Saturday, September 13, 2014

Wizards and Warriors

Sometimes, it is about nostalgia.

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved any kind of "fantasy" stuff I could find, and it seemed like what I could find was pretty scarce. Movies that had magic or dragons or whatnot in it were "must see" films for me (provided I was old enough that my parents would let me see it). Star Wars was a big deal back then (and I was, of course, a fan), but I would much rather have seen a dude in armor wielding a real sword than a spaceship or laser gun.

On TV, such stuff was even more rare, and a television show like Wizards and Warriors was a fantastic find for my nine-year old brain. I remember very little of the show (though in later years I ended up modeling several RPG characters on Dirk Blackpool), but I do remember the following:

  • I considered it to be "my favorite show on TV."
  • I knew enough to know the channel and time slot and was diligent in having my ass in from of our (7"? 9"?) color TV in time to watch.
  • The show constantly being preempted for shit like ice skating.

[no, ice skating isn't really "shit" ...but find your own damn timeslot, huh?]

Anyway, as with many "lost treasures of my youth" I've kept half an eye/ear open for any word of availability for this show. Partly for the sake of nostalgia, partly for closure (let me see the episodes I missed!), partly out of curiosity (the things I've read about the show on-line have piqued my interest). Regardless of how dated it might seem today (I realize many of my "faves" as a youth don't hold up in the light of adulthood), I'm interested. Plus, my own children might be interested in watching it when they're old enough.

[I was watching a video clip today of the intro to the old cartoon Thundarr the Barbarian and my boy came along and started watching. He made me replay it, and then told me, "Papa, let's buy that movie!" A kid after my own heart]

Only took 30 f'ing years!
Last night, I was taking a look around the 'net for clips of the old W&W and Lo & Behold, I found that Warner Brothers just released a DVD of the complete series July 29th (a "burn on demand" deal). Right the heck on! While I am, of course, still in Paraguay, I plan on putting in my order ASAP to get a copy of this lost piece from my childhood; I'll pick it up when I'm back in town November. I am soooo totally stoked!

Next up: Tales of the Gold Monkey and when the hell are they going to re-release the animated Hobbit on DVD? Ooo-oo...maybe Matthew Star or The Phoenix!

: )

9 comments:

  1. I hear you on the pre-emptive of this show. I can distinctly remember tuning in and it not being on and me and my brother freaking out.

    Our other issue is we got it out of the air as we didn't have cable and it was on one of the fuzzy channels. So I watched a lot of episodes with snow.

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    1. @ 7:

      We didn't have cable either; my childhood was mostly limited to 5 (later 6) channels. Plus 1 with "snow."

      Delete
  2. Yes!
    Wizards and Warriors
    Tales of the Gold Monkey
    and I remember adventures of Brisco county jr fondly, too

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  3. @ Darn:

    If I remember correct, Brisco was like a decade later...during a eriod when I didn't watch TV. But I've heard it was good.

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  4. The Phoenix? Here you go: http://goldmonkey.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=40

    (Tales of the Gold Monkey has an official release now.)

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  5. Because of this show all the long swords in our D&D game came with daggers in their pommels and everyone wanted a monocle that shot laser beams.

    I remember the villain who made the heroes fight through a gauntlet to win a key that would save the kingdom from a bomb, and the villain was smart enough to put a fake key at the end instead of the real one.

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    1. @ Fractal:

      Ha! Imagine the reception at the table if a DM pulled THAT maneuver on her players!
      : )

      Delete
  6. Wow, just the other day I was remembering that I watched a fantasy show on TV when I was a kid that was really cool but it didn't last long. I was knocking my brains out trying to remember the name of it, and here is your post. Thank you!

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