ThunderCats UK Annuals
1985 Annual
Special thanks to Robert H. for providing the pdf of the entire book, plus additional scans of the covers and map.
Download the entire annual in pdf format. File size is 21.4MB.
Issued 1985, hardcover, 61 pgs
'Survival Run!' & 'Tears of Sunrise' written by David Micheline. Art by Mooney, Breeding & Scotese.
This edition contains reprints of the Star issues Survival Run and Tears of Sunrise, and indeed the same material was reproduced for the 1987 Annual, Origins. What makes this book worthwhile is the inside cover map of Third Earth as well as the full page pictures (some with profiles) of various good and evil characters.
1986 Annual
Special thanks to Robert H. for providing the pdf of the entire book, plus additional scans of the covers.
Download the entire annual in pdf format. File size is 25.5MB.
Issued 1986, hardcover, 64 pgs
'Siege In Silver and Stone' & 'Jaga Quest' written by David Micheline. Art by Mooney, Breeding & Scotese.
'Way Back...When?' story by Steve Alan, Illustrations by Radbourne and Baskerville
This edition contains reprints of the Star issues Siege In Silver and Stone! and Jaga Quest, and a 'new' two part text story entitled Way Back...When?. The gist of the text story is, the ThunderCats are being lead on a march through the desert by Thugron slavers after being captured and enslaved. They are brought before Mumm-Ra, presumably so he can have the honors of sealing their doom. The Astral Moat Monster has a strange yet pivotal role in the story.
The Origin
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Issued 1987, hardcover, 46 pgs
Contains material originally in ThunderCats Annual (1986)
Written by David Micheline. Art by Mooney, Breeding & Scotese
This graphic novel retells the Exodus tale (in comic form it was dubbed 'Survival Run'), plus includes the story found in Vol 1, No 2 (The Tears of Sunrise) of the Star comics series.
1989 Annual
Download the entire annual in pdf format. File size is 26.6MB.
Issued 1989, hardcover, 61 pgs
'The Fireballs of Plundarr' written by Craig Anderson (curiously, no credit is given to William Overgard for being based on his screenplay). Art by Colon & Place.
'Past Perils' written by Mike Collins. Art by Wildman and Cassell. 'Thunderdogs Ho!' written by Simon Furman and Mike Collins. Art by Goodarcre and White.
'Chronicles' illustrations by Collins & Baskerville.
As usual, there's a reprint of a previously issued comic - this time, Fireballs of Plundarr, which is closely based on the episode of the same name with only a few minor variations. Why Overgard is not credited is a mystery.
This annual also boasts two text stories. The first, Past Perils, is yet another time traveling adventure. This time, Cheetara and Lion-O go to investigate cries coming from the Cave of the Vortex, and end up getting thrust back into separate eras of Third Earth's past. Lion-O, back in ancient Egypt again, decides to try to destroy Mumm-Ra before he becomes a true threat. The only thing he succeeds at is giving Mumm-Ra enough information about his own future to decide to use the front of Pharoah Ka-Rey-Bar in a timely fashion. Cheetara, meanwhile, deals with some over-sized bugs in an effort to save some children.
The second text story deals with the Thunderdogs - Brutus, Cur, Wolf, Snarl, Mass, and their leader, Imperious Rex. One day these aliens just show up on Third Earth and start saving the day left and right - beating the ThunderCats to every crisis and then smugly gloating about their heroics. They go so far as to taunt the 'Cats, suggesting they take up gardening now that they are practically useless as superheroes. The 'cats soon begin to believe the hype and wonder if they're even needed on Third Earth anymore. Lion-O takes things particularly hard. Therefore, Snarf sets out on a spying mission, sneaking into their fortress near the Swamp of the Serpents. Their fortress, by the way, is called the Thunderkennel.
As one might guess, Snarf discovers that the Thunderdogs are really mercenaries hired by Mumm-Ra, and all the crisis and creature attacks the Thunderdogs have been so conveniently thwarting were orchestrated by Mumm-Ra and the Mutants. The hope is, the ThunderCats will get so discouraged, they're voluntarily leave Third Earth. Before Snarf can report back to the others, he's grabbed by the bad guys. Though he does manage to run away, Rex catches up to him and tosses him in the Swamp - where he nearly drowns.
Cheetara fishes Snarf out of the River of Dispair (where he eventually floated to) the next day, and the others strongly suspect the Thunderdogs are at the bottom of it. But with no proof, they know they'd merely look jealous and foolish accusing Third Earth's new heroes of such treachery. Lion-O, guided by his instinct that something's not right, charges off anyway. At first when he confronts the Thunderdogs, he's made to feel rash and foolish. But then his friends show up, supposedly armed with the knowledge a recovering Snarf imparted (even though Tygra was bluffing about Snarf - he was still out of it and had actually told them nothing) and a fight is on. Yes, I'm sure you can guess how it ends ;)
1990 Annual
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Issued 1990, hardcover, 61 pgs
'The Price of Pride' written by Gerry Conway. Art by Delbo & Scotese.
'The Homecoming' written by John Tomlinson. Art by Griffiths, Colby & Hazel.
'The Last ThunderCats Story' story by John Tomlinson, Illustrations by Smith and Hazel
As usual this volume contains some reprints of a Star comic issue, The Price of Pride, and the seasonal take about Rammastide called The Homecoming. Also included are some portrait pin ups of all the ThunderCats (as seen in the thumbnails above) and another text story, The Last ThunderCats Story. In the text story, the ThunderCats track the distress signal of what they believe is a fallen ship of their countrymen to Hook Mountain. They find the ship in working order but with no sign of any fellow Thunderians. Soon, they discover the ship, called the Sargasso, was supposedly an experimental time machine. Despite a cryptic warning from Jaga, the 'Cats decide to take off in the ship, hoping to travel in time back to Thundera - spurred on by homesickness and a chance to warn the Thunderians of the past of the planet's eventual doom. They do indeed travel in time, but not to where they thought they would. Instead, they end up on Third Earth where all their old allies are enslaved by Mumm-Ra and the Mutants and none of them recognize the ThunderCats - it's as if they never existed! With the Sargasso too low on Thundrillium to go anywhere, how will they get back to present day Third Earth? Furthermore, what does Mumm-Ra's father, Shapeshade, have to do with it all? Guess you'll have to read on below to find out ;)
1991 Annual
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Issued 1991, hardcover, 61 pgs
'Trial By Fire' written by Steve Alan. Art by Baskerville, Weasel
'Perils of Puzzlar' written by Andrew W. Donkin and Graham S. Brand. Art by Frank & Baskerville.
As usual this volume contains a reprints of a Star comic issue, this time it's Trial By Fire. Also included is a text story called The Perils of Puzzlar - as evidenced by the scans above, the issue also contains some games related to the Puzzlar adventure along with fun activities like the Egg Shell Mosaic project. Lastly, the same character profiles that appeared in the 1985 debut Annual are reprinted.
As for summaries, this is the gist:
"Trial by Fire" deals with the new ThunderCats - Pumyra, Bengali and Lynx-O - as they are anointed and get acquainted with their new home, Cats Lair. Pumyra, however, has a keen interest in the projection that shows the demies of Thundera. As she's reviewing the tape alone, the supposed spirit of Catamountain speaks to her and, after giving her the Star of Thundera, tells her to find justice in how the others fled Thundera. Therefore, she has Panthro and Lion-O drive her out to a remote place where she proceeds to demand they answer to the crime of high treason and that they pay with their lives. Pumyra holds the two hostage near Fire Rock Mountain, which since Fire Rocks are essentially Thundrainium, the situation doesn't look good for them (Pumyra, I suppose, is spared the Rocks' effects due to having the Star of Thundera). The spirit of Catamountain appears and with Pumyra, he sets up a trial setting to try the two ThunderCats - the crime? Leaving the three new ThunderCats behind as Thundera died.
Tygra, Bengali and Lynx-O find them on the scanners and speed off to assist. However, they crash land before they can tell Pumyra who Catamountain really is (the telescreen somehow revealed this info to them) and so Catamountain passes judgment by tossing Lion-O off the mountain. Pumyra saves him for now as she's interested in a truly fair trial before Lion-O is punished. As Catamountain urges Pumyra just to take her revenge and be satisfied, Jaga appears to Lion-O to tip him off to the Trial of Truth, the sacred right of every accused Thunderian. The trial generally tests his grip on the Code, the last leg of which he must face Pumyra. She beats him pretty badly but realizes that it was Mumm-Ra urging her to use the Star to destroy Lion-O and uses it on the evil mummy instead.
I find it amusing that they blame Jaga for leaving the three behind on Thundera as if that makes it okay.
The "Perils of Puzzlar" is a rather large story which I don't have time to get into major detail about. But basically, this bad guy named Puzzlar puts the ThunderCats through a lot of games and riddles in order for them to survive. See the scans below to learn more.
1992 Annual
Download the entire annual in pdf format. File size is 28.3MB.
Issued 1992, hardcover, 61 pgs
'The Creatues that Came Before Dawn' written by Ian Rimmer & Dozy. Art by Anderson, Baskerville, Place
'Perils of the Onyx Pyramid' written by Dan Abnett. Art by Frank, Dalton, Cassell & Baskerville.
'Footprints' written by Steve Alan and Ian Rimmer. Art by Braithwaite, Griffiths, and Place.
'Never and Beyond' by Dan Abnett. Art by Frank, Paris, Burns and Cassell.
Lots of games, puzzles and info is available in this perhaps hardest-to-acquire and final annual. Of course, the usual comics reprints and stories abound also. Summaries are as follows:
'The Creatures that Came Before Dawn' is a comic-style story that was basically a cross between Jack and the Beanstalk and Gulliver's Travels. In it, WilyKat discovers little critters that are stealing food from the Lair. These tiny elf-looking fellows manage to tie Kat down and hold him prisoner in a hollow tree until Lion-O rescues him. In the end, they all make nice.
'Footprints' is merely a reprint of a previously issued comic.
P.S. Monkian shouting an exclaimation like "crikey" is just too darn bizarre :lol: