30 years of ThunderCats

Ideals, values and imaginative capabilities that ‘Thundercats’ instilled live on with generation that grew up with it

LAHORE:

Growing up is part of the larger facet of life where we are on the lookout for objects, memories, relations and emotions to live by: the cartoon that aired at the time of the day when the tuition teacher was ringing the doorbell, the candy that mummy forbade from eating and the comics that emerged from under the mattress after lights out.

Often when viewed in isolation, these things rarely seem to possess, on their own merits, the importance that we associate with them. Hence one wonders why they became so foundational with one’s childhood when someone else, for instance, will see nothing special in them. It makes little sense, yet many of us continue to relate with so many of these supposed trivialities with almost the same fervour that we did when we were yet to embrace the banality of adulthood.

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2015 marks 30 years since one such thing that the 90s kids will surely remember, first aired on air – ThunderCats. The franchise, and more specifically the original ThunderCats cartoon, was part of the kids’ shows that aired between 3pm and 6pm everyday on the now-defunct STN which was our prime, go-to source of entertainment and amusement. For the parents the slot literally translated as three hours of peace. As for the children, it meant the world to them.

ThunderCats was undoubtedly the highlight of the day. The idea of a race of armed, sentient humanoid cats with supernatural abilities and the rationale behind its portraiture was, frankly, quite unbelievable. Yet it saw the light of the day, keeping us glued to the screens as we roamed the world of human imagination.



However, ThunderCats had a much deeper influence on me. The notions of bravery, intelligence, sensitivity, strength and ingenuity that its characters represented made the pursuit of these attributes a life goal. The constant support and help they provided to the weaker species of the planet and their battle to overthrow the tyrannical evils of Mumm-Ra was of immense influence. The camaraderie and loyalty that these cats shared represented in no way better than Lion-O’s call to the other cats through the power of the Sword of Omens. Be it the belligerence of Panthro, the speed of Cheetara, the brains of Tygra or the wisdom of Jaga, they complimented each other’s strengths and weaknesses for the larger effort of establishing peace on the planet.

It was of prime importance for people like us who were still learning to get along with different people in school and making friends that would stick by for a lifetime. Impressionable young children like me understood the value of both friendship and family bonds which is above anything and everything. This process of instilling certain values and ideals in a whole generation cannot be understated or scoffed at.

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Children’s programming on TV serves essentially as a babysitter, providing parents with a break from the constant demand for attention that their young ones ask of them. While much is said and written about the negative influences of the box that began as a piece of furniture in the living room and soon gained the importance of a family member, rarely it is credited with constructive impact on budding minds.

I have no qualms about the fact that ThunderCats was one such show that helped shape me for the better. Thirty years since its creation and more than 15 years since I first got hooked to it, the show saw demise, rebirth and then yet another end. Today I can say with full conviction that the ideals, values and imaginative capabilities that the show instilled in us, live on with grown-ups like me.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th,  2015.

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