Zap! The Magical Computer (found 3D animated educational film; 1997)

Screengrab of Zap and Teacher from the film.

Status: Partially Lost

Date found: 09 Oct 2020

Found by: [1]

VHS cover from a defunct Amazon listing.

Zap! The Magical Computer is a 3D animated children's educational film created by Anthony Amato and John T. Quinn III, and published by Tōnz Entertainment in circa 1997. In it, Zap; a magical talking computer from Planet Xena that gains powers when he learns, and his mentor and fellow-machine Teacher, go off on a quest to find who stole all the number eights on Earth. The film released direct to VHS, but judging by the several in-film references to TV executives potentially picking up the characters, the film likely originally served as a pilot pitch for a television series.

From May 16 to May 18, 2011; Anthony Amato uploaded edited clips of the film to his YouTube channel sandiegomusician. All clips were edited to have a new super-imposed text introduction, briefly explaining the origins of the film or Amato's thoughts on the clip. On October 09, 2020, YouTuber Grayfruit, on his Twitch-stream VODs YouTube channel fruit salad; released a video of the available Zap! The Magical Computer clips edited together into one continuous video with the text introductions removed, as a facsimile of the original film. According to the description on Grayfruit's video, there are several partial frames visible in his edit that appear to be from unavailable, missing clips.

This video currently represents the most complete example of the film available on the internet, compromising approximately 24 minutes of the film's original 30 minute run time. There is very little information on Zap! The Magical Computer otherwise available on the internet. The 6 missing minutes remain lost.

Grayfruit's edit of the available clips of Zap! The Magical Computer.