User blog:ARTaylor/20 Years of Silver Surfer

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the premiere of Silver Surfer. The thirteen episode series ran from February 7th, 1998 to May 16th, 1998. The series was developed by Larry Brody and produced by Marvel Films Animation and Saban Entertainment.



The series was a darker, more philosophical adaptation than had been seen in previous animated series. It featured a serialized approach to the story with many episodes following the build up to a big battle. It covered a variety of topics including imperialism, slavery, non-violence, environmental degradation, along with other social and political issues.



When the world-eater Galactus comes to Zenn-La, Norrin Radd offers himself to become his herald as Silver Surfer. After a chance encounter with Thanos and Ego (both in their first animated appearances), Silver Surfer turns against his master to save a planet called Earth. He wins his freedom but Galactus moves Zenn-La as punishment, forcing Silver Surfer to search the galaxy for his lost home. He teams up with the troll Pip, Drax, Mentor, Adam Warlock, Beta Ray Bill, and his successor Nova. He eventually finds out that Infinity and Eternity have chosen him to save the universe from Thanos who intends to destroy everything to impress Lady Chaos (changed from Death due to censorship issues).



The series featured the talents of Paul Essiembre as the titular hero. Numerous other actors on the series were regulars or recurring actors on X-Men. James Blendick played Galactus, Tara Rosling was Nova, Gary Krawford was Thanos, Denis Akiyama and Colin Fox both played Uatu, and Camilla Scott was Shalla-Bal. It also featured the talents of Lawrence Bayne, Christopher Britton, Alyson Court, Don Francks, David Hemblen, Jennifer Dale, Alison Sealy-Smith, Norm Spencer, John Stocker, and Marc Strange.



The series was the second Marvel series to blend traditional and computer generated animation, following Spider-Man. Most characters were traditionally animated. The ships, planets, and other astrological objects were created in digitally. Galactus was the first Marvel character to be created completely in computer.



Eight episodes were planned for the second season when the series was cancelled. This came at the time Marvel Entertainment was facing bankruptcy. Brody claimed that a legal dispute between Marvel and Saban also forced the series's end. The series received mixed reviews. Numerous critics praised the Jack Kirby-inspired visuals, though others called the backgrounds distracting. Most appreciate the attempts at a more mature level of storytelling, though not always the execution.