Events in 1986 in animation.
Events
January January 1: The Peanuts New Year's Day TV special Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! premieres on CBS."Peanuts - Aired Order - All Seasons - TheTVDB.com". thetvdb.com. Retrieved 2025-10-12. January 19: The first episode of Maple Town is broadcast.
February February 3: Pixar is established. February 26: The first episode of Dragon Ball airs.
March March 5: Walter Lantz receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. March 19: The final episode of Urusei Yatsura is broadcast. March 21: Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation premiers. It received generally negative reviews as it was deemed notorious for its frightening content, poor animation quality, and marketing scheme. GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords premiers. March 24: 58th Academy Awards: Anna & Bella by Børge Ring wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. March 26: The first episode of Maison Ikkoku is broadcast.
April April 25: Peter Gabriel releases his single Sledgehammer, of which the animated music video will become a classic.
June June 6: My Little Pony: The Movie premiers. June 19: Croatia Film’s The Elm-Chanted Forest premieres, which marks the first full-length animated movie directed by Milan Blažeković.BCDB The movie makes its debut in the United States five months later. June 27: Jim Reardon's underground cartoon Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown is first released.
July July 2: The Great Mouse Detective, produced by the Walt Disney Company, is first released. July 20: Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach premieres in Japan. This is the first film featuring the Super Mario Bros.. July 25: The ill-fated Robotech: The Movie makes a limited theatrical screening in Texas and was expelled from further showings after regarding its explicit adult content while comparing to Robotech that aired on Saturday mornings at the time. Decades after its disappearance, blackmarket copies of the movie have been shared and is declared the unofficial continuity to Robotech.Bibliography: FAQs at Robotech.com.
August August 2: Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky is released, the first film produced by Studio Ghibli. August 8: The Transformers: The Movie premieres. The movie underperformed at the box office, received generally negative critical reviews, and gained some infamy for its excessive violence and unexpected swearing. However, it has garnered a cult following and more positive critical reassessment in the years since. August 17: John Lasseter's Luxo Jr. premieres. The little lamp in the short will later become part of Pixar's logo.
September September 13: The first episode of Foofur is broadcast. The first episode of Galaxy High airs. The first episode of Popples airs. The first episode of Pound Puppies airs. September 15: The first episode of Karate Kommandos airs, an animated TV series based on Chuck Norris. The first part of the Soviet animated film Treasure Island, directed by David Cherkassky and produced by Kievnauchfilm, premiers on Russian TV. It marks the debut of the colorful character Dr. Livesey, who will grow into an Internet Meme by the 2020s. September 21: The first episode of Inhumanoids airs, which becomes notable for its remarkable gruesome imagery. September 22: The first episode of Dennis the Menace airs.
October October 12: The first episode of Janoschs Traumstunde airs. October 18: DIC Entertainment and ABC's Liberty and the Littles airs as a three-part episode. This is the series finale.Woolery, George W. Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. . It was originally planned to be a theatrical film, but ABC declined due to both management changes and the critical failure of Here Come the Littles that tarnished the franchise.Carlson, A.J. "Reviews:'The Littles: The Complete Series' DVD." tvdvdreviews.com, December 1, 2007. Retrieved: May 3, 2010.
November November 21: Don Bluth's An American Tail premieres, which marks the debut of Fievel Mousekewitz. This became Bluth's popular film and the first to start a franchise. Specific date in November unknown: New Zealand's first feature-length animated film, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale is released, based on Murray Ball's comic series Footrot Flats.
December December 3: The fifth Astérix film, Asterix in Britain, premiers.
Specific date unknown The Brothers Quay release Street of Crocodiles.
Films released
January 8 - The Trapalhoes in the Tail of the Comet (Brazil) January 17 Heathcliff: The Movie (United States, Canada, and France) The Adventures of the American Rabbit (United States and Japan) January 30 - Matthias the Just (Hungary) February 1 - Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel: Curtain Call (Japan) February 22 - Urusei Yatsura 4: Lum the Forever (Japan) February 23 - Seito Shokun! Kokoro ni Midori no Neckerchief wo (Japan) March 3 - The Humanoid (Japan) March 8 - Fist of the North Star (Japan) March 15: Arion (Japan) Doraemon: Nobita and the Steel Troops (Japan) Kinnikuman: Crisis in New York! (Japan) March 21: Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (Canada and United States) GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords (United States) Prefectural Earth Defense Force (Japan) March 31 - (Japan) April - Saint Elmo – Hikari no Raihousha (Japan) April 12 - Touch: Sebangō no Nai Ace (Japan) May 12 - Tato, nie bój się dentysty! (Poland) May 21: Maris the Chojo (Japan) MD Geist (Japan) May 22 - Dot and Keeto (Australia) May 30: Kidnapping in Tiutiurlistan (Poland) Megazone 23 – Part II (Japan) June 6: The Cosmic Eye (United States) My Little Pony: The Movie (United States) June 7 - The Great Heep (United States) June 14 - Barefoot Gen 2 (Japan) June 19 - The Elm-Chanted Forest (Yugoslavia) June 21: Kidnapped (Australia) Project A-ko (Japan) June 25 - King Solomon's Mines (Australia) July 2: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Australia) The Great Mouse Detective (United States) July 5 - Armored Trooper Votoms: The Big Battle (Japan) July 10 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Australia) July 12: Captain Tsubasa: Sekai Daikessen!! Jr. World Cup (Japan) GeGeGe no Kitarō: Saikyō Yōkai Gundan! Nihon jōriku!! (Japan) July 19: Amon Saga (Japan) Itoshi no Betty Mamonogatari (Japan) Windaria (Japan) July 20: Dokkaebi bangmang-i (South Korea) Running Boy: Star Soldier's Secret (Japan) Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach (Japan) July 25 - Robotech: The Movie (United States and Japan) July 26: Ai City (Japan) Gall Force: Eternal Story (Japan) July 31 - Nayuta (Japan) August 2: Castle in the Sky (Japan) Meitantei Holmes: Mrs. Hudson Hitojichi Jiken / Dover Kaikyō no Daikūchūsen! (Japan) August 8 - The Transformers: The Movie (United States and Japan) August 22: Coral Reef Legend: Elfie of the Blue Sea (Japan) Sangokushi II: Amakakeru otoko-tachi (Japan) August 24 - Galaxy Investigation 2100: Border Planet (Japan) August 27 - Eleven Hungry Cats and an Albatross (Japan) September 5 - Majo demo Steady (Japan) September 10: Roots Search (Japan) Voltron: Fleet of Doom (United States and Japan) September 14 - Ivanhoe (Australia) September 20 - The New Adventures of Monica and Her Friends (Brazil) October 2 - Cat City (Hungary, Canada, and West Germany) October 4 - The Three Musketeers (Australia) October 10 - Valhalla (Denmark) October 18 – November 1, 1986 - Liberty and the Littles (United States) October 24 - When the Wind Blows (United Kingdom) October 30 - Dot and the Whale (Australia) November 1: Opening the Door (Japan) They Were Eleven (Japan) November 21 - An American Tail (United States and Ireland) November 27 - Fluppy Dogs (United States) November 28: Dirty Pair: Project Eden (Japan) Urban Square – Kohaku no Tsuigeki (Japan) December 3 - Asterix in Britain (France) December 5 - Bolek and Lolek in the Wild West (Poland) December 13: Grey: Digital Target (Japan) Guyver: Out of Control (Japan) Touch 2: Sayonara no Okurimono (Japan) December 16 - Outlanders (Japan) December 19 - Ratty (Sweden) December 20: Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (Japan) Gaksital (South Korea) GeGeGe no Kitarō: Gekitotsu! I jigen yōkai no dai hanran (Japan) Kinnikuman: Justice Supermen vs. Fighter Supermen (Japan) Phoenix: Karma Chapter (Japan) December 21: (Japan) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Australia) December 25 - Wanna-Be's (Japan) December 29 - (Japan) Specific date unknown: The Great Cheese Robbery (Czechoslovakia and West Germany) Inhumanoids: The Movie (United States) Salar (Czechoslovakia) Skeletor's Revenge (United States) Sophie's Place (United States)
Television series
January 6: Jimbo and the Jet Set debuts on BBC One. Telebugs debuts on ITV. January 10 - Spaceship Sagittarius debuts on TV Asahi. January 12 - The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love debuts on Fuji TV, Animax. January 19 - Maple Town debuts on TV Asahi. February 26 - Dragon Ball debuts on FNS (Fuji TV). March 1 - Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ debuts on Nagoya TV, TV Asahi. March 7 - Pastel Yumi, the Magic Idol debuts on NTV. March 26 - Maison Ikkoku debuts on FNS (Fuji TV). March 31 - Mister Pen-Pen debuts in syndication. April - Kideo TV debuts in syndication. April 3 - The Raggy Dolls debuts on ITV Network / CITV. April 7: Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin debuts on TV Asahi. The Centurions debuts in syndication. April 16 - Wonder Beat Scramble debuts on TBS. April 22 - The Blunders debuts on ITV. April 25 - Seishun Anime Zenshu debuts in syndication. May 3 - Hikari no Densetsu debuts on ANN (TV Asahi). May 28 - Pingu debuts on SF DRS (Switzerland) and CBeebies (United Kingdom). June 29 - Inhumanoids debuts in syndication. July 3 - Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos debuts on TV Tokyo. September 6 - The Flintstone Kids debuts on ABC. September 8 - Defenders of the Earth, Ghostbusters, and Silverhawks debut in syndication. September 13: Foofur, Lazer Tag Academy, and Kissyfur debut on NBC. Galaxy High, Teen Wolf, and Wildfire debut on CBS. Popples debuts in syndication. Pound Puppies debuts on ABC. Teen Wolf debuts on CBS. The Real Ghostbusters debuts on ABC and in syndication. The Care Bears Family debuts on Global Television Network. September 14 - The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers and The New Adventures of Jonny Quest debut in syndication. September 15: Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos and Rambo: The Force of Freedom debut in syndication. September 22 - Dennis the Menace debuts in syndication (1986-1987) and CBS (1988). September 23 - The Glo Friends debuts in syndication. September 24 - Potato Head Kids debuts in syndication. September 25 - MoonDreamers debuts in syndication. October 3 - Bug-Tte Honey and Heart Cocktail debut on NTV. October 5 - Anmitsu Hime debuts on Fuji TV, RAB, and YBS. October 6: Bosco Adventure debuts on Yomiuri TV. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Oh! Family debut on TV Tokyo. October 7 - The Bluffers debuts on AVRO. October 11 - Saint Seiya debuts on TV Asahi. October 12 - Janoschs Traumstunde debuts on ARD and KiKa. October 14 - Doteraman debuts on NTV. October 15: Dorimogu Daa!! debuts in syndication. Ganbare Kickers debuts on NTV. December 24 - The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin debuts in syndication. Specific date unknown: Dick Spanner, P.I. debuts on Channel 4. G-Force: Guardians of Space debuts on TBS.
Births
January January 4: Lo Mutuc, American actor, comedian, musician, and writer (voice of Ruby in the Steven Universe franchise, Chloe Park in We Bare Bears, Alice in Summer Camp Island, Mai Su in Next Gen, Pennywhistle in Trolls World Tour, Abbey Posey in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Larry in StuGo, the Guardian in the Amphibia episode "The Hardest Thing"). January 6: