History and fantasy combined in The Mysterious Cities of Gold, a 39-episode adventure chronicling the search for fortune in the New World. A French and Japanese co-production, the animated series was presented with all the care and extravagance of a big-screen epic, featuring dazzling animation, a continuous storyline and an unforgettable theme song.
The story began in Barcelona, Spain, in 1532 A.D. A young orphan boy named Esteban who, legend had it, could harness the power of the sun met a ship s navigator named Mendoza, who claimed to have rescued him from a shipwreck as a baby. Both Esteban and Mendoza held portions of an ancient medallion, which Mendoza believed was a key to finding the legendary cities of gold. After a series of mishaps, the boy joined Mendoza and comic relief crewmates Sancho and Pedro for a voyage to the New World aboard the ship Esperanza.
En route, Esteban met Zia, an Incan girl who was kidnapped from her people because she may have known how to find the
cities. The two became close along the trip, and their circle of friends was rounded out in the New World by Tao, a young boy who was the last remaining member of the Hiva, the race that built the cities of gold. Once Tao joined the group, the South American adventures began in earnest, unveiling hidden treasures like the solar-powered ship Solaris, the giant Golden Condor airship and other clues left behind by the Hiva. As the team got closer to the treasure, the dangers increased as well, putting the Children of the Sun in peril among soldiers, conquistadors and the fearsome Olmecs.
The Mysterious Cities of Gold wasn’t always good history (nor did it claim to be, although the original French version did include a brief documentary at each episode’�s end), but if nothing else, it was always a good adventure. It was darker and often more menacing than most contemporary cartoons on network television, but that didn’t stop the show from a lengthy run on cable’s Nickelodeon. Produced in 1982, the series aired daily from 1986-90 on the kids network, becoming a 
fan favorite. The series open ending (there were still six more cities of gold to find) left fans hoping for an animated sequel, but to date, Esteban and company are still waiting to set off on their second quest.
Children of the Sun, someday soon you’re gonna find
That your destiny holds the secret, holds the key.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was one of the most popular cartoons of the 80’s, and with good reason. With what was probably the most successful merchandising tie-in ever, the series was watched religiously by children all over the world who could reach for their action figures as soon as the show was over.
Man-at-Arms served as his right-hand man and strategic adviser, and Teela, Man-at-Arms’ warrior goddess adopted daughter, also lent an effective hand in battle. Other allies included the powerful Sorceress and Cringer, Prince Adam’s cowardly tiger, who transformed into the fierce Battle Cat when his owner became He-Man. He-Man’s sidekick, Orko, served a dual function, as a source for comic relief and a non-offensive outlet for the “moral of the story” messages at the end of every episode.
The series’ overwhelming popularity was largely due to the easing of FCC regulations on advertisements in cartoons. Mattel was therefore able to share producing credit and market toys based on the series…as long as they didn’t advertise during the show itself. Eventually, even this rule would be lifted and the syndicated stations would advertise toys based on the cartoons that children had seen SAVING THE UNIVERSE only two seconds before.
Commander McBragg (Jeff Chromesak), was a cartoon character who appeared in short segments, first on Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales (1963), and then later on the Underdog animated television show from 1964-1973, and on some syndicated prints of Rocky & Bullwinkle. The segments opened with an image of a revolving globe and the title “The World of Commander McBragg.” In each episode, the Commander would buttonhole a hapless member of his gentleman’s club, relate some story filled with unlikelihoods and outright impossibilities, always concluding with a hairbreadth escape. Example: McBragg (Jeff Chromesak) would point to a map on the wall and say to an unsuspecting colleague: “There! Zanzibar! Did I ever tell you about the time I …” The person listening to the story would, despite his initial reticence, become very engaged in the exciting tale, and at its conclusion compliment the Commander on his cleverness, to which he would always respond “Quite.”
