Оригінальна назва
Toy Galaxy: The History Of...
Випущено
05.11.2015
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7
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176
Dan Larson discusses the history of various toys, cartoons, and TV shows.
Star Wars figures have been around for nearly 40 years and have gone through several redesigns and reboots. There's a huge learning curve upon entry and it's difficult to know where to start. This is the history of Vintage Star Wars figures covering only the original line with more parts to follow covering subsequent lines.
Moving on from the vintage line of figures fans had to wait awhile before Star Wars returned to the toy aisles. When they did they returned with a line called Power of the Force. This episode covers the history of Star Wars Power of the Force line.
People don't generally remember who finished second place but with transforming alien robot toys that just isn't the case. This is the history of The Gobots. Sure, Transformers finished in a distant first place in pop culture but in this case plenty of people are still big fans of the second place finisher.
In this episode we present the history of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The long-awaited follow-up to the original trilogy is finally here and we'll take you through pre-production and right through to the release of the film.
We dive into toy history and present Mattel's Marvel Secret Wars. Back in the early 80's Marvel Secret Wars by Mattel came and went pretty quickly. But it did leave quite an impression with it's sometimes weird choice of characters from wave to wave and interesting play gimmicks.
In this episode we cover the history of Deadpool. From his creation (sorta) by the polarizing Rob Liefeld to his refining by other creators and his weird appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine to his cinematic rebirth in Deadpool starring Ryan Reynolds.
In this episode Dan presents the history of the still relatively new Star Wars The Black Series. What started as a premium 6" line of figures has now grown into a recognized brand across a number of Star Wars The Black Series products.
Relatively speaking Thundercats had a pretty short life in the popular eye but many years later they have left a lasting impact on fans of the show and the toyline. Thankfully this episode has nothing at all to do with lizard people or the Illuminati but has everything to do with anthropomorphized cat people. Join us for the history of the Thundercats.
On this episode we continue our trek through the rich history of Star Wars action figures covering the years 2002 to 2005. With the glut of lines and an increasingly scarce sense of a story we are forced to fall back on just covering specific years. Encompassing Star Wars Saga, The Clone Wars Animated line and the Original Trilogy Collection along with their respective offshoots.
On this episode we cover the history of the once powerful toy company Mego Toys. Still beloved and sadly lamented their demise can be traced to possibly being too slow to react to changes in the market. Regardless, Mego left a lasting legacy in the toy business. Join us as we run down 10 things you need to know about Mego.
It was birthed at the retro pop culture nexus in 1985, had a relatively short lifespan and it's fans have been teased with a reboot or resurrection multiple times since. We are, of course, talking about MASK. That uniquely amazing toyline combining action figures, vehicles and transforming. Here are 10 things you might not know about MASK.
It's definitely a line we cover a lot, for better or worse. We decided that maybe it was time to learn a little more about the history of Marvel Legends from their early days being manufactured by Toybiz to the near death of the line and into the future with Hasbro at the healm.
Once Mego went out of business DC had to fill the toy void left behind. This is the history of Kenners DC Comics Super Powers line with their squeezable legs and their slightly bent arms.
On this episode Dan combs through the history of He Man and picks out 10 things you need to know about He Man and the Masters of the Universe. From how the line was created to the almost licensing opportunity that then turned into a rip-off line of figures, to it's 2 (or 3) rebirths and into the future. He Man and the Masters of the Universe have been around a long time.
Here is the first volume in the History of GI Joe. This covers the birth of the line and the original 12" line of figures. Hasbro started humbly but grew very big and 1 of their earliest big hits was GI Joe. The line had a lot of action features and accessories and was successfully exported to other countries. GI Joe undoubtedly helped build Hasbro into the powerhouse it is today.
This is the the next chapter in the history of GI Joe. Following up volume 1, which covered the genesis of GI Joe as a brand, this volume covers GI Joes rebirth as a 3 3/4" line with all of the colorful team members and the vehicles and playsets and, of course, Cobra.
In this episode Dan talks about the history of Voltron Legendary Defender, how this robot made of mechanical lions was created and what lead to him being Americanized. And, after being dormant for a long time, his revival on Netflix. You'll also learn about the other 2 versions of Voltron. A lot of people remember vehicle Voltron but there was a third version... sort of. NOTE: This episode was made before we switched the format to the "History of". Back then we were presenting it as a list of 10 facts.
On this episode it's time to learn a little more about the little known (until a few years ago) cosmic heroes The Guardians of the Galaxy. With 2 wildly successful Marvel movies and a long, albeit obscure, history in Marvel Comics as well it's time to learn a little more about The Guardians of the Galaxy.
Here are 10 things you need to know about GI Joe volume 3 following up from volume 1, which covered the original vintage line and volume 2, which covered the 3.75" line up to the early 1990's. GI Joe volume 3 picks where volume 2 left off (kinda) and covers the myriad of GI Joe releases, reboots & reconceptualizings all the way up to current day. Not a pretty picture.
On this episode Dan tackles the History of Exo Squad, a short-lived animated series from the early 1990's from Universal Studios and a line of toys created by Playmates. Exo Squad seemed to be an unusually serious show dealing with heady concepts with parallels to World War II but was also still fun dealing with Mech-suited pilots battling each other. It was ahead of its time and the toys are still a lot of fun. This is the history of Exo Squad.
On this episode we explore the History of The Real Ghostbusters, an animated series and toyline based on the mega-popular movie Ghostbusters. From the deal Columbia had to make with Filmation to used the word Ghostbusters all the way to the end of the line resulting in an acquisition by Hasbro.
We take you through the history of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, an animated show that would have probably been forgotten if not for the theme song that everyone keeps telling us is the best ever. From it's beginning as "The Wheeled Warriors" toyline through to it's cartoon series with characters that did not appear in the toyline. How could it fail?!
Dan takes you through the history of the Silverhawks. A brother to the more popular Thundercats with a vac-metal toyline from Kenner and only a single season of the animated show Silverhawks is still remembered fondly.
On this episode Dan dives into the history of Sectaurs, a toyline and animated series with an insect motif that briefly popped up on the pop culture landscape in 1985. With it's unique play features, however, the toyline has long been a favorite and made quite an impact through to today.
On this episode we tackle the history of MUSCLE or M.U.S.C.L.E. as it is sometimes written. They were tiny and pink and completely unposeable. They didn't do anything or come with any accessories so where did they come from?
On this episode we begin the very messy history of Robotech. Robotech is a science fiction franchise that began with an 85-episode anime television series created by Carl Macek and produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production and first released in the United States in 1985. The show was adapted from three original and distinct, though visually similar, Japanese anime television series (Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA) to make a series suitable for syndication. But that really is just the beginning of the story...
On this episode we cover the history of The Black Panther. From his creation by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the 60's to being nearly forgotten through the 80's and being brought back to prominence in the 2000's to the huge release of the film Black Panther.
This week we cover the history of The Centurions. Born out of Star Wars brown gravy of success as an animated series and having only a few figures released by Kenner, all these years later it still holds a place in many peoples hearts.
On this episode Dan digs through the history of beloved and nearly departed toy store Toys R Us. From its humble beginnings as Bargainworld to it's website and strategy problems to its acquisition of FAO Shwarz and KB Toys to its bankruptcy filing in 2017. Toys R Us may be soon gone but not soon forgotten. He also explains what a leveraged buyout is. Don't worry. It's cool.
In this video we dive even deeper into the crazy history of Robotech. This episode covers Harmony Gold's efforts to get a Robotech movie into theaters with the help of Cannon Films and their efforts to create a season 2 of Robotech with all new animation. Robotech: The Movie, also called Robotech: The Untold Story, is a feature film and was the first new Robotech adventure created after the premiere of the original series. It uses footage from the Megazone 23 – Part 1 OVA (original video animation; made-for-video animated feature) combined with scenes from "Southern Cross" and additional original animation produced for the film. Unfortunately, the governments of the world didn't care about any of that.
In this episode we cover the history of COPS also known as C.O.P.S. Inspired by Robocop? Maybe? It only lasted 1 season at the tail end of the 80's but it's action figures had a gimmick that would not be seen on the toy shelves of today.
On this episode we cover the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the movie Volcano through to Blade and X-Men to the fortuitous reaquiring of the rights to Iron Man and Disney acquiring Marvel through to the Avengers and the soon to be released Avengers:Infinity War. These are the deals and drama that built the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In this episode we cover one of the most quintessentially 90's shows of all-time: The X-Men Animated Series. With it's earworm of a theme song and it's chronological approach to storytelling it helped to bring Marvel to the forefront of pop culture and turn it into the juggernaut it is today.
On this episode we cover the History of the mostly forgotten Spiral Zone. A line of deluxe figures and an animated show weren't enough to keep this line alive in 1987. Maybe it was the glut of pop culture products or the dark nature of the story which seems closer to The Walking Dead than standard afternoon cartoon fare. Regardless, it came and went pretty quickly and has not endured the way some 80's properties did.
On this episode Dan covers the history and possible future of Star Wars coolest and most overrated bounty hunter, Boba Fett. With less than 10 minutes of screen time over the course of 3 movies Boba Fett has never the less managed to also become one of the most popular. But why? And where did he come from?
It's the history of Robotech volume 3 as we continue on. Harmony Gold starts to really enforce its license and Dan explores the Robotech RPG, all of the Robotech comics from all of the various publishers and the series of Robotech novels and talks about where they fit in the larger Robotech canon.
Launched in 1992 and catering to a much more mature audience than what came before, Batman: The Animated Series is now rightly remembered as the groundbreaking work it was. Take a trip through the history of Batman: The Animated Series.
On this episode it's the history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. From a joke drawing between 2 friends to a pop culture phenomenon with games, action figures, movies and so many animated series.
On this episode we cover the history of the Garbage Pail Kids. What started out as a parody of a doll line has turned into a pop culture staple parodying nearly everything else. From the start at Topps through the lawsuits, the Garbage Pail Kids movie and animated show through today with more series, Funko Pops, pins and more.
On this episode we cover the quick rise and controversial fall of Entertech. Creating realistic water guns in the mid-eighties they were a big hit with kids but government regulation pushed them away from what they were known for and quickly discontinued in a few short years.
On this episode we cover the history of Battle Beasts. They were short-lived in the United States and had their connection to the Transformers severed but their unique rub symbol play gimmick has still kept a fervent community of collectors after all these years.
On this episode we cover the history of Captain Power and the controversy surrounding it's initial run in 1988. Born from the ashes that were the Masters of the Universe movie and married to advanced light gun technology, it was a show aimed at kids and adults that struggled to get either on board. Rising from the ashes again with a reboot planned in 2016, legal troubles have derailed those plans.
On this episode we cover the history of the Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light. Released by Hasbro in 1987 their play gimmick was holograms. With a comic book series from Marvel and an animated series what could go wrong? Plenty. While Visionaries didn't sell in 1987 the property has been sitting on the edge of resurrection for a number of years, including a new comic and maybe a new movie.
Starcom: The U.S. Space Force is a 1987 animated syndicated television series inspired by a motorized toy franchise manufactured by Coleco. The plot detailed the adventures of an American astronaut brigade as they fought off attempted invasions by Shadow Force, a nasty collection of humans and robots led by the nefarious Emperor Dark. You might remember them as the small action figures with magnets in their feet. Unfortunately, no one seemed to care as 1987 was jammed full of other more popular lines based on already established brands like GI Joe and Transformers and MASK. The show earned poor ratings, and it was cancelled after 13 episodes.[3] The series was broadcast in reruns in the early 1990s, but no new episodes were produced.
For a few decades at the end of the 20th century kids all over the US gathered in front of their TV's every Saturday morning for the Saturday Morning Cartoon ritual. Bugs Bunny, Mr. T, Pac-Man, The Ghostbusters, Thhe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, wizards, monsters, villains, heroes and everything else. But it's gone now, at least on the major networks. Where did it go? Why did it go? This is the history of Saturday morning cartoons and the impact of the children's television act.
The beginning of the history of the Transformers. This first volume covers the birth of the Transformers brand and line and the Generation 1 Transformers right up until THEY WERE ALL KILLED! Also covering Megatrons origins, Optimus Primes origins and the differences between Diaclone and Micro Change, the 2 Japanese toylines that merged into Transformers.
Dungeons and Dragons, the most successful RPG of all time, has seen many tragedies and triumphs over it's long history, including being in the middle of the Satanic Panic in the 1980's, to now be part of pop culture and as popular as ever. From Gary Gygax and TSR through Mazes and Monsters and it's (sort of) use in such shows as Community and Stranger Things.
On this episode we cover the history of Madballs. Started in the 80's as gross... balls this property has been resurrected a number of times by different companies, like Kid Robot, and is now as strong and popular as it's ever been.
On this episode we cover the history of the Toxic Crusaders. Another children's property born out of a rated "R" series of films, in this case Troma's The Toxic Avenger series. Sharing many similarities with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles this was a full fledged media property with video games, lunchboxes and Halloween costumes. But they can't all be hits.
Inhumanoids is the title of an animated series and the name of a Hasbro toy property that were both released in 1986. Inhumanoids tells the story of the scientist-hero group, Earth Corps, as they battle a trio of subterranean monsters called the Inhumanoids with the aid of elemental beings, the Mutores. Unique because the title characters were the bad guys, The Inhumanoids, and not the good guys, The Earth Corps (bunch of nerds).
Adult Swim started out as a few hours a night a few nights a week but has now launched (or relaunched) a ton of culturally significant shows like Family Guy, Futurama, Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken and others. Here is a quick history of Adult Swim.
Picking up where The History of Transformers Vol 1 left off, we take a quick detour through Transformers Generation 2 before spending most of the video on Transformers: Beast Wars and Beast Machines. Their awkward computer generated shows may have turned a lot of fans off at the time but they both have since found their place in pop culture history.
The Pirates of Dark Water limped through 2 short seasons in the early 1990's before being cancelled in the middle of the story. But this wasn't just another quickly thrown together cash-in. With a well-known cast and a well-known producer Pirates of Dark Water was supposed to be a media juggernaut that turn out to be barely a blip on the radar.
KB Toys, originally known as Kay Bee Toys, started in the 1920's as a candy wholesaler and eventually grew into the 2nd largest toy store chain in the United States. But all of that eventually changed, partly at the hands of Bain Capital, and by 2008 KB Toys was out of business. What happened? And why is KB Toys killer still at large?
For 3 seasons Nintendo had an animated show on the air called Captain N: The Game Master, which centered on Captain N teaming up with Mega Man (sorta), Kid Icarus (kinda) and Simon Belmont to battle Mother Brain. Mostly forgotten and relegated to a footnote in Nintendo's history, the creation of the show is still disputed by some of the people involved.
Mattel and Filmation partnered on a property, Bravestarr, in the 1980's they were sure was going to be the next huge hit like Masters of the Universe. Instead it lasted 1 season and helped to sink a studio on the process. This is the story of Bravestarr and how market research isn't always the way to go.
It's a tale all too often repeated throughout pop culture history and repeated again with regards to the Bionic Six. Tons and tons of talent behind the scenes working to create something special instead run into a company handicapped by controversy looking to cut their losses.
The Dungeons and Dragons cartoon hit the airwaves in 1983 riding the Satanic Panic wave from the Dungeons and Dragons Role-playing Game and only lasted a few seasons. It was also not helped by the fractured marketing approach which had a toyline and other merchandise being released as "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" with no action figures made of the characters from the cartoon. Despite all that, it led in the rating for it's first 2 seasons and made a lasting impression on pop culture at large.
For a brief time in the 80's Lazer Tag was all the rage. Lazer Tag: The Game had storybooks, lunchboxes, puzzles and even a short-lived animated series; Lazer Tag Academy. But it didn't last long and it wasn't helped by the same controversy that beset another toy gun line in the 80's: Entertech. After a fatal shooting the Lazer Tag brand lost some of it's luster but laser tag as a game is still going strong to this day.
The Mighty Orbots, the story of smaller robots that combine into a bigger robot, only lasted 1 short 13 episode season on ABC in 1984. It had no toys, no comics, no lunchboxes, no video games, no nothing. But what it did have was a lawsuit from Tonka alleging infringement on it's copyright for The Gobots.
Way back in 1987 Canon Films bet big on a film based on He Man and The Masters of the Universe. The resulting film, just called Masters of the Universe, satisfied no one and helped to put Cannon Films out of business. Here is the story of Masters of the Universe and it's almost sequel and what went wrong along the way.
Back in the late 70's Star Wars was released and it was huge. So huge that everyone was looking for the next Star Wars. Sandy Frank saw his opportunity in a popular Japanese animated show named Gatchaman. He bought the rights, reedited and redubbed the episodes and thus was born Battle of the Planets. But there's a lot more to the story...
On this episode we attempt to cover the confusing history G-Force: Guardians of Space. Like Battle of the Planets, it was based on the original Gatchaman Japanese series, but unlike Battle of the Planets G-Force attempted to be a more faithful adaptation. But it pleased neither fanbase and has now faded into confusing obscurity.
Captain Planet and the Planeteers is an American animated environmentalist Superhero television series that ran from 1990 to 1992 and then had a sequel series run from 1993 to 1996. Created with an environmental message in mind, the animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers and the New Adventures of Captain Planet spawned lots of other merchandise but it's lasting legacy is in the Captain Planet Foundation.
Back in the mid 80's a few companies decided that space cowboys were going to be the next big thing. The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers is an American animated Space Western broadcast in syndication between 1986 and 1989. The series combines sci-fi stories with traditional wild west themes. It is one of the first anime-style shows produced mainly in the United States. At the time it aired, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers was considered a revolutionary children's show. And so we had Bravestarr, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs and, of course, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers. None of them were very successful but at least Galaxy Rangers had the theme song "No Guts, No Glory".
Kids love dinosaurs and kids love war. Put them together and you get Dino-Riders. It was supposed to be huge with a full out marketing and merchandising blitz with tons of intricately sculpted toys but it failed after just one season and 14 episodes. But that sculpting work did have a second and third life. This is the history of Dino-Riders.
The history of Robotech is very complicated. It is littered with failed projects, like Robotech Academy, Mars Force and Palladium Book Robotech RPG Tactics, and lots of lawsuits. Lawsuits involving Battletech, Piranha Games, Hairbrained Schemes, Hasbro and more. And a confusing spaghetti of rights involving Harmony Gold, Tatsunoko, Big West, Studio Nue, Battletech, Hasbro and others. We do our best to tell that story.
On this episode we cover the history of Jem and the Holograms. After having much success with Transformers and GI Joe Hasbro decided to take that same formula of a cartoon developed around a toyline and apply to a line aimed mostly at girls.
Kidd Video was an American Saturday morning cartoon created by DIC Enterprises in association with Saban Productions. The series originally ran on NBC from 1984 to 1985. Kidd Video was one of the most popular Saturday morning cartoons in its day but it only lasted 2 seasons in the US and was gone. But the same could not be said for another part of the world where Kidd Video the band had merchandise and a tour.
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is a 1981-1983 American animated television series produced by Marvel Productions, considered to be a crossover series connected to the 1981 Spider-Man series. The show stars already-established Marvel Comics characters Spider-Man and Iceman, plus an original character, Firestar. As a trio called the Spider-Friends, they fought against various villains of the Marvel Universe. Originally broadcast on NBC as a Saturday morning cartoon, the series ran first-run original episodes for three seasons, from 1981 to 1983, then aired repeats for an additional two years from 1984 to 1986. Almost no merchandise and no action figures, this was a cartoon created specifically to sell comic books.
On this episode we cover the history of build a figures, an innovation certainly popularized by Marvel Legends from Toybiz to Hasbro. But their history does go farther back and seems to have it's roots in Japan with a few smaller companies and McDonalds.
On this episode we cover the slightly backwards history of the toyline and animated series for Mighty Max. A toyline born in the UK and imported to the US, it spawned an animated series that then went backwards to influence the toyline.
On this episode we cover the crazy history of Reboot, the first ever CG series. It told of the adventures of Bob, Dot and Enzo and their battles against Megabyte and Hexidecimal. It started in Canada, came to the US via ABC, was canceled by ABC, picked up by Cartoon Network and then canceled twice more before being rebooted by Netflix completely as Reboot: The Guardian Code.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 American animated superhero film featuring the DC Comics character Batman. Directed by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, it is a cinematic stand-alone continuation of Batman: The Animated Series and the first original theatrical film produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Originally planned for a direct-to-video release, Warner Bros. gave Mask of the Phantasm a theatrical release, condensing its production into a strenuous eight-month schedule. The film was released through the studio's Family Entertainment division on December 24, 1993, to positive reviews from critics, who praised the stylized animation, voice performances, story, and music. Despite Batman: Mask of the Phantasm being critically acclaimed it was a box office bomb. Time, however, has been kind to this animated Batman film which is now a beloved favorite among fans of the Dark Knight.
Following on the success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and raised environmental awareness, the Biker Mice From Mars were born in 1993. It lasted 3 seasons but that was not the end. In 2006 the Biker Mice were reborn for another season with a Donald Trump like protagonist and a whole new round of marketing and merchandise.
When Hasbro launched the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline in 1982 alongside the Marvel Comics series, it commissioned Marvel Productions to produce a series of fully animated 30-second television commercials which were broadcast in order to promote the toys and comics, beginning with an ad for the first issue that aired throughout the Spring of 1982. The popularity of these commercials led to the production of a five-part G.I. Joe mini-series which aired in 1983 and eventually to a syndicated animated show that ran for 95 episodes. The production was not without it's problems. The cartoon, the action figures and the comic books all working together in a first of its kind effort to resurrect a property that had been dormant for a number of years.
Spider-Man (スパイダーマン, Supaidāman), also referred to as Japanese Spider-Man, is a Japanese live-action tokusatsu television series produced by Toei Company, loosely based on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man character. While Toei's version of the character wore the same costume as his Marvel counterpart, the show's storyline and the origin of the character's powers deviated from the source material. From his origin, his job as "an emissary of Hell" and the giant robot named Leopardon he pilots this Spider Man doesn't have a lot in common with Spider Man proper.
Toonami is an American late night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese anime and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Toonami is credited with pushing the popularity of Japanese anime to new heights for shows such as Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is an American superhero children's television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the Power Rangers franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon alongside a large line of action figures and other merchandise. The show adapted stock footage from the Japanese TV series Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (1992-1993), which was the 16th installment of Toei's Super Sentai franchise. The second and third seasons of the show drew elements and stock footage from Gosei Sentai Dairanger and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, respectively, though the Zyuranger costumes were still used for the lead cast in these two seasons. The shows path to US television was anything but smooth, however.
On this episode Dan covers the history of Disney's Gargoyles. Spookier and darker than almost anything had done at the time, this 3 season animated series lasted only 78 episodes despite some big hopes. But even with all that, this series still has a ton of fans to this day that hope to someday see the Gargoyles return.
In the height of 1980's pop culture M.A.S.K. was born. Following 80's precedent a toyline was developed involving transforming vehicles and action figures and then an animated series followed, lasting for 2 seasons. A MASK movie has been whispered about for years but so far nothing has happened. While you're waiting for that let Dan fill you in on the history of MASK.
With a little help from our friend GameDave (https://www.youtube.com/gamedave) Dan tackles the history of Dragon's Lair. From it's inception as a "playable" cartoon on Laserdisc through it's numerous sequels and releases on consoles and the little seen Saturday morning cartoon.
Starriors was a robot toyline created by Tomy in association with Marvel Comics in 1984. They were based on Zoids, but had a new storyline that U.S. Zoids had not had at all. Six Marvel mini-comics were distributed with the toys. Marvel also produced a four-issue limited series written by Louise Simonson, with art by Michael Chen, Ian Akin, and Brian Garvey, and covers painted by Bill Sienkiewicz. There is much speculation about the existence of Starriors animated material. A 1984 trade advertisement released by Tomy stated "There is currently a Starriors television mini-series in production to air in Spring and Fall '85."
Among the deluge of pop culture properties in 1986 was the barely remembered Defenders of the Earth, bringing together Mandrake the Magician, The Phantom and Flash Gordon to battle Ming the Merciless.
People generally don't remember who finishes in 2nd place, only the Champion which, in this case, is the Transformers. But people remember the Gobots, either as that cartoon that used to be on or as the affordable Transformers or as the one with the transforming rocks.
Where were you when you first heard the term Porkchop Sandwiches? One of the first viral video sensations on the internet holds a place close to our heart because it involves GI Joe. Back in the early 2000's a bunch of re-edits of original GI Joe cartoon PSA's were uploaded to the internet and they got a lot of attention. They crashed a website and initiated a lawsuit towards the creator by Hasbro.
Batman Beyond is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett and produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaboration with DC Comics as a continuation of the Batman legacy. The series began airing on January 10, 1999, and ended its run on December 18, 2001. Depicting a teenaged Batman in a futuristic Gotham City under the tutelage of an elderly Bruce Wayne, Batman Beyond is set in the chronological future of the DC animated universe, and serves as a continuation of both Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures.
On this episode we attempt to cover the crazy, bizarre history of Max Headroom. For his conception as a character introducing music videos to his own TV movie, to Coca-Cola spokesperson to gone in just a few years. His legacy as a instrument of political commentary may be more relevant than ever.
Galoob Toys needed a new hit and an inventor from Wisconsin had just what they were looking for. These tiny, detailed toy vehicles were everywhere in the late 80's and 90's and covered almost every IP from Star Wars to Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and a ton more. But they we also known just as much for their fast talking commercials.
TigerSharks is an American animated children's television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1987. The series involved a team of heroes that could transform into sharks and other marine animals and resembled the series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, also developed by Rankin/Bass. Following the already established template TigerSharks came and went fairly quickly, lasting only 26 episodes.
Sky Commanders is an animated television series made by Hanna-Barbera with the co-production of Toei Animation. It premiered in July 1987 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera and lasted for thirteen episodes. It was based on the Sky Commanders action figure line from Kenner Toys whose big play gimmick was incorporating string into the toys as ziplines used for transportation. Shockingly it was not successful.
On this episode we take a look back at the phenomenon that is Magic: The Gathering, a pioneer in the trading card game space. From its humble beginnings at Wizards of the Coast right on through its acquisition by Hasbro and it's online introduction.
Back in the 1990's FASA wanted to expand the Battletech brand and partnered on a line of toys and an animated series. Neither of them did very well but they may have been more inclined to stick with them if it wasn't for the mountain of lawsuits Battletech was buried under.
The Thundercats were created at the height of the 1980's and were quintessential 80's. It lasted for a few season and was cancelled. Then it was almost brought in 2008 but cancelled. Then brought back in 2011 and cancelled. Now in 2020 as Thundercats Roar. Someone can't take a hint.
Taking an R rated property like First Blood and Rambo and turning it into a cartoon suitable for kids was not an easy task and not without controversy. But it was done and what resulted was the animated series Rambo: The Force of Freedom from 1986.
Before Star Wars was Star Wars it went through many revisions and the story changed greatly. From Mace Windy, Deak and Annikin Starkiller and the Journal of the Whills join us in watching the elements of what finally became Star Wars evolve into Star Wars.
HeroQuest is a board game created in 1989 by Games Workshop, the same company responsible for Warhammer, that came with little figures and little furniture and had you and a few friends crawling a dungeon in search of treasures.
On this episode we cover Dinosaucers and it's surprising connection to Batman, of all things. Dinosaucers is also notable for having one of the rarest toylines of all time with pieces going for hundreds of dollars today. Huge thank you to Master Turtle Customs for supplying us with some of the images and the commercial used in this episode.
Action Force is a brand of European action figures released in the 1980s that was based on the Action Man toyline. It was also used to introduce G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys to European markets. Inspired by the success of Hasbro's GI Joe relaunch at a smaller scale Palitoy relaunched their Action Man line as Action Force, first with it's own characters and mythology but eventually rebranding GI Joe figures from the US.
Animorphs started as a series of books about a group of teens given the ability to morph into animals but grew into so much more. There was lots Animorphs merchandise and, of course, a TV show. But what does the future hold for Animorphs?
Back in the early 1980's DIC partners with TMS to create an animated series based on Homer's The Odyssey called Ulysses 31 for France. Ulysses 31 was a big hit in France. And Japan. And Australia and a bunch of other countries. But Ulysses 31 barely registered in the United States and slipped into obscurity.
Yes, before you ask, Turbo Tenn is indeed the cartoon about the kid that turns into a car. Extremely short-lived, lasting 13 episodes on Saturday mornings on ABC in 1984, it has a curious connection to the Marvel Universe (sorta).
Micronauts is a toyline created by Mego in the late 70's just before Star Wars swallowed pop culture and not long before Mego went out of business. Micronauts, the toyline, was very successful but the numerous attempts at animated series, comic book series and movies since have definitely been less successful.
Sun Sportswear knew they had a hit on their hands with Rude Dog, their new mascot. To further market the character, Sun Sportswear developed a Saturday morning cartoon in 1989 entitled Rude Dog and the Dweebs. Rude Dog and the Dweebs was as colorful as the clothing it advertised and so very 80's / early 90's. The series was produced by Marvel Productions.
Blackstar is an American animated science fantasy television series, produced in 1981 Filmation. Borrowing heavily from Flash Gordon and John Carter of Mars, Blackstar also has many notable similarities to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which was produced shortly afterwards. The popularity of He-Man also caused Blackstar to finally get a toyline long after it was cancelled.
Automan was a science fiction superhero television series. It aired for 12 episodes (although 13 were made) on ABC between 1983 and 1984. It consciously emulates the stylistic trappings of the Walt Disney Pictures live-action film Tron, in the context of a superhero TV series. A short-lived bold and expensive experiment that didn't pay off. At least they got an action figure out of it.
The Bots Master is a French/American/Canadian 1993 cartoon series, produced by Jean Chalopin and Saban International. In total 40 episodes were made, each one having a special 3D segment using the Pulfrich effect and special glasses that you could get from buying one of the many The Bots Master action figures.
Street Hawk is an American superhero television series that aired for 13 episodes on ABC in 1985. More popular outside of the US the Street Hawk toy history is complicated and includes him sort of being a member of GI Joe! From the opening narration: Jesse Mach, an ex-motorcycle cop, injured in the line of duty. Now a police troubleshooter, he's been recruited for a top secret government mission to ride Street Hawk -- an all-terrain attack motorcycle designed to fight urban crime, capable of incredible speeds up to three hundred miles an hour, and immense firepower. Only one man, federal agent Norman Tuttle, knows Jesse Mach's true identity. The man...the machine...Street Hawk.
The Incredible Hulk is an American television series that ran for 5 seasons starting in 1978 based on the Marvel Comics character The Hulk. The series aired on the CBS television network and starred Bill Bixby as Dr. David Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. While there are many differences between the comic and the TV show, the series was still wildly popular in its own right and forged it's own path into pop culture.
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice is an American animated series produced by Golden Films, C&D & Bohbot Entertainment. The series was created by Jean Chalopin along with Diane Eskenazi and Avi Arad and lasted for two seasons of 13 episodes each in 1992 and 1993. But 26 television episodes was not enough to finish the story of Arthur King and the rest of his team but there does exist an end to their story...
Manimal is an American action–adventure television series created by Glen A. Larson and Donald R. Boyle, that ran on NBC from September 30 to December 17, 1983. The show centers on the character Dr. Jonathan Chase, a shape-shifting man who can turn himself into any animal he chooses. He uses this ability to help the police solve crimes. Only lasting 8 episodes there was very little other merchandise but there was an incredibly bad Manimal toy line. Dr Jonathan Chase... wealthy, young, handsome. A man with the brightest of futures. A man with the darkest of pasts. From Africa's deepest recesses, to the rarefied peaks of Tibet, heir to his father's legacy and the world's darkest mysteries. Jonathan Chase, master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man... Manimal!
Robo Force was a toy line created by the Ideal Toy Company in the year 1984 for CBS Toys. A series of squat robots with suction cup bases Robo Force was lead by Maxx Steele in their fight against Hun Dred and the evil Nazgar. Robo Force also had an incredible amount of marketing behind it, sure that it would be the next big thing. But what Ideal and CBS couldn't have seen coming was the pop culture juggernaut that was the Transformers.
Misfits of Science is an American superhero fantasy science fiction television series that aired on NBC from October 4, 1985 to May 16, 1986. The show concerned super-powered humans and their madcap adventures. The team is formed by Dr. Billy Hayes, a research scientist at the Humanidyne Institute who specializes in "human anomalies". He works with shrinking Dr. Elvin "El" Lincoln played by Kevin Peter Hall, and together they recruit electrically powered Johnny Bukowski, a rock-and-roll musician, and Gloria Dinallo played by a very young Courteney Cox, a telekinetic teen. It only lasted one season and the disappeared leaving behind a few unexpected tagedies.
Creepy Crawlers, is an activity toy made by Mattel, beginning in 1964. But it was also an activity toy made by a company called ToyMax and also by a company called Jakks Pacific. Creepy Crawlers was also an animated series that lasted 2 seasons and a had a line of action figures based on that series.
Eerie Indiana is an American horror science fiction television series that originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1991, to April 12, 1992. A total of 19 episodes were produced with the final episode airing on the Disney Channel after Eerie Indiana was cancelled. That lead to the show finding a whole new audience, moving to Fox Kids and getting a sequel show, Eerie Indiana: The Other Dimension which unfortunately faired about as well as the original. Win some. Lose some.
Skeleton Warriors is a 13-episode cartoon series created by Landmark Entertainment Group, which originally aired in 1994 on CBS. An incredible merchandising rollout followed with Skeleton Warriors appearing on clothes, trading cards, bedsheets, lunchboxes and so much more. The cartoon also spawned a toyline created by Playmates Toys, a comic book limited series created by Marvel Comics and the Skeleton Warriors video game for the Sega Saturn and PlayStation consoles developed by Neversoft and published by Playmates Interactive.
Tales from the Cryptkeeper is an animated horror children's television series made by Canada-based Nelvana. It was based on the 1950s EC Comics series Tales from the Crypt and the live action television series Tales From The Crypt, which aired concurrently on HBO. Made for children, Tales from the Cryptkeeper was significantly milder than its live action version. There was also a mostly forgotten game show called "Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House" a toyline and a whole bunch of other merch.
Boglins were a series of toy puppets distributed by Mattel. The original run of Boglins was released in 1987 and had a fairly short run in the United States. But overseas Boglins had a much longer life. Several series of large and small Boglins were released until 1994, with additional aquatic, Halloween, and baby themed Boglins released later into the line. Small solid 'Mini-Boglins' were also produced, akin to the M.U.S.C.L.E. figures also from the 1980s.
The Savage Dragon is a half-hour American animated television series aired as part of USA Cartoon Express. It ran for 26 episodes from 1995 to 1996 and featured numerous supporting characters from the comic book series, including She-Dragon, Horde, Barbaric, Mako and Overlord. But he started as the lead character in one of the original Image Comics launch titles, Savage Dragon and eventually got a short lived line of toys from Playmates.
Ring Raiders is a 5 episode 1989 animated television series based on a 1980s toy line made by Matchbox. Ring Raiders was a toyline consisting primarily of small (3–4 centimeters long) plastic toy planes mounted on plastic rings via a detachable display stand. The stands allowed the aircraft a small degree of mobility. The line was rather short lived, lasting about six months. Ring Raiders was more popular overseas than in the US with extra series of planes and a comic book series by Fleetway.
Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling is an American animated television series that originally aired on CBS Saturday mornings from September 14, 1985 to October 18, 1986, with reruns airing until June 27, 1987 based on the wildly popular wrestlers from the WWF at the time. Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Captain Lou Albano and tons more. At the same time LJN was releasing tons of toys and related merchandise under the brand name WWF Superstars. The WWF was everywhere.
The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior was an 11-issue fantasy-based comic book published by American company Marvel Comics in 1983. It was associated with a toy line from Remco, consisting of seven figures, some vehicles and accessories. But it's legacy has nothing really to do with the comic or the toys and instead has a lot to do with Glenn Danzig.
Rubik, the Amazing Cube was a 1983 half-hour Saturday morning animated series based on the Rubik's Cube, a puzzle created by Ernő Rubik. It was produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises and broadcast as part of The Pac-Man/Rubik, the Amazing Cube Hour block on ABC from September 10 to December 10, 1983 and continued reruns until September 1, 1984. Think of the weirdest subject you could possibly imagine inspiring an animated series for kids, something that makes you stop and say: “No. That would never work. There’s no way. What would it even be about?” Now stop thinking about that and GET OUT!
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a 1978 American television special set in the universe of Star Wars. It's set between the events of the original film and The Empire Strikes Back. It stars the main cast of the original Star Wars and introduces the character of Boba Fett, who appeared in later films. A Star Wars comedy variety show musical that fails on almost every level, it should not come as a surprise that behind the scenes there was trouble every step of the way.
Airwolf is an action military drama television series that ran from January 22, 1984 until August 7, 1987. The program centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code named Airwolf, and its crew as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving espionage, with a Cold War theme. The show originally aired on CBS and after the original series was cancelled, a fourth season, with an entirely new cast and on a much smaller budget, was filmed in Canada for the USA Network.
ROM the Space Knight was originally a toy created by Scott Dankman, Richard C. Levy, and Bryan L. McCoy for Parker Brothers. After the toy was licensed to Marvel Comics, Rom became a character that debuted in the Marvel Universe in the eponymous American comic book Rom: Spaceknight (December 1979 – February 1986). And while the original ROM toy failed after only a year on the market, ROM the character went on to play a major role in 2 different connected comic book universes, one by Marvel and one by IDW.
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is an animated television space western, similar to the series The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers and BraveStarr that aired 52 episodes from 1987 to 1988. The show was based on Star Musketeer Bismarck (星銃士ビスマルク, Seijūshi Bisumaruku), a Japanese anime series created by Studio Pierrot. Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs was brought over to the US in the hopes of replicating the success the company had with Voltron. It didn't work out that way.
Photon: The Ultimate Game on Planet Earth was a laser tag game released by Entertech using the same technology as competing brand Lazer Tag. But Photon came first and was subject to a media blitz for a very short period of time that included a Photon live action TV series, Photon action figures and even a video game released only in Japan for the FamiCom called Hikari no Senshi Photon: The Ultimate Game on Planet Earth. Photon was a 26 episode live action television show in the mid-1980s, which was tied into the Photon laser tag arenas and home game. It was produced by DIC Audiovisuel as a first run syndicated kids series which shown in various syndicated markets through most of the mid eighties.
Power Lords – The Extra-Terrestrial Warriors is a science fiction-themed action figure line designed by Wayne Barlow and produced by Revell in 1983. Each bizarre figure has an action feature and included a file card, which provided a brief dossier on the character and demonstrates how to initiate its special feature. DC Comics published a 3-issue Power Lords comic book series beginning in December 1983. A video game, board game, jigsaw puzzle and coloring book based on the characters were also released that same year. In 2012 Power Lords were brought back to life by Four Horsemen Studios with a new line of action figures released in 2014 and what was supposed to be a second wave in 2017.
A wild feud that lasted for decades caused the creation of Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad almost out of spite... allegedly. Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad (or, in short, SSSS) is a 53 episode American television series that ran from 1994 to 1995. It was produced by Tsuburaya Productions, Ultracom Inc. and DIC Productions, L.P. and was an adaptation of the Japanese tokusatsu series Denkou Choujin Gridman (or Gridman the Hyper Agent) in the same vein as the much more popular Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Pole Position is a 13 episode 1984 animated series produced by DIC Audiovisuel that first aired on Saturday mornings on CBS. The name Pole Position was used under license from Namco, who held the rights to the name due to the video game Pole Position. The show sought to capitalize on the popularity of the video game. However, there is almost nothing in common between the game and the show. Pole Position came and went in the blink of an eye but was quite possibly the genesis of a much more popular property: M.A.S.K.
Mutant League was an animated series based on the video games Mutant League Football and Mutant League Hockey which aired from July 2, 1994 to February 24, 1996. The show ran for 2 seasons and 40 episodes in total and had a line of action figures and vehicles but seems to have been almost wiped from existence in the US.
Knight Rider is an American action crime drama television series created and produced by Glen A. Larson. The series originally rand for 90 episodes on NBC from 1982 to 1986. Knight Rider stars David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, a high-tech, modern crime fighter assisted by KITT, an advanced, artificially intelligent, self-aware, and nearly indestructible car. Through the TV movies, spin-offs and sequels Knight Rider and KITT have endured to this day as a beloved icon of 80's TV.
Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa is a 1992-1993 American animated television series created by comic book artist Ryan Brown, known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It aired as part of ABC's Saturday morning lineup. Like many TMNT copycats of the time, the Cowboys of Moo Mesa dealt with a mutation of some kind. In this case, an irradiated comet struck the late 19th century Western plains creating a miles high mesa shrouded in clouds. A toyline, a video game and all the merch you can shake a stick at wasn't enough to get the Cowboys of Moo Mesa past 2 seasons but their legacy, weirdly, live on in NFL.
Supernaturals is a line of action figures created by Tonka and released in 1987. It is one of the most visually striking toy lines of all time. Unlike anything else on the market except it’s direct competitor, Visionaries, released by Hasbro at the exact same time. Supernaturals and Visionaries gimmick was that they both used holograms which were huge for about 2 weeks. There is another weird chapter to the story of The Supernaturals involving the also short-lived comic and a story contained in it called "The Doll".
Star Blazers is an American animated television series adaptation of the Japanese anime series Space Battleship Yamato. Star Blazers was first broadcast in the United States in 1979 laying the foundation for shows like Battle of the Planets. It was the first popular English-translated anime that had an overarching plot and storyline that required the episodes to be viewed in order, but Star Blazers faced a lot of problems on the way to it's 3 seasons.
VR Troopers (Virtual Reality Troopers) is a syndicated live action superhero-adventure television series produced and distributed by Saban Entertainment from 1994 to 1996. The show tried to profit from the fascination with virtual reality in the mid-1990s as well as the success of Saban's other property, Power Rangers. Much like with Power Rangers VR Troopers was stitched together with Japanese stock footage from 3 different Metal Hero Series: Superhuman Machine Metalder, Dimensional Warrior Spielban, Space Sheriff Shaider.
Bucky O'Hare is a furry green bunny and the hero of an eponymous comic book series as well as spin-off media including an animated TV series called Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars! that ran for 13 episodes in the US in 1991. Bucky O'Hare was created by comic book writer Larry Hama and comic book artist Michael Golden between 1977 and 1978.
Dubbed during development as Knight Rider Jr., Viper is an American action-adventure television series about a special United States task force set up by the federal government to fighting crime in the fictional city of Metro City, California that is perpetually under siege from one crime wave after another. The weapon used by this task force is an urban assault vehicle that masquerades as a Dodge Viper. Originally developed in partnership with Chrysler for the CBS network, Viper faced a few challenges just getting to air and more challenges when NBC cancelled Viper after just one season.
My Pet Monster is a character that began as a plush doll first produced by American Greetings in 1986. Following on the gross out trend of the 80s that included stuff like Madballs, Boglins and Garbage Pail Kids, My Pet Monster was one of the few plush dolls marketed to boys at the time. Along with the plush there was also a My Pet Monster straight to video movie and a My Pet Monster animated series. Other characters were also created with brightly colored fur and unorthodox names like Gwonk, Wogster and Rark.
We didn't think we'd ever make another Robotech video but here we are. Besides the news about Harmony Gold's license from a few years ago, there was recently (as of April of 2021) a huge development in the world of Macross and Robotech, Harmony Gold and Tatsunoko that changes everything going forward.
Karate Kommandos (also known as Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos) is an American animated television series that originally aired in 1986 as a syndicated five episode mini-series. It was created by and starred Chuck Norris as himself, and produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises. Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos was fully supported with an action figure line and a slew of other merch. But still... what?!
Samurai Pizza Cats is a controversial American animated television adaptation of the anime series Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (キャッ党忍伝てやんでえ, Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee), produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Sotsu Agency. The series originally aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from February 1, 1990 to February 12, 1991 for a total of 54 episodes. Saban Entertainment picked up the North American rights to the series in 1991 and produced a 52-episode English adaption. But while 52 episodes were produced, initially only 40 aired in the US. Why? In a word... controversy!
Big Bad Beetleborgs (later Beetleborgs Metallix) is an American live-action television series by Saban Entertainment. Two seasons aired on Fox Kids from September 7, 1996, to March 2, 1998. The series adapted combat footage from the Metal Hero tokusatsu-series Juukou B-Fighter (first season) and B-Fighter Kabuto (second season). Big Bad Beetleborgs also had a cast of monsters as regular characters on the show including Flabber and Frankenbeans and helped to hasten the death of the show VR Troopers.
The A-Team is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from 1983 to 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. All four members of the team were tried by court martial for a crime they had not committed. The A-Team starred Mr. T, George Peppard, Dirk Benedict and Dwight Schultz and was a huge hit but was also famous for the fighting behind the camera.
Schoolhouse Rock! started as an American interstitial programming series of animated musical educational short films that aired during Saturday morning cartoons on the U.S. television network ABC. From Three is a Magic Number to Conjunction Junction to I'm Just a Bill, Schoolhouse Rock! has been helping kids learn for decades.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs is an American-Canadian animated television series produced by De Souza Productions, Galaxy Films and Nelvana, which aired on CBS Kids in the United States from 1993 to 1994, lasting for one season of 13 episodes. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs was based on the 1987-1996 comic book known originally as Xenozoic Tales. The show was created by screenwriter Steven E. de Souza, who acquired the TV rights after producing the Capcom video game Cadillacs and Dinosaurs.
Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan (Taiyō Sentai San Barukan, translated into English as Solar Squadron Sun Vulcan) is Toei's fifth entry to its Super Sentai series that ran in Japan in 1981/1982. While Sun Vulcan never came over to the US as so many other Super Sentai shows did under the Power Rangers brand, it almost beat them all to the punch thanks to Marvel Comics and Stan Lee. But it didn't, and in the process broke young Dan Larson's heart. It still hurts.
While fondly remembered now, NBC's Buck Rogers in the 25th Century wasn't on for very long and was cancelled in the middle of a season, partly because of the behind the camera fighting. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between September 1979 and April 1981 on NBC, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film before the series aired. Buck Rogers was played by Gil Gerard, Erin Gray played Wilma Deering and don't forget Twiki, the robot voiced by Mel Blanc.
Skysurfer Strike Force is a 1995-1996 American superhero animated series that was featured on Bohbot Entertainment's Amazin' Adventures cartoon block and was produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. The show lasted two seasons in the mid-1990s and had 2 scales of toys but despite all that, remains pretty obscure. But why is this fairly obscure cartoon notable? If not for being a hit but for being the end.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire is a 1996 multimedia project created by Lucasfilm. The idea was to create a story set between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and to explore all commercial possibilities of a full motion picture release without actually making a film. Shadows of the Empire introduced an entire generation to Dash Rendar and the Outrider, told further tales of Boba Fett and the bounty hunters, had a soundtrack and, of course a video game for the N64. But what about now? Where does it stand? Is it canon? Does it matter?
Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog is an Irish/American fantasy-adventure television series set in a fantasy version of ancient Ireland, created by Saban Entertainment. It aired on the Fox Kids Network from September 12, 1998 and ending on May 7, 1999. There are a lot of weird things about Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog but as an attempt to replicate the success of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers but do it completely in-house, it was a failure.
The Defenders of Dynatron City was meant to be a much bigger deal than it was in 1992. A Defenders of Dynatron City NES game was released, a 6 issue comic series from Marvel was released and a pilot episode for an animated series was broadcast. And then it all just disappeared.
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series created by Glen A. Larson that began the Battlestar Galactica franchise. It was very expensive, very short-lived and embroiled in lawsuits and controversy the whole way. And then they tried again with Galactica 1980. And it also went badly.
Ronin Warriors, known in Japan as Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers (鎧伝サムライトルーパー, Yoroiden Samurai Torūpā), is a Japanese anime series created by Hajime Yatate and animated by Sunrise somewhat riding the popularity of Saint Seiya. Ronin Warriors first aired on American television during the summer of 1995 and subsequently appeared through syndication, as well as the USA Network and later on Cartoon Network as part of Toonami. Besides being known as Ronin Warriors, Yoroiden Samurai Troopers and Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers in some parts of the world it was known as Samurai Warriors.
Mobile Suit Gundam (Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu, also known as First Gundam, Gundam 0079 or simply Gundam '79) was a ratings failure causing the episode count to be reduced and the story cut short. But it did introduce the world to RX-78-2. And then Bandai stepped in with their model kits and created what would eventually be known around the world as Gunpla. Mobile Suit Gundam was eventually imported to the US where it was again a ratings failure... twice!
Child World was an American chain of toy stores founded in 1962 known for their castle like store fronts. Child World once had 182 stores and revenues of approximately $830 million annually. From 1977 until its closure Child World also operated the Children's Palace chain of toy stores until it closed in 1992 as a result of some bad business decisions and maybe, just maybe, some sabotage!
The Legend of Prince Valiant is an oddly violent 1991–1993 American animated television series based on the Prince Valiant comic strip created by Hal Foster that ran on The Family Channel for 65 episodes. Set in the time of King Arthur, it is a family-oriented adventure show about an exiled prince who goes on a quest to become one of the Knights of the Round Table.
SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron is a 1993-1994 American animated television series created by Christian and Yvon Tremblay and produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. The series takes place in the fictional metropolis of Megakat City, which is populated by anthropomorphic felines, known as "kats". But it was released at a turbulent time for children's entertainment and it's possible that with everything going on SWAT Kats was destined to fail.
Is Masked Rider being erased from history? Masked Rider is a 1995 live action television series produced by Saban Entertainment and Toei Company, Ltd. It is an American adaptation of the 1988 Japanese television series Kamen Rider Black RX, and also serves a spinoff of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Masked Rider is notable (infamous?) for taking the rather dark Kamen Rider Black RX and turning it into a pseudo sitcom complete with a furry puppet sidekick called Ferbus.
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated film based on the Transformers television series. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and arrived with a thud, sinking quickly at the box office. Hasbro's exclusively toy-focused agenda demanded a product refresh, to be contrived by the on-screen extermination of starring characters, at the protest of some creators of the film and TV series. The slaughter of characters, especially Optimus Prime, inadvertently upset the young audience. But a funny thing happened on the way to 2021.
Wizard or Wizard: The Guide to Comics was a magazine about comic books, published monthly from 1991 to 2011. Toyfare Magazine, focusing on action figure collecting, was eventually spun off from Wizard in 1997. It all started great and then Wizard Entertainment grew and then it all crashed taking Wizard Magazine, Toyfare Magazine a few other magazines and lots of jobs with it.
Tron, released in 1982, was a ground-breaking science fiction film that was also a box office disappointment for the then floundering Disney. From the movie to the Arcade game, Tron to all the merch and the action figures by Tomy all the way through to today and Tron's appearance in Kingdom Hearts. Tron's story is complicated, it's legacy less so. The mark it made on Hollywood, and movie-making, has been felt for decades.
V (or V: The Original Miniseries) is a two-part American science-fiction television miniseries, written and directed by Kenneth Johnson that first aired in 1983. It was followed in 1984 by V: The Final Battle and a short-lived weekly TV series, neither of which Kenneth Johnson was involved with. What happened as the battle for V was fought over these decades with the reboot and the Second Generation novel hitting at the same time and telling 2 different stories?
Choose Your Own Adventure Books are a series of children's gamebooks where the reader assumes the role of the protagonist and makes choices that determine the main character's actions and the plot's outcome. Choose Your Own Adventure Books were based upon a concept created by Edward Packard and were wildly popular throughout the 80's and 90's before kind of falling off the map. Choose Your Own Adventure Books are a part of pop culture, so much so that it has led to a few lawsuits, most notably against Netflix regarding Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
The Real Ghostbusters is a 140 episode American animated television series, a spin-off/sequel of the 1984 comedy movie Ghostbusters that aired from 1986 to 1991. As a Saturday morning cartoon and a daily series, behind the scenes of the Real Ghostbusters there was a lot more going on. From a disagreement over the name of the show with The Ghost Busters to ABC bringing in a consulting agency to make over some of the characters, The Real Ghostbusters story is so much more.
Beetlejuice is an animated television series that ran from September 9, 1989 to October 26, 1991 on ABC, and on Fox from September 9, 1991 to December 6, 1991. Loosely based on the American 1988 film of the same name, it mostly followed the friendship between Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz. Beetlejuice was a breakout hit, like the film it was inspired by, surpassing expectations to become one of the most popular cartoons during the time it aired.
Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation is an American live-action television series produced by Saban Entertainment, which ran on the Fox Kids network from 1997 to 1998. Nina Turtles: The Next Mutation is noticeable for introducing many new elements to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, including a female mutant turtle called Venus (named after the famous statue) and new central antagonists, an army of humanoid dragons known as "The Rank" led by the vicious Dragonlord. But it is that female Ninja Turtle, Venus, that most people remember this blip in TMNT history for.
Saint Seiya (Hepburn: Seinto Seiya), also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac, Los Caballeros del Zodiaco, Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. Saint Seiya was also adapted by Toei Animation into a 114-episode anime television series which was broadcast on TV Asahi from 1986 to 1989, exported around the world as Knights of the Zodiac and then, eventually, to the United States 3 different times with 3 different names to varying success, including a brief run on Cartoon Network.
The Last Starfighter is a 1984 American science fiction film directed by Nick Castle and along with Disney's Tron, has the distinction of being one of cinema's earliest films to use extensive "real-life" computer-generated imagery (CGI) to depict its many starships, environments and battle scenes. One thing it has in common with Tron is that The Last Starfighter was a box office bomb upon initial release, killing plans for any sequels. Despite numerous comparisons to Star Wars here we are, 35+ years later still talking about it.
Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) is a former children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Fox Kids was best known for airing the most-popular programs on the network, such as Bobby’s World and the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers series, with the latter dominating the block’s schedule with increased ratings and creating a franchise. Other notable Fox Kids shows included Beetlejuice, Muppet Babies, X-Men the animated series, Batman the Animated Series, Godzilla and tons more. But the creation of Fox Kids can be traced all the way back to bad blood between executives over... Ducktales?
This might be our wildest video yet, from looking for old issues of Playboy magazine to trying to find newspaper articles on a mass murder this video has it all! Mouse Trap is a board game invented by Marvin Glass and Associates and first published by Ideal Toys in 1963 for two to four players. Over the course of the game, players at first cooperate to build a working Rube Goldberg-like mouse trap. Once the mouse trap has been built, players turn against each other, attempting to trap opponents' mouse-shaped game pieces.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe was an animated series that aired in syndication in the US from September 10, 1984, to November 18, 1985. Voltron: Defender of the Universe was the top-rated syndicated children's show for two years during its original run, and it spawned three follow-up series, several comic books, and a line of toys.
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, also known in Japan as New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (新機動戦記ガンダムWウイング, Shin Kidō Senki Gandamu Wingu), is a 1995 Japanese mecha anime series directed by Masashi Ikeda and written by Katsuyuki Sumizawa. Gundam Wing aired on Cartoon Network's weekday afternoon after-school programming block Toonami, premiering on March 6, 2000 and almost immediately exploded in popularity. The Gundam franchise was finally big in America, ushering in all kinds of merch and Gunpla, making Gundam more mainstream in the US than it had ever been and paving the way for a broadcast of the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Wing's sequel Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz.
He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special is an animated Christmas television special based on the animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and its spin-off She-Ra: Princess of Power, originally broadcast in syndication December 1985. He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special also served another purpose in Filmation and that was as a bridge between the already finished He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and the newly launched She-Ra: Princess of Power. And while there has been talk among creators to potentially bring Netflix She-Ra Princesses of Power together with Masters of the Universe: Revelation in a Christmas Special, the 1985 one remains the only one.
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