Thundarr the Barbarian
Sabre and sorcery on a broken Earth with a writers' room of Kirby, Gerber, and Ellison. 21 episodes of broken sun America. Shout Factory Blu-ray is the only real way in.
Cast & Key People
Our Review
Every now and then the writing credits explain the show. Thundarr’s future Earth, one rogue asteroid later, has sabre swords and sorcery because the sun’s new orbit broke science in half, and its scripts came from Jack Kirby, Steve Gerber, Harlan Ellison, and David Gerrold. The result is the most grown up kids cartoon of its decade, a planet romp through mutant kingdoms that ends scenes on ambiguity, not morals.
Thundarr, Ookpik the last of the Inuit barbarians, and Princess Allera the sorceress travel a broken America drawn by Filmation with genuinely striking layouts, and the red sun hanging in the background is the best piece of world building in 1980s animation. Two seasons, 21 episodes, and a fan movement that keeps asking for a restoration nobody has financed.
Shout Factory’s Blu-ray is the only real way to watch it. A 7 that wishes it could honestly be higher for the scripts, docked by the recycled animation.
