NEW SPIDEY ANIMATED COMING TO KIDS’ WB! ON THE CW in '08

[MattBrady]

<i>by Steve Fritz</i>

Another Marvel hero is returning to the animated frontier. The Kids WB announced it has struck a deal with producer Culver Entertainment to bring everyone’s favorite webslinger back to Saturday mornings.

The series is tentatively titled <I>The Amazing Spider-Man</I>. Greg Weisman (<I>Gargoyles, The Batman</I>) is supervising producer, Victor Cook (<I>Hellboy: Blood and Iron, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command</I>) is producer/supervising director.

“The addition of Spider-Man bolsters a lineup that has proved to be the Saturday morning destination for kids seeking action and adventure in the most amped-up ways,” Betsy McGowen, Kids WB SVP and General Manager said. “We’re ecstatic to welcome Spider-Man to our popular cavalcade of super heroes.”

"Spider-Man is such an important brand for Sony Pictures and we're thrilled to keep the momentum going by taking it back to television with an animated series on Kids’ WB!," Zack Van Amburg, Sony Picture Television Co-President added. "It's also an excellent way to launch Culver Entertainment, our newest television company."

The new animated series picks up the original web-slinger’s mythology at the beginning of his hero’s journey…as a not-so-typical 16-year-old entering his junior year of high school. Having spent the summer engaging common criminals with his new-found powers, Peter Parker must conceal his secret identity while engaging a new level of terror – the multi-leveled pressures of teenage life at home and school while combating bigger, badder super-villains in the real world.

“Our goal is to reinterpret these great characters and concepts for our millennium,” Weisman said. “We’ll have plenty of resonant material for the Spider-Man fan, while engaging the Spider-Man novice with the same thrills we experienced when we were first exposed to the character. Our stories will appeal on multiple levels with plenty of eye-candy, action, humor and colorful characters for the youngest demographic balanced with extensive character development for ‘tweens, teens and adults.”

No announcement has been made regarding voice cast or what type of animation will be employed. Expect more on this story as it breaks.

[BlueThunderArmy]

Very cool. And the people behind it have some nice credits to their names, as well.

[Scott King]

I was a big fan of the 90's "Spider-Man The Animated Series" but really didn't like the version of Spidey that ran on MTV after the first film came out. Hopefully THIS one will be good.

[clobber_time]

Great News! Marvel might finally get a decent aminated series.

The recent TV stuff has been dreadful

[The 'Nam]

I was a big fan of the 90's "Spider-Man The Animated Series" but really didn't like the version of Spidey that ran on MTV after the first film came out. Hopefully THIS one will be good.

Yeah, same here. Haven't enjoyed it since I grew up with it. They need to put the 90's stuff on DVD.

[Ye Olde Iowa]

This could be really awesome. The Kids WB! is an interesting home for this, especially since they are also showing Legion of Superheroes and The Batman (and, if the rumors of a spin-off Justice League show are correct, with some Leaguers showing up at the end of this season of the Batman, it will probably show that too). Regardless, this show has some heavy-hitters backing it, so I'm optimistic.

[Ye Olde Iowa]

Great News! Marvel might finally get a decent aminated series.

The recent TV stuff has been dreadful

I think the new Fantastic Four cartoon could have been good if it was given more of a chance and a better timeslot. I wasn't a fan of the art style, but the stories were great.

Let's just hope this can live up to the long list of well-done Marvel cartoons, like the old school Fantastic Four, the 90s X-Men and Spider-Man, and X-Men Evolution.

[Lex]

Greg Weisman? That's all I needed to hear to check this out.

[mattguthrie]

okay, spiderman is a good start but we need to get a new x-men series soon...

and that FF seires was terrible...i hate that japanimation stuff where everybody's heads are triangles...i hope they go with a more traditional american cartoon look.

it sounds like they are going to be doing this in the tradition of ultimate spiderman...

[Kolimar]

WOO-HOO!!!

Finally!! :D :D :D :) :) :)

[durham4556]

a marvel comic hero on a Warner owned channel, that confirms it, hell has frozen over.. we better listen to al gore and start sending our kids into space, for the end is near

this is really weird marvel has always had better realtions with fox and cbs than time warner, kinda weird hearing about this.. almost unbelieveable

[Ace]

i hope that Weisman's presence means that this is going to be a little more serial in nature, with one ep leading into the next and subplots.

[IceGambit]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.

[Kolimar]

The Complete List of Marvel Comics TV Series (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=81975) :D ;)

[pop monkey]

and that FF seires was terrible...i hate that japanimation stuff where everybody's heads are triangles...i hope they go with a more traditional american cartoon look.



I'll second the disdain for the recent FF series. I watched the first half of the first episode and was done. I wasn't happy with the MTV Spider-Man series, either. Did that last a whole season, or was it cancelled early. I never watched it past the first two episodes, and don't remember hearing anything else about it -- it sort of just faded away.

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[pop monkey]

and that FF seires was terrible...i hate that japanimation stuff where everybody's heads are triangles...i hope they go with a more traditional american cartoon look.



I'll second the disdain for the recent FF series. I watched the first half of the first episode and was done. I wasn't happy with the MTV Spider-Man series, either. Did that last a whole season, or was it cancelled early. I never watched it past the first two episodes, and don't remember hearing anything else about it -- it sort of just faded away.

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[sfritz]

a marvel comic hero on a Warner owned channel, that confirms it, hell has frozen over.. we better listen to al gore and start sending our kids into space, for the end is near

this is really weird marvel has always had better realtions with fox and cbs than time warner, kinda weird hearing about this.. almost unbelieveable

X-Men Evolution was on Kids WB. If I remember Weisman worked on that, too...-s

[Ace]

Writing on FF was fine, even if I didn't like the art much. I want to see the unaired eps.

[Beheader]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.

He's going to be 16, so it's not going to be like some annoying 10 year old running around.

I actually prefer teenage Spidey. I think they age him too fast in both cartoons and movies before.

[michaelman9]

great news! I hope they do it with an actual all ages approach (JLU style) instead of a kiddy version.

[Don Mega]

Finally! The best superhero there is will be back on the small screen.

Hopefully in a decent way this time.

[macwagen]

awesome news! i'm glad to see it go back to the beginning, too. I'm hoping it'll be more like Ultimate Spidy. Just please please please don't do the trendy-to-look-manga b*lls**t.

Wasn't there something about a straight-to-dvd animated Spider-Man that was supposed to come out soon? I swear I remember reading that they were planning to release it close to the movie.

[JRCarter]

They need to get Jeff Mastuda on board for this:

http://www.jeffmatsuda.com/animation/spidey01.html

[Jed Saxon]

Greg Weisman? That's all I needed to hear to check this out.

Same here. "Gargoyles" was the best American toon series until the new TMNT came around.

No we also need Frank Paur.

[Scorned1]

Amazing Spider-Man? why not called it "Ultimate Spider-Man" because the concept is very close to it. I hope we don't get teenage version of each of the people/villians in the series.

[MadBandit]

Good news, but anyone who thinks that the MTV series wasn't good is certifiable. At least Spidey, at that time, was out of the Saturday Morning ghetto. The reason for its' cancellation was MTV wasn't keen on having Aunt May on the show, suggested by writer/co-developer Brian Bendis, because she didn't fit into the demos...:rolleyes:

[puckett]

this is exciting.... as much as ive loved other incarnations, ive always hoped spider-man would get the semi-bruce timm a la jl, lanky style that x-men evolution had.... it seems so fitting of an acrobatic character.... and the fact this is kids wb and producers from related shows...

ill finally get my wish.

[Kolimar]

I was a big fan of the 90's "Spider-Man The Animated Series" but really didn't like the version of Spidey that ran on MTV after the first film came out. Hopefully THIS one will be good.

What about the three previous animated series and the two live action shows? :D :)

[Scorned1]

Same here. "Gargoyles" was the best American toon series until the new TMNT came around.


Judging as a whole. Gargoyles still is better than the new TMNT because the current season called "Fast Forward" thing on TMNT is very very bad for the series. Even the last season of Gargoyles is better than Fast Forward TMNT.

[SyVyN11]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.


Then I bet you hated the first 10-15 years of Amazing Spider-Man?

[Darkseid369]

Please let this be better then that horrible Cartoon Network version of the Fantastin Four.

[skaly]

As a huge Gargoyles fan, this is especially good news because I know the show will be in good hands.

[LikeaPhoenix]

Hopefully, X-Men won't be far behind:cool: . This is a question for those in the know. Why is it that Marvel can't maintain a steady cartoon on TV? DC does it with Batman since the late 80's! :confused: And to this day, I still don't understand why X-Men Evolution was not renewed by WB! It was a high quality cartoon and with a lot more story to tell. Supposedly if it were renewed, they were going to delve more into and explore the the Jean Grey/Phoenix plot. :confused: :confused:

[karma_ghost]

Good news, but anyone who thinks that the MTV series wasn't good is certifiable. At least Spidey, at that time, was out of the Saturday Morning ghetto. The reason for its' cancellation was MTV wasn't keen on having Aunt May on the show, suggested by writer/co-developer Brian Bendis, because she didn't fit into the demos...:rolleyes:

I agree, I loved that series. The thing with the 90's cartoon, great as it was, was the lack of realism. Reading articles about the series, they were told they can't kill off characters, use guns, or use any words suggesting violence of any time (can't say kill, gun, die, etc). How can you have a serious villain or storylines?

What I loved about the MTV series was the actual action. There was lots. People died, got stabbed, shot, cut, etc. Made it much more serious if the battles could actually have something happen in them. Plus I really enjoyed the cast of characters and storylines involving a college Peter-Parker. Overall a great series!

[skaly]

Then I bet you hated the first 10-15 years of Amazing Spider-Man?

Actually, Peter aged in real time at first, so he only spent a few years in high school and (possibly) college.

[James Asia]

Sounds very cool. Basically it's Ultimate Spidey, and Greg Weisman is a frigging genuis.

[MisterMix]

So - if they keep that "Spider Rider" (?) show - do you think they'll do an "All Arachnid Power Hour"?

[BLaQHeArT]

Oh God, so this is basically going to be "Spider-Man: Evolution?"

"Peter Parker may be the Amazing Spider-Man, but when he takes off the mask, that's when the real adventure begins! Can Peter combat the everyday teenage ills of low self-esteem, gangs & drugs?"

Ugh, enough with these shows injecting too much pre-teen angst. X-Men: Evolution would have been great had it been more like Ultimate X-Men instead of X-Men Schoolhouse Rock.

That's the problem with a lot of these shows: They treat the superheroes like they are "everyday" teenagers...when they aren't!

If this new Spider-Man show is going to be in the same vein, color me uninterested.


& Gargoyles really is the best American cartoon ever.

[bertrand]

“Our goal is to reinterpret these great characters and concepts for our millennium,” Weisman said.

F*ck me. Only a TV producer would say something like that. Do we really need to see Spidey's origin "reinterpreted" again? This must the 5th or 6th time they've done it this millennium. I bet there's a whiteboard somewhere with Spider-man Xtreme written on it.

Stick around!

See Spidey swing into action!

Tingle with (Spidey)senses-shattering excitement!

Run, don't (wall)crawl!

[Timberoo]

The CW - Civil War - COINCIDENCE?!?!?!!?

[Michael Bunge]

Good news, but anyone who thinks that the MTV series wasn't good is certifiable. At least Spidey, at that time, was out of the Saturday Morning ghetto. The reason for its' cancellation was MTV wasn't keen on having Aunt May on the show, suggested by writer/co-developer Brian Bendis, because she didn't fit into the demos...:rolleyes:

Yeah, 'cause networks cancel shows all the time because they don't like a suggestion from the creative staff.:rolleyes:

Anyway, anybody else find it interesteing that, except for the X-Men, these sorts of cartoons are almost always about going back to the basics of the character? I wonder why no one seems to be interested in doing a cartoon of "The Amazingly Married Spider-Man"?

Mike

[Jed Saxon]

Judging as a whole. Gargoyles still is better than the new TMNT because the current season called "Fast Forward" thing on TMNT is very very bad for the series.

I haven't been able to watch FF yet. I'm not living in America and thus depending on DVDs. The first volume should be out soon.
But I guess from what I heard I may dislike it. Thank god I'm able to "phase" such things out and enjoy them for what they are. I'm still able to like "The new Adventures of He-Man" or the live action movie which were good on it's own but crappy compeared to the MotU mythos.

And if I ignore FF then I like TMNT a little bit more. But just a little bit. Third place is "Galaxy Rangers", followed by "DuckTales". :D

Even the last season of Gargoyles is better than Fast Forward TMNT.

And I guess I'm the only one who actually liked "Goliath Chronicles", especially the idea of Xanatos going completely legit and having an heir with Fox. I remember the last episode which was a nice closure.

[Hokeyboy]

a marvel comic hero on a Warner owned channel, that confirms it, hell has frozen over.. we better listen to al gore and start sending our kids into space, for the end is near

Ummm... you DO realize that X-Men: Evolution was on Kids WB before, and the latest Fantastic Four was on the Warner-owned Cartoon Network?

Or that the Blade movies were all released by New Line, a Warner subsidiary?


You gotta think outside the comic-book sandbox sometimes...

[Sano]

Might be fun if it's like the High School Spider-Man Peter Parker perspective of the Mary Jane Loves Spider-Man books, something like that. Still, I'm excited to have another Spider-Man cartoon on TV. :D

Hey I would LOVE to see a show about the Amazingly Married Spider-Man, but a huge bulk of the 616 80s/90s stuff was covered in the 90s cartoon. Maybe in another 10 years that would be sweet.

[Ace]

Oh God, so this is basically going to be "Spider-Man: Evolution?"

"Peter Parker may be the Amazing Spider-Man, but when he takes off the mask, that's when the real adventure begins! Can Peter combat the everyday teenage ills of low self-esteem, gangs & drugs?"

Ugh, enough with these shows injecting too much pre-teen angst. X-Men: Evolution would have been great had it been more like Ultimate X-Men instead of X-Men Schoolhouse Rock.

That's the problem with a lot of these shows: They treat the superheroes like they are "everyday" teenagers...when they aren't!

If this new Spider-Man show is going to be in the same vein, color me uninterested.


& Gargoyles really is the best American cartoon ever.

X-Men Evolution was a far better property than any take on Ultimate X-Men save for maybe BKV's.

[Liliaeth]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.

Yeah, but I'd rather have them start him out as a teenager, they can always age him up as the series goes on.

[n8twing]

Greg Weisman? That's all I needed to hear to check this out.

Agreed. Weisman has written some great stuff, and GARGOYLES was an excellent series.

[BLaQHeArT]

X-Men Evolution was a far better property than any take on Ultimate X-Men save for maybe BKV's.


Vaughn's run was OK (terrible are, though), but no way was it better than Millar & Kubert's run. No way.

[s*p rules]

I guess I'm in the very small minority of people who liked the FF cartoon, but I thought it was great, especially the Thing and his relationship with Johnny - they nailed that perfectly. It definitely needed a year or two to find its rhythm, but I liked the first few episodes much better than the first year of The Batman (which I love now - this season has been great, with the Dark Knight homage, Harley Quinn by Dini, and the JLA to look forward to). They should have waited til a movie year and gave it a more accessible time slot for the kids, but it was a better cartoon than 90% of the crap on Cartoon Network. Maybe this summer they will re-air the series after the movie premiers.

All for a new Spidey cartoon, but I don't really need another origin first season of the character. Everything you need to know about the nerd+spider bite=superhero origin should be covered in the theme song montage.

[Goldenboy]

Those 2 names mentioned have produced some exceptional work.

And this is the first time there's been a high-school Spider-Man show, right? This should be well worth keeping an eye on.

[saiyanspider]

okay, spiderman is a good start but we need to get a new x-men series soon...

and that FF seires was terrible...i hate that japanimation stuff where everybody's heads are triangles...i hope they go with a more traditional american cartoon look.

it sounds like they are going to be doing this in the tradition of ultimate spiderman...

I hope they don't. It's been done, let's try something new. The goal should be to rope the kids in and they prefer that style, our time has come and past we need to deal with it. I'm 30 and while I like both styles deeply and think both east and west works for certain heroes It doesn't work for all of them. You couldn't make Superman work with japanamation but FF, X-men, and Spider-man can because of the nature of their design and stories.

But I think Marvel and DC should focus on the kids, if a couple of old guys gets pissed so what we had our time. It's time to deal.

[Uchiha_Prodigy]

A Spiderman toon on the CW? Now how the ____ does that work?

[Vintage]

High time.

[holtom2000]

Wallipin' Websnappers!
this is great news as long as isn't not done in that terrible Fantastic Four style.
Spider-Man cartoons are great for watching while on the treadmill. That and Transformers.
Too bad they couldn't make it in the DC Animated style. That would kick butt.

[GohanWinner]

HELL YES.
That's all I've got to say.

[sephiroth617]

Awesome friggin news. More Spidey is always good.

I just hope that one of these days, they can collect the 90's Spider-Man series. That was awesome stuff.

[thearticle]

FINALLY!! im so happy this jus made my day. i loved the MTV's spidey and was devastated when it was cancelled but NOW I CAN BREATHE AGAIN! i cant wait for it but i'll try.

[Ace]

Vaughn's run was OK (terrible are, though), but no way was it better than Millar & Kubert's run. No way.

We'll have to disagree there.

I despise Millar's run. It's full of unlikable punks without heart. Bendis' run was actually pretty good though, especially the Wolvie in the cave issue.

[PrimalSlayer]

great news! I hope they do it with an actual all ages approa ch (JLU style) instead of a kiddy version.

good luck on that. We will probably get a kiddy friendly version like all the other animated hero on KidsWB. They arent interested in all age approach

[puckett]

A Spiderman toon on the CW? Now how the ____ does that work?

x-men evolution was on WB... which became CW... so i imagine itll work about the same.

[puckett]

X-Men Evolution was a far better property than any take on Ultimate X-Men save for maybe BKV's.

plus, to back you up, that description he gave really only applied to the first season. they were at school less and less, and in costume more and more, as the series progressed.

[Kalkin]

And I guess I'm the only one who actually liked "Goliath Chronicles", especially the idea of Xanatos going completely legit and having an heir with Fox. I remember the last episode which was a nice closure.

There was another season after that, produced for American Saturday Morning Kids TV on the ABC network. the original writers were either fired/quit/kicked out and the art team was replaced mostly by video editors who then took old stock backgrounds and old Gargoyles episodes and spliced them into new sequences to tell new stories. i seem to recall they did the same with the voices, just splicing old dialogue together.

It wasn't bad, per se. Just, compared to the rest of the series, it was a huge slap in the face to fans.

[Sano]

Weissman is writing the comic of Gargoyles that is telling the story of the real third season the way he invisioned. The first 2 issues covered the first episode of season one (the only one he worked on) and the rest will be new territory.

Greg Weissman also wrote that Dark Night episode of The Batman this year. He just owns!

[hadez]

Hum, Interesting news, but I'll decide when I see a promo.

I loved the Spidey 90's cartoon; the only thing I hated was what a poster already mentioned about the censorship.

I watched a couple of the Spider-Man MTV show, but never found it insteresting; same goes for The Batman.

In my own humble opinion, the true Batman was the one Paul Dini and Bruce Timm created that was voiced by Kevin Conroy, that had two animated series (B:TAS,B:GK) and a spinoff (Batman Beyond), that, after the SupermanTAS, allowed the creation of the best superhero show ever: Justice League ( & Unlimited)

[DanteHicks1972]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.

If you read Ultimate Spider, that the whole basis, back to the begininng and reinventing the character not the convoluted trash we get thrown at us in Amazing, Spectacular or the third monthly rag trown out there....there's so much they can do....it's a grat starting point unless the do Saved By The Bell: Spider-Man :D As long as it does not look like Legion, FF or Titans I'll definitly give it a try....

[Andrew]

Then I bet you hated the first 10-15 years of Amazing Spider-Man?

Peter was only in high school for the first 28 issues of Amazing Spider-Man. And rightfully so.

[AdamYJ]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.

You know, considering how it's a cartoon, the odds were kind of stacked against you. For kids' cartoons, they tend to try and skew the characters younger when they can.

I hope this'll be good. The last show was a bit of a letdown. They spent a lot of time creating crappy new villians for that show, it seems. I mean, I don't mind new villians, but they weren't very good new villians.

[BlackDog]

F*ck me. Only a TV producer would say something like that. Do we really need to see Spidey's origin "reinterpreted" again? This must the 5th or 6th time they've done it this millennium. I bet there's a whiteboard somewhere with Spider-man Xtreme written on it.

Stick around!

See Spidey swing into action!

Tingle with (Spidey)senses-shattering excitement!

Run, don't (wall)crawl!

These are cartoons for little kids, not jaded comicbook fans who've seen it all. Really people...let KIDS ENJOY their cartoons. Unlike us grownups, kids haven't seen Spidey's origin a thousand times and they don't care if Spiderman is a Marvel or DC character.

The next generation of little kids deserve to enjoy all the DC and Marvel mythos in their own unique way. We were kids and enjoyed our time with our cartoons, the same right holds for kids today.

[tiso_spencer]

Should I remind you how well that new Fantastic Four cartoon faired or the MTV's Spider-Man? However, since this is on KidsWB it is pretty much guaranteed for 52 episodes at least, maybe.

[dalunt]

a marvel comic hero on a Warner owned channel, that confirms it, hell has frozen over.. we better listen to al gore and start sending our kids into space, for the end is near

this is really weird marvel has always had better realtions with fox and cbs than time warner, kinda weird hearing about this.. almost unbelieveable

Yeah but FOX and CBS have AWFUL cartoons/ratings on Saturday mornings and early afternoons...

KidsWB is honestly the only place for cartoons to flourish outside of Cartoon Network...

[John Berger]

Funny this announcement should come up! Just this week I was thinking they should make another Spidey cartoon, as I was looking at the 90s one on the internet.

Yeah, same here. Haven't enjoyed it since I grew up with it. They need to put the 90's stuff on DVD.

If you are really dying for some 90s Spidey action, you can buy "unofficial" DVD sets from people who home-make them.

[Davy]

I'll definitely give it a shot. But except for X-Men: Evolution, I've not been the biggest fan of Marvel animation, although some were better than others.

X-Men: Evolution was BY FAR my favorite Marvel cartoon yet. Really great show that diverged from what had gone before yet kept the feel of the original characters intact. But the 90s X-Men cartoon just made me laugh, and not in a good way. I was in college at the time and while a lot of friends liked it, I thought it was poor animation and cheesy dialogue. I'm sure I'm in the minority on that one.

The recent FF cartoon wasn't the strongest cartoon I've seen, but it was getting better each episode. I think its two biggest problems were: 1) they started off with WAY the wrong episode, one that didn't spotlight the whole team or play up what the show was about, and 2) too many American comic fans just refuse to even look at a show that has manga/anime influences in the art (which is, of course, their choice, but you can miss some good TV that way -- look at how long it took fans to get over their apprehensions about Teen Titans, yet when it was canceled you'd think people had loved it from the get-go).

I watched a few of the MTV Spidey cartoons. Okay, I guess, but just didn't hold interest. The 90s Spidey I thought was almost as cheesy as the 90s X-men. And I watched (and fell in love with Spidey and Bobby through) the old Spidey and Friends in the 80s when I was a kid, but I'd be REALLY scared to see it today. Fond memories are best left as memories sometimes lest we be sorely disappointed.

Davy

[Gordon McAlpin]

Greg Weisman? That's all I needed to hear to check this out.

Hell yeah! Gargoyles had some rock-solid writing.

[mattguthrie]

F*ck me. Only a TV producer would say something like that. Do we really need to see Spidey's origin "reinterpreted" again? This must the 5th or 6th time they've done it this millennium. I bet there's a whiteboard somewhere with Spider-man Xtreme written on it.

Stick around!

See Spidey swing into action!

Tingle with (Spidey)senses-shattering excitement!

Run, don't (wall)crawl!


well it is gonna be on the kids WB so im sure this is going to be an introduction to many kids who are like 8 years old...who might not have seen the movies yet...its good to start a series like this fresh with an origin episode...its the biggest linchpin in the whole spidey mythology...

he gets his powers from a freak accident...he doesn't take it seriously, his uncle is murdered which forces him to take on new responsibilities which consists of being a super-hero...

[Robot H Brian]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.

You "can't stand shows about children."

You did read the part about this being, you know,

1. an animated series;

2. shown on Saturday mornings;

3. on "Kids' WB!"


So what you're saying is you can't stand animated cartoon shows about children shown on Saturday mornings on a network airing content specifically created for children.

Wow.

[mattguthrie]

I hope they don't. It's been done, let's try something new. The goal should be to rope the kids in and they prefer that style, our time has come and past we need to deal with it. I'm 30 and while I like both styles deeply and think both east and west works for certain heroes It doesn't work for all of them. You couldn't make Superman work with japanamation but FF, X-men, and Spider-man can because of the nature of their design and stories.

But I think Marvel and DC should focus on the kids, if a couple of old guys gets pissed so what we had our time. It's time to deal.


well it obviously didnt work for the FF...it doesn't really work for american super heroes because it ends up not looking like them at all...DC characters cant be manga-esq but marvel ones can't?

[John Berger]

You "can't stand shows about children."

You did read the part about this being, you know,

1. an animated series;

2. shown on Saturday mornings;

3. on "Kids' WB!"


So what you're saying is you can't stand animated cartoon shows about children shown on Saturday mornings on a network airing content specifically created for children.

Wow.

Regardless of whether it makes sense or not, it's his opinion. I would have rather had this set when Peter was in college, but again, that's just preference. As long as Aunt May and company don't know his secret, then we're in for good stories. Once everyone found, there was no zip to Spidey.

[Kikaider]

Well, I would rather see a Hulk or Thor cartoon (or maybe a Doctor Strange made for children) come out from Marvel, but I don’t mind seeing Spidey again. Hopefully they give him lots of guest stars. I miss the Justice League Unlimited series but I am really enjoying the Superman and Legion of Superheroes cartoon. Very happy with the stories and art in the Legion. Fantastic Four was dryer than a popcorn fart, but I liked the animation.
Would love to see the folks at Marathon (Martin Mystery) animation take on a Marvel hero, as they really have a great product.

[theWeapon]

...And the people behind it have some nice credits to their names, as well.

My thoughts exactly. Can't wait to see it. I just wish it were coming out this year instead of next. It'd be the perfect companion for the movie...

[Unknown]

It all depends on the voice work.

[RedRonin]

Loving the creators involved. But...

Our goal is to reinterpret these great characters and concepts for our millennium Isn't that what Ultimate Spider-Man did?

[Robot H Brian]

Regardless of whether it makes sense or not, it's his opinion.

It sure is. Now I'm just deadly curious what his thoughts are on the creative direction of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! and Pinky Dinky Doo. I mean, they're shows about children on a children's network, but, goddammit, imagine what they could've been if only they'd been developed with 35-year old comic book message board posters in mind!

[sfritz]

These are cartoons for little kids, not jaded comicbook fans who've seen it all. Really people...let KIDS ENJOY their cartoons. Unlike us grownups, kids haven't seen Spidey's origin a thousand times and they don't care if Spiderman is a Marvel or DC character.

The next generation of little kids deserve to enjoy all the DC and Marvel mythos in their own unique way. We were kids and enjoyed our time with our cartoons, the same right holds for kids today.

Amen. This man tells the truth. -s

[Mojo Rizin']

Yes Finally Spider-Man Returns to the Animated Universe!!! It's about God Damn Time!!!

[Johnny Smith]

Yay!

I'm seriously stoked about this news!!!:D

[Newguy]

Vaughn's run was OK (terrible are, though), but no way was it better than Millar & Kubert's run. No way.

Bendis's run has the single best X-issue in the last two decades.

[MurrayC]

that FF seires was terrible...i hate that japanimation stuff where everybody's heads are triangles...i hope they go with a more traditional american cartoon look..

I couldn't agree with you more.

I am SICK of seeing Big, Chisled, triangle heads, big square feet, and a waist only an Olson twin would want.


Teen Titans, The Batman, Krypto, Legion of Super Heroes, Fantastic Four, and Hellboy all follow this wretched style.

[Starpilot]

Any chance they could make it as enticing as the ever-famous Batman: The Animated Series?

The recent attempts at animating Spider-man, both the 90's and more recent computer-animated series, lacked quality and life.

[MrNEWZ]

okay, spiderman is a good start but we need to get a new x-men series soon...

and that FF seires was terrible...i hate that japanimation stuff where everybody's heads are triangles...i hope they go with a more traditional american cartoon look.

it sounds like they are going to be doing this in the tradition of ultimate spiderman...

Which is funny since it's a Canadian company that does the animation and has been using the style for forever. The hair styles are inspired by Manga/Anime, but the look of Totally Spies/Martin Myster/etc. is very much "North American."

[God-Man]

Awesome! We haven't had a Spidey cartoon that dealt with his early days. Btw, whatever happened to the direct to DVD Spidey toons?

[mattguthrie]

Which is funny since it's a Canadian company that does the animation and has been using the style for forever. The hair styles are inspired by Manga/Anime, but the look of Totally Spies/Martin Myster/etc. is very much "North American."

Canadian huh? you sure about that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Four_%282006_TV_series%29

in case you dont want to read it, it says it was produced by a french company...and the french are notorious for stealing and hating americans...lol...so its def manga...with not alot of american style animation...

i say style because everything in america is animated in asia but its a certain style that originated in our cartoons...

[New Way]

I couldn't agree with you more.

I am SICK of seeing Big, Chisled, triangle heads, big square feet, and a waist only an Olson twin would want.


Teen Titans, The Batman, Krypto, Legion of Super Heroes, Fantastic Four, and Hellboy all follow this wretched style.

Teen Titans was cool, and Legion is alright, your right about the rest though (though i hear Hellboy is also decent)

[AdamYJ]

Canadian huh? you sure about that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Four_%282006_TV_series%29

in case you dont want to read it, it says it was produced by a french company...and the french are notorious for stealing and hating americans...lol...so its def manga...with not alot of american style animation...

i say style because everything in america is animated in asia but its a certain style that originated in our cartoons...

French=manga :confused:

[The Spirit]

this art had better be good...the 90s series was gold.

[wjclark01]

I'm just hoping they go more Ultimate Spidey than retro. I mean, come on - it's been done ad nauseum already. At least with an Ultimate Spidey model, it's more modern times since it's going back to high school and all....

[sfritz]

Canadian huh? you sure about that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Four_%282006_TV_series%29

in case you dont want to read it, it says it was produced by a french company...and the french are notorious for stealing and hating americans...lol...so its def manga...with not alot of american style animation...

i say style because everything in america is animated in asia but its a certain style that originated in our cartoons...

Uhh...a little correction is in order here.

France is one of the first countries to ever PRODUCE animation (yes, the U.S. was first, but a Frenchman named Emil Cohl was the first to do it by drawing on paper...not U.S. stop motion). In fact, Winsor McKay was inspired by Cohl's work.

Second, France was one of the first countries to recognize animation as a fully mature art when it formed ASIFA. This was when Americans decided that "Mickey can't do that..."

When it comes to this French hating, please get some glasses. They are doing more to push and promote the art than this nation, by far. If they use anime stylings for some of their 'toons, well so does just about everyone else.

I was having a discussion with others today about how I couldn't drag any of my extended family's latest generation into a comic book shop, even if I gave them the money. A full half of them would rather go to a Barnes & Noble and buy manga (the rest would be spent on such things as video games, legos, dating and such other normal activities, depending on the kids' exact age). As for anime? They download it. They don't buy or rent it.

So if I was a smart producer with a few million to splurge on a kids animated series, I would NOT object to anime stylings. It's what my target market wants. Hate to say it, but Batman: TAS and such is rapidly starting to look like what these kids weird uncles and aunts are into. Not them. -s

[Silmaverick]

I just hope that they make it closer to the actual comic book art instead of this new-age manga influenced crap. Sorry, but Spidey doesn't web swing through Tokyo. Bring back 90's-era animation i.e. X-Men and S-M:TAS!

[New Way]

I just hope that they make it closer to the actual comic book art instead of this new-age manga influenced crap. Sorry, but Spidey doesn't web swing through Tokyo. Bring back 90's-era animation i.e. X-Men and S-M:TAS!

Are you kidding the the animation in the 90's Marvel cartoons was garbage:(

The characters themselves had a lot of detail but they never stayed on model.

[HNutz]

I was a big fan of the 90's "Spider-Man The Animated Series" but really didn't like the version of Spidey that ran on MTV after the first film came out. Hopefully THIS one will be good.

Actually... I really enjoyed the MTV series! Frankly... I think I liked it a lot more than the 90's show... ah well.

And I'm REALLY happy to hear about a new Spider-Man show!

[JLAJRC]

This is great. With the exception of the Spider-Man Unlimted and the transforming Avengers one, I've liked all of the Marvel cartoon series (Yes, even the new Fantastic 4) I honestly don't mind the anime influences in the cartoons today.

[M Intensity]

I'll definitely give it a shot. But except for X-Men: Evolution, I've not been the biggest fan of Marvel animation, although some were better than others.

X-Men: Evolution was BY FAR my favorite Marvel cartoon yet. Really great show that diverged from what had gone before yet kept the feel of the original characters intact. But the 90s X-Men cartoon just made me laugh, and not in a good way. I was in college at the time and while a lot of friends liked it, I thought it was poor animation and cheesy dialogue. I'm sure I'm in the minority on that one.

The recent FF cartoon wasn't the strongest cartoon I've seen, but it was getting better each episode. I think its two biggest problems were: 1) they started off with WAY the wrong episode, one that didn't spotlight the whole team or play up what the show was about, and 2) too many American comic fans just refuse to even look at a show that has manga/anime influences in the art (which is, of course, their choice, but you can miss some good TV that way -- look at how long it took fans to get over their apprehensions about Teen Titans, yet when it was canceled you'd think people had loved it from the get-go).

I watched a few of the MTV Spidey cartoons. Okay, I guess, but just didn't hold interest. The 90s Spidey I thought was almost as cheesy as the 90s X-men. And I watched (and fell in love with Spidey and Bobby through) the old Spidey and Friends in the 80s when I was a kid, but I'd be REALLY scared to see it today. Fond memories are best left as memories sometimes lest we be sorely disappointed.

Davy

It looks like we have similar tastes. Like you, I was in college when X-Men debuted and I couldn't get past the poor animation and cheesy dialogue (particularly in the way they handled Morph's "death"). It always seems to me that the shows that seems to be more faithful to comics are less enjoyable than the shows that are not as faithful to the comics but are faithful to the spirit of the comics only adapted to a different medium. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends actually aged better than the 90's series (yeah, it's chessy but the character interactions among the leads hold up very well).

I believe Wolverine and the X-Men is coming to Cartoon Network in 2008, although I'm not sure of its exact status. It's supposed to be made by the same people behind the recent Fantastic Four series, which is scheduled to be back on Cartoon Network in June.

M Intensity

[beta-ray]

I hope this is more like Gargoyles and less like The Batman. Hope we get a preview soon!

[Elixir]

Loved Gargoyles! The 90's X-Men and Spiderman cartoons are what got me into Marvel I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

Jetix still runs both shows even now infact at the mo they run along with Iron Man and Avengers every week night. You know I never saw that Avengers show before now...it's pretty horrible!

I'm not into DC but I do like the Static Shock and Teen Titans cartoons, and Justice League and The Batman aint half bad either. But yeh, with Fantastic Four (any good? Not on here yet) and X-Men and Spidey both returning then it's about time!

[mattguthrie]

Uhh...a little correction is in order here.

France is one of the first countries to ever PRODUCE animation (yes, the U.S. was first, but a Frenchman named Emil Cohl was the first to do it by drawing on paper...not U.S. stop motion). In fact, Winsor McKay was inspired by Cohl's work.

Second, France was one of the first countries to recognize animation as a fully mature art when it formed ASIFA. This was when Americans decided that "Mickey can't do that..."

When it comes to this French hating, please get some glasses. They are doing more to push and promote the art than this nation, by far. If they use anime stylings for some of their 'toons, well so does just about everyone else.

I was having a discussion with others today about how I couldn't drag any of my extended family's latest generation into a comic book shop, even if I gave them the money. A full half of them would rather go to a Barnes & Noble and buy manga (the rest would be spent on such things as video games, legos, dating and such other normal activities, depending on the kids' exact age). As for anime? They download it. They don't buy or rent it.

So if I was a smart producer with a few million to splurge on a kids animated series, I would NOT object to anime stylings. It's what my target market wants. Hate to say it, but Batman: TAS and such is rapidly starting to look like what these kids weird uncles and aunts are into. Not them. -s


uh....i was talking about stealing from asia the manga look, and the hating was a joke about the french hating americans...A JOKE...you know ha ha...not very serious...

also their are popular cartoon that aren't in the manga style...yes manga is popular but you dont HAVE to be manga to have a successful show.

[AdamYJ]

It looks like we have similar tastes. Like you, I was in college when X-Men debuted and I couldn't get past the poor animation and cheesy dialogue (particularly in the way they handled Morph's "death"). It always seems to me that the shows that seems to be more faithful to comics are less enjoyable than the shows that are not as faithful to the comics but are faithful to the spirit of the comics only adapted to a different medium. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends actually aged better than the 90's series (yeah, it's chessy but the character interactions among the leads hold up very well).

I believe Wolverine and the X-Men is coming to Cartoon Network in 2008, although I'm not sure of its exact status. It's supposed to be made by the same people behind the recent Fantastic Four series, which is scheduled to be back on Cartoon Network in June.

M Intensity

That show was awesome when we were about 10 or 11, but it really hasn't aged well. The melodrama was cranked up ridiculously high. They were also using a design style that was mimicking the art designs of Jim Lee that were used in the comics of the time and didn't really animate well. I love that show for intriducing me to the X-Men, but X-Men: Evolution is much better.

uh....i was talking about stealing from asia the manga look, and the heating was a joke about the french hating americans...A JOKE...you know ha ha...not very serious...

also their are popular cartoon that aren't in the manga style...yes manga is popular but you dont HAVE to be manga to have a successful show.

1) Manga is Japanese for "comic book". When in animation, the word you're looking for is "anime".

2) What people call the "anime style" :rolleyes: can actually be traced back to the US originally. The defining qualities of anime and manga art are generally attributed to Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. His art was heavily derived from the art used by Walt Disney and in the Fleischer cartoons like Popeye and Betty Boop. Even so, there really isn't an "anime style". They're all drawn differently.

3) Many of the superhero shows that people complain about "looking too anime" don't really have all that much anime to them. Teen Titans did, but that's about all. The new FF cartoon may have used some design elements that are more familiar from anime, but that's about it. The Batman isn't anime-esque as much as it derives from the unique art sensibilities of art director Jeff Matsuda. X-Men: Evolution didn't derive its style from anime as much as it did from Disney Feature Animation. I believe a major producer and character designer for that show used to work with them.

That last part is something that really gets me. People keep showing up on message boards saying X-Men: Evolution was "too much like anime" when it was much more like Disney. And when someone can look at something that draws its design and animation style from freakin' Disney Feature Animation and still scoff at it, there is really no hope for that person as an animation fan.

[Wonder Boy]

Here's hoping that Gwen Stacy gets some animated screen time. :-)

And maybe an Iceman/Firestar appearance. :-D

[G Dog]

Sigh, so it's going to be Peter Parker goes to high school. :( I can't stand shows about children.

Yeah, man! The new cartoon on the KIDS WB, should feature the current, 30 year old Spidey who's married! Totally!

Jesus...

[kitty_tc]

Yeah, man! The new cartoon on the KIDS WB, should feature the current, 30 year old Spidey who's married! Totally!

Jesus...

Yeah, because when I was a little kid watching the Donner Superman films, I was totally appalled that Superman was 35 and worked in an office and had a romance with Lois Lane. I totally freaked out, and when I got home I tore up my comics and threw away my toys and burned my Superman underoos t-shirt with the matches I found hidden in the kitchen drawer. :rolleyes:

Honestly, are you serious?! How shallow and mindless do you think children are? All the superheroes were adults from the first Hanna-Barbara cartoons on up, it never stopped anyone from loving the hell out of them. Only the patronizing attitudes of people who think things have to be dumbed down and age-targeted has changed that.

All the best cartoons of all time have been "all-ages", not just "kid-friendly". And not just from an adult perspective, but from a kid's one as well. What, do you think kids are dumb? They know when they're being talked down to. They hate it.

Kids today can handle a college or adult Spider-man with a wife or steady girlfriend just as easily as our generation handled a 35 year old Superman. Stop patronizing them.

[AdamYJ]

Yeah, because when I was a little kid watching the Donner Superman films, I was totally appalled that Superman was 35 and worked in an office and had a romance with Lois Lane. I totally freaked out, and when I got home I tore up my comics and threw away my toys and burned my Superman underoos t-shirt with the matches I found hidden in the kitchen drawer. :rolleyes:

Honestly, are you serious?! How shallow and mindless do you think children are? All the superheroes were adults from the first Hanna-Barbara cartoons on up, it never stopped anyone from loving the hell out of them. Only the patronizing attitudes of people who think things have to be dumbed down and age-targeted has changed that.

All the best cartoons of all time have been "all-ages", not just "kid-friendly". And not just from an adult perspective, but from a kid's one as well. What, do you think kids are dumb? They know when they're being talked down to. They hate it.

Kids today can handle a college or adult Spider-man with a wife or steady girlfriend just as easily as our generation handled a 35 year old Superman. Stop patronizing them.

Whoa!

Anyway, I like the married Spider-Man myself (he's been married since before I started reading comics), however it really works better as a progression. Spider-Man is pretty much a coming of age tale, so having him grow up and get the girl is a lot cooler if he starts out some single kid.

[Yami Ash]

Greg Weisman (<I>Gargoyles, The Batman</I>) is supervising producer, Victor Cook (<I>Hellboy: Blood and Iron, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command</I>) is producer/supervising director.

The new animated series picks up the original web-slinger’s mythology at the beginning of his hero’s journey…as a not-so-typical 16-year-old entering his junior year of high school. Having spent the summer engaging common criminals with his new-found powers, Peter Parker must conceal his secret identity while engaging a new level of terror – the multi-leveled pressures of teenage life at home and school while combating bigger, badder super-villains in the real world.

“Our goal is to reinterpret these great characters and concepts for our millennium,” Weisman said. “We’ll have plenty of resonant material for the Spider-Man fan, while engaging the Spider-Man novice with the same thrills we experienced when we were first exposed to the character. Our stories will appeal on multiple levels with plenty of eye-candy, action, humor and colorful characters for the youngest demographic balanced with extensive character development for ‘tweens, teens and adults.”

I have distilled this article to it's awesomest essense.

Proven creators, original stories instead of endless retreads, extensive character development, blazing its own trail, no apparent unnecessary retelling of the origin, I can't wait.

[Toneloak]

Yeah, because when I was a little kid watching the Donner Superman films, I was totally appalled that Superman was 35 and worked in an office and had a romance with Lois Lane. I totally freaked out, and when I got home I tore up my comics and threw away my toys and burned my Superman underoos t-shirt with the matches I found hidden in the kitchen drawer. :rolleyes:

Honestly, are you serious?! How shallow and mindless do you think children are? All the superheroes were adults from the first Hanna-Barbara cartoons on up, it never stopped anyone from loving the hell out of them. Only the patronizing attitudes of people who think things have to be dumbed down and age-targeted has changed that.

All the best cartoons of all time have been "all-ages", not just "kid-friendly". And not just from an adult perspective, but from a kid's one as well. What, do you think kids are dumb? They know when they're being talked down to. They hate it.

Kids today can handle a college or adult Spider-man with a wife or steady girlfriend just as easily as our generation handled a 35 year old Superman. Stop patronizing them.
I had to quote that impassioned response again. I grew up with the Silver Surfer series, Fantastic Four series, Iron Man series, and The Hulk series, all adults, so were Thundercats and Smurfs and pretty much all adults in every other animated series. I never had a problem connecting with those characters. Just want to throw in G.I. Joe, Transformers, & H-Man. Heroes pretty much changed with X-Men: Evolution for me.

I thought the point of those shows was to make me feel grown up and get my parents to buy there crap and it worked. What kids changed in the last ten years, I'm 24 now. However, if Peter can deal with real problems unlike that latest F4 series then it's all good then my nephew of 7 will like it. Fluff is fluff to kids too he gave up before me and he thought it looked cool but Naruto & JLU had real action. He still ask me about JLU.

[Ex-Villian]

This should be good if they follow the template of "Spider-Man: The Animated Series" from the 90s. I loved watching it on Saturday mornings as a kid.

I know they have to be original in their own right and do new things, but the 90s series loosly followed events from the comics, putting their own spin on things.

This is like the 3rd or 4th (counting Unlimited) Spidey series to hit the air in the past 10 years; anyone at least in their late teens and older shouldn't be crying about lack of Spider-Man on the tube, cu he gets a series every few years now. But this is the first series where we get Peter still in highschool (which makes this more like Ultimate, since 616 Spidey jumps a bit to his college years, which is most of Spidey's major history). That alon sets it apart from the 90s series, Unlimited, and MTV Spidey (which I don't think was THAT bad...it did fit in the movie universe, so it had that heavy constraint).

I think they will do fine on Spidey/Peter...it's the villians that will be most affected. The 90s cartoon villians followed the comic versions for the most part, but I think the current trend is taking more liberties, especially with visuals.

And then again, do we REALLY want this to be too familiar, or too much like more faithful SPidey adaptations? The fact is that the 90s cartoon exists...and it doesn't really need to be re-done. A bew Spidey cartoon could use originality, to a degree. I realized this when I finaly saw the new Batman cartoon; I instantly compared it to the 90s series because I liked it so much, but I then realized they shouldn't do what that series did, because that series already did it.

[MisterClock]

Gawd!!! Another one? I hope this one last more than 2 seaons. Does anyone remember the animated Spider-man series where he's chasing down Venom & Carnage, then ends up on a world ruled by the High Evolutionary? or the CGI Spider-man series where Peter Parker is going to Empire State University?

I wonder why these Spider-man series don't last long, unlike various DC series, like the Batman or Teen Titan series. Even the X-Men series lasted longer than any of the Spider-man series with the exception of the Spider-man series that was released in the 1980s (no was it the late 1970s?).

[EmeraldGuy32]

Weisman's involvment is hopeful.

[mattguthrie]

Gawd!!! Another one? I hope this one last more than 2 seaons. Does anyone remember the animated Spider-man series where he's chasing down Venom & Carnage, then ends up on a world ruled by the High Evolutionary? or the CGI Spider-man series where Peter Parker is going to Empire State University?

I wonder why these Spider-man series don't last long, unlike various DC series, like the Batman or Teen Titan series. Even the X-Men series lasted longer than any of the Spider-man series with the exception of the Spider-man series that was released in the 1980s (no was it the late 1970s?).

the 90's spiderman series on fox lasted almost as long as the x-men series...and lasted longer then the hulk, ff, iron man and avengers series all released around that time...it lasted like 4 years

heres the history...3 years 5 seasons 65 episodes...same amount of episodes as the teen titans...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_The_Animated_Series

[MadBandit]

I couldn't agree with you more.

I am SICK of seeing Big, Chisled, triangle heads, big square feet, and a waist only an Olson twin would want.


Teen Titans, The Batman, Krypto, Legion of Super Heroes, Fantastic Four, and Hellboy all follow this wretched style.


What do you prefer? The crap Bill Hanna and Joey Barbera put out in the 70s. You're getting old, dude. :rolleyes:

[MadBandit]

Gawd!!! Another one? I hope this one last more than 2 seaons. Does anyone remember the animated Spider-man series where he's chasing down Venom & Carnage, then ends up on a world ruled by the High Evolutionary? or the CGI Spider-man series where Peter Parker is going to Empire State University?

I wonder why these Spider-man series don't last long, unlike various DC series, like the Batman or Teen Titan series. Even the X-Men series lasted longer than any of the Spider-man series with the exception of the Spider-man series that was released in the 1980s (no was it the late 1970s?).

Which one? The syndicated solo series (lasted one season) or the NBC version with Firestar and Iceman (three season)? I like them both.

As for the last two, "Spider-Man Unlimited" was an embarrassming cash-in on "Batman Beyond" (the way Spidey was in high school), while the MTV CGI show was pretty good, but nudnick executives got dumb and canned the show when Brian Bendis suggested Aunt May should be on the show.

[Hypestyle]

Bendis' "Ultimate" spidey series tends to be more violent that I think they'd let be on Kids WB.. plus, his Spidey loses so many fights, it's depressing..

Too bad no one wants to do a series on adult Spidey.. that's what's really missing..

[l.21]

It needs to follow the ultimate universe and illustrated like Bagely.

For sure, the truth.

[Mr Prince]

If it's anything like the reimagining they did with X-Men: Evolution, that would be good. I have no problems with going back the original premise of character and reinterpreting the mythos in a contemporary way.

It reinvigorates the character and makes it resonate with new watchers/audiences. That's awesome. You gotta evolve your inner fanboy--learn to enjoy multiple or updated versions of beloveed characters. That's how they'll survive and thrive. (ie, I wasn't into The Batman for a while, but now kinda see how it works and enjoy it for what it is.)

All I ask for is that Black Cat be a part of the series and that they make some new villainesses. Spidey has so few villainess/anti-hero foes compared to other heroes. I'd like to hear some other voices than MJ, Aunt May and Felicia.

All the best...

Scott

[Mr. B]

I may be in the minority here, but I really liked the MTV version. The writing was much better and Peter's social life and relationships were developed with more care. The 90s version seemed like a more shallow paraphrasing of the comic books. Part of what killed the MTV version was an inconsistent time slot and running the shows out of sequence, which made subplots confusing. And what was with the red color they used...it was really distracting. I'll take the super-old version for nostalgic purposes any day.

EDIT: By red color, I meant the 90s pinkish red, not the MTVcoloring

[sfritz]

I may be in the minority here, but I really liked the MTV version. The writing was much better and Peter's social life and relationships were developed with more care. The 90's version seemed like a more shallow paraphrasing of the comic books. Part of what killed the MTV version was an inconsistent time slot and running the shows out of sequence, which made subplots confusing. And what was with the red color they used...it was really distracting. I'll take the super-old version for nostalgic purposes any day.

Actually, my favorite two versions of Spidey were the original version of the 1960s (with the incredible music theme by Ralph Bakshi) and the MTV version, personally, for many of the same reasons you just mentioned. Maybe with the Spidey III it will get rereleased through Paramount. -s

[skl183]

As long as they don't involve Civil War and Lisa Loeb isn't part of the cast, COUNT ME IN!!

[MurrayC]

What do you prefer? The crap Bill Hanna and Joey Barbera put out in the 70s. You're getting old, dude. :rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong... I love how good the animation is (even if it is a tad on thr Manga side) I just can'r stand the character designs that are done these days.

I'll take Fleischer animation over Hannah-Barbera ANY day.

I also miss the stuff Filmation did back in the day too.

[darkthief]

okay, spiderman is a good start but we need to get a new x-men series soon...

and that FF seires was terrible...i hate that japanimation stuff where everybody's heads are triangles...i hope they go with a more traditional american cartoon look.

it sounds like they are going to be doing this in the tradition of ultimate spiderman...

Yeah me too.

I never really liked the animation from xmen evolution, too manga or simple for my taste.

[saiyanspider]

That show was awesome when we were about 10 or 11, but it really hasn't aged well. The melodrama was cranked up ridiculously high. They were also using a design style that was mimicking the art designs of Jim Lee that were used in the comics of the time and didn't really animate well. I love that show for intriducing me to the X-Men, but X-Men: Evolution is much better.



1) Manga is Japanese for "comic book". When in animation, the word you're looking for is "anime".

2) What people call the "anime style" :rolleyes: can actually be traced back to the US originally. The defining qualities of anime and manga art are generally attributed to Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. His art was heavily derived from the art used by Walt Disney and in the Fleischer cartoons like Popeye and Betty Boop. Even so, there really isn't an "anime style". They're all drawn differently.

3) Many of the superhero shows that people complain about "looking too anime" don't really have all that much anime to them. Teen Titans did, but that's about all. The new FF cartoon may have used some design elements that are more familiar from anime, but that's about it. The Batman isn't anime-esque as much as it derives from the unique art sensibilities of art director Jeff Matsuda. X-Men: Evolution didn't derive its style from anime as much as it did from Disney Feature Animation. I believe a major producer and character designer for that show used to work with them.

That last part is something that really gets me. People keep showing up on message boards saying X-Men: Evolution was "too much like anime" when it was much more like Disney. And when someone can look at something that draws its design and animation style from freakin' Disney Feature Animation and still scoff at it, there is really no hope for that person as an animation fan.



Thank you, couldn't have said it better myself. Too many ignorant posts on these boards.

[zeraze1]

Thank you, couldn't have said it better myself. Too many ignorant posts on these boards.

Frankly, these "too anime = bad" posts are born of fear and desperation.

The America comic industry is SO focused on harcore adult readers that it's forgotten how to attract kids. Hence, the industry and by extension fans are freaked out that foreignors have done so well winning over US kids whether in comics (manga) or animation (anime).

What's really sad is that the average fan of anime and/or manga is oblivious to the rants of the anti-Japanese crowd. So, the haters are wasting their breath.

zeraze

[Weiser_Cain]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to hate this. 'Reinterpret' is like death's bells for a character.

[Kolimar]

Yeah, because when I was a little kid watching the Donner Superman films, I was totally appalled that Superman was 35 and worked in an office and had a romance with Lois Lane. I totally freaked out, and when I got home I tore up my comics and threw away my toys and burned my Superman underoos t-shirt with the matches I found hidden in the kitchen drawer. :rolleyes:

Honestly, are you serious?! How shallow and mindless do you think children are? All the superheroes were adults from the first Hanna-Barbara cartoons on up, it never stopped anyone from loving the hell out of them. Only the patronizing attitudes of people who think things have to be dumbed down and age-targeted has changed that.

All the best cartoons of all time have been "all-ages", not just "kid-friendly". And not just from an adult perspective, but from a kid's one as well. What, do you think kids are dumb? They know when they're being talked down to. They hate it.

Kids today can handle a college or adult Spider-man with a wife or steady girlfriend just as easily as our generation handled a 35 year old Superman. Stop patronizing them.

Very well said. Personally, I wouldn't mind a high school Spidey because that's where the character started and the older Spidey has been done several times already. Bah, as long as we get a good Spider-Man series, I'm cool with anything they do: high school, marriage, ESU, etc. :)

[Kolimar]

That show was awesome when we were about 10 or 11, but it really hasn't aged well. The melodrama was cranked up ridiculously high. They were also using a design style that was mimicking the art designs of Jim Lee that were used in the comics of the time and didn't really animate well. I love that show for intriducing me to the X-Men, but X-Men: Evolution is much better.



1) Manga is Japanese for "comic book". When in animation, the word you're looking for is "anime".

2) What people call the "anime style" :rolleyes: can actually be traced back to the US originally. The defining qualities of anime and manga art are generally attributed to Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy. His art was heavily derived from the art used by Walt Disney and in the Fleischer cartoons like Popeye and Betty Boop. Even so, there really isn't an "anime style". They're all drawn differently.

3) Many of the superhero shows that people complain about "looking too anime" don't really have all that much anime to them. Teen Titans did, but that's about all. The new FF cartoon may have used some design elements that are more familiar from anime, but that's about it. The Batman isn't anime-esque as much as it derives from the unique art sensibilities of art director Jeff Matsuda. X-Men: Evolution didn't derive its style from anime as much as it did from Disney Feature Animation. I believe a major producer and character designer for that show used to work with them.

That last part is something that really gets me. People keep showing up on message boards saying X-Men: Evolution was "too much like anime" when it was much more like Disney. And when someone can look at something that draws its design and animation style from freakin' Disney Feature Animation and still scoff at it, there is really no hope for that person as an animation fan.

BRAVO! There's always a need for information and this thread proves it. Some people are in desperate need of it. :p :D ;)