Gephyrophillia | Not An Update #4

Originally Posted on 07/30/2008 by Jeff Harris

This is not an update.

It's a request for feedback. Any kind of feedback. Hate mail. Love mail. What I'm doing right here at TXB. What I'm doing wrong. Do you like what you see here? Do you hate it? Do you want the layout to remain the same? You want the old look back? Do you want more Toonami coverage? Do you want less? Any sign of life out there from the readers.

I just want to know if anybody is out there reading these pages. I know somebody is reading other than me, but at times, it seems that it's just a one-way avenue. I wanted the site to be more interactive when I relaunched. I also wanted this site to be more than just a fansite for a dying block.

Yes, I do believe Toonami is a dying block because there's nothing out there to convince me otherwise. When I said the end of the block is nigh, it could be next week. It could be next year. But it's closer today than it was a year ago. I know there's no official announcement stating Toonami is ending, but when you have one of the creators questioning and doubting the longevity of the block, I think those that refuse to believe need to really take notice instead of clinging on to something that honestly isn't there.

Nobody ever officially says that something's gone at Cartoon Network. It just . . . goes. Look at Super Adventures, Toonheads, Looney Tunes, SVES, Tickle U, Popeye, The Powerpuff Girls, Fridays, and Miguzi. Do you think Cartoon Network would actually have an official press release announcing the end of Toonami? But people still hold on to the belief that Toonami is coming back. It's not coming back. It's on, but the spirit left the joint a long time ago. That's why people don't really notice or comment about it anymore. No, new promos for old reruns and one show doesn't count as "Toonami is back!" There needs to be something concrete, publicly announced, and a not-out-of-the-blue-afterthought-comment that Toonami is returning to its pre-Goosebumped four-hour format with something that doesn't immediately resemble the current issue of Shonen Jump to convince me that Toonami is actually back.

You know, they could have done something major at Cartoon Network's booth at Comic-Con last weekend concerning the fate of Toonami, but, instead, they announced a new Ben 10: Alien Force live-action movie, the acquisition of a trio of comic titles to be transformed into movies, and the continued pimping of Clone Wars (and by the looks of things, I'm growing convinced it might actually be great) and Brave and the Bold (ditto), but alas, nothing involving Toonami. People think they'd get a rise out of me if they say "Toonami suck," but I'm more inclined to agree with them these days.

If you have a problem with what I said just then, well, contact me via e-mail, and I'll reply on the site.

This two-week hiatus (mostly caused by summer storms) has been a bother of sorts. No real updates have been added, aside from a few reviews. I also know that the site doesn't have the prestige of better websites, and I'm okay with that. I don't need to be fawned over by sycophants and yes-men who agree with everything I write. I looked at some of my older articles, and I don't agree with them at times. I feel that everything I've written in the past represents older opinions I've had. I know Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post doesn't have the same opinions she had a decade ago as she does now, meaning that everybody can change.

Do I believe Cartoon Network is the best network on the planet? In 1997, I did. In 2007, I didn't. Now, they're not that bad, but they've got a lot of improvement to make to win me over again. Do I believe 4Kids Entertainment is a bad company? In 1999, no. In 2003, yes. Today, I feel they need to get off the whole card game craze, invest in more ORIGINAL programming that isn't card-based, and truly prove that they're worth what Fox and The CW are going to pay them. Otherwise, they're just a one-trick pony.

Again, if you have a problem with what I just wrote, contact me via e-mail, and I'll reply on the site.

I know people are reading. I want to hear from you. E-mail me. IM me at Toon Zone. Punch my arm if you see me on the street. Well, don't do that. I bruise easily.

This is not an update. It's a search for proof that I'm not talking to an empty room.

Jeff Harris,
Webmaster, The X Bridge.