This CBS cartoon series featured the escapades of the stars of the WWF (World Wrestling Federation).
Heading up the good guys of “The Face” were Hulk Hogan and Mean Gene Okerlund, who were joined by Andre the Giant, Hillbilly Jim, Superfly Jimmy Snuka, Junkyard Dog, Tito Santana, Wendi Richter and Captain Lou Albano.
Rowdy Roddy Piper headed up the bad guys (“The Heels”) which included the Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, Big John Studd, Mr Fuji, Bobby Heenan and the Fabulous Moolah.
Most of the action took place outside the ring – in fact, wrestling itself was rarely featured or even referenced in the cartoons. It was merely a plot device to determine the heroes from the villains.
The stories were overtly moralistic, reinforcing that good triumphs over evil and cheaters rarely prosper, and educating the kids at home on health and good citizenship, and not to take dishonest shortcuts in life.
Stereotypes proliferated – The Iron Sheik wore the traditional Arab headdress and had an exaggerated hook nose and heavy black eyebrows, while his animalistic sidekick, the bald and burly Nikolai Volkoff wore a fur hat and “USSR” printed on his t-shirt.
Even less fortunately, Hulk’s sidekick Junkyard Dog – a jive-talking black wrestler – wore a long chain around his neck as if he had been chained to a fence (like a dog) until he managed to break away. What did that convey to children?
Interspersed between the cartoon segments were live-action comedy vignettes featuring the actual WWF cast. The wrestlers in the cartoons, though, were voiced by professional voice actors.
Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan (1)
Brad Garrett (2) ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper
Charlie Adler Superfly Jimmy Snuka
Lewis Arquette Junkyard Dog
James Avery The Fabulous Moolah
Jodi Carlisle Captain Lou Albano
George DiCenzo Andre the Giant
Ron Feinberg Hillbilly Jim
Pat Fraley Nikolai Volkoff
Ron Gans Mr Fuji
Ernest Harada The Iron Sheik
Aron Kincaid Big John Studd
Chuck Licini Tito Santana
Joey DePinto Mean Gene Okerlund
Gene Okerlund (1)
Neil Ross (2)
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