Rediscovered by Christian Tremblay in July 2018 and provided to SWATKATS.info, this hand-written (in pencil) set of pages is the earliest known document that details the Tremblay’s initial creative pitch and characters, world building and storytelling approach supplied to Hanna-Barbera and to the show’s story editor Glenn Leopold.
(Working Title)
– SWAT-KATS –
Notes and information
YC Tremblay 15 Nov. 1992
STORY:
About two jet-fighter pilots fighting crimes in the city, in the cocking of their Jet-Fighter, loaded with secret weapons and gadgets, they’ll have to spot and [neutralize] the “Meanest” villains. The two heroes of the show are “Chuck” and “Yeager.”
Chuck is the pilot; Once he’s inside the cockpit and ready to go on a mission, Chuck is [a] totally wild and radical pilot, always flying his jet on The Razor’s Edge!!
Yeager takes care of the weapons; [sitting] behind Chuck, his cockpit environment loaded with dials, T.V. screens, monitors and power stick, make him feel on a mission, like he is inside a real life video-game.
Chuck and Yeager have a secret identity, and nobody knows about them except Kathy! She’s a police officer. Dedicated to her works, but she knows too well, that [the] police force alone can’t stop by big crime masters in the city. So when something goes wrong in the city, she call the SWAT-KATS to stop the criminals of whatever is going on.
THE CITY
The action of the show take place in a GIANT METROPOLIS of about the size of the state of California, where live only cats, no humans. It’s called MEGAKAT CITY, and the look of it is very dark, dense, giant skyscrapers and buildings and bridges, but it’s not a futuristic city!
THE VILLAINS
In Megakat City there are plenty of criminals, gangs and gangsters but there’s only one crime lord, his name is DARK KAT, he’s called that way because he lives in a DARK BUNKER underneath the city called the CATACOMBS. He wants to take over the city but leave the dirty job to the meanest villains that work for him.
Dr Viper: a crazy biologist with a German accent, who can transform any LIFE FORM into MONSTROUS CREATURES with his venomous poison. Dr Viper lives in the part of the city called “The DEAD Forest Park.”
The Thunder Gangsters: the Husband and Wife criminals, sort of “Bonny and Clyde Blasted by Thunder” although they are and move like any other character in the show, they actually are droids. They talk with a “French Robotized” accent and live in the old industrial-electrical park of the city.
The Time Master: He’s a dead clock-maker from the Middle-age, who went back to life and now brings back WARRIORS and BEASTS from the past to destroy the present time. He has an English accent and he lives in a Skull Tower. (Sort of a Big-Ben of London Parliament)
The Great Dragon: He’s the last of a Dynasty of Ninja Warriors, and he possess MAGICAL and UNNATURAL powers that make him a very hard to stop villain. He trains hundreds of little ninja warriors who follow their master. He lives in the [Asian] part of the city (in a Pagoda) and has a powerful [Asian] accent.
Christian would also like to impart that this document was written in the early 90s when his distinction between certain English words was not as complete as it is today, and that in hindsight the use of the term “Oriental” should have been “Asian.”
THE GARAGE AND THE WEAPONS
Off-duty, Chuck and Yeager are two easy-going cool guys. They run a Garage doing Mechic/Body-shop work, but as they get a call from Kathy, they close every-thing and go to a secret place underground called the “UNDERGROUND HANGAR,” that’s where their JET-FIGHTER plane is located, along with their pilots outfits, weapons, etc… (This is where we are building-up the excitement!!)
When they’re inside the cockpit and ready to go, the platform goes down to another level called, the TAKE-OFF TUNNEL, at this stage there’s no turning back, the SWAT-KATS are out to a mission and they’re gonna achieve it! Close-up on the Turbo-engines, the blast of fire, the sound effects, the Rock Music is starting – It’s Gonna Be Hell!!!
THE WEAPONS
The weapons are the exciting and creative part of the show! Each episode features a lot of WEAPONS and GADGETS. Although the look of the weapons are Radical and aggressive, their function must always be highly creative (we’re not killing anybody here!) But NOT silly! (ex: like a missile that opens and a boxing glove hits the criminal)
Not all the weapons are related to the plane! Sometimes the Jet will land on the top of a building, and the SWAT-KATS will continue their mission on their own, carrying some “gadgetry” with them!
The inspiration of the show comes from VIDEO GAMES! In Video Games, from the beginning ‘till the end we’re constantly excited, aggressed, surprised and thrilled! That’s how should be the SWAT-KATs show: EXCITING CAMERA ANGLE, Big close-up cockpit view (a lot!) and let’s constantly surprise the viewer!!
The show should also “enhance” the two Heroes’ Personality!! We want the KIDS to love the SWAT-KATS and want to be like them!!