Atomic Puppet Explained

Atomic Puppet is an animated television series created by Jerry Leibowitz and Mark Drop. The series is a co-production between Canadian independent animation studio Mercury Filmworks, French VFX, motion graphics and animation company Technicolor and French film studio Gaumont's animation division Gaumont Animation. The series aired on Teletoon in Canada, on France 4 in France and on Disney XD worldwide. It debuted on July 18, 2016, with the final episode aired on February 21, 2017. A total of 26 episodes were produced.

The series revolves around the adventures of seventh grader Joey Felt and his partner AP, a world-renowned superhero who has been reduced to life as a powerless, blue sock puppet, until he's placed on Joey's hand. Together, the two transform into Mega City's newest superhero duo, Atomic Puppet.

Plot

Mega City's superhero Captain Atomic suffers a setback, as he is shaking hands with 12-year-old^[1] fanboy Joey Felt, his disgruntled sidekick Mookie (or Sergeant Subatomic) transforms him into a living sock puppet. The suddenly powerless superhero quickly realizes that the only way he can regain his former powers is to team up with the boy—a dream come true for Joey, but not so much for Captain Atomic. Together, the two form an unlikely and awkward partnership that allows them to become the city's newest superhero duo — Atomic Puppet.

Characters

Main

• Joseph "Joey" Felt ^[2] (voiced by Eric Bauza) is the main protagonist of the series. He is a 12-year-old comic book fan. Through a chance turn of events, he develops the ability to combine with his superhero idol, and together they form a new hero, Atomic Puppet.
• Captain Atomic/Atomic Puppet/AP^[3] (voiced by Eric Bauza) was a world-renowned superhero who lived his life being able to handle situations with his brute strength and endless charm. Blinded by success and fame, he's suddenly transformed into a powerless, blue sock puppet living by his jealous sidekick Mookie. Now he goes by the name AP and, due to his massive ego and short temper, struggles with adjusting to his new life as a puppet and the fact that he can only access his former powers when Joey places him on his hand, turning them into Atomic Puppet.

Supporting

• Pauline Bell^[4] (voiced by Lisa Norton) is Joey's best friend and the only person other than Mookie and the other superheroes that knows of Joey's secret identity. Pauline occasionally covers for Joey when he needs an excuse to become Atomic Puppet, and has fought alongside Atomic Puppet if the situation called for it. She has a job at a comic bookshop owned by her uncle.
• Philip "Phil" Felt^[5] (voiced by Carlos Díaz) is Joey's burly, rugged, no-nonsense father. He's impatient, opinionated, and does everything he can to counteract his wife's babying of the kids. During the final episode, he learns the truth about Joey and AP.
• Vivian Felt^{[6] [7]} (voiced by Kristina Nicoll) is Joey's sweet but overly caring mother. She worries far too much about her children and is always concerned about what kind of trouble they could get into.
• Abigail Felt^[8] (voiced by Katie Griffin) is Joey's energetic 8-year-old sister who goes by the nickname "Abs"^[9] or "Abbie".^[10]
• Bubbles^{[11] [12]} is an orange tabby cat and the family's slow-witted, overweight, and flatulent pet. AP refers to him as Disastro and is convinced that Bubbles is an undercover villain plotting to take down Atomic Puppet from the inside, while Phil completely adores Bubbles, describing him as "the most adorable kitty-kat in the world".^[13]
• Rex Bordeaux^[14] (voiced by David Huband) is the egotistical host of Mega City news. As the city's #1 newsman, he climbed his way to celebrity status by reporting on the feats of Captain Atomic, but his reputation is in danger of slipping with Captain Atomic's "disappearance".

Villains

• Sergeant Subatomic: The Nuclear Boy (Mookie)^[15] (voiced by Peter Oldring) is the main antagonist of the series. Mookie is Captain Atomic's bitter and envious former sidekick and is responsible for his transformation into a puppet, done in an attempt to replace him as Mega City's protector. While Mookie does have a wide assortment of gadgets to use, by himself, he's nothing more than a glory hound that lives in his mother's basement. He frequently tries to force the citizens of Mega City to accept him as their hero, but his incompetence and lack of superpowers fail to win them over.
• Professor Tite-Gripp^[16] (voiced by Rick Miller) is a cunning and ruthless criminal with massive mechanical hands that give him superhuman strength. He was originally Captain Atomic's archenemy and is now Atomic Puppet's most dangerous foe.
• Naughty Kitty^[17] (voiced by Heather Bambrick) is a female thief who wears a black cat costume and steals cats. She is a parody of Catwoman.
• Zorp^[18] (voiced by Robert Tinkler) is a green-skinned alien invader who intends to capture the citizens of Mega City and eat them. He is often accompanied by a smaller alien of his species known as Flert.
• Mudman (voiced by Robert Tinkler) is a humanoid creature made entirely of mud who can change his shape and possess others by smothering himself over them.^[19] He has a cousin named Dirtbag, a large sack-like creature able to breathe blasts of soil, who has also tangled with Joey and AP.^[20]
• Ms. Erlenmeyer/Queen Mindbender (voiced by Kristina Nicoll) is Joey's bitter science teacher who is driven to madness by AP when he attempts to stop her from putting Joey in detention.^[21] Afterward, she marries a mysterious alien and is transformed into a green-skinned telepath named Queen Mindbender.^[22]
• The Were-Chicken is a mutant chicken who appears in "Something Chicken" as the main antagonist.
• Commander Atomic and Puppet Boy are a pair of opposite villains in the episode "Parallel Puppet", who both serve as the main antagonists.

Heroes

• Justice Alliance^[23] Is a superhero team that protects the galaxy at large. Prior to his transformation, Captain Atomic was a member, and he has rejoined as Atomic Puppet.
  • Commander Cavalier (voiced by Robert Tinkler) is a hero with heat vision powers. He is extremely obsessed with his appearance, to the point where showing him a mirror will always cause him to stop and admire himself.
  • Robo-Ron (voiced by Martin Roach) is a cyborg superhero who only speaks in beatbox and printed messages. Although he possesses a wide range of gadgetry and is incredibly intelligent, he is considered the least powerful member of the alliance.
  • Crimson Beacon is a quiet superhero with flaming hair, very similar to Firestorm. It has the ability to create almost anything, similar to Green Lantern.
• Princess War Tickle^[24] (voiced by Kristina Nicoll) is a superheroine, very similar to Wonder Woman who dwells in a magical castle in the sky. She has an ongoing rivalry with Captain Atomic, as she is the only hero who rivals Captain Atomic in power and fame.
• Dyna-Moe: A friendly country superhero who left town after he failed to defeat Dirtbag. The mayor used him as part of a scheme to get rid of AP and Nuclear Boy permanently, only for DirtyBag to show up.

Others

• Rudolph Mintenberg^[25] (voiced by Scott McCord) is an eccentric billionaire who lives in a hilltop mansion outside Mega City. He is constantly bored and entertains himself by with a variety of dangerous gadgets and experiments, forcing Joey and AP to step in and save the day.
• Warren Beasley^[26] (voiced by Mark Edwards) is a nosy nerd who lives next door to Joey. His hobby is spying on his neighbors and classmates.
• The Mayor^[27] (voiced by Kevin Hanchard) is the mayor of Mega City. He often tries to replace Atomic Puppet because he dislikes the collateral damage they cause in their battles against their various foes.

Production

Series creators Mark Drop and Jerry Leibotwitz originally pitched the concept of Atomic Puppet to Mercury Filmworks in 2011. The studio took interest in the concept, but chose to redevelop it under the supervision of series developer Travis Williams and director Andy Coyle. One such change the team introduced was the idea of the titular sock puppet being a polymorphed superhero, but one that "had a bit bigger of an ego". They believed this would emphasize the humiliation of the character's transformation and force him to show his more vulnerable side.^[28]

According to Mercury Filmworks president Clint Eland, Atomic Puppet was envisioned as a comedic superhero-driven show focused on the close friendship between the main duo of Joey Felt and AP. Coyle and Williams both added that the show also intended to explore various genres, allowing the series to exhibit a wide range of tones and emotions. Additionally, Mercury Filmworks sought to have Joey and AP grows as characters through the pair's episodic adventures, with direction on the series focusing on character-driven elements to create characters the audience would grow attached to and who could be flexible enough for many kinds of story.^[29]

Music

The music for the series was composed and performed by Amaury Laurent Bernier and David Gana

Broadcast

The first season is designed as 52 11-minute segments, with 2 two-part specials.^[30] Atomic Puppet have its world premiere on Disney XD in France on March 13, 2016. The series later debuted on Disney XD in the United States as a sneak peek on May 30, 2016, before making its debut on July 18. The series aired on Teletoon in Canada on September 11, 2016, and ABC ME in Australia. In Latin America, it began airing on Disney XD on October 27, 2016.

Reception

Atomic Puppet received rave reviews from professional critics and animators, who praised its animation, action, voice acting, premise, and humor.

The series was nominated in 2017 for two Annie Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production and Outstanding Achievement in Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production.^[31] It was also nominated for a Reuben Award in the category of Television Animation, alongside The Loud House and The Simpsons, in 2016 by the National Cartoonists Society.^[32]

Dawn M. Burkes of The Dallas Morning News spoke positively on the series, calling it "a hoot of a superhero show". She praised its premise as fresh, unique, and entertaining, and its execution as making for a fun, humorous, and interesting take on the "old-school" superhero dynamic of the hero and his young sidekick.^[33]

On the other hand, the online animation community mostly dismissed the show as average. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave this the show rate three stars out of five, describing it as "lighthearted buddy comedy is filled with fast-paced action and humor that's just right for grade-schoolers' liking."^[34]

External links

• • • Page on Gaumont Animation

Notes and References

1. Web site: Summary from Official Atomic Puppet YouTube page. YouTube.
2. Web site: Atomic Puppet – Joey Felt – Video Profile. YouTube. 12 December 2016 .
3. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
4. Web site: Archived copy . 2016-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161026170214/http://www.teletoon.com/sites/default/files/Pauline_AP_CharactersProfile.png . 2016-10-26 . dead .
5. Web site: PHIL FELT | teletoon.com . 2016-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161026231646/http://www.teletoon.com/en/characters/atomic-puppet/phil-felt . 2016-10-26 . dead .
6. Web site: Vivian Felt credit. IMDB.
7. Web site: Felt Family Video Profile. YouTube. 12 December 2016 .
8. Web site: ABIGAIL | teletoon.com . 2016-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161026170524/http://www.teletoon.com/en/characters/atomic-puppet/abigail . 2016-10-26 . dead .
9. Atomic Puppet . Pizza Planet.
10. Atomic Puppet . Don't Track the Mudman.
11. Web site: Character Profile. Teletoon. 2016-12-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202070535/http://www.teletoon.com/en/characters/atomic-puppet/bubbles. 2017-02-02. dead.
12. Web site: Atomic Puppet – Video Profile. YouTube. 12 December 2016 .
13. Atomic Puppet . Survival of the Feltest.
14. Web site: Character Profile. Teletoon. 2016-12-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20170202132817/http://www.teletoon.com/en/characters/atomic-puppet/rex-bordeaux. 2017-02-02. dead.
15. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
16. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
17. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
18. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
19. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
20. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
21. Atomic Puppet . Atomic Detention. '
22. Atomic Puppet . Erlenmeyer's Revenge.
23. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
24. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
25. Web site: "Character Profile". Official website.
26. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
27. Web site: Character Profile. Official Website.
28. Web site: Atomic Puppet’s Canadian premiere. The Charlatan. 2016-09-15 . 2024-12-03.
29. Web site: Atomic Puppet’s Canadian premiere. The Charlatan. 2016-09-15 . 2024-12-03.
30. Web site: ATOMIC PUPPET . Gaumontanimation.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150612091941/http://www.gaumontanimation.com/catalogues/atomic-puppet/ . 2015-06-12.
31. Web site: 44th Annual Annie Awards. Annie Awards.
32. Web site: 2016 NCS Divisional Nominees. National Cartoonists Society. https://web.archive.org/web/20170606010140/http://www.reuben.org/2017/04/2016-ncs-divisional-nominees/. 2017-06-06. dead.
33. Web site: Have you seen this? 'Atomic Puppet' is a hoot of a superhero show. The Dallas Morning News. 2017-02-07 . 2021-02-09.
34. Web site: Ashby . Emily . February 26, 2022 . Atomic Puppet TV Review . https://web.archive.org/web/20231203020505/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/atomic-puppet . December 3, 2023 . June 23, 2024 . Common Sense Media.