Earlier this weekend, Nickelodeon released a teaser image of their new and upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, which is set to debut sometime in 2012. Now, via Enewsi and You Tube, fans of the series get an early sneak peek at what the new "Heroes in a Half Shell" look like in their CG inspired new show next year! Check out the video below!
"Based on the iconic hit franchise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been greenlit for 26 episodes and will be executive produced by Ciro Nieli, Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia. This half-hour CG-animated action-comedy series breathes new life into the wildly popular band of reptile brothers. The new series begins as the turtles emerge from their hidden lair in the sewers for the very first time, ready to confront the wondrous and hostile world of New York City and face enemies more dangerous and pizza more delicious than anything they could have imagined. Funnier and ninja-ier than ever before, the show will explore the camaraderie of four teenage brothers learning to rely on themselves and one another as they unravel the mystery of their existence and grow to become the heroes they are destined to be."
Transformers Prime. The new animated Computer Generated series based on Hasbro's infamous toy franchise. If there's one thing to be said about this series, I never expected it to be THAT GOOD, and the plot consistency of each episode coupled with so much kick ass action deserves the praise and love it gets from its viewers. The show, produced by Transformers movie writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, obviously takes a cue from the movie franchise with its dark look and alien robot tone, but it also draws inspiration from several other TF shows, namely Transformers Animated and Beast Wars, with this new toon also bearing similarities to latter, which was also a dark themed CG animated series that took some time for me to get used to. I'll admit, I grew up with the tried and true "Generation 1" era of Transformers, and nothing has stood the test of time or surpassed the fandom that series has amassed to this day. However, there have been several exceptions with the other TF related shows over the years, and I'd like to include this one on that list.
Transformers Prime Launch Trailer
So what's great about the new show? Plenty I must say. Five episodes have aired since its November 29th premiere, and it can be called one heck of a season premiere at that. The story is not so much a part of the movie continuity, but it takes heavy inspiration from that timeline, so you can call this show a "spiritual successor" of sorts. The Autobots remain the minority and continue to safeguard humanity from the evil Decepticons, who are bent on conquering the everything to achieve total domination in the universe. Old favorites return of course, andOptimus Prime and Bumblebee in particular look like their movie counterparts, so as not to alienate the new kids who appreciate the film franchise. Also, legendary Prime voice actor Peter Cullen returns to the role that defined his career, so that's gotta give plus points to this show that old school TF fans like myself will enjoy watching once we hear that familiar heroic voice boom in our TV sets. To add icing in the cake, another familiar name returns as well - namely Frank Welker, who once again assumes the role of Optimus' greatest nemesis, Megatron! That's two voice acting legends back in the Transformers universe, so how can you not be curious about Transformers Prime?
There's a lot of familiar names in Prime to get the fans excited for this show. Arcee and Ratchet from the old guard return with new personalities that will definitely intrigue viewers. Anyone who enjoyed Animated will be glad to see that Bulkhead made the cut too. Fortunately, he's not as dumb as he was in that show, so rest easy with the major comedy relief thoughts. Humor is still in this show, but there's a huge layer of dark storytelling present as well, and the Decepticons are not adversaries to be taken lightly. Heck, this may be a SPOILER to some, but Cliffjumper, one of the most recognizable names in Transformers history, is killed off early on in the first episode, and he was voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson no less! The 'cons don't mess around, and Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and the gang have as much dark intentions as they have superior numbers to overwhelm the Autobots in a bot fight. Fortunately, our heroes don't go down that easy, and they have new human allies to count on as well. While I don't really care for the latter group, they do ground the storytelling and make the Autobots more involved with earthly affairs.
Since five episodes just premiered, it's too early to tell how they fair in the grand scheme of things. Right now, one thing is certain - Transformers Prime has impressed me so far, and I can't wait to see the rest of the show in its 26 episode season run!
I've just learned a stunning and remarkable announcement from a post over at Superherohype! For the first time ever in its history of publishing and presenting beloved comic book characters, DC Comics, together with Warner Bros., are paving the way for a world arena tour live show featuring none other than the Dark Knight himself, Batman! Yes, Batman Live is coming, and it sounds pretty epic and awesome!
The idiots are back... and I mean that in a good way!
Via Enewsi, News is out that famed animator, director, and voice actor Mike Judge will return to the series that he created and is arguably best known for - Beavis and Butt-Head! Yes, those two imbeciles who starred in the classic animated show of the same name that originally aired on MTV will be returning at some point, as Judge has pointed out that he is developing 30 brand new episodes for television. Which network and what date has not be set, but the series will remain the same as before, in classic 2D animation that portrays how idiotic the duo can be. Need something to refresh your memory of these two? Here ya go with the classic intro:
Another legendary performer has left us. So many of them are gone too soon this year.:(
Via a post from Kotaku, sad news rocked the wrestling, entertainment, and gaming world today, as the legendary Lou Albano passed away at the age of 76, already suffering from failing health after getting a heart attack back in 2005. Most famously known in the wrestling community as "Captain Lou", Mr. Albano is also a WWE Hall Of Famer, having served as manager to great talents and as a commentator in addition to his wrestling career. He was also known for playing the "dad" of 80's pop star Cyndi Lauper in her videos, as well as making the transition to Hollywood, starring in a number of films and series, including Miami Vice.
Probably his biggest break was playing the iconic video game character Mario from the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! This was the part I remember Lou the most for. He was the first person to play a Live-Action Mario, as well as voice the character in the animated show. I can still remember the intro to the show, and the dance he made as well.
Super Marios Bros. Super Show! Intro
While he was significantly taller and chubbier than our Nintendo Plumber hero in the games, kids loved Lou's performance as well as the strong Italian accent he gave to the character. I fondly remember the days when I'd eagerly wake up on a Saturday morning just to catch this show. While I liked the cartoon and story, the live action segments were the best, with Lou delivering funny skits alongside Luigi (played by Danny Wells) in their place in Brooklyn, often visited by famous celebreties and actors. Those were the good times, and I sorely miss them a lot.
Rest In Peace, Captain Lou, and you'll be forever remembered as the first man to take up that famous plumbing suit we all know and love in gaming history.
I haven't been watching Smallville lately, but I used to enjoy the "off continuity" spin-offs they'd play on a young Clark Kent's life. Add to the fact that it made Tom Welling, Kirsten Kreuk, and Michael Rosenbaum household and popculture names in the the entertainment industry, and you have one popular show that tells a different side of the epic Superman Mythology.
Since the time Kirsten's Lana Lang and Mr. Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor left the show, it's been pretty much left to Tom's Clark Kent and the rest of the remaining Smallville team to carry the torch and breath more life to it. Since I haven't been keeping up with the show, I've been at a loss at what's going on except for the fact that Clark's more aware with his Kryptonian lineage than ever before and he's now based in Metropolis (it WAS inevitable). Now, a new pic has surfaced in the web showing Clark Kent step up to the role he was destined to take anyway. Starting sometime in Season 9, say hello to his "alter ego":
Tom Welling as "Superman". Hmm... I don't know what to think. Looks a little too Matrix-y and out of place. I don't know if this will click with the hardcore Superman fanbase, but one thing's for sure... the show better explain why the red, yellow, and blue tights was vetoed over this get up.
SDCC '09 has gotta be Marvel's playground. They're dropping the bombshell announcements as we speak.
According to Marvelousnews.com, Marvel will producing a plethora of new animated movies, shows, and anime... that's right, ANIME. Their animated stuff will compose of some of the best concepts and characters they have in their stockpile. From X-men to Blade, we'll be getting a kick out of the Land Of The Rising Sun's animation style courtesy of the folks from Madhouse entertainment - the folks who produced a many famous anime shows such as Trigun and Gungrave. Also, all of these shows will be written by Warren Ellis, so you can expect major awesome stories to come forth after giving fans so much to geek on about with G.I.Joe Resolute.
Starting things off with the upcoming Marvel Anime projects is a trailer on "Wolverine":
That one was ok... but ONE trailer I'm really happy about is this:
Damn right... IRON MAN goes ANIME, and it's in the vein of Mech Action meets Lupin III. I'm already sold for this, yessirree. It's fitting that Mr. Ellis is doing this, since he has played his hand with Iron Man back with the Extremis story arc a few years ago.Damn... I can't wait to see these shows already.
Well whaddya know... The Crusader's Realm is officially announced! If you're reading this blog for the first time, welcome to the site! Several posts have been made since the start of July, but feel free to navigate down and take a look at them again. All of these are just a taste of what's to come as we go along, so I hope you enjoy reading everything here, and now we get back to show!
After a long night of partying and surprise, I woke up to this Fourth of July morning eager for some Saturday morning toons to catch at Cartoon Network. I certainly did just that, but I also remembered that today marked the official CN debut of Masked Rider Kabuto, and being a big fan of the series, I made it a point to see the show despite my misgivings on "the dubbing treatment" of similar shows on the network itself. Before anything else, here's a little primer for the unfamiliar.
Masked Rider Kabuto - Also known as "Kamen Rider Kabuto" in Japan, is just one of the many installments of the popular Kamen Rider franchise, which has spawned several characters and riders that continue to entertain kids and folks around the world thanks to it's spectacular use of stunts, suit actors, and special effects. Originally premiering back in 2006 and representing the franchise's 35th anniversary, KRK tells the story of Tendou Souji, a man who usually quotes his grandmother and appears to be quite skilled and confident, especially when it comes to cooking delicious cuisines of all kinds. He has trained vigorously for seven years, awaiting the day when his destiny call out and gives him his life mission - to become Kamen Rider Kabuto. Using a belt buckle and a mysterious device known as a Zecter, Tendou is able to transform into the crimson clad, blue-eyed hero, to combat a mysterious alien race known only to humanity as "Worms". As Kabuto, he empowered by the Masked Rider System, a device that gives the user the ability to bend space/ time via the "Clock Up System", which is perfect in dealing with the alien menace that has the ability to mimic people and move at fast speeds.
Back in its Heyday, KRK was a hit and clicked right away with its viewers. It was considered by many fans to be a "return to basics" in Kamen Rider standards, foregoing the use of gimmicks like cards and musical instruments and instead reusing simple transformation devices - in this case, "Zecters". As the series progressed, we would be introduced to several other Riders, each with their own style and motif that serves to aid or impede Kabuto's mission in destroying the Worms once and for all. Running for a total of 49 episodes, the show's popularity was only smeared by the rushed ending and many unresolved issues that were left hanging because of time constraints. Still, the series was able to deliver, and even spawned a theatrical movie called "God Speed Love". Popular J-actors also lent their amazing talents to the show and became even more successful as a result - such as the man who plays Tendou himself, Hiro Mizushima. It also had a cool opening - NEXT LEVEL as performed by YU-KI. Check it below and see for yourselves how awesome it looks.
Going back to the show itself, I just caught the first episode of the "dubbed version"... and it was ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE.O.o The same guys who usually dub shows on Animax and Asian Live Action features are back... only this time their performance here sounds more like a flat script reading session that's full of dead air. Seeing this just tightens my dedication to stick to the original Japanese itself (which was absolutely GREAT btw). Much of the jokes were lost in translation, and everyone sounded like a hokey circus act with no direction whatsoever. I also got irritated during the transformation sequence... the actor shouts "Transform" while the Zecter retains "HENSHIN"?! (Japanese for doi, Transform!). Man... this was one messed up dubbed. I'm sure it's truly aimed for kids who could care less for story and just want more action, but personally, I feel it's a waste. A show that was as good as Kabuto deserves some respectful treatment, but I guess some people just don't understand the novelty of an item... especially when it comes to retaining it's original presentation.
Earlier this weekend, Nickelodeon released a teaser image of their new and upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, which is set to debut sometime in 2012. Now, via Enewsi and You Tube, fans of the series get an early sneak peek at what the new "Heroes in a Half Shell" look like in their CG inspired new show next year! Check out the video below!
Transformers Prime. The new animated Computer Generated series based on Hasbro's infamous toy franchise. If there's one thing to be said about this series, I never expected it to be THAT GOOD, and the plot consistency of each episode coupled with so much kick ass action deserves the praise and love it gets from its viewers. The show, produced by Transformers movie writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, obviously takes a cue from the movie franchise with its dark look and alien robot tone, but it also draws inspiration from several other TF shows, namely Transformers Animated and Beast Wars, with this new toon also bearing similarities to latter, which was also a dark themed CG animated series that took some time for me to get used to. I'll admit, I grew up with the tried and true "Generation 1" era of Transformers, and nothing has stood the test of time or surpassed the fandom that series has amassed to this day. However, there have been several exceptions with the other TF related shows over the years, and I'd like to include this one on that list.
Via Enewsi, News is out that famed animator, director, and voice actor Mike Judge will return to the series that he created and is arguably best known for - Beavis and Butt-Head! Yes, those two imbeciles who starred in the classic animated show of the same name that originally aired on MTV will be returning at some point, as Judge has pointed out that he is developing 30 brand new episodes for television. Which network and what date has not be set, but the series will remain the same as before, in classic 2D animation that portrays how idiotic the duo can be. Need something to refresh your memory of these two? Here ya go with the classic intro:
