Events in 1987 in animation.
Events
January January 21: The first episode of Legend of the Overfiend is broadcast.
March March 12: The first episode of Ovide and the Gang is broadcast. March 30: 59th Academy Awards: A Greek Tragedy by Nicole van Goethem wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
April April 7: The first episode of Ox Tales airs, based on the Dutch comic strip Boes. April 19: The Simpsons first airs as a series of shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show. This marks the debuts of Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and Maggie Simpson. The first episode of The Shoe People is broadcast. April 20: G.I. Joe: The Movie is released on video instead of theatrically. Duke was originally set to die in this movie, but was rejected by Hasbro in response to Optimus Prime's death controversy as Duke became comatose during the battle instead.
May May 8: Garfield Goes Hollywood premieres on CBS. May 13: Frédéric Back's The Man Who Planted Trees is first released. May 22: Janice Karman's The Chipmunk Adventure is released, receiving mixed reviews. It became a cult classic years later.
June June 28: Snow White receives a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
July July 10: The Brave Little Toaster is first released.
August August 7: The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland premieres. The film dealt with financial problems, barely fixing the damages from the notorious prequel Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation. Michael Hirsh then declared, "It was just one sequel too many." As a regret, the film went into obscurity in the 2000s.
September September 12: The first episode of Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series airs. September 13: The first episode of Once Upon a Time...Life airs. September 14: The first episode of BraveStarr is broadcast. September 15: The first episode of The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin is broadcast. September 18: The first episode of DuckTales is broadcast. September 19: The first episode of Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures is broadcast. The first episode of Popeye and Son airs, which ended after one season as it was considered a promotional failure to the original cartoons from the 1930s. September 26: The first episode of ALF: The Animated Series is broadcast, a spin-off of the live-action sitcom ALF.
October October 30: The first episodes of Mr. Bogus are broadcast on French television.
November November 15: The television film The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones is broadcast. This marks the only time Betty Rubble is voiced by Julie Dees, the original voice for Bubbles on Jabberjaw. Dees' input was higher-pitched than any of Betty's previous actresses, including the well-known Gay Autterson who gave up cast acting in 1985. Dees failed to repeat this as B.J. Ward, who was at the time cast as Betty's younger self on The Flintstone Kids, would take on Betty's role six years later. November 17: The first episode of Fireman Sam is broadcast.
December December 14: The first episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles airs. December 21: A Garfield Christmas premieres on CBS. December 25: Filmation's Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night premieres, receiving negative reviews. This film caused a downfall for Filmation as Disney filed a lawsuit against the company for copyright infringement. Filmation won the suit on the grounds that Carlo Collodi's work was in the public domain. Filmation closed their doors after the completion of the Snow White sequel in 1989.
Specific date unknown The first Disney Legends are handed out. Todd Haynes releases Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, a mockumentary about singer Karen Carpenter acted out in stop-motion with Barbie dolls. in 1990, Haynes was sued by Richard Carpenter, causing the movie to be withdrawn from distribution.
Awards Annecy International Animated Film Festival Grand prix du long métrage: When the Wind Blows.
Films released
January 1 - Don Quixote of La Mancha (Australia) January 21 - Hell Target (Japan) February 7 - Monica and the Mermaid of the River (Brazil) February 21: Mugen Shinshi: Bōken Katsugeki Hen (Japan) Rusinoita (Finland) March 14: Bats & Terry (Japan) Doraemon: Nobita and the Knights on Dinosaurs (Japan) Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori (Japan) Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (Japan) March 18 - The Big Bang (France and Belgium) March 21 - Laughing Target (Japan) March 25 - Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (Japan) April 4 - Dot and the Smugglers (Australia) April 11 - Touch 3: Long After You've Passed Me By (Japan) April 15 - God Bless Dancouga (Japan) April 20 - G.I. Joe: The Movie (United States) April 25 - Wicked City (Japan) May 2–3 - (Hungary) May 5 - Tteodori Kkachi (South Korea) May 9 - Treasure Island (Japan) May 15 - Alice Through the Looking Glass (Australia and United States) May 21: Circuit Angel: Resolving Starting Grid (Japan) Long Live Servatius (Hungary) Project A-ko 2: Plot of the Daitokuji Financial Group (Japan) The Rose of Versailles: I'll Love You As Long As I Live (Japan) May 22 - The Chipmunk Adventure (United States) June 10 - Hana no Asuka-gumi! Shin Kabukichō Story (Japan) June 12 - The Puppetoon Movie (United States) June 19: Black Beauty (Australia) The Brave Little Toaster (United States and United Kingdom) June 25 - The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin (Soviet Union and Japan) June 28 - Black Magic M-66 (Japan) July - 2001 Nights (Japan) July 1 - Crystal Triangle (Japan) July 5: Rob Roy (Australia) The Wind in the Willows (United States and Taiwan) July 9: Dot Goes to Hollywood (Australia) Ico, the Brave Horse (Argentina) July 13 - Rock Odyssey (United States) July 16 - Monica's Gang In: The Boogeyman (Brazil) July 18: Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle (Japan) Saint Seiya: The Movie (Japan) Urusei Yatsura: Inaba the Dreammaker (Japan) July 21: Bug tte Honey: Megaromu Shōjo Ma 4622 (Japan) Maps: Legendary Space Wanderers (Japan) Robot Carnival (Japan) July 31 - The Last of the Mohicans (Australia) August - Zima w dolinie Muminków (Poland) August 1: Aitsu to Lullaby: Suiyobi no Cinderella (Japan) Baribari Densetsu (Japan) Phoenix: Yamato Chapter (Japan) August 7 - The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland (Canada) August 15 - The Foxes of Chironup Island (Japan) September 1 - Lily C.A.T. (Japan) September 18 - DuckTales: The Treasure of the Golden Suns (United States) September 20 - Yogi's Great Escape (United States) September 25: Neo Tokyo (Japan) Persia, the Magic Fairy: Merry-go-round (Japan) October 1 - To-y (Japan) October 12 - Ultraman: The Adventure Begins (United States and Japan) October 18 - Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (United States) October 19 - The Story of Fifteen Boys (Japan) November 1: Devilman: The Birth (Japan) The Samurai (Japan) November 2 - Fujiko Fujio no Kiteretsu Daihyakka (Japan) November 6: Kaze to Ki no Uta SANCTUS -Sei naru kana- (Japan) Take the X Train (Japan) November 15 - The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (United States) November 19 - The Odyssey (Australia) November 20: Dreaming of Paradise (Denmark) Margo the Mouse (Poland) November 21: Gall Force 2: Destruction (Japan) Twilight of the Cockroaches (Japan) November 22 - Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose (United States) November 27 - The Little Troll Prince (United States) November 28 - Relic Armor Legaciam (Japan) December 1: Makyō Gaiden Le Deus (Japan) Scoopers (Japan) December 10: Battle Royal High School (Japan) Daimajū Gekitō: Hagane no Oni (Japan) December 11 - Gandahar (France) December 16: Junk Boy (Japan) Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 (Japan) December 19 - The Tale of Genji (Japan) December 21: The Legend of Kentauros (Japan) Phoenix: Space Chapter (Japan) December 25: Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (United States) Treasure Island (Australia) December 26 - Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy (Japan) December 31 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Canada) Specific date unknown: The Amazing Mr. Bickford (United States) Las Aventuras de Oliver Twist (Mexico) Dokgo Tak-ui bidulgi habchang (South Korea) The Emerald City of Oz (Canada) Laughter and Grief by the White Sea (Soviet Union) Leo and Fred (Hungary) The Marvelous Land of Oz (Canada) My Favourite Time (Soviet Union) Ozma of Oz (Canada) El Pequeño Ladronzuelo (Mexico) Robotix: The Movie (United States and Canada) The Snow Queen (Czechoslovakia)
Television series
January 7: Allsorts debuts on ITV Network (CITV). Creepy Crawlies debuts on ITV Network (CITV). January 11 - Little Women debuts on Fuji TV. January 14 - Jája a Pája debuts on ČT1, ČT2, and ČT Déčko. February 7 - Metal Armor Dragonar debuts on Nagoya Broadcasting Network. March 22 - Hiatari Ryōkō! debuts on Fuji TV. April - The Shoe People debuts on TV-am, CITV, S4C, and the Children's Channel. April 4 - Ultra B debuts on TV Asahi. April 6: City Hunter debuts on Yomiuri TV. Kimagure Orange Road debuts on Nippon TV. April 7: Esper Mami debuts on TV Asahi. Ox Tales debuts on TV Tokyo. April 12 - Zillion debuts on NTV. April 19 - Bionic Six debuts on USA Network and in syndication. June 3 - Machine Robo: Battle Hackers debuts on TV Tokyo and Cartoon Network Japan. June 19 - Edward and Friends debuts on BBC2. July 3 - Transformers: The Headmasters debuts on Nippon TV. July 5 - Sky Commanders debuts in syndication. July 19 - Plonsters debuts on ABC, TV3, RapidKL, YTV, Nickelodeon, TV Cultura, Rai 3, RTÉ, Fuji TV, TV3 Norway and TV Slovenia. August 6 - Slippy Dandy debuts in syndication. September 7: TigerSharks and The Comic Strip debut in syndication. September 12: Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series and The New Archies debut on NBC. My Pet Monster debuts on ABC (United States) and Global (Canada). September 13 - Once Upon a Time... Life debuts on FR3, Canal+, CBC/SRC, TVE, KRO, TV SSR, RTBF, BRT & Eiken. September 14: BraveStarr and Dinosaucers debut in syndication. Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs debuts in syndication. September 16 - The Pondles debuts on CITV. September 18: DuckTales and Sylvanian Families debut in syndication. September 19: Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater, Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, and Popeye and Son debut on CBS. September 20: Starcom: The US Space Force and Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light debuts in syndication. September 21: Beverly Hills Teens and Spiral Zone debut in syndication. September 26: ALF: The Animated Series debuts on NBC. Little Clowns of Happytown and Little Wizards debut on ABC. September 30 - The Fruitties debuts on TVE. October 4: Norakuro debuts on Fuji TV. Wisdom of the Gnomes debuts on TVE1 (Spain) and ITV (United Kingdom). October 7 - Oraa Guzura Dado debuts on Fuji TV. October 8 - Mister Ajikko debuts on TV Tokyo. October 9 - The Three Musketeers debuts on NHK. October 10 - Tsuide ni Tonchinkan debuts on Fuji TV. October 11 - Bikkuriman debuts on TV Asahi. October 13 - Akakage debuts on Nippon TV. October 17 - Ovide and the Gang debuts on Télévision de Radio Canada. October 21: Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics debuts on ANN (ABC). Lady Lady debuts on TBS. October 27 - Maxie's World debuts in syndication. November 17 - Fireman Sam debuts on S4C, BBC 1 (Series 1–4), CBeebies (Series 5), Cartoonito (Series 6-present) and Channel 5 (Series 8-present). December 14 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles debuts in syndication (1987–90) and on CBS (1990–96). Specific date unknown - Calabash Brothers debuts in syndication.
Births January January 6: Arin Hanson, American YouTuber and actor (voice of Snaggleback, the Titan, and various other characters in The Owl House, Wesley the Wizard in Bee and Puppycat, Cyborg Photographer in the Rick and Morty episode "The Wedding Squanchers").