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''Blackstar'' is an American
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
science fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...
television series, produced in 1981 by
Lou Scheimer Louis Scheimer (October 19, 1928 – October 17, 2013) was an American producer and voice actor who was one of the original founders of Filmation. He was also credited as an executive producer of many of its cartoons. Early life and education ...
and
Norm Prescott Norman Prescott (January 31, 1927 – July 2, 2005) was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Associates, an animation studio he created with veteran animator Lou Scheimer. Life and career Born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston ...
for
Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and pr ...
. The series was Filmation's second fantasy epic, the first being '' The Freedom Force'', a segment of ''
Tarzan and the Super 7 ''Tarzan and the Super 7'' is a Saturday morning cartoon series, produced by Filmation and originally airing from 1978–1980 on CBS. The show consisted of separate installments featuring seven groups of adventurers: * ''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle ...
''. ''Blackstar'' has many notable similarities to ''
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's toy line ''Masters of the Universe''. The show, often referred to as simply ''He-Man'', was one of the most popular anima ...
'', which was produced shortly afterwards.


Story

John Blackstar is an
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
from
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
, stranded on the planet Sagar after his spacecraft was swept into a black hole, taking him to an ancient alien universe. On Sagar, Blackstar allies himself with the Trobbits, the shape-changing Klone, the dragon Warlock, and Mara the Enchantress. Blackstar and his allies oppose the
Overlord An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or serje ...
, who seeks to take over Sagar.


Future Earth

Very little is known about Blackstar's Earth, though its technology is undoubtedly far advanced, as evidenced by Blackstar's "
photon A photon () is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Photons are massless, so they always ...
-based" ship and Katana's "
fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...
-drive" timeship capable of multidimensional travel. Neither Blackstar nor Katana bear any insignia related to any agencies in the real world. Blackstar's insignia appears on his golden collar.


Planet Sagar

Sagar, where John Blackstar ends up being stranded, is located in an ancient alien universe. It is subject to attacks by the evil Overlord, who seeks to conquer the planet.


John Blackstar

John Blackstar's race is not specified in the series, though it is often speculated that he could have Native American heritage and ancestry, anticipating ''
Bravestarr ''BraveStarr'' is an American space Western animated series that aired 65 episodes from September 1987 to February 1988 in syndication. The show was created a year after Mattel had released a line of action figures. ''BraveStarr'' was the last a ...
'', a later Filmation series, by roughly six years. As an
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
, Blackstar might have been extensively trained in many fields. He is intelligent, and he often prefers to outsmart his opponent rather than rely on physical talent, even though his constant contact with the Star Sword grants him super-human athletic abilities and near invulnerability.


The PowerStar's two halves

The PowerStar was a mighty magical weapon that was split in two through unknown events, with Blackstar and the Overlord each possessing one half. Blackstar's weapon, the Star Sword, is able to absorb, store, and reflect any external form of energy, and is virtually indestructible. It can also produce blasts of pure energy capable of destroying a target. The weapon generates an invisible "aura" that imbues Blackstar with superhuman senses, strength, endurance, reflexes, speed, agility, and a limited invulnerability to harm and extreme temperatures. Presumably, the Overlord's Power Sword confers similar abilities. For a brief time in the episode "Spacewrecked", the Star Sword and the Power Sword are re-united into the PowerStar.


Blackstar's fate

In the sixth episode, "Spacewrecked", Blackstar was briefly reached by his former Earth girlfriend, Lieutenant Katana, who spent some time on Sagar before a misadventure with the Overlord forced her to leave. Katana did not appear in any other episodes, although the story ended with her asking a superior for permission to organize an armed rescue mission.


Characters


Main

* John Blackstar (voiced by
George DiCenzo George Ralph DiCenzo (April 21, 1940 – August 9, 2010) was an American actor, and one-time associate producer for ''Dark Shadows''. He was in the show business for over 30 years, with extensive film, TV, stage, and commercial credits. DiCenzo ...
) – The main protagonist of the series. John Blackstar is an astronaut who ends up stranded on the planet Sagar where he takes part in the battles against Overlord. * Warlock – A winged, green equine-like
dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
mount ridden by Blackstar, which he called a "dragon-horse". He is highly intelligent and agile in flight, and is able to breathe fire like all dragons. * Klone (voiced by
Patrick Pinney Patrick Cullen Pinney (born June 30, 1952) is an American television, film and voice actor. Early life, family and education Pinney was born in San Francisco County, California. His mother's maiden name is his middle name. He attended college a ...
) – A tall, pale green
elf An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
-like
shapeshifter In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...
with long white hair and a ready wit who assists Blackstar against the Overlord. * Mara (voiced by
Linda Gary Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress. Career Live-action appearances Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...
) – A purple-skinned enchantress who is Blackstar's ally. She is capable of
telekinesis Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
,
telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W ...
,
levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...
, forcefield projection, illusions, magic blasts, and
teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction literature and in other popular culture. Teleportation is oft ...
. In "City of the Ancient Ones", it is revealed that she is at least a few centuries old. * Trobbits – A portmanteau of troll and
hobbit Hobbits are a fictional race of people in the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. About half average human height, Tolkien presented hobbits as a variety of humanity, or close relatives thereof. Occasionally known as halflings in Tolkien's writings, ...
, they are the inhabitants of the Sagar Tree. The pink-skinned, white-haired little Trobbits rescue Blackstar upon his arrival on Sagar. They are likely inspired by the Seven Dwarfs. Some of the known Trobbits are: ** Balkar (voiced by
Patrick Pinney Patrick Cullen Pinney (born June 30, 1952) is an American television, film and voice actor. Early life, family and education Pinney was born in San Francisco County, California. His mother's maiden name is his middle name. He attended college a ...
) – The
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
of the Trobbits and the mentor of John Blackstar. He controls elemental magic and is also a great
alchemist Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscience, protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in Chinese alchemy, C ...
. ** Rif (voiced by
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) – The Trobbits' grumpy, flame-capped cook. ** Terra (voiced by
Patrick Pinney Patrick Cullen Pinney (born June 30, 1952) is an American television, film and voice actor. Early life, family and education Pinney was born in San Francisco County, California. His mother's maiden name is his middle name. He attended college a ...
) – The
gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...
who talks to plants. ** Burble (voiced by
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) – The babbler who swims very well and freezes during the winter. ** Carpo (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – The
carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. ...
who gnaws wood with his
beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
-like teeth to construct things. ** Poulo – The mute whistler, youngest of the Trobbits. ** Gossamear (voiced by
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) – The huge-eared flying one who is the scout and lookout.


Villains

* Overlord (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – The primary antagonist of the series. The large, muscular purple-skinned tyrant plots to rule all of the planet Sagar and wields one half of the PowerStar called the Power Sword and constantly seeks the other half the Star Sword which John Blackstar now wields. **
Vizier A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
(voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – Overlord's short, blue-skinned and purple-robed right-hand man and companion. He is an expert at mind-control and conjuring. * Lava Locs – They appear in "Search for the Star Sword" and "Spacewrecked". The Lava Locs they are semi-intelligent creatures that can harden into volcanic stone and emerge from volcanic stone. They worship the Overlord and present him offerings at their temple. * Alien Demons – They appear in two episodes. In "Spacewrecked", they appear as minions of the Overlord and Vizier. In "The Crown of the Sorceress", they are summoned by Taleena. The Alien Demons look a bit like evil
gremlin A gremlin is a mischievous folkloric creature invented at the beginning of the 20th century to originally explain malfunctions in aircraft and later in other machinery and processes and their operators. Depictions of these creatures vary widely ...
s and their toy figures came with each villain character. * Palace Guards – Only appearing in "The Quest", they are the Overlord's beak-faced minions who guard the Ice Palace. * Taleena (voiced by
Linda Gary Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress. Career Live-action appearances Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...
) – Only appearing in "Crown of the Sorceress", Taleena is a high priestess of the Demonlands and one of the minions of the Overlord. She was last seen consumed by the demonfire of her own making. * Shaldemar (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – Only appearing in "The Zombie Master", Shaldemar is an ally of the Overlord and the ruler of Marakand. Shaldemar was last seen turning to smoke after a blast from the Star Sword shattered the Sphere of Souls, releasing the captured spirits. * Isogul – Only appearing in "The Air Whales of Ancar", he is the king of the Vampire Men who blasts the Star Sword with evil magic, making it unstable. The evil can only be purged by the song of the Air Whales of Ancar. * Nihilis (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – Only appearing in "The Air Whales of Ancar", Nihilis is the captain of a flying whaling ship when he tries to capture the Air Whales and turn them into servants of the Overlord. His daughter Lyla is trying to get him to see the error of his ways. * Kadray (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – Only appearing in "Lord of Time", Kadray is a time lord who rides a flying bull named Triton. He uses a time scepter to control time. His powers in the end backfire and is turned into a baby. Kadray was last seen in the care of the desert sprites. * Neptul (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – Only appearing in "Kingdom of Neptul", Neptul is the ruler of Aquaria and a servant of the Overlord. He attempted to steal the Star Sword from Blackstar. * Typhot (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – Only appearing in "The Mermaid of Serpent Sea", Typhot is the captain of a group of
undead The undead are beings in mythology, legend, or fiction that are deceased but behave as if alive. Most commonly the term refers to corporeal forms of formerly-alive humans, such as mummies, vampires, and zombies, who have been reanimated by super ...
pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
and enemies of the Mermanites. He is an ancestor of the Overlord. Typhot was last seen as a flying
manta ray Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, '' M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, '' M. alfredi'', reaches . Both have triangular Pectoral fin#AnchPect ...
flying to Overlord's icy castle. ** Sirk – Only appearing in "The Mermaid of the Serpent Sea", Sirk is Typhot's first mate. * Breelorand – Only appearing in "Overlord's Big Spell", it is a giant magic-consuming demon that Overlord foolishly summoned to destroy the rebellion that went out of control. Breelorand's rampage forced the Overlord to team up with Blackstar to defeat it as it began destroying the planet Sagar. * Crios (voiced by
Alan Oppenheimer Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s. Early life Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
) – Only appearing in "Lightning City in the Clouds", Crios is an Ice King whom the Overlord sends to capture Lelanna and use the special key she has to open the Box of Seasons and obtain the Weatherseed for the Overlord's purpose. In exchange, Overlord would have him rule winter on Overlord's behalf. When the key was destroyed and the Box of Seasons opened, Crios vanished in the dawning spring.


Supporting and minor

* Amber (voiced by
Linda Gary Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress. Career Live-action appearances Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...
) – Only appearing in "City of the Ancient Ones", Amber is a sorceress who is hundreds of years old and is worshiped by the Cave Apes. With the help of Vizier, the Overlord awakens her from her crystallized sleep and forces her to lead him to Tamboriyon. At the Overlord's command, Amber imprisons Klone and the Trobbits. She is redeemed by Blackstar and Mara. While Amber herself is human, she has a gnarled monstrous hand for reasons that were left unexplained. * Storm (voiced by
Linda Gary Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress. Career Live-action appearances Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...
) – Only appearing in "The Lord of Time", she is Queen of the
Amazons In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, ...
and ally of Blackstar. * Tholen – Only appearing in "The Lord of Time", he is king of the Desert Sprites, a race of pacifists who guard the Fountain of Fire from evil. * Queen Brindell – Only appearing in "The Mermaid of Serpent Sea", she is the Queen of the Mermanites and ally of the Trobbits. * Puffin – Only appearing in "The Mermaid of the Serpent Sea", she is an extremely chatty Mermanite child who befriends Poulo. * Tyson – Only appearing in "The Quest", he is the Elder of the Desert Dwellers who guard the Healing Stone. * Emerald Knight – Only appearing in "The Quest", she started out as a servant of the Overlord who gave her armor that restored her youth. Realizing the error of her ways, Emerald Knight decided to stay with the Desert Dwellers and help guard the Healing Stone. * Leilanna (voiced by
Linda Gary Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress. Career Live-action appearances Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...
) – Only appearing in "Lightning City in the Clouds", she is keeper of the key to the Box of Seasons and possibly a demigoddess. Her opposite counterpart is King Crios. * Flame People – Only appearing in "Kingdom of Neptul", they are fire
elemental An elemental is a mythic being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent fo ...
s who help Blackstar & the Trobbits fight Neptul and his Amphimen. * Delia – Only appearing in "Tree of Evil", she is a Wood Sprite (called a
dryad A dryad (; el, Δρυάδες, ''sing''.: ) is a tree nymph or tree spirit in Greek mythology. ''Drys'' (δρῦς) signifies "oak" in Greek, and dryads were originally considered the nymphs of oak trees specifically, but the term has evolved to ...
), whose forest is tainted by evil when the Overlord creates an evil copy of the Sagar Tree as a trap for Blackstar and Klone. * Lyla – Appearing in "The Air Whales of Ancar", she is the daughter of Nihilus who falls in love with Blackstar and helps him defeat her father. She vows to make her father change his ways. * Grogon – Only appearing in "The Air Whales of Ancar", he is an Ape Man who speaks in the third person. Grogon helps Blackstar rebel against Nihilus. * Warhoun – Only appearing in "The Air Whales of Ancar", he's an ancient and powerful Air Whale who befriends Gossamear. * Thorg – Only appearing in "Crown of the Sorceress", he is the leader of a people imprisoned by the evil magic of Taleena. He becomes an ally of Blackstar. * Prince Dal and Princess Loweena – Only appearing in "The Zombie Masters", they are the co-rulers of the city of Gondar. It is destroyed by Shaldemar, but Blackstar defeats him with Prince Dal's help. Dal and Loweena claim the floating city of Marakand as the new home for their people, becoming powerful allies to Blackstar and friends.


Locations

Among the identified locations on Sagar are: * Anchar – A region that is home to the Air Whales and scattered
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
men tribes. * Aquaria – An undersea kingdom ruled by Neptul. * Demonlands – A barren landscape in the west where the
demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
s live. * Flame Mountain – A volcanic mountain chain near Tamboriyon. * Gondar – A city ruled by Prince Dal and Princess Lowena. It was destroyed by Shaldemar. * Gorge of the Winds – A deep canyon with winds that make it hard to fly through. Anyone wanting to go through it would use a rope and pulley system. * Highlands – Home of the
Druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
s. * Ice Castle – Overlord's base. * Kaymus- The kingdom that Taleena took over. * Magnetic Sea – The city of Aquaria is located here. All compasses will have their readings thrown off. * Marakand – The floating city of
zombie A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in whic ...
s. * Red Crown Reef – A crown-shaped reef located in the Sea of Tranquility. * Sagar Tree – A giant tree that is a source of the powerful white magic of Sagar. The Trobbits live here. * Sea of Tranquility – The Mermanites live here. * Tamboriyon – The ruined city of the Ancient Ones that is filled with ancient secrets. * Tree of Evil – An evil clone of the Sagar Tree created by Overlord.


Broadcast

The premiere episode aired September 12, 1981, and the entire series original run lasted until December of that year. After its cancellation, ''Blackstar'' was re-run during the 1983–84 season, on the heels of ''
He-Man He-Man is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the sword and planet ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by h ...
''s popularity. Despite favorable ratings from that 1983–84 reairing, plans for a second season had already been previously scrapped.


Episodes


Home video release

In mid-January 2006, BCI Eclipse Entertainment acquired the rights for the series. BCI Eclipse LLC, under its Ink & Paint classic animation entertainment label, and under license from
Entertainment Rights PLC Entertainment Rights PLC (formally known as Sleepy Kids) was a British multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that specialized in TV-shows and cartoons, children’s media, films, and distribution. In May 2009, the company was ...
, released ''Blackstar: The Complete Series'' on DVD in Region 1 on August 22, 2006. The 2-disc set features all 13 original, uncut episodes of the series in story continuity order, fully restored and re-mastered for optimum audio and video quality, plus several bonus features. On August 5, 2008, episodes were released on a DVD named ''Heroes and Heroines'', with episodes from many series. By early 2009, this release has been discontinued and is out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations. In 2007, 3 PAL DVDs containing 2 episodes on each were released by Boulevard Entertainment in the UK, though no subsequent DVDs have been released, leaving the remaining 7 episodes unreleased, as Boulevard Entertainment went into liquidation in 2014.


Merchandise


Toys

Galoob Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc., was a toy company headquartered in South San Francisco, California. They are perhaps best known for creating Micro Machines, which accounted for 50% of its sales in 1989, and distributing the Game Genie in the United Sta ...
produced
action figures An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are usually market ...
from 1983 to 1985 after the show's cancellation, attempting to tap into the ''
He-Man He-Man is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the sword and planet ''Masters of the Universe'' franchise, which includes a toy line, several animated television series, comic books and a feature film. He-Man is characterized by h ...
'' boom. The first series was re-released alongside the second and third series of figures with "laser light" stone-sparking action. Evil characters were packaged with demons while good characters were packaged with Trobbits. Trobbits were also packaged individually with Rif, Terra and Gossamer being the tougher ones to find.
Warlock the dragon and the Space Ship were each released in two color variations. Also released were Triton, Kadray's flying bull, the Trobbit Wind Machine and Battle Wagon. The Ice Castle was constructed with very thin plastic, making it very fragile.
In Greece, ''Blackstar'' action figures (the "laser lights" with stone-sparkling action version) were released under the name "Κυρίαρχοι του Σύμπαντος" (Masters of the Universe) by ElGreco toy company, until they were eventually phased-out by the introduction of ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe''.


Comics

Two independent
comic a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
adaptations were made for the
French market The French Market (french: Marché français) is a market and series of commercial buildings spanning six blocks in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as a Native American trading post predating European colonization, the market ...
. One was a 3-episode series by artist Christian Gatignol (a.k.a. "Gaty") published by Éditions Vaillant in their long-running comic magazine ''
Pif Gadget ''Pif Gadget'' was a French comic magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its readership peaked in the early 1970s. Predecessors ''Pif'' has its origins in ''Le Jeune Patriote'', a youth magazine published by French Co ...
''. The other was a 46-page one-shot published by Éditions LUG (then the publishing house translating the bulk of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
in French) by artist Jean-Yves Mitton, the creator of famed French super-hero '' Mikros''. While Gatignol's version stays close to the original, Mitton went his own way with the Blackstar mythos, creating new enemies for Blackstar to fight (Antrax the coal giant, Telekrane the phantom witch), and stating that Blackstar and Mara had a romantic relationship. While Katana does not appear, she has a counterpart in Blackstar's original girl-friend from Earth, Leia, who appears in a flashback. It is also explained that Blackstar suffers partial amnesia from his crash on Sagar and had all but forgotten Leia when he started his relationship with Mara.


References


External links

* *
Blackstar Action Figures
– Blackstar action figure guide
Entertainment Rights
– Rights holder of Blackstar {{DEFAULTSORT:Blackstar (Tv Series) 1981 American television series debuts 1981 American television series endings CBS original programming 1980s American animated television series Television series set in the future Action figures 1980s toys English-language television shows Television series by Filmation Television series by Universal Television Television series about astronauts Television series set on fictional planets American children's animated action television series American children's animated space adventure television series American children's animated science fantasy television series