I don’t want to give too much away, he appears in the Prince Kro-Tan movie.
I will hopefully get chance to watch the Kro-Tan movie this weekend. I have been very busy completing a couple paintings. I just finished one based on the Rankin Bass movie ‘The Flight Of Dragons’ today.
Haven’t heard of that one. I’m still in a bit of a rut with the song I’m writing at the moment. Although I am also learning to play other songs for my next performance, just last weekend I was busy memorising the words to “Dedicated Follower Of Fashion”. I’d been able to play the song for years, it was just a matter of, as Eric Morecambe would put it, singing all the right words, and in the right order!
I was never much of a musician. I can play a couple simple songs on the keyboard and read music. I used to play a bit of guitar and bass but I wasn’t to good at them.
TFOD is a pretty cool cartoon. It has a good voice cast. You can see some of the designers/artist worked on Thundercats, the facial features on a few characters are very reminiscent of The Berserkers.
Right-o.
Just watched a few more episodes of DotE; in my continuity order now I’m almost 1/3 of the way through, having just watched “Battleground”, “Cold War” and “Lothar’s Homecoming”. None of them are amazing, but they’re mostly passable (although “Cold War” is one of those episodes, like “The Revenge Of Astra” that starts out with a lot of promise then falls flat).
I was tempted to watch one more episode tonight, that would be the vastly superior “The Gods Awake”, but if I had, that would have meant starting the next session with the very iffy “The Would-Be Defender”. I’d rather start sessions with good episodes if I can, otherwise the enthusiasm can desert me!
Yeah I know what you mean. That is a great episode. 
Absolutely. Probably, as I’ve said before, the best episode done by that particular team of animators. Their style is a bit more old-fashioned/basic, and they didn’t get many really good episodes. Coincidence? I suspect not.
I watched the Kro-Tan movie. It was great. I really enjoyed it.
Kro-Tan was a great character I would have liked to have seen more of in the series.
You see now why I said that restored my faith in the show after it had been (just as understandably) shaken by the first tape!
Kro-Tan was a great character, yes. Apart from that 5-parter, he only appeared in two other episodes, “Escape From Mongo”, and “Ming Winter” (the random part 3 in the middle of The Necklace Of Oros). In the comic adventure, he came to earth with Ming at the beginning; and even then had an interest in one day overthrowing him.
Although his name doesn’t appear on the credits, Kro-Tan’s voice was provided by veteran voice actor Hal Rayle. I remember when I got the tape of this one, at first I was thinking, “I know that voice, it’s . . . Visionaries-Arzon-Hal Rayle!” He also provided the voices of Max Jones, Ben Franklin and Rawmeat (and possibly Crook, I can’t quite tell if that’s him or Michael Bell) in Spiral Zone.
All this time I never realised they were the same voice. As I was watching it today I knew I had heard it somewhere else.
At least his character was in it from the very beginning so they must have had plans for him from the start.
Looking back more on DOTE from episodes I have been watching I am seeing how really good an underrated it really was compared to many other 80’s cartoons. Also it helps me realise why I liked it so much when I was younger.
Very probably. Especially given that part 1 was written by story editors Bryce Malek & Dick Robbins, who also gave us “Escape From Mongo” (in which Kro-Tan first appeared) and “Bits ‘N’ Chips” (with Mark Zaslove, who co-wrote The Necklace Of Oros, where he appeared in one part); and parts 2-5 were written by main writer David Wise, who was responsible as I’ve mentioned before for a full 20% of the series.
Like I said, in the comic version, he escaped to Earth with his father, and had designs on his throne even then. Even in the actual episode “Escape From Mongo”, you can see he’s a long way from the loving son.
He should have appeared in more episodes than he did, there was potential for that character - especially if they’d had more episodes on Mongo.
And absolutely, this show is a lot better than history has treated it. I haven’t seen much of a public fanbase for it online, which is a shame, because it’s a damn sight better than a lot of the more successful shows of the period.
Of course, the fact that its name is a little generic probably doesn’t help in internet searches. “Defenders Of The Earth” - nothing to stick in the mind like “Thundercats” or “Bravestarr” or “Ghostbusters” to name but three.
I had a DOTE marathon yesterday and watched 12 episodes.
As I said I watched the Kro-Tan movie which was great.
I watched the Necklace of Oros movie. It was quite good. The animation wasn’t the best, especially on the last part The Gravity of Ming. I had parts 2 and 3 taped off TV when I was young, I don’t recall seeing the other parts before.
The Rights of Zesnan was a good episode as well.
I watched Cold War but I didn’t get the reference to Battleground in it. Maybe it’s nostalgia for the episode but I really like it. Seeing the part with Flash trapped in ice reminded me of something I did when I was younger when playing with my DOTE toys. I put my Flash Gordon figure in a glass of water, filled just up to his neck, and left him in the freezer for a while LOL.
It is a shame there isn’t a bigger fan base for DOTE. Considering the connection it had being broadcast close to Thundercats I thought more of the UK members of this site would be fans and maybe join in on our discussion.
Part 3 has absolutely nothing to do with the main story, and could easily be skipped without the sense of anything being lost. Graviton is only seen briefly in his other dimension saying, “I must have the necklace” - or words to that effect, and indeed the necklace itself is hardly mentioned. The only, extremely tenuous, link to the story is the LJ-Mongor setup that has a reprisal in part 5.
The Rights of Zesnan was a good episode as well.
Done by the lesser animation team, as I recall!
I watched Cold War but I didn’t get the reference to Battleground in it.
Another one from that same animation set!
Right at the end of the episode, when they’re skiing away, Flash says, “last one back to the ship’s a Greborian Cave Slug!” - or whatever the planet’s called! This episode has to come after “Battleground” because they’d never heard of the slugs in that one, and here Flash name-checks them.
Maybe it’s nostalgia for the episode but I really like it. Seeing the part with Flash trapped in ice reminded me of something I did when I was younger when playing with my DOTE toys. I put my Flash Gordon figure in a glass of water, filled just up to his neck, and left him in the freezer for a while LOL.
It starts off with a lot of promise, but loses its way a little towards the end. A couple of things get to me about it - firstly, Kshin’s sneaking away with Rick serves no purpose to the plot. Secondly, when they flee into the tunnels, Rick goes one way, Flash, Phantom and Kshin another - something’s not quite right with that. Maybe it should have been Rick recaptured straight away instead of the other three. Actually I’m sure of it.
It is a shame there isn’t a bigger fan base for DOTE. Considering the connection it had being broadcast close to Thundercats I thought more of the UK members of this site would be fans and maybe join in on our discussion.
I think the fact that it’s been just you and I for about seven pages might have frightened some people off!
But yes, the Thundercats association does give it a little more of a fanbase over here at least, it may have got slightly forgotten in the States, but it was one of the major action cartoons the Beeb showed in that time.
I watched “Like Father, Like Daughter” last night - and yes, I think Castra and Tebroc were supposed to be Aura and Barin. Unfortunately, the actual Prince Barin made an appearance (in the random part 3 of The Necklace Of Oros), looking nothing like Tebroc, so for the purposes of this show, they’re definitely different characters! Good episode though; does give a bit of backstory for Flash (without quite putting him at the very front of the story, a little careless, but no major damage done). Yes, good episode. As was “The Defense Never Rests”, which I watched right afterwards.
Next up for me, The Book Of Enigmas!
I would never have got the slug reference. I believe as they were running through the tunnels a laser blast hit close to Rick who was at the back which made him run the other way.
Maybe it’s because “Battleground” was the first episode I saw as an adult, those slugs stuck in my mind more.
In any event, as you have observed, it’s little throwaway lines like this that are what I have to look out for on the continuity front. Because, unlike Thundercats, there aren’t the same over-arcing continuity threads concerning recurring themes/characters, the job here is harder. That said, because there’s more multi-part episodes, that at least gets the number of individual stories down from 65 to about 50.
I believe as they were running through the tunnels a laser blast hit close to Rick who was at the back which made him run the other way.
Absolutely correct. And for some reason, despite the fact that Ming wanted Rick’s communicator ring specifically, the ice robots take off after the other three.
Actually, that communicator ring is another of those devices that never appeared again, like the Microniser in “Bits ‘N’ Chips” or Lothar’s magnified energy bracelets in “A Demon In His Pocket”.
Rick’s ring was the McGuffin device for that episode. I think they went after the other three because they knew if they had them still as hostages Rick would have to hand over the ring.
Still doesn’t wash. I’m not quite sure if the fault lies with Ming or Garax here, I’ll guess Garax.
Put yourself in his place:
Ming wants Rick’s ring. Rick has gone down one tunnel, while Flash, The Phantom and Kshin have gone down another. Rick is on his own and unarmed. The others may be armed, The Phantom had not been captured at this point, so it’s likely that he’d have a weapon on him.
Of course you should go after Rick first. He’s the easier target and he has the item you’re looking for. It’s a no-brainer.
I agree with you they should have gone after Rick first. But you know 80’s cartoon villains, they don’t do the simple common sense things. In fact they should have tried to get Rick when he was unarmed leaving school etc instead of capturing Flash as bait to lure him to Ice Station Earth.
You’re probably right. On the other hand, he did try that before, in “Escape From Mongo” - it’s possible that the school have got some extra security in or something. And for all we know, maybe Rick doesn’t wear it to school, in case it got lost.
But yes, capturing Flash just to make Rick come to him is a bit of an effort, when he could have just made an attempt on Rick.
Oh yes, and I’ve just remembered something else, unconnected with that episode. Concerning “The Defense Never Rests”, which I saw last night.
Last time I looked, the wikipedia page for DotE identifies Flash as the leader of the group. I suppose if anyone is, then it’s him - his fight against Ming is personal, and he gets the first verse of the theme song - but there’s not much to really state it officially within the episodes themselves. Except in “The Defense Never Rests”, which I watched last night, when Ming’s fake news articles about the “evil” Defenders refer to Flash as the group’s ringleader.
There’s other hints - like in “The Lost Jewels Of Tibet” when The Phantom stands his ground on not letting the jewels leave the valley; or “The Mystery Of The Book” when Flash, Lothar and The Phantom enter Stonehenge; Mandrake tells Flash not to enter the circle, but Flash just disregards this sage advice. Actually, that’s a major problem with that episode. I can understand Flash being a bit brash like that, but Lothar & Phantom as well? All three of them ignored the advice of the one member of the team who can be regarded as an expert in this particular area? Have they taken leave of their senses?
It is probably just because Flash is the most recognised of the group therefore the public think of him as the leader even though they are an equal group.
I would like to think them acting out of character had something to do with being so near to Kronos’ magic and he clouded their judgment.