'90s And '80s Action Cartoons Starring Animals You Might Have Forgotten
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The '80s and '90s were simply the best for action cartoons--better than all the rest. However, during these two decades, there was a weird, repeating trend throughout so many of these series: They starred anthropomorphic animals, and most of the time, they were kicking butt all over Earth and in space as well.
While the trend invaded comedy series throughout this time period, it also made its way into action cartoons as well, some of which were completely forgotten about years later. While very much not forgotten, the two most notable examples from the '80s and '90s are Thundercats (1985) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987). Both franchises have sustained popularity, warranting reboots to each series, which includes the upcomingThundercats: Roar, coming in 2019.
However, others didn't have the popularity or lasting appeal of those two examples. Some of these shows we remember from our childhood and others we just completely missed. Here are 13 action cartoons that you might have forgotten about.
For more romps in nostalgia, check out these cartoons based on movies, and some of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' raddest toys from its line. Let us know some of your favorite action series starring animals in the comment section below.
Danger Mouse (1981-1991)
The longest-running series on this list is the UK's Danger Mouse, which lasted for 10 seasons. The show followed the titular character, a secret agent who engaged in espionage missions, trying to take down the villainous Baron Greenback. Aside from England, the show demonstrated it had American appeal after it began airing on Nickelodeon in 1984.
Fun fact: Count Duckula, who appeared on numerous episodes of the series, got his own spin-off in 1988.
Dinosaucers (1987)
Many cartoons from the '80s and '90s lasted one or two seasons, but somehow managed to deliver more than 50 episodes. The short-lived Dinosaucers is a great example of that as it produced 65 episodes for the three months it was on the air. Essentially a Transformers clone, Dinosaucers followed the titular team of anthropomorphic alien dinos, and their war against the evil Tyrannos. The two groups come to Earth, and a group of humans dubbed The Secret Scouts help the Dinosaucers in their battle. Also, for my money, Dinosaucers has the best theme music of the '80s.
Tiger Sharks (1987)
The production company behind Thundercats and Silverhawks tried to create another animal-based action series during the late-'80s. This time around, the team TigerSharks were humans that used a special device to become animal/human hybrids to battle the evil T-Ray. Sadly, none of the team turned into actual tiger sharks, and only Mako, the leader, became an actual shark hybrid. The other members became a specific sea animal hybrid for their character. Walrus, dolphin, octopus, orca whale, seahorse, and angelfish were the other animals used for the characters.
Fun fact: The TigerSharks appeared in an episode of the Thundercats reboot in 2011 as slaves to Mumm-Ra.
Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars (1991)
Based on the comic book character, Bucky O'Hare and the rest of his S.P.A.C.E. teammates--most of which are anthropomorphic animals--take on a bunch of evil alien toads who want to take over the universe. It only lasted one season, but its theme song will stick in your head forever. Additionally, the show got a Mega Man-esque NES game, which wasn't really great.
Darkwing Duck (1991-1992)
Running for 91 episodes during its two-year stint, Darkwing Duck was essentially Disney's version of The Shadow combined with other Golden Age superheroes like Doc Savage, The Green Hornet, and Batman. Joined by his trusty sidekick, Launchpad McQuack (who also appeared on DuckTales), the two fight crime and go on crazy adventures. The vigilante got his own NES and Game Boy game in the early '90s as well.
Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa (1992-93)
During the late 19th century, a comet hit the Western plains, and the cows in the area evolved into human/cow hybrids. These new humanoids try to live their life like regular folk during the Wild West era, maintaining the law of the land... for cow people. Marshall Moo Montana and his posse fought outlaws and even a corrupt mayor during its 26-episode run. While short-lived, the series spawned an action figure line, a comic book series, and a video game which was a lot like Sunset Riders.
Biker Mice From Mars (1993-96)
This is about as '90s as it gets. A species of anthropomorphic mice live on Mars, and they love riding motorcycles, as the title of the show suggests. One day, an alien race killed all but three of these micemen, who then fled to Earth. They discover the evil alien's plan to do the same thing to Earth, fight back, and save the world. The series got a video game on the SNES in '94 and had a short-lived revival in 2006.
SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron (1993-1995)
Hanna-Barbera's final original action series before being absorbed by Warner Bros. was Swat Kats, and although it was short-lived, it was a big success in 1994. The series followed former law enforcement in Megakat City, where its inhabitants were cat people. However, when villainy strikes, these cool mechanics became masked vigilantes who hoped to take down the evil Dark Kat. In 1995, Hudson Soft produced a game for SNES that was incredibly mediocre.
Street Sharks (1994-97)
If anthropomorphic turtles with ninja abilities aren't up your alley, how do you feel about sharks? Well, Street Sharks is a bit like that. Two doctors, Bolton and Paradigm, create a machine that can change animals into humanoid hybrids by messing with their DNA. Dr. Bolton becomes a monster, and Paradigm wants to use the machine for personal power, turning Bolton's sons into shark/human hybrids. Obviously, the Street Sharks won't work for a madman, and an ongoing battle between Paradigm and the Sharks ensues.
Earthworm Jim (1995-96)
Many of the cartoons on this list ended up having their own video games based on the property. For Earthworm Jim, it was the other way around. Based on the wildly popular--and truly bizarre--video game, Earthworm Jim follows a worm who gets a super suit, and he fights villains across the galaxy. Many of the characters from the video game series made an appearance throughout the 23 episodes that aired.
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys (1996-97)
You know what cartoons needed more of in the mid-'90s? Monkeys. Tons and tons of monkeys. The animated series was eventually a "What If..." version of Planet of the Apes. During the '60s, a monkey-manned spacecraft was shot into space. Charlie, the monkey pilot, was discovered by an intelligent alien race who gave him intelligence and technology. Charlie recruited his own team of super-intelligent simians, and together, they battle Nebula (not the Guardians of the Galaxy character), a villain who is half-human, half-black hole.
Mighty Ducks (1996-97)
Inspired by the movie of the same name and the logo for the NHL team--that's not a joke--Mighty Ducks centers on a group of humanoid ducks who all play hockey and are engaged in a war against lizard-like beings known as The Saurians. These beings all end up on Earth, and much like Transformers, the good guys end up making friends with some humans, to help them beat The Saurians. Mighty Ducks won a Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Sound Editing in 1997.
Extreme Dinosaurs (1997)
Based on a Mattel toy line from the previous year and a spin-off of Street Sharks, this cartoon follows a group of dinosaurs that survived the mass extinction event and were abducted by evil aliens. These dinosaurs were transformed into mutants in order to help these aliens take over another planet, but the dinosaurs revolted and split into two groups: the good guys and the evil Raptors, who wanted to cause global warming on Earth.