And it uses them to protect the precious mineral known as Kerium.
Also protected by these “strange animal powers”? Fridays, of course!
Yesterday on Throwback Thursday, I tried to put a positive spin on the ownership of an ALF talking doll…until I got to the part where Coleco went out of business shortly thereafter. While it had nothing to do with the doll itself, it was all about the company and their financial state following several product failures.
Again, nothing to do with the doll itself.
Anyway, on to Friday, which promises to be more uplifting. I hope.
The 1980s were full of heroes from all walks of life – the military, a prince on (what I’m assuming is) a whole other world who possesses secret powers that activate when he holds aloft his magic sword, his twin sister somewhere far far away who has the same ability, giant robots fighting antagonistic robots, some other group of giant robots doing the same thing somewhere else (less successfully), on and on and on.
My point is, many cartoons, many heroes. And so many toys to go with all of them!
Among this group was Fimation’s own, Marshal BraveStarr, or as the show was simply titled, BraveStarr. The show ran in syndication from September 1987 until February 1988, for one season and 65 episodes. The action takes place on a multicultural desert planet called New Texas, and is set in (prepare thyself!) THE FUTURE!
BraveStarr also had a tie-in toyline and a feature film meant to tie the whole series up after it finished airing.
And this, my friends, is a 1987 commercial for that toyline, which was introduced in 1986 (a whole year before the cartoon!).
Go on, click play!
Are you convinced of the significance of Kerium?
BraveStarr was the final cartoon produced by Filmation and Group W Productions before it ceased operations in 1989 (dammit, it happened again!), but was wrapped up nicely with a feature film…which didn’t fare well at all (again!). The toyline ceased by that time as well, and BraveStarr pretty much just rode off into the sunset of “Cartoons Made By Defunct Production Companies/And Their Failed Toylines.” I’m sure it was popular for the kids that played with it, but this was one toy my brother definitely didn’t have.
I’m also not 100% sure we ever watched the cartoon (or its movie) either.
I do like the concept though. It certainly tried.
Well, that ended on a sad note. Two toys that had the distinct smell of failure all over them, a toy company that went out of business, and a whole animation studio that sunk after a cartoon wrapped up. Which probably had more to do with other shortcomings and not this series.
I tried. Really, I did.
Oh well. Try and have a good Friday, and remember this – not everything is a Hasbro toyline cartoon.
I know that sounds sad and terrible, but it is the truth.