ThunderCats

ThunderCats
ThunderCats logo
Created by Tobin Wolf
Owner Warner Bros. (since 1989)
Print publications
Comics ThunderCats comics
Films and television
Television series
Games
Video game(s)

ThunderCats is an American franchise featuring a fictional group of catlike humanoid aliens. The characters were created by Tobin "Ted" Wolf and originally featured in an animated television series named ThunderCats, running from 1985 to 1989, which was animated by Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation, and co-produced by Rankin-Bass Animated Entertainment.[1]

History

The original ThunderCats show was animated in Japan[2] while being produced, written and voice acted in the United States. The series was originally distributed by Rankin-Bass Productions' then-parent company Telepictures Corporation, which would later merge with Lorimar Productions in 1986.[3]

In January 1989, Lorimar-Telepictures was purchased by and folded into Warner Bros., whose television syndication arm would eventually assume distribution of the show; Warner Bros. has owned the rights to the series (and all Lorimar-Telepictures programming) from that point on.

Later adaptations

Comics

There were also several comic book series produced. A ThunderCats comic book series based on the animated series was originally published by Marvel Comics through its Star Comics imprint in 1985, lasting for three years and twenty four issues.[4] During this time, a new series was published by Marvel UK consisting of 129 issues and was also published for three years.[5]

Beginning in 2002, ThunderCats titles were published by Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics (Warner Bros.' corporate sibling), and included five non canon mini series and several one shots.[6]

On 22 March 2012, Panini Comics began publishing a new series in the UK to tie in with the 2011 TV series, titled ThunderCats Magazine. The first issue featured a strip called 'Safe Haven' which was written by Ferg Handley and drawn by Cosmo White.

Video game

A side scrolling video game based on the series, ThunderCats: The Lost Eye of Thundera, was published in 1987.

Other merchandise

Items of clothing featuring the ThunderCats logo, and DVD boxsets of the original series enjoyed a resurgence in the mid- to late 2000s, as nostalgia for the former children's favorite grew.

Film

It was announced on June 7, 2007, that Aurelio Jaro was producing a CGI animated feature film of ThunderCats, based on a script written by Paul Sopocy.

In October 2007, Variety revealed that Jerry O'Flaherty, veteran video game art director, had signed on to direct. The film was being produced by Spring Creek Productions. It was originally set for release in summer 2010,[7] but it has since been reported that the movie was never greenlit,[8] and as of 2017, has not been made. Concept art for the film has also been leaked online.[8] In 2011 CGI test footage was leaked onto Youtube.

In January 2017, while talking about Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Milla Jovovich told We Got This Covered that she would like to portray Cheetara in the film.[9]

Television series

ThunderCats (2011 TV series)

On July 29, 2011, a second television series of the same name premiered. It was initially planned to have a 52-episode long first season, but it was shortened down to 26 and cancelled shortly after season one finished airing. It later had reruns on Adult Swim's Toonami block alongside Sym-Bionic Titan.

ThunderCats Roar

On May 18, 2018, it was announced that a third ThunderCats cartoon, ThunderCats Roar, will premiere on Cartoon Network in 2019. The show's developers are Victor Courtright and Marly Halpern-Graser. Courtright previously worked on Pickle and Peanut as a writer/storyboard artist and created the Cartoon Network Studios digital series Get 'Em Tommy!. Halpern-Graser previously worked as a writer for various DC Nation Shorts and was co-creator of Disney XD's show Right Now Kapow. ThunderCats Roar features less realistic, cartoony animation and a more lighthearted, comedic tone than previous ThunderCats installments. The show has a premise similar to the original; the ThunderCats escape their dying homeworld Thundera only to crashland on Third Earth, facing off against various villains including Third Earth's evil overlord, Mumm-Ra.[10]

The announcement of ThunderCats Roar garnered a severe backlash from fans of the original 1980s series and the 2011 series, who have criticized the animation style, creators, and shift to comedy. Despite Courtright's reassurance that action would still be an important aspect of the new series, fans against the changes made unfavorable comparisons to Teen Titans Go!.[11]

Characters

References

  1. ↑ "Those Thundercats just keep on coming back". Honolulu Observer. Archived from the original on December 1, 2006. Retrieved 2015-01-26.
  2. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: 'ThunderCats' Producer On Redesigning The Cast, Absent Characters, Tygra's Whip, More..." MTV News.
  3. ↑ Boyer, Peter J. (1986-02-03). "TOY-BASED TV: EFFECTS ON CHILDREN DEBATED". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-10.
  4. ↑ "ThunderCats Marvel Comics". Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  5. ↑ UK Marvel Comics at ThunderCats.org; Accessed Sept 11, 2015
  6. ↑ "ThunderCats revived by Wildstorm Comics". ThunderCats.org. Archived from the original on 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2015-09-11.
  7. ↑ Graser, Marc (June 5, 2007). "Warner purrs for ThunderCats". Variety. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  8. 1 2 "Concept Art For Warner Bros.' Thundercats". "ThunderCats.Org".
  9. ↑ Cassidy, Mark (January 8, 2017). "Milla Jovovich Wants To Play Cheetara In A ThunderCats Movie". We Got This Covered.
  10. ↑ Agard, Chancellor. "'Cartoon Network bringing back ThunderCats for new animated series'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Barder, Ollie. "'ThunderCats Roar' Looks Very Different To The Original Series And Fans Aren't Happy About That". Forbes. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.