38 Years Ago, a Cult Sci-Fi Series Became a Criminally Underrated Movie (& Helped Kill He-Man’s Studio)

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As a lifelong movie and TV fan, I remember the early 80s being a real turning point. The Reagan administration decided to loosen the rules around advertising on kids’ TV, basically letting the market dictate what happened. It completely changed everything! Suddenly, toy companies and animation studios started working together in a way they hadn’t before, and Saturday morning cartoons became this incredibly effective way to sell toys. That’s why we got shows like G.I. Joe, He-Man, and The Transformers all launching within a year or two of each other – they weren’t just shows, they were advertisements in disguise, and they made tons of money. It became a model everyone tried to follow. By the mid-80s, even weekday afternoons were filled with shows designed to sell toys, and if you walked into any store, the toy section basically was a lineup of characters you’d seen on TV. It was a whole new era of entertainment, and honestly, a pretty savvy business move.

As the 1980s saw a boom in animated shows based on toys, BraveStarr arrived in syndication on September 14, 1987, with a unique approach. Unlike most toy-based cartoons, Filmation created BraveStarr first and then partnered with Mattel, reversing the usual process. Set in the 23rd century on the desert planet New Texas, the show combined science fiction and Western themes. It followed Marshal BraveStarr, a Native American lawman voiced by Pat Fraley, who used the power of spirit animals to fight the villainous Tex Hex and the bull-like Stampede. The series ran for 65 episodes, ending its initial run on February 24, 1988. Less than a month later, on March 18, 1988, Filmation released BraveStarr: The Movie, a story that took place before the series. Unfortunately, the movie was a failure, effectively ending the BraveStarr franchise and contributing to the eventual downfall of Filmation.

Why BraveStarr Failed

While not a blockbuster, the 1980s animated film BraveStarr: The Movie received mostly positive reviews for its time. Critics appreciated its ambitious story and the innovative use of early computer animation. The movie was a smart move to expand the BraveStarr universe with a new story, rather than just re-using episodes from the TV series like some other animated films did. However, despite these strengths, the film didn’t perform well in theaters.

As a movie and toy collector, it’s always sad to see a property fail to launch, and BraveStarr is a prime example. The movie had a really limited release – just weekend showings in a few places – which meant it never really had a chance to make money in theaters. And the toys, which actually came out before the cartoon in 1986, didn’t sell nearly as well as Mattel hoped. They were counting on the success of He-Man and She-Ra, but BraveStarr just didn’t reach those heights. They even had a second line of figures planned, but cancelled it when sales disappointed, which pretty much sealed the deal for the whole franchise.

In retrospect, the show’s failure is clear. By 1987, there were simply too many animated series based on toys all vying for the same viewers, store space, and television time. Unlike He-Man, which benefited from an already popular toy line, BraveStarr didn’t have that existing brand recognition. That’s actually why it gained a dedicated, but small, following – it was different from what audiences expected at the time. However, despite its unique qualities, BraveStarr wasn’t financially successful.

BraveStarr‘s Failure Led to the End of Filmation

Filmation, the animation studio behind hits like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, and the first animated Star Trek series, effectively ended after the poor performance of BraveStarr: The Movie. Both BraveStarr and the 1987 film Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night failed to earn back their costs in theaters. This financial trouble worsened a long-standing issue for Filmation. While other studios, like DiC and Sunbow, saved money by sending animation work overseas to South Korea and Japan, Filmation’s founder, Lou Scheimer, insisted on keeping all production in the U.S. at their California studio. This dedication to American jobs meant Filmation’s expenses were much higher than average, at a time when the market for syndicated shows was shrinking.

By late 1988, Filmation’s owner, Westinghouse, was frustrated with the studio’s falling profits and began talks to sell it to Paravision International, a group of investors backed by the French company L’Oréal. Lou Scheimer, as he wrote in his memoir, was told the sale would allow the studio to continue operating. However, on February 3, 1989, Westinghouse unexpectedly closed Filmation, leaving 229 employees out of work. L’Oréal, which wasn’t interested in making new shows, only bought Filmation’s existing animation library. Two shows in production at the time – a spin-off of BraveStarr called Bravo! and a separate project named Bugzburg – were immediately cancelled.

You can now watch BraveStarr: The Movie on streaming services like Prime Video.

It’s been 38 years since BraveStarr first came out – is it time for a full-fledged revival, or is the show best left in the past? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-18 22:41