the city and told him and his people to visit Cape Suzette, Wan Lo jumped at the chance and ordered them to fly the city there to invade and conquer it. With heat-seeking missiles as their weapons, Panda-La took over the town. Being branded as a traitor, Baloo sought to redeem himself with the help of Rebecca, Kit, Wildcat and Louie. Filling the Sea Duck with ice, Baloo evaded the missiles and destroyed Panda-La forever.
Pazuza [Your Baloo's In the Mail]
Summary of Area: The sprawling coastal metropolis of Pazuza, about a twelve-hour flight from Cape Suzette, is one of the most prosperous cities in modern times. Second only to Cape Suzette in affluence, Pazuza was a major trade centre for seafaring cargo haulers prior to the Great War. After the War ended, Pazuza enjoyed tremendous economic growth brought on by a post-war surge in business and international trade. Dozens of cargo ferries and freighters crowd into Pazuza Harbor each day, as many of the city's businesses rely on overseas shipping. Because Pazuza has such a prosperous economy, the city can afford to sponsor large sweepstakes giveaways. The largest one thus far — the "Hundred-Thousand Dollar Pazuza Sweepstakes" — offered a grand prize which the winner could claim by mailing their ticket to the Pazuza Sweepstakes Office (3270 Chickabin Hill) by 8 a.m. the following day. Not only do these events generate considerable revenue for the Pazuza city administration through sales of sweepstakes tickets, but they also have made Pazuza extremely well-known to the public.
Did You Know? - Pazuza is in Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, a version of Pazuzu (sometimes Fazuzu or Pazuza) who was the king of the demons of the wind, and son of the god Hanbi. He also represented the southwestern wind, the bearer of storms and drought. Pazuzu is the demon of the southwest wind known for bringing famine during dry seasons, and locusts during rainy seasons. Pazuzu was said to be invoked in amulets, which combat the powers of his rival,[1] the malicious goddess Lamashtu, who was believed to cause harm to mother and child during childbirth. Although Pazuzu is, himself, an evil spirit, he drives away other evil spirits, therefore protecting humans against plagues and misfortunes.
Denizens of Pazuza
[1.] Pazuza Sweepskates Clerk - A Thembrian warthog/boar male with black hair and wearing a brown suit with blue tie. He runs the Pazuza Sweepstakes Office on Chickabin Hill in Pazuza. Voiced by the late Edmund Gilbert.
[2.] Jaywalking Policeman - A police officer who catches jaywalkers and gives a Baloo a ticket for jaywalking just seconds before the winning entry was disqualified. Voiced by Jim Cummings.
Pirate Island [Various Episodes]
Summary of Area: The mysterious spot called Pirate Island, its location known only by the Air Pirates, serves as Don Karnage's stronghold and the hidden den of the Iron Vulture. Suspected of housing formidable defenses as well as the Air Pirates' treasures, weapons, planes, and belongings, Pirate Island provides the Air Pirates with a place of refuge — not to mention a concealed base of operations from which Don Karnage can launch attacks on cargo shipments, spy on the outside world, and plot mischief. From accounts by sources who wish to remain anonymous, Pirate Island is just one in a cluster of volcanic islands far from Cape Suzette. Enshrouded in mist and fog from the frequently gloomy weather, these uncharted islands are rather difficult to locate without precise navigation. Sea gulls, buzzards, and sparse pine trees are the only signs of life on the desolate peaks. Many flyers and sailors purposely steer clear of this foreboding region, making it the perfect area for the Air Pirates to establish their secret lair. For secrecy's sake, Pirate Island is located not behind the volcanoes but inside one of them. Many if they knew would question the wisdom of operating a pirate base deep in the bowels of a potentially active volcano, but Don Karnage views the unusual location of his hideout as an advantage. Certainly, no one would go looking for a pirate base inside a volcano unless they knew it were there. The deep caverns running throughout Pirate Island, formed by centuries of erosion and past volcanic activity, contain underground streams and vast pools of molten lava. Within these hellish environs, the Air Pirates house their weapon caches, living and sleeping areas, workshops, and storage rooms. Very little excavation has been done to the island's interior, except to clear tunnels or expand existing chambers. The exact location of Pirate Island is the Air Pirates' single most carefully-kept secret. Even the Air Police, despite ongoing investigations, questioning, and exhaustive research, have failed to come up with coordinates pinpointing the whereabouts of the pirate base. Judging from sightings of the Iron Vulture in the middle of the ocean — as well as the range of the Vulture's travels and the pattern of pirate attacks in the vicinity of Usland — authorities surmise that Pirate Island resides somewhere southeast of Cape Suzette. Unfortunately, with hundreds of small, uninhabited islands dotting the South Seas, the Air Police face a daunting search.
Points of Interest
[1.] The Air Pirate's Lair: Main Entrance - Camouflage is the crucial element in keeping the Air Pirates' presence on Pirate Island a secret. The Air Pirates hide the main entrance to their base behind a pair of massive doors on one side of the island. Covered with a phony rock surface, these motorized doors open in response to a special signal from the Iron Vulture's radio transmitter, revealing an immense cavern within the island large enough to hold the airship, with room to spare for additional vessels. The pirates use a small tugboat to guide the Vulture to a loading dock at the far end of the cave, and to turn the ship around for takeoff.
[2.] Back Door Entrance - Sea-based aircraft may use the secondary "back door" entrance on the other side of the mountain. Entering Pirate Island this way involves a tricky flight into a thick fog bank covering what, from above, appears to be nothing but solid rock. However, aerial approach at a low angle — cutting under the fog — reveals a series of rocks arranged like a rib cage. Beyond these obstacles lies a watery inlet, emptying into a underground stream which leads straight through the mountain. The Air Pirates leave this entrance deserted most of the time, using it only when they need to dispatch pirate transports or when the main entrance is somehow inaccessible. Those who would try to use the back entrance to sneak into Pirate Island soon find that their harrowing landing was the easiest part. Pursuing the route through the darkened, twisty tunnels takes intruders into the very core of Pirate Island's volcanic system — a subterranean lake of flaming hot lava, navigated only by hopping across rock platforms suspended on ropes or teetering on top of giant stalagmites. Even after this, the worst is yet to come, as deadly, hidden booby traps put careless cave lurkers on the pathway to their doom. Things look different coming out from the inside; a tunnel from the pirates' workshop provides an alternate path to the back entrance, ending right where the more hazardous, more apparent route begins (where the paths join is impossible to tell in the shadows).
[3.] Treasure Room - The heart of Pirate Island is the treasure room, a vast chamber of interconnected caves holding the Air Pirates' plunder. Like all good pirate treasure troves, the torchlit room holds stacks of coins, trunks of jewels, piles of priceless trinkets, and bags of gold dust. Antiques, souvenirs from notable captures, and a rare prize or two round out the inventory nicely. Don Karnage spends many hours in the treasure room, admiring his own reflection in the shiny collection of stolen gold and silver valuables. The Air Pirates use the area as a meeting place to go over plans, recount tales of past missions, or listen to Karnage's latest treasure-stealing ideas.
[4.] Workshop - Larger even than the treasure room is Pirate Island's workshop, where practically all the Air Pirates' mechanical experiments and repairs take place. Supervised by head pirate mechanic Ratchet, the workshop provides the pirates with enough space and materials to rebuild, equip, and maintain machines as large as aircraft. A giant furnace, used for melting down metals, feeds directly into a vent in the top of the island, brilliantly masking the furnace exhaust as volcanic smoke. Crates and scattered bundles of treasure lie strewn about the workshop until transferred to other areas. Railroad tracks run from the shop to the vast main cavern for transporting planes, ammunition, and supplies to and from the waiting Iron Vulture. Another tunnel in the far wall leads to Pirate Island's back entrance.
[5.] Dungeon - Few prisoners get to visit Pirate Island, as the Iron Vulture has cells aplenty in its brig. Karnage may decide, however, that an important captive must be whisked away to the pirates' lair for safe keeping until ransom is paid. Those who've been unlucky guests of the Air Pirates report that the base is almost completely deserted when Karnage and company are out on a heist; only a handful of slow-witted guards remain. Other portions of Pirate Island include storage rooms for weapons, fuel, and foodstuffs; a kitchen and mess hall; training and recreation areas; and personal quarters for the pirates (including Don Karnage). Torches are chosen for illumination and warmth over electric lamps, as running a generator and power grid large enough to light up the whole base would be impractical.
[6.] Outdoor Balcony - The pirates find accomodations in the dank caves less than pleasant, but are willing to trade comfort for security. On the rare days when the weather clears, Don Karnage seizes the opportunity to soak up the sun's rays. A carved stone balcony, one of the captain's favourite spots to relax, once overlooked the ocean from the west face of Pirate Island — Karnage often spent entire afternoons basking in the sun there, with underlings attending to his every whim. An unfortunate brush with the Iron Vulture has since reduced the outcropping to rubble — a minor setback for Karnage, who plans to have his men carve another balcony just as soon as he selects the next-best spot.
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Don Karnage {Leader/Commander} - The leader of a group of air pirates and commander of the massive airship, the Iron Vulture. He is the main antagonist in the series. He is a wolf, according to Jymn Magon.[9] A skilled pilot and ruthlessly cunning with an over-sized ego that makes him blunder with whatever scheme or raid he conducts with his brigands, he speaks /t/ and /d/ as dental consonants rather than the normal English Alveolar consonants. When dogfighting he flies a hybrid that appears to be based on a low-wing monoplane but with wings added so that it is actually a triplane. Voiced by Jim Cummings who has cited Ricky Ricardo as an inspiration.
[2.] Dumptruck {2nd in Command} - Appearing to be second in command to Don Karnage since he was made captain of the Iron Vulture by Don Karnage in his absence in one episode. He is a hulking Great Dane who speaks with a thick Swedish-Dutch accent and wears a top hat with a purple feather on the right side. He is frequently paired with Mad Dog. Voiced by Chuck McCann.
[3.] Sadie - The short, fat, brown pirate who has a grey mustache and wears a Viking helmet. Voiced by Chuck McCann.
[4.] Mad Dog {General} - Scrawny canine with a "Fu Manchu" style mustache and wears aviator goggles on his head, usually seen in the company of Dumptruck., but sometimes as Don Karnage's sidekick/whipping boy type. He has a whiny, nasal voice. Voiced by Charles Adler.
[5.] Hacksaw - The big yellowish coloured dingo pirate who has sticks of dynamite strapped around his arms and has his ears tied together. He speaks with a whining, Australian accent. Voiced by Charles Adler.
[6.] Gibber {Don Karnage's Adviser} - The pirate who whispers advice and such into Karnage's ear. He has never spoken a word louder than his mumbles. Voiced by Chuck McCann.
[7.] Hal - Large, overweight, tan cat. Seen in only a few episodes, his only major role in the series (and probably the only one where he spoke) was when he accompanied Dumptruck and Mad Dog on their mission to take over the cliff guns ("Jumping the Guns"). His name stemmed from a throwaway line spoken by Don Karnage in Plunder & Lightning: "Open the bomb bay doors please, Hal"., which is a reference to the famous line spoken by Dave in 2001: A Space Odyssey: "Open the pod bay doors please, HAL". Voiced by Frank Welker.
[8.] "Scottie" Jock - A black Scottish terrier and head engineer of the Iron Vulture. Voiced by the late Tony Jay.
Did You Know? - TaleSpin DVD release of Volume 1 verified it in the hearing-impaired English subtitles as being "Jock," due to his thick Scottish burr that made his name sound like it was "Jacques" instead. Don Karnage mistakenly calls him "Scotty"; a tongue-in-cheek reference by the writers to the famous Star Trek character portrayed by James Doohan. Jock originally is from the Walt Disney film Lady and the Tramp.
[9.] Will - Don Karnage's second mate, seen very briefly as part of a single gag: Don Karnage ordered his crew to "Fire at will!". Ever obedient, they began shooting at Will running past Karnage instead of the Sea Duck. His voice is unknown at this time.
[10.] Ratchet - The mechanic of the group, who helped put together the lightning gun in the pilot episode Plunder & Lightning. Voiced by Rob Paulsen.
[11 .] Kit Cloudkicker (1935-1936) - See Kit Cloudkicker (Cape Suzette entry).
Pokahiya Mountains [Plunder and Lightning]
Summary of Area: The Pokahiya Mountains are a scenic range of grassy slopes and limestone crags interlocked between lush valleys hundreds of feet below. The picturesque peaks make the Pokahiya Mountains a favorite spot of hikers and mountaineers, who drink in the verdant beauty of the valleys while scaling sheer rock faces toward the deep blue sky. Air traffic over the mountain range is rare, as the area is undeveloped and unpopulated aside from the occasional roaming nature lover. It was over the Pokahiya Mountains that Khan Industries Flight 127 was jumped by Air Pirates, resulting in the theft of a top-secret project.
Prince Neverhas Bin-broak's Kingdom [I Only Have Ice For You]
Summary of Area: This minor desert kingdom belongs to Prince Neverhas Bin-Broak, a wealthy and whimsical foreign ruler. The kingdom covers much of the barren wilderness, governed from the prince's small central palace. Surrounded by servants and attendants, Prince Neverhas Bin-Broak fell heir to a multi-million shaboozie fortune, enabling him to fulfil his most outrageous desires — like having a whole iceberg delivered to the desert palace, so he could make his very own private ski slope!
[1.] Prince Neverhas Bin-broak - An eccentric but kindly hyena ruler of an unnamed Middle Eastern desert country who requests Higher for Hire to deliver a large iceberg to his country in order to create a ski slope near his palace that the crew manage to pull off, despite being temporarily hijacked by the Air Pirates thinking that diamonds are hidden in it and a know-it-all Rebecca who flies the Sea Duck in delivering it due to Baloo's suspended licence to fly temporarily. Wears a turban and tunic, speaks with a stereotypical Indian accent and has his own harem (seen briefly with him in "The Golden Sprocket of Friendship")
Prison Island [Bringing Down Babyface]
Summary of Area: A desolate land mass hundreds of miles off the shores of Cape Suzette, Prison Island is the location of a maximum-security penitentiary, renowned for holding some of society's worst criminals. Patrolled by dozens of guards and completely isolated from the mainland, Prison Island is virtually inescapable. Among the infamous inmates serving time at Prison Island are safe-cracker Babyface Half-Nelson, and mobster Heimlech Menudo (author of an elaborate criminal plan called the "Heimlech Maneuver").
Scatmandu [Ransom Of The Red Chimp]
Summary of Area: The small country of Scatmandu is among the busiest, hippest, and fastest-growing regions in the civilized world. Owing much of its popularity to pilots, Scatmandu hosts the annual "Scatmandu Championship Air Race," a challenge of speed and skill that attracts several hotshot flyers. The current champion is Louise L'amour, a five-time winner of the Scatmandu Air Race (though she and ace pilot Jacques Tujour were both absent from the most recent competition).
Seymour's Seaquarium [All's Whale That Ends Whale]
Summary of Area: Advertised as the "Wettest Show on Earth," Seymour's 'See-More' Seaquarium was formerly a popular tourist attraction, located in a tropical region next to the ocean. A collection of ramshackle buildings made up the seaquarium, which featured aquatic exhibits ranging from fish to trained seals. Three large water tanks at the center of the seaquarium, flanked by rows of bleachers, formed the "stage" for Seymour's underwater circus. One of these tanks held three rare tiger sharks, the second and largest served as the seaquarium's main performance tank, and the third contained Seymour's main attraction, the fabulous jumping whale named Moby Dimple. An old batyscaph at the front of the seaquarium served as Seymour's ticket office and private quarters. Daily shows at the seaquarium were held in the morning and afternoon, hosted by Seymour himself in front of a sellout crowd. Each show culminated in an impressive grand finale, a 50-foot leap by Moby Dimple through the fiery "Hoop of Doom." Profitable as it was, Seymour's Seaquarium had its share of problems, most of them involving the frequent disappearance of Moby Dimple from his holding tank into the nearby ocean. Moby Dimple was found and returned to the seaquarium numerous times, but soon accusations surfaced against Seymour for mistreating his animals. A preliminary inspection of the water park by A.C.H.O.O. (the Agency Concerned with the Happiness of Oceanic Oddities) turned up nothing. More thorough investigations conducted by Inspector Burrough revealed that Seymour was in fact guilty of cruelty to animals. Furthermore, Seymour's personal gyrocopter carried an illegal Smith-&-Wesson-Oil double-barreled harpoon as part of its special "whale-retrieval" equipment. Despite Seymour's claims that the weapon was merely a museum piece, he was arrested and his park has been shut down, its creatures set free into the ocean.
Related Organizations
[1.] ACHOO - The Agency Concerned with the Happiness of Oceanic Oddities — is a humane organization devoted to the protection of aquatic life. Through its connections with law enforcement, the agency prosecutes sea poachers and confiscates illegal weapons used to hunt whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures. A.C.H.O.O. agents certify zoos, water parks, and seaquariums and make inspections on an annual basis, looking for signs of animal mistreatment. Among anti-cruelty groups, A.C.H.O.O is is considered the best at what it does, thanks to the diligent work of Inspector Burrough and his fellow agents.
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Seymour - . Voiced by the late Hamilton Camp.
Notable Animals/Denizens
[1.] Moby Dimple - . Voiced by Frank Welker.
[2.] Inspector Burrough - .
Sherlock Retirement Home [Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: A community of senior citizens and retirees, the Sherlock Retirement Home offers comfortable living spaces for tenants on the brink of collecting social security or well into their golden years. A delicacy served at the retirement home are red herrings, flown in by the crateful from Cape Suzette.
Skull Island [Molly Coddled]
Summary Of Area: The foreboding isle called Skull Island is an extremely desolate spot, so named because of the peculiar shape of the island's central mountain. Surrounded by a dense jungle, Skull Mountain is actually an ancient storehouse for the largest ruby in the world. Caves within the mountain itself feature elaborate booby traps and security devices, designed to keep trespassers away from the valuable gem. However, a petty thief named Covington managed to infiltrate Skull Mountain and abscond with the ruby talisman, only to carelessly drop the precious jewel into a pool of slime.
Points of Interest
[1.] Skull Mountain - The caves hidden in the heart of Skull Island are said to be the work of a foreign ruler who had among his treasures a fabulous talisman of pure ruby, the largest in the world. The potentate hid the jewel deep within Skull Mountain, concealing the entrance to his storehouse behind a barrier unlocked only by a special key. From the counterweights tied to the lock mechanism that automatically opens the cave door to the entryway torch that lights itself, the Skull Island storehouse contains small wonders of ancient engineering. Traps include falling swords large enough to cut a man in two, and dropaway tile floors suspended over bubbling slime pools.
[2.] Skull Island Storehouse - A small shack on the docks used to store stuff. The raccoon crooks use it to "hold" Molly Cunningham "hostage" until Baloo and company arrive with the Cara Doll/Cara Stone.
Ancient Items
[1.] The Cara Stone/Cara Doll - Also known as "The largest pure ruby in the world; the rare and illustrious Skull Island Talisman" was a priceless treasure known to only a few of the richest rulers of the ancient world. Cut from one of the largest rubies ever found, this exquisite jewel is shaped like a small cat figurine and possesses a brilliant glow, as well as a value that would bring its possessor "wealth beyond imagining." The talisman's last owner took great pains to ensure its safety, storing it inside a hidden cave deep within Skull Island. A wooden doll — an exact replica of the gem — was designed as a key which would unlock a secret door in the side of Skull Mountain, providing access to the hidden caves where the ruby was kept. The talisman was sought by a petty thief known as Covington, who acquired its wooden counterpart and intended to claim the gem as his own. However, an unexpected mix up with old rivals forced him to ditch the doll, which was recovered by Molly Cunningham. A series of adventures led to Skull Island itself, where Covington found the ruby. Unfortunately, the priceless gem slipped out of his hands and fell into an underground pool, lost for good.
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Convington - A smooth-talking, debonair jaguar con artist who wears a moustache, sharp clothing and a toupee. During a high-speed boat chase around Cape Suzette's inner harbour, he stashed an ancient wooden cat talisman that lead to a rich treasure on Skull Island in the Sea Duck to hide it from two criminal badger associates he recently double crossed. When Molly discovered it and took it for a doll the next morning, he charmed Rebecca's heart in order to get to the doll. Molly saw him for what he was and knowing that he was really not interested in her mother, did everything she could to drive him away and keep him from getting his hands on the doll. After a series of tangles and shin-kicks from the little girl, he recovered the wooden figurine and briefly possessed the ruby statuette it pointed the way to, only to be foiled by Molly who finally exposed him as a fraud to Rebecca. A little later on, after accidentally letting go of the ruby during a greedy struggle in a bubbling hot mud pit, he was finally caught by his ex-partners and received (off-screen) his just deserts from them. Convington is voiced by Jim Cummings.
[2.] Badger Crooks #1, #2 - Both are former associates of crime to Convington. Convington double crossed them when Convington got the tailsman. Crook #1 dressed similar to Dick Tracey (brown trench coat, brown hat) and is voiced by Jerry Houser. Crook #2 dresses like a sailor with a light blue coat, red sweater and blue winter cap; and is voiced by the late Ronald Feinberg.
Spango-Pango [Stormy Weather/The Girl Of Spango-Pango]
Summary of Area: Coming soon.
Notable Moments
[1.] The Spango-Pango Dive - In one of Baloo and Kit's most exciting escapades, the Sea Duck lost both engines over Spango-Pango while flying a rush delivery, and plummeted straight down nearly 10,000 feet! Fortunately, Baloo was able to pull up in the nick of time. Though terrifying when it happened, the "Spango-Pango Dive" is today one of Kit and Baloo's favourite memories.
Starrywood [A Star is Torn]
Summary of Area: The motion picture capital of the world, Starrywood — located on the northwest coast of Usland — is the place for actors and filmmaking. "Anything's possible" in Starrywood, which is populated by some of the biggest names in movies. Among the scores of movie stars in Starrywood are actor Bumphrey Hogart (regarded by female fans as the world's dreamiest leading man) and actress Kitten Kaboodle, who is now retired from motion pictures after sabotaging her most recent film's production for publicity to support her faltering career.
Points of Interest
[1.] Tantamount Studios - Many production houses and studios make their homes beneath the Starrywood hills, but whatever their importance, only one above all is Tantamount. Tantamount Studios is the largest motion picture company in the world — certainly the largest in Usland — and one of the most profitable names in show business. Tantamount drives Starrywood's movie industry forward with releases showcasing some of the brightest stars of the silver screen. Actresses and actors such as leading man Bumphrey Hogart got their big break working at Tantamount Studios; with box office returns in excess of one million dollars annually, executives can afford contracts with popular entertainers, from singers to comedians. Inside the studio gates, filmmakers translate scripts to celluloid in every genre — romance, western, drama — hoping theirs is the motion picture that will win them the Oscar. Meanwhile, studio moguls and talent scouts remain on the lookout for star material, any unknown with the talent and ambition to go all the way to the top. As they say in Starrywood, "Anything's possible!"
[a.] Studio Backlot - Tantamount Studios covers several hundred acres of property; studio personnel and tour groups use motor carts to travel long distances. Stage workers and extras populate the studio backlot on any given day. Important areas of the complex include departments for costume and makeup; warehouses holding props, set dressings, and equipment; and facilities for film processing, editing, and storage.
[b.] Sets & Sound Stages - Tantamount Studios has no less than 30 sound stages, some of which are big enough to double as aircraft hangars. Much filming takes place on stages indoors, but sometimes insufficient space and lighting forces movie crews to shoot footage outdoors or "on location." Set construction requires a small army of carpenters, electricians, masons, and decorators under the command of an art director and/or set designer. Sets used in repeated movies (such as a full-scale galleon involved in swashbuckling sea epics) become permanent fixtures on the studio lot. Movie sound stages are supposed to be controlled environments, but film productions are really controlled chaos. Working from scene to scene, directors such as Tantamount veteran C.B. record the incongruous elements that will later be assembled into a unified whole, following the screenplay (or improvising, sometimes to brilliant effect).
[c.] Production Office - Studio production offices are where accountants, clerks, and managers handle the real business of movie making. With average picture costs totalling in the ten thousands of dollars, careful budgeting and tight fiscal management allow producers to maximize the returns on their investments. Directors screen dailies in the projection room, while casting agents audition actors and actresses for new films. The publicity department plays a huge role at Tantamount: positive press can spell the difference between a skyrocketing success and a box-office bombshell.
[d.] Studio Airfield - Aerial themes are a current trend in Starrywood film making, thanks to the public's embrace of pilot heroes in movies of high-flying action and romance. Here at the Tantamount studio airfield, directors create thrilling dogfights and midair chases for their pictures. The stunt planes that stunt pilots use for their work are souped-up versions of older models, usually war fighters with authentic-looking mock weapons. Special effects experts rig smoke bombs to simulate anti-aircraft fire and hits from enemy attack. Careful planning of each stunt sequence ensures that it's the villain who goes down in flames, while the good guy flies away with the girl in his arms.
[2.] La Rotune Restaurant - Cinema fans the world over know that Starrywood is the place to spot movie stars, and there's no better place for stargazing than the elegant "La Rotune" Restaurant. This eatery, located in downtown Starrywood, is the fashionable place to dine for big-name celebrities, who flock there for lunch and dinner. La Rotune serves mainly as a haven for movie stars to escape magazine reporters and autograph hounds. The restaurant maintains a policy of admitting only movie stars and their entourage; La Rotune's owner knows all the famous personages in town, and will summon Brutus the bouncer to show starstruck fans the way out.
Some Of The Most Notable Denizens of Starrywood
[1.] C.V. - A brown platypus who wears mostly all almond gear with a black belt and yellow tie. He usually gives the ninth degree to Montgomery who suffers for it. Voiced by the late Robert Ridgely.
[2.] Montgomery - C.V.'s assistant director who is the only duck furry in the show. Voiced by the late Edmund Gilbert.
[3.] Elephant Camera Man - An elephant furry who is bandaged up and is also a victim of the "accidents" caused by Kitten Kaboodle. Voiced by Patrick Fraley.
[4.] Tantamount Accountant - A turkey furry who seems to be related to the same turkey client from From Here To Machinery. He also suffered an "accident" before meeting Rebecca who mistaken him for being a stunt double. Voiced by the late Edmund Gilbert.
[5.] Clark Gable Monkey Limo Driver - A monkey furry wearing a grey coat and beret hat with fat lips. Voiced by Jack Angel.
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Kitten Kaboodle - A seductive blond feline Starrywood (read "Hollywood") starlet with a husky Lauren Bacall-like voice who acts like a femme fatale and can manipulate any hapless male under her spell. She became a wedge between Baloo and Rebecca's relationship when he saved her life in an accident during a street film shoot and hires him to be a stunt pilot for her next film that's been plagued by a series of accidents by a mysterious saboteur that Rebecca discovers to be herself in order to boost her sagging popularity and poor acting skills. She outed herself during the failed plane accident she set up for the smitten Baloo (who gave her the nickname "Kiki") and was subsequently taken in by the police. Voiced by Tress MacNeille.
Takeover Hostel [Pizza Pie In The Sky]
Summary of Area: This luxurious hotel, located just outside Cape Suzette, is one of the newest and most elegant hotels in the area. Opened just recently to the public, the Takeover Hostel features comfortable staterooms, an excellent staff, indoor dining rooms, and regular air taxi service. Attractive to local conventions, the Takeover Hostel is the current meeting place of the "Better Business Boot Camp" all-day business seminar.
Thembria [Various Episodes]
Summary of Area: Of all countries, kingdoms, and civilizations in the world, the frozen nation of Thembria is one of the most notable and also one of the most peculiar. Throughout its long history, Thembria has been a major influence in world events and politics, however backwards many of its own political and social systems are. Having once commanded a measure of respect during the Great War, Thembria now draws nothing but snide comments from the rest of the world for its repressive government and inept foreign relations. To its credit, Thembria does have a strong military force. One of the largest operational postwar armies in the world, the Glorious People's Army and Air Force serve to protect the "Motherland" and enforce Thembrian ventures abroad. What the Thembrian military lacks in refined tactics and sophisticated equipment it makes up for in brute strength and resilience. Once a wartime ally of Usland — now averse to the "capitalist swine" from Cape Suzette — Thembria is a key player in the delicate balance of international politics.
Points of Interest (Outside The Capital)
[1.] Air Vector Stations - Part of the Glorious People's Air Force's airspace control network, Thembrian "air vectors" serve as navigation checkpoints for aircraft traveling throughout the continent. While most Thembrian pilots don't even know what an air vector is, 10,000 air vectors exist in Thembria, represented by ground control stations such as these. Aircraft, especially those flown by foreigners, must land at designated air vector stations for inspection and security clearance. Most air vectors along Thembrian borders are closed by order of either Colonel Spigot or the High Marshall. Individuals with sufficient rank may be granted special clearance to pass closed checkpoints, but foreigners are rarely allowed to do so even in emergency situations. Once an aircraft lands at a ground station, Thembrian workers run a standard inspection and bomb check on the plane while the pilot's passport is processed for clearance.
[2.] Bomb Factories - Once one of Thembria's major industries, the massive Thembrian bomb factories produced all of the explosives for the Thembrian military during the Great War. Since the close of that conflict, however, Thembria's bomb factories (and their operators) have fallen upon hard times. With no need for live ordnance in peacetime conditions, Thembrian planes commonly drop surplus goods such as bathtubs, refrigerators, and lunch meats upon trespassing aircraft. As a result, Thembria's bomb plants have remained inoperative for nearly twenty years. Factory owners are secretly hoping that political tensions will lead the High Marshall to declare war on another country, putting the Thembrian bomb industry back in business.
[3.] Glorious Colossal Thembrian People's Court - Thembria's official centre for law and justice, the superlatively-titled Glorious Colossal Thembrian People's Court building is settled on the outskirts of the Thembrian capital city. Barbed wire fences encircle the concrete edifice designed in the style of a Thembrian garrison, a fitting similarity for symbols of the Thembrian military state. Accepted judicial practise finds its polar opposite in Thembria's legal system, which defines truth as authorized by the Thembrian government. The state commonly acts as the prosecution in most cases, condemning defendants as "guilty until proven innocent." Needless to say, fair trials are hard to come by in the Glorious People's Court (particularly for foreigners). In the main courtroom, defendants must plead their own cases without the benefit of court-appointed counsel — clearly, Thembria suffers from a shortage of lawyers. The state never lacks representation on its behalf, sending down officials such as Colonel Spigot to oversee the trials of alleged spies and terrorists. The sensationalism of the proceedings reaches all Thembrians over the airwaves, courtesy of the court radio announcer who hosts each episode of the "Glorious Colossal People's Court," one of Thembria's highest-rated programs. Every impassioned plea falls upon the ear of the chief justice, a fixture of the bench. The bewigged judge acts without constraint, sentencing defendants to a thousand years just for failing to compliment his hairdo.
[4.] Summer Home Of The High Marshall - Recently constructed per the request of the Thembrian High Marshall, this fortress-like summer home serves as a private retreat where the High Marshall spends his annual vacation. Within his private chambers the High Marshall can relax in a nice hot bath, temporarily freed from the pressures and demands of his high government position. As the High Marshall values his privacy during his vacation time, armed guards and chain-link fences surround the main building. Furthermore, all air vectors around the summer home are closed during the Marshall's vacation period. Anyone who disturbs the High Marshall's rest — even those with proper clearance — will be shot.
[5.] Ivan's - A solitary shack set in the middle of the frozen Thembrian wasteland, Ivan's is a popular refreshment spot that top Thembrian flying aces visit on their lunch breaks. After parking their planes outside, patrons can order a round of fresh bottled pickles from the bar while waiting for the three-o'clock floor show, which features live entertainment such as dancing girls. Visitors to Ivan's are wise not to leave valuables in their aircraft as the bar happens to be located in a "bad neighbourhood" (at least by Thembrian standards).
[6.] Ministry of Lawn Ornaments - This waterfront warehouse, situated along one of Thembria's southern shores, is owned and operated by the "Ministry of Lawn Ornaments," a special subset of the Thembrian government's Ministry of Trade. Shipments of pink plastic flamingos delivered from Cape Suzette are spray-painted blue by warehouse workers and sold back to Cape Suzette for half price, thereby perpetuating the so-called "power struggle" between Thembria's and Usland's economies. While hard-working and non-complaining, the warehouse workers have been known to make mistakes in designating items for spray-painting and shipment. Disturbances in the warehouse are handled by Sergeant Grumpy and his diminutive team of security volunteers.
[7.] Mount Morslush - Mount Morslush, a heap of ice and snow, is the closest thing Thembria has to a national monument. In spite of its nondescript appearance, Thembrians will give Morslush a gaze if they are in its vicinity.
[8.] People's Condominiums - Many times when foreigners are caught trespassing through Thembrian airspace, their planes are confiscated by the state as punishment. Occasionally the state will convert confiscated aircraft into affordable housing for the people, resulting in large aircraft "graveyards" occupied by Thembrian peasants. Several such areas exist around the Thembrian capital and military airfields where hundreds of foreign aircraft serve as homes for well-to-do commoners, who regard the derelict planes as upscale apartments. Monthly rent, of course, goes straight to the Thembrian government.
[9.] Prison Camp Sunnyville - Prison Camp Sunnyville is one of many prison camps located within the Thembrian continent and is also one of the most secure. A 16-foot tall chain link fence surrounds the perimeter of the camp with wooden guard towers placed at each corner of the fence. Security guards armed with heavy rifles patrol the camp grounds. All prisoner barracks are equipped with the latest conveniences, which include cold and colder running water, good reading light, and air conditioning. However, freezing temperatures cause problems with the camp's main water supply, creating frequent water shortages. For all its security measures, Prison Camp Sunnyville is largely unoccupied. Most of the few prisoners stationed at camps like Sunnyville are serving sentences of 1,000 years or more for trivial offenses. Unfortunately, court appeals are typically unsuccessful in Thembria. Given the security measures in place at most Thembrian prison camps, escape is usually impossible for all but the most clever and imaginative prisoners.
[10.] Thembrian Air Field - Thembria's one true airport, this Thembrian airfield is an important refueling stop and cargo-loading facility for transport planes and military aircraft. The ice-glazed airstrip, surrounded by warehouses and hangars, has endured countless rough landings over the years but still remains in satisfactory condition. Most of the Juggernaut fighter squadrons of the Glorious People's Air Force, as well as the immense resupply fleet, operate from this airfield.
Points of Interest (Inside The Capital)
[1.] Thembrian Air Force Academy - The Glorious People's Air Force trains its military pilots from this installation, known formally as the "Thembrian Air Force Academy and Recruitment Center." A sprawling complex, the Thembrian Academy consists of a headquarters garrison, the main recruitment centre, a main hangar, barracks, supply sheds and mess hall, a large snowpacked airstrip, and various training buildings and classrooms. Following their acceptance, recruits for the Glorious People's Air Force undergo months of training and indoctrination, and must follow strict rules of conduct during their stay at the academy. Free thinking is never encouraged nor is it tolerated, as the task at hand is to mold trainees into the proper Thembrian soldiers that the High Marshall expects to see. Pilot candidates stay in plain barracks, endure marches around the base in freezing temperatures, and live on coarse foods and by the commands of their superiors. Those who disobey are usually sentenced to turnip-peeling duty in the camp's kitchen or ordered to scrub all the planes in the main hangar as punishment. Classes in the Thembrian Academy begin with the basics — minor formalities from boot-lace tying to medal polishing — then progress to extended courses in saluting, an intricate ritual in Thembrian military life, encompassing a thousand poses and gestures which students must drill to perfection. Actual flight lessons and air combat exercises come next, but they take a back seat to learning offical formalities. More than anything else, loyalty and dedication are taught at the academy as opposed to any practical instruction. As a result, Thembrian fighter pilots are staunch soldiers but unskilled flyers.
[a.] Barracks - Cold, cramped, and confined — these words sum up the conditions inside the Thembrian academy barracks. Base engineers obviously designed them with austerity in mind; perhaps Thembrian commanders believe hard beds and bad heating will somehow bring out the best in recruits quartered here.
[b.] Garrison Building - Next door to the recruitment centre is the camp garrison building, a veritable citadel holding the base's arsenal and troop facilities. The distinctive design of Thembrian garrisons, a strong symbol of state influence, has been incorporated into other buildings symbolic of government authority. The well-polished main corridors of the garrison divide the interior lengthwise on each floor. A central staircase intersects all the base levels and leads straight to the rooftop. In the stronghold's armoury, the base's security force keeps rifles, ammunition, and a force of Thembrian light tanks.
[c.] Kitchen & Mess Hall - Food for the academy's personnel is prepared in the base kitchen and served in the mess hall. Eating the meals is not half as bad as cooking them; unruly students are often consigned to kitchen duty, boiling gallons of gruel or peeling turnips by the potful for roast turnip dinners.
[d.] Main Hanger - No air force academy (even one in Thembria) would be complete without runways and hangars, and the Thembrian Academy lacks neither. The base airstrips look like little more than snowplowed paths, although their firmness suggests that the Thembrians put pavement somewhere beneath the snow blanket. The slippery surface compounds the difficulty of coordinating simultaneous landings, making for some interesting "icecapades" on the crisscrossing runways. The main hangar is more or less a giant barn of concrete and steel with a vault-type sliding door of solid metal. Access panels on the roof lead into the hangar's ventilation system above the ceiling rafters, grids of rotting wood weakened by years of termite attack. The Thembrian Air Force Academy does not keep many planes on the premises except for training aircraft, which students can go through in an awful hurry; Thembrian workers often strip wrecks of all useful parts just to keep the tougher planes going. The academy's officers order new planes when they expect a visit from the High Marshall, who makes at least one trip annually to the base for an exhibition honouring Thembria's Great Patriotic Flounder. Thembrian guards, posted outside the doors and up in the control podium, keep security tight around the hangar. The last thing commanders need is some self-motivated student sneaking off for an unsupervised flying session.
[2.] Thembrian Capitol - The seat of Thembria's national government, the Thembrian capital city is the largest settlement in the entire country. Covering several square miles of territory, the Thembrian capital serves as a focal point for the nation's affairs. Much of the capital city consists of residential areas where the commoners work and dwell in state-supplied housing. In the central square of the town stands a very large statue of the High Marshall himself, facing the capitol building. Thembrian tanks and patrol vehicles cruise the streets of the Thembrian capital while public loudspeakers broadcast important news and official government bulletins to the unsuspecting populace.
[a.] Thembrian City - The Thembrian capital city spreads out from the front of the government building like the village bourg at the foot of a medieval castle. The layout of the residential sector seems to be the template for smaller villages and hamlets across the country, such as the Thembrian Gruel Reserve. Snow-filled streets run perpendicular to the capitol, cutting through rows of houses supplied to the people by the state. Nowhere does the rift between the peasant class and the ruling class get more pronounced than here at the root of Thembria's power. While a handful of commoners run their own small shops or take to raising radishes and chickens, the majority of able-bodied Thembrians join the ranks of the proletariat — the wage earning factory workers who carry the Glorious People's industries on their backs. Either holed up in their drafty cottages or stuck in daylong lines to the general store, the Thembrian people leave their streets devoid of activity. Under the present regime, Thembrian military forces patrol the streets of the capital city continuously. The government insists the army's presence keeps the capital safe, yet any candid observer may compare the Thembrians to a people under occupation. Tank columns stream through the town's avenues like cars in rush hour traffic, while roadsters belonging to Thembrian Army patrols and the Slush Police turn empty roads and byways into parking lots. Thembrian troops stationed in the capital make the rounds daily; they do not overtly harass the townsfolk, but make sure the people stay in full compliance with offical regulations prescribed for every aspect of life. Literal examples of the figurative "thought police" of repressive societies, Thembrian agents crack down on creative pursuits, jail anybody who participates in unauthorized fun and recreation, and feed the populace a steady diet of government pablum and spoon-fed propaganda. The Glorious People's Army maintains military installations within the city limits, such as warehouses holding confiscated goods, impounded foreign planes, and other "evidence."
[b.] Capitol Building - The Thembrian capitol building, an imposing six-story concrete structure at the far end of the city, houses various government and military departments, the Thembrian ministry delegation, and the High Marshall's office. From here, practically all Thembrian international relations, military decisions, state mandates, and bureaucratic regulations are put into effect. The decision to centralize all governmental power under one roof is not wholly unjustified. Thembria plainly lacks the infrastructure — highways, communication lines, power grids — necessary to sustain local law in settlements separated by miles of frozen wilderness. Indeed, the fact that the bureaucracy functions as a cohesive unit might be the very reason anything gets done in Thembrian politics. The transition from humble townscape to elite office happens when one enters the capitol. Unlike the commoners' houses, the capitol building keeps out the chill of Thembria's winds. Foreign critics portray the insulation as a metaphor for the government's indifference to the bleak conditions just outside its walls. Hallways tend to run lengthwise through the building, interrupted at points by stairways scaling junctures between floors. Thembrian interior design obviously thrives on minimalism. Electric spotlights illuminate hanging banners and tasteless portraits sprinkled in random spots along the bare-brick walls. Nearly all interior lighting is artificial, except in offices along the building's outer wall where windows are located.
[c.] Government Offices - Representatives of every facet of the Thembrian bureaucracy take up residence in the capitol's offices. A simple, square configuration makes these rooms suited for any purpose or function. Privileged officials have their pick of offices on the outer wall, while their lackeys occupy dim, windowless rooms deep within the complex. Key locations include the radar room — command terminal for Thembria's air detection system — and the bench of inquiry, often presided by Colonel Spigot, head of the Glorious People's Air Force. Most important of all is the office of the High Marshall, where the leader hosts appointments with delegates, ministers, and his personal barber. Thembrian leaders' pride in their nation is matched only by their paranoia that it will become a target for other, inferior and naturally envious world neighbors. Swirling reports of espionage and assassination attempts on the High Marshall (such as the usual bomb scare during Thembria's Slush Festival) work customs inspectors and border guards into a frenzy of random arrests, incarcerations, and even executions of suspicious foreign nationals. Such gross malfeasances leave a bad impression on diplomats, so Thembrian security enforcers have learned to handle these matters discreetly. Internal affairs specialists comb over passports, cross-examine background data on visitors, and test foreign packages for poison and explosives.
[d.] Cell Blocks - A veritable fortress, the Thembrian capitol is patrolled by hundreds of trained soldiers, making it virtually impenetrable. The basement level contains extensive dungeons and cell blocks, into which government prosecutors throw those who rebel against the system. Although the jail can hold hundreds of prisoners, very few take up permanent residence — free-thinking radicals and domestic terrorists get put into prison camps (Bedevilled Island being home to the worst offenders of all). Outlanders caught traveling with expired passports or arrested as spies face one of two fates: indefinite detainment in the dungeon's depths, or a fast trip to the firing squad. Clemency is virtually unheard of, but remains a remote possibility for first offenders charged as accomplicies to the crime.
[e.] The Firing Squad - The way Thembrians treat the issue of capital punishment, one would believe they invented the concept. Public execution is as much an art as it is a pastime in Thembrian culture, approached by common citizens with the enthusiasm of spectators at a sporting event. Customarily, Thembrian military chiefs are awarded their own firing squads, which they use as leverage to keep underlings in line — although there's no misconduct that a simple flogging will not cure. Victims of the firing squad may or may not receive a blindfold; but for the hanging afterward, they may have the honor of picking out their own noose!
[3.] Thembrian Gruel Reserves - The Glorious Thembrian Gruel Reserve, located adjacent to a large Thembrian city, stores one of the nation's main supplies of gruel. Thousands of gallons of sludgy, green high-fiber breakfast food sit within the Gruel Reserve' main reservoirs, sustaining multitudes of Thembrian people across the country. Considering the importance of gruel as a staple in the Thembrian diet, tanks and anti-aircraft guns are stationed around the Gruel Reserve to protect it from any attack. Erected in the center of the city's main street is a statue of Colonel Spigot atop a charging horse, commemorating his rather forgettable exploits during the Great War.
[4.] Thembrian Pipeline - Once used to pump natural resources during the Great War, the miles-long Thembrian Pipeline has since been abandoned. Made of iron and steel, the pipeline currently lies in disrepair, many of its sections removed and recycled as scrap metal by the government. Some portions of the pipeline are still intact, however.
[5.] Thembrian Railroad - Thembria's only national mass transit system, the Thembrian railroad covers miles and miles of desolate frozen wasteland, connecting major cities and trading posts throughout the Thembrian continent. Lacking locomotives, the Thembrians use musk oxen instead to haul their primitive train cars down the tracks. Thembrian peasants and factory workers commonly hitch rides on the Thembrian railroad.
Denizens of Thembria
[1.] Colonel Ivanhod Spigot - An unnaturally short boar with a Napoleon complex and prominent lisp who is the head of Thembria's "Glorious People's" Air Force. He never took a single flying lesson in his life, until he accidentally gave the High Marshall the idea to shoot every C.O. in Thembria who failed an upcoming flight exam. He considers himself to be highly famous, and always introduces himself thus: "Perhaps you've heard of me?". His grandmother was, apparently, devoured by polar bears, though whether as punishment for losing a national artifact (as that is the crime that warrants that punishment) or accident is unknown. Voiced by Michael Gough.
[2.] Sgt. Dunder - Spigot's second-in-command. He is gregarious and somewhat dense like Wildcat, but nowhere near as self-centered and ruthless as Spigot is. In fact, he is close friends with Baloo and Kit. He selflessly takes the blame for many of Colonel Spigot's numerous failures, and appears a devoted soldier. Voiced by the late Lorenzo Music.
[3.] High Marshall - The highest-ranking military official in Thembria, he appears to serve as the country's strongman. He is dour, humourless and dislikes Spigot for his incompetence. There are few problems the High Marshal does not solve without the threat of violence and death. Voiced by Jack Angel.
[4.] Ms. High Marshall - The High Marshall's wife who is strong enough to knock him out with a single punch. She dislikes perverts too. If voiced; it's Sheryl Berstein or Michael Bell.
[5.] Bobbo - A male warthog kid about Kit's age; who likes food and hopes to be an ice shaving artist when he grows up. He is one of Kit's friends; but never appears outside of Thembria. Voiced by Edan Gross.
Tinabula, The Lost City of Bells [For Whom The Bell Klangs]
Summary of Area: Also known as the Lost City of Bells, the legendary civilization called Tinabula was once one of the desert's most powerful ancient kingdoms. Three thousand years ago, Tinabula was inhabited by a mysterious and warlike people, who used a strange weapon to conquer the desert as far as the eye could see. At the height of Tinabula's glory, however, the entire city vanished without a trace — leaving behind merely the legends of a great civilization. Golden Tinabula was the wonder of the ancient world. Constructed by unknown desert dwellers, the whole city of Tinabula was based entirely on sounds and harmonics. Devices such as doors and gates were built to respond to different musical tones, triggered only when the correct note was sounded. Bell designs were incorporated into the city's architecture as well, including wind chimes and gongs that quietly rang throughout the city. According to legend, Tinabula itself seemed to pulsate with an ethereal, musical atmosphere. The people of Tinabula were equally mysterious, worshipping strange and hideous insects — giant scarabs — which they portrayed in countless works of art and architecture. Cunning warriors, the ancient Tinabulans constructed a terrible weapon in the centre of the city, which they used to conquer the surrounding desert. No one could withstand the might of Tinabula's evil weapon, a machine that could generate sound waves capable of destroying anything. Just as quickly as Tinabula rose to power, it suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth. Ancient lore spoke of the desert itself turning and swallowing up the evil kingdom, leaving nothing — no people, no city, and no weapon. Nearly 30 centuries later, few people believed that Tinabula had ever existed at all, although the lost city was supposedly located somewhere near the desert city of Grafia. But the ancient legends also made mention of three Golden Bells, the mere ringing of which would resurrect the lost city of Tinabula from the midst of a sandstorm. Working for five years, archaeologist Katie Dodd managed to find these bells in the sands of the city site — her proof that Tinabula really did exist. However, no sooner had she found all three bells than a shadowy stranger named Thaddeus E. Klang took them from her. Accompanied by red-robed mercenaries and an army of giant scarabs, Klang was searching for the ancient weapon of Tinabula, the means by which he planned to conquer the world. After kidnapping Ms. Dodd, Klang used the three bells to uncover the lost city of Tinabula, just as the legends had predicted. Activating the city's ancient weapon, Klang threatened to shake the city of Ghafia to dust unless they paid a one-million-guilder ransom. Fortunately, Ms. Dodd and her two friends used a secret device — the Master Bell — to cause an earthquake that completely destroyed the city, and apparently Klang too. Reduced to crumbled ruins, Tinabula will remain a lost civilization forever.
Points of Interest
[1.] City Gates - Harmonically-based technology is something few dreamed possible; that the Tinabulans mastered it nearly three thousand years ago astounds modern-day researchers, some of whom already pointed to the pyramids as proof of advanced culture ahead of its time. In defense of their secrets, the people of Tinabula raised many fortifications around their city, the most formidable of which was a gate of brass spires that rose from beneath the sand when outsiders came near. The spires were hollow like bells; lines of Tinabulan script ringing their bases explained which one, when struck, would produce the tone to lower the gate.
[2.] Master Bell - As technically cunning as the Tinabulans were, they used their amazing knowledge for conquest and domination, rather than the benefit of mankind. Their obsession with destruction reflected their own fears that their terrible inventions would one day be used against them. Steeped in superstition, the people of Tinabula also proposed that extinction was the destiny of all weak things — unless Tinabula rose supreme over all, it too deserved that fate. From this paranoia sprang the creation of a doomsday device, which ancient legends referred to as the Master Bell — the "Sound That Silences All," the Tinabulans called it, to crumble the city and carry its wonders and glory to oblivion. A mighty sandstorm covered the Lost City of Bells, but the Master Bell lay dormant beneath the sands, awaiting the return of the civilization it was built to destroy. The Master Bell, just like Tinabula, was no myth — it was real, disguised as a giant scarab at the city's far wall, a tower mistakenly thought to be some shrine or fanatical devotion to a Tinabulan deity. The beetle itself was the bell clapper, its articulated wings folded over a brass chime eight stories tall (a metallurgical miracle in its own right). Engraved script on the bell hints at the location of the bell's main mechanism, somewhere at the scarab's "head." A huge staircase led from the city to a trio of grasshopper-shaped bells at the tower's base. Ringing the first bell would turn the staircase into a ramp, giving pursuers the slip; the second would open a hatch into the heart of the Master Bell and the escape route therein; and the third would collapse the stairs, isolating the bell tower from the city. These details come courtesy of the lectures given by archaeologist Katie Dodd, who was instrumental in finding the Master Bell to stop Thaddeus E. Klang. Brought to life by a blast from Tinabula's weapon, the Master Bell sounded the death knell for both Tinabula and Klang's plans for world domination.
[3.] Scarab Guardians - The people of Tinabula were members of a superstitious cult that worshipped giant scarabs, repulsive and strange insects said to wander in the desert wasteland. What made the creatures so appealing is anyone's guess; perhaps the beetles' voracious appetite struck a chord with the Tinabulans' power-hungry ways. The resonance was strong enough to elevate the bugs to the place of deity, as manuscripts of the region attest to. Two humongous scarabs flanked the gap in the cliffs around the city, totems which faced the setting of the sun. These structures, and the giant scarab-shaped tower facing the sunrise, were sole survivors of the sandstorm which purged the desert of Tinabula's presence. However, legend predicted that another storm summoned by the ringing of three golden bells would cause the Lost City of Bells to reappear. The scarab guardians were pivotal to fulfilling this prediction — they were really machines whose flapping wings could generate air currents of tremendous speed. In this manner, the whirling winds would unbury the city of Tinabula, just as it came to pass after three millenia.
[4.] Weapon House - Tinabula's might came from the weapon its people constructed to subdue their desert neighbours and crush all opposition to their reign. The ultimate product of Tinabula's sound-based technology, this machine could turn sonic waves into a force powerful enough to level armies and wipe out cities. It was this very power that kept in thrall all the lands between Tinabula and the horizon. Unprecedented in the modern era, sonic weapons were long dismissed as science fiction until Tinabula's evil instrument fell into the hands of a madman named Klang. Tinabula's weapon resided in a stone citadel at the center of the golden City of Bells. An alcove of tall chimes set in the weapon house's base was actually a musical lock; singing the correct note raised the weapon platform out of the top of the tower. Another musical note opened the grate covering a holding pit in the platform's center, presumably a place to store prisoners. The weapon itself consisted of a swinging log and unusually-shaped brass cones. The platform could rotate 360 degrees at the pull of a lever, and the cone assembly could tilt up and down by manual adjustment. All the user had to do was strike a tympanic plate with the log; the cones focused the impact vibrations into a stream of sound-wave energy, strong enough to push walls of sand miles across the desert. A direct hit could shatter any material known to man.
Ancient Items
[1.] The Three Bells of Tinabula - Discovered by archeologist Katie Dodd, the three golden bells of Tinabula are the only remaining artifacts from the legendary Lost City of Bells. Referred to in several pieces of ancient Tinabulian lore, these three cylindrical bells were said to have the power to resurrect the lost city of Tinabula out of a sandstorm. The actual way in which this would be accomplished was never specified in the legend — only that all three bells must be sounded in order for this event to occur. After the destruction of Tinabula nearly three thousand years ago, the bells were lost in the sand-covered ruins of the city until Ms. Dodd began searching for them. After five years she finally recovered all three bells, at which point they were taken from her by a mysterious stranger, Thaddeus E. Klang. Using the bells, Klang activated two giant scarab statues guarding the entrance to the city. Flapping their motorized wings, the statues created howling winds which uncovered the city, allowing Klang to find Tinabula's powerful golden weapon. However, the "sound that silences all" — the city's Master Bell — was activated by Ms. Dodd's friends and destroyed the city once and for all. The only thing left of Tinabula's culture are the three bells, which Ms. Dodd has graciously donated to the Grafia Museum.
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Thaddeus E. Klang - Leader of a cult-like organization seeking the secret weapon hidden in the lost city of Tinabula. He is a green cobra with a black cloak, warlock-like hat, metallic jaw (capable of crushing hard objects with his bites), metallic limbs, and speaks with a metallic echo to his voice (the abundance of metal being the basis for his name). He managed to pose quite a threat and even obtained the lost city's weapon (a destructive bell that utilized sonic waves), but was defeated when the weapon backfired and buried the city. Afterward, his metallic parts fell off, revealing him to simply be a regular, albeit over-sized, cobra. He would appear to still be at large, though nothing has been seen of him since. Voiced by Tim Curry.
[2.] Scarabs - The desert is the least hospitable place in the world for animal life. Except for a few hardy shrubs and cactuses, the sparse vegetation that dots the dry wastes can provide little sustenance for even the occasional lizard. However, there is a creature that not only survives but thrives in these less-than-hospitable conditions. Giant beetles roam the trackless sands of the desert wasteland. Called "giant scarabs" or simply scarabs, these are no ordinary insects — the smallest are a foot long, and they can grow to nearly three feet in length. Scarabs will eat just about anything. Bushes, shrubs, cactuses — anything that manages to grow in the bone-dry ground is food to these ravenous insects. There is a possibility that scarabs are part carnivore, but this side of their appetite reveals itself only in extreme circumstances. Among other things, scarabs also have the ability to digest normally undigestible materials such as metal and wiring. A few pilots unfortunate enough to crash-land in certain desert regions will leave their planes to find help, and return hours later to witness a dozen scarabs covering their craft like ticks on a dog, devouring hull panels and chewing on pipes. Long ago in ancient times, these hideous bugs were highly esteemed by the inhabitants of the city of Tinabula. To the Tinabulans, the scarab supposedly embodied some sort of deity that was associated with music and harmonics. Treated as gods, the scarabs were portrayed in many different forms of Tinabulian art and aesthetics. Scarab designs were reflected in almost all Tinabula's architecture, including the housing of the city’s "master bell."With the destruction of Tinabula the scarabs have resumed their ordinary lifestyle as wanderers of the desert. Being scavengers, they do not tend to remain in one area for too long a time, and when available food sources are depleted, they simply move on in search of others. Scarabs have occasionally been sighted by travelling caravans, who report huge multitudes of the beetles traversing the wastes. It is not known whether the beetles have a seasonal migration route or not.
The most prominent appearance of the dreaded scarabs was an army of the bugs commanded by fanatic archeologist Thaddeus E. Klang. Launched from catapults or marching on foot by the dozens, these hideous insects seemed to obey Klang's every command. His ability to order the beetles indicates the slight possibility of domestication. One of his pets was sent into the city of Ghafia to deliver a ransom note to the chief of police — the creature is now in captivity, and entomologists are studying it in the hopes of learning more about the beetles and their habits. They can also jump up to 100 feet in distance. Voiced by Frank Welker.
Tundra City [From Here To Machinery]
Summary of Area: This frigid outpost — located on the outskirts of the frozen north — is one of many remote trading posts in the Arctic Circle. A twenty-hour flight away from Cape Suzette, Tundra City serves as a key exchange point for northern shipping runs. Baloo and the Auto-Aviator flew to Tundra City to pick up cargo and return it to Cape Suzette, in a race to see who was the "world's best pilot."
The Twin Spires [A Bad Reflection On You]
Summary of Area: Two ominous peaks protruding from the middle of the ocean, the Twin Spires are an unusual rock formation located amid a small cluster of remote islands. Towering above the ocean surface, the Spires once served as a landmark for seafaring vessels on their way to Cape Suzette. Much later, the Twin Spires became a critical waypoint along one of Khan Industries' top-secret routes, the "Master Run." However, the disappearances of two Khan cargo planes along the Master Run — in the immediate vicinity of the Twin Spires — caused wild rumors and panic to spread among local pilots. Upon investigating the situation, Shere Khan discovered that Don Karnage and his Air Pirates were behind the vanishings, using a pair of giant stolen mirrors set up between the Twin Spires to disorient pilots and force them down into the ocean.
Upper Geezerland [Mentioned in Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: A small island country, Upper Geezerland is known for being an attractive retirement community populated by senior citizens, war veterans, and retirees. The national pastime of Upper Geezerland is lawn bowling.
Usland Air Force Base [Mach One For The Gipper]
Summary of Area: The largest of Usland's military air bases, Usland Air Force Base serves as headquarters for the Usland air force and defense squadrons. Equipped with the latest technology, including government fighters and radar networks, this base is the most advanced airfield in all of Usland. Decorated military officer General Patton commands the airbase, maintaining discipline and running base operations as efficiently as possible. Due to its tight defensive network and top security, the Usland Air Force Base is a preferred testing ground for many new and unusual government aviation projects, particularly advanced figher prototypes and experimental engines. In fact, this base was the location where Baloo and Wildcat — flying the X-1 experimental jet engine — became the first people in history to break the sound barrier.
Denizens of Usland Air Force Base
[1.] Commander Patton -
[2.] Ace London - A highly arrogant, yet highly regarded gray wolf test pilot who went to school with Baloo, makes fun of him and his capabilities after winning a game of billiards against him. He then accidentally switches Baloo's cargo of pickles with a top-secret jet engine, but instead of telling the truth when asked, he lies and says that Baloo did it. When Don Karnage tries to steal the engine, the true test of the two pilots begins. Unfortunately for Ace, not only do Baloo and Wildcat break the soundbarrier instead of him, his lies are revealed and he is forced to deliver Baloo's cargo. Extremely egotistical, he not only lies about Baloo, he also claims that Baloo resisted his orders to hand over the cargo and forced him and the pilots sent to assist him to land, when in reality Baloo had no idea he had the wrong freight, and he himself fired on Baloo, who tried to return the engine, and did not attack once. Voiced by the late Phil Hartman.
Valley of The Yenkara [Mommy For A Day]
Summary of Area - Regarded as a mere fairy tale, the Valley of the Yenkara is said to be the home of the mythical Yenkara, peaceful beasts spoken of in childhood fables and legends. According to the tales, the Valley of the Yenkara is a paradise on earth, a surreal valley filled with lush tropical plants and flowing streams of crystal-clear water, surrounded by spirelike mountains. Here herds of peace-loving Yenkara dwell in safety and tranquility, free from natural predators.Such talk of giant beasts and paradises at the end of the world are considered mere childrens' stories. If such a spot on earth did exist, however, it would be located under a brilliant blue star in the northern skies. As the tales tell, one could follow that star straight to the Yenkara Valley — placing the mythical valley somewhere in the far northeast, if a geographic location had to be chosen for it. No creditable explorer has ever seen the Valley of the Yenkara, or believes that it actually exists. One hunter by the name of McNee insists that the Yenkara Valley does exist, and that the strange creatures called Yenkara are real. However, Mr. McNee is a prison inmate currently undergoing psychiatric therapy, thereby seriously invalidating his wild claims — and leaving the Yenkara, once more, to the realm of mythology.
Special Creatures
[1.] Yenkara (Herny The Baby Buffalo) - Legend has it that toward a blue star in the north — in a region yet unmapped by civilization — lies a peaceful, fertile valley, a fantastic paradise of lush plants and cool lagoons. Its tropical splendor is wild and unmarred by explorers and wayfarers. Legend also has it that the sole inhabitants of this land are enormous beasts that peacefully graze off the tender vegetation, free from danger of predators. Called Yenkara, they have been the subjects of countless fables and fairy tales. However, not all about the Yenkara is necessarily myth — there are several unscrupulous hunters and trappers who wholeheartedly insist that such creatures do exist. Since their attempts to capture the Yenkara have been fruitless, these men are generally counted insane by their collegues. Truth is stranger than fiction, though, and there may be reason to believe that the Yenkara are more than just legend. Yenkara are large, pink herbivore mammals similar in appearance to cattle or buffalo. Their jungle home supplies them with an excessive amount of food, which is a good thing because Yenkara eat a lot. Apparently they can grow to a height of at least twelve feet and weigh in excess of 600 pounds. At least, those are the maximum measurements. According to legend (and a few unverified eyewitness reports), small Yenkara that come in contact with water magically expand to twelve feet tall while wet. When dried off, they revert back to a "normal" six inches small. This phenomenon is odd and, since Yenkara have never been scientifically observed, largely unexplained. Perhaps it is an attribute of young Yenkara to defend themselves and gradually wears off as they mature, or maybe all Yenkara are really six inches tall, the moist air of their valley keeping them at maximum size. Whatever the case, Yenkara are very sociable creatures. Yenkara herds are close-knit family groups that travel and graze together; they will also defend each other when a threat is present. Yenkara deem friendly individuals from other species as equal members of the herd. Young Yenkara, when separated from their parents, will often adopt a surrogate family until reunited with their natural family. Their strength and endurance would make them good pack animals, but most people would rather hunt Yenkara than tame them. The natural shyness and docility of the Yenkara makes self-defense difficult for them. However, when the well-being of the young or the herd is endangered, Yenkara are forced to protect themselves. The Yenkara’s greatest weapon is its very bulk — as one can imagine, it is quite difficult to get up when a quarter-ton beast has you pinned to the ground. When retailiation is impossible, the Yenkara can also fly away from danger: a pair of small wings on their back provides them with an unbelieveable deal of lift despite the creatures' awesome weight.The valley of the Yenkara is uncharted and does not appear anywhere on modern maps. It is just as well: a rampage of hunters advancing on the docile creatures all at once would cause them to become endangered, if not extinct. It is clear that the Yenkara belong in their tropical home, not in a zoo or museum. Yenkaras are voiced by Frank Welker.
Resident Villains/Heels
[1.] Mr. MacNee - A child-hating koala with a nasty temper and a gruff Australian accent. This hunter/poacher will go to any lengths to bag the perfect beast, even endangering the lives of others in the name of profit, in particular when he captures, loses and re-hunts the mythical, but gentle Inkara, named "Henry" by Molly whom she protects from his clutches. Voiced by Jim Cummings.
Veronica Lake [The Idol Rich/Sheepskin Deep]
Summary of Area: A notable freshwater body in the Land of 1,001 Lakes, serene Veronica Lake is known to outdoor sportsmen and vacationers as the best place for fly-fishing inland from Cape Suzette. This is where Mr. Pomeroy goes fly-fishing. While not shown in the series; Arthur Lake is one of those 1,000 lakes.
Walla Walla Bing Bang [Waiders of the Wost Tweasure]
Summary of Area: The stately kingdom of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang stands as one of the oldest and most prominent nations in the world. Established hundreds of years ago, Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang has grown and thrived over many generations under the strong leadership of a prestigious royal lineage. The kingdom's current ruler, Queen Grace, has restored strength and honour to the throne — as well as the ancient token of rulership, the fabled Wuby Wings of Queen Mauween. Unlike most other countries, Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang does not rely heavily upon modern technology. The nation's roots are firmly in the past, as evidenced by the classical architecture and fashion styles displayed throughout the kingdom. However, the nation does have an extremely strong economy, based mainly on the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang national currency known as the "wuble". Stable and highly valued, wubles are among the few currencies unscathed by global inflation, and thus are widely used in many business transactions, both in Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang and abroad. The beautiful Royal Palace of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang — situated on the edge of the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Rockies — is the kingdom's landmark and the place from which Queen Grace governs her subjects. Although the peaceful people of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang prefer negotiations to fighting, they are well equipped to handle military situations with their armada of airborne battle ships, representing a mixture of old and new technologies and ideologies. Next to Usland and Thembria, Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang is a major political power.
Notable Accents
Inhabitants of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang speak with a peculiar accent, replacing R's and L's with W's in ordinary conversation. One of the more interesting dialects in the world, this unique accent (often mistaken for a lisp) can be quite confusing to outsiders, who cannot discern, for example, between the words reading and weeding when spoken in Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang. Some subtle distinctions must exist, however, as those who do speak Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang seem to have no difficulty understanding which word is meant.
Points of Interest
[1.] Royal Palace - Like the floating white castles in children's fantasies, the Royal Palace of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang seems a world removed from the petty squabbles and difficulties of other nations. Perched atop the cliffside at the very edge of the capital city's canal, the palace impresses upon one's mind the stately grandeur of a centuries-old kingdom unbowed by age or affliction. It is from this alabaster aerie that Queen Grace exercises the duties of her noble birthright on behalf of her royal subjects, the people of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang.
[2.] Palace Waterways - On the shores at the far end of the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Rockies sits the capital city, site of the Woyal Palace. The ocean coastline opens to a narrow canal or channel, around and in which the royal city is nestled. The waterways reach a dead end at a small wharf; a staircase winds its way up the palisade to meet the palace entrance above.
[3.] Palace Court/Throne Room - The palace grounds begin at the outer court, a tiled arena encircled by collonades. Pointed shrubs adorn the periphery of the outer court, while artistic works such as an exquisitely-sculpted water fountain beautify the broad patio. Wide steps lead up to the palace's main rotunda — the throne room. Its dome roof, upheld by marble columns reminiscent of neoclassical architecture, bears scenic paintings on its concave underside. Pedestals around the court show off suits of armour once worn by proud knights of the realm. At the end of a carpet of royal purple rests the throne of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang, whereupon the newly-crowned Queen Grace presides over palace affairs, including social galas such as grand balls and costume parties.
[4.] Royal Tower Chambers - This tower, tallest of the pavilions in the residential wing of the palace, serves as the Queen's quarters. Royal pennants stream proudly from the ivory pedestal; palace guards keep vigilant watch below. The Queen's bedchamber lies at the tower's top, sheltered under a canopy fringed by hanging curtains.
[5.] The Reading Room - Directions to the palace library are easy enough to get if you manage to grasp the odd vernacular of the locals — otherwise, you might guess the "weeding woom" is some kind of garden. The only cultivating that occurs here is that of the mind, as the reading room holds plenty of food for thought (written, thankfully, in plain English). An exceptionally nosey reader might find the safe concealed behind a false front in either side of the bookshelf's bottom row; royal impostor Prince Wudolph once hid there the map to the location of the Wuby Wings.
Denizens of Walla Walla Bing Bang
[1.] Princess (Queen) Gwace - A white swan female with jelly roll style brown hair; who wears a green robe with golden trim sleeves and a tiara with purple gemstones. At the end of the episode; she also wears the famed Wuby Wings; to show that she is the new queen of Walla Walla Bing Bang. She is friends with Airplane Jane and studied together. Voiced by Victoria Carroll.
Resident Villains/Heels
[2.] Prince Wudolf - A black swan male wearing a purple suit with golden and lavender trim; with purple stockings, and a purple legion hat decorated with metals, a large lavender feather and lavender beads. He wanted to overthrow Walla Walla Bing Bang and Princess Gwace while pretending that the lost prince had returned; but was foiled by Baloo and Airplane Jane when failing to gain control of the famed Wuby Wings which would grant Wudolf full control of the throne. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta.
[3.] Prince Wudolf's Guards - White/blacks swans who take orders from the prince. Two of the guards were disguised as a horse when they tried to flush out information on where Baloo and Airplane Jane were. All guards are voiced by Jim Cummings.
Walla Walla Bing Bang Wockies [Raiders of The Wost Tweasure]
Summary of Area: A string of mountainous islands near the Royal Palace of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang form what are known as the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Rockies. Covering several dozen square miles of ocean, the Rockies are entirely barren and desolate. When the Ruby Wings of Queen Maureen were stolen centuries ago from the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang palace, the thieves hid the treasure in secret caves deep within the heart of the Rockies, where the Ruby Wings remained until the recent ascension of Princess Grace to the throne. Hazardous to navigate, the various passes and canyons of the Rockies are prone to sudden rock slides. The catacombs within the Rockies — impossible to find without the aid of a specific map — were originally designed as an ancient treasure house and thus are riddled with dangerous pitfalls and booby traps.
Points of Interest
[1.] The Hidden Caves - Whether the act of independent thieves or a coup hatched by insurgents to destabilize the throne, the theft of the Ruby Wings sent shock waves rippling throughout the kingdom of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang. The fabulous Ruby Wings of Queen Maureen were not just dazzling accoutrements, but proof of the right to rule passed down through generations of royal inheritors. Without the Wings, the royal line was still preserved by heredity, but the absence of the heirloom meant that anyone related to the royal house of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang could challenge the ruler appointee for the throne. Despite the murkiness of accounts describing how the Ruby Wings of Queen Maureen were stolen, the royal house always suspected that the culprits ensconced the item in secret caves somewhere in the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Rockies, the ruins of a great treasure house forgotten since ancient days. When an old map with the Ruby Wings' location surfaced in the hands of Prince Rudolph — self-proclaimed distant cousin of Princess Grace — the royal heiress dispatched an old colleague to get the map and reclaim the true token of ruler ship.
[2.] The Catacombs - Following the course laid out on the map would bring treasure seekers over a rock slide-blocked canyon and into a shallow lagoon with jagged, twisting rocks that cast shadows in nightmarish relief under the pale light of the moon. Such portents are a foretaste of the real dangers inside the catacombs, located inland from the lagoon's beach. Assuming one can lower the titanic front door without getting flattened, he or she must then negotiate a series of insidious obstacles left by those who came before: tripwires and nets, bottomless chasms, rolling boulders, and a barrage of deadly spears. Most of the traps rely on the haste and impatience of their victims for success, and are rather easily avoided if one proceeds carefully through the caves.
[3.] The Vault - After getting past the obstacles in one piece, explorers must tackle the final challenge of lifting open the door to the vault — a giant block of granite — by use of a pull chain. Even with the help of counterweights, it takes two people making a heroic effort to heave open the door. The treasure vault is the highest point in the ruins. At its far end, the chamber opens to a sheer drop of several hundred feet to the water. Heavy, grooved columns on raised platforms uphold the roof of the vault, preventing accidental collapse.
Ancient Item
[1.] The Wuby Wings - One of the priceless treasures of the Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Royal Family, the fabulous Wuby Wings of Queen Maureen are the ultimate token of royalty within the nation. Whoever wears the Wuby Wings rules Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang, a fact which made the wings particularly important to the royal dynasty. The Wuby Wings were stolen centuries ago from the royal palace and hidden in secret caves within the formidable Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang Rockies, until the recent ascension of Princess Gwace. When Princess Gwace's right to the throne was challenged by a long-lost cousin, Prince Wudolf, she enlisted the help of an old classmate from finishing school — Airplane Jane — to find the Wuby Wings and establish Gwace's right to rule. The reward of ten thousand wubles also caught the eye of Baloo, who reluctantly teamed up with Jane to recover the wings and prove that Rudolph was an imposter. The Wuby Wings now reside on the shoulders of Queen Gwace of Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang, who is intent on preserving this treasure for future successors to the throne.
Return to the Unofficial Kit Cloudkicker Homepage
Disclaimer: All images and material are (C) 1990/1991 Walt Disney Company and are being used without premission. The webmaster has made sure that no money was made in the creation of this webpage and that all material is being used with the upmost affection and respect to the Walt Disney Company and the Tale Spin team.
Special Thanks to 50 Webs for providing space for this webpage. Click here to find how to get your free homepage and 60 Megabytes of webspace