Cartoon Review: The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan

As many of you should know, Cartoon Network's Cartoonstitute was cancelled a few months back, with only 14 shorts completed out of the targeted 39 (check this out for the list of shorts and creators). This is just one of the 14 that were made, and at the time of writing, none of the others have been leaked so far. Also, the leaked Manny and Khan short doesn't even have the ending. . .

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Name: The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan

Creator(s): Josh Lieberman & Joey Giardina

Running Time: 7-to-8 minutes

Network: Cartoon Network

Leaked: July 18th, 2009

Rating: B

Created by two inexperienced animators, Manny and Khan started out slightly different from the final product. It started out as "Bigfoot & Gnome," and was pitched on June 5th 2007 to Craig McCracken and Rob Renzetti. They both liked the idea, but wanted the characters to be more unique in appearence. Gnome, after a lot of revisions became Khan (a dwarf wearing a leprechaun costume). Bigfoot, after a lot more thought, ended up as Manny (a man-o-puss: half-man, half-platypus). With McCracken and Renzetti both accepting these versions of the characters, the short when into production. So now that we have the backstory, let's begin the review.

The plot of this short was simple and basic: two friends play with a ball. The short starts with Khan refusing to play with Manny, insisting that he has important work to do. To quiet his friend, Khan throws the ball down and helps Manny get down to the ground and retrieve the ball. However, he discovers that he has been tricked by the Man-o-Puss, since he can't get back up the tree without his friend's help. When Khan finally decides to play, seeing no other option, the real fun begins. With both of them pretending that the grass surrounding the ball is lava, they conjure numerous plans to retrieve the ball.

To be honest, the cartoon gave me a warm feeling while watching it. It reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of Spongbob Squarepants: "The Idiot Box." In that episode, the characters of Spongebob and Patrick spent the majority of the 11 minutes using their imagination to have fun. The same is done here: an ordinary idea such as fetching a ball is utterly boring on its own. However, when they imagine that the stuff surrounding it is actually lava, it suddenly becomes an adventure. The duo must come up with with some pretty creative ideas to get that red rubber ball back. I won't spoil the methods used to get the ball, but I will say that they were nice to watch.

It would be foolish to say that John Kricfalusi's animated series Ren and Stimpy didn't have an effect on the short. The show pretty much redefined animated series (at least for a child audience) when it hit the airwaves back in 1991. In fact, near the beginning, when Manny was asking Khan to play with him, the character sounded EXACTLY like Stimpy. And the way these characters interacted also seemed a bit like Ren and Stimpy. But the only reason why I won't call them R&S knock-offs is for the simple fact that we barely know the characters. In Josh Lieberman's own words:

I believe both Joey and myself know a lot more about these characters than is presented in the cartoon. It is hard to know everything about a person from a single seven minute conversation, heck, you probably won't know anything about that person realistically. He or she will be categorized within the larger compartments of your brain as a general archetype until further information is gathered.

The backgrounds for this short were nothing short of perfect for it. It really did feel like a dense forest, gave off a nice Little Golden Book feel, and the characters never seemed to be out of place in this world. The fact that the character's live inside a tree with a huge hole in it is pretty absurd, but no stranger than a pineapple underneath the sea. The voice-acting was also pretty great, and felt like they truly belonged to the characters. Thus, they truly came to life above my eyes.

So why did I give this series a "B," despite loving a lot of the material? Some jokes, like the "magic carpet" (darn, gave away one of their methods) fell flat, due to their predictability. The short is also home to a good amount of screaming, something that I don't think the animation world needs anymore of. The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan: a good try by two animation rookies, and I always find myself watching it over and over again.

*You can see the short yourself at the Big Star Animation Studios website. Go to clips, and click on the picture of "Manny and Khan."

Do The Bartman

Written by the now-deceased Micheal Jackson, Do the Bartman ended up becoming one of the most popular songs in several countries. In fact, in became #1 in five countries in 1991. Hey, I needed something animated that had something to do with the dude.

Cartoon Review: Total Drama Action

Total Drama Island was one of Cartoon Network's most popular series last year. It broke several records, with the finale getting the best ratings that the channel has gotten since 2002. It was due to this success that Cartoon Network picked up the second season (Total Drama Action), got total merchandising rights for the series in North America, and a third season is being produced. Some people are puzzled why a reality series spoof is doing so well, while others aren't so surprised...

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Name: Total Drama Action

Creator(s): Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis

Running Time: 22 minutes

Network: Teletoon (Canada) and Cartoon Network (United States)

Premiere: January 11, 2009 (Canada) and June 11, 2009 (United States)

Rating: C-

Total Drama has a simple concept: a bunch of teens competing in a reality show to win cash. It's a pretty simple idea that has been done and proven to work many times. But what makes Total Drama different from all the others, and why is it so popular? Is it the fact that its animated? The fact that it mocks the common conventions of reality shows? What ever is the secret behind the show's success, it extends to the second season (which premiered to the network's best ratings this year). The story behind TDA is that, after losing the chance for a million dollars, 14 contestants from the previous season are back to reclaim it. Leaving Camp Wawanakwa for an abandoned film set, the new season has the campers competing in challenges based on movie genres: from horror to science-fiction to crime. It took me over a month to actually find humor within TDI, so how good of a start did TDA have? Just like TDI: not the greatest beginning ever.

Total Drama Action is just another season of Total Drama Island, so if you don't know anything about these characters, then no worries: the writers happily break the the characters down to their core, and briefly explain the events of the last season to bring everyone up to speed. That's great if you missed the first season, and hope you can jump into the next one. But if you've already watched the TDI several times, and are such a fan that you are even getting the DVD, then it's just useless information that could have been replaced with more interesting stuff. Another critique was the length of the entire thing. After showing you around the set for 10 minutes, you only really get 8 minutes worth of the actual challenge (running away from a monster). I hoped that the season premiere would be an hour-long: more than enough time to add more substance to the plot than "teens-bricker-and-run-from-monster." While the first season's premiere went slowly, taking its time to show you all the numerous characters and their world, the Season Two premiere went by in a flash. When the episode ended, I was surprised a half-hour had already passed. At this point, there is nothing left to say: the only reason TDA has managed to get a C- from me is simple. The first season didn't really get me when it started, and then became pretty funny. I'm hoping the same time for Total Drama Action, because at this point, Cartoon Network's reality series "The Othersiders" is funnier...and it is not meant to be.

PVoA: Cartoon Network Rant #1

I'm sorry to say that I don't know how to start this. Cartoon Network has been a very important part of my life. The channel introduced me to all kinds of animation: old and new. Sure, it has (and is currently doing) a few live-action projects, but it has never bothered me. That was because I never believed it would have a major impact on the animated side of the network. Heck, Rob Sorcher, the person that is currently the Chief Content Officer of Cartoon Network said that it will not effect the channel's animation output. And I believed that, since when the Stuart Synder regime came to the network, things were looking up. We saw the premiere of several successful animated series, the greenlight for a What A Cartoon!-esque short program (The Cartoonstitute), and the pickup of a new Genndy Tartakovsky series (Sym-Bionic Titan). They even canceled Out of Jimmy's Head. These people seemed to be genuine animation fans who knew what to do with the network and how to make it succeed.

But of course, things change. Someone at the network went ahead and decided that they should produce reality programming, and everybody went ahead with it. And on June 17th and June 20th, CN Real will premiere. Four reality shows, with two more coming by the end of the year. "Great!," is what I though at the time. I thought this would be a good thing to gain ratings for the channel and to finance the animated series. But then Cartoon Network started focusing all their energy into promoting them. Advertisements for new Batman: The Brave and the Bold and The Secret Saturdays are clumped together into a single ad for the entire block. Same for Chowder and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. But, being the optimist I am, I didn't really see this so much as a bad thing. Then, the creator of Chowder (C.H. Greenblatt) started getting worried (and later came to the conclusion) that his show will get cancelled. But I refused to believe this. But then Greenblatt said that Flapjack could also be in danger of cancellation, of which Thurop Van Orman has said nothing about. I refused to believe this either, since Flapjack didn't even premiere its second season yet, so the network had to see how it did in Season 2 before making the final decision. But then Jay Stephens (creator of TSS) came to Toon Zone with some troubling news: Cartoon Network Studios has closed its doors to comedy.

Yes, you read that right. Cartoon Network Studios, whose most popular animated series WERE comedies, have closed their doors to anymore animated comedy pitches and any comedy series in development (not production, so Adventure Time with Finn and Jake is safe). For the foreseeable future, Cartoon Network is now going to focus solely on action/adventure series. Sure, Jay has told us that the entertainment world changes all the time: that the doors for hilarity will likely be opened again in the future. That made my anger subdue, until I learned that Cartoonstitute was affected by this also. Of the planned 150 animated shorts to be made, only 14 were successfully completed. It was at the point when I realized that there was no real bright side to this other than 2 or 3 of these shorts becoming full-length series (if that's still happening). I completely and utterly hated what Cartoon Network has done. What the hell happened!!??

EDIT - Craig McCracken confirmed that only 39 shorts were to be made, which (in retrospect) makes more sense than 150 shorts. There is no way a studio could complete 150 shorts in 20 months without the help of several other studios. The only reason the project was canned was because of the horrible economy, so it was either the shorts program or something else.

Cartoon Network Upfront 2009: Animated

It's been two months since I've made a post on this blog. In that time I've been working on raising my grades in high school before the end of the term, convincing my parents to pay money for animation classes in Fall, and (most importantly) keeping a close eye on Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network held it's annual upfront on Wednesday, showcasing all the new stuff coming up in the next year...animation and live-action. Sure, there is a lot of animated goodness that has announced, but there is also as many live-action projects. Today, I will be reviewing and looking over the animated treats of the upfront.

*All images used in this blog post are completely and utterly owned by both Cartoon Network and Toon Zone

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Upcoming Animated Series (Four Originals and Three Acquisitions)

• Adventure Time with Finn and Jake - Finn, the human boy with the awesome hat, and Jake, the wise dog, are close friends and partners in strange adventures in the land of Ooo. Adventure Time started out as a short at Nickelodeon, and later on picked up by Cartoon Network. If you've seen the short on Youtube, you'd know that it has some wacky & random humor, rubbery animation, and pleasing colors. Having seen a complete storyboard for one of the episodes, I'm highly anticipating the premiere of this little gem.


• Stoked - Six teenaged groms (young surfers) come together for 12 weeks over summer to work and surf at the world renowned Surfer’s Paradise Resort on the legendary Sunset Island, home of the most epic surf break in the country. From the creators of Total Drama Island and 6teen, Stoked is basically what I would call "6teen on a beach". The characters and animation seem very similar. However, this show could surprise me. Only time will tell whether or not I'll become a fan.


• Total Drama Island - Showcasing all the elements of favorite reality TV shows—romances and friendships; scheming and sabotage; death-defying stunts and stomach curdling challenges within larger-than-life elimination competition—Total Drama Action succeeds Total Drama Island. Fourteen contestants face thrilling challenges on an abandoned film studio back-lot, all inspired by the movies. After reviewing Total Drama Island, I became a fan of the series. So of course I'm hoping Total Drama Action will be as good, if not better than the first season. Though hindered by Flash animation, the show had good writing and fabulous characters. And it successfully mocks reality television...


• Ben 10: Evolutions - An all-new animated series follows 16-year-old Ben Tennyson as his secret identity has been revealed to the world and he’s now an international mega-star super hero, loved by kids the world over but distrusted by many adults. Armed with a mysterious new Omnitrix, Ben will see action in places he’s never been. Before any confusion sets in, I'd like to say that this series takes place after the upcoming third season of Alien Force. I'd also like to say that I actually enjoy the Ben 10 franchise, and I'll happily accept another series.


• Sym-Bionic Titan - From creator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack) comes an exciting hybrid of high school drama and giant robot battles. Sym-Bionic Titan follows the adventures of three beings from the planet Galaluna who crash-land on Earth while attempting to escape their war-torn world. This series had me at Genndy Tartakovsky...wonder how he'll juggle this and the Samurai Jack movie though.


• Generator Rex - Infected by microscopic molecular-altering nanites, 15-year-old Rex has the ability to grow incredible machines out of his body. Recruited by an organization called Providence, Rex travels the world investigating a host of biological mutations that were created by the same nanites that give Rex his powers. Created by Man of Action, the same group that gave us Ben 10, Generator Rex seems like an interesting concept. I'll be sure to check it out, if only for that badass-looking monkey with the cigar.


• Scooby-Doo: Mystery Inc. - A sleepy little village, Crystal Cove, boasts a long history of ghost sightings, poltergeists, demon possession, phantoms and other paranormal occurrences. The renowned sleuthing team of Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo arrive to prove all of this simply isn’t real—but they don’t realize the locals don’t welcome their help. If you ask me, the plot for this series sounds more like a 26-episode story arc (or a DTV film) than an actually series. Nevertheless, I'm glad that we're getting more Scooby-Doo. Aren't you?

Animated Films

• Firebreather - Cartoon Network’s first original all-CG animation adventure presents Duncan Rosenblatt, a rather typical, awkward high school kid, except that his dad is a fire-breathing dragon and he is destined to protect the earth. Based upon a comic book series, Firebreather seems like an awesome concept. The main character doesn't hide his true self: he shows it to the world at all times. This already puts it near the top of my must-watch list.

Strangly enough, that was the only animated film mentioned at the upfront, despite having several more behind closed doors.

My Drawing Thread on Toon Zone

I put drawings there...just so you know. Linkage.

P.S. - Hope to have more stuff up on both my blogs soon...

And the Day is Saved!

Name: The Powerpuff Girls

Creator(s): Craig McCracken

Network(s): Cartoon Network; Reruns currently on Boomerang

Rating: A-

Original Airdates: November 18, 1998 – March 25, 2005

The Powerpuff Girls, believe it or not, was Cartoon Network's most successful original series. Making over a billion dollars worldwide, and also gaining a theatrical film back in 2002, is it any wonder why the channel honored it with a full day marathon ending with a brand new special that was written by creator Craig McCracken? While a few months late (the show's actual 10th anniversary was November 2008), the network gave it an amazing final hurrah. However, the idea had its start before the What a Cartoon! program. McCracken created the characters in college, and the PPGs could have become an animated series as early as 1994. But now let me get to reviewing the series itself.

Now, the series didn't get popular for nothing. The Powerpuff Girls had great humor: from parodying basic superhero and tokusatsu fare (the episode "Uh Oh, Dynamo" is a good example) to referencing pop culture (from Sesame Street to The Legend of Zelda). The series traveled a thin line between serious and hilarious, and did it perfectly at times. The humor wasn't the only good thing about the series: action was also a huge part. The action sequences were fun to watch and could be intense at times. The voice acting is good and believable, it isn't at all forced. You are able to care about the characters. The art style is stylized and simplistic in such a way that the creator has said he feels like he created a Flash show before Flash animation existed.

Sorry for the short review, but there isn't much to say, and I'm in a bit of a hurry. The review of the special will be up tomorrow, and I promise I'll have more to say.