It is hard to believe that it's been nearly forty years since Thundarr the Barbarian debuted. I was so hungry for science fiction entertainment in those days that I gobbled up all the episodes. And it didn't hurt that artistic heroes like Alex Toth and Jack "King" Kirby and writer Steve Gerber were involved in major ways in the development of the characters and the look of the far future world after a speeding planet passed between the Earth and the Moon, shattering the latter into two pieces. The Earth is filled with "Wizards" and society hangs on by its fingernails. Riding across this rugged wasteland are three mates, the stalwart but sometimes foolishly brave Thundarr, the clever and loyal sorceress Princess Ariel and Ookla the epitomy of Mok-dom. I gobbled them up and felt lucky as hell to get them on DVD a few years ago, so that I can relive those days of a future which will never be.
Here's a gaggle of Thundarr stuff. Nifty and keen are words which leap to mind.
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And after all that effort setting up the dystopian universe in the opening credits, Dick Tufeld announces,"He's Thundarr the Barbarian!" in the same cheerful, booming tone he used to introduce lighter cartoon fare like Heathcliff and Dingbat and Goldie Gold and Action Jack. Still makes me laugh.
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