Thundercats Roar

[Robovski]

What happened to Western animation?

Did people watch this?


youtu.be/LNp8JQJjKAw

Because if you don't watch Cartoons like this you won't get more.

Well, I watched it but I was in the UK at the time. Online I read that in the domestic market (US) mid season that went from an evening slot to a morning slot without promotion, which is a great way to kill a show.

[GloatingSwine]

What happened to Western animation?

Did people watch this?


youtu.be/LNp8JQJjKAw

Because if you don't watch Cartoons like this you won't get more.

Technically not Western. That series was Studio 4°c.

(But then a goodly chunk of the original Thundercats was also animated in Japan.)


Anyway, I think actually what happened to western animation is that the revenue stream shifted younger. Kids in the much coveted 8-13 demographic do not strongly want action figures any more because there are so many other distractions in their world.

Essentially, what happened to western animation was Minecraft.

So without that big fat secondary revenue stream, nobody wants to make an expensive higher quality animation series outside of a subscription provider. (See: Voltron Legendary Defender, and actually do because it is good).

Which does rather raise the question "Why reboot a late '80s toy commercial in disguise when secondary revenue through toys is much less viable?"

[King of the owls]

I mean as annoying as it is that we're getting another action comedy series with the "cal arts" style. The truth is action based cartoons aren't profitable for TV networks. This guy breaks down some reasons why this is-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOVgPjDiNoY

[Antiboyscout]

https://twitter.com/Banned_Ali/status/9 ... 6663368704

Good thread if you want to read it.

[Rodan56]

https://twitter.com/Banned_Ali/status/9 ... 6663368704

Good thread if you want to read it.

Read it, really boring and signified nothing of real value other pseudo-intellectual garbage about how an artstyle is inherently bad and more bitching about the Last Jedi thrown in for good measure because why not at this point.

Here's my very simple rebutal, Thundercats is not some holy grail of perfect story telling. It was a silly show for a silly era that had crazy shit like robot koloas and literal man-child trying to lead a group of heroes and some crazy looking animal people and a lizard-cat thing that acted like a nanny to grown-ups and used his bloody name as suffix for his sentences. Making a big fucking stink over this artstyle is an obvious cover up for the usual bullshit that these arguments always end up being, some huge ridiculous crybaby whine fest about how the SJWs are destroying everything and the language used to start this thread more or less proves that.

The style is more than fine for the tone it is trying to set. It is not an outright parody, clearly it is trying for a more comedic take on it. These people making it are clearly fans otherwise they wouldn't be so enthusiastic about it. And as stated before, right now comedy action series work better in the long term as vehicles. They're popular. I'm sorry if not every cartoon wants to be this existensial super deep as fuck series about life and death and shit, but sometimes, people just wanna have fun making their show! And if you're sick of the artstyle, fine! But don't turn it into a treatise about how animation is being sucked down a well of Social Justicing because it has decided to crack some jokes and make funny pictures.

Hey, you know what people called that 2011 show of Thundercats out for? Stealing the artistic style of Last Airbender and trying to be more anime like that show and a bunch of others at the time. The CalArts style is really not the only cartoon style being used. If you want to find different art styles, look somewhere else. They exist, they're out there.

I see nothing wrong with this show, nothing. And the fact we're apparently dragging Steven Universe into this discussion because they share similarities in art is only further proof of how ridiculous this is. I'm not a fan of Steven Universe, but given how THAT series has basically deep dived into various intense emotional states and subject matter, I imagine Thundercats Roar could do the same if it wanted to. An art style does not exclude the ability to have emotion or heart in a story. And claiming so is a stupid, narrow minded statement and only further proves the guy in that twitter thread posted here is a closed minded dickhead.

How about we all wait and actually see how the show turns out before we burn it at the stake for not being exactly like some us thirty somethings want. Okay? Maybe let the kids enjoy something on their own for once. How's that? That sound good? Good.

[PapaPalpatine]

The anime-ish 2011 remake was vastly superior. CN, what were you thinking?

[J!!]

I sure am glad that nobody's forcing me to watch any shows I don't like.

[MixedDrops]

youtu.be/3jV7HFrYIyc

MovieBob sums up the feelings I have somewhat decently, yet another case of people over-reacting to something. Most importantly "CalArts style" isn't a thing, and if you use that term unironically, you're probably a tool. The issues I do have with his rant:

1. I disagree with him somewhat that it's "not a big deal", especially since he himself is someone who makes a living making long-form rants about pop culture and media. I mean, in the grand scheme it's not a big deal yeah, and I agree the level of discourse is inappropriate, but I can understand someone getting worked up about it if they really liked that first reboot.

2. He's incorrect that nobody watched the serious Thundercats reboot. It was a quality show and drew in a decent number of viewers, it just wasn't toyetic enough. But if you want to blame this situation on something, blame capitalism, maybe? But that's a bit hypocritical if you're a fan of Thundercats to begin with since it has its roots in being pretty unabashedly a trashy toy commercial.

[Antiboyscout]

youtu.be/3jV7HFrYIyc

MovieBob sums up the feelings I have somewhat decently, yet another case of people over-reacting to something. Most importantly "CalArts style" isn't a thing, and if you use that term unironically, you're probably a tool. The issues I do have with his rant:

1. I disagree with him somewhat that it's "not a big deal", especially since he himself is someone who makes a living making long-form rants about pop culture and media. I mean, in the grand scheme it's not a big deal yeah, and I agree the level of discourse is inappropriate, but I can understand someone getting worked up about it if they really liked that first reboot.

2. He's incorrect that nobody watched the serious Thundercats reboot. It was a quality show and drew in a decent number of viewers, it just wasn't toyetic enough. But if you want to blame this situation on something, blame capitalism, maybe? But that's a bit hypocritical if you're a fan of Thundercats to begin with since it has its roots in being pretty unabashedly a trashy toy commercial.

Take anything said by Movie Bob with a mountain of salt. This is the guy who, for the longest time, would not stop talking about his support for eugenics, lamenting how Nazi's ruined the term but the idea was good.

[MixedDrops]

Obviously I do, otherwise I wouldn't point out the issues I have with his rant. I think he's spot-on as far as criticizing people using the term "CalArts style" though.