Van-Pires | |
---|---|
Created by | John Gentile Anthony Gentile |
Developed by | Ron Kaehler |
Directed by | John Gentile and Anthony Gentile |
Starring | Marc Schwarz Garikayi Mutambirwa Melissa Marsala Jason Hayes |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 13 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Brandon Pender, AGE Inc. |
Running time | approx. 30 minutes |
Production companies |
Abrams/Gentile Entertainment MSH Entertainment Corporation |
Original release | |
Network | First-run Syndication |
Release | September 14 December 7, 1997 | –
Van-Pires is a 1997 animated children's television series with live-action segments. [1] It was produced by Abrams/Gentile (New York), with CGI animation being produced under MSH (San Francisco). [2] The show was syndicated by The Summit Media Group.
Van-Pires also had portions of its soundtrack written and performed by John Entwistle of the rock band The Who and Steve Luongo, Entwistle's long-time friend, producer, and drummer in The John Entwistle Band with Noam Kaniel. [3]
Van-Pires centers on a group of human teenagers who protect and defend the world from evil anthropomorphic junkyard vans and vehicles known as the "Van-Pires" by transforming into robotic anthropomorphic cars, calling themselves the "Motor-Vaters". [4]
"When a mysterious meteor crashes into a lonely junkyard, derelict vans and cars take on human-like life. The Van-Pires suck the gas from innocent cars to feed their need for speed and drain the planet of all its fuel. Only four teenagers transformed by the meteor stand between the Van-Pires and a world sucked dry and running on empty. Part teen, part car, all hero. The Motor-Vaters must fight the night to save the day so check your fear and get in gear, the Van-Pires are here!"
- opening narration
Four ordinary teens were accidentally caught in the path of a falling meteor. The meteor transformed them into heroic robotic guardians to protect the night from the evil forces of Tracula (a reference to " Dracula") and the rest of the Van-Pires. Each Motor-Vater has the ability to fly and they also share the same weaknesses as their enemies; like the Van-Pires, the Motor-Vaters require gas to sustain themselves and must avoid the sun at all costs. To transform, each hero gets into the driver's seat of his or her Carfin (a portmanteau of " car" and " coffin") and shouts, "Mission Ignition!"
The titular villains of the series. Unlike the Motor-Vaters, they do not have human forms. Led by Tracula, they terrorize the night with a never-ending thirst for gasoline. Like vampires, Van-Pires feed off of vehicles and can sire other Van-Pires to accomplish their evil goals.
All 13 episodes of the show had total budget of $5.2 million. [5]
In 2000, the John Entwistle Band released Music from Van-Pires as an official album and soundtrack to the series. It was John Entwistle's last solo album before his death two years later.
Van-Pires | |
---|---|
Created by | John Gentile Anthony Gentile |
Developed by | Ron Kaehler |
Directed by | John Gentile and Anthony Gentile |
Starring | Marc Schwarz Garikayi Mutambirwa Melissa Marsala Jason Hayes |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 13 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Brandon Pender, AGE Inc. |
Running time | approx. 30 minutes |
Production companies |
Abrams/Gentile Entertainment MSH Entertainment Corporation |
Original release | |
Network | First-run Syndication |
Release | September 14 December 7, 1997 | –
Van-Pires is a 1997 animated children's television series with live-action segments. [1] It was produced by Abrams/Gentile (New York), with CGI animation being produced under MSH (San Francisco). [2] The show was syndicated by The Summit Media Group.
Van-Pires also had portions of its soundtrack written and performed by John Entwistle of the rock band The Who and Steve Luongo, Entwistle's long-time friend, producer, and drummer in The John Entwistle Band with Noam Kaniel. [3]
Van-Pires centers on a group of human teenagers who protect and defend the world from evil anthropomorphic junkyard vans and vehicles known as the "Van-Pires" by transforming into robotic anthropomorphic cars, calling themselves the "Motor-Vaters". [4]
"When a mysterious meteor crashes into a lonely junkyard, derelict vans and cars take on human-like life. The Van-Pires suck the gas from innocent cars to feed their need for speed and drain the planet of all its fuel. Only four teenagers transformed by the meteor stand between the Van-Pires and a world sucked dry and running on empty. Part teen, part car, all hero. The Motor-Vaters must fight the night to save the day so check your fear and get in gear, the Van-Pires are here!"
- opening narration
Four ordinary teens were accidentally caught in the path of a falling meteor. The meteor transformed them into heroic robotic guardians to protect the night from the evil forces of Tracula (a reference to " Dracula") and the rest of the Van-Pires. Each Motor-Vater has the ability to fly and they also share the same weaknesses as their enemies; like the Van-Pires, the Motor-Vaters require gas to sustain themselves and must avoid the sun at all costs. To transform, each hero gets into the driver's seat of his or her Carfin (a portmanteau of " car" and " coffin") and shouts, "Mission Ignition!"
The titular villains of the series. Unlike the Motor-Vaters, they do not have human forms. Led by Tracula, they terrorize the night with a never-ending thirst for gasoline. Like vampires, Van-Pires feed off of vehicles and can sire other Van-Pires to accomplish their evil goals.
All 13 episodes of the show had total budget of $5.2 million. [5]
In 2000, the John Entwistle Band released Music from Van-Pires as an official album and soundtrack to the series. It was John Entwistle's last solo album before his death two years later.