| Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos | |
|---|---|
Clip from Karate Kommandos |
|
| Created by | Chuck Norris |
| Directed by | Charles A. Nichols John Kimball |
| Starring | Chuck Norris as Himself |
| Voices of | Sam Fontana Kathy Garver Robert Ito Mona Marshall Bill Martin Alan Oppenheimer Keone Young |
| Composer(s) | Udi Harpaz |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Joe Ruby Ken Spears |
| Producer(s) | Larry Huber |
| Running time | 30 Minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original run | September 15, 1986 – September 19, 1986 |
Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos is an American animated television series from the 1980s. It originally aired in 1986 as a syndicated five episode mini-series. It was created by and starred Chuck Norris as himself, and produced by Ruby-Spears Productions.
Re-runs of the cartoon have occasionally aired on Adult Swim.
Contents |
This fictionalized version of Norris is a United States government operative with a team of "radically diverse" warriors known as the Karate Kommandos. Together, they fight against the organization VULTURE led by The Claw and his right-hand man Super Ninja.
The series follows the framing device of Mr. T's animated series (also a Ruby-Spears production): At the beginning of each episode, a live action segment with Norris, usually at a gym or martial arts studio, is shown to explain what is going on. At the end of each episode, Norris narrates a moral lesson for the audience to learn.
The team includes:
| № | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Deadly Dolphin" | 15 September 1986 |
| Chuck Norris and his comrades are helping a scientist named Dr. Sanford test experimental equipment that would enable people to breathe underwater by converting water into oxygen. The Claw sends Super-Ninja and a female operative Angelfish named to lead his men to kidnap Dr. Sanford and break into Sealab. It's up to Norris' team to defend them both. | ||
| 2 | "Target: Chuck Norris" | 16 September 1986 |
| The Claw places a bounty on Chuck Norris' head in order to eliminate him once and for all, and at the same time he steals a computer chip that would permit him to gain control of NATO's defenses. Chuck Norris and his comrades must get the chip back in order to protect the free world. When Super Ninja manages to capture Too-Much, Chuck Norris must rescue his young ward as well. | ||
| 3 | "Terror Train" | 17 September 1986 |
| Chuck Norris and his comrades are assigned to guard a robot laser while it is being transported, but The Claw has his eyes on the prize as well so he sends some of his best men to steal it. However, when Super Ninja plants some explosives onto the transport train, Norris must play his cards correctly or risk losing the lives of the passengers on board. | ||
| 4 | "Menace from Space" | 18 September 1986 |
| Chuck Norris and his comrades head off to a space shuttle launch site in order to warn a general about The Claw's plans, but they're too late and The Claw manages to get away with the shuttle. To make matters worse, the space shuttle was carrying a fusion cannon that has the power to do unspeakable damage to any city in the world, so Norris decides to use an old space shuttle to go into space and stop Super Ninja before any damage is dealt. | ||
| 5 | "Island of the Walking Dead" | 19 September 1986 |
| The Claw is attempting to bring down a United States satellite in order to reprogram it so he can gain control of all the nation's military bases, so the president decides to send Chuck Norris to stop him. However, Super Ninja manages to distract Norris long enough for The Claw's men to succeed. Norris and his comrades head off to Voodoo Island in hope of recovering the satellite, but things take a turn for the worse, and they discover that the island is full of the walking dead. | ||
On April 1, 2011, Warner Bros. released Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos: The Complete Series on DVD in region 1 via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and only in the US.[1]
There was also a comic book series published by Star Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics which produced comic books aimed at young children. Steve Ditko provided the art.[2]
To coincide with the airing of the show, Kenner Products made a set of action figures based on the main characters of the show. Kenner also made many accessories, including weapons and vehicles, to go along with the figurines.