BraveStarr

BraveStarr

BraveStarr title card
Genre Space Western
Action/Adventure/Science fiction
Voices of Pat Fraley
Charlie Adler
Erika Scheimer
Lou Scheimer
Alan Oppenheimer
Susan Blu
Ed Gilbert
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 65
Production
Executive producer(s) Lou Scheimer
Running time 25 minutes
Production company(s) Filmation
Distributor Group W Productions
DreamWorks Classics
Release
Original network first-run syndication (1987–1989)
Qubo Channel (2010–2013)
Original release September 14, 1987 – February 24, 1988
BraveStarr and his sidekick/mount Thirty/Thirty

BraveStarr is an American Space Western animated television series.[1] The original episodes aired from September 1987 to February 1988 in syndication. It was created simultaneously with a collection of action figures. BraveStarr was the last animated series produced by Filmation and Group W Productions to be broadcast. Bravo!, a spin-off series (originally called Quest of the Prairie People) was in production along with Bugzburg when the studio closed down. Reruns of the show aired on Qubo Night Owl from 2010 to 2013, and reruns air on the Retro Television Network from 2010 to Present.[2]

Background

The idea for BraveStarr began with Tex Hex, his chief adversary. Tex Hex was created by Filmation's staff artists in 1984, during the development of Filmation's Ghostbusters.[3] Lou Scheimer found the character fascinating and pulled Tex Hex from the Ghostbusters cast. He asked Arthur Nadel, Filmation's Vice President for Creative Affairs, and art director John Grusd to develop a science fiction Western around the character. As the concepts took shape, staff writer Bob Forward fleshed out the writer's guide and eventually co-wrote the feature film script for BraveStarr: The Legend with writer Steve Hayes.

Plot

The episodes combine elements of science fiction and western genres. It is set in the 23rd century on a multi-cultural desert planet called New Texas.

As on other Filmation series (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Shazam, The Secret of Isis, and the animated Ghostbusters), a moral lesson is told at the end of each episode. One notable episode is "The Price", in which a boy buys a drug called "spin" (a hallucinogen similar to LSD), becomes addicted to it, and dies of an overdose.[4]

Setting

The setting in most episodes is New Texas: a planetary system orbiting three suns, 600 parsecs (1957 light-years) from Earth. Much of the food and water supply is imported. The majority of land is desert; but there is one wetland area, which is the home of "apecats". Water is also found in cactus-like 'Aqua-Pod' plants. The chief export is Kerium: a red mineral used as a fuel source, and often therefore the prize of conflicts among characters. Implications exist that New Texas was colonized for Kerium, but will remain inhabited even after the mines are exhausted.

Two episodes are set on Earth, where the city of London resembles a modernized Victorian England, including a time-travelling Sherlock Holmes.

Alien and human species

Characters

Heroes

It should be noted that the 'Strength of the Bear' grants him strength sufficient to destroy stone or support steel bridges, whereas the Speed of the Puma allows him speeds akin to comic-book characters Quicksilver and the Flash. In addition to his animal powers, he has electronic equipment such as a computerized visor and a two-way radio. BraveStarr also carries a "Neutra-laser" pistol and a "Trans-freezer" rifle, and the badge on his shirt can shield him at need. Although called "Marshal" and "Champion of Justice", he usually serves as a mediator in any conflict, and often seeks peaceful resolution to every problem, unless confronted by the series' periodic villains.

Villains

Episode list

Title Air date PC
1 "The Disappearance of Thirty-Thirty" 14 September 1987 053
2 "Fallen Idol" 15 September 1987 037
3 "The Taking of Thistledown 123" 16 September 1987 007
4 "Skuzz and Fuzz" 17 September 1987 021
5 "A Day in the Life of a New Texas Judge" 18 September 1987 048
6 "Rampage" 21 September 1987 041
7 "To Walk a Mile" 22 September 1987 020
8 "Big Thirty and Little Wimble" 23 September 1987 038
9 "BraveStarr and the Law" 24 September 1987 010
10 "Kerium Fever" 25 September 1987 006
11 "Memories" 28 September 1987 039
12 "Eyewitness" 29 September 1987 014
13 "The Vigilantes" 30 September 1987 023
14 "Wild Child" 1 October 1987 027
15 "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" 2 October 1987 018
16 "Eye of the Beholder" 5 October 1987 011
17 "The Wrong Hands" 6 October 1987 025
18 "An Older Hand" 7 October 1987 030
19 "Showdown at Sawtooth" 8 October 1987 009
20 "Unsung Hero" 12 October 1987 029
21 "Lost Mountain" 13 October 1987 034
22 "Trouble Wears a Badge" 15 October 1987 043
23 "Who Am I?" 16 October 1987 022
24 "BraveStarr and the Treaty" 20 October 1987 033
25 "Thoren the Slavemaster" 21 October 1987 019
26 "The Price" 22 October 1987 049
27 "Revolt of the Prairie People" 23 October 1987 047
28 "Hostage" 26 October 1987 031
29 "Tunnel of Terror" 27 October 1987 042
30 "The Good, the Bad, and the Clumsy" 28 October 1987 026
31 "Balance of Power" 29 October 1987 052
32 "Call to Arms" 30 October 1987 051
33 "BraveStarr and the Three Suns" 2 November 1987 044
34 "The Witnesses" 3 November 1987 024
35 "Handlebar and Rampage" 4 November 1987 035
36 "Runaway Planet" 5 November 1987 032
37 "The Bounty Hunter" 6 November 1987 060
38 "Buddy" 9 November 1987 040
39 "The Day the Town Was Taken" 10 November 1987 059
40 "BraveStarr and the Medallion" 11 November 1987 015
41 "Legend of a Pretty Lady" 12 November 1987 062
42 "Sunrise, Sunset" 13 November 1987 061
43 "Call of the Wild" 16 November 1987 057
44 "Tex But No Hex" 17 November 1987 050
45 "Space Zoo" 18 November 1987 004
46 "Tex's Terrible Night" 14 December 1987 046
47 "Running Wild" 29 January 1988 045
48 "Thirty-Thirty Goes Camping" 1 February 1988 058
49 "The Haunted Shield" 2 February 1988 036
50 "Ship of No Return" 3 February 1988 056
51 "Little Lie That Grew" 4 February 1988 065
52 "Brothers in Crime" 5 February 1988 054
53 "Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century: Episode 1" 8 February 1988 016
54 "Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century: Episode 2" 9 February 1988 017
55 "New Texas Blues" 10 February 1988 001
56 "Jeremiah and the Prairie People" 11 February 1988 028
57 "The Ballad of Sara Jane" 12 February 1988 013
58 "Brother's Keeper" 15 February 1988 005
59 "BraveStarr and the Empress" 16 February 1988 063
60 "Night of the Bronco-Tank" 17 February 1988 002
61 "Nomad Is an Island" 18 February 1988 012
62 "The Blockade" 19 February 1988 064
63 "No Drums, No Trumpets" 22 February 1988 008
64 "Shake Hands with Long Arm John" 23 February 1988 055
65 "Strength of the Bear" 24 February 1988 003

Action figures and other merchandise

In 1986, a year before the TV series premiered, Mattel released an action figure line based on the Filmation cartoon series.[5] These figures were large for the time at nearly 8" tall and came in a windowed box with artwork similar to that of their Masters of the Universe contemporaries. Each figure had a unique action feature and was packaged with one or more Kerium nuggets. Marshal BraveStarr and Tex Hex were also packaged with a Laser Fire Backpack which shot infra-red beams and had "space-age" sound effects. Such backpacks were individually available – blue for heroes and black for villains. Other figures available were Handlebar, Sandstorm, Thirty/Thirty, Skuzz, Fuzz, Col. Borobot and Thunderstick. The Neutra-Laser weapon, which worked with the infra-red technology, and Fort Kerium playset also made their way to toy shelves. A second series of figures was designed but never produced. This included Dingo Dan, Judge J. B., Long Arm John, Rampage, and the Starr Hawk vehicle.

A BraveStarr video game was released for Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. It is a side-scrolling shooter game. Various other forms of BraveStarr merchandise made their way to the market including a Colorforms Adventure Set, Ladybird storybook, pillow case, sticker album, and water gun, among others. A comic book series, BraveStarr in 3-D, also began under Blackthorne Publishing in January 1987.

Home video and DVD releases

BraveStarr made its way to VHS in compilations such as Filmation All-Star Theatre and Sampler Collection. Individual episodes of the series found their way to shelves as late as 1989.

BCI Eclipse (under license from Entertainment Rights) released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time in 2007/2008. The series was released in 2 volume sets, with the first volume featuring several bonus features.[6][7] As of 2009, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations.[8]

On December 10, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment announced that it had acquired the rights from Classic Media to re-release the series on DVD in North America.[9] They subsequently released a complete series set as well as two single volume releases on May 10, 2011.[10]

DVD Name Ep # Release date
BraveStarr – Volume One 20 May 10, 2011
BraveStarr – Volume Two 20 May 10, 2011
BraveStarr – Volume Three 25 TBA
BraveStarr – Complete Series 65 May 10, 2011

See also

References

  1. "The Best of Bravestarr". Pop Matters. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  2. "TV Listings: KAZTDT2 (KAZT-DT2), October 2, 2010". Zap2it. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  3. Wagner, Diane (December 21, 1986). "The $20 0 -Million Man". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  4. "The Best of Bravestarr". The Trades. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
  5. "Mattel Attempts to Streamline as Profit Sinks". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  6. "Bravestarr: Volume 1 DVD @ DVD Empire". Dvdempire.com. 2007-11-13. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  7. "Bravestarr: Volume 2 DVD @ DVD Empire". Dvdempire.com. 2008-01-07. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  8. "Site News – PRESS RELEASE: Navarre Shuts Down BCI, Makers of He-Man, Day Break, Price is Right and other DVDs". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
  9. "EXCLUSIVE: Mill Creek Returns He-Man, Bravestarr to DVD!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
  10. "BraveStarr DVD news: Release Date for BraveStarr – The Complete Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2012-08-01.

External links

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