By Tyler B. Searle
Thread 21
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The 1980s was one of the wildest decades for animation. It was a time of experimentation and change, with companies starting to expand beyond the limited animation that had dominated the previous decades and creating shows with more dynamic and creative premises. This led to the rise of some of the most popular Saturday Morning Cartoons and paved the way for the animation Renaissance of the 1990s.
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The 1980s saw the birth of many franchises that remain popular to this day, especially since most of them were made to sell toys. The success of these giants makes it hard to remember some of the other, less successful cartoons of the decade, which have since been forgotten about. While none of them can match the classics, some of these cartoons are worth checking out, either as a trip down memory lane or to give younger audiences a chance to see a snapshot of one of animation's wildest periods.
10 'Denver, the Last Dinosaur' (1988-1990)
Created by Peter Keefe
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While visiting the La Brea Tar Pits, a group of Los Angeles teenagers discover an egg that hatches into an intelligent dinosaur that they name Denver (Pat Fraley). The kids do what they can to keep him safe and hidden from people who want to exploit him, such as the greedy Morton Fizzback (Brian Cummings). In between teaching Denver how to skateboard and play the guitar, Denver uses a piece of his shell to show his friends visions of the time of the dinosaurs.
Denver, the Last Dinosaur is a beautiful time capsule of the transition from the 1980s to the 1990s, and the dinosaur renaissance on the screen. The storylines were full of the most "radical" teen activities, such as skateboarding, playing in bands, and wearing cool shades. The best parts about the show are when Denver shows the kids visions of prehistoric Earth, which educates audiences about dinosaurs, and its catchy earworm of a theme song.
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9 'Ewoks' (1985-1986)
Developed by Paul Dini, Bob Carrau, and Raymond Jafelice
Before the events of Return of the Jedi, the Ewok Wicket W. Warrick (Jim Henshaw and Denny Delk) lived with his friends and family on the forest moon of Endor, uncaring about what was happening in the wider galaxy. Instead, Wicket concerns himself with exploring the forest and getting into all sorts of adventures. Unfortunately, things aren't always peaceful in the woods, as the Ewoks have to contend with villains like the evil witch Morag (Jackie Burroughs) or the aggressive Duloks.
Ewoks feels more like a Care Bears ripoff than a proper expansion of the Star Wars universe, but it's not without its enjoyable qualities. The first season boasted some gorgeous animation for the time, and while the stories were aimed at younger audiences, the writing was still solid and the lessons worth telling. The show was also an early stomping ground for several prominent names in animation, including Paul Dini, who would co-create Batman: The Animated Series, and voice actress Tabitha St. Germain, who has gone on to have an illustrious career including the voice of Rarity and Princess Luna in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
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Star Wars: Ewoks
TV-G
Animation
Sci-Fi
Adventure
Family
- Release Date
- September 7, 1985
- Cast
- Jim Henshaw , James Cranna , Cree Summer , Sue Murphy , Jackie Burroughs , Denny Delk , George Buza , Jeanne Reynolds
- Seasons
- 2
8 'The Wuzzles' (1985)
Created by Michael Eisner and Ted Field
On the magical Isle of Wuz live the Wuzzles, curious hybrids between various animals. Some of these include the courageous Bumblelion (Brian Cummings), the sweet but clumsy Eleroo (Henry Gibson), and the overacting Hoppopotamus (Jo Anne Worley). Together, they have fun, learn life lessons, and try to stop the schemes of the evil Crocosaurus (Alan Oppenheimer).
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The Wuzzles was the first animated show Disney produced, though it was overshadowed by the much more successful Adventures of the Gummi Bears. For what it is, the show offers fun and creative stories for younger audiences, and the characters themselves are each unique in personality and design thanks to the show's premise. The 1980s was a decade dominated by action media, but sometimes it's fun to get away from explosions and focus on bright colors and creativity.
The Wuzzles is current not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.
7 'M.A.S.K' (1985-1986)
Developed by Bernard Deyriès and Bruno Bianchi
From within a gas station at Bolder Hill, the Mobile Armored Strike Command stands ready to act against the Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem, who are always trying to get rich through nefarious means. Led by Matt Trakker (Doug Stone), M.A.S.K. engaged with V.E.N.O.M. leader Miles Mayhem (Brendan McKane) in specialized vehicles that transform into different kinds of vehicles. Members of both factions also wore specialty helmets, called Masks, that could give them different powers.
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Like most kids' shows in the 1980s, M.A.S.K. focused on selling toys and didn't put much effort into its story or characters. While it takes inspiration from more successful shows like G. I. Joe and The Transformers, the gimmick of the different masks is fun enough, and the action scenes could be fun thanks to their creativity. Unfortunately, the show shifted directions in its much shorter second season and became a racing show.
MASK
6 'SilverHawks' (1986)
Created by Rankin/Bass Productions
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When the evil Mon*Star (Earl Hammond) escapes from prison and establishes a galactic Mob to terrorize the Limbo galaxy, a specialized group of police officers is sent from Earth to stop him. They are called the SilverHawks, described as "part metal, part real," thanks to their cybernetic enhancements. Guided by Commander Stargazer (Bob McFadden), who originally captured Mon*Star, the SilverHawks strive to maintain balance in Limbo and, hopefully, recapture Mon*Star.
SilverHawks was Rankin/Bass' sci-fi follow-up to their popular Thundercats show, and though it had a Marvel comic tie-in, it never reached the same popularity. Still, it's worth checking out thanks to its colorful characters and interesting premise. Of the main cast, Bluegrass (Larry Kenney) stands out the most due to his inability to fly and his creative use of a guitar and lasso as weapons.
SilverHawks
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5 'RoboCop: The Animated Series' (1988)
Developed by Michael Charles Hill and Gunther-Wahl Productions
Alex Murphy (Robert Bockstael) is a police officer in Detroit city who was mortally wounded by criminal Clarence Boddicker (Len Carlson). He was rebuilt by Omni Consumer Products as the cyborg law enforcer known as Robocop and returned to the streets with his partner, Officer Anne Lewis (Susan Roman). Between stopping criminals and proving his usefulness to OCP, RoboCop also struggles to hang onto the last vestiges of his humanity.
This first attempt to bring RoboCop to the small screen went through the expected censorship hoops, like turning guns into laser weapons, but it managed to retain some of the original's mature themes. Alongside Murphy's struggle between his human and mechanical halves, it touched on some heavy topics like racism, environmentalism, and even peace in the Middle East. Unfortunately, it only got twelve episodes due to Marvel wanting to create a pilot that became Pryde of the X-Men.
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4 'Bravestarr' (1987-1988)
Created by Filmation and Lou Scheimer
On the faraway planet of New Texas, demand for the mineral Kerium leads to a new gold rush. This also brings with it danger, such as the evil outlaw Tex Hex (Charlie Adler) and his Carrion Bunch gang, who steal Kerium on the orders of the evil Broncosaur, Stampede (Alan Oppenheimer). Fortunately, New Texas is protected by Marshal Bravestarr (Pat Fraley), who combats them by calling upon spirit animals to grant him the strength of a bear, the speed of a puma, the eyes of a hawk, and the ears of a wolf.
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Bravestarr is a fitting swan song for Filmation, capturing all that was good and bad about the company and its products. The show has a lot of fun combining its sci-fi and Western concepts, from the creative character designs to the sheer badassness of Bravestarr's horse, Thirty-Thirty (Ed Gilbert), who can become a gun-wielding sidekick who prefers to shoot first and ask questions later. The show also focused on teaching morals to children, and like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe before it, the intent was good, but the execution was often mixed.
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3 'The World of David the Gnome' (1985-1986)
Created by Claudio Biern Boyd
Despite being 399 years old, the forest gnome David (José María Cordero/Tom Bosley) continues to live a life full of excitement and wonder. Aided by his loving wife, Lisa (Matilde Conesa/Jane Woods), and his fox friend, Swift (Ramón Langa/Vlasta Vrána), David travels the world as a doctor, helping any creature in need, be they animals, gnomes, or humans. Unfortunately, the wicked troll Hollar (Paco Hernández/A.J. Henderson) and his lackeys tend to cause trouble for David and his fellow forest inhabitants.
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The World of David the Gnome is a lighthearted series focused on wonder and education. Much of the series is spent detailing the culture and lifestyle of gnomes, which both makes them feel more lifelike than fantasy creatures in other shows, but also helps to foster a more personal relationship between the audience and David. Though it was usually very casual and fun, the show did know when to get serious, such as in its finale, one of the saddest episodes of any children's cartoon.
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2 'Danger Mouse' (1981-1992)
Created by Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall
The world's greatest secret agent, codenamed Danger Mouse (Sir David Jason), is a white mouse who works for the British Secret Service. With his bumbling hamster partner, Penfold (Terry Scott), Danger Mouse travels the world and repeatedly battles nefarious villains, such as the villainous toad Baron Silas Greenback (Edward Kelsey). All the while, their exploits are narrated by the unseen Isambard Sinclair (Sir David Jason), who often brings things to a halt with his ramblings.
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Danger Mouse was a hilarious parody of the spy genre with plenty of sharp, British wit to delight audiences of all ages. The characters are memorable and delightful thanks to their stellar voice acting, especially from Jason in his dual role as Danger Mouse and the narrator, creating a good contrast between the brave hero and the more cynical observer. Jason also played the undead waterfowl, Count Duckula, who proved popular enough to get his own ghoulish spinoff.
1 'Ulysses 31' (1981-1982)
Created by Jean Chalopin, Nina Wolmark, and TMS Entertainment
Set in the 31st century, Ulysses (Osamu Kobayashi/Claude Giraud/Matt Birman), is an ambassador from Earth who has successfully negotiated peace on the planet Troy. Before returning home, he rescues his son, Telemachus (Yū Mizushima/Séverine Morisot/Anick Faris), and two blue-skinned aliens, from a robotic cyclops, which angers the Gods of the Olympus galaxy. With most of his crew frozen, Ulysses is forced to wander this strange universe until he finds the Kingdom of Hades and, hopefully, the way back to Earth.
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Ulysses 31 is a creative project that updates the famous Greek tale of The Odyssey with futuristic twists. It pulls no punches when it comes to re-creating the atmosphere of a Greek tragedy, yet no matter how many times the Gods torment him, Ulysses never loses hope that one day he will escape their wrath, which also sends a rather uplifting message about the power of hope. The animation is also gorgeous, combining the best elements of European and Japanese styles into one epic space adventure.
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NEXT: The Best Cartoons From the 1980s, Ranked
- TV
- Cartoons
- Star Wars: Ewoks
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