I may be biased, but I really feel that 1989 was a great year (I am biased because it was the year I was born). But, aside from my arrival in the world, it was also a great year because it was the year that the Legend of Zelda cartoon aired.
Now, I know what you are thinking: “Victoria, why would you care about this? You would have been a newborn when this cartoon was playing on TV and therefore have no idea what was happening. You were probably just learning what your hand was or experiencing mashed potatoes for the first time.”
This is very true. I was. But I’m also a huge Legend of Zelda fan, and that means as soon as I was aware of the existence of the Zelda cartoon, I tracked it down and watched it for myself. And then, when I had children of my own, I watched it again with them on YouTube. It was a family affair and, as it turns out, having this series become a bit of an ongoing family affair was also a theme during the cartoon’s conception. How’s that for a segue?
Speaking to Polygon, writers and siblings Bob and Eve Forward shared some fun anecdotes about their time workong on the Zelda cartoon, including influences for various episodes.
Eve, who was “about 16-17 at the time” was roped into writing for the show by her brother. “I didn’t have a Nintendo, so I rented one, and the game, and tried to play it, but I didn’t get very far,” she reflected.