SB-02: Boomerang 1.0 | Step 1: Build A Foundation

Disclaimer (or The CNX Clause): All original ideas and concepts presented within the site are TM and © Jeff Harris. Any use or presentation of the materials found here without the expressed written consent and permission of the author is strictly prohibited.

The name "Boomerang" evokes many words. One of those words is "return." Even if you try to throw it away, a boomerang always comes back to you (I've heard that used as a slogan somewhere).

Boomerang is currently the only place in the United States to catch older animation titles. Nowadays, they're seen as "throw away" programming, older shows that is already paid for and really doesn't need to attract a certain demographic. That's all they see these shows as, and that's a damn shame.

Boomerang is built on the act of returning. You take the "T," the "throw away" mentality, from the word "return" and shift the "R" and the "U" and you have the word "rerun." Now "reruns" aren't really seen as a good thing, but I feel these "reruns" should be the core foundation of the network. Any builder knows that the foundation is the most important part of any building, and this is true when it comes to network building as well. Boomerang's core foundation, and, in essence, its identity, should be built up of the following:

- Theatrical shorts from the golden age of animation: Above everything, the classic animation titles from the major studios should make up part of the core of the network. The legacy theatrical titles of the Warner Cartoon Group, restored for future generations, should make up a significant bulk of shorts seen on Boomerang, not an afterthought. There's no reason why titles from that era shouldn't be seen on Boomerang in a larger capacity than they are.

- Classic television shows that have stood the test of time: You know the shows. Limited animation powered by brilliant writing and terrific voice-acting. The shows that helped launch the television industry and the television animation industry. These shows and shorts should also make up a vital core of Boomerang, just as much as classic theatrical shorts are. They should be presented in their original formats as well as in packaged incarnations.

- Embrace the medium historically: That's something you don't see nor feel on Boomerang (or Cartoon Network) these days, and that's a shame. Animation isn't just "cheap" entertainment. It's an artform that has been celebrated all over the world, inspiring generations of creators even to this day. As much as the animated productions should take precedence of the network, it should also reinforce (and introduce) the history behind the shows and the creators and artists who worked on them.

- Embrace the classy and the kitsch: The dual sides of Boomerang, the characters, shows, and shorts animation critics and historians see as the absolute acme of animation as well as those that have maintained cult, almost fanatical status for generations. Oscar and Emmy-caliber productions in addition to those shows that are considered cool because they entertained them for various reasons. Just as much as Boomerang should celebrate the traditional stars, Boomerang should also celebrate those that have maintained a level of success and fame decades after they debuted.

These are the four core foundations of Boomerang. Nothing from the modern era. Nothing that was on Cartoon Network exclusively two years ago, let alone eight. Classic animation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

This is Boomerang: The Classic Cartoon Network. Home of legendary characters and popular series and shorts. Classy. Kitschy. Cool.

But something's odd. Boomerang is currently based in Atlanta. Not exactly the heart of the animation industry. There's a reason why I said that Boomerang needs to move to Los Angeles.