The Thunderscope

The Thunderscope

November 4, 1986 TV Episode ThunderCats

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

Synopsis

Back visiting their old wreckage site, Lion-O and Snarf stumble upon the Thunder-scope, a legendary Thunderian telescope that locates lost Thunderians, and their belongings. Mumm-Ra, interested in the Thunder-scope so he could find the treasure of Thundera, ambushes Lion-O. He actually kills him in this scene. Before Lion-O dies, he manages to take out a lens from the Thunder-scope so Mumm-Ra could not completely use it. Jaga appears to Snarf, and Lion-O's dead body, and revives him. Mumm-Ra comes back for the missing piece, and Lion-O has to stop him.

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
George Hampton, Mike Moore
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.