LOTR similarities to Thundercats

Were the creators of the Thundercats inspired by Tolkien?

They drew from a lot of different things.

The origin felt like a mix of Superman and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Tolkien? I can't think of too many specific instances that remind me of his work. Maybe The Wollos and Balkins are kind of like Hobbits? I don't know.

Oh there is definitely some Tolkien when you look at the overall worlds they created. Middle Earth and Third Earth both have varying races and are full of magic and wonder. Evil resides in a dark land and is all seeing. The evil wants to possess a most powerful instrument which imbues almost unlimited abilities to its commander. The evil is virtually undying/undead. There are natural counter forces of goodness. The Eye of Thundera is the Ring of Power.

So the world is similar in concepts. The characters and journey are not at all though.