The 1980s Series refers to the original Strawberry Shortcake continuity that ran from 1980 to 1985. It is the first generation of the franchise, and would be succeeded by the unsuccessful THQ Line.
History[]
TBA
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Russi Taylor as Strawberry Shortcake
- Robert Ridgely as The Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak
Muller/Rosen Cast (1980-1982)[]
- Julie McWhirter as Huckleberry Pie (1980), T.N. Honey, Custard, and Angel Cake (1982)
- Joan Gerber as Blueberry Muffin (1980-1981), Apricot, Soufflé the Skunk, and Sour Grapes (1982)
- Pamela Anderson as Raspberry Tart (1980)
- Diana McCannon as Orange Blossom (1981)
- Romeo Muller as Mr. Sun (1980-1982)
- Bob Holt as Escargot and Coco Nutwork
- Unknown as Plum Puddin' (1980-1981), Lemon Meringue (1981), Tamale
Nelvana Cast (1983-1985)[]
- Chris Wiggins as Mr. Sun (1983-1985)
- Jack Blum as Captain Cackle and the Berry Birds (1983)
- Melleny Brown as Lime Chiffon, Lemon Meringue (1984), Banana Twirl, Lime Berrykin, and Banana Berrykin
- Jeri Carden as Sour Grapes (1983-1985) and Fig-Boot
- Jeannie Elias as Huckleberry Pie (1983), Parfait and Lem
- Susan Roman as Blueberry Muffin (1983-1984), Crepe Suzette, Ada, Berry Princess, Peach Blush, and Peach Berrykin
- Cree Summer as Orange Blossom (1984)
- Monica Parker as Baby Needs-A-Name
- Laurie Waller as Plum Puddin' (1984-1985), Orange Blossom (1985), Orange Berrykin and Plum Berrykin
- Susan Snooks as Blueberry Muffin (1985), Blue Berrykin
- Russi Taylor as Straw Berrykin
- Unknown as Mint Tulip, Cafe Ole
Specials[]
Unlike its successors, this generation never recieved a proper television series, with Strawberry's adventures instead being told through half-hour animated specials that aired annually from 1980 to 1985.
| No. in series | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The World of Strawberry Shortcake | March 28, 1980 |
| 2 | Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City | April 10, 1981 |
| 3 | Strawberry Shortcake: Pets on Parade | April 9, 1982 |
| 4 | Strawberry Shortcake: Housewarming Surprise | March 31, 1983 |
| 5 | Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name | March 24, 1984 |
| 6 | Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins | March 29, 1985 |
The Care Berry Switch[]
On October 16th, 2024, a new special set in the 1980s continuity was announced, crossing Strawberry Shortcake over with her longtime sister franchise, Care Bears, titled The Care Berry Switch. It is produced in collaboration with WildBrain Studios and Cloudco Entertainment, the current owners of the respective franchises.
Toyline[]
Main article: Kenner Strawberry Shortcake Dolls
Comics[]
Main article: Comics of the 1980s
In April of 1985, Strawberry Shortcake received a monthly comic book series published by Marvel Comics under their Star Comics imprint. The series appeared to take place after the specials, and ran for six issues, with the final issue published on February 6th, 1986. It is notable for being the debut of Raisin Cane.
In 2017, IDW Publishing (which held the license to produce Strawberry Shortcake comics at the time) released a Strawberry Shortcake one-shot comic featuring the 1980s cast as Funko Pops, as part of the "Funko Universe" anthology series featuring other pop culture icons in a standalone adventure, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters.
Video Games[]
The 1980s Series didn't receive many video games, given it was primarily a toy and cartoon franchise first, but there were games that still released featuring the 1980s characters.
- Strawberry Shortcake: Musical Match-Ups: The first ever Strawberry Shortcake video game, it was released on the Atari 2600.
- Cake-Off: A collaborative event with Roblox, wherein Strawberry Shortcake and Orange Blossom judge a cake-making competition. Players could earn Strawberry Shortcake-themed items during this event.
Trivia[]
- Out of every actor involved with the specials, only Russi Taylor and Robert Ridgely remained in the cast for all six specials.
- Being the first installment of the franchise and the most iconic in pop culture, the 1980s version of Strawberry tends to get parodied a lot, often poking fun and the saccharine nature of her cartoon. The most well-known are Robot Chicken (where she is portrayed as is, but also has a parody version named Raspberry Parfait) and Peanuts (minor character Tapioca Pudding was created as a harsh critical parody of the character and franchise for being merchandise-driven).
- Other notable parodies include Paula Poundcake from Fairly Oddparents, two appearances in MAD ("Thomas the Unstoppable Tank Engine" and "Tater Tots & Tiaras"), an appearance in South Park episode "Imaginationland Episode II", and Strawberry Sweetcake from Drawn Together.
- Infamously, webcomic Penny Arcade also made a parody strip depicting an "adult" Strawberry Shortcake, intended to make fun of the game "America McGee's Alice" rather than the franchise itself. American Greetings ended up taking offense and issued a cease-and-desist, and the comic was taken down. Several follow-up comics have been made by the creators expressing their indignation, such as portraying the receptionist at American Greetings as a Nazi, and later making another comic where they did the exact same thing but with Rainbow Brite.
- With the announcement of "The Care Berry Switch", the 1980s Series becomes the first Strawberry Shortcake generation to be revived after it's initial conclusion.
- Several actors involved with the specials were not credited for the characters they voiced. The voice actors for the male Plum Pudding, Cafe Ole, and Mint Tulip still remain unknown to this day.
- While all six specials did release on VHS, only the first two specials ever received a DVD release. The final four specials have yet to be rereleased on DVD. The 1980s series is also the only Strawberry Shortcake series to not be uploaded to the official YouTube channel.
- This series has been given two different "titles". On the official Strawberry Shortcake website it is referred to as "Vintage Strawberry Shortcake"[1], while most other sources such as the official Instagram[2] simply use the name of the first special, "The World of Strawberry Shortcake".