Cartoon Network | Krypton Radio

The Clone Wars, Other Projects Get Order 66′ed

Mar 152013

by Krypton Radio staff writer Michael Brown

After speculation that the popular, long-running Star Wars: The Clone Wars would move to Disney XD from its Cartoon Network home for a 6th season, Lucasfilm, by way of video, announced this week that the season 5 finale, which saw Ahsoka Tano leave the Jedi Order, would be the swan song for the series. In addition, the Star Wars-based comedy series called Detours by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich of Robot Chicken fame has also been indefinitely postponed, the live-action crime-themed TV show Star Wars: Underworld, as well as the 3D re-releases of the last 2 prequel films, all presumably in light of Disney and Lucasfilm preparing for the launch of the sequel films.

Goodbye ‘Young Justice’, ‘Green Lantern’, We Hardly Knew Ye

Animation, Comics, Marvel / DC No Responses »

Jan 292013

DC Nation – Green Lantern: The Animated Series, newly cancelled

The new fall lineup on Cartoon Network was announced yesterday, and noteworthy by their absence were two superhero television series: the animated Green Lantern and Young Justice: Invasion, currently showing as part of Cartoon Network’s DC Nation Saturday morning cartoon block. The press release by Cartoon Network highlighting its upcoming year of programming tellingly omits Young Justice and Green Lantern from its list of returning shows, indicating strongly that both series will conclude at the end of the current season.

Though Young Justice‘s cancellation has yet to be confirmed by its showrunners, it looks as if Green Lantern is definitely going the way of the dodo. Series producer Giancarlo Volpe acknowledged the end of the series via Twitter this afternoon. Volpe was muted in his announcement, fielding fan questions and confirming that all completed episodes of Green Lantern will air. Green Lantern, in particular, was shaping up to be a giant, especially gauging by their most recently aired episode Loss. Whoever said cartoons couldn’t be poignant and gut-wrenching?

None of the fans of either of these series is happy to see them go. Both have have gained decent followings during the previous year, and both are way way better than they needed to be. The writing for each has been amazing. However, it’s not particularly surprising that they’re being cancelled – the entire DC Nation block was bumped from Saturdays in October and placed on a hiatus that only recently ended. We at Krypton Radio suggest that Cartoon Network doesn’t actually recognize how good these shows really are or what an amazing moment in the history of serial animated storytelling they are.

The shows will be replaced by a CG show Beware the Batman, and a Tiny Toon Adventures style version of the Teen Titans, called Teen Titans Go!

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New ‘Green Lantern’, ‘Young Justice: Invasion’ Episodes January 5

Animation, Comics, Marvel / DC No Responses »

Dec 242012

Fans of the Cartoon Network segment DC Nation were a bit surprised when the “new season” of these shows started on September 29 of 2012, and then abruptly vanished without fanfare or explanation two weeks later. We were thinking, “what the –? They just started!” It was especially surprising considering that at Wondercon 2012, they announced that they would be starting the next season without the usual break in between. What happened was that Cartoon Network pulled the shows so they could mess around with the scheduling to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

These situation just sort of happen despite the best of intentions. Viewers who had their DVR’s set to record their favorite shows found themselves watching episodes of “How To Train Your Dragon” that were dumped into those slots at the last minute.

The good news is that DC Nation and their feature shows Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice: Invasion are back with new shows starting January 5. 2013. Green Lanternwill kick off with the episode that first aired in early October called “Steam Lantern”, in which Hal helps save a world from the extinction of its universe, and a never-aired episode of Young Justice: Invasion called “Before The Dawn”.

The fun starts at 10 ET with Green Lantern: The Animated Seriesthat Saturday, with Young Justice: Invasion following at 10:30.

Links

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DC Nation Powers Up At WonderCon 2012

Comics, Conventions, Fandom, Superhero, Television No Responses »

Mar 192012

Krypton Radio Newswire

DC Nation - Green Lantern: The Animated Series

The world has changed, and geeks rule it. Proof of that is the new DC Nation lineup on Cartoon Network. Okay, maybe a little overstated. But last Saturday at WonderCon 2012 we got to sit in at a video presentation and panel by the DC Nation people themselves, and we got a sneak peak at what they’re dishing up starting pretty much now. The presentation was hosted by an all-star panel featuring Young Justice producers Brandon Vietti (Batman: Under the Red Hood) and Greg Weisman (Gargoyles), Green Lantern: The Animated Series producers Jim Kreig (Ben 10: Alien Swarm) and Giancarlo Volpe (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and DC animated short producers Lauren Faust (Powerpuff Girls, My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic) and Ben Jones (Batman: The Brave & The Bold).

DC Nation is a programming block on Cartoon Network, and they begin serving up the good stuff with the new season of Young Justice (“We’re not the Teen Titans – we’re not, we’re not, we’re not”) that starts immediately on the heels of season one with no break or hiatus. They’re not making us wait a single day to begin seeing the new episodes. All in all, 62 new but canon DC characters will be introduced in the new season, including the obvious choice, Blue Beetle. They’d developed him as a character in Batman: Brave & Bold and he’ll be back in blue and working with the apprentice heroes in coming episodes. And yes, he still has some of the same authority issues – and how he works through them will change the fate of the team.

Cartoon Network Brings the Funny to WonderCon 2012

Animation, Television No Responses »

Mar 122012

Cartoon Network will host two panels and autograph signings for fan-favorite series Regular Show and Adventure Time at WonderCon 2012 to be held at theAnaheim Convention Center, Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17, 2012. Fans will get the inside track on their favorite Cartoon Network animated comedies from the creators, voice talent and crew themselves.

Created by JG Quintel, Regular Show features Mordecai and Rigby, two groundskeepers at a park whose attempts to escape their everyday boredom take them to fantastical extremes. The job is so deadly dull that the two friends will do anything they can to avoid it. This doesn’t go over well with their boss Benson but their efforts often result in insane escapades that delight their co-workers and friends. Since its premiere in September 2010, Regular Show has become an instant hit and the series was nominated for a Primetime Emmy® just months after its premiere. Regular Showairs Mondays at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) and season four is slated to premiere later this year.

From the mind of first-time series creator Pendleton Ward, Adventure Time follows unlikely heroes Finn and Jake, buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter its colorful inhabitants. The best of friends always find themselves in the middle of heart-pounding escapades. Since its debut in April 2010, the two Primetime Emmy® nominated series has become a genuine ratings and pop culture phenomenon. Adventure Time airs Mondays at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) and season four is set to debut this spring.

See Cartoon Network’s WonderCon 2012 lineup below; please note all times, dates and locations are subject to change.

CARTOON NETWORK PANELS AND SIGNINGS

FRIDAY, MARCH 16

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Regular Show Panel with JG Quintel, Sam Marin and Bill Salyers

Location: 213ABCD

Come check out the most awesome Regular Show panel ever, featuring show creator J.G. Quintel (Mordecai), Sam Marin (Pops, Benson, Muscle Man), Bill Salyers (Rigby) and members of the Regular Show crew as they give fans an inside look at the making of a hit animated comedy series, share exclusive clips and answer your burning questions. So come find out what’s up with everyone’s favorite slackers Mordecai and Rigby.

3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Regular Show Signing

Location: Exhibit Floor Signing Tables, A1-3

SATURDAY, MARCH 17

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Adventure Time Panel with Pendleton Ward, Jeremy Shada and Maria Bamford

Location: 204ABC

What could make WonderCon 2012 even more wonderful…how about a totally rhombus Adventure Time panel? Come find out what’s in store for our heroes Finn and Jake this season from executive producer and creator Pendleton Ward (Lumpy Space Princess), Jeremy Shada (Finn), Maria Bamford (Manfried, Slime Princess, Guardian Angel, Duchess of Nuts and others) and members of the Adventure Time crew. The panel features an in-depth look at how the show comes to life, exclusive clips and a Q&A with the audience. So, come on grab your friends!

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Adventure Time Signing

Location: Exhibit Floor Signing Tables, A1-3

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 99 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for youth and families. Nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animated and live-action programming for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

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Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Animation, Comics, Science Fiction, Special Reports, Superhero, Television No Responses »

Nov 112011

Can Cartoon Network pull off what Hollywood failed to?

by: Staff Editor PK

Many including myself, are awaiting the premiere of Cartoon Network‘s latest fully CGI show, Green Lantern: The Animated Series. The big debut is tonight at 7PM-Est/6PM-Cst, and after seeing previews of the show, I’m unsure if CN can really improve the franchise in a significant way. I personally liked the big-budget Green Lantern movie, which this series is riding the coat-tails of, but at the same time I can understand the multitude of complaints people have of it. I know many diehard fans who thought Hal Jordan’s character was made too wild, and took away from the persona built up in the comic books. I do also agree that the organic suit/armor used in the movie was pushing it. However I digress; after watching a six-minute preview of the new television series, my initial reaction was that of dread.

I personally am not a fan of the huge shoulders and tiny waistlines look that is typically used for animated versions of superhero characters. General aesthetics aside, the writing was not overly impressive, although to be fair it’s hard to judge the series fully from only six-minutes of footage. The show debuts with a full 1-hour episode, which will give all Lantern fans a chance to really examine the show and decide if it will pass muster. The series starts out with Hal Jordan verses the Red Lantern Corps, which tells us that the show’s creators will be introducing the other lantern corps at some point in the storyline, assuming the show survives a first season run. From what I saw of the preview, the show is being aimed at the teen to pre-teen market with the style of animation being presented. The language is kept to PG-13 or better, and there’s not an initial sense that this is going to try to compete with Cartoon Network’s Young Justice show, which features more realistic animation and character designs from the DC Universe. Overall a decent superhero show for all ages, and a generally good way to introduce the younger kids to the Green Lantern genre.

Do I think this series will survive? At the moment I don’t want to call it either way, when shows like the 2011 edition of Transformers were introduced, I initially thought it stunk simply for the art style. But after forcing myself to watch four or five episodes, I found the writing to be fairly engaging. My point is, don’t judge a book too harshly by its cover, or a show by its pilot episode. A good example is Star Trek: The Next Generation, if I had never seen the original series or the movies, I may not have given TNG a chance. Counselor Troy looking like an interstellar Cheerleader wasn’t the most inspiring image on the first episode, but we all know how amazingly popular that show became.

Keep your rings charged, and let us know what you think of the show after the premier!

Post Premier Review

An hour later and I’m asking myself, “was it good?” I have to say yes! The writing was actually much better than I originally observed, and the voice acting I found to be excellent. (I still don’t like the animation that much but I’ll let it slide) And while it was announced earlier in the year Cartoon Network also debuted its closer association with DC Comics, via their joint venture of DC Nation set to officially launch in 2012. DC Nation on Cartoon Network includes specials, news, and animated shorts from various studios, including AARDMAN Animations.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series, gets 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Weekly Artist Spotlight: FreddeGredde & ThunderCats 2011 Review

Animation, Music, Science Fiction, Superhero, Video Of the Day 1 Response »

Aug 192011

With lights flashing and siren blaring we race into action, chasing another Friday edition of Weekly Artist Spotlight! Today we feature the musical antics of Fredrik Larsson aka FreddeGredde; who you could accuse of having split personalities, but he puts them to good use in his one-man/multi-man shows he’s produced on YouTube displaying his impressive talents. Finishing up we take a look at the new and improved Thundercats from Cartoon Network studios, and give it our critique.

FreddeGredde

While surfing the YouTube waves, we came across this young man who helped spark the pleasant memories of cartoons from childhoods past and saw that he had a genuine talent to be recognized.

From his website:

Fredrik (FreddeGredde) Larsson is a 25 year old Swedish musician, who quietly started making videos of himself playing different instruments at home. Unexpectedly, his videos turned into a huge success, and currently he’s the most popular Swedish musician on YouTube, having more than 100,000 subscribers and 20,000,000 views.

He’s currently working on his debut album “Thirteen Eight“, which is composed entirely by himself. The songs are very diverse, ranging from soft piano ballads to 15 minute prog epics, so there’s something for everyone on it! He’s playing all the instruments by himself, except for drums, played by David (Joeyjunior15) Schlein.

http://www.freddegredde.com

ThunderCats 2011

Has Cartoon Network run out of ideas for original shows? We’re not sure but it is keeping up with most of HollyWood in remaking old series and movies in to modern-day edgy storylines that the 30-40 year-olds who grew up on 80′s toons will like. Over the years Cartoon Network has been making a shift in programming that appeals to slightly more mature audiences, yet is still watchable by kids as young as pre-teen. So with the launch of ThunderCats 2011, we see yet another 80′s icon brought back from the film vault and given the modern spit-polishing it probably needed.

For those old or young enough to remember the original ThunderCats, it featured a cast of Anthropomorphic cats, mostly human looking aside from their feline features, with names such as Lion-O and Cheetara; who battled the evil lizard people and their demonic leader Mum-Ra. With the group’s sidekick and cheerleader “Snarf”, who is probably the dialog coach for the Pokemon shows, they traveled the planet doing right and stopping the bad guys at every turn in their quest to restore the kingdom of Thundera.

Fast forward to 2011, and we see the modern adaptation of the series. The story wasn’t changed so radically that it would offend old-school fans, and it has much to our delight, excellent writing, animation, and voice acting so far. The show’s creators took a somewhat typical 80′s silly storyline and have fashioned it into an inspiring fantasy drama, that can and is, highly recommended to anyone. We wont spoil the story for those who haven’t seen it, but in comparison the new ThunderCats is darker, edgier and just plain fun for all ages. Although that seems to be the trend, taking the old and silly and making it dark, brooding, and dramatic. ThunderCats impresses greatly with a very dramatic, yet heartwarming storyline that helps teach the younger generation some good morals.

But for those who disliked the character of Snarf from the 80′s version, and thought he was about as much fun as steel knives on a chalkboard. Snarf returns as a cuter and thankfully quieter cat in the modern edition. ThunderCats features the voice talents of: Will Friedle, Robin Atkin Downes, Matthew Mercer, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Kevin Michael Richardson, Dee Bradley Baker, and Corey Burton.

For now, we’re giving this 5 out of 5 stars.

THUNDERCATS..HOOOOOOO!!!!!

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/

Weekly Artist Spotlight, is Krypton Radio’s bi-weekly feature to help raise awareness of the artists who you may not have heard about through mainstream media. All content used in this feature, is from publicly available sources, and is used solely to promote the artists we think are just plain cool.