The Shifter
- Studio
- Rankin-Bass Productions, Pacific Animation Corporation
- Distributor
- Telepictures Corporation
Synopsis
Mumm-Ra awakens the Rock Giant, an ancient monster made of stone that looked like a mountain to the ThunderCats. When it wakes up, Mumm-Ra sends it to destroy Cats Lair. The ThunderCats try and defeat it using the ThunderTank, and eventually with the help of the Sword, the giant is beaten.
Characters
Lion-O, JackalMan, Cheetara, Wilykit, Luna, Queen Luna, Tygra, Wilykat, Monkian, Panthro, Red-Eye, Hammer-Hand, Captain Cracker, Grune The Destroyer, Mongor, Mumm-Ra, Tug-mug, Amok, Snarf, Slythe
Credits
Producing
- Producer
- Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr (Executive Producers)
- Supervising Producers
- Peter Bakalian, Lee Dannacher
Writing
- Writer
- Matthew Malach
- Head Writer
- Leonard Starr
- Script Supervisor
- Peter Lawrence
Voices
- Voice
- Larry Kenney (Lion-O, JackalMan), Lynne Lipton (Cheetara, Wilykit, Luna, Queen Luna), Peter Newman (Tygra, Wilykat, Monkian), Earl Hyman (Panthro, Red-Eye, Hammer-Hand, Captain Cracker, Grune The Destroyer, Mongor), Bob McFadden (Snarf, Slythe), Earl Hammond (Mumm-Ra, Tug-mug, Amok)
Music
- Music
- Bernard Hoffer
Animation
- Animator
- Tsugu Kubo, Minoru Nishida, Katsuhito Akiyama, Akihiko Takahashi, Yukimatsu Ito, Yuji Yatabe, Kazafumi Nomura (Pacific Animation Corporation)
Crew
- In Charge of Production
- Masaki Iizuka
- Based on Characters Created By
- Ted Wolf
- Project Development
- Leisure Concepts
- Psychological Consultant
- Robert Kuisis
- Recording Staff
- John Curcio (Dialogue), Michael Farrow (Music), Tom Perkins (Editorial), Larry Franke (Editorial)
- Effects
- Peter Cannarozzi
- Secondary Character Design
- Jim Meskimen
- Production Staff
- Tony Giovanniello, Matthew Malach, Connie Long, Heather Winters
Companies and other credits
- Project Development: Inc
Production notes
ThunderCats was first marketed in 1983, but the series was not released until two years later.
The services of psychologist Robert Kuisis, Ph.D. were retained to ensure that ThunderCats offered children moral guidance. Dr. Kuisis reviewed each episode throughout production; as well, he offered comments on each show in a "Synopses and Morals" booklet given to TV stations.
"The anime style was introduced into the design to allow our Japanese animators to inject some of their creativity," recalled executive producer Arthur Rankin, Jr.
The services of psychologist Robert Kuisis, Ph.D. were retained to ensure that ThunderCats offered children moral guidance. Dr. Kuisis reviewed each episode throughout production; as well, he offered comments on each show in a "Synopses and Morals" booklet given to TV stations.
"The anime style was introduced into the design to allow our Japanese animators to inject some of their creativity," recalled executive producer Arthur Rankin, Jr.