When one has achieved a larger-than-life image recognized the world over, one adored by literally millions of youngsters, it’s certainly a no-brainer that such a celebrity would make a fine animated addition to the Saturday morning line-up. This is the story of one such man and the path that led him to become one of the toughest cartoon characters to ever be teamed up with a group of young virile gymnasts.

Perhaps there is no better example of achieving the American dream than that of an unknown bodyguard named Laurence Tureaud whose rose to the levels of super-stardom in quite a short time. Name doesn’t ring a bell? Perhaps you know him by his menacing moniker, “Mr. T.” With an imposing Mohawk and a collection of gold jewelry that makes Fort Knox look trivial, Mr. T. is a true rags-to-riches story. Growing up in the housing projects of Chicago, the brawny bodyguard had the fortune of being spotted by Sylvester Stallone while competing in a “World’s Toughest Bouncer” competition (where he broke down a solid door using nothing but his head.) An impressed Stallone immediately signed him to appear as his formidable opponent, “Clubber Lange” in Rocky III. That lone and unforgettable appearance made Mr. T a household name.

Soon he was starring in his own mega-hit series, The A-Team, as the foul-tempered “B.A. Barracus” and there wasn’t a kid in America that didn’t look up to Mr. T. Cue the network executes who decided it was time to turn T. into a “toon.” And so, in 1983, Mr. T. made his way to the Saturday morning lineup in his own self-titled animated series.

In the cartoon, Mr. T was the owner of a local gym, frequented by a group of fine young gymnasts who used his facility to work on their floor exercises and navigate the balance beam. The kids consisted of Jeff, Courtney, Sky, Vinnie, Woody, Garcia, Kim and Robin. Jeff was the redheaded wannabee T., mimicking the Mohawked One at every opportunity (to the general annoyance of his peers.) He wasn’t the only Mr. T. clone though; there was also Mr. Tee’s formidable little pet bulldog, who sported a matching hairdo and attitude. In the daytime hours, the group was content staying in shape and practicing their gymnastic routines. But when night fell, they spent their time capturing criminals with their ever-graceful talents.

It must have been priceless to see the look on the formidable bruiser’s face when he was told that he would be teamed with a group of gangly teen gymnast wannabees but Mr. T. obviously had a sense of humor and a heart (and neck) of gold and embraced the project fully, offering his own voice for the series and even filming live-action wraparounds for the series. And while the whole thing might have seemed a little out of character for a man who was once proclaimed “The World’s Toughest Bouncer,” a man who pummeled the iconic Rocky Balboa (at least in the first match,) Mr. T. was smart enough to know that one can’t truly claim the role of cultural icon until they exist as a cartoon character. And not since Muhammad Ali has there ever been a more larger-than-life, real-world persona on the Saturday morning airwaves.