Chuck Norris is an American icon for sure. I don’t think anyone else in the martial arts world with maybe the exception of Bruce Lee has been as successful with it as Chuck. I mean this guy is 82 years old now, but everyone knows that he died 10 years ago. Death knows too – he’s just too scared to tell him. He’s the reason we won World War II as well. If you didn’t know, watch this video of Hitler finding out that he was swimming the Atlantic to come to Germany on behalf of the Allies – Hitler Finds out Chuck Norris is Coming – [Episode Four] – YouTube. Anyway, enough with the jokes. I’m a Norris fan but, I didn’t know anything about Chuck Norris: Karate Kammandos. I learned about Chuck Norris’ cartoon show from the 80s, Chuck Norris: Karate Kammandos, recently and bought the DVD. Let’s talk about it.
This show was released in 1986 and only ran one season. From looking at it and from knowing the 80s cartoon scene, it was released to compete and compare with GI Joe. Chuck’s show even had the awesome public service announcements giving kids advice. From what I could find, this was released, according to IMDB, on September 15th of 1986 and only ran 5 episodes (2022). GI Joe aired its final episode on November 20, 1986 (IMDB, 2022). I guess if Chuck Norris couldn’t have a show, the Joes couldn’t either. It makes sense, he’s that bad.
Chuck Norris: Karate Kammandos is exactly what you would expect. It is an animated series featuring Chuck and his small team that consists of a kid, a lady, a sumo wrestler, a samurai, and his apprentice. They fight enemies that are ninjas led by a ninja that resembles Cobra Commander and a leader who resembles Destro. The lead is named “Claw” and the lead ninja is named “Super-Ninja.” Chuck Norris created the show himself too (IMDB, 2022). I remember the 80s and the ninja was all the craze in the martial arts world. It’s what got me interested in the martial arts to start with. You could bet that if there was a bad guy in a martial art show from the 80s, he/she would somehow be related to the ninja.
This show is fun just because it’s Chuck Norris and it fits that classic 80s action cartoon vibe. Chuck’s one liners and larger than life persona that the show creates. Another show from the 80s that was Chuck Norris’ creation indirectly was Transformers. He urinated in a truck’s gas tank one time. That truck is now known as Optimus Prime. Sorry – back on track. At one point, he takes a guy’s motorcycle. When the guy yells at him, he says something along the lines of, “I’m Chuck Norris, it’s an emergency, call the American Embassy to have your bike replaced” and rides off. At another point, his team is going to borrow a space shuttle from a museum. When they tell the military people there what they need, they reply “Even Chuck Norris will have to get approval for that.” Even in the cartoon world, Chuck Norris is respected.
I’m a Chuck Norris fan, a GI Joe fan, a martial arts fan, and a carton fan. So, Karate Kammandos was right up my alley. I’m just surprised I didn’t know anything about this until now. I was surfing YouTube one night and saw one of the public service announcements. I did some homework to find out where they were from and, found this classic 5-episode cartoon series. You either like Chuck Norris or you’re wrong. He puts the “laughter” in “slaughter” after all.
IMDB. (2022). Chuck Norris: Karate Kammandos. IMDB.com. Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos (TV Series 1986) – IMDb