08/28/08 Marvel Animation Age
• Exclusive "Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow" Interview Added08/27/08 The Valentine Chronicles
• Cartoons, Dammit! is pleased to welcome The Valentine Chronicles and
its crew to the line-up! In keeping with our shared vision of bringing
you quality writing and art, we know you'll thoroughly enjoy following
the plight Tatiana and Katrina Valentine through a series of stories
and illustrations!Log onto uStream on Wednesday, August 27th at 9:30AM to watch and discuss a series of marathon comic inking with the creator of Fantasia Arks: The Phasmatis Crisis as he recreates the first two chapters of the story tirelessly!
To paraphrase Dave Reynolds, artist of ShadowGirls on the amount of work being done: "I do about 110 full color pages a year, but doing 200 black and white, graytoned in a matter of months...is just borderline "You've looked at Cthulhu."
Three-Page Update: The Phasmatis Crisis begins to spread, and the timely arrival of the Ehrenwerte Conglomerate halts the deadly chaos at the Fides Refugee Camp.
Two new website sections are also added: Dramatis Personae (Characters), and the Frequently Asked Questions.
In a follow up to a previous article, Tvshowsondvd.com reports that the same Family Guy - Freakin' Sweet Party Pack collection will be in a special collection called Family Guy: The Total World Domination Collection.
The special collection will contain all 22 discs featuring every Family Guy DVD released (so far), including Family Guy Presents: Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story, and the Star Wars Spoof "Blue Harvest". Also in the set is volume 1 of American Dad. The speical collection is packaged in the shape of Stewie's head. Now here's the catch, folks. This special set will not contain the ping pong and poker set, and secondly; this...[read more]
Tvshowsondvd.com reports that Warner Bros. will release a special 2-disc edition of the hit DC Universe movie Superman: Doomsday on November 25, 2008.
Disc one of the set will contain the film starring Adam Baldwin as Superman, James Marsters as Lex Luthor, and Anne Heche as Lois Lane. The second disc will contain bonus features including 4 episodes of Superman: The Animated Series hand-picked by producer Bruce W. Timm.
UPDATED:
Tvshowsondvd.com reports that Superman: Doomsday will also appear on Blu-Ray. The bonus features will not only feature the...[read more]
Canada's TELETOON.com has posted the finalists for the 2008 TELETOON Animation Scholarship, where Canada's finest up-and-coming animators compete for cash prizes and a chance to have their short screened at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Voting is open at [read more]
Cartoon Network has issued a press release announcing The Secret Saturdays, a new series created by Jay Stephens that will be debuting this fall. The show focuses on the world-saving adventure scientists of the title, whose globe-hopping adventures will bring them into contact with creatures of myth and legend. 26 episodes have...[read more]
Newsarama's Animated Shorts column has interviewed animator Brooke Burgess, who made enough of a splash with his Broken Saints web animation to get a DVD release from Fox. The interview covers how Broken Saints led to his work on four animated short films on the I Am Legend DVD and the Hellboy 2 feature film. An additional Hellboy 2 animated...[read more]
The New York Times is reporting that Disney will be releasing five "Platinum Editions" of their movies in Blu-ray format over the next 2 years as part of a push to accelerate adoption of the new, high-definition video format (free registration required). The five titles named were Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000, and Beauty and the Beast. They will join Sleeping Beauty, which will be released on Blu-ray in October this year, and Pixar's first short films collection, Cars, and Ratatouille. The upcoming titles will incorporate the new BD Live technology, which lets viewers interact...[read more]
Walt Disney Home Entertainment will release Pixar's latest movie WALL-E on DVD and Blu-ray disc on November 18, 2008. Details are still emerging, but current reports state that the movie will be available in a three-disc deluxe edition DVD and a two-disc Blu-ray edition (with the second disc believed to be a standard-definition DVD holding a digital copy of the movie). The following special features have been named to on both of these home video releases:
"Presto" animated short film
"Burn-E" New animated short film
Deleted Scenes
Sneak Peek: Wall-E's Tour of the Universe
Animated Sound Design - Building Worlds from the Sound Up
Audio Commentary with director Andrew Stanton
The Pixar Story documentary directed by Leslie Iwerks
Wall-E's Treasures and Trinkets
BnL Corporation shorts
"Lots of Bots" Storybook
Making of Featurette
The Blu-ray disc will also include the following exclusive special features:
Disney File Digital Copy
Burn-E with Boards - picture-in-picture
Cine-Explor with director Andrew Stanton
Axiom Arcade: retro suite of videogames with a twist (Blu-ray exclusive)
When I think of Manga, I conjure up images of dark dystopian futures, Japanese mythology, battles with vampires and, of course, most importantly, large, large breasts.
Manga comic Knights really only features one of those traits, and you'll be thankful to learn that it's the large, large breasts.
Knights is one of the new Manga volumes getting a western publication thanks to Digital Manga Publishing. It is by writer and artist Minoru Murao and revolves around an alternate take on the Black Knight of English folklore. In this variant, the Black Knight doesn't refer to the color of the knight's armor, but his skin.
Okay, not exactly a new idea, and it's certainly one that has been exploited in comedy (2001's Black Knight, for example). In this story, though, the concept is played seriously.
Over its one thousand years of existence, the Kingdom of Excludo has seen two hundred years of witch-hunting, much to the profit of the Church and its unwholesome priests. Through the hysteria and finger-pointing comes Mist, a dark-skinned hero deemed "The Black Knight." Along with his accomplice, Euphemia, a near naked witch who appears to have a passion for bonking her enemy and/or throwing herbs at them, the pair wander the land seeking out injustice, righting wrongs and, well, beating bad people up with swords and sex.
Volume One contains the first five chapters in black-and-white glory. While the concept is fairly interesting, there is a question as to just how far the story and art go in carving out a new niche.
The "Black" Knight is an idea that works in the story's favour. It sets up a protagonist who suffers prejudice and isolation in a way that gives the story a contemporary resonance. The antagonists—all of whom are distorted religious types—also work to the book's advantage, with their fetishistic indulgences giving the otherwise flat story a dark depth.
The real problem with Knights is that, try as it might, it doesn't really offer anything new—or at least nothing new that carries substance. For all the effort that has gone into creating a brave new universe, Knights falls for the same Manga trappings that make it feel like the same universes we've walked through before. We have the drippy, overly sweet princess who hankers for the hero; the overtly sexy, confident sex bomb who dominates any panel she can slip into; and of course the hero, whose manifest destiny is to pout and fight with over-sized weapons.
It also suffers from being a straightforward Manga staged in front of a European medieval backcloth. The backdrop is quite evocative: an unfair world of religious exploitation and prejudice with a hint of mystery running through it. Unfortunately, the Manga fixation on sex, fights and pouting simply undermines any depth the story and tone muster—particularly the sex. Euphemia, that sexually liberated witch, is a cardboard emblem of teen lust, a platform for puerile bawdy gags. When the giggle of the moment is the titter-ye-not fact that Euphemia keeps Mist's blade to "trim her bodily hair", you really have to question what statement the author is making—if any.
For a contrast, if one looks towards Sláine—a comic that carried similar intonations about the abuse of women and their sexuality by religious groups—we can see a whole host of strong, sexually liberated female characters, none of whom become a foil for teen sexual fantasies. Euphemia seems a very low-brow attempt to draw in teen readers, which is a pity, as her message of freedom is lost between the sexy jokes and flesh-baring splash frames.
Like the story, the art is a little variable (and the cover suffers from the most terrible logo I've ever seen grace a book). On one hand, the artwork is confident, dynamic and quite beautiful in places, but occasionally it is confusing, predictable and lacking the fluidity the sequential narrative demands. On more than one occasion I couldn't distinguish between the female characters. They looked well defined on their...[read more]
* Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall will be joining several of his colleagues in producing animated versions of his editorial cartoons, with the first to be posted "in a week or two." [[read more]
Warner Home Video has announced You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown will be released on DVD on October 7, 2008. The deluxe edition DVD will contain the original TV special where Charlie Brown runs for student body president, along with the special "He's a Bully, Charlie Brown" as a bonus episode. In addition to a digital remastering, the DVD will contain a featurette on the making of the special. Suggested retail price is $19.98.
Warner Home Video has released a video clip preview of the Legion of Superheroes Vol. 3 DVD set. The clip is available in a variety of formats and download sizes
The GhibliWorld.com website has posted a lengthy interview with Michel Ocelot, director of Azur et Asmar and Kirikou and the Sorceress. Among other topics, Ocelot discusses the use of music in his movies and...[read more]
Halifax-based animation studio Collideascope Digital Productions will be shutting its doors starting in September. The studio provided animation for Olliver’s Adventures, Delilah and Julius, and Bromwell High, which aired on the Teletoon Network domestically and on a variety of channels internationally. The co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Michael-Andreas Kuttner stated in a weblog post that a resurgence of Asian animation studios, an increasingly strict regulatory...[read more]
The Charlotte Observer has profiled voice actor Kara Edwards, who provides the voice of Goten, Videl, and Gotenks in Dragon Ball Z and Murugu in Yu Yu Hakusho. The article covers how she learned to modulate her voice because of childhood...[read more]
The New York Times is reporting that Marvel Entertainment is teaming up with renowned Japanese animation studio Madhouse to develop four anime series that will re-vision several of Marvel's iconic superheroes for the Japanese market (free registration required). The characters and back stories will be revamped to "reflect Japanese culture," and "create an entire parallel universe for Marvel," according to Marvel International president Simon Philips. The only superhero named in the article is Iron Man.
Before Teen Titans debuted in 2003, American superhero cartoons were either played completely straight or completely silly. Teen Titans rejected this dichotomy, keeping one foot firmly in each camp. As a result, the show could encompass villains as diverse as the ludicrous Mad Mod and the sinister Slade, and manage big laughs that were matched by big emotional wallops. In fact, Teen Titans didn't change the rules as much as it tossed them entirely and wrote its own, creating one of the most memorable (and polarizing) superhero cartoons in recent history.
All of which is a prelude to say that Transformers Animated, the new series headlining the famous toy robots in disguise, does for the Transformers franchise what Teen Titans did for superhero cartoons: inject a vein of lighthearted fun into a genre that was generally as serious as the grave in the past. Watching the 13 episodes of season 1 on the newly released 2-disc DVD set reveals a series that alternates between the serious and the silly, sometimes within the same episode. If the mix isn't quite as smooth as Teen Titans, it is still fairly successful, as well as being undeniably fun and enjoyable. Fans who insist that their cartoons based on toys should be taken seriously have no doubt dismissed this series out of hand, but that's their loss. If you can't laugh occasionally at robots that turn into toys, what can you laugh at?
The core group of Transformers Animated is the Five Man Band of Autobots, with Optimus Prime taking the leadership role as the Hero, the silent and deadly ninja-bot Prowl taking the Lancer position, the massive Bulkhead acting as a quintessential Big Guy, and the diminutive Bumblebee being the Smart Guy. This leaves the grizzled veteran Ratchet to fill in as the Chick, but since he is often the group's voice of reason and its moral center, he fits the role if not its stereotypical gender. Like Teen Titans, the five may start off as straightforward archetypes, but they quickly develop depth as we get to know them better. Joining them on the main cast is Dr. Isaac Sumdac, a brilliant but absent-minded robotics expert, and his 8-year old daughter Sari. Sari gained a mysterious key infused with the energy of the Autobots' Allspark during the debut episodes Transform and Roll Out, making her a key figure in the Autobots' lives and a positive magnet for trouble. The season one DVD set picks right up where the Transform and Roll Out DVD left off, as the heroic Autobots adjust to life on Earth while battling an array of antagonists, both robotic and organic. The Decepticons, the Autobots' mortal foes, turn out to have a larger presence on Earth than initially thought, and an array of bizarre human enemies keeps the threats from being just the "giant robot of the week." The worst threat of all for the Autobots is Megatron, the brutal and ruthless Decepticon leader. Seemingly destroyed in Transform and Roll Out, Megatron turns out to have survived in pieces in Dr. Sumdac's super-secret lab, and researching his technology has been the true source of Sumdac's technological breakthroughs. Along the way, some old fan favorite characters get reintroduced, such as the Dinobots and the female Transformer Arcee. However, newcomers to the franchise won't be lost at all, but I'm sure that long-time fans will be spotting nods and winks at them throughout.
The Transform and Roll Out DVD was a blast of fun, putting the pedal to the metal from start to finish. The rest of season one follows in the same tracks, and if it isn't quite as successful as Transform and Roll Out, it is still great fun that usually doesn't take itself too seriously. However, it can achieve a surprising emotional poignancy when it does get serious, such as in "Thrill of the Hunt," which reveals the backstory of Ratchet, and "Along Came a Spider," which introduces the complex antagonist Black Arachnia. The show is also very effective at communicating the menace of Megatron, who comes off as a genuine and very credible threat as compared to the original, whose constantly foiled plans made him a pretty ineffectual villain. The two-part season finale, "Megatron Rises," is genuinely tense and thrilling, as internal strife sets in amongst the Autobots at the worst possible time. While the character designs of Transformers Animated are quite well done, the animation is a bit choppy. However, I can't help but note that I enjoyed the first DVD so much that I didn't notice the slight stutter to the animation, and it's rather telling that I finally picked up on it somewhere in the middle of watching this season.
As enjoyable as the show is, it does suffer from some small but notable flaws that can't be excused as lifts from the Teen Titans playbook. Sari tip-toes on the line where the cute and spunky kid sidekick becomes insufferably annoying, and crosses it more than once as season one unfolds. It also feels like the show falls back on "Bumblebee Does Something Reckless" and "Bulkhead is Big and Clumsy" plots a few too many times. The lead police officer, Detective Fanzone, is rapidly undermined as a credible character, since he does little more than repeat his constant mantra of, "This is why I hate machines!" Some of the throwaway villains also cross over from "whimsical" into "flat-out bizarre," like the Robin Hood wanna-be in the first episode and the seriously weird Professor Princess. The late season villain Headmaster is simply idiotic, like Teen Titans' Control Freak except without any of the humor or entertainment value. Finally, there are quite a few glaring plot holes that even the slowest kids in the audience could pick up on, such as why the Dinobots didn't just incinerate the antagonist of "Survival of the Fittest" right at the start, or why a squad of police officers searching for Decepticons can swarm over an airfield without a single one asking, "Why are those planes over there the only ones painted purple?"
If there is a disappointment to be found in Transformers Animated Season One, it's in the DVDs themselves. Transform and Roll Out was a pretty bare-bones DVD, with a decent full-screen transfer and a plain stereo soundtrack, and no extras other than two quick but entertaining shorts. Fans hoping that the Season One set would make up for lost time will be bitterly disappointed; this 2-disc set has no extras other than a photo gallery preview of season 2, which accomplishes little other than revealing a handful of returning villains and what seem to be a few new Autobots. The episodes themselves are still in their original full-screen format with a stereo soundtrack in English and Spanish, and the sensible chapter stops in each episode are greatly appreciated. The meat of the series is in the episodes themselves, but the complete lack of substantive extras is a real shame (or an opportunity for a re-release further down the line).
Transformers Animated doesn't quite reach the all-ages high water mark set by shows like...[read more]
The Financial Times discusses possibilities for additional Dora the Explorer projects and merchandise aimed at expanding the bilingual character's audience to older children. While Nickelodeon did not comment on specific changes, they did acknowledge that they are "eager to find ways to retain Dora’s pre-school fans as they mature," especially in the face of increased competition from the Hannah Montana and High School Musical franchises from Disney. Among the possibilities discussed are a redesign of some Dora merchandise to make her appear more feminine, a...[read more]
On August 24, 1998, Toon Zone opened its virtual doors to the Internet. To commemorate our 10th anniversary celebrating the art of animation, several Toon Zone staff members have contributed their memories and reminiscences of the site. In alphabetical order by username:
What first brought me to Toon Zone was a pursuit of elevated discussion about animation (particularly DC animation). I was invited here in 2003 by Jay "Maxie Zeus" Allman, whose essays on his Animated Batman website had been a remarkable find for me and inspired me to concoct a rejoinder essay to one of his. That pursuit of elevated discussion has been both wonderfully fulfilled by the good folks at Toon Zone, and sometimes gloriously overthrown by silliness.
But all in all, I remain at Toon Zone for alternate reasons, and on its 10th anniversary, I find these reasons are worth voicing. I first met Brian Cruz and Eileen Delgadillo (along with Jay) at SDCC '04, and was struck by what incredibly decent people and passionate fans of the artform they were. When they married in '07, I was fortunate enough to be geographically close to the wedding and they graciously passed along an invitation. The kind of honest welcome that Brian and Eileen gave to me on both of these occasions is what we see on this site in all its aspects. From the wide range of its forums, the varied subjectivies of its reviews, and the fairness and intellectual curiosity of its interviews, Toon Zone exemplifies the love of animation and the fondness for animation's fans that Brian and Eileen themselves personify.
Many animation fansites have come and gone. Toon Zone has not only remained strong for a decade, but it has grown exponentially in presence and influence on the Internet and in the animation industry. This takes more than simple fandom. The site has attracted the kind of people that Brian and Eileen are, in the ranks of the site's staff, reviewers, moderators, and regular posters. This is where longevity lies, and the effect on the industry cannot be overstated. As one of the few TZ folk located in the Southern CA area, I've been lucky enough to meet quite a few people in the industry, and have on multiple occasions been able to speak to them about Toon Zone and how the immediate contact with the TZ fanbase has changed the face of artist/audience relationships and interactions. In the last ten years, Toon Zone has made itself into the main place where cogent and passionate fans of animation can be found. Congratulations, Toon Zone (and Brian and Eileen): we've captured the attention and respect of the industry.
I didn't know about this until now, but I have something to say.
I've been a reporter for over 2 years, I was thrilled to be part of being a member of the news team. I've been a fan of 70s and 80s toons like Superfriends, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and everything from the Filmation library. I mean I grew up at a great time period, there's no TV ratings, there's no age group for which toons to watch, and Saturday morning was a great time to watch TV.
I'm 31 years old, and most of the toons I see today are not really good, but give me something from the 70s or 80s and I'll be happy.
What I mostly do as an old school professor is mention what show was produced, when it was aired, and which network showed, and who voiced the characters. I'm just glad I didn't give you all a pop quiz. Believe me, there are still some toons that haven't been out on DVD yet, and I don't mind sharing the information.
To Zedd, who introduced me to do this job. Thank you. To William C., Maxie Zeus, Ace (Ed), Jim Harvey, Harley, and all the editorial staff. Thank you guys. To the writing staff, thank you.
To make this long story short, congratuations Toon Zone for 10 awesome years. God bless America, and God bless Toon Zone!
No, seriously. We're insane. Nuts. Off our rockers. Out of our gourds. Utso-nay razy-cay. Think about it: we are a group of people ranging from teens to near senior-citizens who love animation so much that we're willing to come up with strange screen names and talk about it (or even just read about it) with a bunch of other total strangers who think like we do.
We think that animation is a wonderful art form. We think animation don't get no respect. We think animation has limitless potential. We like some of our cartoons a whole lot and hate some of them a whole lot and generally aren't afraid to share that with a bunch of people, not all of whom agree with us. We want to watch cartoons, find better cartoons, talk about cartoons, and make better cartoons. We are a bunch of people who really dig our cartoons, when most of our friends in the real world look at us and ask, "Aren't cartoons for kids?"
We're crazy. Toon Zone members are crazy.
Thank goodness for that. I don't think I'd have it any other way.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my fellow moderators, who keep the site running smoothly despite their busy schedules, all for little reward and less gratitude. I'd also like to thank all the staff members of Toon Zone News, who keep me on my toes and keep me informed (now get back to work, guys!). Special thanks to News editor Maxie Zeus, who started it up by asking me all those years ago, "Hey, how'd you like to be a reporter?" and continues to be the high-water mark I measure myself against. Related to that, I'd like to thank all the people in the industry who read our site and act happy to see me when I finally meet or talk with them. I'd like to thank Brian, Eileen, and Colin for opening the site in the first place and for putting up with my babble for so long.
But most of all, I'd like to thank all the Toon Zone readers and members, current and former, with whom I've laughed and cried and argued and joked and argued and expounded and argued and made and taken recommendations from and argued. Regardless of how it might have sounded, I was having fun all the time and I hope you were, too. You all are the reason why I keep contributing and coming back for more.
Why does this place even exist? Well, some college kids really, really loved animation. They had a lot of time on their hands and created some animation-related fan sites under the misguided and arrogant pretense that they could do it better than anyone else.
Time has changed them. They've grown up. A number of them have been successful in ther chosen professions. Those who lost direction or purpose in life found their way back. Marriage. Children have been had. They have homes of our own. Once fiery personalities have mellowed into a common understanding of where priorities lay in life.
One thing hasn't changed. They still really love animation. It's an amazing storytelling medium that has no boundaries past those we place on it. There's an innate beauty to any form of communication that's truly limited only by the imagination (and budgets).
During these ten years, we've seen animation in the States begin it's journey towards the mainstream. The industry is beginning to find alternate routes to the market of adults who are very willing to part with their money for animated stories that (if not catered to) do not entirely exclude their demographic. It's less uncommon to have a conversation with a co-worker who watches shows like Avatar and SpongeBob SquarePants without the prompting of their sons or daughters. It'll be fascinating to see how the industry evolves over the next ten years. Hopefully, some of you reading will join us for that.
I'd really like to thank those who have worked with us over the years. It's been a pleasure to hang with people who love animation as much as I do. This site would be nothing without your contributions. Thank you for your hard work. (For those who haven't contributed as much as they originally thought they could... For the love of God, get to it!)
It's been an amazing honor to play some part, however minuscule, in your lives. It's also quite bizarre that we've known each other so long, shared so many stories and (at times) stayed at each other's homes that we've cobbled together some odd sense of family. Those who have met in person will tell you it's like seeing someone you've known forever, but just haven't seen in awhile. And I just couldn't close this thing out without saying how amazing that is and how much love I have for you guys.
So, let's keep watching cartoons and to hell with anyone who tells us we're too old for it.
Toon Zone is a special place in that brings together many different types of people, whether they are male or female, film or animation buffs, video gamers or writers and sometimes all of them being embodied by one, outside of the initial pair. As the ultimate testament to this claim Toon Zone was founded and even today still is run by two of the most opposite of pop culture icons, a ninja and a pirate (a third was rumored to exist but we at the Dharma Initiative cannot confirm such). If that is not coming together to partake in civil discussion of common interests in fiction through numerous outlets then this anecdote-writing fool is as blind as he is lazy.
My user profile tells me I joined Toon Zone May 14, 2006 but those are times I have thankfully forgotten. Coincidentally and most thankfully, I forget a lot of things but what I do remember is the good things. Long ago there was this lawyer—yes children, a lawyer—who ran parts of our dear site but for reasons this one shall leave unexplained he has not been seen for sometime—rumor has it the staff Wookie and he got into a bit of a tiff on a long since past poker night but those tales are unsubstantiated—but this man was always calm, collected, and reminded us to stay on topic but more so then that he led. This man was always a rock and hardly ever was moved by whispers of despair and his advice has allowed me to do things I never would have ever thought I would do or could.
If there is one thing I like about Toon Zone it is her reviews and interviews. The editors are always sharp and ask questions that always get those lengthy I-think-I-just-aged-a-year-reading-replies that are fun to read and always allow the reader a deeper insight into the subject’s mind.
Tossing caution to the wind, I wish to reveal that I have indeed bought the official Toon Zone boxer shorts, and damned I shall be if I don’t say they wear better then a tutu.
Thank you, Toon Zone for ten happy years to your readers.
Indeed it maybe the only website in the world run purely by accident. By a series of seismic cosmic co-incidences, the activity of small thicket just off the M25 near Romford, England, is the allegoric gravy that makes Toon Zone possible.
The movement within this natural habitat is unusually out of sync with the natural biosphere of its surroundings. A small portion of this animal infested outcrop has managed to get itself improbably wedged within a digital carrier. The natural activity from this geographical anomaly is transmuted by unknown forces into binary code and by further unyielding twists of expectations happens to form a small animation community that sits on the internet like a dirt caked diner just off your least favourite interstate highway.
This may be an unusual occurrence on the internet, but such ties between geriatric mother earth and the virile yet vapid entertainment industry have been spotted before. The final season of Happy Days was actually the result of an analogue translation of two sparring grizzly bears in Montana. The entire run of Class of 3000 was the result of a constipated dung beetle. These things happen around us all the time. It's just a matter of spotting them.
So when you consider the news team itself is born from the ground thumping wide-eyed bunnies that co-habit a small warren choked on local petrol fumes, you may find Toon Zone makes as much sense as its origins defy.
Happy Birthday Toon Zone.
(This message was brought to you by a grey squirrel gnawing on a particularly resilient nut.)
I'm never good at these. That's why even though The World's Finest also has a 10th anniversary on the way in September, you won't be seeing one of these. Maybe. But, like I said, I'm never good at writing up one of these. And, right now, I wish I was a little better. Because the people here at Toon Zone deserve it. They started something good ten years ago, and it's still going on today.
I can still remember coming to this site early on. It was around the time when "The New Batman/Superman Adventures" premiered and I was going back and forth between this board and The Animated Bat, a great Batman-themed website that went under a couple years after. I can remember it was thanks to this board and this site that I tried series I would've never usually given a shot to. I knew what was coming, I read all the posted comments and that, in turn, really helped me dive into Kids'WB!. And Kids'WB! was such an excellent programming block for the first few years. It slowly drifted toward what it has become now, but then? Yowza! I parked myself down on the couch for many hours, switching between Kids'WB! and Cartoon Network, and I had this site to thank. I was able to catch all the series I wanted because this site had the news I wanted.
Not only that, but the people behind Toon Zone genuinely cared about what they did, and still do. I personally preferred how they can be stern when they had to be, like when dealing with drama queens or trouble-makers, and then turn around and talk about a gag from Animaniacs or Looney Tunes, and just go on into an absolutely fascinating conversation. I specifically remember my conversations with Craig Crumpton, "Gookie," who could simply write circles around me on any subject.
But Toon Zone has given me so much over the past few years. Thank to them, The World's Finest has the best possible hosting imaginable. The site is doing gangbusters and I have Toon Zone to thank. Marvel Animation Age, a small site that's still struggling to both find its own look and take off as The World's Finest has. Toon Zone has really opened up some opportunities for me and, for that, I can never repay them. My schedule is now jam-packed every day of the week and, well, I love it. Sure, the comes with the standard ups and downs, but all of this is opportunity, and all of it expands upon my enjoyment of both writing, no matter how poor at it I may be, and journalism. And this is all thanks to Toon Zone.
And, as we sit here on the cusp of their 10th anniversary, an anniversary well deserved, I still wish I could do more. That is what this site does for me, and how great the people behind it are. I wish I could say my dealings with the site have been perfect, because I've clashed on occasion like everybody else, but that has only made my resolve and passion for this site stronger. Toon Zone will always be the place that gave The World's Finest a home. It will always be the place where they gave my site arguably the biggest DC Animation forum on the net. It will always be the place that, through thick and thin, has been there for me one way or another.
Eileen, Brian, Craig, Romey, and countless others have been here for countless milestones in my live. High School graduation. University Graduation. Getting that first real job. Marriage. And there's still a pile more milestones to go and I know that, in one form or another, Toon Zone will be present for those. That, whenever something big happens, the gang at Toon Zone will know. Not only are these people my colleagues, but they're friends, and they're damn good ones. There's nothing I can really say because, besides the fact that my writing abilities may not be up to snuff, words can't express how much these people have made a difference in my life. That where I am right now is something I would have never imagined ten years ago when I started posting here at Toon Zone.
I know this all sounds rather goody-goody and almost over-the-top, but it's true. Like I said, I've had my run-ins with a few people here from time to time, but, at the end of the day, we're all big enough to put whatever our differences may be behind us and work toward a common goal. And I think looking at what Toon Zone has become, the common goal is pretty obvious. But, on top of that, we get to share our passions with each other. And, frankly, a couple of the Toon Zoners here are really damn good at what they do. Looking at the assorted sites and forums, it's quite obvious to tell just how ridiculously good these people are.
If I had more time in the day, I think I could seriously go on and on here. I could give specific examples and instances, but, well, perhaps being mushy and vague is the best way to go about it. I don't claim this is anything remotely good or even original, but, well, this site is a big part of who I am, and I hope it continues to be. Whatever your opinion may be on the people here, you have to acknowledge that they know how to deliver. And that these are some great people. In fact, as I write this, I wish I had more time to give to these people, because they deserve it, no question. No matter what our personal beliefs and differences may be, we're all able to push that aside and come together, as a whole, to deliver what I believe is quite possibly one of the strongest online destinations with, hands down, the best online community to be found. Things may get ugly from time to time, but, I like to belief that, at the end of the day, the right thing is being done. And, to me, that has to do with the people here, the great people, and the work they do.
Now, I think I've shown adequate proof on my lack of writing abilities, more than enough proof perhaps, so I'll wrap this up and give my thanks to the people who started this site, say my thanks to the people who maintain it, say my thanks to the people who have given me so many great opportunities, and say my thanks to the people who have become my friends. Finally, I'd like to wish a Happy 10th Anniversary to Toon Zone. It's been a remarkable decade (wow, a decade!) and I've been truly blessed to spend a great majority of it here, with some of the best people to step foot on this planet. I don't care what anyone else says, because these people truly are the best of the best. My endless thanks go out to them. I am truly proud of the work being done here, and, more importantly, the people here who make it possible. Truly the best crowd anyone could ask for.
James Harvey-Richardson
I also just want to say a special thanks to Zach Demeter, known as "Bird Boy" on the Toon Zone forums. He's done more than he'll ever know, and more than I'll ever be able to thank him for.
I ran into Toon Zone almost six years ago, and back then, I never expected that I was going to last this long posting here. I can't really express it with words, but there's something really magical about Toon Zone that keeps bringing me back every day.
I honestly can't write an extensive essay like my fellow co-workers have done. I simply want to say that Toon Zone is really great. I love the discussions, I love the members, and I love the staff. This has been one of my primary sources for anything animation-related, which is one of my true passions in life. Thank you for all that, Toon Zone.
I want to thank Harley, Brian and Colin for creating this awesome site and giving me a chance to help with the moderation, as well as thanks to Zedd and Maxie for letting me help as a Reporter. Thanks to everyone else on the Mod and News teams, you're all doing a great job, so I hope that never changes.
To all the awesome members this forum has, thanks a lot. You guys are what makes this site so great, because without you people, we couldn't have those great discussions every day. Very special thanks to those who participated in the Brawl tournament, and to those who keep contributing to our Wiki.
Happy ten years, Toon Zone. Hope we get another ten.
This place was built on that strange chemical reaction that we call love. You know that feeling that has you left at a loss for words the first time you see something that will have an affect on you for the rest of your life, even if you don't realize it at first? That gobstruck, knackered feeling that leaves you weak in the knees, unprepared for the moment, and the need to have that emotion every waking minute of your life or at least a longing to be a part of it?
That's love.
What the founders of Toon Zone did a decade ago was express their love of animation to others that feel that way. Toon Zone is a celebration of animation, and that's what drove me to the site. It wasn't just Disney, Warner Bros. (well, it kind of was, but hey, things change), classic cartoons, modern cartoons, or, as the craze of the time dictated, just anime. It was love of the medium, those that dare to create it, those that aim to be a part of it, and those that just enjoy it.
Toon Zone came around at the right period in animation history, the end of broadcast television's dominance of the medium, the beginning of the cable takeover, the evolution of computer animation in theaters, the rise of independent productions, the rebirth of the animation history movement, the creation of the DVD market, the birth of the modern anime industry, and, of course, the first real impact of the internet on pop culture and society. That's not to say there wasn't much before Toon Zone . . . but it wasn't as interesting.
Yeah, Toon Zone gets this reputation of being a "gated community," but in the same breath, there's a bit of love and respect from the readers that keeps the place running. Even critics of the site dig it, or at least one aspect of it. For people not totally entrenched in the industry like a lot of people are, Toon Zone has gotten pretty far in this world.
And while our tastes and attitudes may have changed over the last decade, the fact that Toon Zone still remains when other sites have fallen by the wayside is a testament to the love of its creators, staff, and hosted sites as well as those that read and discuss the news, participate in lively dialogue (or at least watch those that dare to participate themselves), or just connect with like-minded animation fans.
I've been a part of Toon Zone officially since 2000, but I've been a fan ever since the WB Animation Club days. This was one of the first animation forums I've ever been a part of, and even after all this time, I'm still having fun here. They've been ever-so-gracious hosts, and I'll also say they're pretty good company to be associated with, and I'm still thankful.
Here's to your 10th, Toon Zone. May you have greater success in the next decade. And continue to enjoy the love from your fans.
No? Oh right, that's how old we are this year. 10 years of being one of the largest and most grounded animation focused web sites around. That's quite a thing. Having been a part of 7 of those years since migrating over from the denoument of another animation website I've certainly seen some huge changes around these parts. I've been fortunate enough to join the staff here at Toon Zone and it has been my pleasure to be involved with such a fine group of people, both on staff and in the forums. ...[read more]
The Marvel Animation Age has posted the full voice cast list for the Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow direct-to-video movie, which will be released by Marvel Studios and Lionsgate Home Entertainment on September 2, 2008.
