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| Welcome To The X Bridge | The Mission Statement |
 This is TXB.
The X Bridge. The site launched on July 10, 1998 as CN2/CNX Toonami Revolution (the renaming of the site to CNX occurred shortly before the site's first anniversary). In September 2000, the site moved to its current host, Toon Zone, a major animation news, information, and fan community portal. In June 2003, CNX Toonami Revolution was renamed The X Bridge to fully broaden its focus from exclusively covering the Toonami block and animation opinion as a whole. I talk about action-animation. I talk about Japanese animation. I talk about comics. I talk about manga. I talk about animation and comic-inspired fare like movies, books, and the like. I talk about the outlets where they could be found. I'll talk to those behind the scenes because they're the reason we all gravitate to them in the first place. I won't suck up nor pander to certain creators or studios like other webpages tend to. I don't follow history, but rather observe, celebrate, and respect the past, examine and critique the present, and ponder what's next and what could or should be. I'll be upfront with you about who I like, who I don't, and why I feel this way. No need to lie or see things through rose-colored Polyanna glasses. What I'll say here is not going to be pretty, and it won't be pleasant, but it will be said. With that said, welcome to a webpage where creative thought meets rational vision. An independent domain where the animation industry is broken down and looked with a critical eye through many perspectives instead of myopic, sycophantic blinders. A place where ALL creators can be heard in an environment that respects and lauds the creative process. A destination where anime, old-school, foreign, and modern animation all meet together with no prejudice nor disdain. Welcome is The X Bridge. To all the loyal readers who has been with me through the City years, the Toonami explosion and implosion, the name change, and everything else, thank you for checking out the site over the last decade. If this is your first trip here, well, I hope you find something that interests you along the way.
- Jeff Harris,
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| BRIDGECENTER - News From and About The X Bridge |
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Now I'm Apparently Awesome By Default 04/13/09 by Jeff Harris Interrupting my brief hiatus to tell you guys about an article I wrote for my friends over at Awesome By Default. I had to get something off my chest about the whole live-action situation at Cartoon Network without sounding like an out-of-breath buffoon frothing at the mouth and screaming for the heads of the executives on a pike. The result was this article, "Cartoon Network Minus Cartoons." In the end, it was kind of cathartic, and I'm glad to get those feelings out of my system. Now, I can continue working on The First Phase, which is coming in a week on The X Bridge. In the meantime, check out "Cartoon Network Minus Cartoons" and the rest of Awesome by Default and talk amongst yourselves.
The Message - Now 100% Rickroll Free!
Not An Update #10
Not An Update #10 - going hot.
Not An Update #9 and Revisiting The New Rules
Now that's out of the way, here's another new NAU for your eyes. There's an unspoken word in the anime community. It's not unspoken because they ignore it. It's unspoken because it's unknown to a lot of them. This word was largely replaced by a slightly more Western word that dominates the industry to this day. That word is revealed right here.
Also, let's take a trip on the Wayback Machine in the recent past. In case you missed it the first time back in June, I created some new rules for the old medium of television. Television has been ran under the same archaic rules that had been in place since the days of DuMont. If you don't know what DuMont is, well, it's a broadcast channel that has been off the air for over 50 years. It's kind of timely because this was supposed to be the week that the country makes the big switch to digital television. It was delayed largely because broadcast networks don't have a plan ready for the change (by the way, all the crybabies that whine about how it's unfair for them to delay can still watch digital programming and don't have to wait until June). Perhaps in that time, everyone from the producers to the networks to the goverment, could reestablish the rules. They won't, but I've pointed out a few outlines in this recent classic, "The New Rules."
Maybe they could get it right this time.
Not An Update #8
Here's the new NAU. It's pretty much me having lack of an interest in the sham that is the Best Animated Picture category at the Oscars in a couple of weeks. It's almost a 99.99999999995% fact that Wall-E will win (it's in the brains of the Academy and 9/10 animation critics that every film the Almighty Lamp does is the greatest animatef film ever made, and deserves to win every thing every year, meaning Up will get the award next year), but that's not why I'm not having much of an interest in the category this year.
Twenty O'Nine, Welcome Back, Promises of Change, and Not An Update #7
Now that's out the way, welcome back to The X Bridge. It's been a while since I've updated this site, and I thank you all for your patience. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things back here, and, quite frankly, it's going to be baby steps for a while.
So, first thing's first. There are going to be changes around these parts, but I can't get into those changes right now. Toonami's history, but it's not going to be my only legacy around here. Toonami will have a permanent hall at The X Bridge. The Toonami Forum at Toon Zone on the other hand, well, that particular section's going to be more site-oriented, so the portion of Toonami fans that don't really read the site aren't going to like it.
There will be at least two other projects present within the confines of The X Bridge by the end of the year that are more creative and less confrontational. One's a long time coming. The other is something else. etails to come on those.
Finally, I did ink out the first NAU of 2009. I've actually gotten to the point of not caring these days and I realized why. BXT will be back in the ooming weeks.
Don't blink.
Not An Update #5, Geph #4, and A New Extra At Absolution Station
Not An Update #5: Yeah, I think Disney XD is a stupid name.
Gephyrophilia #4: Short and sweet this week
Casting Bebop: Because Keanu Reeves is NOT Spike.
Better stuff in the coming weeks.
Not An Update #4, Geph #3, and A New Cover Story At Absolution Station
Not An Update #4: Have you ever felt that you're talking to an empty crowd? I feel that way sometimes.
Gephyrophilia #3: A week after an unexpected hiatus, and I'm wondering if DC Comics will ever get their act straight about media adaptations, the surprising return of Milestone Media characters, the birth of a new independent animation powerhouse, the pondering of what Saturday mornings will look like, and curiousity about what a live-action Cowboy Bebop would look like.
Can DC Comics Truly Become Media Savvy?: While The Dark Knight is breaking records every week, DC Comics seems to be dragging its feet in adapting their properties to other media. What's the holdup and what can they do?
Combined with an updated list Toonami Opinions and an updated Toonami History Timeline at TICA Base as well as that crazy Toonami video I posted earlier in the week, you've got quite an update here at The X Bridge.
Not bad for a one-man operation that's pretty much giving you free entertainment.
Real Update Later In The Week
The Dark Knight
Gephyrophilia #2
Not An Update #3 and How To Draw Stupid
After you're done with that (or before if you're ambitious), check out a review of a newer book on the bookshelves this week. It's from one of the best cartoonists in the business today, Kyle Baker, and he's going to show you how to make a cartoon great in his new book How to Draw Stupid. Check out my review and the others in the review section of BXT.
Making Comics Do you like comic books? Do you like Japanese comic books?
Do you know why?
Scott McCloud does, and if you ever wanted to create your own titles, here's a review of a book that explains it all. Think of it as a science textbook that actually teaches you something you could actually use in life. Head over to the Reviews section of BXT and read a review of Making Comics.
7.X.8
BXT: Absolution Station - The link between Information and Thought. More details inside.
Not An Update - Remember Watch This Space? That section's gone. This is something new. Something better.
Scratchbuilding - Something new's been added. Check it out.
More updates in the coming weeks. Had to work with weather over the last week or two.
Take care.
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