Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Encyclopedia
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is a French
/North America
n animated TV show which first aired on September 16, 1985. It was produced by DIC Entertainment
(originally distributed for syndication by SFM Entertainment
), and animated by Japanese animation studios Sunrise
, Shaft
, Studio Giants, Studio Look and Swan Production. The show, which spawned 65 thirty-minute episodes, was created to support Mattel
's Wheeled Warriors toy line. The show features an ongoing plot; however, like many shows made at the time, it does not have a series finale, and thus the plot was left unresolved.
The show featured two duelling forces. The "good guys" are humans, called the Lightning League. They drive white and silver vehicles with assorted weaponry, and are led by Jayce. The "bad guys" are organic green vegetable
-based creatures called the Monster Minds, who tend to take the shape of black and green vehicles. They travel via large green organic vine
s which can grow in and across interstellar space, and sprout seeds
that rapidly grow into further Monster Minds. They are led by Saw Boss.
The opening title features the phrase:
and Haskell Barkin. Writers at DIC also included Larry DiTillio
, Barbara Hambly
, and J. Michael Straczynski
. Straczynski wrote about a quarter of the episodes attempting to in his words "hijack a dopey concept and make it into something more." Jayce features a theme song written by Haim Saban
with an all-orchestral music
score composed by Shuki Levy
(as the two have done for many of DIC's productions).
In the United Kingdom
, it was screened on Sunday mornings on Channel 4
and Sky Channel
. In France, a French language
version of the show titled Jayce et les Conquérants de la Lumière (lit. "Jayce and the Conquerors of Light") was broadcast on Les P'tits Loups, a children's show on TF1
, beginning on September 9, 1985. It premiered in US first-run syndication
seven days later. Nearly a decade later, it was rerun on USA Network
's USA Cartoon Express
block from July 3, 1994 to August 25, 1995.
Unlike He-Man
, no backstory was given with the toys for the Lightning League and the Monster Minds doing battle, and so distinct characters were created by DIC and Straczynski to allow for a structured story (seen below).
, one of which blossomed and became a young humanoid
girl named Flora. Audric had also created a miracle crop that could thrive in any environment and was intended to end galactic hunger. However, a burst of radiation generated by a sudden solar flare mutated his plant into an evil, sentient being, and changed other plants around Audric's laboratory into similar creatures, who collectively became known as the Monster Minds, and refer to their leader (the first mutant creature) as Saw Boss. Audric manages to create a magical root that can destroy the Monster Minds, but is forced to flee before he can complete the task, after which the Monster Minds turn Audric's laboratory into their headquarters (which can teleport to other places by means of a mysterious power source known as "the power of the black light"). Audric keeps half of the root himself and gives the other half to his servant, Oon, whom he sends to serve Jayce. Thus, Jayce and his Lightning League friends are constantly on a quest to find Audric and combine the halves of the root.
; if the series had proven successful in toy sales, production would have begun. Straczynski wrote the script, but due to the failure of the toyline, preparation for the movie was shelved.
Had the movie been filmed, it would have provided a sense of closure on Jayce, with his Lightning League meeting with the original Lightning League and being trained on the home world of the Guardians. He would be reunited with his father Audric, but according to Straczynski, Audric would have been killed by Saw Boss as the Monster Minds began a final assault on the galaxy
, and in a final battle, Jayce would unite the root and kill Saw Boss, ending the Monster Mind threat forever.
without drivers through commands issued on Jayce's communicator.
Lightning League AI ground vehicles (early)
Lightning League AI
ground vehicles (created later by Gillian):
Lightning League aerospace vehicles (not reflected in the toy line):
of the main Monster Minds that are grown from vines. Saw Boss is able to communicate with these clones (and communicate with others with a clone as a medium) telepathically. These clones are referred to as "troopers"; Saw Trooper, Terror Trooper, K.O. Trooper, etc. The true Monster Minds change from their humanoid forms into vehicles upon leaving their headquarters, although they are significantly larger and more powerful than their mass-produced clones.
Monster Minds ground legions (early)
Monster Minds ground legions (developed later)
Monster Minds aerospace legions (unrepresented in the toy-line)
Monster Mind network legions (unrepresented in the toy-line)
2. The Vase of Xiang (September 17, 1985)
3. Steel Against Shadow (September 18, 1985)
4. Silver Crusaders (September 19, 1985)
5. Ghostship (September 20, 1985)
6. Flora, Fauna and the Monster Minds (September 23, 1985)
7. Fire and Ice (September 24, 1985)
8. Space Outlaws (September 25, 1985)
9. Future of the Future (September 26, 1985)
10. Underwater (September 27, 1985)
11. Frostworld (September 30, 1985)
12. Critical Mass (October 1, 1985)
13. The Purple Tome (October 2, 1985)
14. Hook, Line and Silver (October 3, 1985)
15. Bloodstone (October 4, 1985)
16. The Slaves of Adelbaren (October 7, 1985)
17. The Hunt (October 8, 1985)
18. Blockade Runners (October 9, 1985)
19. The Sleeping Princess (October 10, 1985)
20. Deadly Reunion (October 11, 1985)
21. Sky Kingdom (October 14, 1985)
22. Quest into Shadow (October 15, 1985)
23. Unexpected Trouble (October 16, 1985)
24. Bounty Hunters (October 17, 1985)
25. Double Deception (October 18, 1985)
26. Gate World (October 21, 1985)
27. Space Thief (October 22, 1985)
28. Moon Magic (October 23, 1985)
29. Affair of Honor (October 24, 1985)
30. Doomed Flower (October 25, 1985)
31. The Stallions of Sandeen (October 28, 1985)
32. Brain Trust (October 29, 1985)
33. Lightning Strikes Twice (October 30, 1985)
34. The Liberty Stone (November 1, 1985)
35. The Vines (November 4, 1985)
36. The Space Fighter (November 5, 1985)
37. Heart of Paxtar (November 6, 1985)
38. Appointment at Forever (November 7, 1985)
39. What's Going On? (November 8, 1985)
40. Dark Singer (November 11, 1985)
41. Swamp Witch (November 12, 1985)
42. Deadly Reflections (November 13, 1985)
43. Early Warning (November 14, 1985)
44. A Question of Conscience (November 15, 1985)
45. Life Ship (November 18, 1985)
46. The Mirage Makers (November 19, 1985)
47. Do Not Disturb (November 20, 1985)
48. Dreamworld (November 21, 1985)
49. The Children of Solarus II (November 22, 1985)
50. The Gardner (November 25, 1985)
51. Armada (November 26, 1985)
52. The Chimes of Sharpis (November 27, 1985)
53. Galaxy Gamester (November 28, 1985)
54. Circus Planet (November 29, 1985)
55. Common Bond (December 2, 1985)
56. Mistress of Soul Tree (December 3, 1985)
57. The Life Eater (December 4, 1985)
58. Wasteland (December 5, 1985)
59. The Oracle (December 6, 1985)
60. Short Circuit, Long Wait (December 9, 1985)
61. Time and Time Again (December 10, 1985)
62. The Source (December 11, 1985)
63. The Raid (December 12, 1985)
64. The Squire Smith (December 13, 1985)
65. Final Ride at Journey's End (December 16, 1985)
boxed sets released by Manga Distribution. In English, several compilations were available on VHS
tapes in the 1980s, and ex-rental
copies can occasionally still be found on eBay
. Jade Entertainment once provided a Region
2 DVD entitled The Lightning League (6 episodes).
On March 6, 2007, NCircle Entertainment released a single disc release entitled Escape from the Garden of Evil, which contains 4 episodes from the series, on DVD in Region 1.
On December 6, 2007, Shout! Factory
announced that they had acquired the rights to the series. They subsequently released Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors - Volume 1 on DVD in Region 1 on March 25, 2008. The 4-disc set features the first 33 episodes of the series as well as bonus features. A second volume was to be released in the latter half of 2008, however due to poor sales of volume 1 it was subsequently cancelled.
On July 22, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment
announced that they had acquired the rights to the series and plan on releasing it in its entirety in 2012. They subsequently announced that they plan on releasing Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors - Volume 1 on DVD in Region 1 on February 14, 2012. This 3 disc set will contain the first 32 episodes of the series. They will also release a 10 episode best-of collection on the same day.
Currently All 65 episodes of the series are currently available on iTunes in 2 volumes. They were also available on Netflix (in Canada), but they have since been randomly removed. They are available on DVD from Netflix in the U.S. in the Mill Creek Entertainment 4 disc Volume 1 version, but not for instant streaming.
comic magazine Pif Gadget
#922. Strangely enough, the 13-page adventure ended on a cliffhanger
, the next issue of Pif Gadget did not include the follow-up story, and in the end, the conclusion to that story was never published in Pif Gadget. It included characters created specifically for the comic, such as a white-haired young sorceress called Algora who was "an ally of Saw Boss". The story, entitled "Le Sortilège d'Algora" ("Algora's Spell") was later re-printed and completed in Poche Junior, a free supplement for younger readers to the French television listing magazine Télé Poche, in several installments: Poche Junior #1 (May 1987), Poche Junior #2 (May 1987), Poche Junior #17 (August 1987), Poche Junior n° 23 (October 1987), and Poche Junior n° 25 (October 1987).
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
/North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n animated TV show which first aired on September 16, 1985. It was produced by DIC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
(originally distributed for syndication by SFM Entertainment
SFM Entertainment
SFM Entertainment is an American television syndicator, established in 1968. The name comes from the initials of the company's founders: Walter Staab, Robert Frank, and Stanley Moger.The company was known for the closing logo with no voiceover...
), and animated by Japanese animation studios Sunrise
Sunrise (company)
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
, Shaft
Shaft (company)
is a Japanese animation studio founded on September 1, 1975 by Hiroshi Wakao. They are best known for their unique use of gags and references notably in Pani Poni Dash!, Maria Holic, Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei, Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Bakemonogatari series.- History :Shaft was...
, Studio Giants, Studio Look and Swan Production. The show, which spawned 65 thirty-minute episodes, was created to support Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
's Wheeled Warriors toy line. The show features an ongoing plot; however, like many shows made at the time, it does not have a series finale, and thus the plot was left unresolved.
The show featured two duelling forces. The "good guys" are humans, called the Lightning League. They drive white and silver vehicles with assorted weaponry, and are led by Jayce. The "bad guys" are organic green vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
-based creatures called the Monster Minds, who tend to take the shape of black and green vehicles. They travel via large green organic vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
s which can grow in and across interstellar space, and sprout seeds
SEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
that rapidly grow into further Monster Minds. They are led by Saw Boss.
The opening title features the phrase:
Thundering across the stars to save the universe from the Monster Minds. Jayce searches for his father to unite the Magic Root and lead his Lightning League to victory over the changing form of Saw Boss. Wheeled Warriors explode into battle - Lightning Strikes!
Background
Most of the episodes were written by French writers Jean ChalopinJean Chalopin
Jean Chalopin is a French producer and writer. In 1971, Chalopin created the company DIC Audiovisuel, which later evolved into DIC Entertainment, and wrote and produced programs animated by Japanese studios. Jean Chalopin is married to Chinese/Singaporean ex-Model, Ethel Chalopin...
and Haskell Barkin. Writers at DIC also included Larry DiTillio
Larry DiTillio
Lawrence G. "Larry" DiTillio is an American film and TV series writer. He is most famous for his role as executive story editor of the science-fiction series Babylon 5, and for writing or co-writing most of the episodes in the animated series Beast Wars...
, Barbara Hambly
Barbara Hambly
Barbara Hambly is an award-winning and prolific American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction...
, and J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
. Straczynski wrote about a quarter of the episodes attempting to in his words "hijack a dopey concept and make it into something more." Jayce features a theme song written by Haim Saban
Haim Saban
Haim Saban is an Egyptian born Israeli-American television and media proprietor. With an estimated net worth of $3.5 billion, he is ranked by Forbes as the 104th richest person in America.-Biography:...
with an all-orchestral music
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
score composed by Shuki Levy
Shuki Levy
Shuki Levy is a music composer and television writer, director, and executive producer. Levy's best known work is soundtrack compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s, such as Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K., Dinosaucers, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the...
(as the two have done for many of DIC's productions).
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, it was screened on Sunday mornings on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
and Sky Channel
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
. In France, a French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
version of the show titled Jayce et les Conquérants de la Lumière (lit. "Jayce and the Conquerors of Light") was broadcast on Les P'tits Loups, a children's show on TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
, beginning on September 9, 1985. It premiered in US first-run syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
seven days later. Nearly a decade later, it was rerun on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
's USA Cartoon Express
USA Cartoon Express
The USA Cartoon Express was a programming block of animated productions which aired on cable television's USA Network from late 1982 to September 15, 1996...
block from July 3, 1994 to August 25, 1995.
Unlike He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
, no backstory was given with the toys for the Lightning League and the Monster Minds doing battle, and so distinct characters were created by DIC and Straczynski to allow for a structured story (seen below).
Plot
The plot concerns Jayce, son of Audric, and his quest to rejoin his father. The backstory is that Audric was a botanist who did several experiments with biotechnologyBiotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, one of which blossomed and became a young humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
girl named Flora. Audric had also created a miracle crop that could thrive in any environment and was intended to end galactic hunger. However, a burst of radiation generated by a sudden solar flare mutated his plant into an evil, sentient being, and changed other plants around Audric's laboratory into similar creatures, who collectively became known as the Monster Minds, and refer to their leader (the first mutant creature) as Saw Boss. Audric manages to create a magical root that can destroy the Monster Minds, but is forced to flee before he can complete the task, after which the Monster Minds turn Audric's laboratory into their headquarters (which can teleport to other places by means of a mysterious power source known as "the power of the black light"). Audric keeps half of the root himself and gives the other half to his servant, Oon, whom he sends to serve Jayce. Thus, Jayce and his Lightning League friends are constantly on a quest to find Audric and combine the halves of the root.
The movie
Due to less than successful toy sales, Jayce's 65 episode run was not followed up, and it ended unresolved. However, according to Straczynski, a movie had also been commissioned along with the series, following in the footsteps of other toy-based animated series such as Transformers and G.I. JoeG.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
; if the series had proven successful in toy sales, production would have begun. Straczynski wrote the script, but due to the failure of the toyline, preparation for the movie was shelved.
Had the movie been filmed, it would have provided a sense of closure on Jayce, with his Lightning League meeting with the original Lightning League and being trained on the home world of the Guardians. He would be reunited with his father Audric, but according to Straczynski, Audric would have been killed by Saw Boss as the Monster Minds began a final assault on the galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
, and in a final battle, Jayce would unite the root and kill Saw Boss, ending the Monster Mind threat forever.
Lightning League
- Jayce – Leader of the Lightning League. He possessed half of the magic root, as well as the Ring of Light, a constant deus ex machinaDeus ex machinaA deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
to the League's adventures. - Audric – Jayce's father, and original master of Oon, he created the magic root and possessed half of it. He also accidentally created the Monster Minds and co-created Flora and the early Lightning League vehicles.
- Gillian – Wizardly mentor to Jayce, co-creator of Flora and the early Lightning League vehicles. He later created additional Lightning League vehicles. He is both a wizard and a scientist, and is implied to be centuries old.
- Flora – Young girl created from a flower. telepathicTelepathyTelepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
powers, can sense Monster Minds and can communicate empathically with animals. - Oon – Small Eternal Squire (magically animated suit of armor servant). Outwardly cowardly, Oon is nonetheless devoted to serving his master, Jayce.
- Herc Stormsailor ("Stormsailer" in some storybooks) – A mercenary in the vein of Han SoloHan SoloHan Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
who pilots the space barge Pride of the Skies II. He constantly hopes for the day he can finally get paid for transporting the Lightning League through galaxy; Gillian had tricked him into taking them by giving him gold colored lead bars. In the episode "Affair of Honor", it is revealed that he used to be an intergalactic commando. - Brock – Flora's companion flying fish mount, which "speaks" in chirps and whistles.
- Zoggies – Flora's three pets, block-like techno-organic reptiles that sported lasers.
- Jal Gorda – AnthropomorphicAnthropomorphismAnthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
alien spy who acts as a recurring guest character throughout the series.
Monster Minds
- Saw Boss – Overlord of the Monster Minds, he can transform into an oversized version of the Saw Troopers, which is noticeably missing the prominent "stripes" seen on the Troopers.
- Terror Tank – Sub-boss of the Monster Minds, he oversees the Terror Trooper clones.
- Gun Grinner – Sub-boss of the Monster Minds, he oversees the Gun Trooper clones.
- KO Kruiser – Sub-boss of the Monster Minds, he oversees the KO Trooper clones.
- Beast Walker – Sub-boss of the Monster Minds, he oversees the Beast Walker clones.
- Saw Trooper Commander – Rarely appearing sub-boss of the Monster Minds, he oversees the Saw Trooper clones in Saw Boss's stead, while Saw Boss rules the entire Monster Minds.
- Dr. Zorg – Evil scientist who coveted Audric's technologies and worked for Saw Boss.
Lightning League vehicles
The Lightning League vehicles can be driven by League members, but can also operate on pre-programmed battle plansMilitary tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
without drivers through commands issued on Jayce's communicator.
Lightning League AI ground vehicles (early)
- Armed Force – A vehicle with a large golden grappling arm mounted atop it. Gillian had intended it for Audric, but gave it to Jayce instead when Audric was unable to join the League. It seats two, unlike its toy counterpart. Armed Force's toy counterpart included a gimmick dubbed "Stack n' Attack". Any of the other smaller vehicles could detach their wheeled chassis and attach to the top of Armed Force. (A promotional comic in He-ManHe-ManHe-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
magazine showed two vehicles stacked atop Armed Force, though this was physically impossible using the toys, as only Armed Force featured two lined up holes suitable for another vehicle's underside to attach into.) This never happens in the show; instead, the phrase "stack n' attack" refers to the Lightning League vehicles being able to exchange weapons mid-battle. - Drill Sergeant – A two-seater vehicle with a drillDrillA drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
to dig tunnels. It is also equipped with two pop-out guns in the front of the cab. It is driven in the opening sequence by Flora, who seems to prefer it, as does Gillian. - Quick Draw – A vehicle with a concealed gun in a shield atop the vehicle, and an extended arm at the front with a spiked wheel for digging. Gillian drives it in the opening sequence, but it has no regular driver in the series. It seats one.
- Spike Trike – A three-wheeled vehicle built for speed. Similar to a half-tracked dune buggy, it has a pair of crunching spiked wheels at the front that lift on a single arm. Herc drives it in the opening sequence, and it is his vehicle of choice during the series as well.
- Trail Blazer – A large, four-legged vehicle with a front-mounted battering ramBattering ramA battering ram is a siege engine originating in ancient times and designed to break open the masonry walls of fortifications or splinter their wooden gates...
, capable of carrying the smaller vehicles. It usually seats one, but is occasionally seen with unused seating for four. Trail Blazer is stronger and more durable than the other vehicles, but was used much less often for reasons never disclosed (unlike the expenditure of resources that served as an excuse for the more rarely used larger vehicle troopers of the Monster Minds). Trail Blazer is depicted as much larger in scale with the other vehicles than the toy counterparts. While the toy version of Trail Blazer could carry a single smaller vehicle on its back, the cartoon counterpart could carry four of the smaller vehicles within its body, via a platform that lowered from its underside. - Battle Base – A mobile fortress that houses all the other vehicles and is usually attached to the Pride as its bridge. The main weapon is a large elevating gun turretGun turretA gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
. Battle Base, like Trail Blazer, is of a much larger relative scale in the animation than in its toy form. The toy for Battle Base had three garages that could each hold a single smaller vehicle, and its control bridge seated two. In the series, not only could Battle Base contain all of the smaller vehicles, but even Trail Blazer was seen to be able to enter it. The bridge was a rather large full room.
Lightning League AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
ground vehicles (created later by Gillian):
- Fling Shot – A vehicle equipped with a catapultCatapultA catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it has proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during...
, built in "The Stallions of Sandeen." A toy was designed, but never produced. - Spray Gunner – A vehicle with a cannonCannonA cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
that sprays various fluids, that was added later in the series, but has no introduction episode. The toy did not reach the production stage. - Motor Module – A low-riding vehicle with a powerful drive system, often used to field repair other vehicles, or to haul loads in an attachable trailer. It was added later in the series, but has no introduction episode. The toy did not reach the production stage, but was designed to be motorized, and could "Stack n' Attack" as Armed Force could (the toy version of the gimmick remained unused in the cartoon).
Lightning League aerospace vehicles (not reflected in the toy line):
- Pride of the Skies II – Also known as "The Pride" for short, it is the space barge owned by Herc Stormsailer and home to the Lightning League throughout the series.
- Space Scooter – A small air-bike.
- Emergency Cruiser – The Pride's seldom used shuttle craft.
Monster Mind vehicles
Generally, Monster Mind battles are carried out by clonesCloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
of the main Monster Minds that are grown from vines. Saw Boss is able to communicate with these clones (and communicate with others with a clone as a medium) telepathically. These clones are referred to as "troopers"; Saw Trooper, Terror Trooper, K.O. Trooper, etc. The true Monster Minds change from their humanoid forms into vehicles upon leaving their headquarters, although they are significantly larger and more powerful than their mass-produced clones.
Monster Minds ground legions (early)
- Saw Troopers – A vehicle with a large buzzsaw on a rotating stalk.
- Terror Troopers – A tank-like vehicle with a large, venus flytrapVenus FlytrapThe Venus Flytrap , Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces...
-like mouth mounted on the body. - Gun Troopers – A vehicle with a cluster of cannons clenched in its teeth. The main weapon is a multi-headed spiked flailFlail (weapon)The flail is a hand weapon derived from the agricultural tool.The handle is attached to the striking part of a weapon by a flexible chain or cord...
mounted on top of the body. - K.O. Troopers – A truck-like vehicle with a large wrecking ballWrecking ballA wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most common during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball...
-like stalk. - Beast Walkers – A large, four-legged vehicle with a front-mounted claw weapon that is the powerhouse of a Monster Mind clone army. They were seldom used, due to the greater energy required to spawn.
Monster Minds ground legions (developed later)
- Flapjacks – A van-like vehicle with a catapult; they were designed, but not produced in the toy-line.
- Lurchers – A vehicle with a front ram; again, not produced in the toy-line.
- Snapdragons – A smaller four-legged walking vehicle with front-mounted "petals" that opened like a flower to expose a laserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
cannon. - Battle Stations – The Monster Minds' answer to Battle Base, it was unproduced in the toy line. It was used in only one episode as it took enormous amounts of energy to spawn.
Monster Minds aerospace legions (unrepresented in the toy-line)
- Cruisers – A larger Monster Mind spacecraft.
- Scouts/Satellites – A smaller Monster Mind spacecraft. Both names referred to the same vehicle type in the animation.
- Drill Vines – A small rocket craft with a drill nose-cone, containing a Monster Mind vine cluster, which was used to penetrate targets and release a growth of vines.
- Pods – A plant-like insertion craft launched by Cruisers or Scouts, when Drill Vines were not called for.
- Space Fighters – A small Monster Mind starfighter, used much less commonly than Scouts.
Monster Mind network legions (unrepresented in the toy-line)
- Expansion Vines – A large vine growth used to infest a planet and spawn Monster Mind Troopers, also sometimes used to connect planets through open space.
- Spore Vines – Not as large as Expansion Vines, used to deploy biological weapons in the form of gasGasGas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
es. - Recepticles – A block-like plant that is used to form a teleportationTeleportationTeleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
point for Saw Boss's headquarters (originally Audric's lab). - Brains – A small plant mass with a single central eye, used for communication by Monster Mind agents of other races.
Episode list
1. Escape from the Garden of Evil (September 16, 1985)2. The Vase of Xiang (September 17, 1985)
3. Steel Against Shadow (September 18, 1985)
4. Silver Crusaders (September 19, 1985)
5. Ghostship (September 20, 1985)
6. Flora, Fauna and the Monster Minds (September 23, 1985)
7. Fire and Ice (September 24, 1985)
8. Space Outlaws (September 25, 1985)
9. Future of the Future (September 26, 1985)
10. Underwater (September 27, 1985)
11. Frostworld (September 30, 1985)
12. Critical Mass (October 1, 1985)
13. The Purple Tome (October 2, 1985)
14. Hook, Line and Silver (October 3, 1985)
15. Bloodstone (October 4, 1985)
16. The Slaves of Adelbaren (October 7, 1985)
17. The Hunt (October 8, 1985)
18. Blockade Runners (October 9, 1985)
19. The Sleeping Princess (October 10, 1985)
20. Deadly Reunion (October 11, 1985)
21. Sky Kingdom (October 14, 1985)
22. Quest into Shadow (October 15, 1985)
23. Unexpected Trouble (October 16, 1985)
24. Bounty Hunters (October 17, 1985)
25. Double Deception (October 18, 1985)
26. Gate World (October 21, 1985)
27. Space Thief (October 22, 1985)
28. Moon Magic (October 23, 1985)
29. Affair of Honor (October 24, 1985)
30. Doomed Flower (October 25, 1985)
31. The Stallions of Sandeen (October 28, 1985)
32. Brain Trust (October 29, 1985)
33. Lightning Strikes Twice (October 30, 1985)
34. The Liberty Stone (November 1, 1985)
35. The Vines (November 4, 1985)
36. The Space Fighter (November 5, 1985)
37. Heart of Paxtar (November 6, 1985)
38. Appointment at Forever (November 7, 1985)
39. What's Going On? (November 8, 1985)
40. Dark Singer (November 11, 1985)
41. Swamp Witch (November 12, 1985)
42. Deadly Reflections (November 13, 1985)
43. Early Warning (November 14, 1985)
44. A Question of Conscience (November 15, 1985)
45. Life Ship (November 18, 1985)
46. The Mirage Makers (November 19, 1985)
47. Do Not Disturb (November 20, 1985)
48. Dreamworld (November 21, 1985)
49. The Children of Solarus II (November 22, 1985)
50. The Gardner (November 25, 1985)
51. Armada (November 26, 1985)
52. The Chimes of Sharpis (November 27, 1985)
53. Galaxy Gamester (November 28, 1985)
54. Circus Planet (November 29, 1985)
55. Common Bond (December 2, 1985)
56. Mistress of Soul Tree (December 3, 1985)
57. The Life Eater (December 4, 1985)
58. Wasteland (December 5, 1985)
59. The Oracle (December 6, 1985)
60. Short Circuit, Long Wait (December 9, 1985)
61. Time and Time Again (December 10, 1985)
62. The Source (December 11, 1985)
63. The Raid (December 12, 1985)
64. The Squire Smith (December 13, 1985)
65. Final Ride at Journey's End (December 16, 1985)
Voice actors
- Darrin Baker as Jayce
- Charles Jolliffe as Gillian
- Luba GoyLuba Goy-Life and career:Goy was born in Haltern, Germany to Ukrainian parents and raised in Ottawa. They emigrated to Canada in 1951. She is a graduate of the Glebe Collegiate Institute in Ottawa, Ontario, and later graduated from Canada's National Theatre School, before acting in theatre productions in...
as Oon - John Stocker as Gun Grinner
- Dan HennesseyDan HennesseyDan Hennessey is a Canadian voice actor who, early on in his career, performed with a children's comedy troupe,...
as Audric, K.O. Cruiser and Saw Trooper - Valerie Politis as Flora
- Guilio KukurugyaGuilio KukurugyaGuilio Kukurugya is an American actor.-Career:Kukurugya was born in Coolspring Township, Pennsylvania December 2, 1955....
as Saw Boss - Len CarlsonLen CarlsonLen Carlson was a Canadian voice actor on many animated television series from the 1960s onward, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman during the 1970s and 1980s...
as Terror Tank and Herc Stormsailer - George BuzaGeorge BuzaGeorge Buza is an American-born Canadian actor who is best known for voicing Beast in the X-Men Animated Series.-Biography:Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he moved to Canada as a young man and became a Canadian citizen in 1998. He appeared as Chief Jake McKenna multiple times in the TV series Honey, I...
as The Opening Announcer
DVD releases
The entire series exists in French as two DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
boxed sets released by Manga Distribution. In English, several compilations were available on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tapes in the 1980s, and ex-rental
Rental shop
A rental shop, also known as a video library, is a business that allows a consumer to temporarily obtain a reusable good or product for a specified period of time in exchange for payment, a process known as renting...
copies can occasionally still be found on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. Jade Entertainment once provided a Region
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
2 DVD entitled The Lightning League (6 episodes).
On March 6, 2007, NCircle Entertainment released a single disc release entitled Escape from the Garden of Evil, which contains 4 episodes from the series, on DVD in Region 1.
On December 6, 2007, Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
announced that they had acquired the rights to the series. They subsequently released Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors - Volume 1 on DVD in Region 1 on March 25, 2008. The 4-disc set features the first 33 episodes of the series as well as bonus features. A second volume was to be released in the latter half of 2008, however due to poor sales of volume 1 it was subsequently cancelled.
On July 22, 2011, Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment is a home entertainment company that manufactures movie and television DVD compilation box sets at "value" prices. Nashville's Amity Entertainment is an affiliate to Mill Creek...
announced that they had acquired the rights to the series and plan on releasing it in its entirety in 2012. They subsequently announced that they plan on releasing Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors - Volume 1 on DVD in Region 1 on February 14, 2012. This 3 disc set will contain the first 32 episodes of the series. They will also release a 10 episode best-of collection on the same day.
Currently All 65 episodes of the series are currently available on iTunes in 2 volumes. They were also available on Netflix (in Canada), but they have since been randomly removed. They are available on DVD from Netflix in the U.S. in the Mill Creek Entertainment 4 disc Volume 1 version, but not for instant streaming.
Comic
An uncredited, unfinished comic based on the series was once published in the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
comic magazine Pif Gadget
Pif gadget
Pif Gadget was a French comic magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its audience peaked in the early 1970s.-History:Created as an outlet of the French Communist Party, it was initially entitled Le Jeune Patriote...
#922. Strangely enough, the 13-page adventure ended on a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
, the next issue of Pif Gadget did not include the follow-up story, and in the end, the conclusion to that story was never published in Pif Gadget. It included characters created specifically for the comic, such as a white-haired young sorceress called Algora who was "an ally of Saw Boss". The story, entitled "Le Sortilège d'Algora" ("Algora's Spell") was later re-printed and completed in Poche Junior, a free supplement for younger readers to the French television listing magazine Télé Poche, in several installments: Poche Junior #1 (May 1987), Poche Junior #2 (May 1987), Poche Junior #17 (August 1987), Poche Junior n° 23 (October 1987), and Poche Junior n° 25 (October 1987).
External links
- Official site at Shout! Factory
- Cindy's "Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors" Page
- Jayce.conquerants.free.fr - Site about Jayce and the wheeled warriors
- Ben Gali's Wheeled Warriors Toys - a list of many of the toys featured in the series