BraveStarr

Background

The idea for BraveStarr began with Tex Hex, his chief adversary. Tex Hex was created by Filmation's staff artists in 1984, during the development of Filmation's Ghostbusters. Lou Scheimer found the character fascinating and pulled Tex Hex from the Ghostbusters cast. He asked Arthur Nadel, Filmation's vice president for creative affairs, and art director John Grusd to develop a science-fiction Western around the character.

Scheimer also believed Native Americans had been either ignored or unfairly stereotyped by American children's television shows, so he wished to create a show with a Native American hero. Scheimer was an admirer of the science fiction novel The Beast Master by Andre Norton, about a Navajo warrior on an alien planet. The Filmation staff thus created the character of Marshal Bravestarr, a futuristic "Western lawman" from a Native American culture, as the show's protagonist. Animation historian Hal Erickson has noted that "Bravestarr" was one of the few American animated series to have a Native American protagonist.

Filmation approached Mattel to create a line of toys based on "Bravestarr", in exchange for creating a TV series to promote the toys. Mattel agreed to this arrangement. As the concepts took shape, staff writer Bob Forward fleshed out the writer's guide and eventually co-wrote the feature film script for BraveStarr: The Legend with writer Steve Hayes. The series cost $20 million.

Plot

It is set in the 23rd century on a multi-cultural desert planet called New Texas.

As on other Filmation series (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Shazam!, The Secrets of Isis, and the animated Ghostbusters), a moral lesson is told at the end of each episode. One notable episode is "The Price", in which a boy buys a drug called "Spin", becomes addicted to it, and dies of an overdose. Another episode, "Sunrise, Sunset", depicts a character's wife giving birth and his elderly father passing away - events that most other 1980s Saturday-morning cartoons did not depict.

Setting

The setting in most episodes is New Texas: a planetary system orbiting three suns, 600 parsecs (2,000 light-years) from Earth. Much of the food and water supply is imported. The majority of land is desert or prairie but there is one wetland area, which is the home of "apecats". Water is also found in cactus-like 'Aqua-Pod' plants.

The chief export is Kerium, a red mineral used as a fuel source, and often therefore the prize of conflicts among characters. Implications exist that New Texas was colonized for Kerium, but will remain inhabited even after the mines are exhausted. The native civilization of New Texas are the Prairie People, who operate most of the Kerium mines.

Points of interest

The following locations are on New Texas:

Fort Kerium – A mechanized town capable of armoring itself; BraveStarr's base of operation.

Starr Peak – A mountain where Shaman lives, concealing the spacecraft in which he arrived on New Texas, atop a Kerium deposit.

Stone Canyon – A large mining canyon. Also the location of some crime.

Peaceful Valley – A large agrarian land.

The Hexagon – Fortress for most of the villains.

The Badlands – The inhospitable land surrounding the Hexagon.

Two episodes are set on Earth, where the city of London resembles a modernized Victorian England, including a time-traveling Sherlock Holmes.

Alien and human species

Apecats – Gigantic non-humanoid felines who live near the only wetlands on New Texas.

Avianoid – The two-headed criminal Two Face comes from an avianoid species, and had half of his body augmented with cybernetic replacements (for reasons unknown), making him a cyborg. Another avianoid is the 'Cygnian Ambassador', who resembles an ostrich.

Broncosaurs – A dinosaur-like civilization of which Stampede is the last living representative.

Dingos (a.k.a. Coyotoids) – Coyote-like humanoids, who often appear as minor antagonists, amenable to a peaceful lifestyle.

Equestroids – Cyborg equines capable of assuming human attributes (bipedal stance and prehensile forelimbs especially) at will. Thirty/Thirty is the only survivor of this colony.

Fuufta – Pacifist sheep-like creatures, often targeted by enemy civilizations.

Humans – A variety of ethnic groups including Native Americans BraveStarr and Shaman, and the British Sherlock Holmes.

Krang – Cat-like humanoids; warlike and therefore opposed to BraveStarr and his ideals.

Porcinoid – Hawgtie comes from a porcine (pig-like) humanoid species.

Prairie People – Anthropoid prairie dog-like creatures and native to New Texas who take pleasure in mining and in the operation of machines.

Reptilianoid – Vipra and Diamondback are both reptilian and humanoid, and display behaviors of both.

Characters

Heroes

Marshal BraveStarr (voiced by Pat Fraley) – The title character and galactic marshal of New Texas; a Native American who can call upon the power of "spirit animals", enabling him briefly to perform superhuman feats. The Eyes of the Hawk enhances his vision and can also grant him an aerial view of the adjacent area. The Ears of the Wolf gives him superhuman hearing. The Strength of the Bear gives him superhuman strength. The Speed of the Puma gives him superhuman speed. The Strength of the Bear grants BraveStarr strength sufficient to destroy stone or support steel bridges, whereas the Speed of the Puma allows him speeds akin to comic-book characters Quicksilver and the Flash. In addition to his animal powers, he has electronic equipment such as a computerized visor and a two-way radio. BraveStarr also carries a "Neutra-laser" pistol, a high-tech tomahawk, a beam lasso and a "Trans-freezer" rifle, and the badge on his shirt can shield him at need. Although called "Protector of Peace" and "Champion of Justice", he usually acts in the former role, preferring to serve as a mediator in any conflict. He often seeks peaceful resolution to every problem, unless confronted by the series' periodic villains.

Thirty/Thirty (voiced by Ed Gilbert) – BraveStarr's Equestroid and chief deputy, capable of assuming a bipedal form at will. BraveStarr affectionately calls him "big partner". His principal weapon is "Sara Jane": a large blunderbuss from which he projects directed energy. He is more belligerent than BraveStarr, and will often prefer fights to resolutions.

Deputy Fuzz (voiced by Charlie Adler) – A member of the Prairie People and BraveStarr's other trusted deputy. BraveStarr affectionately calls him "li'l partner". Fuzz is typically a figure of comic relief, but also plays more-serious roles at need. The first of the Prairie People to befriend humans, and the only Prairie Person to take up a job in law enforcement.

Judge J.B. McBride (voiced by Susan Blu) – Fort Kerium's principal (and perhaps only) judge and lawyer, BraveStarr's ally, consultant, and occasional paramour. In battle, she uses an electronic gavel (called a "hammer of justice" in the series) given to her by the Prairie People.

Shaman (voiced by Ed Gilbert) – An otherwise-unnamed mystic, capable of teleportation, time travel, psychokinesis, and near-omniscient clairvoyance. He is BraveStarr's mentor and foster father. BraveStarr would often telepathically contact Shaman for advice on how to handle certain situations. He is the source/teacher of Bravestarr's four animal-related powers.

Supporting characters

Altran (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – A human boy from a mining village on the other side of the Iron Mountains.

Angus McBride (voiced by Ed Gilbert) – The father of Judge J. B. McBride. He is a former Kerium prospector who now operates Fort Kerium's newspaper.

Billy-Bob (voiced by Ed Gilbert) – A human Kerium prospector.

Borka (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – A settler who briefly became a vigilante to defeat Tex Hex once and for all.

Commander Karen Kane (voiced by Susan Blu) – A former Star Marine who retired after marrying Angus McBride. She is the stepmother of J. B. Like Angus, she has a Scottish accent.

Diamondback (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – A Reptilianoid Kerium prospector, who owns the Kerium deposit underneath Starr Peak along with his human colleague Billy-Bob.

Doc Clayton (voiced by Lou Scheimer) – The town's doctor who is frequently an ally of BraveStarr's.

Handlebar (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – A Rigellian bartender and former space pirate from the Rigel star system, with a bright orange handlebar mustache and a Brooklyn accent. He mostly serves BraveStarr and Thirty/Thirty a drink called "sweetwater". Other times he acts as a reserve law enforcement officer. He has a pet cyborg steer named Rampage.

Iron Arm (voiced by Pat Fraley and Lou Scheimer) – The owner of the town's repair station. He is of an unknown alien species.

Long Arm John (voiced by Ed Gilbert) – A law enforcement officer with a sophisticated prosthetic arm.

Mayor Derringer (voiced by Pat Fraley) – The town leader of Fort Kerium who occasionally aides BraveStarr. Although he rarely uses it, he carries a stun pistol for protection.

Villains

Carrion Bunch – An outlaw gang that reside in the Badlands at the Hexagon.

Tex Hex (voiced by Charlie Adler) – BraveStarr's rival, opponent and counterpart, distinguished by a withered appearance and lavender skin. He is Stampede's junior partner. Tex Hex was originally Tex, a greedy Kerium prospector who briefly co-owned a Kerium mine with Angus. He crashed a Kerium-overloaded ship while heading home from New Texas and was revived and given a host of magical powers by Stampede. Credited, in the feature film, with the discovery of Kerium on New Texas.

Outlaw Skuzz (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – Tex's cigar-smoking henchman. A cousin of Deputy Fuzz; apparently the only Prairie Person to practice crime. The moral lesson at the end of one episode had him saying the one bad thing he disliked doing was smoking and warning viewers not to follow his example.

Cactus Head (voiced by Pat Fraley) – A short robot with a cactus-shaped headpiece equipped with two energy cannons. Often seen as the comic relief and used as a spy.

Sand Storm (voiced by Ed Gilbert) – A red Sandsnake-like creature who can exhale giant clouds of sand. His kind are sometimes called "sand walruses" and are native to New Texas. He can also use his sand to put people to sleep or create sand creatures.

Thunder Stick (voiced by Pat Fraley) – A stuttering robot with a directed-energy cannon built into his arm.

Vipra (voiced by Susan Blu) – A Reptilianoid female villain who has the power to hypnotize people. She is the assistant to Tex Hex, but envious of his high rank among the villains.

Stampede (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) – Chief antagonist and ringleader of the outlaws based at the Hexagon. A monstrous, partly skeletal Broncosaur and apparently the last of his kind. He seldom appears in battle directly, but is usually the source of his subordinates' evil plans. Stampede is the archenemy of BraveStarr's mentor Shaman.

Broadcast

Bravestarr aired in US syndication beginning in September 1987. In the UK and Ireland, the show was broadcast on the satellite network The Children's Channel in 1988. In Germany, Bravestarr was broadcast on the satellite channel Tele 5, as part of the "Bim Bam Bino" children's show.

Reruns of the show aired on Qubo Night Owl from 2010 to 2013, and on the Retro Television Network from 2010 to 2015.

Action figures and other merchandise

In 1986, a year before the TV series premiered, Mattel released an action figure line based on the Filmation cartoon series. These figures were large for the time at nearly eight inches (20 cm) tall and came in a windowed box with artwork similar to that of their Masters of the Universe contemporaries. Each figure had a unique action feature and was packaged with one or more Kerium nuggets.

Marshal BraveStarr and Tex Hex were packaged with a Laser Fire Backpack, which shot infrared beams and had "space-age" sound effects. Such backpacks were individually available—blue for heroes and black for villains. Other figures available were Handlebar, Sand Storm, Thirty/Thirty, Skuzz, Fuzz, Col. Borobot and Thunder Stick. The Neutra-Laser weapon, which worked with the infrared technology, and Fort Kerium playset also made their way to toy shelves. A second series of figures was designed but never produced. This included Dingo Dan, Judge J. B., Long Arm John, Rampage, and the Starr Hawk vehicle.

Lou Scheimer stated that Mattel hindered Bravestarr's success by releasing the toys before the pilot movie or TV series were released, leading viewers to think the show was based on the toy line.

Other forms of BraveStarr merchandise made their way to the market, including a Colorforms adventure set, View-Master reels, Ladybird storybook, pillow case, sticker album, and water gun, among others. A comic book series, BraveStarr in 3-D, began under Blackthorne Publishing in January 1987.

Recently, Ramen Toys, that specialise in producing third party toy products of 80s toy lines and icons, started producing a third party spin-off of Bravestarr, called The Marshal. A 6” figure of the titled character has been released, featuring multiple joints of articulation and swap-out limbs and accessories. The line has now seen the announced release of Thirty-Thirty, named Techno Horse.

Video game

In 1987, a BraveStarr video game was released for Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum. It is a side-scrolling shooter game.

Unrealized projects

During Bravestarr's development, the show's writers planned a cross-over episode between Bravestarr and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This would have had a young Bravestarr encountering He-Man and being inspired by the former hero to become a lawman.

Lou Scheimer also planned to create two animated series as spin-offs of Bravestarr. The first, Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century, would have continued from the events of the two Bravestarr episodes, and feature Holmes having adventures in a futuristic London. The second series, Bravo!, would have been a humorous series, about a group of Prairie People. The Prairie People (led by the titular Bravo) would have travelled in time back to prehistoric New Texas to fight the evil Bitter Root. Due to the closure of Filmation, neither of these projects ever came to fruition.

The pilot episode of Bravo!, "Fun with the Fuzzy Folk", was included as a bonus on the Bravestarr: Volume One DVD.

Home releases

BraveStarr made its way to VHS in compilations such as Filmation All-Star Theatre and Sampler Collection. Individual episodes of the series found their way to shelves as late as 1989.

BCI Eclipse Entertainment, under its Ink & Paint classic animation entertainment label, under license from Entertainment Rights, released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time in 2007/2008. Each episode on BCI Ink & Paint's DVD releases of BraveStarr was uncut, digitally remastered and presented in its original broadcast presentation and story continuity order. The series was released in two single-volume sets, with the first volume featuring several bonus features. As of 2009, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations.

In December 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights from Classic Media to re-release the series on DVD in North America. In May 2011, they released a complete series set, and two single-volume releases .

Reception

Hal Erickson, discussing Bravestarr wrote, "The premise was viable, the graphics watchable, the animation servicable. What held Bravestarr back from being totally enjoyable was its sermonizing". Erickson argued that although the show contained laudable messages, "most of the Bravestarr episodes were nothing but lessons, hammering their points home in the blunt style of a homeroom detention teacher." Erickson did, however, praise Bravestarr for its "respectful and noncondesending treatment" of its Native American characters.

Mark Oakley of Den of Geek praised Bravestarr, writing "this was a well scripted show that remained faithful to its source inspiration...Bravestarr was a truly brilliant cartoon." However, Oakley criticised the character of Deputy Fuzz, saying "of all the annoying, gimmicky creatures to beset children's television, Fuzz is surely of Premier League class."

Spencer Bollettieri of Comic Book Resources also lauded the show, calling Bravestarr "a major milestone for Indigenous representation on Saturday mornings, and offering young viewers deeper stories and a sprawling sci-fi world that often bordered on horror." He compared Bravestarr favourably to Firefly and added "Bravestarr is a different kind of sci-fi western, but one that deserves a place beside the genre's most enduring stories."

In popular culture

The music video for the Canadian electronic group The Halluci Nation's 2010 track, "Brave Step", features footage from Bravestarr.