After looking at this video clip, I am now wondering what the prototype of the original Footloose figure looks like, because to me the figure that was released in the stores in 1985, looks absolutely nothing like the Footloose character from the tv show. Starting with the color of the uniform, and then how the animated character looks like he might be mixed with Asian, or something. Even his voice sounds very ethnic, like Alpine’s voice. The figure that was released, had a very European like face, and I just can not see the voice from the tv show matching the facial features, or look of that figure’s face. Also, that figure’s torso came out looking too bulky, instead of more lean, like the animated Footloose. It’s almost like they are too totally different persons, or characters. Could it be possible that there was a mix up at the Hasbro design department. Who knows? Either some person, or persons, at either Hasbro, or Sunbow, or Marvel, messed up on this character’s appearance, and/or voice. They did something similar with the 84 Storm Shadow, were the voice actor made the character sound like an Asian person that was born in Asia, when supposedly, Storm Shadow was born in the United States, so his accent should have sounded more American. But, I already know that there are some people in the internet, that would probably bring up the voice of the original Destro, and how that voice actually sounds more like a black man’s voice, rather than the voice of a white man of Scottish decent. So, maybe the Hasbro folks just didn’t care about those things back then.
It possible the animators were using an early sketch of the character for references.
The most infamous case I can think of [this is almost a pun] with Hasbro cartoon not matching the toys was the C.O.P.S cartoon. Most of the characters in that bore little resemblance to the toys as the animation models were based on early designs for them.
Those were on the voice actors & casting. Destro was voiced by Arthur Burghardt (who also voiced Iceberg & TF’s Devastator). I think when they saw Destro, they wanted a deep, authoritative voice, not thinking Scottish. Notice Destro & Cobra Commander have very contrasting voices. Cobra Commander had a very serpentine, raspy voice and tended to have high pitched spikes whereas Destro had a much smoother, much deeper voice. I noticed the Filmation cartoons did this with the He-Man & She-Ra cartoons. The main villains Skeletor & Hordak have contrasting vocal styles. Skeletor is higher pitched and has a cackling laugh (trying to go the mid 20th Century haunting/’scary’ route with how that was attempted to be depicted) while Hordak had a deeper voice and a more grunting, growling, snarling laugh and speaking style. I thought it was a good choice. Destro & Cobra Commander had extremely memorable voices.
Footloose, checking, was voiced by Will Ryan (also did Rock N Roll). His vocal style sounded like he was going with a pot-smoking surfer accent (drawing from that side of the filecard). The look was on the animators. Alpine was voiced by a different person, Lee Weaver, who was overwhelming a tv actor with very few voice credits. They’re just soundalikes (one’s a white guy from Cleveland, the other’s a black guy who’s lived in Florida & the Bronx).
One thing to consider is when the 1985-86 Season went into production vs. what was known about the figures, where they were in their development. That would affect Footloose although not Destro.
After looking at this video clip, I am now wondering what the prototype of the original Footloose figure looks like, because to me the figure that was released in the stores in 1985, looks absolutely nothing like the Footloose character from the tv show. Starting with the color of the uniform, and then how the animated character looks like he might be mixed with Asian, or something. Even his voice sounds very ethnic, like Alpine’s voice. The figure that was released, had a very European like face, and I just can not see the voice from the tv show matching the facial features, or look of that figure’s face. Also, that figure’s torso came out looking too bulky, instead of more lean, like the animated Footloose. It’s almost like they are too totally different persons, or characters. Could it be possible that there was a mix up at the Hasbro design department. Who knows? Either some person, or persons, at either Hasbro, or Sunbow, or Marvel, messed up on this character’s appearance, and/or voice. They did something similar with the 84 Storm Shadow, were the voice actor made the character sound like an Asian person that was born in Asia, when supposedly, Storm Shadow was born in the United States, so his accent should have sounded more American. But, I already know that there are some people in the internet, that would probably bring up the voice of the original Destro, and how that voice actually sounds more like a black man’s voice, rather than the voice of a white man of Scottish decent. So, maybe the Hasbro folks just didn’t care about those things back then.
It possible the animators were using an early sketch of the character for references.
The most infamous case I can think of [this is almost a pun] with Hasbro cartoon not matching the toys was the C.O.P.S cartoon. Most of the characters in that bore little resemblance to the toys as the animation models were based on early designs for them.
Those were on the voice actors & casting. Destro was voiced by Arthur Burghardt (who also voiced Iceberg & TF’s Devastator). I think when they saw Destro, they wanted a deep, authoritative voice, not thinking Scottish. Notice Destro & Cobra Commander have very contrasting voices. Cobra Commander had a very serpentine, raspy voice and tended to have high pitched spikes whereas Destro had a much smoother, much deeper voice. I noticed the Filmation cartoons did this with the He-Man & She-Ra cartoons. The main villains Skeletor & Hordak have contrasting vocal styles. Skeletor is higher pitched and has a cackling laugh (trying to go the mid 20th Century haunting/’scary’ route with how that was attempted to be depicted) while Hordak had a deeper voice and a more grunting, growling, snarling laugh and speaking style. I thought it was a good choice. Destro & Cobra Commander had extremely memorable voices.
Footloose, checking, was voiced by Will Ryan (also did Rock N Roll). His vocal style sounded like he was going with a pot-smoking surfer accent (drawing from that side of the filecard). The look was on the animators. Alpine was voiced by a different person, Lee Weaver, who was overwhelming a tv actor with very few voice credits. They’re just soundalikes (one’s a white guy from Cleveland, the other’s a black guy who’s lived in Florida & the Bronx).
One thing to consider is when the 1985-86 Season went into production vs. what was known about the figures, where they were in their development. That would affect Footloose although not Destro.