Thompson Colton: Agent of MI3
From Jalassociatecomics
| Crew | |
|---|---|
| Creator | Robert Markham |
| Producer | Golden Fox Studios |
| Director | Smith Alansson |
| Writer | David Agnew |
| Cast | |
| Thompson Colton | Walter Spelvin |
| Marianne Suzette St. Evremonde | Audrey Tautou |
| "C" | Michael Kitchen |
| Sykes Fairbanks | Jeffrey Wright |
| James Bond | Clive Owen |
| Series info | |
| Genre | Animated action-drama |
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Series run | 2003 - 2006 |
| Theme song(s) |
|
Thomspon Colton: Agent of MI3 is an animated series produced by Golden Fox Studios from 2003 through 2006. Its producers and creators, David Agnew, Smith Alansson, and Robert Markham have stated that: "...it [the series] is a postmodern look back at action, adventure, and all that is Bond - James Bond."
Alansson said in a 2002 interview with TV Today, "We were treading new ground, and had to explain to everyone that this is not a cartoon, but an animated series. What's the difference? Thompson Colton is certainly something you won't get to watch on a Saturday morning." The series use of complicated storytelling and mature plotlines and subjects was unprecendented, surpassing even Batman: The Animated Series.
The show was orignally panned by critics for its ultra-simplified art style, which at times was even more abstract than some Saturday morning cartoons, but showed its seriousness thorugh deliberate use of diminished, desaturated colours and "dark Deco" seen in Batman: The Animated series, and significant lack of slapstick, often opting for "higher ground", as director Smith Alansson put it in a 2005 interview.
The show also used professional film actors such as Clive Owen and Audrey Tautou and seasoned voice actors such as Kevin Conroy and Clancy Brown to voice their characters, although the title character's was a relative unknown, Walter Spelvin. Sound effects in the show also appear to have been voiced over by a voice actor, giving an illusion of onomatopoeia. As for the dominant sound, creators used actual gun-firing sounds recorded on a range, or sourced from other companies, such as Valve, in order to mantain realism.
Aside from the sound effects, an original soundtrack by William Silvesman is featured, utilising a unique synth/ochestral tone, and shuffling almost adrubtly between the two styles. The theme song, based upon John Barry's original James bnd theme, is lauded by critics for its level of sophistication, blending the two above-mentioned musical styles. The composer claims that "you'll discover something different to the tune with every listen."
The name of the show, in order to simplify listings, is often shortened to Thompson Colton: 0011 or simply Thompson Colton. The series has spawned three short animated films, two of which went straight to video. series intros and outros (frequently tied in with the films) notwithstanding: The Vindicators, Destination Piz Gloria and His Last Bow: Destination Singapore. The films were generally lauded by critics, and differ from the series itself in the slightly more detailed animation style.
A 23-minute pilot, On Steel Wings was produced in late 2002 to be pitched to the BTVC (British TeleVision Corporation) and after several rewrites, was eventually shown on Janurary Monday the 13th. The show enjoyed decent ratings during its 3-year Monday and Friday run. The show was also screened in fifteen countries, and continues to rerun. After a sucessful fourth season, David Agnew announced Thompson Colton's end.
Characters
Thompson Colton has a wide variety of characters, with a small though versatile rouges gallery. As said above, they include the treacherous Lt. Col Bushkov, the mysterious Trenchcoat and his SCEPTER, the deadly Free Radical, and a mysterious opponent introduced in season 3. His allies include the stoic "C", the alluring Marianne Suzette, the American Fairbanks, and the "sexist, misogynist dinosaur" James Bond.
Voice actors
| Heroes and supporting characters | |
|---|---|
| Role | Actor |
| Thompson Colton | Walter Spelvin |
| Marianne Suzette | Audrey Tautou |
| "C"/Colonel Crepus Qular Dusk | Michael Kitchen |
| Sykes Fairbanks | Jeffrey Wright |
| James Bond | Clive Owen/Daniel Craig |
| Villains | |
|---|---|
| Role | Actor |
| Dingaan Ngadla | Mos Def |
| Agent John André | Tobias Menzies |
| Johann Van Bushkov | Gottfried John |
| The Trenchcoat/"Number Zero" | Kevin Conroy |
| Dr. Eubuleus Aides | Julian Glover |
| Free Radical | Clancy Brown |
| Unknown Enemy/Marga Zelle | Dana Delany |
| Special-related villains | |
|---|---|
| Role | Actor |
| Dr. Ang Si Ti/Yi Mou | George Takei |
| Oberst Hendrik Metzger | Peter Dineley |
| Edward Pierce | William Agar |
| Peter Franks | James Brolin |
| Ernst Starvo Blofeld | Max von Sydow |
| Le Chiffre | Matti Ruohola |
| Retz de Rais | Vincent Cassel |
Spoiler warning: The names of the malevolent mooks who commited the dastardly deeds are UNCENSORED as of below.
| Mystery villains | |
|---|---|
| Role | Actor |
| Jacob Stapleton | Richard E. Grant |
| Willis Todd | Levi Valencia |
| Lt. John Kohlmann | Bruno Ganz |
| Jane Edgware | James Brolin |
End of spoilers.
Episodes
There are in total 80 episodes of Thompson Colton. For a comprehensive list, see List of Thompson Colton episodes. Notable episodes include the pilot "On Steel Wings", and the episodes "Enter the Trenchcoat", "Free Radical Strikes" and "A New Opponent" which introduced three out of four of the primary foes of Thompson Colton. "Colton Now and Forever" preented an interesting look at military history, while "The Langley Deception", about a traitor within the ranks of the CIA has often been compared to the modern thriller. Many express that the Season 4 pre-finale "A Time of Reflection/A Time for Fear" provided an adequate finish to the show.
