This spring, celebrate the spirit of nature with a nostalgic look at the 90s cartoon “Captain Planet and the Planeteers.” Linka, Kwame and the entire action figure gang of environmental activists are on display at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries as part of a special look back at the television program designed to educate and inspire children to take action and save Earth from Eco-Villians that represented real-life environmental dangers.
Captain Planet: The Power is Yours is on display as part of the Ted Turner Gallery, which honors the legacy of the businessman and philanthropist who created the cartoon series and broadcast it through Turner Broadcasting System (TBS).
“This is a cartoon that I grew up watching,” said exhibition coordinator Jan Hebbard, “and what I remember most clearly is that each episode told viewers that they had a role to play in taking care of our planet – conserving water or energy at home, or using recycled materials when possible. Ted Turner was on a quest to save everything, and developed this cartoon as a way to carry that message to the next generation. I think he can count it as a success.”
The display also includes information about the Captain Planet Foundation, which continues as a non-profit encouraging members of the global community to make a positive impact on the Earth’s future. In addition to supporting grants for environmental projects, the organization maintains four major programs aimed at the education and empowerment of youth: Project Learning Garden, Project HERO, Planeteer Alliance, and the Green Heart STEM Challenge.
The exhibit will remain on display through May 2026 in the Special Collections Libraries Building, which is located on the University of Georgia campus in Athens and is open to visitors for free on weekdays.
For more information or to schedule a tour, visit libs.uga.edu/scl