11 Classic 80s Movies With Awesome Animated TV Shows You Forgot Existed

Eager to emulate the success of shows like He-Man and Thundercats, Christy Marx, a writer best known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, hit upon the idea of resurrecting the Robert E. Howard’s iconic 1930s comic character.

Conan The Adventurer arrived seven years after the last of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s three outings as the titular hero in Red Sonja and couldn’t have been further removed from those films.

Gone was the ruthless streak synonymous with Conan. He was no longer a thief, philanderer or killer, with the character instead serving as something of a knight in shining armour. In one episode, for example, he decided not to join a band of pirates because he believed it was wrong to steal.

The plot saw Conan heading off in search of a cure to help his family who have been turned to stone by the evil serpent wizard and local dictator Wrath-Amon – a character seemingly based on James Earl Jones’ villain, snake cult leader Thulsa Doom, from the original film.

Despite its fun, creative tone, the decision to tone down the violence of the original films and comics divided fans. It certainly made the series popular with younger viewers and those who felt it retained the excitement of the original comics. However fans of the films accused the creators of infantilising the characters.

Despite the divide, it remains the most successful Conan cartoon to date though, running for two seasons and 65 episodes.