While we’re on the subject, is anyone else bothered that Snarfer is completely ignored in the present day? He wasn’t mentioned once in the Wildstorm comics, and any time a new toyline (or statues or what have you), he is again not mentioned.
I mean, I get why. In many ways he was superfluous and to the casual observer he was a carbon copy of Snarf. But us die hard fans, for better or worse, know that he had his own distinct personality. And whether we like it or not, I believe he got more attention than Pumyra and possibly even Bengali. Yet, not even the excellent minimates that included a Wolfrat figure could be troubled to acknowledge Snarfer’s existence. He would’ve gone perfect in the set with the new Thundercats and Rataro. I guess that bugs me because the minimates is the only modern line to include all the major characters…except 1, Snarfer.
While I am in the camp that feels Snarfer was an unneeded addition to the cast, he never bothered me much. What bugs me know is that I feel he has fallen into utter obscurity and the chances of us getting a complete team set is not great.
As a kid, I actually liked Snarfer better. He was smaller and had a higher pitched voice, and was always excited … all of which made him a bit more adorable, whereas Snarf was kind of a whiny buzzkill.
As an adult, I feel like Snarf if really empathetic. He’s old and tired and harried, and I think I can relate to those qualities a lot more now. And I do enjoy the episodes where he gets to come through as a true member of the team. I really love his “kick the bucket” moment when he saves the day in “Safari Joe.” Another personal favorite is when he throws the “reverse polarity” switches in Part 3 of the Lunatak five-parter. He keeps getting electrocuted, but he still does it. The guy is a trooper! I also get a little teary-eyed when he almost leaves at the end of the “Feliner” two-parter.
I still like Snarfer too. The only thing I don’t like about him is his name. All the other Snarfs have actual names like Osbert and Egbert and Oswald and whatever else … so why is Snarfer named “Snarfer”? Wouldn’t that be like a person named “Earthlinger”? Or “Humaner”?
Half right. Snarf’s real name is Osbert, which he hates. But when Snarfer introduces himself to Snarf in “Feliner Part I”, he calls himself Snarfer, and Snarf acknowledges that he knows him by that name. So Snarfer IS his actual name.
Snarfer really annoyed me when he became a regular. But the big thing that bugged me is this. All the Snarfs go “snarf, snarf” at the end of their sentences, including Snarfer in “Feliner” - but when he becomes a regular in season 2, he ends his sentences with “snarfer, snarfer” - WTF?!
Snarfer actually seemed tolerable in the “Feliner” two-parter, but when he reappeared as a season-two regular, his personality was completely altered. If I wrote a ThunderCats 1985 fanfic, I would merge both of Snarfer’s personalities into one, but have him say “snarf snarf” instead of “snarfer snarfer.”
It’s really odd, he’s the only snarf who doesn’t say “snarf, snarf” - and yet he did say it in his first appearance!
Snarfer is Scrappy Doo to Snarf’s Scooby. (And both are the nephews of the originals!)
I have always liked Snarfer. I can see how he could be viewed as unneeded or annoying but for whatever reason I always welcomed him.
I do agree that it would be nice for someone to include Snarfer in a toy line. My daughter would be thrilled. Perhaps if the Mattel sub runs long enough we will see one.
Snarf is symbolically the mother of Lion-O. He works as a contrast to the advice of our friends (sometimes bad friends) and all those advice given by third parties.
Lion-O is a child in the body of an adult, he does silly things that put him in danger. Our mothers are annoying, tell us all the time that we will lose an eye shooting the BB gun.
We never hear them.
Jaga instead reflects problems of adulthood, he knows that Lion-O could lose an eye, but he doesn’t object because he knows that experience is needed to grow and only warns him that bad decisions are at your own risk and the only one to be blamed for taking them is you.
Jaga and Snarf are the contrast between adulthood and childhood, our parents want to protect us, but life forces us to take risks.
Snarf is perhaps one of the most important figures of the old series, because it is one of the MC that make Lion-O grow up as a good person.
I always disliked this naming of people, due to their species. Calling Snarf, Snarf when the race are called Snarfs seems silly to me. I also disliked characters ending with ‘man’ like Jakalman, Beastman, Mer-Man etc. Those type of names only work for superheroes.
Great post! I really appreciate the analysis and perspective. I agree that Snarf is an essential character and brings qualities that no other Thundercat brings.
It’s particularly interesting that Snarf, the comic sidekick, is the more experienced and worldly-wise character than the boy-in-a-man’s-body hero Lion-O.
He was smaller and had a higher pitched voice, and was always excited … all of which made him a bit more adorable, whereas Snarf was kind of a whiny buzzkill.