Farewell Lou Scheimer

Checking through the blogosphere today, I saw the news about the death of Filmation founder and frequent voiceover artist Lou Scheimer on the Space1970 blog. Filmation was part of my childhood from Fat Albert to Batman to He-Man and beyond. There was imagination and wonder behind the limited animation and friendly life lessons that went across my tv screen. So farewell, Lou. Thanks for making my childhood a bit more fun.

Here's a great tribute I saw posted on YouTube:




Filmation has been part of the Amazing RPG Fun Pad over the years.

In 2011 I had several weeks of Filmation Friday. You can see them all here. I may have to restart this...

To end these thoughts, as I said in my very first post:

From Fulci...



to Filmation,

I hope you enjoy my irregularly updated blog!

The Last Filmation Friday: The Kid Super Power Hour With Shazam!

Everybody has their guilty or corny loves as a kid. One of mine was The Kids Super Power Hour With Shazam from 1981. It was a live action/cartoon show with the voice actors of the heroes also doing some live action songs and jokes. This was filmed before a live studio audience. There was the Hero High cartoon and the Shazam (DC's Captain Marvel) cartoon.







One of these days I'm doing RPG stats for the Hero High kids. One day...

This is going to be the last Filmation Friday. I will be having some Filmation ideas integrated into the general blog itself, but as a separate entity it's closing up shop. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed it and gave it a look. I'm planning on an action adventure animation day sometime next year, but that is in the future. Hope you enjoyed.

Just A Note: Last Filmation Friday, Return of B-Movie Monday

Just doing a little housecleaning. This Friday's entry of Filmation Friday will be the last for a while. I liked digging up Filmation stuff to share with you folk but my heart hasn't been in it for a while. When looking for pictures and stuff feels like a chore, it's time to shelve the idea for a while. I may do a Saturday Morning Cartoon day next spring, but I'm still thinking about it. Special thanks to Cyborg Trucker who helped me with some of the pics I've used.

But all is not lost! Labor Day 2011 will mark the return of B-Movie Monday! I've seen some cool new movies, posters, and trailer and want to share them with you. I'm planning on having more RPG stats this time around, but only time will tell.

I may be changing the name of the blog next year. I'm still thinking about that idea too.

Filmation Friday: Superstretch and Microwoman

Superstretch and Microwoman was part of the Tarzan and the Super 7 animation block that Filmation had on CBS circa 1979. This show was among the first cartoons I can remember where the main leads were African-American (this was back in the late 70's). These are humorous superhero adventures, with the main characters engaging in banter as they put the criminals away. I remember liking the show when I watched it as a kid. Here's an episode:







Enjoy!

Filmation Friday: Back From Vacation!

Hello folks, I'm back from Winneconne and eating way to much at the Wisconsin State Fair. For Filmation Friday today I have two entries:

First, Glimmer is in trouble piloting a butterfly-like flyer from a She-Ra Princess of Power episode. Note the very Elvish Spelljammer design look to this vehicle.

Here is an episode of the Filmation  Journey to the Center of the Earth (1967)





See ya!

Filmation Friday: Lessons From He-Man

With some family stuff and planning two vacations going on amongst the regular work schedule the posting has been slower of late. But I have something for you...



Because back in the 80s you sometimes had to have a socially positive message in your cartoons.

Like that helped.

Filmation Friday

The Overlord combines the Starsword and the Powersword to form the Power Star.  From "Spacewrecked", the sixth episode of Blackstar (1981), an underrated sword and planet gem.

Here's the intro (a cleaner copy than I've had on the Fun Pad before):



Blackstar on Wikipedia has a great overview of the show.

Filmation Friday: Good, Evil, And Gilligan (From Gilligan's Planet [1982])

In memorial to the passing of Sherwood Schwartz, the creator of Gilligans Island, I present this:

Good and Evil argue over Gilligan in this scene from Gilligan's Planet (1982). I never really watched this show before but the Filmation intro pretty much explains the premise:



This intro also proves the wisdom of Weird Al Yankovic, revealed in the song "Isle Thing":

He'd mess up every rescue
Man, that first mate was illin'
If I was one of those Castaways
I think I'd probably kill 'im

Filmation Friday

With some Sword and Planet talk going on though the RPG blogs, I give you Bravestarr and the Empress Nadia from the Bravestarr episode "Bravestarr and the Empress". I love the character design for Nadia with her very Kirbyesque headdress and stylish bikini armor.

Filmation Friday: Dragon Strike

It's been a long day. so I have something simple today. 

A concerted blast of dragonfire from "The Dragon Invasion", a first season He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode. And yes, this is the only cartoon appearance of Jitsu in the Filmation series. Which is a shame, because I think with some decent writing Jitsu could have been an interesting character.

Filmation Friday: The Mighty Isis!

From the 70s I give you Filmation live-action through the wonders of YouTube! Here are two episodes of The Secret of Isis. Dig the 70s computer in the beginning of the first episode!

Filmation Friday: Hypno Rick Springfield!

With all of the recent back and forth in the OSR and beyond, you internet pal Mike has decided that we need a little break from all of the chaos. I give you Hypno Rick Springfield...

--IN STEREO!

A hypnotic scene from Mission: Magic, a lesser known Filmation effort from 1973. It featured Rick Springfield aiding teacher Miss Tickle and her students. Both Rick Springfield and Miss Tickle were magicians, and they went on 16 weird adventures in time and space. It's kind of weird in a trippy 70s way. Check the wikipedia entry here for more info.

Filmation Friday: He-Man Meets Hannibal and...Blackbeard?

Here's Blackbeard the Pirate

and Hannibal of Carthage

from "Castle of Heroes", an episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This episode is a truly bizarre one. An old friend of Skeletor wants to add He-Man to his army of powerful and/or evil warriors from throughout the universe. I get Hannibal from the elephant, but Blackbeard in the lavender armor and polarized lenses is kinda weird. In fact, the entire episode watches like an adventure for Tom Moldvay's Lords of Creation that got animated.

Oh what the hey, check out the episode:

Filmation Friday: Take Him To Ming!

IMHO one of the coolest robot designs Filmation ever did: Ming's robot warriors the Metal Men from the The New Adventures of Flash Gordon.

Bonus! Ming's Metal Men from a Flash Gordon coloring book.

Filmation Friday: He-Man Pushes Eternia's Moon Standing On A Wind Raider

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Filmation Friday: Skeletor Stole Your Blogposts!

I know what's happening to all of the blog posts:

Fricking Skeletor!

From the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "Diamond Ray of Disappearance".

Filmation Friday: Collossor

The closest Filmation came to Jack Kirby. Collosor from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "Colossor Awakes"

Filmation Friday: Giant Floating Heads!

Sentinel One, the supercomputer who works with the Space Sentinels from the Space Sentinels show.

I first saw this show when I was 5-6 years old. Sentinel One freaked me the hell out the first couple of times I saw it. It was a floating head that would just pop up! I got nightmares from that bit of cartoon. Well, that and a commercial that had the Universal Monsters with Joe Cocker's version of "You Are So Beautiful". When Karloff as Frankenstein showed up, I screamed my head off.

I was a weird kid.

Filmation Friday: Plundorr!

Since it's Easter, we need a rabbit! Here's Plundorr, the evil rabbit man from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe episode "Quest for He-Man"

Filmation Friday: Tarzan and the Earth's Core

Have some family stuff to deal with, so he're some Tarzan Lord of the Jungle to watch this week.