Search - The Milton The Monster Show - The Complete Series on DVD

Gem from the past!

Michael C. Walters | 04/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I hadn't seen this show since it's original '65 release when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I ordered it more out of nostalgia than anything else, but was pleasently surprised to find the MILTON episodes remarkably entertaining, amusing, and having plenty of appeal for an adult viewer. I think many of the jokes, puns and situations would most likely be over the head of a 6 year old. Also, in this era of Political Correctness, with so many self-proclaimed child advocacy groups, Hell-Bent on protect ing children from life, reality, and FUN... it was GREAT to see/hear so many casual jokes about death, dismemberment, and threats of violence. I actually found myself laughing out loud at some of these comments. Ah, the Good Old
Days, of Saturday Morning Cartoons!
Perhaps I JUST have an afinity for monsters, but I found the MILTON cartoons to be far and away the best segment of the MTMS collection.

It was interesting to see vintage'60s TV animation where the cells were still hand inked and NOT transfered to cells with a Xerox process, which shortly would become the norm for TV animation. I was also pleased to see just how much original ANIMATION was done for each episode. Limited TV-style Animation, of course, but compared to what the MASTERS of LIMITED ANIMATION at FILMATION would be passing off in the coming years, MILTON looks more like theatrical cartoon quality in comparison. In addition, I found the background art, if at times, somewhat simplistic, to be very well executed and stylish. The shows are beautifully restored and of excellent visual quality.
Unfortunatly, on the downside most of the OTHER segements that were part of the MTMS, Fearless Fly, Stuffy Durma, Muggy Doo, Flukey Luke, Penny Penguin, etc. were much more formulaic and derivitive. s I frequently got bored, and and was tempted to fast forward to get to the next MILTON segment.
On the upside, a unique and much appreciated feature on each disc, is the option to view all episodes of any give segment. This feature also deletes the repetative opening/song/set-up for that preceeds each episode and starts at it's title card. My hat is off to whomever came up with this feature.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection and recommend it to anyone interested in TV animation from this era.
MW"

Milton the Monster

Pj Thorp | 03/22/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Simplistic stories, best viewed by kids, but if you watched it when you were one, you can't help but order this anymore than I did. Produced by Hal Seeger a year before his popular Batfink (which is also well worth preordering), this show has three segments: Fearless Fly (a super hero satire, not unlike Atom Ant), Milton the Monster (a satire of Frankenstein etc), and a rotating middle segment of short lived characters like Flukey Luke, which is replaced in later episodes by a second Milton Story.
Watch three or four a day and relive your childhood in stages. I still am.
Peter"

Not as Horrible as you might imagine!

David Mackey | New Jersey | 03/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cartoon series, produced by Hal Seeger Productions for ABC-TV, was a childhood classic for those who grew up in the 1960's. Although only 26 episodes were produced, ABC ran the show for three years on its Saturday and Sunday morning lineups. The animation (by some of Seeger's Fleischer Studios cohorts) is pedestrian, but the voice work and stories help put this series over. Some of the other characters are retreads of some of the characters Seeger created for his Stanhall Comics imprint in the 1950's, but re-realized as other species (Muggy-Doo, Boy Cat becomes a fox; the pig Stuffy Derma becomes a human). I'm pleased that Shout! Factory is getting this released, but I'm a little sad that they couldn't do it while Hal Seeger (who died in 1995) was still around to enjoy it. And I give this a very high recommendation because of its fun factor. Now, Shout! Factory, how about "Batfink" for your next project?"

A Tincture of Tenderness

Gord Wilson | Bellingham, WA USA | 03/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hal Seeger Productions has always been the odd man out. Since this show didn't come through a major production company known for other cartoons, it's been very late making it to DVD. A favorite when it ran on Saturday Mornings in 1965, this show has a great theme, good character design, and in veteran Shamus Culhane, an excellent director. The show also didn't take itself too seriously. "Now for a tincture of tenderness," says Professor Weirdo in the show's opening theme, "but I must use only a drop." "Oops, too much!" he exclaims, and instead of turning out scary, Milton, based on Gomer Pyle, USMC, turns out friendly.
Fearless Fly is an imaginative supporting feature in which timid Hiram, putting on his special glasses, becomes a superhero crime- fighter.

Some time back I tracked down these cartoons on eBay, but when I got them they turned out to be bootlegs. SInce then I've wanted to get a legal set and am elated to see Shout Factory bring this one out. However, I'm reluctant to get it after getting their McHale's Navy set, in which you have to forward past ads for other Shout Factory releases every time you want to watch an episode. These ads boomerang and merely make you not want Shout Factory DVDs, hoping that Classic Media or someone else puts these shows out instead."