In a faraway time known as the 1980s, cartoons likeHe-Man and the Masters of the Universeruled Saturday mornings. Some cartoons were glorified commercials for a line of action figures or plush dolls, while others were… slightly less obvious about being commercials for toys. Regardless of their intent, many of these animated shows hold a special place in the hearts of the children who watched them.
Cartoons designed for the younger crowd tended to last as long as a child’s attention span, which is to say, not very long. The result wasmany cartoons produced for short seasons, gone before they could build a fanbaseand leave a memory that they existed at all. So put down your Rubik’s Cube and turn off your Walkman as we revisit some of the most forgotten 80s cartoons.
15’Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling' (1985–1986)
Created by Jeffrey Scott
Fans of the WWE will most likely be familiar with theHulk Hoganstarring cartoon, but others might not know aboutHulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling. There was a time when professional wrestling was so popular that it couldn’t be contained in the ring and frog splashed out into the world of animation. In each episode, the vitamin swallowing and prayer saying Hulk Hogan would do battle with dastardly villains like Rowdy Roddy Piper and The Iron Sheik.
The format forHulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestlingwas a mixed bag where some episodes followed one story, while other entries split the episode into two different shorter stories. While the wrestlers themselves did not provide the voices for their animated counterparts,Everybody Love’s Raymond’sBrad Garrettwas the voice of Hulk Hogan, while theFresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Uncle Phil,James Avery, provided the voice for Junkyard Dog. The series only ran two seasons for a total of 23 episodes, butHulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestlingwas a favorite among older wrestling fans.
Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling
14’The Get Along Gang' (1984)
Created by Tony Byrd
There arecartoon adaptations of violent movies, so why not a cartoon from a greeting card? This was the thought whenThe Get Along Gang,an animated series based on characters created for a line of greeting cards, debuted in 1983. Much likeCare Bearsthat wore clothes,The Get Along Gangwas a group of cuddly child-like animals that went on wholesome adventures, instilling the value of working as a team.
The Get Along Gangwere so adorably diverse and commercially vetted that they seemed like mascots for a fast food franchise that never existed. The series lasted one season, consisting of 14 episodes, but merchandising that included toys, stuffed animals, and comic books extended the characters past their limited television run. Fans ofThe Get Along Gangwill remember characters like Montgomery Moose or Portia Porcupine, but a lack of streaming options has limited any hopes of new eyes on the property.
The Get Along Gang
13’Snorks' (1984–1989)
Created by Nic Broca
The Hanna-Barbera producedSnorkstells the story of an underwater town called Snorkland inhabited by sea creatures called Snorks. The Snorks came in a different variety of colors, but they all had a snorkel on top of their head that would help them make music or allow them to go faster in the water. Episodes ofSnorkswould follow the large cast of characters as they went on lighthearted adventures that often saw them at odds with the mischievous Junior, a wealthy and entitled Snork.
Snorkswere the unofficial rival ofThe Smurfs, which had come out three years earlier. WhileThe Smurfswould continue into the next decade and receive big-screen adaptations,Snorksdidn’t fare quite as well.Snorksenjoyed a wave of popularity that carried it for four seasons, but outside some out-of-print DVD volumes, it’s getting harder to spread the word about the underwater adventurers.
12’Pac-Man' (1982–1983)
Developed by Jeffrey Scott
In the ’80s, one of the biggest characters in video games, if not entertainment as a whole, was the chomping yellow ball named Pac-Man. Seeing the success of the arcade giant, Hanna-Barbera createdPac-Man, thevery first cartoon based on a video gamecharacter. The cartoon would add more depth to Pac-Man (Marty Ingels) by giving him legs and arms—the relatable qualities important for the star of a cartoon. Pac-Man would also receive dependents in the form of his wife, Mrs. Pac-Man (Barbara Minkus), and Pac-Baby (Russi Taylor).
Unlike adaptations likeThe Last of UsorFallout, which contain rich stories full of lore to draw from, the team behind thePac-Mancartoon had virtually nothing to work with concerning the plot. Though probably not intentional,the format of the series mimicked aspects of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote chases, where the ghosts would try to capture Pac-Man, and he would race by, foiling their plans. There have since been multiple animatedPac-Manadaptations, proving a recognizable property can be more lucrative than a solid story.
11’Ulysses 31' (1981–1982)
Created by Nina Wolmark and Jean Chalopin
The classic story of the Odyssey receives a futuristic twist in the space-faring adventureUlysses 31.Set in the 31st Century,Ulysses 31follows the story of Ulysses (Matt Birman) the captain of the spaceship The Odyssey, as he attempts a return to Earth after a successful mission. When Ulysses saves his son Telemachus (Adrian Knight) from a killer cyclops, he angers the Gods of Greek Mythology who freeze his crew and make him voyage to Hades.
Ulysses 31features the type of stilted dialogue that was common for the era, often loading characters down with expository information that would be challenging to sound natural. The animation is top-notch, using the space setting as a backdrop for elaborate and sometimes psychedelic imagery.Animation lovers familiar with the Odyssey will get the most out of the references, butUlysses 31could also serve as an introduction to the story as well.
Ulysses 31
10’The Biskitts' (1983)
Developed by Duane Poole and Tom Swale
Hidden away far from human eyes, is the tiny Biskitt Castle, a vault of sorts that kings use to hide their jewels for safekeeping. Guarding the treasure are tiny adorable dogs wearing medieval clothing—The Biskitts.The pooches have watched over royal loot for years, but King Max (Kenneth Mars) is on the hunt to relieve the Biskitts of the treasure he desperately wants. King Max has his work cut out for him, because the leader of the Biskitts, Waggs (Darryl Hickman), won’t give up without a fight.
The stakes may sound high, butThe Biskittsis a light-hearted cartoon aimed at younger crowds.The animation ofThe Biskittsholds up well compared to some of its cheaper-made contemporaries, and the design of the Biskitts with their puppy appearances should have given the similar cartoon,Adventures of the Gummi Bears, stiff competition. Unfortunately,The Biskittswerecanceled after one season, not having a chance to make an impact in a crowded Saturday Morning lineup.
The Biskitts
9’Dino-Riders' (1988)
Created by Gerry and Carla Conway
Warring clans, the noble Valorians and the evil Rulons, are transported to prehistoric Earth where they incorporate the nearby dinosaurs into their battles. Leading the charge for the good guys was Questar (Dan Gilvezan), who, along with his Valorian brethren, could telepathically speak to dinosaurs.Dino-Riderswas designed as a showcase for the Tyco toy line, which consisted of large dinosaurs such as the T. rex, who would be strapped down with a metal saddle mechanism adorned with lasers and rockets.
Dino-Riders
Pursued by intergalactic warlord Krulos and his Rulons, human Valorians fly through a wormhole and end up on the prehistoric Earth. Krulos follows and becomes stuck in prehistory as well. Both sides build dinosaur armies and engage.
8’Saturday Supercade' (1983–1984)
Created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears
Kids of the 80s didn’t have to spend quarters on their favorite arcade heroes whenSaturday Supercadedebuted in 1983. Each episode ofSaturday Supercadeincluded animated segments starring video game legends like Frogger, Donkey Kong, and Mario.Saturday Supercadeuses a version of Mario without his Italian accent, releasing long beforeThe Super Mario Bros. Super Showwould help establish the world of video games' most popular mascot.
As the majority of the characters had little to no backstory established in their respective arcade games, the writers were tasked with creating worlds for each. For instance, Mario chased Donkey Kong with the help of Pauline, and Frogger was a reporter who would still get occasionally flattened. The inventive concept only ran for two seasons, butSaturday Supercadewas ashow that was ahead of the curvein acknowledging the growing popularity and significance of video games.
Saturday Supercade
7’Inhumanoids' (1986)
Created by Flint Dille
From some of the creative minds behindTransformersandG.I. Joecame theInhumanoids, a cartoon boasting large monsters and a densely plotted story. The Inhumanoids are ancient evil monsters set to destroy the earth, active after years of imprisonment due to the sinister plan of Blackthorne Shore (Michael Bell). The only thing stopping the Inhumanoids from achieving total annihilation is a group of human specialists, The Earth Corps. Leading the Earth Corps in their battle against the vicious creatures is Dr. Herman “Herc” Armstrong (Neil Ross).
Inhumanoidsseparated itself from other action-oriented cartoons, focusing on a more mature storyline and monsters aimed at an older audience. Also,unlike other cartoons that featured primarily standalone episodes,Inhumanoidsfollowed an ongoing narrativethat required watching the series chronologically. Fans of the Inhuamanoids were in luck because a toy line from Hasbro was on store shelves, with menacing creatures ready to be the centerpiece of any birthday party or reward for good grades.
InHumanoids
6’Ghostbusters' (1986–1987)
Created by Marc Richards
Not to be confused withThe Real Ghostbusters,based on the 1983 filmGhostbusters, this version of a ghost fighting team comes from an entirely different property. In 1975, long beforeBill Murrayand the gang fought a giant marshmallow, there was a live-action series calledThe Ghost Bustersfeaturing two men and a gorilla fighting paranormal threats.The Ghost Bustersonly ran for 15 episodes in an unmemorable run, but when the Murray film became a smash hit, production company Filmation saw a chance to cash in on the name they owned. For the cartoon adaptation, the characters from the original live-action show would pass their ghost-busting business down to their sons, Jake Kong Jr (Pat Fraley) and Eddie Spenser Jr (Peter Cullen).
The animated series does what the original live-action series couldn’t, staging large battles with colorful creatures, andThe Ghost Buster’scar could fly and talk. WhileThe Ghost Busterswas created to compete withThe Real Ghostbusters, its primary accomplishment was confusing children of the 80s who didn’t understand why the Ghostbusters looked completely different and had a large ape.
