Little-Known Cartoons from the 1980s: The Bluffers

Animated cartoons with adorable characters...during the 1980s, Saturday morning television was full of such shows. Smurfs, Snorks, Muppet Babies, Care Bears...these were a few of the better-known shows with cute characters. Then there was a show that seems to be a bit less known, at least in the United States, which aired mainly overseas starting in the mid-1980s. Created as a result of an idea from Gene Deitch, the man responsible for the Tom Terrific cartoons and some of the Tom and Jerry animated shorts from the 1960s, The Bluffers would tell the tale of a group of animals on a mission to restore the land of Bluffoonia to the beautiful place it was before. Who were the Bluffers, and what was their short-lived animated series like? Allow me to explain...

As the opening titles explain, the land of Bluffoonia used to be a beautiful paradise filled with lovely forests. One day, a greedy man named Clandestino came along and changed Bluffoonia into something of a desolate wasteland, with most of the forests chopped down. Only one forest remains, and it is here where the Bluffers, a group of animals who remember what Bluffoonia used to be like, reside. These creatures find themselves on a never-ending quest to stop Clandestino's wicked schemes and to discover his most closely-guarded secret, known as The Secret to Getting it All. This plot point was a key one throughout the entire series, though the series itself was rather episodic, with each episode being self-contained.

Each of the Bluffers was a different animal with a trait that set him or her apart from the others. Zip the squirrel was so named because he could run rather fast. Blossom the mouse was in love with Zip, and always tried to win his heart. Honey Boy was a rather dim-witted bear with a love for honey. Sharpy the fox was not evil, but he was known for playing tricks on the other Bluffers. Regal Eagle would carry out some tasks related to whatever plans the Bluffers had in foiling Clandestino's schemes. Ginseng the goose would fix up some herbal medicines and believed in healthy eating. Prickly Pine the porcupine was a hyperactive creature who could never wait to attack Clandestino's castle and who was always willing to fire his quills at anyone who got in his way. Psycho the snake was shy, but who still participated in the missions. For advice, the animals could turn to Zok, an owl who was always willing to share his wisdom. Seen on occasion were Song and Dance, a pair of rabbits who performed songs related to the episode's plot.

As for Clandestino, he was a typical cartoon villain, with a desire to rule over all of Bluffoonia and a tendency to be extremely greedy. He would concoct schemes to defeat the Bluffers and destroy their forest, or to produce some other nasty effect. In one episode, he would stop every clock in the land in order to stop time so that his birthday would never end. Naturally, his plans were always foiled thanks to the Bluffers. He had a mechanical butler named Sillycone, who was always willing to do his master's bidding, but he, too, would often fail in succeeding. Also residing in the castle was Glum, Clandestino's dog, who seemed to side with the Bluffers, but felt that betraying his master would result in his being kicked out of the castle.

In every half-hour episode, the Bluffers would learn of Clandestino's plans and head off to stop them. Whether it was stopping a brick road from being constructed and wrecking their home, or trying to swipe Clandestino's diary in hopes that they would learn about the Secret of Getting it All, they would often emerge victorious. Each episode also contained some songs related to the plot or which sought to teach important facts to young viewers. Alas, while the Bluffers would stop Clandestino's schemes every time, they never did find out what the Secret of Getting it All was, at least not on screen. The secret itself, which was locked inside the castle dungeon, was never seen, and despite occasionally being close to finding out what it is, the Bluffers never did discover the secret, which was responsible for giving Clandestino his power.

The show was first seen in the Netherlands in 1984, and was broadcast in various countries in eight different languages, including English. As far as I know, it never aired in the United States. However, episodes of the show were released on home video in the United States courtesy of Celebrity's Just For Kids home video series. Every tape contained at least one episode. The videos have been out of print for years, and there are currently no plans to release the series on DVD. However, episodes of the series have ended up on YouTube, so people who have wanted to watch the series once again, as well as those who have always wanted to see the show for themselves, have a chance to do so.

I was exposed to The Bluffers through the aforementioned home videos that I would rent from the video store, and I found it was a fairly good series. The plots were simplistic, but could still be engaging. The Bluffers themselves had plenty of memorable characteristics, and the songs were often catchy, particularly the opening and closing theme songs. Had I been following the series faithfully, I am sure I would have been upset on account of wanting to find out what the Secret to Getting it All is, only to have it never revealed. This is yet one more series with a continuing plot line that was never given a proper finale, one that would have surely resulted in the revelation of the secret, the fall of Clandestino, and the restoration of Bluffoonia to the beautiful land it once was. Still, the series is pretty good for what it is: one of many cartoons from the 1980s filled with cute characters that would appeal to its intended young audience.

The Bluffers would be all but completely unknown to people in the United States, as it is a relatively obscure show that was released onto home video, but not actually aired on television there. Even so, it is one that is worth checking out, and it is certainly better than a lot of kid's shows being aired nowadays. Look for the show on YouTube or hunt down the old tapes on e-bay. Doing so is well worth your time, as The Bluffers is a fine example of what a quality animated series should be like. It may not have been given a proper ending, but it remains a series that should be seen at least once.