There was a clip this morning featuring the new "American Dragon" character designs..

[judyindisguise]

...and all I can say is: BLEAH!!!!

They are NOT an improvement. They look jagged and sloppy. And worse of all...the one really GOOD character design IMO was the one for Jake's dragon morph...and now it looks HORRIBLE!!!!!

What a disappointment! :shrug:

[disneyfan89]

Is there any way that we can see some stills and/or video of this (besides watching Disney Channel for hours on end)?

[RonDrakenfan17]

I saw the images of it on the site and I agree with you judyindisguise the animation looks horrible. I liked it better in the first season, and I thought it was bad than too but compared to this blah.

[The Huntsman]

I saw the images of it on the site and I agree with you judyindisguise the animation looks horrible. I liked it better in the first season, and I thought it was bad than too but compared to this blah.
Forgive me for my naivety, but which website are you talking about? I’m curious as to what changes will take place, so I’m interested in looking at such.

[RonDrakenfan17]

Forgive me for my naivety, but which website are you talking about? I’m curious as to what changes will take place, so I’m interested in looking at such.

No problem, here's the link;

Link: http://www.jeffgoode.com/tv/americandragon/art/gallery.htm

Enjoy :D

[Tash]

No problem, here's the link;

Link: http://www.jeffgoode.com/tv/americandragon/art/gallery.htm

Enjoy :D
Right now, I wish that there was an smiley for "Confused and shocked, because I'm not sure that I completly accept what's going on", because I'd use it right now.

Why did they change the series art so drasticly?

[mojokingbee1]

No problem, here's the link;

Link: http://www.jeffgoode.com/tv/americandragon/art/gallery.htm

Enjoy :D

And I thought Season 1's character design was horrible. but that's just... UGH!

[DarkGojira]

No problem, here's the link;

Link: http://www.jeffgoode.com/tv/americandragon/art/gallery.htm

Enjoy :D

Um... those are just the character art designs they showed about few years ago... even way back before the series began.

[I.R Joey]

Wow that's just...jaring.

[The Huntsman]

Um... those are just the character art designs they showed about few years ago... even way back before the series began.
That would explain a lot, though it seemed like the topic creator implied that there was a commercial or something that she saw. Er, I suppose I'll just wait until the show airs before I speculate as to what has changed.

[disneyfan89]

I got these images courtesy of Emu22 at the Save Jake Long Yahoo Group. If it's against the rules to post these, please let me know and I'll get rid of them. More to come soon, hopefully.

Rose and Trixie
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/disneyfan89/RoseTrixie.jpg

Jake's Dad
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/disneyfan89/JakesDad.jpg

Jake
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/disneyfan89/Jake.jpg

Haley
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/disneyfan89/Haley.jpg

Jake in dragon form
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h167/disneyfan89/DragonJake.jpg

[Tash]

Not as bad as the early art, but still bad.

[MarineDweller]

Thanx for the link RonDrakenfan17.
The perfect Dragon design's ruined!:sad: What's happened to Jake's design?
Could anyone plz tell me who is that fat guy and that blue eyed girl? And.. is that dog the talking one? plz tell..

[Tash]

Thanx for the link RonDrakenfan17.
The perfect Dragon design's ruined!:sad: What's happened to Jake's design?
Could anyone plz tell me who is that fat guy and that blue eyed girl? And.. is that dog the talking one? plz tell..
RonDrakenfan's link was wrong. (if you're here, maybe you should remove the link from your post to avoid confusion) The site he/she linked to were early designs that were changed before the show was made.

Disneyfan posted the correct images.

[Lonestarr]

Don't much care for the show, but those designs are pretty good, though it kind of looks like Jake's dad has the same hairstylist as Mr. Dr. Possible.

[RonDrakenfan17]

I only got that link from some one else at the Ron Stoppable forums so I was thinking those were the new one's as well. But I don't like these either :sad:
Sorry about the mistake there. Also I heard the dragon dezine does look like the way it was in the picture of the link. So its not totally wrong =]

[disneyfan89]

Sorry, it seems as if I've given out some misinformation! Steve Loter has said that the blonde girl in the first picture that I posted is not Rose. I guess we'll see who she is when the new episodes air. :)

I would have just edited my previous post, but I want to make sure that everybody sees this correction. My apologies to everybody and Mr. Loter.

That being said, I think I can get used to the design changes...it might take a while, but I'll get used to them.

[Swonker]

They are better than the older designs, but that's pretty much like saying that getting poked in one of your eyes is better than having sharp stick shoved into it.

[MarineDweller]

RonDrakenfan's link was wrong. (if you're here, maybe you should remove the link from your post to avoid confusion) The site he/she linked to were early designs that were changed before the show was made.

Disneyfan posted the correct images.
Thanx for the info Tash. Thanx for the pic's Disneyfan. For a minute there I got shocked when I saw the link:sweat:

[TheMecca]

Although I don't really care for the show, I liked the art. However, I can appreciate the art in its own way and not be completely pissed off (my favorite new design is Jake's Dad).
But the Dragon.. wow, they dumbed that down.

[I.R Joey]

Finally saw the commerical.

They look very odd indeed. Maybe I'll grow to like them though.

[SuperStantzio]

It took me a little bit to get used to the new designs. But it's good. And I noticed that Trixie does have a little resemblance to Penny Proud on the Proud family. Looking Good so far! :)

[tb4000]

It's like making all the characters angular has become some new trend in animation. First that Get a Clue Scooby Doo thing, now this.

[steve loter]

Yeah, I HATE those designs too, they stink! What's with all that pointy stuff! Jake looks like a mutant llama!

What a minute, that's my show!

Guys, I know this may be a jarring change for you and I'm not trying to convince you to like it, but c'mon- you havent even seen an episode yet.
The style change works with the new tone of the show. They go hand in hand, like peanut butter and halibut. Wait a minute, that probably wasnt a good comparison.


Those poor photos taken off a TV are not a real way to judge a show, nor is a 20 second clip.


Lots of mis-info, too. That is not Rose. Trixie has her hair down and is dressed that way for a particular reason for that episode and those designs on Jeff's website were done YEARS ago and are not the designs in the show.


Watch an episode, we'll get a cup of coffee and we'll talk.


Cool?

[DarkGojira]

Well said, Steve.

And don't worry about it, I'll still watch your show (Yes, I'm talking about American Dragon: Jake Long).

[tucsoncoyote]

I am with steve loter and DarkGojira on this one. Sure it looks different but as Steve pointed out, this is the new look, (After all people didn't like Kim Possible with the same Green Tank/ Blue Cargo Pants after season 1, so that's why all the stylish new looks with seasons 2 and 3),but Come on, give the show a chance guys. I mean the one or two improvements I do like are Halley (She looks a lot cuter) and of course Dad (Hey when you turn forty or fifty something (or just get Older) you do start to get bald, or get some grey on your hair).

I know the jury's still out with the show, but I say Let's give it some time, who knows, maybe season 2 will be better and will grow on folks...

Edited Note: Though Changing Foo Dog's look might have been a mistake... That's the only downside to this. I like the original look of Foo Dog.

:coyote:

[GuardianKid13]

the designs look alright

[Jex]

Yet again...Disney fails. I don't know why I'm still going to tune in to watch the premire of this..umm...cartoon, but I can tell I won't watch anymore after that if the art continues to look that way. Disney has lost alot of viewers with this move in my point of view.

[Titan]

I like them.

If Steve Loter says they work, I'm betting they work.

A little pointy sure, but it will probably grow on me. I like American Dragon and I hope the second season is good :)

[tucsoncoyote]

I like them.

If Steve Loter says they work, I'm betting they work.

A little pointy sure, but it will probably grow on me. I like American Dragon and I hope the second season is good :)

I tend to agree with you Titan, it seems that I was able to find a second trailer and sure Gramps and Jake (in Human form) look a bit odd, but I think they'll fly.) but two characters they didn't change very much (if at all) are Spud and Foo Dog (Hey I like Foo-man (Get it?)) but come on folks, don't be overcritical of the new character designs. I know that sure the animation may look a bit odd, but still if the plots are good, why not watch it?

:coyote:

[The Huntsman]

I’ll watch the second season when it airs, though the animation was never the issue with me. I just disliked the way the scripts were handled; I feel some episodes had great plots and the characters all had potential, though the constant, overabundance of slang in the series just really seemed to be a bad thing in my eyes.

[judyindisguise]

The thing is, the animation using the "rounder" designs was bad enough - very sloppy IMO. Designing the characters to look more angular is going to make the animation even less watchable IMO. But we'll see.

[Bubblegum Girl]

Uh....I'm 100% sure if this an improvement or not but I'm still going to give it a chance.

[Jex]

I’ll watch the second season when it airs, though the animation was never the issue with me. I just disliked the way the scripts were handled; I feel some episodes had great plots and the characters all had potential, though the constant, overabundance of slang in the series just really seemed to be a bad thing in my eyes. The slang is used as humor in the show. I think it's how they want to represent Jake Long. The overuse of slang feels comfortable in my opinion.

[I.R Joey]

I tend to agree with you Titan, it seems that I was able to find a second trailer and sure Gramps and Jake (in Human form) look a bit odd, but I think they'll fly.) but two characters they didn't change very much (if at all) are Spud and Foo Dog (Hey I like Foo-man (Get it?)) but come on folks, don't be overcritical of the new character designs. I know that sure the animation may look a bit odd, but still if the plots are good, why not watch it?

:coyote:

Oh I'll be watching that's for sure. As I said before I'm the biggest advocate for more sophisticated story arcs in the show. It's just that the designs look rather jagged now. I'm not sure if this is an improvment.

[tucsoncoyote]

Oh I'll be watching that's for sure. As I said before I'm the biggest advocate for more sophisticated story arcs in the show. It's just that the designs look rather jagged now. I'm not sure if this is an improvment.

I tend to agree here I.R., and with good reason. Season 1 was nicer looking art, but story arcs that didn't go far enough.. Now watch, In Season 2 the artwork goes south, and the plots improve..(Also it will be interesting to see how they're gonna work Rose (Aka Huntsgirl) back in since she ran off in Season 1.. this could be an interesting summer indeed..

:coyote:

[steve loter]

I posted this explanation of the new style on the 'American Dragon Fan Forum' and I thought some people might be interested to read it here-

Waaaaayyyyy back, when Jeff Goode created 'American Dragon' and brought it to Disney, he was paired with 2 artists. The ultra-nice guy Dave Filoni (right now directing the new 'Star Wars' animated series) and me. I was going to produce and direct the pilot , so Jeff and I worked on creating Jake's 'world'. Jake's world was a little different then. It included Brook the elf, Jamal, Jake's best friend and it was more about magical, mystical history. We came up the original designs and look of the show and much of that look still exists in the first season.
Time passed, things happened and another ultra-nice guy was brought in to direct the show- Chris Roman.
Chris took my designs and what had been developed and made it his own, like any talented artist would.
Time passed again and I was asked to direct and produce the new season of Am Drag. I had a difficult task ahead of me, the ratings for Drag were good, but they could be better. It's a brilliant idea and a great show, but it needed a fresh, new outlook to bring in people that may not tune into a second season of a running show. Eddie Guzelian, Matt Negrete and I wanted to pull the show in a different direction.
We needed a look to suit the new style of storytelling we wanted to tell.
The show was to become more cinematic, more designed and I wanted to apply 'new rules' to the world of Jake.
So, I pulled out the original designs from way back and I looked at the fine work that Chris Roman had done and I analyzed it. I wanted to make the show that Jeff and I envisioned at the very beginning. I hired a brilliant character designer Eric Wight, who previous claim to fame was the terrific designs for the as-yet-unseen 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' animated series and the comic book illustrations for 'The O.C.'
I also wanted to create a new logic. The Jake Dragon design was a big concern.
Jake is a 14-16 year old boy. He is short and kinda scrawny. When he transforms into a dragon, he would transform into a 14-16 year old short and scrawny dragon. Dragon muscles would not pop up from nowhere, he still needs to grow INTO an adult dragon. I would love the show to last forever and you would watch Jake grow and mature into the big, bad dragon that he is. If I started as the fully buff and ripped dragon, we would have nowhere to evolve to.
That was logic that makes sense to me. Changing these designs took alot of thought and care. Am Drag is a project I absolutely loved and felt close to since I had been there at the beginning.
So, in essence, the style of the show has somewhat evolved into the ORIGINAL idea that Jeff and I had in the first place.

I know it's unusual that a show has a running change in style, but it has been done before. Bruce Timm's 'Batman' is a perfect example of how a style shifted into the definitive version of how we now remember a TV series.
We also took great care in how the animation actually moves. The acting is more expressive and the creatures are more fantastical.

I hope you will give the new look a chance, because I think we've got some real exciting adventures ahead.

[judyindisguise]

Despite the fact that I don't care for the new designs - and I really can't stand that Shar-Pei with the Archie Bunker voice - I'll give "Dragon" another look-see, FWIW.

[adoptedBatpuppy]

Is there a new animation team involved?! Designs and commercial on Disney Channel makes the season 2 look totally different from season 1! :eek:

[Wondergirl]

I don't think the new character designs are all that bad, actually, and with Mr. Loter on board the story should improve dramatically.

Now if only they'll do something about Jake's hip-hop, fingernails on chalkboard lingo...

[Snailbait]

I like them. It seems to flow much more smoothly.

[nachonaco]

Steve once told me that they'd get rid of/ease up on the slang....

Also, the animation is growing on me, didn't like it too much at first but with Steve's explanation, it helped.

Kyle Massey's character cracks me up. Heh.

[tucsoncoyote]

Alright, I have seen a full trailer for this next Season of Jake Lone and i have to say that even with the animation, the season looks like it could be a real winner. (Why you may ask?) It looks like they are definitely adding a bit more of surprises into the show (Such as Jake Telling his dad that he's a dragon.. And the Return of Rose that's not too surprising.. but Spud telling a girl she has bad breath had me cracking up..(Especially it seems that he and Trixie are going to be at each other like cats and dogs..)

But I think the real surprise is that they didn't do much with Spud and Foo (Foo Definitely looks a bit better (maybe Foo lost himself a little weight).But then you got Halley.. and that look of the New Halley is even cuter then the old (Version 1) Halley.. (Can we say Potential Puppy Dog Pout here?)

I would say season 2 could be a good series of Stories and if Jake gets a New Ally in the form of "The Korean Dragon" I bet we're gonna have some pretty good talk backs... and to think, we're just 8 days from Season 2...

So in conclusion even though some folks hate the animation, I think it will work and actually will make things better, and not worse for this season of AD:JL... Nuff said.

:coyote:

[Ultra8]

Wow alot has changed since those old designs, more or less for the better. Too bad the original design for Fuu dog didn't make the cut.

[Justy]

I've only seen the commercials for the new season a few times but the change in character designs was quite jarring for me. I will definately watch the new season to see where the story is going to go and I suspect I will get used to the new look of the series. Given his fine track record, I will trust that Mr. Loter's decision to use character designs closer to those originally envisioned will be the right one with the show's new direction.

[soulman788]

They move alot better and they don`t look that bad..:sad: