It’s 2013. It’s been 2013 for quite a while now. And from upcoming films to comics to television series, we have a lot to look forward to and a lot to discuss in the next 12 months. But before we can completely get into the 2013 groove, we have to reflect on the previous year first. So while this article is several days late, it’s time to share with you all the thoughts and emotions we had on some of bigger events that rocked the worlds of ink-and-paint entertainment back in 2012. Well, the ones that we cared about, anyway. While we have recorded an episode of the ScratchCast for your listening “pleasure”…the audio from the second half was kinda messed up. Wasn’t good at all. And that just gave me more incentive to have a…let’s say transcribed version of it (my thoughts are separate from the “transcribed” version). That said, you can listen to the 20 minutes of the podcast I could salvage and/or click that “Read the rest of this entry” button for a more visual than auditory experience. Also, check out that short blooper reel. It’s fun.

The Legend of Korra

RacattackForce – After four years, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko — with the lovely funding of Nickelodeon — have graced us with a return to the Avatar universe (the one with magic martial arts, not aliens). Seventy years after the finale of The Last Airbender, we now follow the story of the new Avatar: a Southern Water Tribe teenager named Korra, who ventures to Republic City in order to learn airbending — and by extension — become a full-fledged Avatar. On first viewing, I found the first season (aka Book Air) to be a little lacking, with some pacing issues possibly stemming from the entire 12 episode arc being written by the creators themselves, with no assistance from the writers from the first series. However, despite those pacing issues, it was still incredibly engrossing, a lot of fun, and had plenty of elements that I loved. Action series with a female protagonist? Hell yeah. Steampunk in a Shanghai-inspired city? Lovely. An awesome Big Bad? Nick, you’re speaking my language. To backtrack a bit, I must reiterate that writing was a bit weak here, but the experience that Mike and Bryan gained from their first venture into this universe does show. Book Air felt far more structured and cohesive than the first season of it’s predecessor, really pulling you into the ride from the start instead of simply dragging you along. I can’t wait for season two and beyond. Korra has now fully mastered all four elements and is now trying to be a responsible Avatar, you say? Bring it on.

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Don East – I think it was really damn good. It really pushed the envelope, possibly even more than Avatar did. Great characters, great animation, really strong story. The only complaint was…fucking Mako. I do not like him…the character, not the actor. Mako was a badass voice actor. Shame the character they named in honour of him was kind of a shithead.

TetrisDork – Like Racattack and Don, I had to stop watching The Aquabats Super Show because it aired at the same time. Thankfully, that show is getting a second season. Anyway, I didn’t like the ending [to Korra's first season]. I mean, I thought the ending was great until the last minute.

Dragonpiece – Yeah, the ending was a little rushed. I didn’t like that.

Don East – That’s the thing, though. It was meant to be the series finale. If they knew they were going to get picked up for a full series*, it would have ended with Korra losing her bending and the next couple of books would be about her regaining it. You know, just continue [her Avatar journey]. If you put it in that context, it’s appreciative.

TetrisDork – And luckily, season two will continue one and extrapolate more on that development, in which–

RacattackForce – Um, can I interject here real quick? So you know how Young Justice had its time skip for its second season?

TetrisDork – Yeah.

RacattackForce -  Well, Korra’s doing the same thing, too.** We’re going to skip ahead a bit, to watch the journeys of a fully-fledged Avatar now.

Dragonpiece – Are we going to see Zuko this season?

RacattackForce – Ummm, that I do not know. We probably will.

Don East – Well, I hope it’s the Young Justice-type of time skip, where as the series goes on we get hints of what happened, instead of the Gurren Lagann “HERP A DERP DERP, TIME SKIP. DON’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY THESE CHARACTERS ARE DOING THE THINGS THEY DO NOW!”

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

RacattackForce – Was there any doubt that Nickelodeon could handle making a fun, action-packed TMNT series? Yes. Yes, there was. A lot of it, in fact. But thanks to the creative talents of Ciro Nieli (Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!, Teen Titans), Peter Hastings (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain), and others, we got a great Turtles cartoon that even Don East loves. Okay, I’ll admit, I haven’t watched the original 80s series. I’ve watched only the first two seasons of the 2000s series, and as for the comic books the franchise was built upon…yeah, I haven’t read those. So, I have no real ties to the franchise. Which is okay, because despite a number of in-jokes involving older installments, the series is still very accessible to everyone. I wasn’t really expecting much, but it was surprisingly fun and well-written. If you haven’t given it try because you thought Nick would screw it up or that the CGI character designs look bad, then please rethink your decision. Give the show a chance; I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I know I do.

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TetrisDork - It was surprisingly done. It was surprisingly good. Like the CG…remember when we had earlier reactions towards Green Lantern: The Animated Series for how it was stylized? We didn’t think it would work in CG.

RacattackForce – Yeah, that seems to be a trend here. We see the CGI character models and go “Oh my God, this is going to suck.” Then we see them in motion and go “Hey, this isn’t half bad!”

TetrisDork – It almost feels 2D in a sense. Because they also tend to go into that 2D mode. Especially around the facial expressions, like when the eyes change from CG to, like, these penciled-out eyes.

RacattackForce – Well, I’m not really surprised by that [tendency for art shifting] considering, you know, the people who work on the show.

TetrisDork – Well, it’s amazing how well-done it is. And not off-putting. And the voices actually deliver somewhat…umm, not somewhat. It delivered. You know, they fit their personalities.

Don East – I think this has my favourite version of Leonardo. And he’s my favourite turtle. For one, I like how he’s a fan of the Star Trek parody. And I like how he’s still trying to be a leader, as opposed to the previous versions where he’s already established as the leader.

Dragonpiece – Honestly, I don’t like the fact that it’s kind of a “monster-of-the-week” show.

TetrisDork – Yeah, at the moment it is like that.

Don East – If you don’t like weird mutants popping up on TMNT, I think you’re watching the wrong show, because–

TetrisDork – That happened most of the time–

Don East – On the 80s cartoon.

Dragonpiece – I was just expecting…nevermind.

TetrisDork – What are some of our favourite episodes, if we have any?

Don East – The first episode with Shredder — when he fought the turtles — I thought was really well-handled. I think this Shredder is a badass.

TetrisDork – Shredder was owning the Turtles throughout that entire episode.

Don East - I just want a picture of him punching the Utrom Shredder right in the torso, blood coming off his fist, saying “You talk too much.”

TetrisDork – Also helps that this Shredder is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

DC Nation

RacattackForce - Great idea, poor execution. DC Nation is awesome, don’t get me wrong. Not only are Green Lantern and Young Justice amazing shows, but the shorts that air during them such as Plastic Man. Teen Titans GO!, and Super Best Friends Forever are blasts to watch as well. And now we have even more of those shorts to enjoy (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Thunder and Lightning, anyone?). So what’s so bad about the block? Nothing that can’t be fixed via the inclusion of Beware the Batman and the full-on Teen Titans GO! series in Spring/Summer to the block. You see, my problem is that DC Nation in 2012 was only an hour. An hour isn’t really a block, it’s, well, a power hour of complementary shows. Because we only had two real shows, most of summer was just reruns while Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network were busy making a backlog of new episodes, causing a lot of people to miss out of some great shorts that aired during the time. And then the block came back for two weeks of premieres…then completely and utterly vanished. not to return until earlier today. Can any one say, “[expletive] you, Cartoon Network?” I love DC Nation, and I want it to succeed. But until it gets it’s act together with a consistent offering of new content, then Saturday morning victory just ain’t happening.

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Don East - *in response to what I said above* It would have been better if they just pulled it in the summer, when no one is really watching, and it’s all in reruns. But now they had to pull it at the start of October. Two seasons in, both ending on cliffhangers. Hal Jordon seemingly being killed. Mount Justice being destroyed! Perfect place to put a fucking hiatus for more How to Train Your Dragon.

TetrisDork - Cartoon Network’s 20th birthday is one of the reasons, which still doesn’t make sense.

RacattackForce - I don’t even think that was even a real reason.

TetrisDork - Also, with no reason, they are re-airing Young Justice on Boomerang.

RacattackForce – Do I even need to say how much that frustrates me? Why put a cartoon that’s currently running on a channel meant for older cartoons?

Don East – I gave up [on Boomerang] when they started re-running Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl. Boomerang has lost it’s direction.

RacattackForce – Anyway, let’s move on from the bad parts of DC Nation to the good parts: aka, the shows and the shorts.

Don East – Young Justice: Invasion…I was a bit iffy on the timeskip, but I understand why they did it. It was so they could incorporate new concepts and characters that would kinda be out of place in the first season of Young Justice, which took a lot of inspiration from the Silver and Bronze Age [of comics], while Invasion takes stuff from the 90s and 2000s. Like the Tim Drake Robin, the blond Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark), Blue Beetle (Jamie Reyes), fucking Impluse…that made me nerd-up, when Impluse showed up.

TetrisDork – Sadly, this might be the end.

Don East – Yeah. Greg Weisman? I think he’s cursed. I think he made a deal with the Devil that he could be one of the greatest writers in his field, problem is, if he ever gets a TV show off the ground, forces will screw him over. Let’s see, it happened with Gargoyles, Spectacular Spider-Man…seems like it’s happening now. Which is a shame if we’re going to lose Young Justice FOR FUCKING TEEN TITANS GO! LET IT DIE, MAN! FUCKING LET IT DIE…

TetrisDork – The reason why this is possible is because DC is ending the Young Justice comic in February.

RacattackForce – They are?

TetrisDork and Dragonpiece – Yes.

RacattackForce – That does not sound good for the TV series at all…

Don East – Fucking Young Justice…Teen Titans GO…that seems like the only equivalent here. Here we have one teen superhero team that’s awesome, edgy…doing all these things in the name of good. Then we have FUCKING ANNOYING-ASS SHIT…dumbed-down carbon copy of a long-dead TV show that I didn’t even like in the first place and…is that what I want to look forward to? Fucking…a continuation that doesn’t follow up on its own fucking cliffhanger.

RacattackForce – Well, I’ve heard that Terra’s going to appear…

Don East – Oh, that’s going to be great. Going to be a fucking comedy story about a misunderstanding or some shit…then again, I’ve made my position clear on Teen Titans: that it’s one of the worst superhero cartoons ever made.

RacattackForce – And I think I stated once that Teen Titans was the thing that really got me into superheroes, and one of my favourite superhero series overall, so…ehh. Opinions, opinions. Moving on…

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

RacattackForce - Wait, a DC animated series…that doesn’t involve Batman or Superman in any way? What universe did I step into? And is it okay if I stay here? Because I love Green Lantern: The Animated Series. I really do. Like TMNT 2012 and Batman: The Brave and Bold, when we got our first glimpse of the art style, people were pretty skeptical of how it would turn out. Even though I thought I learned my lesson from Brave/Bold, I was still a bit skeptical of how well the DCAU art style we’ve come to know and love would translate into CGI. Thankfully, the guys at Warner Bros. Animation proved us wrong, and delivered a smooth, great-looking show that has the writing to match. Giancarlo Volpe (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) has taken Hal Jordan and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps, and crafted a great cartoon that stands proudly next to Young Justice, as well as past DC series. (Oh, and if you aren’t following Giancarlo on Twitter…please do so. The dude is hilarious.)

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TetrisDork – Really good show.

Don East - Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. I think my favourite episode now is one that was supposed to air, but thankfully got leaked on iTunes.

RacattackForce - Steam Lantern. (This episode premiered on January 5th.)

Don East - Steam-powered Green Lanterns is the most brilliant idea ever. I want to make a figure of that character in the mold of a DC Universe Classics figure. I heard Sinestro is going to show up soon.

TetrisDork - Yay!

Toonami

RacattackForce – While we’re still on an action kick, it would be wrong not to mention the great surprise that was the return of Toonami. An April Fool’s prank leading to a social media tsunami leading to the revival of one of the most beloved and influential animation blocks in television history? HOLY. SHIT. No one saw that coming. If you say you did, you’re either a liar or a psycho, because no sane person could have predicted the return of TOM and the Absolution to the airwaves, presenting us with the brilliance that is Deadman Wonderland and Casshern Sins, as well as introducing new audiences to recent Cartoon Network failures Sym-Bionic Titan and Thundercats. I mean…just holy shit. Toonami’s back, Saturday nights from midnight to morn. Here’s hoping that Toonami continues to kick some ass as we go through 2013. Welcome home, TOM. Welcome home.

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Don East - First of all, Samurai 7 is stupid. It’s a stupid-ass show!

TetrisDork - …Okay, so–

Don East - And then Tenchi is a fucking cancer to the block!

RacattackForce - I thought this was supposed to be happy!?

Don East – Welcome to real life.

RacattackForce – I…um…Deadman Wonderland was kickass. Cassherns Sins…took awhile to–

Don East – But Toonami [unintelligable] because they apparently only paid for the one run.

TetrisDork – …Yeah…

RacattackForce - Um…Sym-Bionic Titan and Thundercats are getting second chances with–

Don East - They’re not getting picked up and you fucking know it. They’re gonna be dead.

RacattackForce – …

Don East – Thundercats is a glorified toy commercial. You can’t promote a kids’ toy on an adult block. And Sym-Bionic Titan is gone. Tartakovsky is gone. He’s at Sony now. He’s gonna do the Popeye movie.

RacattackForce - …

Don East – That’s for all the “I’m in love with Fluttershy jokes,” Rac.

Marvel Universe

RacattackForce – Yeah, why not continue with the talk of action animation blocks? Because there was a lot of that last year. To counter Warner Bros. and DC Comics’ Saturday morning offerings, Disney and Marvel Comics brought us Marvel Universe on Sunday mornings. Unlike DC Nation, Marvel Universe has been consistent with premiering new episodes of their flagship series. But also unlike DC Nation, Marvel Universe’s content isn’t as widely praised. And may become less praised by comic book fans as we go into 2013. I personally haven’t watched most of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but I’m told it’s a fantastic series. I have watched Ultimate Spider-Man, though. And while I find the show to be an okay experience, most people I know online hate it with a passion. And with a new Avengers and Hulk cartoon in the same vein of action-comedy as the Man of Action-helmed Spidey on the way, I think a lot of people aren’t very happy with Marvel. I, however, like what they’re doing, and wish them continued success with their animated properties…still miss Spectacular Spider-Man though. (P.S. –  It’s been a few weeks, but everyone is over ASM #700, right. It’s not big a deal, and you all know it.)

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Don East - I don’t know. I wouldn’t say Marvel Universe was an accomplishment in terms of quality. I mean, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was awesome for the most part, but the second season kinda…with all that [executive] meddling, they couldn’t complete the storyline they wanted, setting up with Surtur from the Thor mythos —  even though I have to admit that having another big bad from Thor’s neck of the woods is kinda played out, considering we had Loki the season before.

RacattackForce - And of course, we all know how the internet feels about Ultimate Spider-Man.

Don East - Yeah, I know. TetrisDork blew up when we all bashed on it that one-time. But yeah, I think the problem with Marvel Universe are the shows; and the additional content is a bit lacking. The only speech I really like is “Marvel Mash-Up”, only because some of the dub jokes are pretty funny and they get some of the voices from Super Hero Squad back, namely the voice of the Hulk (Travis Willingham) and the voice of Doctor Doom (Charlie Adler).

Gravity Falls

RacattackForce – ZKHUH DUH QHZ HSLVRGHV, GLVQHB!?!? JLYH WKHP WR PH!!!! *ahem* Considering that Alex Hirsch worked on the magnificent The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, I expected nothing less than absolute fun from Gravity Falls. However, we got more than that. We got a amazing mix of Twin Peaks and The Simpsons that tickles your funny bone until you nearly die of laughter by the end of each 22-minute episode. And don’t get me started on that fact that it’s a successful Disney cartoon with an actual overarching story arc, with twins Dipper and Mabel dealing the secrets of the Oregon town where they’re staying for the summer. Fighting an evil, wax Larry King? Hanging out with the 8 1/2 President of the United States? Stealing from a time traveler from a future ruled by a giant, evil baby? Stopping a video game character from killing your crush’s boyfriend? Just an average day in Gravity Falls, Oregon. If you haven’t checked out the series yet, please do so now. With Phineas and Ferb and now this, it’s safe to say that Disney Television Animation is making a well-desired return back to awesome…oh, and new episodes start back up February 15th. About time.

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Don East - Gravity Falls! The show that pretty much is what My Little Pony was to 2011 and Adventure Time was to 2010: as in this show that aired on a kids cable network and just caught the internet’s attention and everyone loves it. Mabel is my favourite character still. She is everything Pinkie Pie should be.

RacattackForce - Yeah, Gravity Falls is just a really great…funny, funny show. Each episode never ceases to make me laugh. It’s just…I just love it, and I can’t wait for new episodes to start airing again.

Don East – Yeah, that whole episode hiatus? Why the hey-hey, bro-bro?

(Here’s where everything just falls apart. Like I said, the recording from the next day had so many issues, that I didn’t want to deal with it. Half of it was off-topic ranting about Marvel Comics, anyway. So all the following is the stuff I could make out between all the static and audio skips that CallGraph dumped on me.)

Wreck-It Ralph

RacattackForce – “I’m bad, and that’s good. I will never be good, and that’s not bad. There’s no one I’d rather be then me.” Wreck-It Ralph wasn’t just a good video game movie. It was a good movie in general. Yes, it doesn’t stray too far from the standard Disney formula, with everyone sans the bad guy (the TRUE bad guy, in this case) getting a happy ending.  But it’s all in the execution, and director Rich Moore executed the tale of two misfits learning to be comfortable with who they are with style. And a bunch of gaming and snack food references. Did the story need to be told with video game characters? No. Did having it told with video game characters make it awesome? Ah-doy. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw a character I recognized, or caught a quick reference to, say, Final Fantasy VII or Paperboy. Those little touches added to a great, heartfelt comedy that, like all Disney movies, had a moment or two that brought a tear to your eye. I’d be content if Wreck-It Ralph was a standalone film, but since the movie did so well, it’s so obviously going to get a sequel. Just don’t screw it up, guys. Please.

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TetrisDork - What’s your favourite moment?

Don East – I don’t know. I just I’ll say the video game cameos. It had that Who Framed Roger Rabbit? feel.

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Tron Uprising and Motorcity

RacattackForce – Beyond Marvel, Disney didn’t have the best of luck with action animation this year. Tron Uprising, which the Mouse pushed and advertised with gusto is now burning off it’s remaining episodes during the witching hour, and Chris Prynoski’s Motorcity didn’t stand a chance from day one. What was the last Disney action series to have decent success? Kim Possible? Or, if you want to narrow your definition, Gargoyles? It sucks, because I thought Tron Uprising was a great show. I loved the character designs and the breathtaking use of colour, as well as the story, which was my first introduction to into the TRON universe (yeah, I know, I should get around to watching the original film). And Motorcity? One of the creators of Megas XLR, George Krstic, was a head writer on Motorcity. It goes without saying that it kicked copious amounts of ass. But it’s Disney. I’d be lying if I said that I expected these shows to get renewed, and I’m generally optimistic when it comes to this sort of stuff. When discussing the end of Motorcity, Prynoski expressed that he would like to get the rights to the program and continue the story of the Burners, thought he admitted the chances of that are slim. And despite TRON 3 entering production soon, TRON Uprising is totally a zombie that got its head bashed in by this point.

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Don East -

Dragonpiece -

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Frederator Studios’ Cartoon Hangover

RacattackForce – It comes as no surprise that Fred Seibert would continue to embrace the growth and popularity of the internet by producing more web cartoons. Don’t let the name fool you, though. It isn’t 100% adult animation. While there is the vulgar SuperF*ckers from James Kochalka, there is also the more all-ages Bravest Warriors from the mind of Pendleton Ward. The former is based on Kochalka’s comic book series about a group of average teenagers with superpowers…and them being normal, douchebag, perverted teenagers with them. I found the comic to be an utter blast, and the cartoon — while a bit more hit-or-miss — is more of that same colourful comedy. Meanwhile, Pen Ward’s second brainchild, which like Adventure Time before it is based on his Random Cartoons short of the same name, is just plain imaginative, heartfelt irreverence. It feels very much like Adventure Time in so many ways that I’ve seen countless people state it’s a rip-off until they get their facts straight. And I can’t blame them. From all the worlds the characters visit, to the strange expressions, to the romantic elements, it DOES feel like an Adventure Time ripoff. But that’s not a bad thing, since Bravest Warriors is still an incredibly fun show. Basically, if you like Pen Ward’s style, you’ll like BW. If you like teenagers screwing with each other, lowbrow humour, overall stupidity and subversion of superheroes, then you’ll probably like SuperF*ckers. And I happen to like all that stuff.

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Don East -

Dragonpiece -

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Dreamworks Animation

RacattackForce – Lemme get the obvious joke out of the way first. Okay, Dreamworks. They had a bit of a mixed year. On one hand, they brought out Classic Media, have a new partnership with Fox, and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted was a rousing success at the box office. On the other hand, Dragons: Riders of Berk isn’t doing too well in the ratings, and Rise of the Guardians — while doing well for itself internationally — wasn’t the rousing success that they wanted. Not really sure what to say here. I have no opinion on the Classic Media buyout or the new Fox distribution deal. I haven’t seen Madagascar 3 or Rise of the Guardians yet. Dragons: Riders of Berk is a good show, if a bit boring times, but I don’t pay much attention to it. So, yeah, I’ve got nothing…have more Circus Afro.

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Don East -

Dragonpiece -

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Littlest Pet Shop

RacattackForce – The Hub…okay, there is no better way to say this: this show, as much I enjoy it, is just the network’s attempt to recreate the success they had with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Something that just isn’t going to happen. You’d think TV executives would learn by now, but…there is no real formula for a successful series, animated or otherwise. Formula for a pop hit? More or less, yes. Formula for a television hit? None that I can see. The term “lightning in a bottle” exists for a reason, people. In any case, Littlest Pet Shop shares the writing talent of some My Little Pony writers and composer Daniel Ingram. But what stands out for me, but which no one else gives a damn about, is that the head writers are Timothy Cahill and Julie McNally-Cahill, the husband/wife team who created My Gym Partner’s A Monkey, which was one of Cartoon Network’s most popular shows during its run (behind Foster’s and Ed, Edd n Eddy). So, The Hub even recreated the “former CN talent” part of what they believe makes up the MLP equation. That said, Littlest Pet Shop is a good show with fun characters and nice songs, but I don’t see it gaining the following that MLP had. Will this be it’s first and last season though? Doubtful, because it’s doing pretty damn well for itself.

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Don East -

Dragonpiece -

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Foodfight

RacattackForce – …No.

Don East -

Dragonpiece -

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Ratings Battle

RacattackForce – Nickelodeon has been having some ratings troubles recently, that have been somewhat eased by The Legend of Korra and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However, while Nick was floundering, trying to figure out why kids weren’t watching that day’s 15th Spongebob repeat, Disney Channel came in to grab the number one spot as most-watched kids network with the help of Gravity Falls and a number of preschool shows, not the least of which is Doc McStuffins. And as always, Cartoon Network was watching on the sidelines, keeping a solid third place, though it did manage to capture the 1st place spot itself at one point in the summer. 2012 was Cartoon Network’s best year in the animation-heavy channel’s twenty year history, and they’ve pretty much gotten the preteen boys demographic locked up thanks to Adventure Time and Regular Show. Oh, and both Disney XD and the Hub are continuing to grow into proud young networks thanks to superheroes, ponies, twins, robots, puppets and jerks. Overall? No big surprises. I’m just happy that Nickelodeon got taken down a peg.

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Don East -

Dragonpiece -

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Animation to Comics

RacattackForce – Adventure Time and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic are both pretty fun shows. And I’m sure the comics are also pretty fun. I say “I’m sure” because I haven’t actually read them yet. Like I’ve said once or twice in the past, I’m a trades guy. I wait for the trade paperback (or hardcover) to come out before I start reading a series. So, what I can I say about the Adventure Time and MLP comics? I can say they’re successful. KaBOOM, the kids line of BOOM Studios, is handling Adventure Time and it is doing great. Not only is the main comic doing well, constantly selling out, but the first miniseries (Marceline and the Scream Queens) was met with great sales. Meanwhile, IDW Publishing had My Little Pony reach 90,000 preorders for the first issue. Things are looking good all around, though I question why DC Comics isn’t handling Adventure Time. The only other thing I can say is…IT’S THE ATTACK OF THE VARIANT COVERS!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

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Don East -

Dragonpiece -

Ryan Mead -

TetrisDork -

Alas, for every great comic book movie adaptation there seem to be five that were truly terrible.

Here’s a countdown of the 10 worst comic book movie adaptations.

10. “Superman III”

The late Richard Pryor was a top-notch comedian, but his presence in “Superman III” felt unnatural and forced, throwing off the balance of a movie series that had, until that point, done a stellar job with its adaptations. The convoluted storyline in which Superman experiences a Jekyll-and-Hyde-like personality split feels forced.

And the high school reunion setting, while a good idea, doesn’t lend itself to a cohesive plotline. The result is a disappointing, disjointed movie that should have been left out of the “Superman” series.

9. “Batman and Robin”

No wonder it took such a long time to reboot the “Batman” series following “Batman and Robin” – this film was so disastrous that even its star, George Clooney, has disavowed it. Even ignoring the whole “Batnipples” fiasco, Robin is completely lost the dark undertone that makes the Batman comics special. In fact, the movie turned into a day-glo circus, with an almost unwatchable Arnold Swarzenegger gobbling scenery as Mr. Freeze.

The Batman comics have always been clever and carefully plotted. This movie was neither.

8. “Spawn”

When you want replacement bay windows or a new pellet stove, you research the product before you buy. The writers of “Spawn” apparently forgot to do their research. Instead of drawing on the dark themes in the rich source material of the comic book, they made the movie campy and laden with special effects that, honestly, weren’t that special.

If you don’t understand what makes a particular comic special, you’re not going to have much luck adapting it, and that seems to be the case for “Spawn.”

7. “Elektra”

When you make a sequel to a mediocre movie, the result is “Elektra,” a spinoff of “Daredevil” that bombed at the box office. Star Jennifer Garner seemed bored, perhaps because she’d read the script. Fans disliked the self-serious approach taken by the filmmakers, and they said it lacked the heart that made the comic book version of the main character so beloved.

6. “Catwoman”

Filmmakers must have figured that if they put the red-hot Halle Berry, who’d just won an Oscar for “Monster’s Ball,” in a skintight costume, they didn’t need to do anything else to make this movie a hit – like, oh, say, coming up with an actual plot. The writers rely on lame gags (we get it, cats like milk and so must Catwoman!) and even lamer special effects.

The movie also makes some changes to the comic book origin story that both angered and confused fans. The most obvious change was switching Catwoman’s name from Selina Kyle to Patience Phillips, which distanced the film from the comic book material.

5. “Green Lantern”

Ryan Reynolds, good as he looks, is miscast in this 2011 movie. His constant appearance of smart-aleck bemusement distracts from the elaborate plot, in which a test pilot is chosen to become the next Green Lantern. The movie can’t seem to decide if it’s a fun popcorn film or a serious discussion of world problems, however, and that lack of consistency in tone proves just as problematic as Reynolds’ demeanor.

Still, the awfulness of the end product hasn’t stopped producers from pushing a “Green Lantern 2″ into production.

4. “Judge Dredd”

Want to tick off comic fans? Make a major change in comic lore with little explanation behind it. In the comic the character is nearly never seen unmasked. Thus fans were apoplectic when filmmakers decided to remove Dredd’s mask for long periods during the movie.

The movie also fell prey to the “Superman III” folly of bringing in a comic sidekick, in this case “Saturday Night Live’s” Rob Schneider, who added little to the film.

3. “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”

There were many critics who panned the original “Ghost Rider,” but that looked like a masterpiece compared to the 2011 sequel. Nicolas Cage is impossibly loopy in his second go-round as Johnny Blaze, the aptly named Ghost Rider who seeks to rid himself of his curse.

The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are better written than this film, which doesn’t show the sense of humor one needs when adopting a comic book about a man whose head catches on fire every night. Filmmakers could have had fun with the absurdity of the comic; instead they seemed to miss the point.

2. “Barb Wire”

Most comic fans have blocked this one out of their memories. The 1996 film stars Pamela Anderson as a nightclub owner in a decidedly bleak 21st century. But you’d be excused for not ever noticing the minor plot points that move this stinker along, because producers were clearly more interested in showcasing Ms. Anderson’s body than her acting talent. She has more unclothed or scantily clothed scenes than she did in an episode of “Baywatch,” which is saying something.

1. “Howard the Duck”

Note: To make a good adaptation that involves the words “quack fu,” you’ve got to have some great writers. “Howard,” sadly, did not. This movie was as painful as getting your tail feather yanked out. All the trippy, dippy fun of the original Marvel Comic is lost as Howard crash-lands on Earth on a trip from Duckworld.

“Howard” was originally envisioned as an animated film but ultimately ended up as live action. Its release date was pushed back several times, never a good sign, and it finally landed in 1986. It luckily did not set comic book movies back too much: Though it had been decades since a comic had been adapted as a film when “Howard” was released, the superlative “Batman” came out just three years later, and that movie could easily make a list of the 10 best comic book movies ever made.

Byline: Carl is an aspiring writer who enjoys blogging about anything and everything that crosses his mind. He’s constantly
striving to strengthen his writing skills and is continuously grateful that the Internet allows him to share his
thoughts with the world.

The Divided Audience

Translating comics–or books, for that matter–into movies often means changing elements of the original story. Action, plot and characterizations that work beautifully in print or images don’t always work on the big screen.

Iconic moments from the original work sometimes confuse moviegoers and need cutting to maintain cinematic continuity. However, Hollywood makes such decisions at the risk of alienating the comic or book fan base.

It’s a major balancing act, because as fanboys and fangirls, we’re the primary audience for any superhero movie. But to make a blockbuster, Hollywood has to attract the non-comic book community as well. And this means making the story as accessible to the general audience as possible.

Different Media

I had my first viewing of The Fellowship of the Ring ruined by one such fanboy. Yes, I know we’re talking about comic book movies here, not books, but this incident could have as easily happened during a showing of The Avengers.

As any good Tolkien fan knows, huge swaths of plot from the Fellowship of the Ring were removed for the movie. The character of Tom Bombadil is completely cut. Bombadil is a wood-god and trickster figure who helps Frodo and his companions escape a Wight barrow they stumble into. (He also encourages them to run around naked in the sun to shake off the barrow’s chill. While he watches. Tom’s one creepy dude).

Bombadil, arguably, is a pointless character even in the book. Adding him to the Fellowship would have destroyed the pacing of the film. Yet I sat next to a preteen fan who spent most of the movie loudly complaining about Bombadil’s omission and the shortening of the Council of Elrond (which the book presents as during a mind-numbingly long committee meeting) and any other moment where the movie deviated even slightly from the book.

This kid had no understanding that the movie required a very different pace than the original work.

DC and the Big Screen

While we get the occasional foray into independent comics, Hollywood prefers to harvest superheroes from the Marvel and DC universes. The two comic companies have very different approaches to big-screen comic adaptations, and at the risk of sparking a DC-fan riot, the edge so far goes to Marvel.

See, DC has a problem. The DC universe contains as many intriguing and unique characters as the Marvel universe, but as far as the movies are concerned, only two DC characters have any real presence. I’m speaking, of course, of Superman and Batman. DC and Hollywood seem to feel that these two are the only DC supers who guarantee movie success.

Don’t get me wrong–I love Christopher Nolan’s take on bats–but for the love of Hera, how difficult would it be to make a decent Wonder Woman movie? Or the Flash? Or Green Lantern?

Yeah, I know. We got a Green Lantern movie. Did you see it? I mean, actually see it? My wife has been a Hal Jordan fangirl for decades. She wanted this movie to rock so badly, and what she got was, well, boring and a financial flop. The likelihood of more Green Lantern movies? Not great.

This seems to be a pitfall DC stumbles into with the frequency of rodents investigating electronic mouse traps. They try to branch out with a “secondary” character like the Green Lantern. When the movie flops, instead of looking at plot, acting and direction, the message the decision makers hear is “people only like Bats and Supes.” The result? Within days of The Dark Knight Rises we hear rumors of a reboot of the Batman series.

The whole situation becomes even weirder when you look at DC’s success on the small screen. Smallville, Arrow and animated shows like Teen Titans and Justice League prove DC heroes can make the transition from comic book to the screen. Why they can’t make it work on the big screen is at best a mystery.

Marvel, the X-Men and the Avengers

In contrast, Marvel’s television features are, generally, a complete mess, but they have a flair for getting things right on the big screen. They’ve had their share of disasters but overall they seem to know what they’re doing.

Granted, when they do stumble, they fall badly. The mere mention of Ben Affleck’s stint as Daredevil induces nausea in my house. I’m still trying to forget Ang Lee’s Hulk, and the less said about X-Men 3 the better.

Marvel learns from its mistakes, however. Their approach to The Avengers was inspired. By giving each main character their own movie series, they took the time to build audience affection for the characters, and by tying all the movies together with SHIELD, Nick Fury and the indomitable Agent Coulson, Marvel got people excited about seeing the individual heroes come together.

Marvel understood that, in comic books, you can slap a group of heroes together quickly, because their back-stories are well known to the fans. In movies you don’t have that luxury, so Marvel cannily provided The Avengers backstories in each hero’s movie series.

The Future

In light of The Avengers’ success, it’s not surprising that DC announced an upcoming Justice League movie. In order to pull this off (and I desperately hope they can), DC needs to take a page from Marvel’s book and introduce the lesser-known characters first.

We all know Superman and Batman. In preparation for Justice League the audience needs to be introduced or re-introduced to Wonder Woman, the Flash and yes, even the Martian Manhunter and Aquaman.

DC can’t have Supes and Bats carry the movie alone: Justice League is a group of heroes, not two well-established ones. It’s time for DC to start taking chances, or Marvel will continue to dominate on the silver screen.

Byline: Carl is an aspiring writer who enjoys blogging about anything and everything that crosses his mind. He’s constantly striving to strengthen his writing skills and is continuously grateful that the Internet allows him to share his thoughts with the world.

PrtSc’d the banner from the AWA website.

This Thursday, I will be in Atlanta, GA, attending Anime Weekend Atlanta. AWA is an anime/manga convention and one of the biggest in the United States. In past years, I saw previews to/full-length episodes of fabled Toonami original anime IGPX, the English dub to my favorite series Claymore, and the dark and violent Rin. I saw the first installment of the 20th Century Boys film trilogy. I was at the panel where Cartoon Network representatives announced Toonami’s death while plugging Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I saw a feature-length AMV (aka AMV Hell 3). I also bought lots of stuff and took pictures, so there’s that. And, if you’ve been following me for some time, it was the con where I got those chibi Rei and Asuka plushies in piggy onesies. Because if I didn’t have a piece of Evangelion merchandise that completely missed the point of the series, then I am not a true anime fan in my eye.

From my first post in February 2011.

This year’s con has a nice selection of guests, including Ryo Horikawa (the voice of Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z), Johnny Yong Bosch (Bleach, Eureka Seven, Power Rangers), Trini Nishimura (Luna in Casshern Sins), Ayumi Kino (e-manga Magical Dreamers), Tim Eldred (storyboard artist for Avengers: EMH & Batman: The Brave And The Bold, StarBlazers.com), and visual-kei band heidi. The panels appear to be filled with variety, including those devoted to Japanese religion, a Pokemon vs Digimon debate, a “Fanfic or Fact?” Q&A involving Gundam Wing, two panels devoted to indie game series Touhou Project, and even a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic panel for some strange reason. There will also be the world premiere of the new Mass Effect anime movie, Paragon Lost, along with the dub debuts of Level E and Hellsing Ultimate Volume 5. And I will be there. Tweeting it to the best of my abilities.

From Thursday through Sunday, I will be live-tweeting the whole thing from both my regular Twitter account (@tetrisdork) and at the Real Scratch Pad’s own Twitter handle (@realscratchpad). There, you will see photos, news, and other random nonsense as I go through and have “Beautiful Convention Life.” So, follow both and experience my experiences. While I am still clueless about what I am going to do at the con, here are some that are definite:

• If you want to learn about the Opening Ceremony, can’t help you there. For the past few years, I skipped the Opening Ceremony in favor of another thing held at the same time, the opening of the retail therapy that is the Dealers’ Room.
• Sentai Filmworks, Funimation, and Aniplex will have industry panels there, and I will attend each and every single one of them. Sentai’s is Friday @ 6:30 pm ET, with Funi’s and Aniplex’s the following day at 1 pm and 3 pm, respectively.
• Manga publishers Vertical and Dark Horse will also have panels this Saturday at 12:30 pm and 9:30 pm, respectively. If there is any interest from you guys, I will attend both and try to get info from them.
• I might be playing some Cardfight!! Vanguard. I have become invested in the cards and need to try my hand in getting my rear handed to. Yes, I have zero battle experience.
• I will buy a con t-shirt.

And, that’s it. While I iron out my plans and obtain a print copy of the schedule, y’all can suggest what I should do at either Twitter account with the online schedule located here. All I know is, I will have fun. I will spend money. And I’m bringing the damn Evangelion plushies.

Crime and Punishment – This classic Russian tale of murder, guilt and redemption is adapted to the modern world in this graphic novel illustrated by Alain Korkos. The prose of the original version was cut significantly in this adaptation, making it difficult for those unfamiliar with the unabridged version to understand. Stark black and white illustrations capture the inner struggle between Raskolnikov’s pious guilt and his murderous elitism.

Frankenstein – One of the most classic horror stories of all time, Frankenstein confronts issues of acceptance, tolerance, understanding and the need for love – as shed in the murky light of obsessive scientific tinkering. Dead body parts, rotting corpses and many a moonlit scene make this story a perfect adaptation for the graphic novel.

Dracula – The story that begat the vampire genre has been reimagined since its first telling, serving as inspiration for many books and movies, permeating society so effectively that even a Sesame Street character reflects its influence. Unlike the book, which is written in epistolary form from the viewpoint of a variety of characters, this graphic novel adaptation follows the plot through dialogue between characters, making it much more action-packed than its progenitor. With red eyes and bulging biceps, Count Dracula is a formidable and frightening antagonist. Those who long for a refreshing dose of the bloodthirsty vampire will enjoy this adaptation.

Fahrenheit 451 – It’s a story that makes each booklover tremble: a dystopian society where books are burned as vehicles of dissention. Perhaps it is ironic to experience this story as a graphic novel, seeing that one of the forecasts Bradbury made in Fahrenheit 451 is that stories would become abridged to accommodate new forms of media. However, the artistic interpretation of this futuristic story is beautifully rendered through muted colors and a golden-yellow tint. It is almost as though something is always burning … somewhere.

The Picture of Dorian Gray – At the center of this tale is the painting of the beautiful and shallow Dorian Gray. By selling his soul, Dorian deflects the human aging process to the painting and embraces a hedonistic life that rapidly tumbles into debauchery and finally crashes into madness. The graphic novel adaptation is illustrated in a whimsical and twisted manner, giving an air of playfulness to an otherwise gloomy Faustian tale.

Macbeth – Something wicked awesome this way comes! Shakespeare’s Macbeth boasts quite a few graphic novel adaptations, one even created by the Spark Notes editors. However, I’ve opted to put the original text version on this list, mostly for the sake of pomposity. Oh yeah, and because the illustrations are awesome. Creepy maniacal witches, bloody battle scenes and red-handed murder make this play-to-page adaptation pretty epic.

I am Legend – Revisit the story that gave vampire lore a modern tone and inspired the emergence of zombies in pop culture. As if the plot isn’t heart-stopping enough, the graphic novel portrays the story through black and white frames that evoke the feeling of static and shadow through a range of gray tones.

The Jungle – Historically, The Jungle is a perfect example of how books once affected popular opinion. Though Upton Sinclair wrote the book to reveal the struggles of immigrant life in America, readers were most appalled at the conditions of Chicago’s meatpacking industry as described in the novel. Sinclair learned the insides of the stockyards in person, as he worked undercover for weeks to research the story. The Pure Food and Drug Act was passed in response to the criticism that resulted from the book.

King Lear – This adaptation makes the list, not for the story, but for its artwork. King Lear, though a prized role for many an actor, is rather tedious in its back-and-forth plotting as it follows the king across his daughters’ kingdoms. The art of this graphic novel drapes an odd and whimsical portraiture over the kingdoms and the characters, inspiring an adventure of the imagination that coincides with the underhanded and mocking attitude of Lear’s two eldest daughters.

Jane Eyre – Perhaps the most traditional of all the stories on this list, Jane Eyre is radical in its own right as a proponent of proto-feminism and an exploration of sexuality (all under the radar, of course). Though it contains no paranormal elements, the story is drenched in hauntings. Jane, an orphan, is abused and alienated before emerging into some semblance of normal adulthood. Even then, she’s a victim to the expectations of marriage and her limitations as a penniless woman. Ironically, the happy ending arrives when the wife of her beloved escapes from the attic and dies.  Oops, should I have mentioned there was a spoiler? Even after, like, 165 years?

(Angelita Williams is a freelance writer and education enthusiast who frequently contributes to www.onlinecollegecourses.com. She strives to instruct her readers and enrich their lives and welcomes you to contact her at angelita.williams7@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.)

It’s a bit of an understatement to say that Titmouse Inc. has been doing pretty well for itself recently. With several shows currently in production for Adult Swim, it’s likely that you’ve seen the Titmouse logo at least once while navigating the current television animation landscape. In fact, their output got to the point where a New York studio had to be created to help support the growing Los Angeles operations, with said New York branch being a full-fledged animation studio. Yes, Titmouse has been doing well for itself when it comes to adult animation, but that’s not all they’re currently up to. In fact, if you haven’t noticed, they’re also dabbling in childrens’ animation for Disney XD. The end of April unleashed upon us the auto-charged action series Motorcity, which my older brother once eloquently described as “The Matrix with cars,” and which I can easily recommend as an enjoyable ride that everyone should check out.

Of course, I wouldn’t be talking about Titmouse right now if Motorcity was the only series they’re making for good ol’ Disney. No, because tonight, we can add Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja to the long list of shows that Chris Prynoski’s studio has under its belt. However, can we safely add the adventures of this teenage ninja to the list of great Titmouse productions? It’s time to dive into the pool before summer truly ends, to find out whether or not this stuff is the real cheese…SMOKE BOMB!!!

With Jhonen Vasquez’s character designs and the various doodles that comes along the use of the Ninja-Nomicon, Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja looks pretty nice visually.

When I first saw the show’s trailer back in August, Jhonen Vasquez came to mind. And rightfully so, as it turns out that the man behind Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Invader Zim actually did the main character designs…which makes sense when you realize that the trailer showed up at InvaderCon. Jhonen departs a little bit from his normal style here, but it is still immediately recognizable right off the bat. Another major pillar of the show’s style are all the sketches and doodles. From the title sequence to end credits, a lot of the things involving the Ninja-nomicon (basically to How to Be a Ninja For Dummies) results in the screen becoming filled not only with feudal-era Japan inspired imagery, but also the type of doodles usually found in the margins of high school notebooks or textbooks. Skulls, stylized words, arrows pointing to important information, etc. Both of these things result in Randy Cunningham becoming a show that is pleasing to the eye and helps amplifies the comedic writing.

Jhonen Vasquez fans shouldn’t expect the mastermind’s dark comedic writing to be on display here, as character designs are where his input begins and ends. The man doesn’t touch the writing process at all, so Randy Cunningham is decidedly more of your classic action-comedy. A classic action-comedy that creators Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, known for past work on Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated and The Haunting Hour apparently pitched to the network on its name alone. And similar to those series, all the extraordinary events that happen in each episode play more-or-less second fiddle to the relationship between Randy and his best friend Howard, who are just trying to get through each day of high school. Yes, there is plenty of fighting scenes against eldritch abominations and robotic monstrosities, as you’d expect from the title. But the bulk of RC9GN comes how these two freshmen play-off each other, and how their exploits overlap with the latest villainous occurrence caused by either evil businessman Hannibal McFist and scientist Willem Viceroy III (both hilarious characters in their own right) or the truly evil Sorcerer (voiced by the devilish Tim Curry). The dialogue between the characters succeeds in making their friendship feel real, and brings to mind my own friendship with an old high school classmate of mine. And let it be known that the series is privy to a lot of juvenile jokes for the younger set, with a few clever bits that only older audiences will pick up on. From silly slang such as “What the juice?” to jokes as simple as “Forget the cup holder, just make it deadly,” Randy Cunningham is a fun show with some pretty smart “dumb” writing.

An enjoyable mix of both juvenile and clever humour are on display in this newest offering from Disney and Titmouse.

That said, will this show gain as much popularity as others that dabble in the same comedy style, such as Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time or Disney’s own Gravity Falls? I certainly hope so, since this is yet another great series that I feel is bringing Disney back to the forefront of the television animation landscape after years of sub-par performance. Seeing Jhonen’s character designs on the small screen after so many years, in combination with some pretty good writing makes for an experience that I can safely recommend and believe a lot of people are going to enjoy. Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja premieres tonight at 7/6c on Disney XD.

Colleges have noticed the growing number of thought-provoking graphic novels on bookstore shelves. Graphic novels like Maus, Persopolis, and Metamorphosis are becoming staples in freshman composition and humanities classes. These graphic novels are accessible, culturally relevant, and serve as excellent tools to teach students about complex historical events, visual rhetoric, and written communication in general.

As graphic novels become more visible in the academic community, the way the world views comics is changing. Just a couple of decades ago, devoting class time to comics and graphic novels would have been unheard of. Now, as doing so becomes the norm and more schools launch sequential art programs, comics have the unique opportunity to change literature as we and college students around the world know it. Persepolis and Maus have what it takes to one day be considered great works of literature. They challenge historical assumptions, provide unique viewpoints, and have the power to expand people’s minds and the ways they view the world.

Budding graphic novel authors and comic book artists have a number of academic options if they choose to pursue their passion for comics in college. Savannah College of Art and Design, Rhode Island School of Design, the Art Center College of Design, and the Kubert School all offer degree programs in sequential art/comic arts. These programs give students the unique opportunity to develop the skills they need to become the next greatest graphic novelists and top comic book authors.

Sequential art and comic arts majors aren’t the only students who are learning more about effective visual rhetoric. Many illustration, graphic design, and art programs now offer sequential art classes to students as electives. Additionally, Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, a seminal book about the rhetorical techniques used in comics and graphic novels, has become a popular addition to quite a few communication and rhetoric classes.

Academia’s recognition and inclusion of comics and graphic novels is a big step in the right direction. Fans of comics and graphic novels have always recognized the intellectual merit of their favorite texts. Comics are what get many children interested in reading. Graphic novels are what keep quite a few high schoolers and college students interested in the written word. And this is not simply because comics and graphic novels are “easy-to-read” and entertaining. It is often because sequential art is stimulating, full of meaning, and complex.

(Barbara Jolie is a freelance writer and content strategist. When she’s not writing content for www.onlineclasses.org and other online education sites, she blogs about things like art, literature, and interior design. Send your comments and questions to barbara.jolie876@gmail.com. Barbara is happy to hear from you!)

Since a new episode of Gravity Falls is airing tonight, why not listen to an episode of the ScratchCast that’s about the show, am I right? Ryan takes up the hosting role to lead us in discussing everything to do about the mysterious town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. From initial reactions to favorite episodes, we let you guys know how we feel about this relatively new Disney Channel animated series…and why you should watch this comedic gem if you aren’t already.

Various interviews with Alex Hirsch:
The Oregonian, June 14
MTV Geek, June 15
Collider: July 6
New York Times, August 17
TV Guide, August 22
Boing Boing, August 23
Comics Alliance, August 24
Gravity Falls Gossiper podcast
GFG Interview with Grunkle Stan

P.S. The song at the beginning is Uncaged Czarina, and it serves as our theme song. And so we won’t have to pay $10 every time we use it…Free Royalty Free Music by DanoSongs.com.

P.S. What do you guys like about Gravity Falls? Tell us on Twitter, Facebook, via email, or in the comments below!

Download this and other WRSP podcasts on iTunes.
Don’t have iTunes? Download Scratch Cast episodes here.
Only interested in our podcasts? Subscribe to our ScratchCast blog maintained by TetrisDork.

San Diego Comic-Con 2012 stuff. Can’t say much more than that. Since most of the stuff here has either already happened, like Riders of Berk, or will be happening within the next few weeks (The DC Comic #0s). And the stuff that hasn’t already happened, is most likely stuff you’re aware of by now (like Legend of Korra episode orders and MLP news on Season Three). So there is no reason to listen to this podcast other than to hear our thoughts on this news back when it was actually news…not that that’s a bad thing. While this isn’t our best, it’s a decent listen. So give this two-hour episode a listen while you’re reading a book or playing a video game, okay? The most-recently recorded Gravity Falls episode will be posted this weekend, so keep an eye out for that.

P.S. The song at the beginning is Uncaged Czarina, and it serves as our theme song. And so we won’t have to pay $10 every time we use it…Free Royalty Free Music by DanoSongs.com.

Download this and other WRSP podcasts on iTunes.
Don’t have iTunes? Download Scratch Cast episodes here.
Only interested in our podcasts? Subscribe to our ScratchCast blog maintained by TetrisDork.

Well, I think all we animation fans are well-aware of what happened back in late May. Toonami came back to our television screens, once again featuring awesome anime and commentary from a robot. And…it was pretty sweet. The whole internet was ablaze with complete and utter joy, us at the ScratchCast included. This episode, recorded on May 27th, has us showcase our memories of the cartoon tidal wave in its Cartoon Network days, and our hopes for the block in its Adult Swim return. And we have a lot of memories and hopes. From crushes on Wicked Lady to our love of Deadman Wonderland, we spill all our thoughts surrounding everything involving our main man and the Absolution. On a side-note, next episode will be Sunday afternoon instead of Saturday night, for obvious Toonami-related reasons.

P.S. The song at the beginning is Uncaged Czarina, and it serves as our theme song. And so we won’t have to pay $10 every time we use it…Free Royalty Free Music by DanoSongs.com.

P.P.S. Toonami: Adult Swim Edition has been airing for an entire summer. Did you enjoy Deadman Wonderland? Are you enjoying Casshern Sins? What shows do you want to see in the future?  Tell us on Twitter, Facebook, via email, or in the comments below!

Download this and other WRSP podcasts on iTunes.
Don’t have iTunes? Download Scratch Cast episodes here.
Only interested in our podcasts? Subscribe to our ScratchCast blog maintained by TetrisDork.