To the many fans of the series who have yet to pick up their copy of the first ever guide book for ThunderCats, I hope the following information can persuade you.

The book is an A5, 500 page beast and tells the full story of the production of ThunderCats, from the toy sculptors to cel painters and guitarists to child psychologists, this book has it all! The book is structured into ten chapters and is told by the many people who made the show (or friends/relatives/colleagues where people have, sadly, passed away). There’s also an eight page photo section uncovering some exclusive photographs from people’s time at Rankin/Bass:

Chapter 1. EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, Producing ThunderCats
The opening chapter deals with the conception of the television show and the story of the collaborative effort to bring both seasons of ThunderCats from idea to reality.

Chapter 2. THE FORMULA, The Writers’ Story
Chapter two explores the moral duty the production team faced in creating responsible programming and profiles the series’ writers.

Chapter 3. THE GARDEN OF DELIGHTS, The Art of ThunderCats
The visual splendour of ThunderCats is explored as the book invites the many artists, designers and animators who worked on the series to tell their story.

Chapter 4. SWAN SONG, The Music of ThunderCats
Musician and composer Bernard Hoffer explains the process of creating a musical score for ThunderCats, while the many musicians and editors who brought his work to life share their memories.

Chapter 5. OUT OF SIGHT, The Voices Behind the Characters
Chapter five explores how a small, yet talented voice cast secured their roles on ThunderCats and how they went about turning written ideas into lively and memorable characters.

Chapter 6. The BOOK OF OMENS, The Complete Story Guide
For the first time in published form, every episode of ThunderCats is analysed and reviewed. Additionally, each episode listing features a ‘Writer’s Commentary’ box where each script writer shares their inspirations and memories.

Chapter 7. GOOD & UGLY, An A-Z of the ThunderCats’ Universe
This is no ordinary character guide! The many creatures inhabiting the ThunderCats universe are briefly profiled, using extracts from production documentation, revealing never-before-seen early ideas for many of the lead characters.

Chapter 08. ALL THAT GLITTERS, The Toy Story
ThunderCats is perhaps as famous for its merchandise line as for the show itself. This chapter stands as a comprehensive guide to one of the best-selling toy lines of its era. As we hear from the people who brought the figures to life, the relationship between the ThunderCats production office and LJN Toys is also discussed as we examine what input the toy makers had on the show.

Chapter 09. SILVERHAWKS, Party Metal, Partly Real
ThunderCats’ sister series, SilverHawks, is given its moment to shine as the making of the series is finally uncovered.

Chapter 10. RETURN TO THUNDERA, The Ongoing Saga
The concluding chapter explores why the series continues to live on and asks the series’ fans why their loyalty towards the series refuses to fade. The ThunderCats comic line and live show are also explored, while the impact of the show around the world is also examined.

The HUGE list of contributors to the book are as follows:

Arthur Rankin Jr (Rankin/Bass)
Barry Lazarowitz (Drummer)
Becky Hartman (Writer)
Bernard Hoffer (Music)
Beth Bornstein (Writer)
Deborah Goodwin (Writer – Pseudonym Bill Ratter)
Bob Camp (Character Designer)
Brian McFadden (Son of Bob McFadden – Voice Cast)
Bruce Smith (Writer)
Charles Hasegawa (Production/Animation liaison)
Chris Trengove (Writer)
Connie Long (Production)
Craig Snyder (Guitarist)
Danny Peary (Writer)
David Carren (Writer)
Denis Markell (Writer)
Dennis Woodyard (Writer & Character Designer)
Doug Preis (Voice Cast – Aluro et al)
Douglas Bornstein (Writer)
Earle Hyman (Voice Cast – Panthro et al)
Eric Hammond (Son of Earl Hammond – Voice Cast)
Ford Gilmore (WildStorm Comic Writer)
George Hampton (Writer)
Gerrianne Raphael (Voice Cast – Pumyra et al)
Heather Winters (Production and Writer)
Herb Engelhardt (Writer)
Howard Post (Writer)
J Larry Carrol (Writer)
James Rose (Writer)
James Wang (Animation sub-contractor)
Janice Wolf (Ted Wolf’s Daughter)
Jay Weinman (Post Production)
Jeri Craden (Writer)
Jim Meskimen (Character Designer)
John Crenshaw (Production)
John Curcio (Production)
Jose Longoria (LJN Toys – Line Manager)
Karen Siegel (Production)
Ken Vose (Writer)
Kevin Mowrer (LJN Toys – Designer)
Kimberly Morris (Writer)
Kitajima Nobuyuki (Animator)
Larry Franke (Production)
Larry Kenney (Voice Cast – Lion-o et al)
Laura Moorehouse (LJN – Packaging Designer)
Lawrence DuKore (Writer)
Lee Dannacher (Supervising Producer/Showrunner)
Lee Schneider (Writer)
Leonard Starr (Head Writer)
Lynne Lipton (Voice Artist – Cheetara et al)
Maggie Wheeler (Voice Artist – SilverHawks)
Margaret Dorn (Vocalist)
Matthew Malach (Production and Writer)
Michael Farrow (Production)
Michael Ungar (Production)
Nancy Gregory (Writer and Director – ThunderCats Live!)
Nicole Gray (Daughter of Mike Germakian)
Paul Samulski (LJN Manager)
Pepe Moreno (Secondary Character Designer)
Pete Cannarozzi (Music Recording)
Peter Bakalian (Production)
Peter Lawrence (Script Editor/Showrunner)
Peter Newman (Voice Cast – Tygra et al)
Peter Pryor (Toy marketing)
Peter Thom (Vocalist)
Robert Kuisis (Psychological Consultant)
Ron Goulart (Writer)
Sandy Fries (Writer)
Stan Weston (Leisure Concepts)
Stephen Perry (Writer)
Steve Kiwus (LJN Sculptor)
Theresa Plummer Andrews (Oversees acquisitions BBC)
Tom DeFalco (Marvel Comics Editor)
Tom McGrath (Kenner Toys)
Tom Perkins (Production)
Tony Giovanniello (Production)

PLUS, additional friends of cast/crew who have passed away, and a cross-section of fans of the series are interviewed. Apologies to anyone else I’ve overlooked along the way!

Hopefully that has convinced you to go and order your copy NOW. It’s still readily available from all UK online retailers, and, if you live outside the UK, you can import your copy from bookdepository.co.uk who offer free delivery and a crazy discount off the RRP! (Currently £13.34 / $21.99 )