Remember the raspy croak of the giant mantis Zorak, or the basso rumble to ooze from the mouthpiece of the custom hazmat suit worn by Moltar? Both voices, so distinct, pillorying the yellow-caped Space Ghost as he went along with his affable talk show host routine? The same larynx produced those two voices—that of Clay Martin Croker, who died this weekend at 54.
Space Ghost Coast to Coast was, in the early days of Adult Swim, the flagship show, anchoring a lineup filled with re-purposed Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters and a bunch of crass, animated junk food, plus a now-cult classic courtesy of the same man who has tantalized audiences with animated burgers on Fox. Its creator, Mike Lazzo, now runs the programming block. Its influence should not be understated.
Nor should Croker’s. On a show that built itself on the late-night foundation laid so subtly by Johnny Carson—and delighted in attacking the mediocrity of successors like Jay Leno—Croker’s Zorak and Moltar brought bite and sting. Enemies of the original Space Ghost in Alex Toth’s 1960s program for Hanna-Barbera, here, they play bandleader and director respectively, both constantly needling the old foe they found themselves reliant upon. Croker gets to revel in negativity ranging from snark to rage, in a format known for its puffy politesse. He made Space Ghost crackle. He will be missed.
UPDATE: Adult Swim has made most of the series available to stream for everyone. Enjoy.
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