CarlManvers2019
Writers Blocked Douchebag
The Hobbit, I can already tell
Robert E Howard’s works, probably Seinen
Robert E Howard’s works, probably Seinen
Funny thing about that, mate, Battletech is going back to the more Gundam-esque (if blockier) designs these days.I prefer the Gundam-esque redesigns of Battlemechs for the Japanese release of Battletech, by Macross and Zeta Gundam designer Shoji Kawamori. I guess it's sorta murky because the original Battletech designs were just licensed Macross designs anyway. I love the "feudalism in space with giant robots" lore of early Battletech, but I hate the ugly stompy mechs that came after the Harmony Gold fiasco. The Timberwolf is the only decent looking stompy mech. I love the designs of Gundam, but I don't really like the lore of most of the shows. Iron-Blooded Orphans was a move in the right direction for me, with melee combat and feudal houses and the story wasn't restricted to Earth (they were colonizing Mars, and the mafia hung out around Jupiter).
And it was awesome. Shame we never got an actual western fantasy series of the same caliber.Record of Lodoss war was TSR era Dungeons and Dragons.
Rankin/Bass put out some impressive work; though admittedly, they were an exception. They also made movies, never a whole series. Sadly, both animation and the fantasy genre as a whole were mostly treated as children's fare for a very long time in America; not something worth much effort to produce, outside of the literary sphere.And it was awesome. Shame we never got an actual western fantasy series of the same caliber.
Largely because cartoons like Disney's Gargoyles (i.e. one of the poster-boys of 'cartoons that are genuinely for all ages') never made that much of an impact in the cartoon sphere, especially after cartoons became 25-minute toy commercials. The various Batman cartoons (especially Batman: the Animated Series) and other comic book cartoons are the exceptions to the rule due to the fact that they've already got a fairly large viewer base already on hand.Rankin/Bass put out some impressive work; though admittedly, they were an exception. They also made movies, never a whole series. Sadly, both animation and the fantasy genre as a whole were mostly treated as children's fare for a very long time in America; not something worth much effort to produce, outside of the literary sphere.
Part of that is due to the fact that more serious cartoons never get the marketing budget the more child-oriented fare does. Nickelodeon made sure everyone knew Spongebob Squarepants existed; what did Disney do for Gargoyles?Largely because cartoons like Disney's Gargoyles (i.e. one of the poster-boys of 'cartoons that are genuinely for all ages') never made that much of an impact in the cartoon sphere, especially after cartoons became 25-minute toy commercials. The various Batman cartoons (especially Batman: the Animated Series) and other comic book cartoons are the exceptions to the rule due to the fact that they've already got a fairly large viewer base already on hand.
What has impacted the cartoon sphere is cartoons like Spongebob.
Back in the Hayday of the Disney Afternoon? Quite a bit actually (alongside Ducktales, Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, Gummi Bears, Talespin, and a few others). The real problem is that it was going up against cartoon heavyweights like Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, Talespin, and Ducktales within that block.Part of that is due to the fact that more serious cartoons never get the marketing budget the more child-oriented fare does. Nickelodeon made sure everyone knew Spongebob Squarepants existed; what did Disney do for Gargoyles?
That isn't the case, I'm afraid. The sad reality, from what I can tell, is that the higher the minimum age bracket, the worse your RoI is when it comes to animation (and, surprisingly, movies as well).That's where the big merchandise sales are, supposedly, so from a straight business perspective that does make some sense. On the flip side, it's equally valid to say that a show that caters to a larger age bracket, like something that's PG-13+, can make you even more merchandise money because the scope of said merchandise has just broadened considerably.