Starcom: The U.S. Space Force
Starcom: The U.S. Space Force is a 13-episode animated syndicated television series inspired by a motorized toy franchise manufactured by Coleco. The characters were adapted for animation by series creator Brynne Stephens, who also story edited the show. Starcom was produced by DIC Animation City and distributed by Coca-Cola Telecommunications. The toy line was popular in Europe and Asia, but was unsuccessful in the North American domestic market.
The show was developed with the help of the Young Astronauts' Council, with the original intention of sparking young viewers' interest in the NASA Space Program.
The show earned poor ratings and was cancelled after 13 episodes. The series was rerun in the late 1990s as part of DIC and Pax TV's "Cloud Nine" programming strand, and on KBHK in the fall of 1994.
Plot
The plot detailed the adventures of an American astronaut brigade as they fought off attempted invasions by Shadow Force, a nasty collection of humans and robots led by the nefarious Emperor Dark.Toys
Like many 1980s toys, the development of the Starcom toy line preceded the development of the cartoon series.Starcom: The U.S. Space Force debuted on television screens in 1987, and the toy line hit stores around 1986 to 1987. There was plenty of variety for the pint-sized empire builder to choose from: the complete series of Starcom toys offered 23 figures, 6 playsets, and 13 vehicles on the Starcom side, while the Shadow Force was represented by 15 action figures and 11 vehicles. The action figures were two inches tall and came packaged with a backpack, a weapon, and identification cards that explained who they were and what their equipment could do. Like the figures, the vehicles and playsets benefited from a sleek, attractive design.
The most unusual aspect of the Starcom toy line was its use of Magna Lock technology. The action figures had tiny magnets implanted in their feet. Not only did this allow them to stand on the vehicles and playsets without falling off, but it also activated devices in the playsets. For instance, if one placed a figure in the elevator of the Starbase Station playset, its Magna Lock magnets would cause the elevator to rise to the top by itself. On the same playset, if one put a figure within a cannon, the Magna Lock magnets would activate a mechanism that made it turn and fire its rockets.
The vehicles and playsets also delivered Power Deploy features, which uses automatic wind up mechanisms that allows them to perform multiple actions all in a touch of a button, without the use of batteries. For example, with the touch of a button, the Starcom StarWolf unfolds its front, and both its wings. All in all, they offered plenty of moving parts. Starcom toys never caught on in the U.S. due to poor promotion and the fact that its parent show only lasted a year in syndication. They were discontinued after two years but ended up doing very well in Europe, where both the show and the toys continued to be popular long after the American toys. The toys were successful and hugely popular in Europe and Southeast Asia only after coming under the production and promotion of Mattel. That company removed the US flag and NASA details from the Coleco originals and launched the toys with a second line of promotions in the early 1990s.
Cast
Starcom
- Philip Akin: Colonel John "Slim" Griffin
- Yank Azman: Shock Troopers
- Robert Cait: Colonel Paul "Crowbar" Corbin
- Rob Cowan: Colonel James "Dash" Derringer
- Don Francks: Admiral Franklin Brickley
- Susan Roman: Lieutenant Kelsey Carver
Shadow Force
- Louis DiBianco: Major Romak
- Marvin Goldhar: General Von Dar
- Dan Hennessey: Major Klag
- Elva Mai Hoover: Malvanna Wilde
- Robert Cait: General Torvek
- Neil Munro: Emperor Dark
Home video releases
In 2003, Sterling Entertainment released Starcom: The Search for Aliens on DVD containing three episodes.In 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released Starcom: The U.S. Space Force - The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.