Blackstar
Ep. 235 is live!
And so August comes to a close. I seriously can’t believe summer is effectively over, September is right around the corner, marking one year of Yesterdaze! But more on that next week, I suppose. This week, however, we are closing out August with a property that is equal parts classic and, arguably, obscure: Filmation’s Blackstar.
Blackstar managed to be the interim sword and shield adventure show between Thundarr The Barbarian and He-Man & The Masters of the Universe. It is obvious that the former influenced Blackstar, and that the latter would be influenced by Blackstar. To those truly immersed in the world of sword, shield, sorcery, and sci-fi, clear through lines can be drawn from the likes of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and especially John Carter.
The cartoon would only last for one season on CBS, thrilling kids for 13 Saturdays. At the end of the run, that would seemingly be it…until He-Man came along. With the debut of MOTU, and the subsequent merchandising bonanza that followed, toy companies were scrambling to come up with the next big thing to compete with the blonde beefcake. Some companies, however, were smart enough to just draft off of the success. In 1983, Galoob debuted a Blackstar action figure line that ran until 1985. Looking at the figures, it is plain to see just how easily these could be picked up by an unsuspecting aunt. Aside from these figures, there really wasn’t much else in the way of merchandising. There would be a companion line, or spiritual successor of sorts, in the form of Galoob’s Infaceables released in 1984. The line even boasted three vehicles that were supposedly intended for the Blackstar line.
While not as visually stunning as MOTU figures, Blackstar did have its charm. The likelihood of any sort of revival or reboot series is slim to none, but seeing John Blackstar in toy form isn’t impossible. In the last two years we’ve gotten a new Eternia Playset, chrome-vac Silverhawks have hit the market, Hasbro has released a Krystar figure and recently announced a Rom figure, and two independent third party companies have given us new versions of John Bravestarr. So who is to say Super7, Ramen Toys, or even Mondo Toys aren’t cooking up a plan to have their own officially licensed Blackstar figure, or a VERY similar homage instead. Time, it seems, will tell. That is going to wrap it for Yesterdaze this week, but PLEASE come back and join us for the kickoff of September with one of my very favorite 80’s cartoons, The Centurions. I truly can’t wait! In the meantime, we hope you have a great week, and as always Thanks…and enjoy! -Derek
