LJN did make some strange choices regarding what characters got to be an action figure. The strangest choice would have to be Stinger since he never appeared in the cartoon, only in one comic. I don’t know if that comic was made after the figure was released, but that would make it even more strange. Very nice figure though! The Driller appeared a couple of times I think, so…? But again, a very nice figure!
Then we have Mongor who appeared in one episode, but also a great figure!
Tuska Warrior is another strange choice. It would make more sense if the Tuska leader (I forget his name) got to be a figure, but still not. A much cooler figure could have been made instead this one.
Also Capt. Shiner, Capt. Cracker and Safari Joe, where I never cared much for the Cracker character but I always liked Shiner and thought Joe was OK but still, not many appearances in the cartoon.
On to some accessories and unproduced stuff: Luna Lasher, Stilt Runner and Thunderwings. This is just like MOTU and many other figure lines that released alot of other stuff that never appeared in the cartoon so nothing strange about it really, the same with the Laser Sabers.
I can’t remember if the Luna-Tacker ever was in the cartoon but Lizzor sure wasn’t nor Quick Jaws or Cannon Blaster of the Berserkers.
There’s another thread in the forum about figures that could have been which ties into this thread because for example; Mandora appeared more times than Tuska Warrior so why didn’t she get to be an figure? and so on…
Link: http://www.catslair.net/forums/showthread.php?t=206
I do have to agree that some figures clearly should not have been made due to the fact that they just didnt appear in many episodes. Mandora shouldve been made into a character, same with Willa and the list goes on. If WB wants to make things right I would think of perhaps adding some tof those characters that never appeared on the original series, for example Cannon Blaster,Quick Jaws, Stinger and so on. It would be great to have more Berzerkers IMO. Cannon Blaster I think would be anvery interesting character to follow. Cannon Blaster was actually a small Berzerker living in a oversized robot .Out of all the unproduced figures I would have to give it to Cannon Blaster and perhaps Mad Bubbler afterwards…not because of the speculation surrounding it but for the speculated battle-action which I believe was pressing down on the head and bubbles coming out.Transports?..I have to give it to the Feliner…That wouldve been one awesome toy to have. Perhaps if there ever is a new toy line they will look back at the unproduced material and release it
Chris here…
I’m going to stick my neck out and speculate that the reason characters like Mandora and the Warrior Maidens didn’t get action figures is because of the preconception that, in “boys’ toys” lines, female characters don’t sell as well as male characters. Note that in the original Masters of the Universe (MOTU) toyline, there were only three female characters released (at least that I can recall) out of a huge proportion of male characters. shrugs It’s strange but true, there just seems to be this preconception amongst toy companies! 
Also, I would say that whilst LJN did indeed create toys of some quite obscure characters, for the most part I think their choices were correct ones. I would imagine the reason they released a Tuska Warrior was because the Tuska leader (known as Turmagar) in their eyes would have made quite a boring figure given that he was quite a passive character, only ever really involving himself in battle atop his flying Gomplin {sp?}. True, they could have released a “Turmagar the Tuska and Gomplin” figure-and-vehicle pack, but LJN probably figured that this would create too expensive a toy to sell in any great quantities when considering that we’re talking about obscure characters…
Mongor, Captain Shiner, Grune, Captain Cracker, Safari Joe, Ratar-O, etc., in all of those cases I can see why LJN produced figures of those characters. Whilst they did only appear in a couple of episodes at most, they still featured prominantly in the episodes in which they did appear, and the cartoon provided enough material for kids to make up more adventures involving them. Of the “second-tier” characters who featured more regularly (based on my own recollections), characters like Snowman and Hachiman received figures, and the ones who didn’t were generally (let’s be honest) less interesting characters like the Wollos and Bolkins, or (as mentioned above) were female characters like the Warrior Maidens and Mandora.
Take care…
I could be wrong on this, but wasn’t Cheetara impossible to find in toy stores? My mother tells stories to the day about how I used to drag her half way around NJ to find Cheetara. I think Willa wasn’t produced because she wasn’t that interesting. The warrior maidens were a cool concept, but didn’t live up to my expectations. I think Mandora would’ve been a GREAT figure, and I think it would have done very well. Also, I could see LJN objecting to producing scantily clad warrior maidens out of fear that parents would complain about their look and force a recall…it wouldn’t be the first time parents went nuts about what a toy was wearing. I’m disappointed that they didn’t make a full sized Snowmeow. That would’ve been awesome. As would a Castle Plundar playset. And I know everybody else hates them (and I’ll probably get some flak for this) but I would’ve loved to see a Lunatak line. I’m a Chilla fan. I would’ve also enjoyed a Red Eye and Alluro. Tugmug is annoying, and Luna and Amok were ok. But the line would’ve been cool to see, especially since they appear in SO many episodes.
You’re right about the Lunatacs even though I never really liked them except for Red Eye for some reason. I think alot of the “other” third earth characters were kind of boring like the bulkans and what have you, butif were talking about boring characters I have to say the Tuska Warrior is the most starnge choise for an action figure. Most of the other choices were really cool looking figures like Stinger, Driller, Shiner, Mongor and so on, and even though Turmagar (thanks He-Fan) would have been a rather dull choice it still would have made more sense than the Tuska Warrior. I hold no anger to any of the figures that were made but I thought it would be fun to hear other peoples view on the strange-ness on some of the LJN choices. I would love to have seen The Demolisher and and the Inflamor as action figures. Castle Plun’Darr would also have made such a sweet playset (one can dream) and even though I never liked the character of Mandora, it’s still strange that she wasn’t made to be a figure despite the “boys toys” thing.
Chris here…
Well, I always found Cheetara quite easy to find (she was one of the first five or six TCats figures I got, and to this day I remember how much I loved that figure when I got her), but it’s worth saying that I live in the UK, so it may not have been the same everywhere.
You may be onto something, although actually I wouldn’t have said that the Warrior Maidens were wearing significantly less than Cheetara or Pumyra, or indeed a character like Evil-Lyn from the MOTU toyline. I suspect the reality is either my theory about female figures, or, as you state, LJN may have thought that a Warrior Maiden figure wouldn’t be very interesting. Apart from Safari Joe and Hachiman, I can’t think of any of the “human-looking” TCat characters that made it into action figure form - by “human looking” I obviously don’t mean humanoid characters like the ThunderCats themselves, but characters that quite clearly look human, like Safari Joe, the Warrior Maidens, Dr. Dometone, etc. Possibly LJN felt that visually these were less interesting characters…?
I’ve always believed that why the Lunataks never made it to toyshelves is because the ThunderCats toyline was cancelled before they could be made - an unreleased Red Eye prototype was produced, and so it’s a fair bet that the rest of the Lunatak cast would’ve followed had the toyline continued.
Take care…
The biggest problem was that Thundercats was a weekday show. If it would have been a Saturday show it would have spread out the cartoon over a longer period of time. The toys were produced as fast as they could but after a few years it ran it’s course on TV. If they would have had it on for a season or two on Saturdays then move to syndication that would have most likely netted the stuff that made it to prototype stage and a few more figures.
[QUOTE=dan07]
I could be wrong on this, but wasn’t Cheetara impossible to find in toy stores? My mother tells stories to the day about how I used to drag her half way around NJ to find Cheetara.
[/QUOTE]
Strangely enough, Cheetara (for me) was the easiest character to find. I believe during my childhood, I had a total of 4 Cheetara figures! :eyepopping:
1/My brother had one which he passed on to me and my cousin broke her head off.
2/I had one of my own bought with my pocket money (but she got lost)
3/Bought another but was losing interest so I sold her with a few other figs.
4/Then the loose one I still have now I got in December 1992 as Woolworths had loads of them back then!
From the whole Thundercats toyline I’m 100% certain I never saw Bengali, Lynx-o or Pumyra in stores ever! So I consider them the hardest to get back then.
I have to say you’re lucky Neil…I wish I had it that way - would’ve saved a lot of headaches. But as Chris mentioned, it may have been since you lived in the UK and I live in the US? I would have never seen Lynxo, Bengali, or Pumyra on the shelf since I, like most people, stopped playing with the Thundercats during Series 2. Too bad…now I really want those figs MOC (minus the Lynxo MOC which I actually do have).
There were alot of strange choices and it just goes to show ya, I remember seeing Tuska Warrior at the closest Toys’R’Us as late as 1989/1990.
[QUOTE=dan07]
I have to say you’re lucky Neil…I wish I had it that way - would’ve saved a lot of headaches. But as Chris mentioned, it may have been since you lived in the UK and I live in the US? I would have never seen Lynxo, Bengali, or Pumyra on the shelf since I, like most people, stopped playing with the Thundercats during Series 2. Too bad…now I really want those figs MOC (minus the Lynxo MOC which I actually do have).
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Yeah, that’s probably it. Perhaps it is true in the UK parents don’t like buying their kids female characters and that’s why Cheetara seemed to be a peg warmer over here? :?
I know for the 200x MOTU toys neither Evil Lyn or Teela were released over here officially because Mattel believed they wouldn’t sell. But then they thought the awful Smash Blade He-man and weird looking Skeletor repaint would! :roll:
Apparently we eventually did get Lynx-o and Bengali over here in a abundance in 1998. Look out for the Thundercats at UK retail article that will appear on the site within the next month for the details on this.