TigerSharks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids TigerSharks
The official logo for TigerSharks.
Created by	Arthur Rankin, Jr. Jules Bass
Voices of	Peter Newman Earl Hammond Larry Kenney Camille Bonora Jim Meskimen
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	26
Production
Executive producer(s)	Arthur Rankin, Jr. Jules Bass
Running time	22 minutes
Production company(s)	Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment Pacific Animation Corporation (Japanese Animation Studio)
Distributor	Lorimar-Telepictures
Release
Original network	first-run syndication
Original release	1987 (1987)

TigerSharks is an American cartoon show made for kids. It was created by Rankin/Bass and first shown in 1987. The show is about a team of heroes who can change into half-human, half-sea animal creatures. It was similar to other popular shows from the same creators, like ThunderCats and SilverHawks.

The TigerSharks series had one season with 26 episodes. It was part of a bigger show called The Comic Strip. This show included four different short cartoons: TigerSharks, Street Frogs, The Mini-Monsters, and Karate Kat.

The animation for TigerSharks was done by Pacific Animation Corporation in Japan. Today, Warner Bros. Animation owns the series. This is because they bought the Rankin/Bass shows made between 1974 and 1989. Even though Warner Bros. owns it, the show has not been released on DVD or for streaming online.

The Story of Water-O

The TigerShark team members are humans who use a special machine called the Fish Tank. This machine helps them change between their human forms and their powerful sea animal forms. Their main base is a cool spaceship called the SARK. This ship can fly in space and also go deep underwater. The SARK holds the Fish Tank and other important research tools.

The story takes place on a made-up planet called Water-O (say it like Wah-tare-oh). This planet is almost completely covered by water! It is home to a race of fish-people called the Waterians. The TigerSharks came to Water-O for a research trip. But they soon became the planet's protectors. They had to defend Water-O from the evil T-Ray, who arrived there before them.

Meet the Characters

The TigerSharks Team

These are the heroes who protect the planet Water-O:

• Mako (voiced by Peter Newman) - Mako is a very skilled scuba diver. He is seen as the leader of the TigerSharks team. Mako is good at solving problems and is also a great fighter. When he transforms, he becomes a mix of human and mako shark. This gives him amazing speed underwater. He can also use the fins on his arms and head to cut through metal.
• Walro (voiced by Earl Hammond) - Walro is the smart scientist and inventor of the team. He created the Fish Tank! He gives advice to the team and everyone respects him a lot. Walro changes into a human-walrus hybrid. He carries a cane that has many different weapons hidden inside it.
• Rodolfo "Dolph" (voiced by Larry Kenney) - Dolph is the second-in-command and also an expert scuba diver. He loves to tell jokes and have fun. But he always knows when it's time to be serious and work. Dolph transforms into a human-dolphin hybrid. This makes him very quick and agile underwater. However, he is the only TigerShark who cannot breathe underwater in his animal form. He speaks with an Irish accent.
• Octavia (voiced by Camille Bonora) - Octavia is the captain of the SARK spaceship. She handles all communications and plans the team's strategies. Octavia changes into a human-octopus hybrid. When she transforms, her hair turns into tentacles!
• Lorca - Lorca is the team's mechanic. He often helps Walro fix or build new machines. He is also the strongest member of the team. Lorca transforms into a human-orca (killer whale) hybrid. He speaks with an Australian accent.
• Bronc - Bronc is a teenager who works on the SARK with his sister, Angel. He loves adventure and can sometimes be a bit reckless. He changes into a human-seahorse hybrid. His name comes from "Bronco", like a wild horse.
• Angel - Angel is another teenager on the SARK crew. She is more serious and responsible than her brother, Bronc. She transforms into a human-angelfish hybrid. This is where her name comes from.
• Gupp - Gupp is the TigerSharks' pet Basset Hound dog. Even though his name sounds like "guppy," his animal form looks more like a seal or sea lion. He has flipper-shaped legs and small, sharp teeth.

The Villains

The show has two main bad guys. Both of them have their own teams of followers. They work together to try and take over Water-O and defeat the TigerSharks. But they secretly plan to betray each other once their goals are met.

• T-Ray - T-Ray is a creature that is part human and part manta ray. He and his team, the Mantanas, came to Water-O because their own planet had no water left. To conquer Water-O, he freed Captain Bizzarly and his crew from an ice prison. T-Ray wants to rule the Waterians and destroy the TigerSharks. He and his helpers need special breathing gear to survive outside of water. He uses a whip as his weapon.
  • Mantanas - These are T-Ray's fish-like helpers.
    • Wall-Eye (voiced by Peter Newman) - Wall-Eye is a human-frog hybrid. He is T-Ray's main assistant. He can hypnotize people by spinning his eyes around.
    • Shad - Shad is a grumpy human-grouper hybrid. He wears a belt that can shoot electric blasts.
    • Dredge - Dredge is a fish-like mutant. He carries a purple pet eel on his back.
    • Carper and Weakfish - These are two mermen with faces like frogs. They are identical twin brothers who complain about everything. Carper has green skin, and Weakfish has purple skin.
• Captain Bizzarly - Captain Bizzarly is a pirate who is afraid of water (he has aquaphobia!). He used to control all the crime in Water-O's oceans. But the Waterians froze him and his crew in ice many years ago. T-Ray freed Bizzarly, hoping they would work together. However, Bizzarly quickly betrayed T-Ray. Now, Bizzarly constantly tries to get rid of the TigerSharks and take back control of Water-O's oceans.
  • Dragonstein - Dragonstein is Captain Bizzarly's pet sea dragon. He can fly, breathe fire, and move well underwater.
  • Long John Silverfish - This character looks like a human with a rat-like mouth. He uses an electric whip.
  • Spike Marlin - Spike Marlin is Bizzarly's first mate. He has a wrinkly face and uses a special polearm weapon.
  • Soulmate - Soulmate is the only female member of Captain Bizzarly's crew. Her clothes look like a samurai warrior's. She uses a sword and other weapons.
  • Lump - Lump is a slimy creature that can change its shape.
  • Grunt - Grunt is a big, overweight human-like character. He makes grunting sounds like an ape. He is the strongest member of Bizzarly's crew.

Episode List

Here is a list of all 26 episodes of TigerSharks:

• 1. Voyage to Water-O
• 2. SARK to the Rescue
• 3. Save the SARK
• 4. The Deep Fryer
• 5. Bowfin
• 6. Pappagallo's Present
• 7. The Lighthouse
• 8. Go with the Flow
• 9. Termagant
• 10. The Terror of Dragonstein
• 11. The Search for Redfin
• 12. The Kraken
• 13. Stowaway
• 14. Iced
• 15. The Volcano
• 16. A Question of Age
• 17. Eye of the Storm
• 18. Departure
• 19. Murky Waters
• 20. Spellbinder
• 21. The Waterscope
• 22. The Point of No Return
• 23. The Scavenger Hunt
• 24. Paradise Island
• 25. The Treasure Map
• 26. Redfin Returns

TigerSharks in Other Shows

The TigerSharks characters made a quick appearance in an episode of the 2011 ThunderCats remake. The episode was called "Legacy." In this episode, they were shown as some of the animals forced to work for the villain Mumm-Ra.

The TigerSharks, along with characters from the other cartoons in The Comic Strip, and characters from ThunderCats and SilverHawks, were all part of a live stage show for kids. This show traveled around the USA in 1987.

See also

In Spanish: Los tigres del mar (serie animada) para niños