"Thundarr the Barbarian" (1980) TV series 1980-1984

Creator:

Steve Gerber
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | unknown

Release Date:

4 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A barbarian and his companions wander a devastated future Earth and fight evil where ever they find it.

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Future | Sorceress | Wizard | Barbarian

Cast

Henry Corden	...	Ookla the Mok / ... (7 episodes, 1980-1981)
Robert Ridgely	...	Thundarr / ... (4 episodes, 1980)
Nellie Bellflower	...	Princess Ariel / ... (4 episodes, 1980)
Dick Tufeld	...	Narrator (3 episodes, 1980)
Joan Van Ark	...	Captain Corden / ... (2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Mindok The Mind Menace / ... (2 episodes, 1980)
Nancy McKeon	...	Tai (2 episodes, 1980-1981)
Keye Luke	...	Additional Voices / ... (2 episodes, 1980)

Series Directed by
Rudy Larriva		(21 episodes, 1980-1981)
John Kimball		(8 episodes, 1981)

Series Writing credits
Buzz Dixon		(21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Mark Evanier		(21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Martin Pasko		(21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Ted Pedersen		(21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Steve Gerber		(13 episodes, 1980)
Christopher Vane		(13 episodes, 1980)
Jeffrey Scott		(8 episodes, 1981)
Roy Thomas		(8 episodes, 1981)

Series Produced by
Joe Ruby	....	executive producer (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Ken Spears	....	executive producer (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jerry Eisenberg	....	producer (13 episodes, 1980)

Series Original Music by
Dean Elliott		(21 episodes, 1980-1981)

Series Production Management
Natalie Shirpser	....	production supervisor (13 episodes, 1980)

Series Art Department
Kurt Conner	....	story director (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
John Dorman	....	supervising story director (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Dick Sebast	....	story director (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Hank Tucker	....	story director (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Gordon Kent	....	story director (13 episodes, 1980)
Doug Wildey	....	story director (13 episodes, 1980)
Rick Hoberg	....	story director (8 episodes, 1981)
Larry Houston	....	story director (8 episodes, 1981)
Bob Kline	....	story director (8 episodes, 1981)
Mario Piluso	....	story director (8 episodes, 1981)
Louis Woodbury	....	story director (8 episodes, 1981)
Bill Wray	....	story director (8 episodes, 1981)

Series Sound Department
Karla Caldwell	....	sound effects editor (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Kevin Spears	....	sound effects editor (21 episodes, 1980-1981)

Series Animation Department
John Ahern	....	layout unit supervisor: AM Productions / layout supervisor: Westwind Productions (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Marcia Bales	....	layout artist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Ric Gonzalez	....	models supervisor (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
John Guerin	....	background layout artist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Stuart Heimdal	....	layout artist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
David High	....	background layout supervisor (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Larry Huber	....	layout supervisor (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Alan B. Huck	....	models (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jack Kirby	....	character designer (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Bunny Munns	....	color key artist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Keith Sargent	....	layout artist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Eric Semones	....	background supervisor / background stylist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Douglas Vandegrift	....	layout artist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Bruce Zick	....	background layout artist (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Lyle Beddes	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Sandy Benenati	....	animation stock (13 episodes, 1980)
Kathy Carr	....	background layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Jerry Eisenberg	....	character designer (13 episodes, 1980)
Greg Garcia	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Rick Graham	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Charles Hards	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Margaret Harrison	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Karl Hepworth	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Elaine Hultgren	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Boyd Kirkland	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Hal LeFevre	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Michael Mitchell	....	models (13 episodes, 1980)
Debra Pugh	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Bill Reed	....	location director (13 episodes, 1980)
Dave Sharp	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Guy Smith	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Roy Allen Smith	....	layout artist (13 episodes, 1980)
Edgar Soller	....	models (13 episodes, 1980)
Jim Stocks	....	cel service (13 episodes, 1980)
Alex Toth	....	character designer (13 episodes, 1980)
Garold Barton	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Patricia Blackburn	....	animation checker (8 episodes, 1981)
Dan Bolick	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Patty Burns	....	animation checker (8 episodes, 1981)
Steve Carr	....	animation checker (8 episodes, 1981)
Steve Keele	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
David Kern	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Henry Krieger	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Ian MacKenzie	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Narelle Nixon	....	animation checker (8 episodes, 1981)
Ren Olsen	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Frank Paur	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Scott Strong	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Mark Swan	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Karen Thurman	....	layout artist (8 episodes, 1981)
Brad Frost	....	assistant animator (unknown episodes)
John Shook	....	animator (unknown episodes)

Series Editorial Department
Mary Nelson-Duerrstein	....	negative cutter (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Chip Yaras	....	editorial supervisor / supervising film editor (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Lenore Nelson	....	post-production (13 episodes, 1980)

Series Music Department
Dean Elliott	....	music supervisor (13 episodes, 1980)
Mark Green	....	music editor (13 episodes, 1980)
Denise O'Hara	....	music editor (8 episodes, 1981)

Series Other crew
Jeffrey M. Cooke	....	studio manager (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Alan Dinehart	....	voice director (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
John Dorman	....	titles (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Erika Grossbart	....	assistant to producer / assistant to executive producers (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Loretta High	....	production assistant / production coordinator (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Kayte Kuch	....	production assistant / assistant to executive producers (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Robert Schaefer	....	lettering (21 episodes, 1980-1981)
Jodi Berman	....	assistant to executive producers (13 episodes, 1980)
Janie Fields	....	assistant to executive producers (13 episodes, 1980)
Madlyn Goldberg	....	production assistant (13 episodes, 1980)
Jerry Goldman	....	production controller (13 episodes, 1980)
Henriette Pacile	....	unit auditor (13 episodes, 1980)
Joyce Benson	....	production assistant (8 episodes, 1981)
Steve Gerber	....	story editor (8 episodes, 1981)
Bryna Melnick	....	production assistant (8 episodes, 1981)
Cathy Rose	....	production assistant (8 episodes, 1981)
Debby Ruby-Winsberg	....	production assistant (8 episodes, 1981)
Teri Taylor	....	production assistant (8 episodes, 1981)
Anne Lockhart	....	voice: multiple characters (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Ruby-Spears Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1980-1982)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1983-1984)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (complete series)

Other Companies

• Heider Scoring Service  recording
• T.V. Recorders  dubbing
• Take One  camera
• XAM! Productions  layout (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

30 min (21 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:TV-Y7

Company:

Ruby-Spears Productions

Trivia:

The show was the creation of comic writer Steve Gerber, creator of Marvel Comics' Howard the Duck. The name Ookla actually comes from UCLA, where Gerber's friend Marty Pasko went to college; Pasko invented the name.

Quotes:

[repeated command]
Thundarr:Ariel! Ookla! Ride!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Challenge of the Superfriends (#4.1)" (2006)

"Ariel, Ookla........ Ride!"

The year 1980, from out of the void of Saturday morning tv comes a runaway show, hurtling between the Superfriends and the latest Scooby Doo revamp. It's a show of savagery, super science, and sorcery. But this show burst its bonds to fight for freedom. With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage and his fabulous Sun Sword against the forces of boring cartoons. He is Thundarr the Barbarian!

Thundarr was the greatest adventure cartoon of its day. Combining great characters with an imaginative setting and incorporating designs from such masters as Alex Toth and Jack Kirby, it transcended the usual Saturday morning fare. It boasted writing from comic book greats Steve Gerber and Martin Pasko, and direction from Doug Wildey, creator of Jonny Quest. The only strike against it was the strict guidelines from network censors tended to hamstring the action; but, the creators found interesting ways to deal with the handicap.

Thundarr is the big dumb barbarian who punches first and asks questions later. Ookla is the leonine biped who growls and smashes things. Ariel is the Asian sorceress with a knowledge of the lost past and is the voice of wisdom and reason.

The world is a post-cataclysmic Earth, with long dead cities and devastated lands. It is populated by humans, mutants and evil sorcerers/scientists. There are giant, savage beasts and monstrous war machines. What's not to like?

The late 70's/early 80's cartoon adventure shows were a pretty tame lot. The Superfriends had moments, particularly Challenge of the Superfriends, and Filmation's Tarzan and Batman shows were pretty entertaining; but nothing could hold a candle to Thundarr. It was so imaginative and so much fun you had to watch it. Sure it borrowed/stole from every sci-fi idea under the sun, but so did Star Wars and other works of print and celluloid sci-fi. There are no original stories; just retellings. Yes, the Sun Sword looked like a lightsabre and many of the villains conjured up Darth Vader, but Flash Gordon had flaming swords in the 30's and Vader bore close resemblance to the Lightning, from the serial Fighting Devil Dogs.

One of my great pleasures is watching the episodes on tape, along with Jonny Quest and Batman, the Animated series. All are great adventures, put together by master craftsmen. Too bad all cartoons, and even live shows, don't reach this level of quality. Now where's the DVD collection?