Back in 1980, a spectacular new animated series called Thundarr the Barbarian smashed its way onto the Saturday morning lineup on ABC. This show was a thrilling mashup of Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian, and post-apocalyptic sci-fi, and it quickly became a cult classic.
The incredible premise was laid out in its iconic intro: “A runaway planet that hurtled between Earth and the Moon in 1994 caused cosmic destruction, leading to the collapse of human civilization. Two thousand years later, Earth has been reborn into a post-apocalyptic world of savagery, super-science, and sorcery.”
One of the reasons this series remains so beloved is the sheer creative comic book talent behind it. The show was created by comic writer Steve Gerber, who brought in legendary writers like Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway to pen episodes, along with Martin Pasko, Buzz Dixon, and Mark Jones.
The visuals were just as powerful: master comic artist Alex Toth designed the characters, while the legendary Jack “The King” Kirby designed the bizarre, incredible world and sets.
With the massive resurgence of geek and nerd culture from the 80s, it has never made sense that Thundarr the Barbarian has remained on the sidelines. The setting is cool, weird, and perfectly suited for modern fantasy.
Now, fans can finally rejoice! Dynamite Entertainment is launching a new Thundarr the Barbarian monthly comic series.
Starting in January, the reins will be taken up by an all-star team: comic writer Jason Aaron and artist Kewber Baal, who will bring new adventures for Thundarr, Ookla the Mok, and Princess Ariel.
The first issue is set to have an impressive array of cover variants from artists including Michael Cho, Rob Liefeld, Dan Panosian, Francesco Mattina, Joseph Michael Linsner, and Björn Barends.
Stay Geeky!
(Via CBR)