News · 2026-07-30
Our Own Nick Carver Takes ThunderCats to College on Beyond Thundera
Another one of our own is in the guest chair. Nick Carver, better known across the community as Nick from Thundera, sits down with Sean “Buddha” McKeone and original ThunderCats writer Peter Lawrence for a new episode of the Beyond Thundera podcast. If you have ever seen his Black Widow Shark custom, you already know Nick does not do anything halfway.
Watch the full episode
Press play to watch the full conversation right here, or open it on YouTube.
Nick is a ThunderCats collector, customizer, educator and historian, and this episode is the story of what happens when a fan’s obsession turns into something official.
A ThunderCats college class, approved by Warner Bros.
The headline is real: Nick developed and taught The History of ThunderCats at a U.S. university. He walks through how the class covered the creation of the 1980s series, its storytelling, merchandising, licensing and lasting cultural impact. He worked directly with Warner Bros. to secure permission for the course and an officially approved promotional campaign, then taught it using never-before-seen production materials: scripts, concept art, prototypes and internal Rankin/Bass documents.
The archive, the Shark, and the people who built Third Earth
The conversation also digs into Nick’s discovery of an archive of original ThunderCats production materials, a rare window into how the series came together across Rankin/Bass, LJN, Leisure Concepts, Telepictures and the many hands that built Third Earth. Peter Lawrence adds firsthand insight from inside the writers’ room. And yes, they get into the Black Widow Shark, the custom vehicle that put Nick on the map.
It is a full, unhurried conversation for anyone who loves the history behind the cartoon as much as the cartoon itself.
Beyond Thundera is one of four active community shows we track on our podcast hub. If you have not worked through the back catalogue yet, this is a strong place to start.
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