Help support the Mego Museum
Help support the Mego Museum

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

AD&D Question...

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • SexySkottie
    Member
    • Oct 29, 2007
    • 80

    AD&D Question...

    Ok guys, I have another one for ya...Anybody have any idea why LJN's line of Dungeons and Dragons figures were different from the main characters from the 3 season cartoon?

    I know Strongheart & Warduke made a couple episodes of the cartoon, but it seems SO odd to me that the figures and cartoon characters wouldn't be the same.
    I do remeber seeing PVCs of the cartoon characters...but I beleive they were imports from a company called Comics Spain.

    Anyone?
    Last edited by SexySkottie; Jul 6, '10, 5:07 AM.
    sigpic Ultimately, I serve only one master... pure logic!
  • Bruce Banner
    HULK SMASH!
    • Apr 3, 2010
    • 4327

    #2
    The toys were based more on a general AD&D license from TSR, rather than being specifically based on the cartoon itself and the characters in it.

    But some of the characters released as figures (such as Warduke, Strongheart, etc.) eventually made cameos in the show.

    Similarly, my Dungeons & Dragons ViewMaster reel features Venger as the villian, but he's fighting Strongheart, Ringlerun, Elkhorn, etc.

    Some info here:
    http://www.toyarchive.com/DungeonsDragons.html
    Last edited by Bruce Banner; Jul 6, '10, 6:07 AM.
    PUNY HUMANS!

    Comment

    • mazinz
      Persistent Member
      • Jul 2, 2007
      • 2249

      #3
      Wow that is a nice site. I can tell you though that back then no matter where I went to, no place by me ever sold the shield shooters. In fact I tried in vain to find any of them and never could. I remember the commercial for them and the giants. The giants by me where everywhere, but those shield shooters, nada (and those were the ones I wanted the most)

      Wonder if any of this stuff was regional? Being close to NYC you figured I would have been able to find them all but that was not the case
      Last edited by mazinz; Jul 6, '10, 7:51 PM.
      "What motivated him to throw a puppy at the Hells Angels is currently unclear,"

      Starroid Raiders Dagon wrote "No Dime Store Monster left behind"

      Comment

      • ctc
        Fear the monkeybat!
        • Aug 16, 2001
        • 11183

        #4
        >Wonder if any of this stuff was regional?

        They saw REALLY limited release, and the second + series' got very scant distribution. I had the first series; got 'em almost by accident on clearnace at Woolworth's. Never saw them anywhere else. Pity too, 'cos they were VERY game-accurate.

        Don C.

        Comment

        • mazinz
          Persistent Member
          • Jul 2, 2007
          • 2249

          #5
          Originally posted by ctc
          >Wonder if any of this stuff was regional?

          They saw REALLY limited release, and the second + series' got very scant distribution. I had the first series; got 'em almost by accident on clearnace at Woolworth's. Never saw them anywhere else. Pity too, 'cos they were VERY game-accurate.

          Don C.
          the first series by me were all very common, but the second series though we had some of them pretty easy to find, many of them I have not seen until I checked out that website

          would have been great to have the internet back then
          Last edited by mazinz; Jul 8, '10, 12:26 AM.
          "What motivated him to throw a puppy at the Hells Angels is currently unclear,"

          Starroid Raiders Dagon wrote "No Dime Store Monster left behind"

          Comment

          • tmthor
            God of Knock-offs
            • Nov 29, 2005
            • 881

            #6
            also the figures pre date the show by a year or 2

            Comment

            • ctc
              Fear the monkeybat!
              • Aug 16, 2001
              • 11183

              #7
              >the figures pre date the show by a year or 2

              Do they? That'd help explain the descrepencies. 'Course, the show was only VERY loosely based on the game, so I could see both projects having been developed completely independant of each other. (Seriously: what alignment was the Reggie Mantle guy from the cartoon? Chaotic stupid?)

              Don C.

              Comment

              • danadoll
                Micronaut Nut!
                • Apr 11, 2005
                • 1840

                #8
                Loved this toy series as a kid, I've built a pretty good collection over the years...I never had the chance to play the game, though.

                Dana
                "Do you want a doll?" Kurt

                Comment

                • tmthor
                  God of Knock-offs
                  • Nov 29, 2005
                  • 881

                  #9
                  To bad the game was better than the toys

                  Comment

                  • bizzaro megomauler
                    WANTED for card bending
                    • Apr 26, 2008
                    • 1052

                    #10
                    I used to have the TSR board game tied in to the show, I sold it here a few months ago, the only time TSR really even acknowledged the show...

                    Comment

                    • tmthor
                      God of Knock-offs
                      • Nov 29, 2005
                      • 881

                      #11
                      I know the following apear in the show
                      Kelek
                      Warduke
                      Strongheart
                      Elkhorn
                      Nightmare
                      Tiamat

                      But also Warduke has now been retconed into Greyhawk & has also been apart of the new Minatures game
                      Below from Wikapedia
                      "Warduke originated as a character for the Dungeons & Dragons toy line in the 1980s. Warduke originally appeared as a D&D action figure along with such other characters as Strongheart the paladin, Elkhorn the dwarf fighter, and Zarak the half-orc assassin. In a module featuring many of the characters from the toy line, Warduke and Strongheart were depicted as once having been good friends, until Warduke turned to evil.

                      It is worth noting, however, that a (unnamed) figure with Warduke's distinctive headgear appears on the cover of Dragon Magazine #17, published by TSR in 1978.

                      Warduke often was seen teamed with the villainous sorcerer Kelek, and even once appeared on the Dungeons & Dragons animated TV series. In 2003, the staff of Dungeon magazine retconned Warduke into Greyhawk continuity."


                      Warduke from WOTC Minature game Wardrums Expansion



                      Dragon mag #17


                      Modual XL-1

                      http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x...umni/20060414a
                      Link to WOTC's warduke page
                      Last edited by tmthor; Jul 28, '10, 4:54 PM.

                      Comment

                      • ctc
                        Fear the monkeybat!
                        • Aug 16, 2001
                        • 11183

                        #12
                        Neat!

                        I could see Dragon #17 providing some inspiration for the figure. I wouldn't be surprised if the designers perused a lot of game art before designing the toys. (Zarak has a Tim Truman AD&D art vibe to him.) XL-1 came out well after the toys, and was an attempt to absorb the characters. The latest attempt to add Warduke was in Dungeon 105.

                        Don C.

                        Comment

                        • tmthor
                          God of Knock-offs
                          • Nov 29, 2005
                          • 881

                          #13
                          I remember reading that XL-1 was to followed up with moduals with more characters (Melf/Perlay Zarek) but they never happened.

                          Comment

                          • danadoll
                            Micronaut Nut!
                            • Apr 11, 2005
                            • 1840

                            #14
                            Originally posted by tmthor
                            I know the following apear in the show
                            Kelek
                            Warduke
                            Strongheart
                            Elkhorn
                            Nightmare
                            Tiamat
                            I have never seen Elkhorn's rumored appearance in the D&D cartoon...Do you know which episode he's supposed to be in, Tmthor?

                            Zarak also appeared in the cartoon (in a way)...He appeared in the later seasons title sequence.

                            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb977TybeCs

                            Dana
                            Last edited by danadoll; Aug 7, '10, 5:22 PM.
                            "Do you want a doll?" Kurt

                            Comment

                            • johnmiic
                              Adrift
                              • Sep 6, 2002
                              • 8427

                              #15
                              I never played the game but loved the Saturday morning cartoon. I bought the boxed DVD set from BCI Eclipse, (supposedly the only version that has bonus materials), and in the bonus materials they interview Mark Evanier about the creation of the show.

                              He stated that the network felt the show didn't work and they wanted him to restructure it so the writers could tell stories. The way the concept was set up no one could write a workable script. Evanier stated the series had far too many characters so he stripped it down and simplified them to the core group we know of today. He also stated that the person who came up with the initial series concept, (he doesn't say who-could it have been Gary Gygax?), was very unhappy and confronted him after the network decided to run with his, Evanier's, version of the show and accused him of ruining the whole concept. Evanier responded that if he didn't rework it the show would not have ever gone into production.

                              Evanier seems to leave open the possibility that after the show got on the air the other characters could have been added to the series but as with many tv networks and kids programs, it retained its status quo and never expanded the cast. Networks feel a complex tv show wouldn't hold viewers who are kids-only confuse them. I disagree with that and remembered how well written the series was for the 1980's compared to he other crap on Saturday morning televison, (The Flintstones/THING hour, Casper and he Space Angels, Hero High, ughhhh).

                              Article on Wiki:

                              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon...ons_(TV_series)

                              On Evanier's site he identifies the creator of the TV series as Dennis Marks and tells a story somewhat similar to what he said on the DVD. Some details on the DVD differ:

                              Dungeons Dragons
                              Last edited by johnmiic; Aug 7, '10, 8:24 PM.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              😀
                              🥰
                              🤢
                              😎
                              😡
                              👍
                              👎