SilverHawks 1980s

SilverHawks was an American animated TV series that aired in 1986. The series was created by the popular animation company Rankin/Bass and its distribution was handled by Lorimar-Telepictures. Like many of the other Rankin/Bass shows, “SilverHawks” was also animated entirely in Japan by Pacific Animation Corporation (PAC). It lasted only one season, in which 65 episodes were aired.

Production

Back in the early 1980s, Rankin/Bass, who were popular for producing Christmas themed stop-animation TV specials, decided to develop an action oriented animated series based on concepts submitted by Ted Wolf. That show was ThunderCats. It was a risky move by the company to introduce their own fantasy themed animated series in a market dominated mostly by the hugely popular “He-Man and the Master of the Universe”.

While work on “ThunderCats” was in full force, Rankin/Bass decided to take an even bigger risk and start developing another action oriented animated series, but one that is set in space, to contrast with the more sword-and-sorcery themed “ThunderCats”. This new show was titled “SilverHawks” and Peter Lawrence, who was the script consultant on “ThunderCats”, was put in-charge of developing “SilverHawks”.

“SilverHawks” utilized much of the same cast and crew as that of “ThunderCats”. PAC handled its animation, and many of the voice actors and script writers of “ThunderCats” also contributed to “SilverHawks”. Lee Dannacher was the supervising producer while Bernard Hoffer composed the music. Mike Germakian helped design much of the characters and environment of the show.

Animation

Just like “ThunderCats”, “SilverHawks” was animated in Japan by PAC. The head of PAC, Masaki Iizuka oversaw the animation. Many of the animators who worked on “ThunderCats” also worked on this show, as well as some new recruits of PAC. The show was animated using the traditional 2D Cel Painting animation technique, but with more advanced shading and visual effects than those used on “ThunderCats”.

Music

The music for the show was composed and conducted by Bernard Hoffer. Seeing as the show was set in the future and in space, Hoffer utilized a number of electronic and synthesizer sounds for the soundtrack.

SIlverHawks Theme/Title Song Lyrics

Tallyhawk!
Wings of silver, nerves of steel
Silverhawks!
Partly metal, partly real
Silverhawks!
Soaring though the highways of the heavens in their flight
Silverhawks, a rainbow in the night!
Wings of silver, nerves of steel
Silverhawks!
Partly metal, partly real
Silverhawks!
Silverhawks!

Cast and Crew

• Executive Producers: Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass
• Supervising Producer: Lee Dannacher
• Animation by: Pacific Animation Corporation
• In Charge of Production: Masaki Iizuka
• Animation Staff:
  • Tsugu Kubo
  • Minoru Nishida
  • Shigeo Koshi
  • Akihiko Takahashi
  • Yuji Yatabe
• Script Supervision: Peter Lawrence
• Project Development: Leisure Concepts Inc.
• Music: Bernard Hoffer
• Psychological Consultant: Robert Kuisis PhD
• Voice Characterizations:
  • Robert McFadden
  • Earl Hammond
  • Larry Kenney
  • Maggie Jakobson
  • Peter Newman
  • Adolph Caesar
  • Doug Preis
• Script Editor: Lee Schneider
• Recording Staff:
  • John Curcio - Dialogue
  • Tom Greto - Music
  • Tom Perkins - Editorial
  • Larry Franke - Editorial
  • Michael Ungar - Editorial
  • Pete Cannarozzi - Effects
• Character Designs:
  • Michael Germakian
• Soundtrack Supervisors:
  • Tony Giovanniello
  • Matthew Malach
  • Steve Gruskin
• Production Staff:
  • Susan Gilman-Harts
  • Karen Seigel
  • Heather Winters
  • Constance Long
• Secondary Character Deigns:
  • Bob Camp
• Scientific Consultant for Epilogue Test Segments:
  • Dr. William A. Gutsch, Jr.
• Writers:
  • Peter Lawrence
  • William Overgard
  • C.H. Trengove
  • Kimberly B. Morris
  • Lee Schneider
  • Bruce Smith
  • Stephen Perry
  • Jeri Craden
  • Bob Haney
  • J.V.P. Mundy
  • Cy Young
  • Beth Bornstein
  • Bruce Shlain
  • Lawrence DuKore
  • Alice Knox
  • Dow Flint Kowalczyk
  • Peter Larson
  • Matthew Malach
  • Danny Peary
  • Bill Ratter
  • Bill Ratner
  • Leonard Starr
  • Stephanie Swafford
  • Kenneth E. Vose
  • J. Larry Carroll

Premise

The SilverHawks are a specialized team of human heroes with metal bodies and wings who are entrusted with the task of stopping organized crime in the Galaxy of Limbo in the 29th Century. When the evil mob boss, Mon*Star and his cronies escape from their prison, Commander Stargazer hires the SilverHawks to apprehend the convicts and to protect the innocent beings of the galaxy.

Characters

Main article: SilverHawks (1980s) Characters

Episodes

Main article: SilverHawks (1980s) Episode Guide

Comparison to ThunderCats

Since a lot of the same cast and crew worked on both the shows, there were a number of similarities between the two. Apart from similar character development and narrative, there were other specific similarities between the two, such as:

Mon*Star vs Mumm-Ra

The two arch villains of their respective shows shared many similarities. Apart from having the same voice actor (Earl Hammond), both the characters had the ability to transform into a powerful version of themselves by reciting a special chant.

ThunderCats (2011)

In the 2011 "ThunderCats" series, Mon*Star is seen in a small cameo in the episode Legacy. He can be clearly seen on a monitor in the bridge of Mumm-Ra's ship.

External Links

• SilverHawks on Wikipedia
• SilverHawks on IMDb