‘Voltron: Defender of the Universe’ a Product of Missouri

There were several cartoons that I loved when I was growing up, but there were always three that were my absolute favorites: 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,' 'Thundercats,' and 'Voltron: Defender of the Universe.' It wasn't until I was an adult that I discovered that one of those shows has a local tie to our region.

'Voltron: Defender of the Universe' is a series that was imported from Japan (sort of). 'Voltron,' as we know it in the United States, was actually a series that was put together using pieces from two Japanese shows: 'Beast King GoLion' and 'Armored Fleet Dairugger XV.' The company that put the pieces into place and created the hit American series was World Event Productions, based in St. Louis.

'Voltron' aired in syndication for three years, and became the No. 1 syndicated children's show. A ton of merchandise featuring the character was released, including toys, Halloween costumes and apparel.

World Event Productions is still in business today, and is still based in St. Louis. According to their website, the company has "created, produced and distributed several award-winning series, with a library of over 250 half-hour episodes."

Do you remember Voltron? I recall having a Voltron birthday party when I turned five or six. Of course I also had a ton of Voltron toys and watched the same episodes over and over on VHS. Take our short Voltron quiz and see how well you know the giant robot!