The Big Picture: Last Starr

[Dirty Apple]

The funny thing for me is that I had a handful of the toys, but never actually saw the show. The figures themselves were quite nice. They were well articulated and colourful, with a strong design. Which is why my mother probably got them for me. The thing is the actual cartoon didn't play where I grew up. So, until now I had no idea he was supposed to be aboriginal or that he had these spiritual powers. Huh, interesting stuff

 

[matsugawa]

If there's ever a live action version of Bravestarr, I hope Jimmy Smits is picked as the Marshal himself.

Bob, you've perfectly captured and summarized everything Filmation and 80s animation in general was about. As far as the action show/censorship dichotomy goes, I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on how the original He-Man series measures up or compares to the 2003 series.

 

[ZakCanard]

Did I just see a still from Challenge of the GoBots? A Hanna-Barbera cartoon based on a Japanese transforming robot/vehicle toy line that wasn't Transformers? Apparently that was moderately successful enough to have a spin-off cartoon movie and toy line of its own, Battle of the Rock Lords.

Spoiler: Robots that turn into rocks? Quite literally minutes of fun and excitement!

 

[ivc392]

L'Oreal? What the hell would a cosmetics company want with an animation studio?

CORPORATE AQUISITIONS
ARE
WEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDD!!!!

Around the early 90s, neoliberalism slithered its way into governments around the world, and the traditional regulations on corporate mergers and acquisitions were gradually relaxed, so you ended up with liquor companies buying music companies, movie studios merging with internet start-ups, home electronic giants buying movie studios, ten guys controlling all the news in the English-speaking world, etc.

Did you know L'Oreal is owned by Nestle? Those magnificent bastards! After their chocolate gives you acne, you'll have to buy their coverup!

Why does Nestle own Ralph Lauren??? never mind, can I get a Nesquik flavored polo shirt?

 

[Bribase]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane MovieBob!

 

[esperandote]

You forgot the mentions the shotguns name. I more familiar with bravestar than with the trenches, you kids and your new entretainment media.

 

[nothingspringstomind]

That was awesome, Bob. Thank you for proving to my friends that i didn't just dream this show.

Now do an episode on my all time favourite Space Cowboy-esque animated show;


GALAXY RANGERS

NO GUTS NO GLORY!

 

[Gatx]

I remember Brave Starr. I've only seen the movie and I actually liked it at the time.
But none of those cartoons can hold a candle to Saber Rider and The Star Sheriffs!

Anime licensing sure used to be weird...

 

[neoontime]

Wait a cyborg horse with a strange looking lazer shotgun.
Man, I have an exam tomorrow but now I have to watch this series.

 

[Nuttydwarf]

I kept a straight face on through out the vid, only because I kept having flashbacks of those childhood shows . man, talk about trip down memory line for me.

 

[LadyRhian]

The Centurions was awesome!

amen to that. there is so a movie in that cartoon somewhere that needs to be made. but for now I will settle on a Big Picture about them!

Man and Machine, Power Extreme!


My favorite was another Old West-outer space themed show, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers. It came out after "Empire Strikes Back", because one of the characters was a straight-up physical copy of Lando Calrissian. And they riffed more on old "Wild West" movies, but the backstory involved an evil empire, an empress who kept people in check with psychic robots, and who wanted humans and human minds/brains to make better versions of those robots so as to conquer more space.

The Good Guys had psychic powers of their own. The leader of the team, Zach, was voiced by none other than the actor who played Lenny Briscoe himself, Jerry Orbach. His power was a cybertronic arm that shot energy like a laser. Niko or Nikko, the female, was a gymnast/martial artist who had precognition. Doc, the Lando clone, was a programmer with intelligent, talking computer programs and could hack anything. His power was linked with his programs. The last character, Shane Gooseman, was the product of a super-soldier project that sent everyone in it but him into madness and villainy. His power was to be a super shape-shifter. These powers were powered by their badges, and were pretty much one-shot until the badges could be recharged. (When not using their badges, many of their powers were lessened, and Zach couldn't shoot his arm without the badge.

Minor characters included the funny alien Kirwin people, their companions the Andorians (who were staid and wise, until they were imprisoned, whereupon they went berserk, Zach's son, and a robot named Buzzwang (yeah, not too brigbt a name, was that?)

 

[TheGauntman]

The Centurions was awesome!

The Centurions was awesome!

amen to that. there is so a movie in that cartoon somewhere that needs to be made. but for now I will settle on a Big Picture about them!

The theme song was the best part of it all. So awesome!

Glad to see some love for The Centurions from Bob, and from my fellow Escapists. You don't know how bad I wanted one of their exosuits when I was a kid...

 

[Mkvenner]

I remember watching this years ago as a kid. Completely forgot about it. Once I recognised the characters it brought a big smile to my face.

 

[Lokithrsourcerer]

brave star was ace when i was a kid, from bob's vid it sounds like it didnt do as well in america. It was massive, at least amongst the kids at my school.

Also, although I cant say for sure if it was the first cartoon show to ever do it but...

In one episode (probably the feature length opener)I saw the first Adult/French/passionate (whatever you want to call it) kiss in a cartoon. Between brave star and the judge woman I think, It was a long ass time ago. There are probably other shows that did this sooner but it was the first I ever saw. Possibly the first time I'd ever seen this on TV at all (I was about 7 so only watched kids shows)

plus 3030 is the boss!!

 

[Calbeck]

The only reason ANYONE watched this show was because Thirty-Thirty was a walking pile of awesome. -

 

[theevilgenius60]

I vaguely recall a cartoon from my child hood in which a city was attacked by a stampede of metal horses (which may or may not have had people riding them), is this that cartoon?

Maybe, but that also sounds like Wild West COWboys of Moo Mesa.

I did watch a lot of the stuff like this cartoon as a child but not everything sunk in so there are a few cartoons which I remember the premise of but not the title or much about it. If it weren't for the internet I would have never remembered the names for Black Starr, Mighty Max or that cartoon where the space men used technology augmented dinosaurs.

The one thing I think I rmemeber about that cartoon (the one with the horses) is that I'm pretty sure the horses had legs.

Oh crap! That took me back. Harness the power! Dino Riders! That was one weird show(but I watched it, boy did I).

 

[Swifteye]

Can anyone explain in one to ten sentences how penny arcade got so big. I know they have a webcomic but I only ever "get" 1 in 10 of them.

I think it's down to luck and precedent. How did the nostalgia critic get to be so popular? How about the angry video game nerd? It's not that they were great. They were just good enough to get noticed and they managed to attract enough attention that they got jettisoned into being really popular, well known entertainers. Seems pretty cut and dry. What would you like to hear?

 

[McMarbles]

Wait, wait, wait.... back up.

Filmation was bought by L'oreal? Isn't that a beauty product line?

EDIT: Apparently I got distracted and the last 20 posts popped up while I was typing that.

Revlon once owned Marvel. It's not THAT weird.

 

[Bluecho]

So with Filmation not existing anymore and no one making anything related to it, who owns the rights to Brave Star? Or after so many years of obscurity, is the property in the public domain?

I want to see a revival of this character. Preferably in comic book form!

 

[bdcjacko]

I vaguely remember this show. I remember the lady was named JB because those were my initials...well still are as well. But that is all I remember, and the animation being meh.