If you grew up in the 1990s, and developed a taste for the horror genre at a young age, there’s a good chance you remember Skeleton Warriors, an animated cartoon series that aired on CBS from 1994 to 1995, and spawned its very own toy line.
Created by Gary Goddard, who a few years prior directed the live-action adaptation of Mattel’s mega-popular Masters of the Universe toy line, Skeleton Warriors was a Saturday morning cartoon that premiered on September 12th, 1994, centering on hero Prince Lightstar and skeletal villain Baron Drak, whose human and skeleton armies do battle in an ongoing effort to control the powerful Lightstar Crystal.
If none of this is ringing any sort of bell, check out the intro for the cartoon series below, which just might jog your memory!
It was Playmates that produced and released the Skeleton Warriors toys, which Goddard in fact approached them about making even before he pitched the series to CBS. Though the cartoon debuted to critical acclaim and the property seemed destined to skyrocket to massive success, it never made it past the 13-episode first season, nor did the Playmates toy line advance past its debut series.
So what happened? Why did Skeleton Warriors never catch on, either on TV or on the toy shelf? Well, that might have a little something to do with the fact that Series 1 of the Playmates line was mostly comprised of the evil skeleton characters, with more heroes set to make their way onto shelves in Series 2. It seems parents just weren’t all that into buying their children toys of skeletons, and it wasn’t long before Series 1 ended up on the clearance rack, resulting in the company cancelling all plans for a second series.
Now, over 20 years after their death, the Skeleton Warriors are coming back. But only with your help…
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the failed franchise, October Toys has taken to Kickstarter in an effort to raise the necessary funds to bring Skeleton Warriors back from the dead, intent on giving the property a highly unexpected second chance at life.
October Toys founders George and Ayleen Gaspar, who have made a name for themselves in the industry with lines such as OMFG and Z.O.M.B.I.E., are behind the campaign, looking to collect the $45,000 they need to bring back the Skeleton Warriors, bigger, better and more badass than ever.
With a prototype for Baron Drak already whipped up (above), their plan is to launch a line of 5″ fully articulated action figures based on the characters from the show, which will also be infused with elements from Goddard’s original concept art. Perhaps coolest of all about this modern day take on the Skeleton Warriors is that the toys are going to be made using the Glyos System, which means they’ll be comprised of multiple interchangeable parts, allowing you to completely disassemble the figures and literally build your very own skeleton characters.
Each PVC action figure will feature 17 individual Glyos compatible pieces, and will be jam packed with a whopping 26 points of articulation. The evil Baron Drak, which will kick off the line, comes with a removable sword, cape, loin cloth and arm guards, for a total of 21 pieces. He’ll be housed inside of a full color collectors window box, as will all subsequent figures that October Toys makes under the Skeleton Warriors umbrella.
Perks for pitching in range from a simple thank you to a limited edition 15″ Baron Drak statue, and your donation can also be used to pre-order the Baron Drak 5″ figure and/or score you all sorts of other goodies. If the fund surpasses $45,000 within the next 20 days, other perks will be added, allowing you to get your hands on future figures in the line, including Prince Lightstar, Grimskull and Talyn.
Head over to the Skeleton Warriors Kickstarter campaign to donate and learn more. At the time of writing this, nearly $13,000 has already been raised by 30 backers, so success is needless to say very much in sight.
Viva la Skeleton Warriors!
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