Thundarr the Barbarian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thundarr the Barbarian
1980 Thundarr the Barbarian promotional image Foreground from left to right Thundarr, Ariel, and Ookla
Genre	Post-apocalyptic Science fantasy Action-adventure
Created by	Steve Gerber Joe Ruby Ken Spears
Developed by	Steve Gerber
Written by	Buzz Dixon Martin Pasko Mark Evanier Ted Pedersen Steve Gerber Christopher Vane Roy Thomas
Directed by	Charles A. Nichols John Kimball Rudy Larriva
Voices of	Robert Ridgely Nellie Bellflower Henry Corden
Narrated by	Dick Tufeld
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	21
Production
Executive producer(s)	Joe Ruby Ken Spears
Producer(s)	Jerry Eisenberg
Production company(s)	Ruby-Spears Productions
Distributor	Filmways (season 1) Taft Broadcasting (season 2) Warner Bros. Television Distribution (present)
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	October 4, 1980 (1980-10-04) – October 31, 1981 (1981-10-31)

Thundarr the Barbarian is an American Saturday morning animated series. It was created by Steve Gerber and made by Ruby-Spears Productions. The show aired on ABC from October 1980 to October 1981. It was also shown again on NBC in 1983.

Story of Thundarr's World

Thundarr the Barbarian takes place in the year 3994. The world is a wasteland after a big disaster. This disaster happened in 1994 when a runaway planet passed between Earth and the Moon. This event broke the Moon into two pieces and changed Earth's climate and land.

Now, Earth is called "New Earth." It is a wild place with "savagery, super-science, and sorcery." Many kingdoms are ruled by powerful wizards. These lands often have famous places from the United States, like New York City or Mount Rushmore. Some episodes even show places outside the U.S., like Mexico and London.

Meet the Main Characters

The show follows three main heroes. They travel the world on horseback. They fight against evil wizards and other strange creatures.

• Thundarr (voiced by Robert Ridgely) is a strong warrior. He used to be a slave but was set free by Princess Ariel. Thundarr uses a special weapon called the Sunsword. He often shouts "Demon dogs!" or "Lords of Light!" Thundarr and Ookla don't know much about the old world, so they rely on Ariel.
• Ookla the Mok (voiced by Henry Corden) is a creature from the Mok species. He looks like a lion-man with fangs and yellow eyes. Ookla is very strong. He often fights by pulling up trees or breaking parts of buildings to use as clubs. He can also use a special bow with paralyzing arrows. Moks are afraid of water, but Ookla will fight on water if he has to. Ookla rides a creature called an equort.
• Princess Ariel (voiced by Nellie Bellflower) is a powerful sorceress. She learned about Earth's past from her stepfather's library. This makes her the smartest of the group. Ariel can create light, make things explode, and even bring old machines back to life with her magic. If her wrists are tied, she cannot use her powers. She cares a lot for Thundarr.

How Thundarr Was Made

The show was created by Steve Gerber. Jack Kirby, a famous comic book artist, helped design the look of the show. Another artist, Alex Toth, designed the main characters. Kirby designed most of the wizards and other villains. Many writers who also worked on comic books helped write the show's stories.

Adventures of Thundarr: Episode Guide

The series has 21 episodes across two seasons. Each episode takes Thundarr and his friends to a new place. They face different challenges and evil wizards.

Season 1 (1980)

Season 2 (1981)

Show's Impact and Merchandise

Thundarr the Barbarian has inspired other creative works. A music band from New York is named Ookla the Mok, after one of the characters. The show was also mentioned in an episode of the TV series Elementary.

Toys and Books

Action figures of Thundarr, Ookla, and Ariel were made by Toynami in 2003. A board game was released in 1982 by Milton Bradley Company. A coloring book was published in 1982.

See also

In Spanish: Thundarr, el bárbaro para niños