TV Show Info:
Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Bob McFadden, Earl Hammond, Larry Kenney, Peter Newman, Maggie Wheeler, Doug Preis, Adolph Caesar
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 8, 1986-December 5, 1986
Season Air Dates: September 8, 1986-October 21, 1986
DVD Box Set Release Date: October 14, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $29.99
Episodes: The first 32 episodes of the show

Prepare for a lame, dash back to the 1980s when you watch the episodes in the Silverhawks Season One, Volume One DVD Box Set. I loved Thundercats growing up. This was the Rankin-Bass space equivalent, only it lacked the story, the characters and the dialogue that made me such a huge fan of Thundercats. I don’t even remember watching this show. It only had a short run during the time I was five years old, so I doubt I got into watching this sad attempt at Thundercats emulation.

Sure, the idea for Silverhawks isn’t overly original. This kind of story has been done before. It might even be comparable to cartoons like Legion of Superheroes, where a bunch of good guys form a team join together to fight the evil galactic forces. The only difference is that all of these heroes in Silverhawks are cyborgs. That is, they are half human/half-metal made beings. Essentially, the Silverhawks team are bionic beings.

How can anyone like this show? There are characters who fight with music. That is, they try to destroy each other with musical notes. Just look at Bluegrass, who is supposed to be the pilot of the group. He’s a bad, 1970s-style cowboy with an Elvis scarf and a honky-tonk guitar. He was also never without his cowboy hat. As if the characters aren’t overly lame enough (speaking of, how about the twins, Steel Will and Steal Heart?), the whole point of this show was for the Silverhawks to take down Mon*Star and his team of equally as pathetically named cronies. Get out the wine because this entire series is full of cheese!

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TV Show Info:
Writers: Peter Fernandez, Tadashi Hirose, Tatsuo Yoshida
Creator: Tatsuo Yoshida
Cast: Peter Fernandez, Corinne Orr, Jack Grimes, Jack Curtis
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Lions Gate

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 23, 1967-March 15, 1968
DVD Box Set Release Date: October 7, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $42.49
Episodes: All 50+ episodes from the original, classic Speed Racer series

“Here he comes! Here comes Speed Racer! He’s a demon on wheels…”

I have had that theme song in my head for the past week or so, ever since I started watching Speed Racer: The Complete Classic Series Collection. It is quite the catchy tune, isn’t it? I have learned a considerable amount about the classic cartoon series and its history, all from doing this review. You know what though? I can truly see why Speed Racer has some strangely addictive power that makes you want to keep watching these episodes.

I knew Speed Racer was a cartoon from the 1960s. I knew that I used to watch reruns of the cartoon in the 1980s. I also knew that people really liked calling me “Speed Racer” because I’m in a wheelchair. A bit cliché, I know, but those are the facts! What I did not know was that Speed Racer was originally a Japanese anime and manga called Mach GoGoGo! or Mahaa GoGoGo!. The manga was originally available in the Shōnen Book from Shueisha. The manga was designed by Tatsuo Yoshida, and was modeled after his Pilot Ace series.

In 1967, Mach GoGoGo! premiered on Japanese television as an anime. It wasn’t long before Trans-Lux bought the rights and the show was brought to the United States as Speed Racer. Not much was removed from the Japanese version. It was slightly more violent, but the characters all had a westernized look because that was Yoshida’s vision for the characters. Essentially, they looked similar to other cartoons from the 1960s. The characters were also dubbed, of course, because the original cartoon was in Japanese. Also, the name of the characters were changed. For example, the main character was Go Mifune in the Japanese version and Speed Racer in the American one.

So, through all of the things I’ve learned I’ve concluded that, Speed Racer is addictive. It’s violent, but not in an obvious way. While watching an episode of the show, as villains try to kill Speed, the morbidity of this show totally struck me, and I like it! Does that make me morbid, too? It doesn’t really matter, because all I can do is recommend this cartoon. I feel this is something safe to watch for kids, merely because the violence is subtle enough that they probably won’t pick up on it (or they’ll see it as Looney Tunes-style violence. Speed Racer is also violent enough to keep adults interested in the series. Sure, some of the characters (like Spritle) are annoying), but the annoyance is actually endearing.

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TV Show Info:
Writers: Peyo & Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Don Messick, Paul Winchell, Lucille Bliss, Barry Gordon, Danny Goldman, Frank Welker, William Callaway, Alan Young, Hamilton Camp, Michael Bell, June Foray, Alan Oppenheimer
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Turner Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 21, 1981-December 2, 1989
Season Air Dates: October 10, 1981-December 5, 1981
DVD Box Set Release Date: October 7, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99
Episodes:

I learned something by doing this review of The Smurfs. I might be one of the few not to know this, but did you know that The Smurfs was based on a comic strip created by the Belgian comic artist Peyo? I had no idea that The Smurfs was originally a comic strip, but it was. We have Peyo to thank for the amusing blue forest creatures so many of us who grew up in the 80s know and love.

The Smurfs appeared in their first comic (a guest appearance in the comic “Johan and Peewit”) in 1958. The actual “Smurfs” comic strip was overseen, but not drawn by Peyo. He created the strip in 1960 and it ran with the help of artists at his art studio. I never knew the Smurfs had been around so long! As you might have guessed, the comic strip was quite a success, since it eventually led to the television series we now know and love.

Sadly, the success of his Smurfs was something that led to declining health for Peyo. The success was too much and he died of a heart attack in 1992 at the age of 64. The cartoons continue to roll on today, with Peyo’s name attached. In fact, the Hanna-Barbera cartoon even lists Peyo as the show’s creator and one of its writers. It’s sad that the success wasn’t something Peyo could handle, but I wish he could have known how much the Smurfs truly mean to those of us, like me, who grew up watching this sensational television show.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Charles M. Schulz
Directors: Bill Melendez
Cast: Chad Webber, Robin Kohn, Stephen Shea, Hilary Momberge, Todd Barbee, Linda Ercoli, Bill Melendez
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Original Release: October 29, 1972
DVD Release Date: October 7, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $13.99

Yet another Charlie Brown special is being released. It’s safe to say that 2008 is the year of the Charlie Brown DVD. With recent releases of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and The Charlie Brown Holiday Collection, it only seems fitting that You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown should be Warner Home Video’s latest release. It is an election year, after all. What better way to celebrate that then with Charlie Brown and the gang?

We’re a Charlie Brown family. I don’t think any of us have ever seen You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown though. We own all of the holiday specials, so this is a nice addition to our collection. I think you’ll find that while this isn’t as spectacular as your favorite holiday special (such as Christmas or Thanksgiving), this does have a typical Peanuts formula, making it more than enjoyable for the entire family. This is probably because You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown was made back in 1972. I’ve found I much prefer the older Peanuts animated features to the newly made ones. That’s just my personal preference.

With the election so crucial this year, I believe it is important for children to understand the election process. This month, we’ve been offering plenty of presidential themed units, DVD time for president-friendly titles, such as the John Adams Chronicles, and worksheets to help our son better understand the election process during his daily homeschool (our son is autistic - which is part of why we homeschool him). You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown is just another way to teach him about elections, with the Peanuts gang there to guide our entire family through the class election for president, which Linus has entered.

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Movie Info:
Creator/Writer: Ross Bagdasarian
Cast: Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., Janice Karman, Sherwood Ball, Nancy Cartwright, Tress MacNeille, Frank Welker, Vanessa Bagdasarian, Michael Bagdasarian
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Season Episode Air Dates: Two episodes from 1988 and one from 1989
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $10.99

I’ve probably already mentioned in a previous Chipmunks DVD release that I grew up watching the chipmunks cartoons. I loved their show. It aired from the time I was almost three until I was ten. This is pretty much the perfect age range for kids to enjoy the show. I still love the Chipmunks though, so I look forward to all of the releases that Paramount (and the various other studios with rights to the Chipmunks) put out. That’s part of why I decided to do the review for Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration.

The Chipmunks have a long and prosperous history. I’ve never really touched on it in a review, but I’d enjoy telling all of you who are reading this about it now. The Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore were created by Russ Bagdasarian Sr. in 1958. Originally a music group, the Chipmunks have won a total of six Grammy Awards throughout the years. Bagdasarian was a singer, songwriter, actor and music producer. He went by the stage name of David Seville, which we all know is the name of the chipmunks’ fictionalized guardian. In the early days though, Bagdasarian played that role, later inventing a cartoon version of Dave for Chipmunk-based cartoon specials.

Another interesting tidbit about the Chipmunks I’m sure I shared in previous reviews is that the Chipmunks were named for the executives of the first company that signed the trio, Liberty Records. The three were named after Alvin Bennett, Simon Waronker, and Theodore Keep. While the Chipmunks are all fictional characters and while Bagdasarian spent $190 of his last $200 buying a recorder that allowed him to alter the speed of his recordings, which gave him that patented Chipmunk sound, the trio released several records, starting with the infamous “The Christmas Song”.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ross Bagdasaruab Jr., Janice Karman, Dody Goodman, Frank Welker, Nancy Cartwright, Tress MacNeille
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 17, 1983 – December 21, 1990
DVD Release Date: September 16, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

The 80s brought forth some of the best cartoons that have ever aired. Especially when compared to do, the 80s leave a lot of parents missing the days of entertaining children’s programming. While there are a few shows out there that I enjoy watching with my child and nephew, nothing compares to the days of the 80s for me. That’s why this month and the coming months will be especially enjoyable with all of the numerous Chipmunk releases on DVD.

I recently reviewed Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies and while this was not one of my favorites of the series (the movie episodes came in the final season of the show) this collection and the holiday themed episodes such as Alvin’s Thanksgiving are some of my favorites. These episodes offer the best of The Chipmunks. They show Alvin, Simon, and Theodore in top form.

If your kids are new to the troublesome trio of chipmunks that look like a cross between the animal and little boys this is the perfect set to acquaint them with the fun show. This two disc set gives them plenty of episodes to see the best there is about Alvin and the Chipmunks. Some of my favorite episodes are included in this set.

As an adult they are just as fun to watch as they were when I was a kid. The animation feels homey, being that was what I grew up with, and the comical voices are both familiar and dynamic enough to do their job well. Parents won’t have to worry about violence or inappropriate behavior like in some of the other cartoons that have been available in the past.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Charles M. Schulz
Director: Bill Melendez
Cast: Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Sally Dryer, Kathy Steinberg, Gail DeFaria, Lisa DeFaria, Glenn Mendelson, Ann Altieri, Bill Melendez
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: October 27, 1966
DVD Release Date: September 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $13.99

I grew up in the 80s, so like every kid who grew up from the 60s on, I grew up with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. I remember pouring through the Sunday comics at my grandparents’ house, just to find my favorite comic strips. Among them was Peanuts. Of course, I loved the Peanuts television specials. There was the original special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Then there were specials for every other holiday including Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentines, and who could forget, Halloween?

Of course, my favorite Peanuts special isn’t one of the holiday specials. Don’t get me wrong. I love all of the Peanuts specials. I’m just partial to my favorite Peanuts special, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown. Nothing really compares to Peanuts in Europe. Needless to say, I still love the holiday Peanuts. I really can’t say that any of the Peanuts specials are my least favorite. It’s really hard to choose one over the other! That’ brings me back to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

After the success of the original Peanuts special, the Christmas special, in the mid-1960s, Sparky Schultz and Bill Melendez sat down to come up with the next big blockbuster. It wasn’t just the fact that they wanted people to like Peanuts. They were told if their next Peanuts special wasn’t a hit they might not make any more, ever again. This gave Sparky the idea for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This is one of the saddest Peanuts episodes and also the most hopeful. For a while, I even believed in the Great Pumpkin, just so Linus didn’t have to be alone.

You really feel for Charlie Brown in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I mean, seriously! How much abuse can one child take?! The poor kid not only gets treated like crud by his peers (Lucy ruins his excitement over getting invited to the Halloween party by saying it “has” to be a mistake). He also has to deal with the cruel, evil Lucy Van Pelt. Just once, you hope Charlie will kick that football, but Lucy keeps pulling it out from him.

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Writer: Paul Haggis
Cast: Don Messick, Sparky Marcus, Casey Kasem, Nancy Cartwright, William Callaway, Frank Welker, Joan Gerber, Stan Jones, Heather North, Christian Hoff, Patricia Stevens
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video/Turner Home Entertainment
Release Date: May 20, 2008

I was just a little too young to catch The Richie Rich Scooby-Doo Show from 1980-1982. I’m sure my brother watched the show (he was born in ’78 and I was born in ’80), but I couldn’t tell you a thing about it, other than that it contained segments of both the Richie Rich show and Scooby Doo adventures. Upon receiving this DVD for review, I couldn’t wait to pop it into my player and get caught up, because I’m a pretty big Scooby Doo fan.

It’s hard to be a child of the 80s and not know who Richie Rich is. I saw the occasional Richie Rich cartoon in reruns. I also remember the less than stellar live action take on the cartoon by Macaulay Caulkin. As an adult, I really think I hate Richie Rich. Why does he get to have so much money? I could use a billion dollars myself, so this show just reinforced my dislike of Richie, although, as a character he is mildly entertaining.

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Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Eren Ozker, John Lovelady, Peter Friedman
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
Release Date: May 20, 2008

One of my favorite shows, growing up and now, was The Muppet Show. The Muppet Show ran from the mid-70s until right after I was born. Lucky for me, the show was shown in reruns (syndication) both when I was a child and on Nickelodeon (at least I think it was Nick) when I was a teenager. The nice thing about The Muppet Show was that it was family friendly and funny enough for kids to watch, but it contained so many cultural references (at the time when the show was made) that it appealed to older kids, teenagers, and adults, as well.

The Muppet Show was along the same vein of shows like The Flintstones, which were universally popular thanks to the pop cultural references and the abundance of famous guest stars. Besides, who doesn’t like Jim Henson’s Muppets? The Kermit-Miss Piggy love story is always good for a laugh. Gonzo is abundantly stupid throughout every episode. Rolf is great comic relief and the Swedish chef is dur-dur not really speaking Swedish, but as a kid you really want to believe he is!

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Writer: Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, David Wise, Patti Howeth
Director: Yoshikatsu Kasai
Cast: Cam Clarke, Barry Gordon, Townsend Coleman, James Avery, Renae Jacobs, Pat Fraley, Peter Renaday, Rob Paulsen
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: April 8, 2008

I remember how into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles my nephew was. He loved the show. He had the action figures. He wore the clothing. I’m seven years older than my nephew and I just wasn’t feeling them the way he was. Perhaps I was a little too old to get into the craze, but I remember thinking the show was for babies. Of course, back in the late 80s and early 90s watching a baby show was a serious offense. Now that I’m older, I can appreciate the humor in the turtles. Come to find out, I actually kind of like them.

I love old, retro cartoons so I was glad to review a copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Season 6, which was set to be released by Lionsgate. Truthfully, it kind of scares me to think of cartoons I grew up with or worse cartoons that my nieces and nephew grew up with, being retro. Nevertheless, in the 21st century that’s what they are. I’m really beginning to feel old now! With a new version of turtles out in the Saturday morning lineup (my son swore his turtles were cooler than the turtles of the 80s – until he watched this box set with me, that is) I was looking forward to some old, familiar faces and I found that with the turtles.

Release Information:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Season 6 is a part of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series. The series aired for ten seasons from 1987 until 1996. The sixth season aired from September to December of 1992. The show was one of the more successful CBS Saturday morning cartoons and featured some talented voice actors.

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