ROCK ODYSSEY

Back in the 1980s, the Hanna Barbera animation studio produced a lavish, feature-length oddity called Rock Odyssey. Intended to be a kind of rock n' roll Fantasia for adult audiences, Rock Odyssey took viewers on a surreal journey through the music of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s - a journey hosted by an anthropomorphic jukebox voiced by Scatman Crothers. While Hanna Barbera was and is best known for family-friendly cartoons like Yogi Bear and The Flintstones, Rock Odyssey featured some surprisingly dark and disturbing imagery. The film was never released, but the clips available online are impressive. The opening sequence seen above is totally creepy and disorienting, in a sort of Ralph Bakshi way.

Got a tip for Monsters and Rockets? Want to contribute to the site? Send us an email.