The BARNYARD COMMANDOS Cartoon Series and Action Figure Line Were Ludicrous
Do any of you remember the Barnyard Commando cartoon series and action figure line? I didn’t until a friend reminded me that this was actually a thing that existed! Then as I started digging into it and seeing the toys and watching parts of the cartoon series, it all started flooding back!
The action figure line featured non-posable military characters based on farm animals. So you had animals stepped with crazy looking guns and rocket launchers. The who thing is absolutely ludicrous!
The figures were by designer James Groman for American Greetings Corporation and produced by Playmates Toys in 1989. After the toys were released there was thirteen-episode French-American animated series that was released the following year. It bombed.
The story follows a group of farm animals who consumed radioactive materials left over from an abandoned military experiment. This caused them to mutate into hyper-intelligent, anthropomorphic paramilitary troops. There were two opposing teams that rose form this, The R.A.M.S. (Rebel Army of Military Sheep) and the P.O.R.K.S. (Platoon of Rebel Killer Swine).
Some of the characters included Sergeant Woolly Pullover, Commodore Fleece Cardigan, General Hamfat Lardo, Major Legger Mutton, Private Side O'Bacon, Sergeant Shoat N. Sweet, Captain Tusker Chitlins, and more. You gotta love those names!
The toy line didn’t last much longer after the series came to an end, but the short-lived property might have made an impact on some kids! Some of you might have some fun memories of them!