Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars!

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Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars!
Bucky O'Hare logo.jpg
Genre Action-adventure
Based on
Bucky O'Hare
by
Developed by Christy Marx
Directed byKaren Peterson
StarringJason Michas
Shane Meier
Long John Baldry
Richard Newman
Terry Klassen
Scott McNeil
Dale Wilson
Margot Pinvidic
Sam Khouth
Jay Brazeau
Garry Chalk
Opening theme Doug Katsaros
Country of originUnited States
France
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producersJoe Taritero
Neal Adams
Marylin Adams
Marty Abrams
Anthony Gentile
John Gentile
Joe Bacal
Tom Griffin
CJ Kettler
Producers Boyd Kirkland
Frank Paur
Roger Slifer
Running time30 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network First-run syndication (U.S.)
ReleaseSeptember 8 (1991-09-08) 
December 1, 1991 (1991-12-01)

Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars! (also known as Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Menace in Canada and Bucky O'Hare in the United Kingdom) is an animated series created by Sunbow Productions, Abrams/Gentile Entertainment, Continuity Comics and the French company IDDH, co-produced by Marvel Productions and distributed by Hasbro's subsidiary Claster Television. [1] It is based on the cult comic Bucky O'Hare , [2] and animated by AKOM. [3]

Contents

It first aired in the United States in 1991, and in the United Kingdom on the BBC as part of its Children's BBC programming strand in 1992. [4] The show was made with the intention of promoting the new Bucky O'Hare toy line. When plans for that fell through, the series was abruptly cancelled after only 13 episodes.

Cast

Differences from the comics

Most of the ideas from the comic book were used for the cartoon, with several major differences:

The cartoon explored more of the Aniverse and followed a loose unifying arc, with Bucky's home planet of Warren being captured by the toads in the season premiere and liberated in the finale (which was co-written by Neal Adams).

Characters

Bucky and his crew are members of the S.P.A.C.E. organization, which stands for Sentient Protoplasm Against Colonial Encroachment.

The members of the Toad Empire introduced are as follows:

Characters that only appeared in the animated series

Almost all the characters listed above are both from the comic book and the cartoon. Most of the new ones that were introduced are listed below.

Episode list

TitleWritten byOriginal air datePC
1"War of the Warts (Part 1)" Christy Marx September 8, 1991 (1991-09-08)101
Bucky O'Hare and the Righteous Indignation crew learn that the Toad Empire has taken over his homeworld Warren, and must travel there to investigate. Meanwhile, an Earth boy named Willy DeWitt enters Bucky's universe using an experimental device.
2"A Fistful of Simoleans (Part 2)"Christy MarxSeptember 15, 1991 (1991-09-15)102
Willy join Bucky's crew to Planet Warren where they find information relating to the world's recent climate change. The cause is revealed to be a new weapon called the Climate Converter. Meanwhile, a spy is hired by the Toad Empire to gain access through the Aniverse capital, Planet Genus.
3"The Good, the Bad and the Warty (Part 3)"Christy MarxSeptember 22, 1991 (1991-09-22)103
It's a race against time as the Righteous Indignation crew infiltrate a Toad Mothership to retrieve Planet Genus's access codes. The only things standing in their way are gun-for-hire Al Negator and the deadly Toadborg.
4"Home, Swampy Home"Christy MarxSeptember 29, 1991 (1991-09-29)104
After getting himself captured and then rescued by the Toads, Bucky plans to infiltrate a slave colony that is currently building a new Climate Converter.
5"On the Blink" George Arthur Bloom October 6, 1991 (1991-10-06)105
The Toad Empire has taken control of a koala homeworld and has installed a defense system that prevents any mammalian access. It's up to the android Blinky to sneak onto the planet and shut it down.
6"Kreation Konspiracy" Martin Pasko October 13, 1991 (1991-10-13)106
Rumor has it that a powerful device is located in a barren planet and Bucky's crew must intercept it before the Toads do. Meanwhile, Blinky is kidnapped by three elder toads, who may have a connection with the Empire's leader, KOMPLEX.
7"The Komplex Caper" Doug Moench October 20, 1991 (1991-10-20)107
KOMPLEX uses the power of Toad TV to control the mammalian population. Bucky must travel to the Toad Homeworld to shut down the transmission and, with any luck, KOMPLEX himself...
8"The Search for Bruce"Rick MerwinOctober 27, 1991 (1991-10-27)108
Brusier's brother, the former R.I. engineer Bruce, has returned in a spectral form but definitely alive. Meanwhile, the Toad Empire creates a new invention to teleport squads to anywhere in the Aniverse.
9"Corsair Canards"Christy MarxNovember 3, 1991 (1991-11-03)109
A treaty between the UAC Security Council and Dead-Eye's former pirate mates is about to be finalized, but a small group of pirates' recent plunders is on the verge of endangering the treaty's process.
10"The Artificers of Aldebaran"Christy Marx,
Bridget McKenna
November 10, 1991 (1991-11-10)110
Jenny's pupil, Princess Felicia, is abducted by Toadborg and it's up to her and Willy to save her. The source of power that the cybernetic villain is after may spell doom for Jenny's homeworld, Planet Aldebaran, and possibly the entire Aniverse.
11"The Warriors"George Arthur BloomNovember 17, 1991 (1991-11-17)111
The Toad Air Marshal is kicked out of his army after his most recent failure at the hands of Bucky O'Hare. To regain his status, he joins a samurai lizard, who is plotting to take over a nearby planet: Kanopis III, Dead-Eye's homeworld.
12"Bye Bye Berserker Baboon" Roger Slifer November 24, 1991 (1991-11-24)112
The Toads invade the homeworld of Bruiser and his fellow Beetlegeusian Baboons, using special goggles to prevent their fear of their most terrifying foes. Bucky and crew fight back and soon encounter the empire's secret weapon: the unstoppable Terror Toad.
13"The Taking of Pilot Jenny" Neal Adams,
Peter Stone
December 1, 1991 (1991-12-01)113
Jenny has been captured by the toads. Toadborg is ordering a trade for a recently relinquished Climate Converter, unaware of Bucky's true objective.

Home media releases

Sometime after its initial television airing, Family Home Entertainment in North America released all thirteen episodes of the series on six VHS tapes. In the United Kingdom, BBC Video released twelve out of the thirteen episodes across six VHS tapes. Metrodome Entertainment released all thirteen episodes on a Region 2 DVD set, as well as a single volume DVD, both of which are now out of print.

References

  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 97. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  2. Kogan, Rick (5 January 1992). "Getting into Bucky O'Hare". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  3. "Bucky O'Hare - Closing Theme". YouTube . 12 March 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. AKOM Production Co. at :29, IDDH at :33, Marvel Productions is at :37-:40 Sunbow at :56.
  4. Phil De Semlyen; Ali Plumb; Helen O'hara; James Dyer (9 October 2015). "Classic Kids' TV Shows That Still Rock Our World, Feature | Movies - Empire". Empireonline.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  5. Long John Baldry Appreciation Page (26 October 2023). Long John Baldry in 'Bucky O'Hare' . Retrieved 19 September 2024 via YouTube.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 July 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)