Step Back In Time With 'The Wild Wild West' And Its Intro Animation

Mar 26, 2020 by apost team

The Wild Wild West was a science fiction television series that ran for four seasons from 1965 to 1969. 

It's been 55 years since the show got canceled but the unique animation of the show's intro has left am impression on viewers that has lasted to this day.

The Wild Wild West was created by Michael Garrison who saw the need for the shift of cowboy-type genres to movies with more action-filled espionage-y themes.

The show was eventually canceled by the end of its fourth season because of violence. But it left viewers with the lasting memory of its unique introduction animation that is still talked about to this day, like a true cult classic.

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The first half-minute of the introduction tells a whole story with just simple motions, eclectic music, and good pacing.

Each panel informs the viewers what to expect and what the heroes actually do. The panels get their own time to shine – showing the hero handling the confrontation of a new threat with incredible ease. The central protagonist stops a robbery and emerges victorious in a shootout.

But the introduction wouldn't have the effect that it has without the music. And the credit for that goes to Richard Markowitz.

According to The Film Music Society, Markowitz said, "What I did essentially was [to] write two themes: the rhythmic, contemporary theme, Fender bass and brushes, that vamp, for the cartoon effects and for West’s getting himself out of trouble, and the heraldic western outdoor theme over that, so that the two worked together.”

Are you a The Wild Wild West fan? Pass this along to your friends and family who haven't seen this super cool introduction animation.