Travel with us through time and space through this Retrospective of Terrahawks. This popular space franchise began in 1983 with the release of the television series. The Terrahawks series featured all characters as latex hand puppets. The style of puppetry used for this series, supermacromation, differs from the style used in maker Gerry Anderson’s earlier series. Supermacromation allows for both smoother movement and the illusion of walking for the puppets. This unique futuristic space television series showed popularity among many children in the 1980s in the UK and US. The show’s memorable characters and villains increased the popularity of the show and holds nostalgia for many people today. Along with the television series, toys, a video game, and books also released for the franchise. Follow along through our Retrospective of Terrahawks with us.
Join Us in a Retrospective of Terrahawks
Follow along with us as we travel through the franchise. We will give an overview of the futuristic space story through the television series, toys, video game, and books released. Join us in our Retrospective of Terrahawks to learn about this legendary franchise.
Television Series
First up, on our Retrospective of Terrahawks, we have the television series that started it all. When this series released, it featured the first in over a decade and last of Gerry Anderson’s shows to use puppets for characters. Anderson’s previous TV series, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, also featured puppet characters. However, this series featured a different style of puppetry with supermacromation. Like Anderson’s previous puppet series, this one also showcases futuristic technology and vehicles as the plot takes place in the year 2020. The series follows the plot of the Terrahawks who defend earth against the evil alien extraterrestrial androids from the planet Guk, led by Zelda. It hit popularity among many children during it’s initial release.
Zelda took base on Mars as she launched attacks on Earth with her son, Yung-Star, and sister, Cy-Star, by her side. Then, operating out of Hawknest in South America, the team of Terrahawks stands ready to defend Earth against the dreadful alien attack. The elite fighting team of Terrahawks, led by Dr. Tiger Ninestein, also included Captain Mary Falconer, Captain Kate Kestrel, Lieutenant Hiro, and Lieutenant Hawkeye. To help defend and fight, a total of five vehicles were included in the organization. The Spacehawk mobile space station, Hawkwing interceptor-craft, Battlehawk heavy-duty transport, Treehawk space shuttle, and Terrahawk reconnaissance craft. Along with these vehicles, the team also includes spherical robots, often led by Sergeant Major Zero. While this epic team of fighters stood on Earth, Zelda’s family often remained on Mars. This evil alien family kept their stance strong as they sent their monsters to Earth to attack against the Terrahawks.
Terrahawks Toys
Up next on our Retrospective of Terrahawks, we have the toys. Bandai released a line of figures in the UK with many characters, wind-up toys, and vehicles. These figures featured articulation in their arms, legs, and neck. The characters come with a detachable silver belt and laser gun with the exception of the Hawkeye figure who holds a laser rifle instead. The Zeroid figures feature removeable heads along with eye coverings. The figures include Captain Kate Kestrel, Captain Mary Falconer, Lieutenant Hiro, Lieutenant Hawkeye, Zelda, Doctor Ninestein, Space Sergeant 101, and Sergeant Major Zero. Vehicles such as Battlehawk, Treehawk, Battletank, Hawkwing, and Spacehawk all released by Bandai. Deluxe action models, LCD electronic game, and a gift set also all came out for the franchise.
The figures design clearly demonstrates each character from the film with detail in the face, hair, sculpting, and painting. The vehicles also brought the television series to life for many kids. The vehicles represent those of the series as well and allow kids to act out all their favorite scenes. Along with the Terrahawks series in the 1980s, these toys also brought more popularity to the growing franchise.
Terrahawks Video Game
The next thing to mention on our Retrospective of Terrahawks is the video game. This game released by CRL group PLC in 1984. It came out for the Commodore 64 as well as the ZX Spectrum. This action stimulation shooter game allowed players to immerse into scenes from the show within their own homes. In this game, the player aims to pass the Terrahawk pilot training. To pass the pilot training, the player goes through different adventures. These include: going into a black hole, flying through the vortex, and shooting at anything in your way, all while preserving gas for your spaceship.
The player must accomplish these all as well as all nine levels of increasing difficulty to become a Terrahawk pilot. The game also grows in difficulty as the player starts all over each time he dies. The player needs to dodge Zelda with her mothership when flying through space on a Terrahawk mission.
Terrahawks Books
These books come next on out retrospective of Terrahawks. Many different books released for the franchise from different brands. In 1984, Sparrow Books released this Terrahawks book written by Jack Curtis. Also in 1984, Purnell released a total of eight books that year for the franchise. These included: Happy-Made Day, From Here to Infinity, Space Samurai, Thunder Roar, Close Call, The Gun, The Sporilla, and The Ugliest Monster of All. Along with these eight books, Purnell also came out with some Terrahawks coloring books. An annual came out as well in 1984 along with a Terrahawks storybook and rainy day book. The second annual Terrahawks book came out the following year in 1985. Then, in 2014, Anderson Entertainment Books released Terrahawks: Expect the Unexpected.
A series of three Terrahawks books also released for the franchise. The Terrahawks complete chronicles set includes Deep Blue Z, Comic Anthology, and Flaming Thunderbolts. The Terrahawks: Deep Blue Z graphic novel features two new stories for the loved characters. These stories were written by Chris Thompson and Andrew Clements with art by Connor Flanagan. Terrahawks: Comic Anthology features reprints of the original Terrahawks cartoon strips in Look-in magazine. Lastly, Flaming Thunderbolts: The Definitive Story of Terrahawks, includes a guide to new interviews and details of all things Terrahawks.
Terrahawks Comics
Although these epic sci-fi characters never really took off in comic book form, comic mini strips were featured in the Look-in magazine. This comic magazine based its popularity and sales around TV programs at the time from the ITV network. These television shows began to grow popularity as they became featured in the magazine weekly, Terrahawks included. The only other comic-like art of Terrahawks appears in the Terrahawks Annual book and Terrahawks storybooks.
Final Thoughts
The popular, sci-fi action world of Terrahawks opens up to us stories through time and space. The epic team of Terrahawks defending earth against Zelda and her crew bring nostalgia to many fans today. The series sparked popularity with it’s release in the UK and US in 1983. Since then, the franchise grew and many people recount back to the characters and scenes from the world of Terrahawks.
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Made in Collaboration with:
Chris Ingledue
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Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab Pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!