| Defenders of the Earth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Superhero Action/adventure Science fantasy |
| Based on | Mandrake the Magician The Phantom by Lee Falk Flash Gordon by Alex Raymond |
| Written by | Bryce Malek Dick Robbins |
| Directed by | Will Meugniot John Gibbs Ray Lee |
| Starring | William Callaway Adam Carl Ron Feinberg Buster Jones Loren Lester Sarah Partridge Diane Pershing Peter Renaday Lou Richards Peter Mark Richman Dion Williams |
| Composer | Robert J. Walsh |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 65 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Lee Gunther Margaret Loesch Bruce L. Paisner |
| Producers | John Ahern Rick Hoberg Bill Hutten Glenn Johnson Tony Love Don Sheppard Lee Orgel George Singer Bill Hutton Tony Love |
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Production companies | Marvel Productions King Features Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | September 8, 1986 – May 1, 1987 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Defenders of the Earth is an American animated television series produced in 1986, featuring characters from three comic strips distributed by King Features Syndicate—Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Mandrake's assistant Lothar—opposing Ming the Merciless in the year 2015. Supporting characters include their children Rick Gordon (son of Flash), L.J. (son of Lothar), Kshin (adopted son of Mandrake), and Jedda Walker (daughter of the Phantom).[1]
The series lasted for 65 episodes; there was also a short-lived comic book series published by Star Comics (an imprint of Marvel Comics).[2] The closing credits credit Rob Walsh and Tony Pastor for the main title music, and Stan Lee for the lyrics. The series later aired in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel as part of its animation block, Cartoon Quest.
Flash Gordon has also been seen in two other animated series: The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979–82), and Flash Gordon (1996–97).[3]
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 150. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- ^ Markstein, Don. "Defenders of the Earth". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 331–333. ISBN 978-1476665993.