Events in 1985 in animation.
Events
January January 23: The first episode of ThunderCats airs.
March March 1: Will Vinton's The Adventures of Mark Twain is first released. which will become a cult classic. March 4: The first episode of The World of David the Gnome airs. March 20: The Peanuts TV special Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS."Peanuts - Aired Order - All Seasons - TheTVDB.com". thetvdb.com. Retrieved 2025-10-12. March 22: He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword is first released, the first animated feature based on a toy line. March 24: The Care Bears Movie is first released. March 25: 57th Academy Awards: Charade by Jon Minnis wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
May May 8–19: 1986 Cannes Film Festival: Jiří Barta's The Pied Piper premieres. The Norwegian band A-ha releases a re-recorded version of their song Take On Me, with a partially animated music video, in which a girl is brought into a comic book world. The video is directed by Steve Barron and Candace Reckinger, with the animation done by Michael Patterson. The comic featured in the music video is drawn by Michael Patterson and later printed in the sleeve of the single release. May 18: The Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids episode "Gang Wars" airs where a character dies onscreen, proclaiming this as one of the darker episodes. May 25: DIC Entertainment's Here Come the Littles premieres. The film gained much infamy for its outsourced animation and thematic storylines. It ultimately put an end to The Littles cartoon series.Russell, Candice. "Too little attention paid to animation in 'Littles'." South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 8, 1985, p. 8.C. Retrieved: March 12, 2024.
June June 15: Studio Ghibli is founded. Specific date unknown: Richard Condie's The Big Snit is released.
July July 4: The first episode of The Raccoons airs. July 24: The Walt Disney Company releases The Black Cauldron, Disney's first animated film to receive the PG rating and the only one until Dinosaur in 2000. The film went into obscurity for 13 years after the release due to suffering a great deal of bad reputation and budget problems. It became a cult classic in later years, shedding its undeserved reputation.
September September 7: The first episodes of Ewoks and Star Wars: Droids air, both based on Star Wars. The first episode of The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo airs. This incarnation of Scooby-Doo gained much notoriety by Christian groups for its occultic setting in a Saturday morning cartoon at its time. September 14: The first episode of Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling airs, based on popular wrestler Hulk Hogan. The first episodes of The Wuzzles and Gummi Bears air. They are Walt Disney Company's first animated television series. The first episode of The Care Bears airs. September 15: The first episode of Paw Paws airs. This particular cartoon gained some infamy during the broadcast for prominent Indigious stereotyping and is later declared "politically incorrect" in 2014.
October October 3: The first episode of Seabert airs. October 30: Garfield's Halloween Adventure premieres on CBS.
November November 6: The Peanuts TV special You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS. The special is an animated adaptation of the 1967 stage play of the same name. November 15: Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer is first released. It was a commercial disappointment. November 22: Starchaser: The Legend of Orin premiers, the first animated feature film released in 3-D.
December December 10: Bugs Bunny receives a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. December 11: The third Astérix film Asterix Versus Caesar is released. December 14: The film Peter-No-Tail in Americat is released.
Specific date unknown The computer animation company H.K. Screen Art is established in Hong Kong.
Films released
January 1 - Happy Days of the Moomins (Poland) January 17 - Ttoriwa Jeta Roboteu (South Korea) January 21 - Greed (Japan) January 26 - Urusei Yatsura 3: Remember My Love (Japan) February 6 - Gwen, the Book of Sand (France) March 1: The Adventures of Mark Twain (United States) Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko (Japan) March 9: Bobby's Girl (Japan) The Dagger of Kamui (Japan) Megazone 23 (Japan) March 16: Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars (Japan) Gon, the Little Fox (Japan) Gu Gu Ganmo (Japan) Kinnikuman: Justice Supermen vs. Ancient Supermen (Japan) Nicholas Nickleby (Australia) March 20 - Sangokushi (Japan) March 22 - The Secret of the Sword (United States) March 26 - The Pickwick Papers (Australia) March 29 - The Care Bears Movie (Canada and United States) April 11 - Szaffi (Hungary, Canada, and West Germany) April 27 - GoShogun: The Time Étranger (Japan) May 14 - Epic (Australia) May 25 - Here Come the Littles (United States, France, Canada, Japan, and Luxembourg) June 15 - Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel: Long Goodbye (Japan) June 20 - Dot and the Koala (Australia) June 27 - We Called Them Montagues and Capulets (Bulgaria) July 5 - Karuizawa Syndrome (Japan) July 13: The Adventures of Robin Hood (Australia) Captain Tsubasa: Europe Daikessen (Japan) Lupin III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon (Japan) Night on the Galactic Railroad (Japan) July 20: Area 88: The Movie (Japan) Cosmo Police Justy (Japan) Micro Commando Diatron 5 (Japan) Robot King Sun Shark (South Korea) July 21 - Little Memole: Marielle's Jewelbox (Japan) July 22 - Penguin's Memory: Shiawase Monogatari (Japan) July 24 - The Black Cauldron (United States) July 26 - The Man in the Iron Mask (Australia) July 28 - Magical Princess Minky Momo – La Ronde in my Dream (Japan) July 29 - The Little Vagabond (Spain) August 5 - Dallos Special (Japan) August 10 - Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight (Japan) August 13 - Dokgo Tak 3 – The Mound Rediscovered (South Korea) August 21 - Armored Trooper Votoms: The Last Red Shoulder (Japan) August 25 - The Prince of Devil Island: The Three-Eyed One (Japan) September - The Pied Piper (Czechoslovakia) September 5 - Odyssea (Czechoslovakia and East Germany) September 24 - Urusei Yatsura: Ryoko's September Tea Party (Japan) October 1 - Pohádky pod sněhem (Czechoslovakia) October 6 - Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines (United States) October 19: A Journey Through Fairyland (Japan) The Robot Corps and Mecha 3 (United States and South Korea) October 20 - Molly and the Skywalkerz: Happily Ever After (United States) November 6 - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (United States) November 15 - Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer (United States and France) November 22 - Starchaser: The Legend of Orin (United States and South Korea) November 25 - What's Michael? (Japan) December 11 - Asterix Versus Caesar (France and Belgium) December 14 - Peter-No-Tail in Americat (Sweden) December 15 - Angel's Egg (Japan) December 16: Fire Tripper (Japan) Love Position – The Legend of Halley (Japan) December 17: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Australia) The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (United States and Japan) December 20 - Dirty Pair: Affair of Nolandia (Japan) December 21: Captain Tsubasa: Ayaushi, Zen Nippon Jr. (Japan) Kinnikuman: Hour of Triumph! Justice Superman (Japan) Mujeokcheorin lamboteu (South Korea) The Snow Country Prince (Japan) Vampire Hunter D (Japan) December 25 - He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special (United States) Specific date unknown: The Brave Frog's Greatest Adventure (United States and Japan) Kalabaza tripontzia (Spain) Mach and Sebestova – Come Up to the Blackboard! (Czechoslovakia) The Monkey King Conquers the Demon (China) Robby the Rascal (Japan) The Secrets of a Wicker Bay (Poland) Time Patrol (Japan) Vampires in Havana (Cuba and Spain)
Television debuts
January 3 - The Little Green Man debuts on ITV. January 6 - Princess Sara debuts on Fuji TV. March 2 - Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam debuts on Nagoya TV, TV Asahi, Animax. March 4 - Robotech debuts in syndication, Sci-Fi Channel, Cartoon Network & KTEH. March 10 - High Step Jun debuts on TV Asahi. March 24 - Touch debuts on Fuji TV. March 30 - CBS Storybreak debuts on CBS. April 1 - Bertha debuts on BBC 1/BBC 2. April 2: Onegai! Samia-don debuts on NHK. Pro Golfer Saru debuts on TV Asahi. April 5 - Dancouga – Super Beast Machine God debuts on TBS. April 6 - Honō no Alpen Rose: Judy & Randy debuts on Fuji TV. April 8 - Hēi! Bumbū debuts on NHK. April 18 - Musashi no Ken debuts on TV Tokyo. June 7 - Magical Emi, the Magic Star debuts on NTV. July 4 - The Raccoons debuts on CBC. July 15 - Dirty Pair debuts on Nippon TV. September 2 - Galtar and the Golden Lance debuts in syndication, whilst She-Ra: Princess of Power has its world premiere on Children's ITV in the UK. September 6 - Yogi's Treasure Hunt debuts in syndication. September 7: Scooby's Mystery Funhouse, Star Wars: Droids, Star Wars: Ewoks,The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians debut on ABC. September 9: Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors debuts on TF1 (France) and in syndication (United States). She-Ra: Princess of Power and ThunderCats debut in syndication. September 14: Adventures of the Gummi Bears debuts on NBC (1985–1989), ABC (1989–1990) and in syndication (1990–1991). Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, Little Muppet Monsters, The Berenstain Bears, and The Wuzzles debut on CBS. It's Punky Brewster debuts on NBC. Sectaurs and The Care Bears debut in syndication. September 15: Paw Paws debuts in syndication. The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera debuts on HBTV and TBS. September 24 - Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea debuts on Antenne 2. September 25 - Fingermouse debuts on BBC1. September 30 - M.A.S.K. debuts in syndication. October 2 - Clémentine debuts on Antenne 2 (now France 2). October 3: Seabert debuts on Antenne 2 & HBO. Aoki Ryusei SPT Layzner debuts on Nippon Television. October 5 - Pob's Programme debuts on Channel 4. October 6: Jem and Super Sunday debut in syndication. Ninja Senshi Tobikage debuts on Nippon Television. October 12 - High School! Kimengumi debuts on Fuji TV. October 19 - Yume No Hoshi No Button Nose debuts on TV Asahi. October 26 - The World of David the Gnome debuts on TVE1. November 13 - Alias the Jester debuts on ITV Network (CITV). November 23 - Robo Story debuts on Canal+. November 25 - What's Michael? debuts on anime OVA. Specific date unknown: Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines debuts on Super Sunday and Super Saturday. Bojan the Bear debuts on TV Ljubljana 1 (1985–91) and TV Slovenia 1 (1991–99) (Slovenia), The Children's Channel (1988–94) (U.K.). Captain Harlock and the Queen of 1000 Years debuts in syndication. Fantadroms debuts on Latvijas Televīzija.
Births
January January 12: Danielle Judovits, American voice actress (voice of Cure March in Glitter Force, Tenten in Naruto, Naru Osaka in Sailor Moon, Kitty Pryde in Wolverine and the X-Men, Batgirl in The Batman, Big Patty in Hey Arnold!). Issa Rae, American actress (voice of Spider-Woman in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Dr. Indira in BoJack Horseman, Mother in Hair Love). January 22: Justin Hurwitz, American composer and television writer (The Simpsons). January 26: Arlyne Ramirez, American animator (Good Vibes, The Simpsons), storyboard artist (Cartoon Network Studios, The Simpsons), character designer (Pink Panther and Pals, Full English, The Ricky Gervais Show, Futurama, Clarence), prop designer (Clarence) and writer (Apple & Onion, Victor and Valentino). January 31: Rasmus Hardiker, English actor (voice of Philip in Thomas & Friends, Alfur Aldric in Hilda, Hansel in 101 Dalmatian Street, Ginger in The Queen's Corgi, Zebedee in Mary and the Witch's Flower, Prince Ivandoe in The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe).
February