One interesting thing is that since Disney bought Pixar, John Lasseter has been put in charge of the animation department and wants to bring back 2-D animation.... SCHWING

 

 

 

Pixar has certainly shown us all what can be done with CG animation, but it's only a medium; it can't ever replace hand-drawn animation (which is a different medium). With CG, you lose all spontaneity because every move has to be plotted out in advance. And while that allows for greater precision, it also renders many CG films completely lifeless. The only CG film that I truly love as a CG film is The Incredibles... everything else could have been just as effective (or more) in traditional 2-D animation.

Too be fair, MotU art designs were fairly simplistic compared to TF, and in TF, the cels were likely colored out of order, and when you've got umpteen characters with the same animation model who's only distinguishing features are the colors, you're bound to have screw-ups. That being said however, oversized/undersized animation models were just complete lack of effort.

 

Also, early GI-Joe 'toon was similar quality to TF's, but the art in the later GI-Joe 'toon that died in the early 90's seemed exceptional, albeit short-lived.

The G1 cartoon was camp?! zOMG why didnt any1 tell m3?!?!11!11!11!! (/sarcasm)

 

To be fair, I don't think the G1 cartoon was any campier than any other 80s cartoon series... in fact, compared to a lot of other 80s series, Transformers was pretty good. It sure was a helluva lot better than Challenge of the Gobots. How many times did we tune into Transformers on a Saturday morning, leaving us with a feeling of elation, then we'd tune in to watch Gobots, leaving us with an urge to commit mass homocide. Only to then watch MotU, leaving us with confused sexuality issues. ;p

 

But yeah... it's been no big secret that the G1 cartoon story is camp and corny. If you want a better source of G1 canon, make yours Marvel. ;)

 

"Ironically, Transformers has the most human characters of all the '80s cartoons we watched." - "20 Year Toon Up," ToyFare #108

MH, you live in lebanon?

 

that was all

 

*goes back toe being a dick*

2 reasons the TF cartoon existed

 

1) to buy Transformers

 

2) to buy MORE Transformers!!!!

 

And boy did it work!! :yay

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feed me steak tonight.... you will

MH, you live in lebanon?

 

that was all

 

*goes back toe being a dick*

I moved here from Syria about five years ago to join Hezbollah. It's a little-known fact about me.

One interesting thing is that since Disney bought Pixar, John Lasseter has been put in charge of the animation department and wants to bring back 2-D animation.... SCHWING

 

 

 

Pixar has certainly shown us all what can be done with CG animation, but it's only a medium; it can't ever replace hand-drawn animation (which is a different medium). With CG, you lose all spontaneity because every move has to be plotted out in advance. And while that allows for greater precision, it also renders many CG films completely lifeless. The only CG film that I truly love as a CG film is The Incredibles... everything else could have been just as effective (or more) in traditional 2-D animation.

 

I disagree with your last line.

 

I just can't imagien toy story as hand drawn, or pretty much any other Pixar film.

 

now, stuff like Over the Hedge...

 

Everything started to decline in the 1950's.... again, blame television

 

 

 

by the 1960's WB cartoons were a pale shadow of their former selves :tfsad

 

 

 

although it is interesting to me that the minimalist 60's aesthetic has inspired so much imitation, from Ren & Stimpy to Powerpuff Girls to Spongebob....... etc

 

John K claimed in his blog that his greatest influences were the '40s cartoons. hell, he point blank said "Buy this book, watch a bunch of '40s shorts and you'll know mroe about animation than any shcool today can teach you" once. the book in question was on the details of '40s animation art or osmethng. I believe it wasa technical examination of the various art styles of the time.

 

edit: I wouldn't go so far as to call Spongebob minimalistic... it's not the most complecated art, but it's a lot better than say Fairly Oddparents and *Shudders* Xaolin Showdown.

 

also, the only truly well animated cartoon in the '90s, was, IMO, the first few seasons of Rugrats.

Don't get me wrong... I love Pixar, but I guess (for me) The Incredibles demonstrated a mastery of the medium that for the first time really compared favorably to classic 2-D animation. Like, where you weren't constantly reminded that you were watching a CG movie because characters ran funny or talked funny or ... you know, any of that stuff that you see a lot in lesser CG films. It was like they had finally got past all the physics issues and were now able to concentrate on the artistry.

 

Of course, I give Brad Bird a lot of credit for that movie, since he freaking rules the universe.

 

and BTW I mentioned Spongebob only because it has certain design elements from 60's cartoons. But nothing to the level of Powerpuff Girls (for example).

CGI childrens movies is the fad of the decade. Just because Finding Nemo, Shrek and the Incredibles were great doesn't mean CGI = better than drawn animation. I mean look at Madagascar, Over the Hedge and Shark tale to name but a few. Not so great are they?

G1 more juvenile than He-Man?!

 

I have one thing to say to that.

 

Orko.

 

:::shudder:::

 

I can't speak for GI Joe cuz I never watched it much...