Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors

This cartoon is an 80's gem that should be rebooted. I would love to see the entire show again. I am 44 years old now and I think I was 11 or 12 when it came out. I am a true product of the 80's and all the best cartoons are from that era. Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors should be up there with He-Man, GI Joe, and MASK, among others. If you can find it, check it out, it is awesome!

It is a shame that this classic series only lived long enough for 65 episodes. It's an even bigger shame that it no longer airs on television, and cannot be found anywhere on video except Ebay. This show was a great mix of sci fi and fantasy. It had a very unique premise: Audric, a brillant scientist, accidentially creates a race of mutant plants, known as the Monster Minds, after trying to create a plant that would end all starvation. After the MM attack and take over his laboratory, Audric flees and works to find a way to destroy the Monster Minds, eventually developing two halves on a Magic Root, but before he could figure out a way to join the two halves, which would ultimately put an end to the Monster Minds, the MM strike once again, and Audric gives Oon, his Eternal Squire, one half of the root, and sends him to his son, Jayce. Doing this, it would prevent the Monster Minds from aquiring the two halves, and would give him more time to figure out a way to join the two. So, Oon is sent on his way, and Audric disappears with his half of the root. Once Jayce has the other half, he assembles The Lightning League, and begins his quest for the search of his father, and to put an end to the Monster Minds.

What more could you want in a show? A brilliant story line with great characters and lots of action and adventure. Plus, it has one of the best theme songs ever, and the show's animation was terrific for a mid-80's cartoon!

In a distant galaxy, Jayce's father Audric had created a plant to solve the hunger problem. His plants get mutated by space radiation which turns them into the evil Monster Minds. Audric fled and the only salvation is a magic root. The root is split in two with the other half going to Jayce. Jayce goes in search for his father with the help of the wizard Gillian, Flora with her fish mount Brock, robot squire Oon, and brigand Herc Stormsailor with his spaceship looking for riches. The Monster Minds are led by Sawboss and they can transform into fighting machines.

I do remember the opening and the plant-machines. I don't really remember watching the show back in the day. I do recall Oon although it's the ill-fitting nature that makes him memorable. Watching it now as an adult, one can see the convoluted, frail seams in the story construction. There is a lot of Star Wars in the writing. Mattel had the Wheeled Warriors toys and decided to create a cartoon to support the line. It's the Master Minds versus the Lightning League. Obviously, somebody jerry-rigged the Star Wars characters into the toys. It doesn't make it bad by definition. Transformers and G.I. Joe are examples of making a series based on toys and those worked. The pilot tries to jam a lot of info to set up all the characters. I'm not going to denigrate anybody's childhood memories but the writing doesn't hold up to an adult's examination. Mattel did produce 65 episodes although it only ran for one season.

Simply the one of the best animated series to ever be produced in the 80's. I still have a hard time deciding which is best Jayce or Galaxy Rangers, but for sake of this commentary Jayce. Its a shame this show is not being rerun on Cartoon Network or even in worldwide syndication like it was in the 80's, many children today could benefit from its tight and mature storytelling, its intriguing characters and beautiful animation. All of this not to be outdone by an equally powerful and rousing soundtrack (Which we need on CD). Like many cartoons of the 80's J&WW provided viewers with a sense of fair play in the storytelling department and why not with now acclaimed television writers like JMS (B5) having formerly written episodes. One could watch and really feel for the character's plight, thrill to the action and adventure and sense the emotion from every change in the overall journey of Jayce and crew and thankfully the departure from typical 80's fare is the fact that J&WW didn't nail you to a cross with preachy morality play dialog and the almost requisite after episode "factoid" or "FYI" spot. No, it was concise, and brilliant entertainment. The way entertainment should be. I have come to the news that DIC is currently planning an entertainment network of their own. I pray to God it becomes a basic staple of American households and if so that there is plenty of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors on the schedule for mine and everyone's sake. Oh and if you are listening DIC and Mr. Heyward a DVD set of all 65 episodes would be so wonderful in lieu of seeing it again on your future network.

I appreciated this average cartoon as a child because it was the only decent thing on on a sunday morning. The one thing i found funny was when saw boss at the at end of every episode after being beaten as usual said something like "I'll get you next time Jayce". Worth watching on tv if nothing else is on.