2020

2020-01-02

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.

2020-01-16

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.

2020-01-23

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.

2020-02-06

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.

2020-02-13

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.

2020-02-27

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.

2020-03-12

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.

2020-03-19

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.

2020-03-26

No episode synopsis available yet.

2020-04-09

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.

2020-04-23

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.

2020-05-07

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.

2020-05-21

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.

2020-06-11

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.

2020-06-18

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.

2020-06-25

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?

2020-07-02

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.

2020-07-09

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).

2020-07-16

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.

2020-07-23

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.

2020-07-30

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.

2020-08-13

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.

2020-08-20

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.

2020-08-27

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.

2020-09-03

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.

2020-09-10

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...

2020-09-17

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!

2020-09-24

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.

2020-10-01

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.

2020-10-08

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.

2020-10-15

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.

2020-10-22

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.

2020-10-29

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.

2020-11-05

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.

2020-11-12

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.

2020-12-03

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.

2020-12-07

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.

2020-12-10

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.

2020-12-17

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!

2020-12-24

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.