Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #100

Originally Posted on 01/29/2004 by Jeff Harris

Before I begin, many of you are probably wondering why I didn't make a big to-do about the Golden Naked Baldheaded Man Awards annnouncements this year. Probably because I kind of figured that, at least in my favorite category, Best Animated Picture, there really wasn't any competition. Aside from Finding Nemo, not many good animated films were released in 2003, and it shows. Pity anime distributors didn't take advantage of Spirited Away's win last year to release more major films theatrically to wider audiences. Finding Nemo will win, and once again, Disney will get an Oscar for something they didn't actively work on. Still, I'll root for Roy Disney if the studio will allow him to go to the awards.

That banner on the left? He-Man.org is hosting a petition site to help save the Masters of the Universe revival from ending prematurely. The action figures, comics, and Toonami veteran are in danger of coming to an end because of lack of support from retailers and apparently the series creator, Mattel Toys. There aren't many American-created action franchises anymore, and it's a shame that such a well-crafted franchise might end because of lack of support. I say join them in their petttttttt - - -*begin interruption*

(GREETINGS . . . FROM THE FUTURE: Aloha, Bridgecrossers. The Webmaster here. And you're probably wondering why I'm interrupting this post for the petition. Apparently, the petition was somewhat of a failure, but it did open up the eyes of Mattel about the Masters of the Universe property. The Four Horsement produced sculptures based on the look of the 2003 series and, pretty recently, started producing deluxe action figures based on the original classic designs but with greater playability and posability. Also, the classic 80s episodes, the second series, and the most recent series all made it to DVD. Still, it is a shame that the revamped MOTU didn't last long since it's obvious they had a lot of potential left in it, not to mention years of stories that could have been told. Oh well, it's a pity - jh, 7/10/07, revised 7/10/09)

*resume transmission*

I'm still trying to figure out exactly when did a virtually unknown long-distance carrier like IDT become the parent company of independent brands like Film Roman, Anchor Bay, and Mainframe Entertainment. They made waves this week by buying a small-but-significant share of Archie Comics' entertainment unit.

About Jetix hitting a homerun out of the park, forget about it. The schedule has been released, and apparently the formerly all-animation channel Toon Disney will air Digimon every night along with putting two of their less-received action franchises (The Legend of Tarzan and Buzz Lightyear) on the marquee lineup, which will air from 7 PM to 9 PM on weeknights. In addition, Power Rangers Ninja Storm will air on weeknights on Toon Disney. Shameful. I'm hoping that the programmers decision to put Power Rangers on the TD Jetix lineup is a temporary one, one that should get definitely get the ire of every animation fan in the United States. I'm still frustrated that I'm the only animation webmaster that's ticked by the network's decision. But then again, not many people watch Toon Disney in the first place, so who really cares?

More people watch Cartoon Network anyway, but they're definitely getting on the ire of a significant portion of their viewership. It's not as large as it once was, but they are amongst the most loyal viewers of the network. Now, I'm not going to argue whether or not Gundam SEED should be on Saturday nights (I did that already), but I'm just wondering if Cartoon Network knows what damage it's doing to their afternoon action franchise. Granted, Toonami isn't lacking in prime acquisitions (there's a couple of surprises that might spark an interest or two up their sleeves), but the placement of Gundam SEED on a block poohed on by many Toonami faithful is kind of a spit in the eye. That action might end up creating a bigger reaction in the coming months (I say might because I can't predict the future; if I could, I'd play the lottery so I can afford a new computer). Last year was good for the block as well as bad. More often than not, the fans of Toonami tended to look at the bad rather than the good that came in 2003. Now it's 2004, and apparently, they are fearful of what the block will bring, mainly because of the high profile acquisitions that AREN'T coming to Toonami.

Not that high profile acquisitions are all that. Most of the best shows to air on Toonami were low-profile shows like Zoids: Chaotic Century, The Big O, and Cyborg 009, but I digress.

The thing is that Toonami isn't the worst block on the planet, yet the network, through its actions, believes it is. Cartoon Network's US division doesn't give Toonami any real respect. The only time the network seemed to really give a damn about the block was between the end of 1999 and the third quarter of 2001. Hell, Toon Disney positioned its Jetix coverage in the post-Toonami hour rather than competing against it, so their is a little respect (and maybe a little fear) from that network. This isn't a slam towards the Saturday block either, but their is something about having confidence in the Toonami brand that gives viewers who faithfully watch the block something to look forward to. Toonami is somewhat well-received all over the planet, even spawning a network in the UK, and yet Toonami doesn't seem to have that kind of clout in its homeland. Toonami has been around for almost seven years, the longest-running action block on cable television ever, and has been the home of several of Cartoon Network's highest-rated broadcasts. For everybody ready to protest the network, wait. Have faith in what CN is going to do in the coming months. We have to at least hold on to the faith, because at this rate, it's going to be the only thing we have left. When that is gone, that's when we, the fans, will remind the network of what Toonami is all about.

*end transmission*

Jeff Harris,
The X Bridge Creator/Webmaster
January 29, 2004