The zula patrol
Download 81.21 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
- THE BIRTH OF ZULA
- 204 Volcanoes – “SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD VOLCANO”
- 208 Animal Adaptation – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
- 208 Insect Camouflage – “ Bula’s Heros: The Great Camouflage Caper”
- 211 Plate Tectonics – “Blast To Earth’s Past”
- 213 Plant or Animal – “If It Looks Like A Plant”
THE ZULA PATROL Move over George Jetson! The 21st Century’s newest space team, The Zula Patrol, has arrived. Stalwart Captain Bula, brainiac Professor Multo, feisty hot-doggin’ space pilot Zeeter, the amazing space pet Gorga, and twin flying companions Wizzy & Wigg are the lovably wacky characters who will take our pre-Kindergarten through 2nd graders on a roller coaster fun ride across the Universe – and teach them critical facts about science and astronomy in the process. The only 3D/CG animated children’s show that focuses on the important curriculum of science and astronomy, The Zula Patrol is an entertaining and educational TV series that combines zesty family entertainment with proven educational elements. With a secondary goal of encouraging core values of non-violence and tolerance, the show encourages whole-family participation and interest in learning about science and astronomy, in a fun, comic style. American Public Television will begin distribution of the TV series to its Public Broadcasting Station affiliates starting in fall 2005. The Zula Patrol is designed to appeal to:
A SCIENTIFIC APPROACHWhat goes into the making of a new animated television series and is there a method behind all the madness? In the case of The Zula Patrol, there is not only a method at work, but also serious scientific thought. In this case, creator Deborah Manchester and her team have worked closely with an educational and scientific group of advisors to achieve maximum impact with the characters of the show. The Zula Patrol is designed to promote an understanding of science and astronomy through engaging character-driven stories, which focus on specific educational science learning objectives. Each character in The Zula Patrol exhibits unique behaviors and characteristics that promote positive behaviors. Television animation has indeed come a long way from Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. Even before the series reaches the public, The Zula Patrol is already working its magical mixture of science and entertainment with:
Zula’s comprehensive program addresses the national call for science literacy education among the very audience for whom research demonstrates that early intervention is most effective. By reaching pre-kindergarten and early elementary students, The Zula Patrol can provide a critical foundation in understanding science concepts and content. The Zula Advisory Panel includes: Astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D. (Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, Ohio); rocket scientist Kevin Grazier, Ph.D. (at Jet Propulsion Laboratory); Kim Whaley, Ph.D. (VP Education, Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, Ohio); Jose Francisco Salgado, Ph.D. (Astronomer, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL); and Michelle Nichols (Lead Educator for Informal Programs, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum Chicago, IL). THE BIRTH OF ZULACould The Zula Patrol be the “Sesame Street of the New Millennium?” The creator certainly hopes so. That kind of profile would be a fitting conclusion to an unusual development saga that began with a cast of a different kind. For 18 years, Deborah Manchester, Ph.D., the creator of Zula, was an audiologist specializing in newborn hearing assessment. Then, one very cold winter in Ohio, she had foot surgery. In a cast, her toes were left exposed and there was nothing to cover them. So, she started making and selling cast covers. She was particularly concerned with children and their recovery from broken limbs. To render their casts more appealing and child-like, she created an imaginary planet called Zula and a group of characters from Zula, which were ironed onto the cast covers. Outer space was not only a good motif because it appealed to kids, but it was also part of Manchester’s plan to inspire interest in science for pre-school and early elementary-aged children. Like educational programmers who once capitalized on the Space Race of the 1950s to motivate students to think beyond the three “R’s,” Manchester saw an opportunity to both entertain and teach fundamental science to a critical demographic. Zula was born and the characters became so popular that she decided to move beyond cast covers to create plush toys. And, she wrote a storybook to introduce them. She took her book to the International Book Fair in Los Angeles, where several Hollywood producers saw the books and suggested she consider an animated television series. She then spent four years building her team and searching for funding for the series. Finally, a private investor with a desire to increase science scores came along – an investor who was willing to fund 26 half-hour episodes. So Deborah moved from Ohio to Los Angeles, where she is in the middle of production on the series. THE ZULA PATROL CHARACTERS BULA is Captain of The Zula Patrol. As their fearless green leader, he affects an air of easy confidence. Inside he’s a tightly-wound ball of high energy and insatiable curiosity – with the heart of an intrepid explorer. He’s the driving force behind The Patrol’s embrace of their mission, whether they are responding to an emergency, or exploring the unknown. He is the consummate patient leader who encourages children to persevere and to believe in themselves in order to reach their goals. Bula is an optimist. Because he always sees the best in others, he teaches children to do the same – and to find joy in even the darkest of situations. When faced with problems, he shows children how to work through them by negotiating and building consensus, rather than resorting to violence. On duty, ZEETER is the pilot – a top-notch pilot. She’s the best and she knows it. Off duty she’s the wildest, hot dogging space jockey in the Zulaverse! Zeeter’s a no-nonsense kind of girl – a doer. Because she believes that doing something is the best way to learn, she encourages children to learn through doing and trying out the solutions. With her boundless self-confidence, Zeeter tends to rush into things, trusting her knowledge and understanding of science and astronomy. In so doing, she models the need to explore one’s practical knowledge and abilities about science. She encourages children to try new and different things through instinctive understanding of the issues. And because Zeeter’s instincts are not always right, she demonstrates the importance of learning through trial and error. MULTO is an intergalactic scientist whose head is spinning with data, facts, and figures from years of reading and trying to make sense out of the whole Universe. Unlike Zeeter, who believes you must do in order to learn; Multo is analytical and thoughtful and encourages learning through reading, because he believes that answers to questions and challenges lie in the information contained in books. And when trouble strikes, you can bet Multo will know about it – partly because he is obsessed with staying well-informed – and partly because he may have inadvertently caused it! GORGA is a happy, hyper, perpetual puppy with a definite soft spot for Bula. Despite his rambunctious behavior, Gorga is a full member of The Zula Patrol team. He’s observant and bright and, unbeknownst to his fellow space travelers, when danger strikes, Gorga can transform (like the Incredible Hulk) into Gor-Gantua – ten times his puppy size, demonstrating that one’s abilities are not always immediately apparent. Gorga doesn’t mind not always getting credit for his good deeds. He does good things just for the sake of doing good things! He’s also a perfect example, albeit four-legged, of the qualities of loyalty and caring! Nothing slows down the cosmic pair, WIZZY and WIGG. And don’t let their size and cute looks fool you – they’re quite resourceful. Their special talents are all about communication. They speak many different languages, and their vocabularies are boundless. Although their delivery is sometimes wildly funny, their talents prove to be quite useful for helping the other Patrollers in difficult situations. Even though these impish creatures are always on each other’s case with constant good-natured bantering, they always seem to find common ground – demonstrating to children that although friends do not always agree, disagreements can be resolved through communication. They encourage children to give everyone a chance, and they demonstrate that exploration can lead to new discoveries. DARK TRUDER is a villain’s villain. If there were a school for villains, Truder would be principal. He is incessantly masterminding plots to foil The Zula Patrol and frustrate their efforts to make the Galaxy a better place in which to live. He’s a little guy with a big appetite for power. His main problem, albeit good for The Zula Patrol, is that he doesn’t take time to get all of the information he needs to succeed in his evil plans. And sometimes the information he does have is incorrect. He is a constant reminder to children that you should really take the time to gather the information you need – and to make sure your information is correct – before you implement your plan. Perched on top of Dark Truder’s shiny, bald head is TRAXIE. As Truder’s conscience, she is always a bit leery of his nefarious plots. Truder often asks for Traxie’s advice, but he hardly ever listens – with disastrous effects! Truder and Traxie’s relationship shows children that sometimes you should listen to the advice of others. ZULA USA, LLC SUMMARY Zula USA, LLC produces a package of entertaining, educational products that are designed to provide early science education and reading literacy for children in pre-kindergarten through second grade. The developers of Zula recognize that children learn in a multitude of ways, and that both the school and family environments play a critical role in children’s cognitive and social development. Zula’s comprehensive program addresses the national call for science literacy education among the very audience for whom research demonstrates that early intervention is most effective. By reaching pre-kindergarten and early elementary students, Zula can provide a critical foundation in understanding science concepts and content. The television program and its supporting materials provide science education and character-building lessons in an entertaining format that encourages whole family participation. The Zula Patrol’s developers have designed an integrated approach, teaching science through engaging stories with humor, character-building social lessons, and supporting materials. The entire Zula package serves many aspects of learning, promotes literacy, and provides a diverse approach to learning styles. The Zula Patrol’s expert team of educators, writers, scientists, and media specialists works to ensure that Zula delivers a dynamic, focused, fun learning experience for children whose natural interest is in learning about the world around them. DEBORAH M. MANCHESTER, Ph.D. Creator and driving force behind Zula Bringing The Zula Patrol TV series, DVDs, videos, Educational Outreach Program, books, The Zula Academy museum show, planetarium show, and other ancillary products from imagination to fruition, has become Deborah’s passion these past few years. Deborah received her Ph.D. in Communication from The Ohio State University in 1980. Her major fields of study were early childhood language and cognitive development, psychology, neurology, and audiology. She developed a thriving audiology practice in Columbus, Ohio with offices in several hospitals. In 1990 she decided to try her hand at the creative side of business. She became one of twelve students accepted into the Applied Center for Computing Arts & Design at The Ohio State University, where she studied animation. After completing the ACCAD program, she created a medical and orthopedic products company, ZULA, which would market a cover for leg and arm casts. The alien characters that she created, and which are printed on the cast covers, immediately became popular. The concept of Zula became so popular that Deborah decided to create a TV series for young children utilizing them. So she created The Zula Patrol, an educational series that teaches young children about science and astronomy, while promoting tolerance and non-violent conflict resolution. The Zula Patrol television program is being distributed by American Public Television to Public Broadcasting Stations nationwide and begins airing, fall 2005. THE Zula Patrol SEASON 1 Topics and Story Synopses 101 Comets – “COMETS TAIL” When a comet passes near Zula, Zeeter decides she wants to race it. But when Zeeter, Wizzy and Wigg get too close, their Space Ship starts to freeze and they are forced to land on the comet. Bula, Multo, and Gorga’s mission is to assist their Team in returning safely home to Zula. 101 Meteors – “THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR THE ZULA DUDES” I
n his latest attempt to take over the Universe, Dark Truder empties out the Asteroid Belt, sending all the asteroids in the direction of Planet Zula. The ZP uses Multo’s latest invention “The Multo-Grabber” to grab all the Asteroids and return them to their proper home. 102 Rotation – “BULAS SPIN PARTY” The Zpers learn about rotation as they practice a dance routine to compete in Bula’s Zula Spin Party dance contest. Meanwhile Dark Truder, who wasn’t invited, crashes the party disguised as a mysterious dancing planet so he can ruin it for everyone else. 102 Day and Night – “DAY FOR NIGHT” Dark Truder has somehow stolen daytime from the planet Zula, and won’t give it back till the Zuleans accept him as Master Of The Universe. The Zula Patrollers assume he has hijacked the Sun, and go looking for it. They discover that Truder hasn’t made off with the sun, but has invented a Ray that has stopped Zula from turning. 103 Shadow – “SHADOW PLAY” Gorga sees a large shadow and runs back to the ZP team. Bula notifies them that a Space Monster has landed on Zula, sent from none other than the nefarious Dark Truder. His plot: to have the monster eat the Zula Patrol ship, thus incapacitating the ZP. But the Patrollers use a shadow of their space ship from a distance to distract the monster from its original intention, thus foiling Truder’s plan. 103 Eclipse – “JEALOUS MOON” An unscheduled Total Solar Eclipse threatens to shroud Zula in darkness forever. It's all due to Dark Truder, who's kindled the Moon's jealousy over the Patrol's celebration of the annual Sun Festival. 104 Sun – “SUN DAY” Truder tries to get rid of the Sun by hijacking all her birthday cards and gifts. The Sun, depressed that no one appreciates her, decides to quit her job. The Zula Patrollers must recover the cards and gifts and rescue the solar system. 104 Sun as a Clock – “TIME OUT” When Dark Truder knocks out all the clocks on Zula, Multo shows the Zula Patrollers how to tell time by using shadows cast by the Sun. Unfortunately, Truder blocks the Sun too, so the Patrollers have no idea if they’re in time to save Zula from being demolished by asteroids. 105 Space Exploration – “THE PROBE WHO CAME TO DINNER” When Multo discovers a far away planet, he sends a probe, Spaceus Exploreus, to safely investigate it and send back information. Much to the Zulean’s surprise, at the same time, a probe from that planet arrives to investigate them. After jumping to a few wrong conclusions, they learn that while there are differences, the quest for information, pizza and friendship is universal. 105 Astronauts – “FORGET-ME-NAUT” When a fall seems to have given Bula amnesia, it turns out that Dark Truder has secretly abducted Bula and replaced him with a robot, in hopes of getting rid of The Zula Patrol forever. But when the Bula-bot goes through Astronaut re-training at The Zula Academy, he becomes a “rock solid” member of the team and single-handedly foils Truder’s latest plan to rule the universe. 106 Classifying Planets: Size – “SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL” During the Super Planet Competition, Truder shrinks all nine planets. When Multo tries to come to the rescue, he is accidentally shrunk as well. Truder places the shrunken planets (and the miniature Multo) into a sack and rockets away, threatening not to return them until he is proclaimed Ruler of the Universe. The Zula Patrol races after Truder, but before they can come to the rescue, Multo gets the competing planets to cooperate in a “sack break.” Once out of the sack, Multo is able to return the planets (and himself) to normal size. Everyone learns that being small doesn’t mean you can’t do big things. 106 Classifying Planets: Rings – “CASE OF THE MISSING RINGS” In a spoof of crime dramas, the rings around the planets are stolen, one by one. As Bula narrates, film noir style, the Zula Patrol looks for clues, questions suspects and goes on a stakeout to find the thief. Thanks to their determination and persistence, they get their man. 107 Earth’s Moon – “BLUE MOON” Wizzy and Wigg journey to Earth’s Moon to prove their separate theories: Wizzy believes the Moon is made out of cheese, and Wigg is certain the Man in the Moon inhabits it. During their adventure, they learn the truth about the Moon’s surface, as well as how important it is not to take off without letting a team member know where you’re going. 107 Moon Phases – “GOING THROUGH A PHASE” Bula gets sprayed with Zulabane Plant pollen and is turned into a Zulean Were-Mouse. Bula is certain his days as a member of the Zula Patrol Team are over until he learns to make use of his condition rather than give up because of it. Bula takes advantage of his Were-mouse powers to save his friends from a Zula Cave Kitty. While Multo searches for a cure, the other Zula Patrollers study the phases of the Moon so they can help free Bula from his Were-Mouse curse. 108 Simple Machines I – “GIANT LITTERBUGS FROM SPACE” The Zula Patrol learns about simple machines when a passing spaceship of giant Zlorgs (from the Zulean Panhandle) drops some huge litter on their headquarters -- including a massive paper cup that completely covers the building! They manage to remove the cup using two simple machines, the inclined plane and the lever, only to discover that the littering was no careless act, but a result of Dark Truder’s latest plot! 108 Simple Machines II – “RV OF THE GIANTS” After running into their friends, the gigantic Zlorg family, who are camping in their huge R.V., the Zula Patrollers get accidentally trapped inside the R.V. They have to figure out how to get out, using two examples of simple machines, a wedge and a pulley, before Dark Truder steals their spaceship! 109 Temperature – “CHILI COOK-OFF” Multo’s cooking up a pot of “Galactic Goo” for lunch. But when Bula unwittingly puts Multo’s Goo in the freezer, The Zula Patrol finds themselves face to face with a “whirlgoo” of gigantic proportions. 109 Clouds – “TREASURE IN THE CLOUDS” After hearing Multo tell a story about a Golden Cloud, Wizzy and Wigg set out to find it to give to Multo as a surprise present. Dark Truder overhears them and, unaware it’s just a story, plots to find the Golden Cloud himself so he will be rich. Our heroes hike up Mount Zula, meeting many types of clouds along the way. When they reach the top, they actually see a golden cloud that Truder attempts to grab, but it turns out to be the Zula Space Patrol ship hidden in a cloud of astro-smoke. Dark Truder is foiled by his own greed, but Wizzy and Wigg discover that sometimes the key to happiness is making others happy. 110 Constellations – “STAR CROSSED” After luring the Zula Patrol into deep space, Dark Truder steals all the constellations in the sky. He corrals them in a caravan of cages so the ZPers won’t be able to “steer by the stars” and chart a course home. The quarrelling, star-crossed constellations have to learn to work together before the Zula Patrol can set them free – and make Truder see stars. 110 The North Star – “NIGHT OF THE FWEEBS’ It's the Night of the Fweeebs and the Zula Patrol gets a front row seat as these furry creatures migrate to the North Pole using Polaris, the North Star, as a guide. But chaos ensues when the Zula Patrol discover the North Star is missing, causing the Fweeebs stumble around in confusion, utterly lost! Our heroes must find and return Polaris to its rightful spot in the night sky or the Fweeebs are doomed! 111 Gravity – “WHAT GOES UP” Explorers from the planet Polkadottia make an emergency landing on Zula and send cryptic visual messages for help to the Zula Patrol. Once our ZPers are able to decipher these messages and find the stranded Polkadottians, they are also able to figure out their problem: The visitors come from a smaller and less massive world than Zula, so they aren’t used to the stronger gravitational pull and mass of the ZPers’ planet. Our heroes tow the Polkadottians to Mercury – a planet that equals Polkadottia in mass and gravity. There, they help the visitors fix their ship so they can return home. 111 Magnetism – “MUTUAL DISTRACTION” Dark Truder hides a magnet in a cloud to magnetize the Zula Patrol, rendering them ineffective, but it’s Wizzy and Wigg who end up magnetized. The Zula Patrollers learn all about magnetism as they try to save the siblings – and themselves, when their ship becomes a giant refrigerator magnet. 112 Milky Way Galaxy – “THE MILKY WAY GALAXY GAMES” The Zula Patrol is entrusted with a mission to deliver the torch to the Milky Way Galaxy Games in time for the opening ceremony. They overcome various obstacles including getting lost, a Black Hole, and most importantly, Zeeter’s doubt for Multo’s silly inventions, which proves in the end to be not so silly after all. 112 Solar System – “DOG GONE GORGA” Mistakenly thinking he's no longer wanted, Gorga leaves the Zula Patrol in search of a new home. In an effort to find him, the Zula Patrol searches The Solar System and all Nine Planets before ultimately rescuing him from the Intergalactic Pet Catcher. 113 Matter– “MATTER, MATTER EVERYWHERE” Inside a hollow meteorite, the ZPers find the treasure map of Long John Jupiter, notorious rhyming Space Pirate. Following the clues, they learn all about matter, and find a surprising treasure. 113 Molecules and Atoms – “FAMILY FUED” Earth’s water has disappeared! Part one of the molecular mystery is soon solved when Multo discovers that all of Earth’s water molecules have separated into their individual atoms of Hydrogen and Oxygen. When Bula and Zeeter shrink to atom-size they find the reason for the separation is a family feud. It’s up to the Zula Patrol to get the feuding atoms together as molecules -- and get Earth back together -- before it’s too late. 114 Orbit – “ROUND AND ROUND WE GO” Dark Truder comes up with a scheme to trap the Zula Patrol on a huge inflatable planet he has placed in orbit around the Sun. It is up to Zeeter, who is off taking part in an orbital space race around the planets of our Solar System, to come to their rescue. 114 Revolution – “THE GO’ER SLOWER MACHINE” Dark Truder builds a Go’er-Slower Motion Machine, which puts The Zula Patrol in super slow motion. With The ZPers too slow to stop him, Truder easily turns the entire galaxy into one huge tribute to himself. However The ZPers are slow, but not out. When they discover that the Go’er-Slower Motion Machine is on Earth, they use their knowledge of the planets’ revolution and rotation to meet up with the fast moving (to them) Earth. Then Multo reverses the machine so The Zula Patrol can move at super fast speed to undo the changes Truder made to the galaxy. But they’re not sure anything can undo the memory of Truder’s tacky Chuckle-World. 115 Mars: Earth’s Neighbor – “CLUB MARS” Dark Truder must get the Zula Patrol off Zula so he can drill for Zulanium under their headquarters. He tricks them into going to Earth for a vacation. However, when there are no vacancies on Earth, Truder decides to pass Mars off as Earth. But it’s hard work making two very different planets appear similar -- and Traxie’s no help. 115 Pluto – “THE OUTSIDER” The other Planets hurt Pluto’s feelings and he refuses to orbit. It's up to The Zula Patrol to bolster his spirits and get him to resume his interplanetary duty. 116 Planets: Inner and Outer – “THE INS AND OUTS OF PLANETS” Bula sends the Zula Patrol on a teamwork-building treasure hunt through the Solar System. Truder gets wind of the plan and tries to steal the treasure, but his harebrained scheme is no match for the ZP team. 116 Planets: Compositions – “YOUNG AT HEART” When Dark Truder’s latest scheme turns Bula, Multo and Gorga into toddlers, the rest of the Zula Patrol does double-duty. They must resort to babysitting, while searching the different planets of the Solar System for an age-appropriate cure. 117 Microscopes – “THE BIG MESS” A sticky mess in Wizzy’s & Wigg's room spawns a microscopic city. But when Wizzy’s & Wigg’s vacuuming threatens to destroy the micro-world, the other ZPers are ZAPPED into the tiny city by its resident microscopic Mad Scientist. 117 Telescopes – “TELESCOOPED” When all the telescopes on Zula begin disappearing, the Zula Patrol investigates and learns a lot about telescopes. They even shrink down to get inside one, just as it’s stolen. The culprit: Dark Truder, who doesn’t realize the tiny Zula Patrol are now trapped in his new ‘asteroid headquarters.’ They must escape to not only save themselves – but all the telescopes in the Solar System! 118 Simple Machines III – “ADVENTURES IN PET SITTING” While pet-sitting the Zlorgs’ pet blob, Gloopy, the Zula Patrollers discover that Dark Truder is plotting to steal their entire Headquarters building and everything in it! With some help from Gloopy -- and two simple machines, the wheel-and-axle and the screw -- they manage to overcome the baddie and save their building. But first, Gorga must learn to deal with an attack of jealousy. 118 Force – “SHOW OF FORCE” The ZPers hold a race to see who can use clever variations of force to win. Hoping to buck astronomical villainous odds, Dark Truder also enters the race, intent on winning it on behalf of villains everywhere -- for as we’ve all seen, no bad guy ever wins a race – ever. Dark Truder, to his amazement, does win -- only to learn that the ZPers were more interested in having fun and learning about force, rather than achieving victory. Dark Truder is so angry he forfeits the race to our heroes -- setting a new record low for villains everywhere. 119 Solar Sails – “CASTAWAY ASTEROID” After Gorga snorts up Wizzy’s and Wigg’s toy box full of toys, Multo proposes that they make a solar sail kite to play with instead, and teaches them all about solar sails. Then a Zula Patrol fan (Dark Truder in disguise) calls to compliment the ZP on their new billboard on a distant asteroid. Our heroes get suspicious -- the Zula Patrol doesn’t advertise. When they fly up to the asteroid to investigate, they discover it’s a trap! Pirate Truder and his robot crew steal their ship, and the Zula Patrollers are left stranded on the asteroid. But Wizzy and Wigg use their new knowledge of solar sails to come up with a solution -- a “lifeboat” using the shiny foil of the billboard as a solar sail. 119 Rockets – “FLY US TO THE MOON” Wizzy and Wigg want to go to the Moon to see the moon-ball championship game. But when their rocket-powered scooter breaks down, and the other ZPers are too busy to give them a ride, the industrious twins try to find a new way to go to space. Their failed attempts frustrate them, but amuse their not-so-friendly friend, Larvi. However it’s the imperfect Larvi who inadvertently gives them the pieces needed to build a rocket – the only true way to get to space. 120 Earth: Part of a Larger Whole – “EARTH HUNT” E
arth leaves its place in the solar system and the Zula Patrol races off to bring her back. When they find her, the little blue planet is cold, tired and still in no mood to return home, where she has been picked on by brother and sister planets. Our heroes nurse Earth back to health, and Wigg, who has learned his own lesson about his importance as a member of a team, ultimately convinces Earth she is an important part of the Solar System. The Zula Patrol ultimately takes her back for a happy homecoming. 120 Earth – “TAKE ME TO YOUR FERRET” The Zula Patrollers are forced to land on Earth after their ship’s wiring develops problems. Stranded on Earth, they learn about the planet with the help of a new friend, a ferret named Buzzy. Buzzy was in training to run wires through shuttles for the space program, so he offers to help our heroes re-wire their ship. What follows is a romp in which our Zula Patrollers lead curious Earthling UFO seekers on a merry chase to avoid discovery, until their ship is repaired for take off. 121 Seasons – “WISH YOU WERE HERE” The Zula Patrol is ready to go on vacation, but they can’t decide which season is the best for R&R, especially when they think back, in a series of flashbacks, to their past vacations. Eventually they resolve to visit all the seasons again, and make new, better vacation memories. 121 Weather – “WEATHER VAIN” Z
eeter takes over the weather forecasting job from Bula, and learns all about the components of weather. But when she tries to improve her forecast by using Multo’s Weather-Mastic machine to create weather, she unleashes a storm that threatens Zula Patrol headquarters. 122 Air – “MY AIR LADY” When a windstorm knocks the electricity out at a Generator Station that powers all of Zula, our heroes are plunged into a Zulean version of the dark ages. Bula is also stranded at the station, which is filling with seawater. Zeeter leads a rescue mission in a vehicle created by Multo that runs on the properties of air. Our heroes each learn to appreciate the others talents and what they are capable of themselves, using air to save the day. 122 Planets and their Atmospheres – “YOU’RE CRAMPING MY SPACE” Our ZPers are reunited with Buzzy the Ferret when he rescues them while they are stranded in space. Buzzy’s on a mission to learn about planets and their atmospheres, and Bula’s Zula Rocketeering Rulebook requires that our heroes serve as his crewmates until he can complete his mission. But as their new “Captain,” Buzzy comically drives them crazy with his inability to listen and his silly demands. He also gets himself into hot water on each planet he visits – learning about atmospheres the hard way. When the Ferret lands on a mysterious planet with a breathable atmosphere, things escalate to the point where Buzzy realizes his bossiness has led him into a situation that’s way over his head. He learns to work with the ZPers as a team, and only then does he find out he’s been on Earth the entire time! 123 Light – “WIZZY AND WIGG LIGHT THE WAY” When the Zula Patrol goes camping, a ghost story unnerves Wigg. His fears increase when a strange sound seems to be coming from behind their tent. As the Zula Patrol investigates, Bula warns everyone to stay together but Zeeter doesn’t listen and wanders off by herself. Worried, the team enters the dark forest to search for her. When the flashlight goes dead, it’s up to Wigg and Wizzy to use their lights to lead the group. 123 Rainbows – “LOOK TO THE RAINBOW” T
he Zula Patrol arrives in the Canyon Of The Rainbow just in time to prevent the native Chromeleons from being bilked by Professor Spectrum in a plot involving their world-famous rainbow. 124 Moons – “MOON MAYHEM” When Wizzy and Wigg visit Madame Luna (Dark Truder in disguise) who claims she can predict their future by reading the way that moons revolve around their planets. Madame Luna says Wizzy and Wigg must keep their friends indoors for a week or they will transform into Moon Zoombies. With the ZPers out of the way, Truder plans to take all the Solar System’s moons and have them revolve around his asteroid base to form an impenetrable shield. Multo assures Wizzy and Wigg that no one can predict the future –- but the duo must learn the truth first hand. They get a little help from their friends, who expose Madame Luna as a fake by exposing “her” scientific ignorance about moons. 124 Moonlight – “THREE RING GORGA” In flashbacks, Bula regales the Zula Patrol with Gorga’s back-story: Gorga and the Moon were performers in the circus, but they decided to quit their jobs and see the Universe. When the greedy Ringmaster came after Gorga, it was up to Bula and the Moon to team up and get their friend back. 125 Nebula – “A STAR IS BORN” When the ZPers travel through a Wormhole created by Wilson, he sneezes; accidentally shooting them into a region of space that is far from home. Their fuel is lost and the only way our heroes can return to Zula is by using the solar energy that will be emitted by protostars inside a nebula, after they change into full-fledged stars. But the protostars our ZPers meet are afraid of changing and fulfilling their destiny. Our heroes help them through that process, and the protostars learn that change can be good. 125 Stars Lighting Up the Sky – “GALACTIC STAR GAMES” At the Sun’s request, the Zula Patrol travels to the Star Games, a competition for stars, to help out the Sun’s Aunt Dorothy, an older red dwarf star that wants to compete. But they soon discover that Dorothy and her older friends are being discriminated against because of their age. 126 Water Cycle – “POWER FLOWER” When Zeeter finds a lone flower on a previously unexplored island on Zula, she wants to save it by bringing it home. But when she accidentally leaves the lid off of its contained environment, the flower must venture out for water. However in its new environment, the flower automatically clones when it’s fully hydrated. It isn’t long before The Zula Patrol has more flowers than they ever imagined, and the water cycle, indeed, all life on the planet, is at risk. 126 Water – “BLUBGLUB” Dark Truder returns to his roots by starting small to jumpstart his career in villainy. He pretends to be the mascot of a water theme park, which he ruins when he replaces the water with a gooey substance called Blub-Glub. Thankfully, the Zula Patrollers happen to be enjoying the park at the time, and they use their knowledge of water to put an end to Truder’s scheme, and save the water supply on Zula. Our heroes learn not to take something as wonderful and as necessary as water, for granted. THE Zula Patrol SEASON 2 Topics and Story Synopses 201 Saturn’s Rings – “THE THINGS IN RINGS” After the Zula Patrol warns Deliria and Cloid about their factory rejects floating in space, the villainous duo decide to dump the junk into Saturn’s rings. When Wizzy and Wigg learn about the rings and the different types of natural debris that should make up the rings, they stumble upon Deliria’s debris and report it to the others. This is a job for The Zula Patrol! 201 Mars – “HOW THE RUST WAS WON” Becoming a cowpoke, Dark Truder rustles up an evil scheme that's stripping Mars of its surface rust. He’s raising rust-eating Nefarian Battle Cattle on Mars that he’ll use to conquer the Universe. But hang on to your Stetsons, buckaroos; here comes the Zula Patrol ridin' to the rescue! 202 Snow and Ice – “ICE STATION ZULA” Multo receives a distress call from his good friend, Professor Precipito, who lives in a sub-arctic region of Zula performing all kinds of precipitation experiments. Someone is stealing her experiments! The Zula Patrol rushes to the scene to help and they soon discover that the thief is none other than the legendary Abominable Snow-Gleep! Did I mention he’s not very easy to catch? 202 Glaciers – “ICE TRUDER” When Wizzy and Zeeter make a small ice sculpture, they discover they are standing on a glacier and learn all about it. But then Dark Truder steals the glacier for his newly redecorated headquarters – intent on carving it into a giant ice sculpture of himself. The Zula Patrol must intervene before the glacier melts – endangering its tiny ice worm inhabitants! 203 Space Stations – “DUELING SPACE STATIONS” W
hile the Zula Patrol is staying on Zulean Space Station ZIR, Dark Truder is on his own space station, building a giant robot to help him take over the galaxy. As our heroes learn what goes on inside the weightless world of space stations, Truder and Traxie are completely unprepared for the challenges and effects of micro-gravity. 203 Space Telescopes – “DON’T LOOK NOW” Something's blocking the view of the Zula Patrol's space telescope. It's Deliria, assuming a variety of shapes to keep the Patrol from seeing that she's got a space telescope of her own and is up to no good. 204 Rocks – “ROCK AND PATROL” When famous rock group The Bowlin’ Stones have a falling out and refuse to play at a big benefit concert, Bula and Zeeter must find them and convince them to change their minds. Meanwhile, to fill in, Multo must overcome his stage-fright to be the front man of the Zula Patrol’s own rock band. 204 Volcanoes – “SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD VOLCANO”It’s the Zula Patrol to the rescue when Voop’s volcanic cousin Fielding holds back from erupting. Fielding’s in denial about his condition, but if he builds up too much pressure, the results could be disastrous for the residents of Volcano Valley. Our heroes find out that Fielding is afraid to let his ‘inner volcano’ shine through because his neighbors fear and mistrust volcanoes, and they might dislike him even more. The ZPers help Fielding re-discover how great it is to be a volcano. 205 Soil – “DOWN UNDER” The Zula Patrol comes to the aid of Zulean insects whose entire neighborhood (a lush green field with rich topsoil) has been bulldozed away by Bruce and Sheila Mole, who are building an above-ground winter home to get away from those chilly months “down under” the ground. 205 Rainforest – “SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN FOREST” Wizzy and Wigg are taking care of Iris’ orchid, but when it wilts, they decide to replace it – by going to where most orchids come from: Earth’s Amazon rain forest. As they try to find the orchid, they learn all about the incredible rain forest – and make friends with its fascinating animal inhabitants, some of whom are endangered. 206 Jupiter – “HIDE ‘N SEEK ON JUPITER” I
t’s time for the Interplanetary Hide ‘n Seek Game. Perennial losers Wizzy, Wigg and Gorga decide to on Jupiter when they find out that no one has ever hidden there. While five-time hide ‘n seek champion Zeeter is looking for them, the trio discover that the huge planet is filled with storms, the most powerful are in The Great Red Spot, and there is no solid land mass for them to land on. 206 Uranus & Neptune – “A TALE OF TWO PLANETS” When the twin Giant Ice Planets Uranus and Neptune quarrel, Dark Truder swoops in and hoodwinks Neptune into becoming part of his newly formed personal Planetary System, the Truderverse. But when the dour planet wants out, it's up to the Zula Patrol to release him from Truder's greedy grip. 207 Sound – “THE SOUND OF MULTO” The Zula Patrol comes to the rescue when Deliria leads a swarm of Zulean Music-Munchers into the city to devour Zuleans’ musical instruments. Her plan: to force Zuleans to buy only her brand of instrument. 207 Satellites – “EYES IN THE SKIES” After years of hard work, Bula, Zeeter and Multo have finished building satellites. Taking a well-deserved break, they enjoy an afternoon in the wilderness. Dark Truder takes advantage of their absence to steal all of Zula’s satellites so he can become “Rula of Zula”. Without Zula’s satellites, Zula becomes helpless, and our heroes become lost in the wilderness. 208 Animal Adaptation – “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”When their space craft freezes up, the Zula Patrol makes an emergency landing in the Zula Forest near a bird’s nest – with an abandoned egg! After the baby bird hatches, the ZPers decide to track down its mother, who Deliria bird-napped in order to design a flying machine for Cloid. Along the way, the Zula Patrol learns about animal adaptation and attempt to teach the little bird how to fly; only they have no luck. But when the time is right, the bird does fly, rescuing its mother and helping the Zula Patrol snare Deliria and Cloid. 208 Insect Camouflage – “
|