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Post by tdenmark on May 15, 2022 6:06:58 GMT -6
 I just learned that one of my favorite childhood cartoons; Thundarr the Barbarian was cancelled so that the Lavern & Shirley cartoon could take its slot.  Thundarr is probably responsible for my enjoyment of the Post Apocalyptic genre (as well as Andre Norton's Star Man's Son), so when I got Gamma World it was right up my alley and has ever since been one of my favorite RPG's. |
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Post by captainjapan on May 15, 2022 7:10:27 GMT -6
Laverne and Shirley! WTF?!
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Post by talysman on May 15, 2022 9:02:48 GMT -6
I just learned that one of my favorite childhood cartoons; Thundarr the Barbarian was cancelled so that the Lavern & Shirley cartoon could take its slot. Incorrect, it was Mork and Mindy, not Laverne & Shirley, according to Mark Evanier, who knew most of the principal people involved and wrote one of the episodes. Even so, Thundarr ran for two seasons, which is like a raging success in the world of Saturday morning cartoons. They were treated as disposable and almost never lasted more than a season, which is why they were made so cheaply. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2022 14:49:13 GMT -6
I had the pleasure of seeing all these Hannah Barbara classics (and some not-so-classics) being replayed on the early Cartoon Network network and its spinoff Boomerang back in the nineties. I'm also of that generation that the "remixed" versions on Adult Swim were aimed at. (Space Ghost Coast To Coast and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law to name two)
Thundarr is very good and has a lot of Appendix N flair, but for my tastes it's gotta be Herculoids all the way. It's got that He-Man/Thundercats mix of sci fi and fantasy I loved growing up. Who doesn't love a world with a rhino-dinosaur thing that shoots bullets out of its snout? I guess a lot of people, but nine year old boys aren't in that group.
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Post by tdenmark on May 16, 2022 3:45:10 GMT -6
Incorrect, it was Mork and Mindy, not Laverne & Shirley, according to Mark Evanier, who knew most of the principal people involved and wrote one of the episodes. Even so, Thundarr ran for two seasons, which is like a raging success in the world of Saturday morning cartoons. They were treated as disposable and almost never lasted more than a season, which is why they were made so cheaply. Partially correct. In other places Mark Evanier has said it was because of the Laverne & Shirley cartoon. So I did some digging and the whole story is that Gary Marshall, creator of the Laverne & Shirley show pressured the networks to make time for his cartoon series. So Thundarr was booted. Turns out we are both right it was Fonz and the Happy Days Gang, Laverne & Shirley in the Army, and later Mork & Mindy dvdnewsflashthereviews.wordpress.com/2021/04/22/thundarr-the-barbarian-1980-1981-warner-archive-collection-blu-ray/www.newsfromme.com/2010/09/29/barbaric-news/Apologies in advance for linking to Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mork_%26_Mindy/Laverne_%26_Shirley/Fonz_Hourbtw. Mark Evanier does the Cartoon Voices panel at San Diego Comic Con, you can find videos online. They are fantastic delves into Saturday Morning cartoon nostalgia. |
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Post by tdenmark on May 16, 2022 3:46:17 GMT -6
I had the pleasure of seeing all these Hannah Barbara classics (and some not-so-classics) being replayed on the early Cartoon Network network and its spinoff Boomerang back in the nineties. I'm also of that generation that the "remixed" versions on Adult Swim were aimed at. (Space Ghost Coast To Coast and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law to name two) Thundarr is very good and has a lot of Appendix N flair, but for my tastes it's gotta be Herculoids all the way. It's got that He-Man/Thundercats mix of sci fi and fantasy I loved growing up. Who doesn't love a world with a rhino-dinosaur thing that shoots bullets out of its snout? I guess a lot of people, but nine year old boys aren't in that group. Oh, man, Herculoids was my favorite. |
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Post by jeffb on May 16, 2022 7:10:11 GMT -6
Gary Marshall was/is a Hollywood Elite of Elites. He made many writers, actors, producers, investors, et.al., rich and sometimes famous. So I'm absolutely not surprised he got preferential treatment there.
I never watched these toons like Thundar, Herculoids, D&D, etc during their initial runs. I've tried over the years, but find them difficult to watch as an adult- but there are some good nuggets to steal for gaming (D&D cartoon is very good for this)
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Parzival
Level 6 Magician
Is a little Stir Crazy this year...
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Post by Parzival on Aug 15, 2022 21:58:40 GMT -6
Sorry I missed this discussion, but at least I’m necromancing in the same year and even same Summer season! I recently purchased the Thundarr Blu-Ray set, and have been enjoying it. Yep, it’s a Saturday morning cartoon with Saturday morning feel, and despite being full of fights with laser guns and a lightsaber “fabulous Sun Sword,” nobody dies (except some monsters, but it’s not even really clear that they die— though robots bite the dust readily because nobody cares about smashing machinery), and the heroes are a bit corny— and the show sort of winks at that, too, as Thundarr’s over-the-top confidence and braggadocio is clearly exaggerated, while stopping just short of parody. But it all works. If you get in tune with your inner 12 year old, it’s kind of an awesome show. Plus, if you pay attention there are sight gags that pop up here and there in the backgrounds. (In one subway station of a destroyed city there’s a poster for “Jaws 9”—  ) And yes, Thundarr very much *is* Gamma World. It wouldn’t take much to convert GammaWorld into a Thundarr setting. The only twist is including magic, but with Gamma World built on the D&D chassis, that’s not that daunting a task. On a side note, just this week I watched the episode “Attack of the Amazon Women,” which I believe features the first use of the phrase “Release the Kraken” in television or film history— yes, preceding Harryhausen’s Clash of the Titans by a full year! |
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Post by cometaryorbit on Aug 16, 2022 9:52:22 GMT -6
which I believe features the first use of the phrase “Release the Kraken” in television or film history— yes, preceding Harryhausen’s Clash of the Titans by a full year! Huh... wow! |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2022 11:44:04 GMT -6
Slightly related - for a great modern sword and sorcery cartoon check out "Primal". Same director as Samurai Jack. For R.E. Howard fans, the main characters are named Spear and Fang.
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Post by tdenmark on Aug 17, 2022 15:11:07 GMT -6
Slightly related - for a great modern sword and sorcery cartoon check out "Primal". Same director as Samurai Jack. For R.E. Howard fans, the main characters are named Spear and Fang. I watched a few of the first episodes of Primal an enjoyed it, but I don't remember sorcery. I need to watch the rest of the series. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2022 15:38:12 GMT -6
Slightly related - for a great modern sword and sorcery cartoon check out "Primal". Same director as Samurai Jack. For R.E. Howard fans, the main characters are named Spear and Fang. I watched a few of the first episodes of Primal an enjoyed it, but I don't remember sorcery. I need to watch the rest of the series. There's a season 2 now. There's more Howardesque elements as time goes by. |
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