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Posted: Jun 28 2007 11:56 am

Cartoon Network and Hasbro have announced plans for a new 2-D Transformers cartoon series, “Transformers Animated.” Slated to debut with a 90-minute special in early 2008, the series will follow Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and the rest of the noble Autobots as they do giant-robot battle with Megatron and his sinister Deceptacons in near-future Detroit. The show, featuring character designs by Derrick Wyatt of “Teen Titans,” will blend classic “Transformers” characters with brand-new ’bots. Twenty-six half-hour episodes, plus the special, will make up its first season.

http://www.wizarduniverse.com/television/tvother/004962732.cfm Contains a picture of the god-awful new designs and a link to a plot synopsis.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 12:06 pm

Teen Titans fucking sucks, why would they hire that guy?

Posted: Jun 28 2007 12:14 pm

Actually I LIKED Teen Titans and bemoan its axing. However, I can't stand his take on the Transformers.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 12:17 pm

Small pic made 'em look like Gundams, but when I saw the bigger version, I kinda got sick to my stomach. Seriously.

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

Those designs are awful, and why Detroit?

At least Marty Isenberg is writing, and apparently he's done some work on the old X-Men, Batman, Spider-Man, and Beetlejuice animated shows from the early and mid 90s.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Yeah, those designs are pretty damn terrible.

Also, I read a blurb on AICN that mentioned the Decepticons would be marginalized:

The Hollywood Reporter wrote:

Cartoon and Hasbro execs said the new series, "Transformers Animated," will be significantly different than the others, adding humor, never-before-seen characters and a new premise in which the Autobots fight evil humans in Superhero fashion much more frequently than they battle the Decepticons -- the traditional "Transformers" lore since the property launched as a toy in 1984.

"We've used the basic Transformers and characters as a springboard, but then we're pretty much reimagining the whole thing," said Bob Higgins, senior vp programming and development at Cartoon Network. "What we're doing with it is basically turning it into a superheroes story. We're really excited that we're able to take this decades-old property and hopefully turn it into something that kids haven't seen or expected from a Transformers series before."

Posted: Jun 28 2007 12:34 pm

When I rule the world, people who "reimagine" things or express interest in doing so will be immediatly be put to death.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Syd Lexia wrote:

When I rule the world, people who "reimagine" things or express interest in doing so will be immediatly be put to death.

It's not always a bad thing. Take for example Batman Begins or Casino Royale. Both marked improvements over what was there before.

But yeah, in general it's not cool to fuck with things just because you can. At least, not in a system where once it's been done, that's it and there's no second chance to do it right, at least for a couple decades.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 12:50 pm

I'm not entirely againt "re"s. Remakes can be good and franchise resets are sometimes necessary.

But the term "reimagining" reeks of a sickening combination of desperation, arrogance, and shamelessness. The producers and director are basically saying "Please don't compare this film to anything you may have ever seen before with a similar name, because we didn't really feel like doing anything like that other stuff. You're all just a bunch of fanboys anyway, we don't care if you like our movie or not, and if you DON'T like it, then fuck you."

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Yeah, I see what you're saying; I'll buy that.

Once in a while, though, I think there's still a reimagining that isn't a completely bad thing. Take Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes "re-imagining". Sure, it was a silly movie, but I don't think it came across as offensive, because by that point all of the original Planet of the Apes stuff was essentially done. People weren't clamoring for more of Zera and Cornelius, and trying something new was worthwhile.

There's really no excuse for franchises like Transformers, though.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 01:04 pm

lordsathien wrote:

Actually I LIKED Teen Titans and bemoan its axing.

SydLexia.com: Raising The Bar For Internet Discourse

Posted: Jun 28 2007 01:32 pm

DarkMaze wrote:

Yeah, those designs are pretty damn terrible.

Also, I read a blurb on AICN that mentioned the Decepticons would be marginalized:

The Hollywood Reporter wrote:

Cartoon and Hasbro execs said the new series, "Transformers Animated," will be significantly different than the others, adding humor, never-before-seen characters and a new premise in which the Autobots fight evil humans in Superhero fashion much more frequently than they battle the Decepticons -- the traditional "Transformers" lore since the property launched as a toy in 1984.

"We've used the basic Transformers and characters as a springboard, but then we're pretty much reimagining the whole thing," said Bob Higgins, senior vp programming and development at Cartoon Network. "What we're doing with it is basically turning it into a superheroes story. We're really excited that we're able to take this decades-old property and hopefully turn it into something that kids haven't seen or expected from a Transformers series before."

WHAT?

Just...WHAT?

SUPERHEROES? Transformers are not super heroes! They don't fight human crime! (Unless it's like some mad scientist with a giant robot suit or something) This is fucking stupid...

Oh, and Teen Titans embodies everything that is wrong with American animation these days.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 02:04 pm

Black Zarak wrote:

Oh, and Teen Titans embodies everything that is wrong with American animation these days.

With Avatar cancelling out the wrongness if you ask me. That and Disney no longer churning out sequels to its classics (that whole division recently got the axe by Steve Jobs).

Getting back on target...SUPERVILLAINS? I mean geez. I'm half expecting a cameo by Coop in Megas at this point.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 02:11 pm

If the Transformers fight Mojo Jojo, all will be forgiven.

Actually, nothing will be forgiven. But that's the only episode I'd watch.

Title: Scientist Joined: Jan 11 2007 Posts: 210

Casino royale sucked.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 02:33 pm

Kojjiro the Angry wrote:

Casino royale sucked.

Casino Royale ruled! It was great, with a great cast!

David Niven
Peter Sellers
Ursula Andress
Orson Welles
Woody Allen
Barbara Bouchet
Deborah Kerr
Jacqueline Bisset

Don't diss it. Or I'll start dissing your sig:

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

Char should shrink that and make it his new avatar.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 04:27 pm

Keep in mind this is not a cartoon for us 20 somethings and 30 somethings that grew up with Transformers. It's for the new generation and the animation styles have changed by more than leaps and bounds then what we were used to. (I miss Gargoyles)

As for the concept of fighting Super Villian Humans? Come on thats just stupid. Why even call it Transformers? Just call it the Optimus Prime Super Fighting Fun Show.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 04:36 pm

The thing is, animation has gotten better but the animation quality of American cartoons HASN'T.

Look at the stuff Cartoon Network runs/has run:

The Batman
Teen Titans
Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends
Powerpuff Girls
Dexter's Lab
Ed, Edd n Eddy
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Camp Lazlo
Codename: Kids Next Store

None of these shows have anything that could be classified as good animation.They are all highly stylized and most of them are produced on the cheap. That's not to say that some of them, such as PPG and Dexter weren't fucking awesome, but that was largely due to the how well they were written.

Oh, and Family Guy. Family Guy's animation is pretty damn shitty too.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

And that's not even counting Adult Swim content.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 05:08 pm

Keep in mind all those shows are on CN. It just fits the mold that the kids have grown used to. I don't agree with it, but hey I'm not a kid anymore either. PPG and DL were my favorite shows on Cartoon Network. Nor am I into watching a Transformers cartoon that isn't the original. Just like the New Ninja Turtles cartoon. I just can't get into it, it's not the same. But they changed the cartoon stlye and made the turtles more "Hip". Was it bad? No...It just appeals to a new audience that never saw the original.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 05:56 pm

I was getting ready to heat Syd up because I thought he dissed my 2 favorite shows of the 90s, PPG and Dexter's.

I gotta read every part of the post first, lol

Posted: Jun 28 2007 06:11 pm

A friend of mine actually does freelance work for Cartoon Network. Stuff like Billy & Mandy and Foster's among others.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 06:50 pm

Ugh. At first, when I saw that there would finally be a new animated Transformers instead of another shitty jerky CGI make-my-eyes-bleed piece of garbage, I was glad. Then I saw the image. Now, I liked Teen Titans, but that design doesn't fit well with the Transformers. Also, it's Autobots VS fucking Decepticons. I wouldn't mind another series like Armada, however, since that's what I grew up watching in the 4th grade or so.

Also, I would take that as my avatar, but it's just not my style. I might go to this, however.

Posted: Jun 28 2007 08:38 pm

Yeah Teen Titans blows hard. This cartoon probably will but I'll give it a chance anyway.

Tom Kenny is going to voice Starscream. I'm trying to decide if that's a good sign or not.

I watched Armada, and sloppy dubbing aside it was pretty good. The original series is still the best though.