Cartoons

We missed the actual anniversary, but Cartoon Brew noted that 20 years ago yesterday -- August 11, 1991 marked the debut of the Nicktoons programming block, including Ren & Stimpy, perhaps the most influential cartoon of the last quarter century. Early episodes featured John K's eccentric genius unleashed and ushered in an age of more personal, biting animation -- and for a little while Happy Happy Joy Joy, Muddy Mudskipper and Log were household names, as hipsters called one another "you eediot!" and were urged not to qhiz on the electric fence. We wanted to embed this clip from "Ren's Toothache," the most horrible cartoon ever made, but a still will have to do.

Despite the awful, whitewashed M. Night Shyamalan movie, AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER retains its passionate fanbase, and news of a sequel, THE LEGEND OF KORRA, a 26-episode miniseries, has had hearts a fluttering for some time. The trailer was released at Comic-Con, and the panel had lots of news about the show, which is slated to air next year.

The Bruce Timm-designed superhero character The Flaming C -- aka Conan O'Brien -- has proven to have legs, probably because of that sexy fishnetssock garters combo he wears. Conan was a big topic at the big show, with an off-site art gallery, and a much hyped special appearance. Here's the trailer that made a guest appearance at the animated Green Lantern cartoon. While we'd totally watch a show that looked like this, maybe 73 is just long enough.

Well, the second full day of Comic-Con is coming to an end, and there's been lots of amazing stuff announced! I've diligently sat deep in Stately Beat Manor, watching the news feeds, so you don't have to! Read on!

A lengthy trailer for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn has finally been released that actually shows faces and things. As you may recall, this film is a collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson and has been fashioned using mocap technology -- and will be presented in 3D PLUSSES: Obviously a very smart lietrate script by Steve Moffat (Doctor Who), Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim) and Joe Cornish (many smart British things.) It's not too often you watch a trailer for an action movie and think "Wow, that is a well written script!" MINUSES: Jeepers did they shoot this in some kind of overcranked mode? It is so ssslllloooowwww. Everyone moves in poetic Malick-cam motion.

Anina Bennett wrote to share the cover to FUTURAMA #57, a steampunk story which includes a mashup of acerbic robot Bender with historical chameleon robot Boilerplate (created by Paul Guinan and Bennett) called...Benderplate. It had to happen.

Kate Beaton shows us how to celebrate with her Strong Female Characters®.

The weekly round-up of nerd world media news has Cap II already, a hot Wonder Woman and more!

The film may be this summer's biggest evidence for Superhero Fatigue, but Green Lantern isn't going away, oh no. He'll star, as planned, in GREEN LANTERN: THE ANIMATED SERIES on the Cartoon Network this fall. A new trailer was just released and you can download some wallpaper. The show is produced by Bruce Timm in a 3D animated style much influenced by THE INCREDIBLES, and features Hal (Josh Keaton), Killowog (Michael Clarke Duncan) and others going up against Red Lanterns.

James Kochalka alertly spotted a tribute/homage/rip-off of Jim Woodring's peculiar iconography on the cartoon ADVENTURE TIME, which generally features lots of art-comix references and tributes. The essential education of America's youth proceeds apace.

YouTube user BronyVids has been sharpening his/her Final Cut skills on My Little Pony Mash-ups, and it is WATCHMEN's turn. We had no idea My Little Pony looked so good and we totally want to watch it now.

Last night the newest reboot of the Looney Tunes, The Looney Tunes Show aired on the Cartoon Network and I didn't watch it, but there are a bunch of clips floating about such as the above. The show is billed as a new concept for the venerable characters -- Bugs and Daffy have moved to the suburbs and are roommates and have wacky neighbors. YOU know...a sitcom. You should probably give this clip it a watch before you read the following, because I wouldn't want to prejudice anyone. Rebooting the Looney Tunes is one of the most thankless tasks on earth, and the general level of wretchedness of the various efforts over the years testifies to how pointless it is.