Speaking as a conservative Christian who grew up in a Christian household, I absolutely loved this show as a kid. My Mom bought me lots of the toys, most of which I still have (WARDUKE!!!). It's a well-written show that has aged very well and I've been sharing it with my own kids (who love it, too). Great character interactions, and they're fighting evil! My Pastor loved this show, too, and is part of our regular D&D group.
The thing that has always made me roll my eyes at the inclusion of this game in the “satanic panic” was the fact that the two creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, were Christians. There’s nothing evil about D&D, any more than there is in the works of Tolkien. It’s fantasy, pure and simple.
Only took one episode to know that the cartoon was bigger then anyone could have ever expected. One of the greatest cartoon series in history. I wish they could have hit up another three or four seasons, or added new kids to the team, as old ones got home.
52yrold here. It was one of the best Sat morn cartoons ever. And we had MANY great ones! Too bad kids born after, say.. the mid 80s, will nvr know how good and awesome Life was asa kid, and in general, pre-Y2K.
This cartoon was a Brazilian passion, kids from the 80's up to 2000 grow watching this cartoon. This cartoon was so beloved here, that it become a car comercial. You should watch type Brazilian Renault D&D car comercial...
I always love the “too violent for kids?” question given Robotech depicted the genocide of humanity no less than three times, plus repeated numerous on screen deaths and killings. Man the 80s was a trip.
"Requiem" was also bought by Marvel and released as a single issue comic book. When the DVD collection of the animated series came out, the script was recorded as a radio play, and released as an extra feature on the collection. It has since been animated by fans, and the episode can be seen on RUclips. The show still has quite the popularity, as there is a car commercial, with the kids returning home. As for toy line, I would have like to have seen Mattel take it on.
The Michael Reaves written episodes are excellent. He really wrote about the kids as characters, explored their interactions, and pushed the boundaries of what they were allowed to do at that time for a kids cartoon also.
I played the Basic game and religiously watched the cartoon thinking, "Yes! Finally, D&D is main stream and I don't have to hide in the shadows anymore. Sadly, the shpw ended and I went back onto secret passage of my imagination. Now, I run a Basic D&D group at my school for children with Autism and ADHD. It teaches team work, interpersonal relationships, problem solving executive function skills.
Truth be told, this game should be hidden in the shadows and not become popular. It is not a game for casual players. For me one of the best things about this game besides imagination is the secret world of "geeks" and "outcasts" that it brings together with little to no interference from others who wouldn't dare get involved.
Sorry to break the news to you but it’s been mainstream now for a few years. Check out Critical Role or The Adventure zone. I grew up playing DnD now my kids are and loving every campaign I throw at them.
@@mmq9886 well known and mainstream are not the same thing. There is still a loser geek culture attached to it, although today it's not polite to point that out - other than in a comedic way. Also, careful not to mix up comics and video gaming with roll playing. They may overlap in demographics, but not the number of actual table top enthusiasts.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the show was the inclusion of Diana in the show. It's not that African Americans were absent from Saturday morning cartoons, Fat Albert came way before D&D. But its the fact that in 1983, Diana is part of the group and her race pretty much never comes up! She's just another friend and companion. She also isn't played as "black". Other than her appearance, you wouldn't be able to distinguish her from any of the other characters. She is just another teenager trapped in the Realm. It was a masterful job of inclusion done right.
I found this dvd in a Walmart bin a few years ago that has a dozen episodes of this fantastic show for my daughter. She got hooked. I grew up with this show and played d&d for years. Now she makes me DM 5e for her and friends. Good times.
Loved that show. When they put out a boxed DVD set of it, it came in the "Red Box" just like classic D&D in the 80s, and it even had a booklet with stat blocks for the characters in the 3rd Edition rules.
Man this cartoon was so much fun! It was a true stand out series and I loved it! Diana was one of my earliest screen crushes! I also really loved Hank and Presto! These characters were all fantastic! This series was a very special part of my childhood!
Hey Dan, I didn't know the figurines were from Spain, I have always thought they were from Portugal. I remember seeing them for sale in coffee shops when I was a 9-yr old. Can you imagine how much I regret not buying them? This cartoon is extremely popular here in Brazil, it's considered a cult classic. Congrats on your channel, I have been doing a lot of toygalaxython lately!
I started playing Dungeons & Dragons at age 5 in 1978 and I love the cartoon. The animation was amazing. Thanks for sharing and yes I still watch it and play the game.
Another negative feature of the writing process was that, according to the writers, they were instructed by whatever supervisory/final approval body (no doubt influenced by parents' groups) to reinforce the aspect of "the group is always right". Thusly, no matter how hard Eric (the Cavalier) complained, he would always be voted down by the rest of the group, even if, in the end, he was right and their decisions led to bad results.
That was probably intentional- The group is NOT always the best decision maker (replicating the groups that were trying to destroy the games, music, and other things every living person has a right to choose on her/his own).
The philosophy of collectivism is toxic and antithetical to individualism, which is very American. Groups of people act irrationally. They loot, lynch, and riot.
How I miss the imagination that was exercised in the late 70s and throughout the 80s on cartoons and toys. I would never have known anything about D&D had it not been for the cartoon! It was a favorite of mine as a kid!!
I loved that show as a kid growing up in the 80's. What I remember the most was the soundtrack. It was so intense and grew you into the drama. You could feel their fear and courage in ways that were not common in regular cartoon shows. I like to believe that because of the chances they took with the show that it led the way to more mature action oriented cartoon television.
I only watch the videos you make that are about toys and cartoons that I played with and watched (I currently play D&D) but I love every single one I watch. One of the best, most accurate, articulate, well researched and produced products on RUclips. Thank you Toy Galaxy team.
Thanks Toy Galaxy, I loved this show and 'Dragons Graveyard' stuck with me as an example of the characters getting genre-savvy before I even knew what that was. The kids are now watching the DVD releases, and they're spellbound (although I'm not letting them see the one where the monster hand comes out from under the child's bed - I'd never get them to sleep again!)
Funny....because "Dragon's Graveyard" was actually my single favorite episode of them all SPECIFICALLY for the reason that the kids finally had enough and wanted to stop Venger once and for all.
To the DM's defense, Tiamat was just already there when they arrived and the Tiamat of the cartoon is not like her game counterpart this Tiamat is 'just' a huge size red dragon with extra heads of different dragon types, not a colosal size dragon goddess.
D.M. never pitted the children against Tiamat,D.M. would find different adventures in order to get them home and due to the weapons being sought by Venger in order to be powerful enough to defeat Tiamat!
Also Kelek was the main antagonist in Valley of the Unicorns. I LOVED this series so much! Also there is a fan made VIDEO of Requiem using that very soundtrack available!
I've always wanted a Force Bow like Hank's. I always figured the magic items Dungeon Master gave the kids must actually be powerful artifacts... did they ever spell that out clearly? I assumed that was why Venger was after them. I'm planning a Greyhawk campaign with Venger as a major villain, making him something like a high level Sorcerer/Warlock, having made a Pact with a Devil and that's what gave him his wings and horn. And having Dungeon Master actually be Xagyg, the former archmage Zagyg Yragerne who rose to become Oerth's god of magic, humor, and eccentricity. Xagyg was pretty much Gary Gygax's avatar, so I thought having Gygax be Dungeon Master would pretty fitting. Venger would be Zagyg's son from before his apotheosis, who fell to Evil. I just have to come up with some reason for Venger's rivalry with/fear of Tiamat. His Patron will probably be a Duke of Hell who has a big rivalry with her.
I watched the cartoon on a VHS tape that my dad recorded. It was my introduction to Dungeons and Dragons. I was 5. I only started playing the tabletop game recently. I was just turned off by the math and dice when I was younger. I’m 20 now, and really enjoying it. So far, I’ve played a Ranger and a Fighter, and really like both. I play the Ranger as a quieter, more observant tactician, taking advantage of the environment, while the Fighter is a loud, boisterous combatant that runs in and gets the enemy’s attention. He’s big, tough, and kinda stupid. His battle cry is “SPOON”!
80s kid. grew up with dnd. wed skip the last day of school and play on the roof in the town center. beautiful days and great times. i dont think kids today will ever know how fun that time was.
One of my absolute all time favourites. The ending credits theme song almost always nearly brings a tear to my eye as it brings back so many memories. Even have it on my phone! One of my favorite episodes is the stargazer one. Where Diana meets and falls in love with the stargazer. Don't know why this particular episode really resonates me with though. I love this cartoon. Legendary unsung hero of 80's cartoons.
Absolutely love Child of the Stargazer. It's just brilliant. It's the episode after The Dragon's Graveyard and I think they are two of the best episodes of a cartoon from the 80's that you can find...
It really hurt the show not having show specific merchandise. What I do wonder is why more episodes for those seasons weren't made? It's such a small amount and not less each year.
The theme song at the ending was one of those that has a power. The spiritual sequel in my eyes to this series will always be Magic Knight Rayearth. Sure its a different story and it was 90's anime but it felt like the ultimate reboot to Dungeons and Dragons. Albeit with 3 girls and 3 robots. I really hope Netflix can dig this show up back.
I like the idea of a comic showing the kids still in the realm as adults. When you consider how long they lived in the realm and how they learned to use the powers granted them by their equipment, along with the experience and skills they had learned along the way, it would have been quite difficult for them to readjust to "normal" life after all that time in the realm (I am presuming the prospect of returning after only three years). Problems they would have had include PTSD, an unusually high level of belief in magic in comparison to those around them, and a constant need to be traveling. It could be speculated that perhaps the realm had become their home and some of their later attempts to return "home" weren't thwarted so much by Venger as it was themselves. Having the entire series on DVD, and watching it as an adult, there are certain nuances that come up, suggesting that perhaps the kids all had some problems in their lives back home, including a quip from Eric during a particular episode in which he says "he's better than my old man", and we all know that Albert/Presto was constantly bullied back home. In the end, perhaps the answer to why they never returned home is that you can not return to where you are.
Excellent show review thank you I truly do miss that cartoon. I knew Saturday morning cartoons were almost over for the day when Dungeons and Dragons was on I knew one more cartoon for the day and that was The Mighty Orbots. Thank you again Dan for that awesome trip down memory lane.
I played daily in the late 70s, early 80s (born 1970) - we had a dedicated Dungeon Master in my group of friends. So much fun! I still have my originl Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, Dungeon Master Guide and hand painted figurines.
I remember reading something years ago by one of the writers of the show. He said that these "parents" groups would pressure the networks. That they were opposed to the questioning of groupthink represented as a positive in children's TV.
And it was really scary sometimes. I rememberd they discover an "angry Place" and get all agressive to each other (includes a dead army of all the same Banner)
And true to any Saturday Morning Cartoon, no matter what potential or destructive power the characters' weapons possessed, they were never used to directly damage any living creature. Either the weapon was useless against the intended target, targeted something nearby like a curtain or the ground underneath the baddie's feet just to slow them down, or the baddie was a robot (not alive).
The cartoon was canceled before the characters could ever return home. Put that in D&D gamer speak. The D&D campaign fell apart before it was concluded. Just like the majority of D&D games, life got in the way and the D&D game ended.
Dirus Nigh Check out the Image comic, Die! A non canon continuation of the D&D animation. It takes the property in creepy directions yet remains faithful to the series.
Thanks for this episode. I did not expect a discussion of a TV show from this channel. But I love this series when it was originally on TV. I have the box set when it was finally released on TV with the character and storyline booklet. I still watch them now over 30 years later. The show is smartly written, and the characters deal with serious emotions in a mature and sophisticated way.
WOC did a plastic miniature of Warduke a few years back. Pretty cool, though it is pre-painted so you always get the risk of a sloppy paint job. I'm surprised they didn't do a Strongheart to go with/against him.
Around 2005 or so Dragon Magazine added Warduke to the Greyhawk setting, making him one of the mysterious Hierarchs of the Horned Society, a realm of monsters and Devil worshipers. He's just a Fighter, but a damn powerful one.
@@AaronLitz If you want a more accurate transition, if you can find a copy of "The Shady Dragon Inn", I remember it having stats for him. It was an accessory for Basic, that was mostly just a mass of fleshed out NPC's of every race and class that could be added to a game. It included stats for most of the D&D figure line, including Strongheart, and Ringlerun. When the Gazetteer series came out, Strongheart was a elder, retired adventurer, and sitting King of Irendi, a non-hereditary monarchy. Basic Included Lawful Paladins, and their evil counter-part, Avengers - of which Warduke was one.
I swore that I could remember the watching the last episode of D&D as a kid, which ended with Venger getting redeemed and the kids going home. Then it turned out that it didn't exist. Then it turned out that the unproduced script had pretty much the same plot.
When I was in elementary school, I played Dungeons & Dragons once. Once. It went almost exactly like this: "Okay, you go around a corner. There's a wolf. Roll the dice. The wolf kills you." I never played again. But I fucking LOVED THIS SHOW!
Great show, got the DVD set. Saw the fan made ending episode, based on the never done episode: Requiem. Got the Ranger and Drizzt statues. Never knew about the toys growing up.
I had no idea about the commercials and the toys. I was lucky to get a few episodes where I grew up. I still watch it from time to time. My favorite episode is dragon's graveyard from season 2.
I loved this show and so does my son now. I had all the original toys. Can’t believe they never could make the original characters as figures. I would love to have them now!
I loved this show when it was on, though I admit I forgot about it as I got older. Years later, while rummaging through the adventurer's shop in Baldur's Gate 2, I noticed some strange murals on the walls. I was surprised and amused to see it was a depiction of the events from the show! Such an awesome touch from Black Isle.
Anyone else really gutted when they announced a D&D movie hoping to see the kids fighting Venger on the big screen and then we got......well the less said about that the better.
I was wondering if anyone was going to mention the movie. Maybe bc of possible copyright issues? The movie....well, let's just say it had people in it that played characters...yeah, the people said words and dressed up....the name of the movie was Dungeon and Dragons... that's about all it had in common with the animated series. Although I did enjoy it, like how I enjoy Roger Corman movies...not great, but a great way to pass time while you breathe....herb smoke
My favorite cartoon as a kid. I had AD&D action figures and Fortress of Fangs playset, but never understand back then why I couldn't find the characters from the cartoon. I had Strongheart, Warduke, etc. but looked and looked for Ranger, Cavalier, Acrobat, etc. lol.
Oh man, Shrinky Dinks! I forgot all about those! I used to love getting up in the morning for "Saturday morning cartoons", and this show was one of my favorites. I really liked the intro. I didn't know there were so many episodes, it seemed like there were the same approximate 10 episodes all the time. The show was "D&D' by name only, the whole community with all those books and boards, etc. that was a hobby and a community in itself.
I always liked the fact that while Tiamat was occasionally a threat, She sometimes actually ends up helping the kids because she really hates Venger. And yeah, Venger really was bringing the episode Dragon's Graveyard on himself, as well as shooting himself in the foot a lot of the time. All he really had to do to win would've been to let the kids go home...
Awesome. When it’s dominance over its time slot was mentioned I recalled it being the second to last cartoon on Saturday morning/early afternoon but I couldn’t remember which was the final show. Pole Position! Thanks.
I think I remember it being mentioned once or twice, it just didn't come up very often. I guess when your name is Albert you will take Presto as an alternative. :)
It's cuz in the real world Presto was already his nick-name as the character was a wannabe amateur magician, thats why he was called it by the others and not his real name. :-)
I got into D&D when I was about 8 years old. This cartoon came out when I was 10. As much as I loved the cartoon (and I LOVED it) - it couldn’t hold a candle to what my imagination did when actually playing the game. Great video.
I never played dnd with people. I would watch dnd before thundercats. In the 80s I owned lots of Transformers, 3 Go Lions and Lynn Minmay from Macross.
One of my fave cartoons of the 80’s & one of my all time favourite toy lines from LJN. Very insightful video. Great work guys! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Loved the cartoon as a kid and former DnD player. My wife who knows nothing of DnD was able to find a box set of the cartoon and surprise me with it a number of Christmases ago...and I love it.
DM: Roll d20 to avoid shrinkage. Player: Yes! Now I -- DM: Roll d20 to avoid dinkage. Player: What's... dinkage? DM: You just rolled a 2. You're about to find out. _DM cackles like Mark Hamill's Joker._
This came across my feed last night. Just subbed. The flood of memories that washed over me as you explained all of the details I never cared about as a kid was overwhelming. Of all the 80s toons I loved (and own today) this one was on of my favorites (up there with Robotech, GI Joe, and Transformers). Tiamat being my favorite character. So much lore. Wished it continued.
I've been rewatching these episodes with my 12-year old as part of my quest to show him that cartoons weren't always as mindnumbingly bad as the ones one Disney XD and CN. I was surprised at how well the episodes hold up even today. What a masterpiece. I liked that the kids had real emotion. There's an episode where the kids almost make it home, but they fail. Afterwards, they're all upset and sniping at one another, and Bobby just hides his face and cries. You never see kids that real even in live-action TV these days.
I watched it every saturday morning. It became my favorite cartoon of all time. I'm 46 now and showed my 11 year old nephew who is always on his cell phone watching something dumb on youtube all day long. After the first episode was done first thing out of his mouth was, can we watch the next episode. I was like oh hell yea of course. I was nine years old when this came out and got a new toy every sunday after my AYSO soccer game. I even got the Fang fortress. I had just about all the toys in that set. But only thing I have now is, Dragonne, Hook Horror, and Northlords Helmet and Axe.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Speaking as a conservative Christian who grew up in a Christian household, I absolutely loved this show as a kid. My Mom bought me lots of the toys, most of which I still have (WARDUKE!!!). It's a well-written show that has aged very well and I've been sharing it with my own kids (who love it, too). Great character interactions, and they're fighting evil! My Pastor loved this show, too, and is part of our regular D&D group.
Yall listen to Ozzy while playing D&D? Just kidding. That's actually really cool- progressive thinking
This world needs more people like you. We need more reunion and less discrimination. That is how we evolutionize.
Dont worry. D&D doesnt terrify conservatives anymore.
Gayness and female equality does.
The thing that has always made me roll my eyes at the inclusion of this game in the “satanic panic” was the fact that the two creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, were Christians. There’s nothing evil about D&D, any more than there is in the works of Tolkien. It’s fantasy, pure and simple.
Ok boomer @@iHateincels
Only took one episode to know that the cartoon was bigger then anyone could have ever expected.
One of the greatest cartoon series in history. I wish they could have hit up another three or four seasons, or added new kids to the team, as old ones got home.
52yrold here.
It was one of the best Sat morn cartoons ever.
And we had MANY great ones!
Too bad kids born after, say.. the mid 80s,
will nvr know how good and awesome Life was asa kid, and in general, pre-Y2K.
This cartoon was a Brazilian passion, kids from the 80's up to 2000 grow watching this cartoon.
This cartoon was so beloved here, that it become a car comercial.
You should watch type Brazilian Renault D&D car comercial...
its sooo amazing and done so well! they nailed the look of all the characters, i want 12 episodes on netflix!!
I always love the “too violent for kids?” question given Robotech depicted the genocide of humanity no less than three times, plus repeated numerous on screen deaths and killings. Man the 80s was a trip.
But that was anime, or Japanimation as it was called back then.
Macross... -.- jk jk you can call it Robotech.
TriXie Kat I grew on on Robotech, I didn’t see Japanese Macross til I was an adult.
They didn't see the transformers.
Robotech was under more scrutiny for being gay.
"Requiem" was also bought by Marvel and released as a single issue comic book. When the DVD collection of the animated series came out, the script was recorded as a radio play, and released as an extra feature on the collection. It has since been animated by fans, and the episode can be seen on RUclips.
The show still has quite the popularity, as there is a car commercial, with the kids returning home.
As for toy line, I would have like to have seen Mattel take it on.
This show was my everything on Saturday mornings in those days.
that and Thundarr the Barbarian
DnD, Thundar and spider man were my favorites of all time too.
This show is pretty much still my everything.
indeed....an intriguing,mysterious,and atmosphericly dense adventure
Surely someone in here commented about that car commercial from Brazil for the Renault Kwid Outsider. They nailed the likeness in that commercial.
Peter Cullen’s Venger is about as good as it gets for voicing a villain.
There is nothing like it.
Peter Cullen as Venger is the best voiced villain animated or not.
I can think of one villain with a better voice. Megabyte from Reboot. Tony Jay
To me, better than his Optimus Prime.
@@pious83 Whoa....that's sacrilege!
Now that Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has hit theaters, a particular cameo has brought this series back into the spotlight.
Yeah you bet...I do recognize Bobby, Sheila and Presto in the High Games maze sequence
The Michael Reaves written episodes are excellent. He really wrote about the kids as characters, explored their interactions, and pushed the boundaries of what they were allowed to do at that time for a kids cartoon also.
I absolutely loved this show as a kid, and it still holds up today
I played the Basic game and religiously watched the cartoon thinking, "Yes! Finally, D&D is main stream and I don't have to hide in the shadows anymore. Sadly, the shpw ended and I went back onto secret passage of my imagination. Now, I run a Basic D&D group at my school for children with Autism and ADHD. It teaches team work, interpersonal relationships, problem solving executive function skills.
Time to go back to the steam tunnels, huh?
Truth be told, this game should be hidden in the shadows and not become popular. It is not a game for casual players. For me one of the best things about this game besides imagination is the secret world of "geeks" and "outcasts" that it brings together with little to no interference from others who wouldn't dare get involved.
Sorry to break the news to you but it’s been mainstream now for a few years. Check out Critical Role or The Adventure zone. I grew up playing DnD now my kids are and loving every campaign I throw at them.
@@mmq9886 well known and mainstream are not the same thing. There is still a loser geek culture attached to it, although today it's not polite to point that out - other than in a comedic way. Also, careful not to mix up comics and video gaming with roll playing. They may overlap in demographics, but not the number of actual table top enthusiasts.
Different groups playing means less BO awkward 30/40ish players I have to deal with at the table.
best cartoon ever
very popular here in Brazil
we never had a closure with the characters returning home
One of the most remarkable aspects of the show was the inclusion of Diana in the show. It's not that African Americans were absent from Saturday morning cartoons, Fat Albert came way before D&D. But its the fact that in 1983, Diana is part of the group and her race pretty much never comes up! She's just another friend and companion. She also isn't played as "black". Other than her appearance, you wouldn't be able to distinguish her from any of the other characters. She is just another teenager trapped in the Realm. It was a masterful job of inclusion done right.
Exactly. Too bad the people who push inclusion today don't know that.
Chris S she was my favourite.
Too bad she spent most of her time 'RAGGING' on Eric for that entire series... >:(
@@veng3r663 You know that was just because she was attracted to him but did't know how to act on it. Trust me, at some point they hooked up.
@@veng3r663
He had it coming.
I found this dvd in a Walmart bin a few years ago that has a dozen episodes of this fantastic show for my daughter. She got hooked. I grew up with this show and played d&d for years. Now she makes me DM 5e for her and friends. Good times.
Loved that show. When they put out a boxed DVD set of it, it came in the "Red Box" just like classic D&D in the 80s, and it even had a booklet with stat blocks for the characters in the 3rd Edition rules.
nice
The box set also had the script for the final episode if i'm remembering correctly
Crimson Knight, you are correct. I have the "Red Box" set. It provided the closure that was a long time coming.
Got mine!
Yep
This & Thundar the Barbarian were my all time favorite Saturday morning cartoons on as a kid...
Definitely part of my Saturday morning lineup. Felt so much more "mature" than a lot of other shows. Even considering Uni.
Thank you, Renaut Brasil, for giving us some closure about this cartoon series
Man this cartoon was so much fun! It was a true stand out series and I loved it! Diana was one of my earliest screen crushes! I also really loved Hank and Presto! These characters were all fantastic! This series was a very special part of my childhood!
Hey Dan, I didn't know the figurines were from Spain, I have always thought they were from Portugal. I remember seeing them for sale in coffee shops when I was a 9-yr old. Can you imagine how much I regret not buying them? This cartoon is extremely popular here in Brazil, it's considered a cult classic. Congrats on your channel, I have been doing a lot of toygalaxython lately!
I remember my dad giving me the D&D cartoon complete series. I really enjoy. Thank you Dan for this video. Keep up the good work.
I started playing Dungeons & Dragons at age 5 in 1978 and I love the cartoon. The animation was amazing. Thanks for sharing and yes I still watch it and play the game.
Another negative feature of the writing process was that, according to the writers, they were instructed by whatever supervisory/final approval body (no doubt influenced by parents' groups) to reinforce the aspect of "the group is always right". Thusly, no matter how hard Eric (the Cavalier) complained, he would always be voted down by the rest of the group, even if, in the end, he was right and their decisions led to bad results.
That was probably intentional- The group is NOT always the best decision maker (replicating the groups that were trying to destroy the games, music, and other things every living person has a right to choose on her/his own).
Give me a few good examples
The philosophy of collectivism is toxic and antithetical to individualism, which is very American. Groups of people act irrationally. They loot, lynch, and riot.
That's why they made him be right lol
How I miss the imagination that was exercised in the late 70s and throughout the 80s on cartoons and toys. I would never have known anything about D&D had it not been for the cartoon! It was a favorite of mine as a kid!!
As a kid I wanted that magic bow that shot energy arrows. Imagine never having to worry about running out. So cool.
That bow has made an appearance in every one of my campaign worlds that I have run since that time....now going on some thirty plus years. So iconic.
I'm pretty sure there was a similar bow in the AD&D treasure tables, but it's been many years since I've perused the 1st Edition DM's Guide
I loved that show as a kid growing up in the 80's. What I remember the most was the soundtrack. It was so intense and grew you into the drama. You could feel their fear and courage in ways that were not common in regular cartoon shows. I like to believe that because of the chances they took with the show that it led the way to more mature action oriented cartoon television.
I remember watching reruns in the 90s or early 00's. One of my favorites from the decade along with Thundercats.
I only watch the videos you make that are about toys and cartoons that I played with and watched (I currently play D&D) but I love every single one I watch. One of the best, most accurate, articulate, well researched and produced products on RUclips. Thank you Toy Galaxy team.
Thanks Toy Galaxy, I loved this show and 'Dragons Graveyard' stuck with me as an example of the characters getting genre-savvy before I even knew what that was.
The kids are now watching the DVD releases, and they're spellbound (although I'm not letting them see the one where the monster hand comes out from under the child's bed - I'd never get them to sleep again!)
That episode scared the crap out of me back then!! lol Good call!
You better not be watching anime. This is tame compared to many of the mainstream titles.
@@sbyrstall funny you say that, since Dungeons and Dragons was animated at Toei Animation in Japan.
Funny....because "Dragon's Graveyard" was actually my single favorite episode of them all SPECIFICALLY for the reason that the kids finally had enough and wanted to stop Venger once and for all.
This show was so awesome. Venger was such a great villain.
With Optimus Prime's Voice! Optimus Prime as "the Villain!" I Loved it Too!
Jimmy J Yea Venger was the coolest cartoon villians
@@michaelrisner5540 Venger and Mum Ra were the Best because they were straight up Scary!
I remember when I found out that venger was the son of the dungeon master, I was like waaaaa?
Vengar was the best
1975-1985: The Golden Age of super-heroes, science fiction and fantasy!!! :)
Truly, the greatest generation(to be a kid anyway)!
.....the best cartoons..toys...cereals...videogames...we had it all
This is either the Nicest or Meanest DM. He gives them free hints and key items, but puts them up against Tiamat. *Tiamat*
What's next? The Tarrasque?
To the DM's defense, Tiamat was just already there when they arrived and the Tiamat of the cartoon is not like her game counterpart this Tiamat is 'just' a huge size red dragon with extra heads of different dragon types, not a colosal size dragon goddess.
Tiamat is also just on the encounter tables in OG D&D. Pretty sure she's in the swamp table for a 100 roll but it's been awhile.
At least it wasn't the Tarrasque
D.M. never pitted the children against Tiamat,D.M. would find different adventures in order to get them home and due to the weapons being sought by Venger in order to be powerful enough to defeat Tiamat!
Also Kelek was the main antagonist in Valley of the Unicorns. I LOVED this series so much! Also there is a fan made VIDEO of Requiem using that very soundtrack available!
I've always wanted a Force Bow like Hank's.
I always figured the magic items Dungeon Master gave the kids must actually be powerful artifacts... did they ever spell that out clearly? I assumed that was why Venger was after them.
I'm planning a Greyhawk campaign with Venger as a major villain, making him something like a high level Sorcerer/Warlock, having made a Pact with a Devil and that's what gave him his wings and horn. And having Dungeon Master actually be Xagyg, the former archmage Zagyg Yragerne who rose to become Oerth's god of magic, humor, and eccentricity. Xagyg was pretty much Gary Gygax's avatar, so I thought having Gygax be Dungeon Master would pretty fitting. Venger would be Zagyg's son from before his apotheosis, who fell to Evil. I just have to come up with some reason for Venger's rivalry with/fear of Tiamat. His Patron will probably be a Duke of Hell who has a big rivalry with her.
The audio recording of the series finale "Requiem" that features Katie Leigh reprising Sheila was included in the series DVD box set.
I watched the cartoon on a VHS tape that my dad recorded. It was my introduction to Dungeons and Dragons. I was 5. I only started playing the tabletop game recently. I was just turned off by the math and dice when I was younger. I’m 20 now, and really enjoying it. So far, I’ve played a Ranger and a Fighter, and really like both. I play the Ranger as a quieter, more observant tactician, taking advantage of the environment, while the Fighter is a loud, boisterous combatant that runs in and gets the enemy’s attention. He’s big, tough, and kinda stupid. His battle cry is “SPOON”!
The Fighter is the Tick, isn't he?
80s kid. grew up with dnd. wed skip the last day of school and play on the roof in the town center. beautiful days and great times. i dont think kids today will ever know how fun that time was.
One of my absolute all time favourites. The ending credits theme song almost always nearly brings a tear to my eye as it brings back so many memories. Even have it on my phone! One of my favorite episodes is the stargazer one. Where Diana meets and falls in love with the stargazer. Don't know why this particular episode really resonates me with though. I love this cartoon. Legendary unsung hero of 80's cartoons.
rayneoftera I say the same thing about that song. Always makes me think about my grandma. I miss these kind of cartoons they truly were a golden age.
Absolutely love Child of the Stargazer. It's just brilliant. It's the episode after The Dragon's Graveyard and I think they are two of the best episodes of a cartoon from the 80's that you can find...
Best ending theme song on Saturday morning
It really hurt the show not having show specific merchandise. What I do wonder is why more episodes for those seasons weren't made? It's such a small amount and not less each year.
The theme song at the ending was one of those that has a power.
The spiritual sequel in my eyes to this series will always be Magic Knight Rayearth. Sure its a different story and it was 90's anime but it felt like the ultimate reboot to Dungeons and Dragons. Albeit with 3 girls and 3 robots.
I really hope Netflix can dig this show up back.
I like the idea of a comic showing the kids still in the realm as adults. When you consider how long they lived in the realm and how they learned to use the powers granted them by their equipment, along with the experience and skills they had learned along the way, it would have been quite difficult for them to readjust to "normal" life after all that time in the realm (I am presuming the prospect of returning after only three years). Problems they would have had include PTSD, an unusually high level of belief in magic in comparison to those around them, and a constant need to be traveling. It could be speculated that perhaps the realm had become their home and some of their later attempts to return "home" weren't thwarted so much by Venger as it was themselves. Having the entire series on DVD, and watching it as an adult, there are certain nuances that come up, suggesting that perhaps the kids all had some problems in their lives back home, including a quip from Eric during a particular episode in which he says "he's better than my old man", and we all know that Albert/Presto was constantly bullied back home. In the end, perhaps the answer to why they never returned home is that you can not return to where you are.
Excellent show review thank you
I truly do miss that cartoon. I knew Saturday morning cartoons were almost over for the day when Dungeons and Dragons was on I knew one more cartoon for the day and that was The Mighty Orbots. Thank you again Dan for that awesome trip down memory lane.
I remember them! My father called them The Mighty Sorebutts!
I played daily in the late 70s, early 80s (born 1970) - we had a dedicated Dungeon Master in my group of friends. So much fun! I still have my originl Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, Dungeon Master Guide and hand painted figurines.
i'm still waiting for a time when i can casually reference THAC0 in an everyday conversation.
You must be old, like me. Don't hold your breath, the kids today don't use THACO anymore; they'll just laugh at you.
It's all backwards now.
If it ain't THACO, send it back-0?
I got nuthin.
Ah the old To Hit Armor Class Zero...😍
@@ricosuave6898 i was born in the early 70's; this channel speaks to so much of my childhood.
I remember reading something years ago by one of the writers of the show. He said that these "parents" groups would pressure the networks. That they were opposed to the questioning of groupthink represented as a positive in children's TV.
used to watch this cartoon!
And it was really scary sometimes. I rememberd they discover an "angry Place" and get all agressive to each other (includes a dead army of all the same Banner)
And true to any Saturday Morning Cartoon, no matter what potential or destructive power the characters' weapons possessed, they were never used to directly damage any living creature. Either the weapon was useless against the intended target, targeted something nearby like a curtain or the ground underneath the baddie's feet just to slow them down, or the baddie was a robot (not alive).
The cartoon was canceled before the characters could ever return home. Put that in D&D gamer speak. The D&D campaign fell apart before it was concluded. Just like the majority of D&D games, life got in the way and the D&D game ended.
they did a radio show for last episode ,read by original cast
Dirus Nigh Check out the Image comic, Die! A non canon continuation of the D&D animation. It takes the property in creepy directions yet remains faithful to the series.
The Game never ends, mate.
I had hoped they would be like, nah, this shiz is way better than home.
That car commercial wasn't a half bad substitute.
Melf was a character from the Greyhawk campaign world. Melf's Acid Arrow was always a favorite of mine.
Two recent Pole Position references…cherished but dormant childhood memory unlocked. Thanks guys
Thanks for this episode. I did not expect a discussion of a TV show from this channel. But I love this series when it was originally on TV. I have the box set when it was finally released on TV with the character and storyline booklet. I still watch them now over 30 years later. The show is smartly written, and the characters deal with serious emotions in a mature and sophisticated way.
Warduke! Evil paladin? Soooooo cool. Proud owner of that figure in a campaign I played long ago in a strange world called the eighties!!.
WOC did a plastic miniature of Warduke a few years back. Pretty cool, though it is pre-painted so you always get the risk of a sloppy paint job. I'm surprised they didn't do a Strongheart to go with/against him.
Carandini I’d like hasbro marvel legends or sw black series to make a D&D or GI joe line for collectors!!
Around 2005 or so Dragon Magazine added Warduke to the Greyhawk setting, making him one of the mysterious Hierarchs of the Horned Society, a realm of monsters and Devil worshipers. He's just a Fighter, but a damn powerful one.
@@AaronLitz If you want a more accurate transition, if you can find a copy of "The Shady Dragon Inn", I remember it having stats for him. It was an accessory for Basic, that was mostly just a mass of fleshed out NPC's of every race and class that could be added to a game. It included stats for most of the D&D figure line, including Strongheart, and Ringlerun. When the Gazetteer series came out, Strongheart was a elder, retired adventurer, and sitting King of Irendi, a non-hereditary monarchy.
Basic Included Lawful Paladins, and their evil counter-part, Avengers - of which Warduke was one.
That bow and arrow concept is legendary
Pole Position! I always wanted a Roadie & Wheels car set. And the transforming Gadget Car/Van
And a pet Kuma!
I still think it had one of the best theme songs of any cartoon in history.
@@LordFluffy71 Now i wanna go watch Galaxy High. That woulda been a great follow up to the movie Sky High.
There's a guy who presents a consumer protection TV show in the UK who looks just like Dungeon Master...Every time I see him, I think of D&D...
Ironically, it was CBS that aired Mazes & Monsters, the same network that would run the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon series less than year later.
Well to be fair there was only like 6 channels, unless you switched over to uhf
the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon and the TV show Voyagers were my two favorite shows back then, by FAR!
I swore that I could remember the watching the last episode of D&D as a kid, which ended with Venger getting redeemed and the kids going home.
Then it turned out that it didn't exist.
Then it turned out that the unproduced script had pretty much the same plot.
It's on RUclips
It's a very good fan made production that closely follows the unproduced final script. I watched it recently
@@HighFalutinTootin Given that I can (it seems falsely) remember watching it on broadcast TV in the 1980s, I doubt it's the same thing.
@@arfived4 Mandela effect or alternate timeline memory invading your subconscious or maybe you dreamed it.🤷♂️
@@HighFalutinTootin I *think* I may have read the script online in about 1995, but I'm now not sure of that either...
When I was in elementary school, I played Dungeons & Dragons once.
Once.
It went almost exactly like this: "Okay, you go around a corner. There's a wolf. Roll the dice. The wolf kills you."
I never played again.
But I fucking LOVED THIS SHOW!
I suggest you give the D&D game another try. It can be plenty of fun! 🤗
on my wall was a massive poster of the AD&D Player's Handbook. It was great.
Thank you for doing this story about d&d the animated series. I was a DM in my ad&d role-playing game group
Warduke was my favorite. He was, to me, the equivalent of Boba Fett. I really need to add him back into my collection.
Great show, got the DVD set. Saw the fan made ending episode, based on the never done episode: Requiem. Got the Ranger and Drizzt statues. Never knew about the toys growing up.
Thanks a lot 😁 just watched the last episode (script) now I finally know the ending.
I spent my childhood (Born in 1974) LARPing constantly with my friends. I read all the books and watched all the shows. It was awesome.
D&D has nothing to do with suicides. These people were unfortunately very troubled and would've completed suicide with or without it.
I had no idea about the commercials and the toys. I was lucky to get a few episodes where I grew up. I still watch it from time to time. My favorite episode is dragon's graveyard from season 2.
There is a theory that the kids actually died on the ride and the Realm is Hell
10:34 until the car commercial. Search youtube for Dungeons & Dragons commercial.
Dam I miss the cartoons of my youth. Why oh why did I have to get Older.
I loved this show and so does my son now. I had all the original toys. Can’t believe they never could make the original characters as figures. I would love to have them now!
I loved this show when it was on, though I admit I forgot about it as I got older. Years later, while rummaging through the adventurer's shop in Baldur's Gate 2, I noticed some strange murals on the walls. I was surprised and amused to see it was a depiction of the events from the show! Such an awesome touch from Black Isle.
I watched both Dungeons & Dragons and Pole Position when i was a kid too.
Cool video, a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Anyone else really gutted when they announced a D&D movie hoping to see the kids fighting Venger on the big screen and then we got......well the less said about that the better.
The movie is crap, but there's the Brazilian car comercial from Renault.
They really should have went with the D&D cartoon, I think they would have made money
There was a movie??
@@garymichael6899 Like 20 years ago. But it was nothing like the cartoons. Unfortunately.
I was wondering if anyone was going to mention the movie. Maybe bc of possible copyright issues? The movie....well, let's just say it had people in it that played characters...yeah, the people said words and dressed up....the name of the movie was Dungeon and Dragons... that's about all it had in common with the animated series. Although I did enjoy it, like how I enjoy Roger Corman movies...not great, but a great way to pass time while you breathe....herb smoke
My favorite cartoon as a kid. I had AD&D action figures and Fortress of Fangs playset, but never understand back then why I couldn't find the characters from the cartoon. I had Strongheart, Warduke, etc. but looked and looked for Ranger, Cavalier, Acrobat, etc. lol.
The final episode script is available in the Red-Box DVD release
"Dungeons and Dragons Requiem" can be seen on You Tube and is the Final episode. Anyone see this episode?
I've seen it.
I loved growing up to this cartoon! Warduke is my spirit animal!
Oh man, Shrinky Dinks! I forgot all about those! I used to love getting up in the morning for "Saturday morning cartoons", and this show was one of my favorites. I really liked the intro. I didn't know there were so many episodes, it seemed like there were the same approximate 10 episodes all the time.
The show was "D&D' by name only, the whole community with all those books and boards, etc. that was a hobby and a community in itself.
Hasbro should make minis based the animated series paired with a blu ray release of the series and a stats on all the charters.
I love the fact that the characters had a cameo in _D&D: Honor Among Thieves_
I always liked the fact that while Tiamat was occasionally a threat, She sometimes actually ends up helping the kids because she really hates Venger. And yeah, Venger really was bringing the episode Dragon's Graveyard on himself, as well as shooting himself in the foot a lot of the time. All he really had to do to win would've been to let the kids go home...
Awesome. When it’s dominance over its time slot was mentioned I recalled it being the second to last cartoon on Saturday morning/early afternoon but I couldn’t remember which was the final show. Pole Position! Thanks.
HIS NAME WAS ALBERT???? I wondered why everyone had a real name except for “Presto”.
I think I remember it being mentioned once or twice, it just didn't come up very often. I guess when your name is Albert you will take Presto as an alternative. :)
... as in Albert Einstein. The perfect name for a nerd.
Yeah, that's it.
It's cuz in the real world Presto was already his nick-name as the character was a wannabe amateur magician, thats why he was called it by the others and not his real name. :-)
Yes, it's explained in the series' Bible.
Another called only by the nickname is Robert (Bobby).
I got into D&D when I was about 8 years old. This cartoon came out when I was 10. As much as I loved the cartoon (and I LOVED it) - it couldn’t hold a candle to what my imagination did when actually playing the game. Great video.
I never played dnd with people.
I would watch dnd before thundercats.
In the 80s I owned lots of Transformers, 3 Go Lions and Lynn Minmay from Macross.
I played a lot of D&D as a kid and I enjoyed the cartoon. Great episode guys!
One of my fave cartoons of the 80’s & one of my all time favourite toy lines from LJN. Very insightful video. Great work guys! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
i friggin loved this cartoon.
The episodes are on RUclips
Channel ruclips.net/channel/UCpKaCg153iCvngJ3IOuBh2w
Playlist ruclips.net/video/nBg5l6XzAzo/видео.html
Loved the cartoon as a kid and former DnD player. My wife who knows nothing of DnD was able to find a box set of the cartoon and surprise me with it a number of Christmases ago...and I love it.
Evil can’t survive both shrinking & dinking
Challenge accepted
DM: Roll d20 to avoid shrinkage.
Player: Yes! Now I --
DM: Roll d20 to avoid dinkage.
Player: What's... dinkage?
DM: You just rolled a 2. You're about to find out.
_DM cackles like Mark Hamill's Joker._
This came across my feed last night. Just subbed. The flood of memories that washed over me as you explained all of the details I never cared about as a kid was overwhelming. Of all the 80s toons I loved (and own today) this one was on of my favorites (up there with Robotech, GI Joe, and Transformers). Tiamat being my favorite character. So much lore. Wished it continued.
I have fond, albeit vague, memories of this show... I remember thinking Diana was Cheetara level hot.
Hey, Cheetara was my middle school crush that gave me feelings in my tummy that I wasn’t prepared to deal with! 😏
@@olyrhys8724 You and I both.
The episodes are on RUclips
Channel ruclips.net/channel/UCpKaCg153iCvngJ3IOuBh2w
Playlist ruclips.net/video/nBg5l6XzAzo/видео.html
I prefer Sheila.
I prefer The Baroness to cheetara.
Thank you Sir. Thanks to you for reminding me to look for the closure. D&D Requeim. Finally i have my closure on this GREAT cartoon.
Why did I only just realize that Eric is actually Ross from Friends?
Darin Preston And the pretty much blue lion pilot in the Netflix Voltron reboot.
I always thought Adam Sandler should play him live action.
Don Most voiced Eric. Are you making an observation on HOW he was in the cartoon?
@@davidkelly5459 How he looked and acted..yes...lol.
I have the dvd box set. As a kid, Venger was the scariest character on tv. I'm almost 50 now and still watch some episodes from time to time.
I've been rewatching these episodes with my 12-year old as part of my quest to show him that cartoons weren't always as mindnumbingly bad as the ones one Disney XD and CN. I was surprised at how well the episodes hold up even today. What a masterpiece. I liked that the kids had real emotion. There's an episode where the kids almost make it home, but they fail. Afterwards, they're all upset and sniping at one another, and Bobby just hides his face and cries. You never see kids that real even in live-action TV these days.
"Requiem" has since been animated, and it makes a nice wrap up for the series.
Damn I wish there was a Venger figure made in the same scale as Masters of the universe
I watched it every saturday morning. It became my favorite cartoon of all time. I'm 46 now and showed my 11 year old nephew who is always on his cell phone watching something dumb on youtube all day long. After the first episode was done first thing out of his mouth was, can we watch the next episode. I was like oh hell yea of course. I was nine years old when this came out and got a new toy every sunday after my AYSO soccer game. I even got the Fang fortress. I had just about all the toys in that set. But only thing I have now is, Dragonne, Hook Horror, and Northlords Helmet and Axe.