30 Years Later, an Underrated ’90s Cartoon Comeback Just Hit Its Biggest Milestone Yet
After resurrecting 80s heavyweights from G.I. Joe and Thundercats to Transformers, My Little Pony, He-Man and She-Ra, the nostalgia machine is shifting targets. Millennials’ childhood franchises are next—returning with reboots, collectibles and a fresh grab at your wallet.
If you grew up on Saturday mornings wired on sugar and syndication, welcome back. The 80s revival train already looped the block a few times (G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Transformers, My Little Pony, He-Man, She-Ra, take your pick). Now the 90s are cashing in, and one of the era's loudest, most rocket-fueled cartoons is clawing its way back: SWAT Kats is returning, not to TV, but to comics.
SWAT Kats, quick refresher
The original animated series, 'SWAT Kats: Radical Squadron,' was a Hanna-Barbera joint created by brothers Christian and Yvon Tremblay. It aired on TBS for two seasons starting in 1993 and took place in Megakat City. Our heroes: ex-Enforcer pilots Jake 'Razor' Clawson and Chance 'T-Bone' Adler, now masked vigilantes with a souped-up jet called the Turbokat. Their weekly to-do list included knocking Dark Kat down a peg and butting heads with Commander Feral, their ex-boss running the Enforcers, Megakat City's police force. The show wrapped about 30 years ago. Now the next official chapter is finally happening on the page.
The comic that blew past the crowdfunding speed limit
Meet 'SWAT Kats: The First Ever Comic Book' — yes, that's really the title — which launched on Kickstarter and immediately torched records. The campaign pulled in $757,140 from 6,778 backers, making it the biggest single-issue comic book Kickstarter to date. And it didn't stop there. Through Backerkit's pledge manager, the project cruised past $1,000,000 before fulfillment even started.
'SWAT Kats is a testament to the enduring passion of this fanbase. Surpassing $1,000,000 through our pledge manager before fulfillment even begins is extraordinary - and with add-ons and pre-orders open through the end of May, we're excited to see how much more their community shows.'
That's Backerkit co-founder Rosalind Chau, who sounds understandably impressed. Translation: if you missed the Kickstarter, you can still jump in with add-ons and pre-orders through the end of May.
Who is making this thing (and how stacked is the art bench)?
- Collab: Roditeli Productions teaming with creators Christian and Yvon Tremblay.
- Writers: Kevin Roditeli (X-O: Manowar, Bad Omens: Concrete Jungle, the acclaimed Washed in the Blood) with co-writer Frank Barbiere (Marvel, DC, Image; currently doing Author Immortal).
- Art: Jorge Corona (currently drawing DC's Next Level series Lobo), with colors by his frequent collaborator Sarah Stern.
- Variant covers: a 2026- sized pile featuring Mirka Andolfo, Juan Gedeson, Leo Chiola, Alessio Zonno, Daz Tribbles, Preston Asevedo, Corin Howell, Filya Kenobi, Ryan G. Browne, and a piece from the late legend Neal Adams in partnership with Continuity Studios and his estate.
- Availability: those variants are still up for grabs on Backerkit through the end of May at skcomics.com.
What the Tremblays are promising
The Tremblay brothers have wanted to do a comic for ages, and they are hands-on with Roditeli Productions, aiming to make this feel like the same high-octane flavor you remember from TBS. One notable detail: they say issue 1 is the first official new SWAT Kats story since 1993. So yes, this is canon, not a side detour. Also, the way they label it — 'The Comic Book #1' — is very them, very 90s energy.
Why this comeback matters
Beyond the nostalgia hit, this is a clean proof-of-concept for how fan-loved properties can thrive without a traditional publisher or network gatekeeping the return. It's a milestone for Kickstarter and Backerkit, and a nice win for the crowd that wore out their VHS tapes of Megakat City mayhem. The airwaves may be gone; Wi-Fi rules now. But the Kats still have fuel in the tank.