The year was 1985. MTV was ushering in a new platform to enjoy music, and icons like Cyndi Lauper benefited from the increased exposure. At the same time, Hulk Hogan was the undisputed star of professional wrestling. He headlined WWE’s first-ever WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden with Mr. T against “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Hogan’s victory in that event ushered the industry to greater heights, making it a permanent fixture in Americana.
The two worlds collided when Lauper managed Wendi Richter for her Women’s Championship match against Leilani Kai. Lauper’s popularity as a musician and Hogan’s dominance in the squared circle marked the beginning of the Rock N’ Wrestling era. Sports entertainment grew exponentially, turning its characters into household names. But to parlay that appeal to younger audiences, the WWE green-lit the animated series “Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.”
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CBS originally broadcasted the show from September 1985 to October 1986. The program lasted two seasons, and reruns occurred until June 1987. It had 26 total episodes, pitting Hogan and the face wrestlers against the villains or heel wrestlers. There was renewed interest in the show when it became a part of the WWE Network in April 2015, only to be removed after the promotion cut ties with Hogan. However, the show is rich with interesting details, thanks to those behind the scenes.
10 Created By DIC Entertainment
As a big wrestling fan, DIC Entertainment Chairman and CEO Andy Heyward pitched the cartoon’s idea to Vince McMahon in 1984. He liked the concept and allowed DIC to use the WWE’s image and likeness.
Aside from Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling, DIC also produced Inspector Gadget, Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, The Real Ghostbusters, and Dinosaucers. They also created The Super Mario Bros. Super Show featuring Captain Lou Albano as Mario.
9 Voice Actors Dubbed The Wrestler’s Lines
At that time, WWE wrestlers were highly in-demand and were on the road almost daily. That schedule made it difficult for them to record their lines for the animated series. Instead, DIC used voice actors to give life to the characters. (We'll get to who was behind those voices a little later on).
Unlike modern animation films wherein voice actors recorded their lines separately, the dubbers for Hulk Hogan’s cartoon recorded as a group.
8 Live Action Segments Were Filmed At Culver City
Aside from the animated parts, every episode featured live-action vignettes featuring various WWE personalities. In a 2013 interview for WWEClassics.com, long-time announcer “Mean” Gene Okerlund said that the five-minute segments between the cartoons were recorded at a production facility in Culver City.
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He had to devote two to three days weekly, requiring him to fly from New York City to Los Angeles. He participated in segments with Jimmy Hart, The Junkyard Dog, Andre the Giant, and The Fabulous Moolah, to name a few.
7 An All-Star Voiceover Cast
Brad Garrett lent his voice to Hulk Hogan’s character in the animation. Garrett of course, became known as Robert in the hit sitcom series Everybody Loves Raymond. Meanwhile, James Avery was the voice behind Junkyard Dog. He attained mainstream success as Philip Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Lewis Arquette, Patricia and David’s father, also recorded some episodes on Okerlund’s behalf.
George DiCenzo became one of the voice actors after becoming Marty McFly’s grandfather in Back To The Future. Other voice actors contributing to popular animated series include Jodi Carlisle (The Wild Thornberrys) and Pat Fraley (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).
6 Jim Steinman Composed The Theme Music
Jim Steinman’s composition became the soundtrack of the cartoon’s intro and Hogan’s original entrance music. However, it did not appeal to wrestling fans and was replaced by Rick Derringer’s "Real American."
Steinman did find musical success by writing and producing hit songs like Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Air Supply’s “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All,” Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now,” and Boyzone’s “No Matter What.”
5 Coca-Cola Telecommunications Distributed A Special Episode
That The Coca-Cola Company got involved in first-run syndication doesn’t sound right. However, Coca-Cola Telecommunications got involved in Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling. It was the syndication unit of Columbia Pictures Television which was a part of Coca-Cola Television.
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The company ran from November 1986 to December 1987 before becoming Columbia Pictures Television. It changed names to Columbia TriStar Television in 1994 and Sony Pictures Television in 2002.
4 Two Stories In Some Episodes
Exactly half of the 26 episodes had two stories. Episode 1 had “The Junkyard 500” and “Junkenstein,” while Episode 26 had “Rowdy Roddy Reforms” and “Three Little Hulks.”
On the other hand, Episode 2 featured the story of “The Four-Legged Pickpocket” for its 30-minute run. Jeffrey Scott wrote most of the episodes, while Larry DiTillio, Sandy Fries, and Michael Maurer contributed. It's not uncommon for cartoons or shows in general to have multiple storylines in one episode, and the show experimented with this formula a couple of times.
3 Did Not Adhere To WWE’s Storylines
The lengthy production times meant the animated series had an independent narrative from what’s happening in WWE. Therefore, some wrestlers remained good guys even if they had already turned heel or face in regular programming.
For example, Roddy Piper remained the show’s antagonist despite his face turn in 1986. Meanwhile, Andre the Giant remained a good guy in the cartoon, even though he turned heel on Hogan in 1987.
2 Inspired The Creation Of A Made-For-Television Film
CBS created “All Star Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Saturday Spectacular” based on their 1985 Saturday morning lineup, including Hogan’s cartoon. Piper, Patti LaBelle, Gary Owens, Paul Reubens, and Herve Villechaize.
Hogan, Captain Lou Albano, New Edition, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also appeared. Mark Evanier wrote, and Bob Bowker directed the program.
1 Hogan Loved The Show
While he wasn’t involved in the cartoon’s production, Hogan approved the show. “The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart said Hogan had some references to the animated show displayed on the walls of The Immortal One’s beach bar. Hogan also realized he couldn’t expand his line of merchandising if not for Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.
The show may not have lasted long, but it did cement what the 80s was all about in WWE. That was to create a family friendly image with a larger than life hero that kids could look up to. Hulk Hogan was a perfect case of being the right guy at the right time.
