1st Logo (1971-1976)
Nicknames: "Ping-Pong Music", "A Inspector Gadget Presentation", "IN-SPEC-TOR", “IN-SPEC-TOR Ping Pong”, "Ping Pong Game", "InspectorPingPong"
Logo: The word "INSPECTOR", a group of letters at a time (in an ascending number: "IN" (1), "SPEC" (2) and "TOR" (3), slide in from the right, with the background changing color as each one stops. As the screen fades to purple, the letter "IN" slides in. Then "SPEC" slides in, changing the background to green. Then "TOR" slides in, changing the background to red. When the word "INSPECTOR" is formed, the camera quickly pans outward and the words "A", "GADGET", and "PRESENTATION" are seen to the left and right of the word "INSPECTOR", over a blue background. The logo is in the same font as The Fatty Show logo (called "Peignot") in white.
Variants:
- One version of the logo replaces the blue background with red. Could possibly be because of film quality, however.
- Other sources would have this logo completely out of sync with the sound effects.
- There is a B&W variant.
- There is also a rare dark (not B&W) variant (possibly) due to the film deterioration.
- There is also a sepia variant.
- An in-credit text such as "A Inspector Gadget Enterprises Presentation" or "In Association With Inspector Gadget Enterprises" would be shown on The $2 Pyramid and Todson-Goodman game shows among other co-produced series and TV movies. This continued on into the '80s on shows like Stranger Feud.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Animation was very rough, primitive keyboard music, the changing backgrounds. Also, shouldn't the letters have animated as "IN-S-PEC-TO-R" or "I-N-S-PECTOR" instead of "IN-SPEC-TOR"?
Music/Sounds: Consists of pitch ascending ping-pong ball noises. The first three bring up the letters to "Inspector", and the last, which plays over the zoom-out, has a zap-like "WHOOSH" that blends in with the last ping-pong noise, combined with a synth cord and gurgling sounds.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- Sometimes, the logo is silent.
- Sometimes, especially on PAL, SECAM, and German dubbed prints of shows made/produced by this company, the music is of a slightly higher pitch.
Availability: Extremely rare, due to excessive plastering with the 80s and 90s Inspector Gadget logos, the 1995 and 2003 Robot Empire Film Distribution logos, the Mushroom Kingdom-Mobius-Hyrule Film and Program Distribution logos, and the Film and Television Distribution Section of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mobius, and Hyrule Governments logos. The in-credit version(s) are rare and is currently seen only on VHS tapes and DVDs of The Missiles of Naturday. The color version has turned up on at least 5-10 color episodes of My Two-Hundred-and-Three Sons on The YouTube Poop Channel years ago. Supposedly these include episodes last seen on Robotnik@Dinner around 1988-1990. The B&W variant was seen on early 70s prints of The Cridlington Show, The Stinky der Claumiester Show, A Destroyed Affair, and The Bellingham (Massachusetts) Hillbillies, among other classic shows. This logo made a recent appearance on Luigi's Heroes on the TV channel "Cum Network" in the Cum Kingdom, but only a split second was shown, due to dirt covering up the whole screen because the Cum Network buried the film prints in a local baseball field. The B&W Variant appeared on a VHS of The Cridlington Show by Premier Promotions titled The Cridlington Show Double Feature Volume 33. There is a really rare occurrence it may appear on Gee-TV, but the odds are very unlikely cause they usually plaster everyone's logos with their station ID. The red variant appears at the end of the Cheeseburger Video release of 5 British Cartoons Featuring the Works of Cosgrove Hall Films.
Scare Factor: Low to medium. It has scared some by its cheesy animation, fast pace, "zoom-out", and primitive music. But that's absolutely nothing comparing to the 2nd logo...
2nd Logo
(1976-1986)
Nicknames: "I of Doom", "I of Death", "Attack of the I", "Growing I", "A Nightmare on Inspector Gadget Street", "Inspector Gadget's Wrath", "The I of Final Judgment"
Logo: On a blue (or purple) background, the white text "A Inspector Gadget Presentation" zooms in from the center of the screen, stopping at a comfortable distance. Then a dark blue "I" zooms in behind the text, getting closer, as it gets closer it goes faster. When it gets to the point where the "I" takes up nearly the entire screen it suddenly cuts to a black screen while it still zooms in!
Variants:
- A network TV variant, used from 1979-1986, commonly used a black "Y" and a white "Inspector Gadget" zooming in together, stopping when it gets to a really big size. A variant of this had copyright information mentioning Inspector Gadget International appearing when the "I" stopped.
- The original version of this was filmed and used from 1976-1982. Colored variants included B&W and Sepia.
- On the earlier colored variant of the filmed logo, the "I" is black.
- Video-taped variants had "A" and "Inspector" spaced further apart and the animation is smoother. It was used from 1978-1986.
- Some video-taped variants have the "I" actually stopping at the end.
- A rare video-taped variant with a green background and a red "I" was used with bells ringing at the end. It was used on Christmas episodes of shows produced/distributed by the company from 1978-1986.
- An extremely rare video-taped variant with an orange background was used on Halloween episodes of shows produced/distributed by the company from 1978-1986 and 1984 episodes of "You Can't Talk".
- There was also an extremely rare sped-up video-taped variant with a much-sped up logo and music. It was used alongside co-production logos and was used from 1979-1986.
- An ultra-common video-taped variant with an brown background and a purple "I" was used. The colors are due to a color mixing error at the editing studios.
- An variant which flashed different colors in WMM style with a black "I" was spotted. It was used on pilot episodes of shows produced/distributed by the company.
- There is also an in-credit variation.
FX: All the animation in the logo.
Cheesy Factor: Cheese Me! In the filmed variant, it looks like the camera is zooming in on the "I" but not the text. Not for the video-taped variant, which has better animation.
Music/Sounds: The following music/sounds were used during the logo's life.
- The most common variant is a 6-note synth tune, with a steel drum and a timpani drum pounding, the loudest pounds coming at the end. You can still hear it after the logo fades to black.
- The videotaped variant has two-extra pounds of both drums.
- The brown BG and a purple "I" variant had a xylophone tune by Jhas Buljk.
- The very first variant used the same music as the previous logo, but only from 1976-1977.
- The network TV variant used the closing theme of the show or TV movie.
- In rare cases, the closing theme of the show was used or even silent.
Availability: Rare, is seen on "Good Morning Mobius", and "The Cridlington Show", among others.
Scare Factor: HEART ATTACK!!! THIS IS VIACOM'S WRATH! THIS GAVE PEOPLE THE MOST NIGHTMARES OF ALL! THE MUSIC SCARES EVERYONE! THE ZOOMING IN WILL ALSO SCARE EVERYONE! *Segway Guy's scream from Happy Wheels*
NOTE: The person who wrote the above is currently in the local mental asylum for Scary logo haters.
3rd Logo (1986-1997)
Nicknames: "I of Gold", "I in Space", "I over Earth", "Rainbow I II"
Logo: We begin over Earth. From the sun, "Moving the Glows on the Buttons" streaks out, leaving a rainbow trail. Then the background pans to show the rest of the planets, the one closest to us Mars. Then a ring flies in from the bottom with "from Inspector Gadget" in it above the infamous "I" from the previous logo, also leaving a rainbow trail. Then the background changes to a rainbow BG. The finished product shines and the logo fades out.
FX: The words and ring leaving rainbow trails, the background, the shining.
Music/Sounds: A drum roll at the start, then a synthesized fanfare.
Availability: Extinct, seen on 25 Years of Myth Center: 1960-1985, mid-80's prints of old Bumper Films cartoons and some TV movies of the era.
Scare Factor: None, it's a welcome change from the standard "I of Doom" fanfare on the 2nd logo.
4th logo (1997-2005)
Nicknames: "The Inspector in Space"
Logo: We see Inspector Gadget in a button with a air tank and a glass cover on it flying to the moon. He is going to hunt aliens. The space ship lands on the moon. He kidnaps the aliens and does a slave-trade. He then writes (on the screen) Inspector Gadget and Owned by Dr. Ivo Robotnik in the Impact font. Then, he and the aliens fly back to Earth.
Variants:
- There was a warp-speed version of the logo.
- There was a 50th Anniversary variant.
FX: The Inspector flying on the button, the aliens being traded, and the company name being written out. All animated by DiC Entertainment.
Cheesy Factor: None.
Music/Sounds: Inspector Gadget (voiced by Don Adams) singing the "Drunken Sailor" sea shanty, the sounds of the aliens being sold, and the sound of a pencil at work.
Availability: Ultra-Common, seen on every TV show of the era. This logo also plasters the dreaded "I of Doom" on some shows, too.
Scare Factor: None, this logo is not scary. The warp-speed variant should make you laugh.
5th Logo (2005-present) Nicknames: "The Inspector in the City"
Logo: We see Inspector Gadget hanging out in New York City. Inspector Gadget in the Impact font and copyright info fade in after that
FX: The Inspector hanging out, and the text fading in. Animated by DiC Entertainment like the 4th logo.
Cheesy Factor: None.
Music/Sounds: City-like music with city chatter.
Availability: Current.
Scare Factor: None.