The Formula

The Formula

October 29, 1986 TV Episode ThunderCats

Studio
Rankin-Bass Productions, Pacific Animation Corporation
Distributor
Lorimar-Telepictures

Synopsis

Aluro invents a "booster" potion in hopes that it can make Sky Tomb able to fly to Thundera. It doesn't work, and he throws the potion into the forest. Then he notices everything in the forest has grown huge. He and Luna give the potion to the Mutants, who sprinkle it around Cats Lair. The Mutants also capture Lynx-O and Snarf. But while the Mutants are preparing to transfer Lynx-O and Snarf from their cell, a mouse in the cell who Snarf had befriended gets some of the potion and attacks the Mutants. That lets Lynx-O and Snarf analyze the potion and come up with an antidote. Meanwhile, Lion-O, Pumyra, and the Thunderkittens are fighting off huge bugs in the forest that has grown around Cats Lair. Lynx-O and Snarf arrive, sprinkle the antidote over the forest, and then watch as everything turns back to normal.

Characters

Lion-O, JackalMan, Cheetara, Wilykit, Luna, Queen Luna, Tygra, Wilykat, Ben-Gali, Monkian, Panthro, Red-Eye, Hammer-Hand, Captain Cracker, Grune The Destroyer, Mongor, Mumm-Ra, Tug-mug, Amok, Snarf, Slythe, Lynx-O, Pumyra

Credits

Producing

Producer
Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr (Executive Producers)
Supervising Producers
Peter Bakalian, Lee Dannacher

Writing

Writer
Kimberly Morris
Head Writer
Leonard Starr
Script Supervisor
Peter Lawrence

Animation

Animator
Tsugu Kubo, Minoru Nishida, Katsuhito Akiyama, Akihiko Takahashi, Yukimatsu Ito, Yuji Yatabe, Kazafumi Nomura (Pacific Animation Corporation)

Voices

Voice
Larry Kenney (Lion-O, JackalMan), Lynne Lipton (Cheetara, Wilykit, Luna, Queen Luna), Peter Newman (Tygra, Wilykat, Ben-Gali, Monkian), Earl Hyman (Panthro, Red-Eye, Hammer-Hand, Captain Cracker, Grune The Destroyer, Mongor), Bob McFadden (Snarf, Slythe), Doug Preis (Lynx-O), Gerrianne Raphael (Pumyra), Earl Hammond (Mumm-Ra, Tug-mug, Amok)

Music

Music
Bernard Hoffer

Crew

Based on Characters Created By
Ted Wolf
Art Director
Dennis J. Woodyard
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
In Charge of Production
Masaki Iizuka

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.