Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

[gojira]

I almost put this on the "Hero goes to the movies" thread but it really wasn't quite in the spirit of that thread so I decided to give this its own thread.

 

Steve stated out a Thundarr the Barbarian setting clone in Post Apocalyptic Hero. Well I just found that Thundarr the Barbarian has finally just this fall been made available on DVD. So for those of you who want to relive your childhoods (or possibly adolescence), here's a link where you can get your very own copy for any post-apocalyptic fantasy "research" you may have to do.

 

http://www.wbshop.com/Thundarr-The-Barbarian-The-Complete-Series-198082/1000180186,default,pd.html?cgid=&AID=10811526&PID=4110512

[gojira]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

And maybe some nice person can correct the spelling in the title for me too....

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

thanks for tiiping me off about this

[Steve Long]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

I ordered this as soon as it was available and have been enjoying an episode here and there ever since it arrived. The relatively primitive animation and odd storytelling are a bit painful in their way, but overall it's great fun.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

I was well past adolescence when Thundarr, Ookla, and Ariel first RODE!, but that didn't stop me from enjoying their adventures. IMHO primitive animation and odd storytelling are part of the series's charm.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

BTW for anyone interested in Thundarr-style post-apoc fantasy gaming, I highly recommend our board colleague Keith "insert adjective here" Curtis's magnificent HERO campaign website, The Savage Earth!

[mkultra]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

Cool. Anyone know where I can score The Herculoids.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

or the space stars

[John Desmarais]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

Cool. Anyone know where I can score The Herculoids.

 

or the space stars

 

Sorry, neither have been released as full series collections yet. However, a few related ones have, so I've been enjoying "Space Ghost and Dino Boy: The Complete Series" and "Birdman and the Galaxy Trio: The Complete Series" quite a bit.

[Mathew]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

I'd love to see someone write racial packages and animal write up directly from the Thundarr series.

[gojira]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

Cool. Anyone know where I can score The Herculoids.

 

 

There's a few of these online on YouTube. They do have a sort of Post Apoc feel to them. Although I didn't find an explanation or premise to the series, it seems like a human family was marooned on the planet Quasar. They've befriended some native (?) beasts called Herculoids, and then together they proceed to kick all sorts of booty on space fairing alien and local monstrosity alike.

 

Nutty as all heck, but also fun and stylistic. It's old (1967!) and seems to be based somewhat on Lost in Space, maybe with a bit of Forbidden Planet and Johnny Quest tossed in for spice. Would make some interesting game material.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

i remember reading that tarzan was the template for the herculoids

[amanojaku]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

The thing with thundarr is that everyone assumes it ewas done by Jack Kirby, but really the animators just took his look, JK as I understand didn't work on it.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

i've seen m. kirbys name n the shows credits so he may've had some input

[Escafarc]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

He was a character designer for 21 of the episodes :

"Thundarr the Barbarian" (21 episodes )

1. Secret of the Black Pearl (4 October 1980) - character designer
   
2. Harvest of Doom (11 October 1980) - character designer
   
3. Mindok the Mind Menace (18 October 1980) - character designer
   
4. Raiders of the Abyss (25 October 1980) - character designer
   
5. Treasure of the Moks (1 November 1980) - character designer
   
6. Attack of the Amazon Women (8 November 1980) - character designer
   
7. The Brotherhood of Night (15 November 1980) - character designer
   
8. Challenge of the Wizards (22 November 1980) - character designer
   
9. Valley of the Man-Apes (29 November 1980) - character designer
   
10. Stalker from the Stars (6 December 1980) - character designer
    
11. Portal Into Time (13 December 1980) - character designer
    
12. Battle of the Barbarians (20 December 1980) - character designer
    
13. Den of the Sleeping Demon (27 December 1980) - character designer
    
14. Wizard War (12 September 1981) - character designer
    
15. Fortress of Fear (19 September 1981) - character designer
    
16. Island of the Body Snatchers (26 September 1981) - character designer
    
17. City of Evil (3 October 1981) - character designer
    
18. Last Train to Doomsday (10 October 1981) - character designer
    
19. Master of the Stolen Sunsword (17 October 1981) - character designer
    
20. Trial by Terror (24 October 1981) - character designer
    
21. Prophecy of Peril (31 October 1981) - character designer
    

[pruttm]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

Alex Toth designed the three main characters. Jack created the others through the series.

[amanojaku]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

OK, so kirby didn't actually do the animation, he designed characters. I looked up the animators one, long ago, and didn't see him.

[Escafarc]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

Kirby is so awesome he's still getting work from beyond the grave. Just check out his IMDb page:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0456158/

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

i wonder if the series galtar and the golden lance is on dvd i know the pilot ep is on saturday morning cartons of the 80s vol 1

[amanojaku]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

I know they copped his look on "Minoriteam", which I liked and damn cartoon network for canceling.

[Escafarc]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

i wonder if the series galtar and the golden lance is on dvd i know the pilot ep is on saturday morning cartons of the 80s vol 1

 

No official ones but you can watch them online here:

http://www.veoh.com/search/videos/q/galtar+and+the+golden+lance

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

There's a few of these online on YouTube. They do have a sort of Post Apoc feel to them. Although I didn't find an explanation or premise to the series, it seems like a human family was marooned on the planet Quasar. They've befriended some native (?) beasts called Herculoids, and then together they proceed to kick all sorts of booty on space fairing alien and local monstrosity alike.

 

Nutty as all heck, but also fun and stylistic. It's old (1967!) and seems to be based somewhat on Lost in Space, maybe with a bit of Forbidden Planet and Johnny Quest tossed in for spice. Would make some interesting game material.

 

I watched the Herculoids series when it was first broadcast (yes I'm that old), and picked up eight episodes on videocassette years ago. During the original series the past of the Herculoids, human and beast, was never revealed. IIRC the planet they dwelt on was never even named; invaders always referred to it as "Zandor's planet," or occasionally "the jungle planet."

 

I've always wondered at the origin of those creatures, as they don't resemble anything else living on their world. They're unique, diverse, very powerful, and have human-level intelligence. It's as if someone deliberately gathered or created them. And of course, how Zandor's family became involved with them is just as mysterious.

 

The show itself is like nothing else I've ever seen, and I agree it's weird but wonderful fun, with style making up for the sometimes-dreadful animation.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

i remember reading that tarzan was the template for the herculoids

 

It's true that Zandor resembles the "noble savage," with Tara and Dorno standing in for Jane and Korak, and several animals as their friends. But obviously the animals transcend anything even Burroughs ever came up with. Zandor doesn't swing from vines, but he does bizarrely bounce off giant elastic plants when he wants to travel (believe me, you have to see it to believe it). And he's armed with a Captain America-class shield, and a slingshot that's effectively a grenade launcher, which makes him a pretty formidable combatant in his own right.

[kahuna's bro]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

thanks fr the tip escafarc

[amanojaku]

Re: Thundarr the Barbarian on DVD

 

I watched the Herculoids series when it was first broadcast (yes I'm that old), and picked up eight episodes on videocassette years ago. During the original series the past of the Herculoids, human and beast, was never revealed. IIRC the planet they dwelt on was never even named; invaders always referred to it as "Zandor's planet," or occasionally "the jungle planet."

 

I've always wondered at the origin of those creatures, as they don't resemble anything else living on their world. They're unique, diverse, very powerful, and have human-level intelligence. It's as if someone deliberately gathered or created them. And of course, how Zandor's family became involved with them is just as mysterious.

 

The show itself is like nothing else I've ever seen, and I agree it's weird but wonderful fun, with style making up for the sometimes-dreadful animation.

Strange aeons ago, just for the fun of it, I wasted a few minutes on a background for the herculoids. If anyone wants an idea to take and use, here it goes:

 

Zandor was a brilliant scientist who was not evil himself, per se', but indifferent to the use his creations were put to by the evil warlord he worked for. He created weapons and other destructive things for his warlord to use without any real idea as to the suffering they caused.

 

Tara was a member of a race the warlord had conquered and tried to assassinate Zandor, but failed. Zandor's curiosity was piqued by the attempt on his life and asked her why she'd tried to kill him. She told him what his creations had done to her world and people. Looking into it out of idle curiosity, Zandor saw what his work was doing and was for the first time in his life struck with guilt and horror.

 

Well, his latest creations were prototypes for new types of living weapons, the herculoids. He used them in a surprise betrayal of his warlord, destroyed his base, rescued tara from execution and then, knowing that others would always seek his knowledge to make more horrors, considered killing himself and his latest creations, but tara persuaded him to come with her to an uninhabited planet along with his creations, who were alive and intelligent, after all.

 

Sure, a silly plot, but we're talking about the herculoids here. I think it makes sense if you want an origin story on them.