Thundercats and Rankin Bass Animation History

Classic retro cartoons

Chapter 1

The toy commercial revolution

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Chapter 2

Global co-productions and anime roots

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Chapter 3

Saturday mornings and educational shifts

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Chapter 4

The magic of cel animation and voices

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YOUR GOAL

Master of Classic retro cartoons

Ch 1 · The toy commercial revolution

schopenhauer The Toy Commercial Revolution

Rewrite the rules, / Unbox the toys, / We watch the ads!

schopenhauer Thundercats and the Rankin Bass magic

More than meets the eye in Japan

schopenhauer Transformers began as two separate Japanese toy lines before being merged and animated for American television in 1984.

The secrets of Eternia and Castle Grayskull

schopenhauer He-Man was developed by Mattel to sell action figures, using a unique blend of fantasy and sci-fi.

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* *Toybox Trivia Tunes* (Weird)

BETA

schopenhauer Match wacky theme tunes to retro toys to discover the weird history of 80s cartoons.

Fun Fact

He-Man's origin: He-Man was originally designed as a toy line after Mattel turned down the license to make toys for the 1977 movie 'Star Wars'.

Glossary

deregulation (noun)
The removal or reduction of government regulations or restrictions in a particular industry. In 1984, the FCC lifted restrictions on children's programming, allowing cartoons to function as toy advertisements.

Gossip

Which classic 80s action toy line had the coolest cartoon?

Quiz

Which Japanese toy company partnered with Hasbro to create the toys that became 'The Transformers'?

schopenhauer How deregulation changed television forever

Quiz

In what year did the US FCC deregulate children's television, allowing cartoons to be based on toy lines?

schopenhauer More than meets the eye in Japan

Quiz

What was He-Man's real name when he wasn't transformed into the hero of Eternia?

schopenhauer The secrets of Eternia and Castle Grayskull

Quiz

What is the name of the magical sword that He-Man holds to gain his powers?

Quiz

Who wrote the names and backstories for the original 'Transformers' characters, including Optimus Prime?

Quiz

Which studio produced the 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe' cartoon in 1983?

Quiz

Which production company, famous for holiday specials, created 'ThunderCats' in 1985?

Quiz

Which faction of evil robots fought against the heroic Autobots in 'The Transformers'?