'Thundarr The Barbarian' Does Sci-Fi Sword & Sorcery Right
The 1980's Saturday Morning Conan Inspired Cartoon Still Delights
The year: 1994. From out of space comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction! Man's civilization is cast in ruin! Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn. A strange new world rises from the old: a world of savagery, super science and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the forces of evil. He is Thundarr, the Barbarian! - Show Opener Narration
Let’s talk famous fictional Barbarians, shall we? Both are big, brawny badasses, both are fond of wearing animal skins and both are skilled with the sword in battle. Only one had a Saturday Morning cartoon to call their own. The animated Thundarr The Barbarian can be confused with Conan The Barbarian, but it’s where surface similarities end. Conan lived, loved and fought in a distant, romanticized past, while Thundarr defeats his dastardly opponents in a far flung future of a post apocalyptic Earth.
Sci-Fi Saturday
Thundarr and his amazing friends! Yes, sorry, Spider-Man, there can be other heroic friends who are amazing too. And those fantastic friends stood out from the Saturday Morning kiddie crowd. From the character and creature design, to the animation itself and the supremely wild adventures, Thundarr The Barbarian carved out a loyal audience, despite lasting only two seasons. Running on the ABC network from 1981 to 1983, sadly, the show got cancelled because the network wanted to give the time slot to a little cartoon gem called Laverne & Shirley in the Army. Yes, sitcom favorites Laverne and Shirley killed the noble monster masher, Thundarr. Undoubtedly, The Fonz would be so proud of his defeat at the hands of his buddies.
Here’s the cast/character breakdown for the show.
Thundarr - our main protagonist, once a slave to the evil wizard Sabian, now a free man fighting for justice for all. His main weapon is his fabulous Sunsword, which is much like a lightsaber in that it’s an energy weapon in the form of a sword. It can be activated from just the hilt, then turned off instantly. Thundarr can use the sword either offensively and defensively. His favorite expressions to shout during battle is Demon Dogs! and Lords of Light! Princess Ariel gave Thundarr his devastating Sunsword.
Ookla the Mok - picture a powerful lion rampaging about on two legs and you get a good image of Ookla, Thundarr’s loyal battle loving pal. Ookla will take most anything handy to use as a weapon and he rides upon a strange, horse like creature called an equort. His battle yells are something to behold and savor for all time.
Princess Ariel - she may sound like a relatable refugee born from a Disney fairy tale, but she has more bite and battle than Belle, Cinderella or The Little Mermaid combined. Ariel wields powerful magic as a skilled sorceress. As stepdaughter of the evil wizard, Sabian, Ariel knows just what trauma Thundarr suffered under his brutal domination. Her powers range from levitation to super destructive energy blasts to the awe inspiring ability to enable any machinery or device to work under her controlled influence.
Design Details
The main cast of Thundarr was developed by respected comic book writer and artist, Alex Toth. After Toth had to leave working on the show, another artist was brought in to continue his wonderful work.
Everybody knows Stan Lee by now - as one of the brightest creators in the comic book world. Sadly, Jack Kirby, who co-created many of the biggest names at Marvel Comics - along with Lee - is not as nearly known. Kirby co-created some of the biggest names from the Marvel roster, including, The Hulk, X-Men, Iron Man, Fantastic Four and Thor with Stan Lee. Kirby worked on the production design for Thundarr, giving the animated show its distinctive, future world look.
Just like so much in our mainstream entertainment and pop culture, you can hear lots of praise and accolades about something being so compelling and great. You can be told something, but the true taste of your tea is in the actual partaking, in the experience. Everything about this show is fun and well produced - even the music is far better and more sophisticated than most any show aimed at kids of the time. Take a chance on Thundarr The Barbarian. You ‘ll be joyously transported to a future world full of excitement, adventure and delightful dangers.
Ookla was kinda sexy! LOL!