The Shadowmaster
- Studio
- Rankin-Bass Productions, Pacific Animation Corporation
- Distributor
- Lorimar-Telepictures
Synopsis
From the Shadow Realm, the Shadowmaster contacts the Ancient Spirits of Evil (ASOE), telling them of how he captured Lion-O's father, Claudus, just before Thundera blew up. Then the Shadowmaster, through a bad dream, shows Lion-O his captured father and challenges Lion-O to a fight. Lion-O goes to the Shadow Realm through the Book and Sword of Omens, and is able to fight the Shadowmaster as long as the Sword stays bonded to the book. However, the Shadowmaster sends a huge bat to steal the Sword. It succeeds, and then Lion-O becomes very weak in the Shadow Realm. Mumm-Ra meanwhile, feeling like the ASOE will turn against him in favor of the Shadowmaster, sends Ma-Mutt to secretly steal the sword from the bat and put it back near the book. This renews Lion-O's strength, which calls for the Sword, rescues Claudus, and exiles the Shadowmaster. Claudus leaves Lion-O, but at the end you see him and Jaga standing next to each other in that blue, ghostly form. Now Lion-O has 2 mentors to give him advice!
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
- Dennis J. Woodyard
- 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.
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.