Sunbow and Marvel Script/storyboard Archive

[Greebtron]

My website, as titled above, showcases scripts, storyboards, dialogue scripts, background keys, model sheets, show bibles, Toyfair catalogues and just about anything else related to shows produced by either one or both of Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions, covering 25 years of animation history.

These days, the collection has grown so big that it isn't feasible to list every item in one post. So I'll just leave a list of page links.

Marvel Superheroes 1981-1989 (Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends, Hulk, Pryde Of The X-Men)

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/marvel-superheroes-1981-1989-spider-man.html

MP 400 Dungeons & Dragons

MP 400 Dungeons & Dragons (1983 - 1985 TSR/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

The Marvel Muppet Connection )Muppet Babies, Little Muppet Monsters, Fraggle Rock)

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/jim-henson-shows-muppet-babies-little.html

MP 600 G.I Joe part 1 (Pre-cartoon adverts, miniseries and season 1)

MP 600 G.I Joe: A Real American Hero, Part 1 1983 - 1985 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

MP 600 G.I Joe part 2 (Season 2, The Movie and post-cartoon adverts)

MP 600 G.I Joe: A Real American Hero Part 2 1986 - 1992 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions) part 2

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

MP 700 The Transformers part 1 (Early development, season 1 and 2)

MP 700 The Transformers, Part 1 1984 - 1985 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

MP 4034 The Transformers The Movie

MP 4034 The Transformers The Movie (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

MP 700 The Transformers part 2 (season 3, Rebirth and post-cartoon)

MP 700 The Transformers, Part 2 1986 - 1987 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

MP 900 Defenders Of The Earth

MP 900 Defenders Of The Earth 1985-1986 (Marvel Productions/King Features Entertainment)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

MP 5201 My Little Pony N Friends

My Little Pony N Friends 1986

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

MP 5205 Jem

MP 5205 Jem 1985 - 1988 (Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

Sunbow Syndication 1985-1987 (Robotix, Bigfoot And The Muscle Machines, Inhumanoids, Visionaries, Air Raiders0

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/sunbow-syndication-1985-1987-super.html

Marvel's New World (Rude Dog And The Dweebs, Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes, Little Shop, Time Challengers, Siegfried And Roy, Biker Mice From Mars

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/marvels-new-world-1991-1996-little-shop.html

Sunbow Round Two 1991-1996 (Bucky O'Hare, Conan, The Tick)

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/sunbow-round-two-1991-1996-bucky-ohare.html

 

[Greebtron]

Bit of a surprise development. The full storyboard sets for the Inhumanoids episodes The Evil Eye and Primal Passions are now up for viewing at the Inhumanoids page (linked above)

 

[Greebtron]

Among the parts cut in The Evil Eye:

• When they are surrounded by the native Borneo tribe, Blackthorne and Andresen are repeatedly firing off real firearms. Which of course was a Hasbro no-no. In the finished episode, we cut straight to Blackthorne's rifle jamming, then...
• We get the full POV shot of the blowdart coming at Blackthorne Shore's eye and the screen fades to black. Whereas in the finished episode, there is an abrupt cut before the blowdart is fired.
• When Nightcrawler brings Gagoyle to the gates of Infernac and the Roman statue warriors fight the monster. One of them slits the Gagoyle's throat with a swipe from its sword. Only for the wound to reseal and the Gagoyle starts biting the statues' heads off.

 

[Greebtron]

Probably something you didn't expect to see in this thread, but opportunity knocked. Flint Dille's first animation script, working with Steve Gerber and Martin Pasko on the Mr.T cartoon for Ruby-Spears: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/other-showscompanies.html

 

[Greebtron]

Got a whole load of Visionaries material up for reading. The show bible, three of Flint's unproduced scripts and six of his produced ones:

870108 Visionaries 1987 (Sunbow Productions/TMS Entertainment)

sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com

 

[Greebtron]

Thanks to a bit of judicious screencapping, was able to get the storyboards for Can't Get My Love Together. From the Marv Wolfman-penned Jem episode Broadway Magic.

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-5205-jem-1985-1988-sunbow.html

 

[JonT]

I only recently found out about these, but Marvel Productions, in association with the Learning Corporation of America, put out a series of four direct-to-video mini-specials featuring Spider-Man in 1990. They were animated by AKOM and look to have the Spider-Man character design based on the two 1981 animated series. One episode has been uploaded, although the others remain lost at this time.

This was the first time Spider-Man had appeared in full-length animation since 1983 as Marvel Productions infamously struggled to get anyone interested in actual Marvel Comics-based animation for the remainder of their existence. This series is also the only time a Marvel Productions series actually featuring Spider-Man appropriately used their CGI Spidey logo from the beginning.

There are some familiar names in the credits, although certain others look like they're probably pseudonyms.

 

[Greebtron]

Most of the production staff are names I recognise (Some of those who had lost their jobs in the Marvel Implosion of 1988 had found their way back by this point). But I don't recognise a single voice actor name.

 

[Greebtron]

The forgotten son of Super Sunday - Bigfoot And The Muscle Machines - still has stories to tell. View Ron Friedman's two 15 segment outlines, character descriptions, additional story ideas, along with plot and character breakdowns from the Sunbow office https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-flint-dille-collection.html

 

[Greebtron]

Since I figure that if I want people to read the Bigfoot stuff, I'd better explain what it is. Here's the article I wrote up for the January update: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/2022/01/january-2022-update.html

First up is material from the Flint Dille Collection, supplied by owner Steve Chu. Concerning the "forgotten son" of Super Sunday: Bigfoot And The Muscle Machines.

Backstory

SST Muscle Machines was a toyline of battery-operated monster trucks, first released by Milton Bradley subsidiary Playskool in 1983. Starting out with the titular Big Foot - licensed by Bob Chandler, owner of the real-life vehicle.

In 1984, Playskool added licensed trucks Orange Blossom and Black Gold to the toyline, along with several other accessories. That year, Hasbro bought out Milton Bradley, thus acquiring SST Muscle Machines.

1984 also saw the debut of The Transformers on weekend syndication, to huge ratings. Seeking to keep those weekend ratings going as Transformers was scheduled to make the jump to weekday afternoons in the 1985 season. Griffin-Bacal introduced the Super Sunday concept: A trio of five-part miniseries, broken down into their individual 7-minute Acts and aired as an anthology series over 15 weekends. With plans to re-edit those 15 shorts back into TV movies for syndication and home video release.

Needing "Boys Action" toylines that could be quickly developed into shows. Hasbro looked to SST Muscle Machines, as well as fellow Milton Bradley acquisition Robotix. To accompany their new fashion doll line in development: Jem.

The Show

Ron Friedman was tasked to develop a show to promote the SST Muscle Machines toyline. On March 5th, 1985 he turned in a "beats" outline and character lineup. Detailing a group of drivers and mechanics led by Yank Justice, known as the Rolling Rodeo. The story would detail the Rodeo's run-ins with the corrupt Judge Skullheart who practically controlled the county through bribery, extortion and abuse of power. Along with his rogue's gallery of sheriffs, biker gangs, mercenaries and other hired thugs.

Included with this outline are three additional story premises. As well as plot breakdowns and character summaries written up by Elise Goyette, Production Co-Ordinator for Sunbow in New York



Evidently, Hasbro and Griffin-Bacal were not impressed by Friedman's creation. He was apparently told to go back to the drawing board. Coming up with a second outline and a brand new story set-up, on March 26th.

It is unclear whether this outline was satisfactory either, as Friedman was tasked to immediately start work on his second attempt at a screenplay for The Transformers The Movie. Which would be listed as "complete" on April 27th.

In the interim, retail orders for the SST toyline in 1985 (which introduced the "funny car" War Lord) were evidently low enough that Hasbro decided to scale back their investment, cutting the supporting cartoon down to 9 segments. Flint Dille was tasked to create a new miniseries. Retaining the Friedman-created characters of Yank Justice, Professor D, twins Red & Redder and Close McCall. He wrote a brand new story detailing the Rolling Rodeo's entanglement with an archaeologist on the run and their battles over a mysterious map. Sought by the reclusive, elderly billionaire Adrian Ravenscroft in his quest to find the Fountain Of Youth.
The miniseries was released on VHS as a 53-minute movie, but has never received a DVD or streaming release.

At time of writing, no material from the Flint Dille 9 segment version is available for public viewing.

 

[Greebtron]

I've taken the Toyfair catalogue scans I assembled last year and given them a permanent landing page: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/toyfair-catalogues.html

 

[Greebtron]

Been consolidating at the Archive, squeezing 19 shows into 5 pages;

Spider-Man, Hulk and Pryde Of The X-Men: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/marvel-superheroes-1981-1989-spider-man.html
Muppet Babies, Little Muppet Monsters, Fraggle Rock: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/jim-henson-shows-muppet-babies-little.html
Robotix, Bigfoot, Inhumanoids, Visionaries, Air Raiders: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/sunbow-syndication-1985-1987-super.html
Bucky O'Hare, Conan, The Tick: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/sunbow-round-two-1991-1996-bucky-ohare.html
Little Shop, Time Challengers, Siegfried And Roy, Biker Mice From Mars: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/marvels-new-world-1991-1996-little-shop.html

 

[Greebtron]

In addition to scripts or storyboards for 20 out of 27 produced episodes, the D&D page at the Sunbow Marvel Archive as of last night hosts 8 of Rick Merwin's unused premises for season 1 of the show. Giving us a look at what could have been:

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-400-dungeons-dragons-1983-1985.html

 

[Greebtron]

Some partial storyboards added to the Archive

Jem - The Music Awards, Part 1: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-5205-jem-1985-1988-sunbow.html

Inhumanoids - Cypheroid https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/sunbow-syndication-1985-1987-super.html

Defenders Of The Earth - Torn Space: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-900-defenders-of-earth-1985-1986.html

 

[Greebtron]

A bit more info on The Young Astronauts: the Marvel show whose fate was sealed when Challenger exploded.

On Heritage Auctions currently are background layouts for the 4th episode, MP 800-04 "Ghostship", drawn by Disney legend Walt Peregoy. Whose other work for Marvel at that time included My Little Pony: The Movie, Glo Friends and Moondreamers:

https://comics.ha.com/itm/animation-art/concept-art/the-young-astronauts-concept-layout-drawings-by-walt-peregoy-original-art-group-of-3-marvel-1986-total-3-items-/a/7310-18163.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515#

 

[Greebtron]

Thanks to Monzo over at tfwiki, the Archive now has the earliest Marvel Comics treatment for Inhumanoids. Written by Tom DeFalco when the toyline was known as The Force Of Light, some of the earliest building blocks for the property can be found within.

https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/sunbow-syndication-1985-1987-super.html

 

[Greebtron]

Some more material originating from Flint Dille's storage has been granted release.

After Ron Friedman's two attempts to create an outline for the Super Sunday anthology show Bigfoot And The Muscle Machines, Flint was tasked to take over the project.

The Archive is pleased to add Griffin-Bacal's briefing binder detailing Playskool's toyline, started in 1983 and inherited by Hasbro in 1984. For the series itself, Flint's full outline and two versions of the first episode script Cryptic Cargo.

Additionally, the Archive has added a Super Sunday press release which gives an insight into the early development of Robotix. As well as brief synopses for show ideas "Starlite" and "Stoney"

Both Bigfoot versions, along with auditions sheets read by Susan Blu and the full character lineup, are available at: https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/sunbow-syndication-1985-1987-super.html

 

[Greebtron]

Some more info on lost series The Young Astronauts, thanks to these dialogue reels.