Thunder. Thunder. ThunderCats. Noooooooo

by Christopher Scott

*Aggravated Sigh*

Apparently Cartoon Network has been digging through its vault of underutilized properties again, and this time they’ve gone too far. With the announcement of their latest show, ThunderCats Roar, I felt the need to give my 2 cents after a nearly 5-year hiatus on this webpage. Yes, it’s that serious.

To give you some backstory, my name is Chris Scott and I am a former contributor on TheTalkingBox who used to cover animated shows including The Invincible Iron Man, The Awesomes, and ThunderCats (2011) which was probably my main staple. Through the good and the bad, I provided updates and synopses along with my own opinion during the one-year revival of the series. The show was not perfect (not really even close), but it gave us brief glimpses of greatness and ultimately did a decent job in filling the shoes of its inspiration.

Yesterday, however, Cartoon Network teased a new show in development using the ThunderCats license which reminds us that Cartoon Network is creatively bankrupt in 2018. According to the wildly misleading press release, “Staying true to the premise of the original series, Lion-O and the ThunderCats — Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara, Wilykat, and Wilykit — barely escape the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, only to crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth. Lion-O, the newly appointed Lord of the ThunderCats, attempts to lead the team as they make this planet their new home. A bizarre host of creatures and villains stand in their way, including the evil Mumm-Ra, Third Earth’s wicked ruler who will let nothing, including the ThunderCats, stop his tyrannical reign over the planet.” Cartoon Network, how dare you use such a vague and nostalgic description of this new series to obfuscate what is really going on here?

Cartoon Network / Entertainment Weekly 

By taking a moment to look at the official keyart for the series, depicting a chibi art style and goofy expressions, it is painfully clear that this is merely a shadow of what ThunderCats has always stood for in the hearts and minds of its audience. This is more like if the entire cast of the show was replaced by various incarnations of Snarf. To further envision the style of the show, it is being created by producer/cartoonist, Victor Coutright (Mighty Magiswords, Pickle and Peanut, and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes). With only a brief introduction to his former works, it is clear that this show is an attempt to join other reviled shows on the Network such as Teen Titans GO! and Unikitty! Additionally, there is an official teaser out there, but it is just too infuriating to give a link here. Just go to YouTube and search ThunderCats Roar, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Now, for those of you who believe I might be a 30-something millennial who is blinded by nostalgia glasses and who can’t just let kids enjoy the shows they like, I completely understand your point of view. I constantly struggle to keep nostalgia in check and I would be lying if I said I didn’t fail from time to time. That being said, there is a place for action-oriented, exciting, and story-driven animation in today’s market. There is a reason Japanese animation is being picked up by Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming networks. Shows like Gravity Falls, DuckTales, and Star Vs. The Forces of Evil are all performing very well in the space, offering variety in stories and adventure that comedic shows simply cannot. And just think about it from your own childhood. For every Reboot, Thundercats, and Batman The Animated Series that are cemented in our memories, there were dozens of Samurai Pizza Cats, Eek The Cat, Mega Babies cartoons that barely remain in our subconscious. And if Cartoon Network simply must create another humor-driven cartoon to add to their already overloaded lineup, why must it be done using the ThunderCats reputation? There is still outcry to this day over their misuse of the Teen Titans license for Teen Titans Go! I am just not sure it is necessary in this case seeing as how the license doesn’t really resonate with today’s children, but will absolutely infuriate those who loved the original series.

Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps I am in the minority here. Let me know in the comments below! Would you rather see the ThunderCats return in this incarnation? Or would you prefer they come up with some new license and keep the original spirit of the show untouched? I’d love to hear your feedback!

Comic-Con Warner Bros. Bags Announced!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

One of the things I was super-excited about before my first Comic-Con was the swag bags. I didn't know what they were going to be ahead of time, so I had a great time on Thursday morning in line for badge pick-up, seeing people with bags they had received on Wednesday and trying to figure out how many different ones there were. Ultimately, I had my heart set on a ThunderCats bag, so I was a little dismayed when I was handed Fringe. Fortunately, so many people at Comic-Con are really nice, so I only had to ask five or six ThunderCats folks if they wanted to switch before finding someone more than happy to oblige. Well, I've been on the lookout this year to find out what the bags would feature, and was thrilled to see the selections when they were announced this morning! They're not all television shows, of course, but there's a great variety!

First up, the standard side that everyone will have: 

Now, onto the individual options...

Fringe

Arrow

Supernatural

The Vampire Diaries

DC Nation, featuring Young Justice, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and original shorts.

  and, The Big Bang Theory, which is the one I'll be shooting for this year.

Man of Steel and Pacific Rim will also be available, but the artwork on those is not yet available.

Lion-O Loses the Sword of Omens

by Christopher Scott

ThunderCats “The Drifter and The Duelist” (S01E07)

The team has finally left the Tower of Omens, but they haven’t gotten far. Two situations have kept them in the area; a lack of supplies, and incorporating the Book of Omens into the Thundertank. While Panthro and Tygra figure out the logistics of fusing paper with metal, Lion-O and Snarf are sent off to gather the supplies they’ll need. Cheetara must be doing something too, but it’s a secret.

Lion-O arrives at a nearby village for and is greeted by a rabbit-humanoid character who is hanging by his clothing on the front gate, like a scarecrow. Referred to as “Drifter,” his name suits him well. The wind seems to blow him from place to place as he rides it. He warns Lion-O to stay away from the village because it is notorious for sword duels. Men seem to come from everywhere to gain/lose their once-famous blades. Lion-O disregards the information, frees the Drifter from the gate, and bids him farewell as he enters the city.

His supplies are easy enough to find in the bazaar district, but payment is a bit more … complicated. Lion-O, being an heir to the throne of Thundara, has never been short on funds. But now that the city has fallen, the money is worthless. He must enter a local competition in sword mastery to gain the funds for the supplies. Luckily, it is already under way, so Lion-O runs to make an entry.

The point of the contest is to cut a swath into a large obelisk in the center of town. Each contestant boasts about the origin of his blade and then takes a strike at it. Lion-O has only one note, “You’re all battling for second place.” With that confidence, the Sword of Omens extends and cuts deep into the stone, splitting it in two! The crowd goes ballistic, the reward is paid, and the supplies are bought.

Enter the villain of the episode. Known only as The Duelist, he challenges Lion-O for the Sword of Omens, and the winner would collect both blades. Lion-O shoots him down, but it goaded into the fight when the Duelist disrespects his father. Smooth move. Lion-O takes a few moments to practice his moves and the Drifter reappears to show him he is clearly not ready. After many successive tries, Lion-O fails at the Drifter’s challenge, as the Drifter rides on the air to dodge his attacks. Panic is fierce in Lion-O’s eyes as he realizes that his skills might not be up to the task of facing off against a master at duels. Noon comes, the battle is short, and the legendary Sword of Omens is lost in mere moments.

The Drifter floats back into the story here with a tale of his own. Apparently, he was once a master blacksmith. Spending his entire life making swords, he crafted one in particular in his downtime for himself. Over a year in the making, the Sword of Hatanzo was his crown jewel. An incredible sword, he relied on his blade for victory until the day he met The Duelist. The Duelist beat the Drifter, took his blade, and left him a shell of his former glory.

Lion-O begs him to make a new blade after coming out of retirement. The two argue, but after Lion-O proves his skills in smithing are very, VERY weak, the Drifter jumps in and takes over. One afternoon later a new sword is born and Lion-O wastes no time in taking it into battle. The stakes are higher this time around… Lion-O would win all of the blades in the collection upon winning. However, the Duelist would win the honor of taking the life of his challenger should he win.

The challenge draws a large audience. Everyone loves bloodshed I suppose. The two begin, but it is clear that Lion-O has learned nothing thus far. His strikes are still very strong as he attacks head-on. The problem is that even though his new sword is made by the same blacksmith who crafted the Sword of Hatanzo, it was made in a single afternoon. Not over the course of a year. As quality as the blade might be, it cannot handle such punishment in battle. (I’m glad they mentioned that, because I honestly thought they would just let Lion-O win with this blade he just happened to come across.) The blade snaps in two, leaving Lion-O defenseless. The Duelist goes to make his final lunge, but the Drifter reminds Lion-O of his secret to battle from their earlier conflict. Lion-O loosens his body and dodges the strike, still clinging to his broken blade. He begins to dodge like the wind, eventually taking an opening to disarm his opponent and defeat him.

The Drifter and Lion-O celebrate victory as they collect their swords from the ground where they lay. The Duelist reveals a knife he had hidden and goes to exact revenge on them both, but is stopped by the Drifter and his vine from his mouth. He uses it to take the blade from the Duelist and leaves him in shame. The Drifter collects the remaining blades and vows to return them to their original masters, and Lion-O takes the Sword of Omens and his supplies back to the Thundercats to continue on his own journey. The two part ways and thus ends the episode.

I am so happy about the track this series is now on. What did you think of this one on a scale of 1 to 10? I’m going with a 9! Comment below!

Lion-O Enters the Book of Omens

by Christopher Scott

ThunderCats   “Legacy” (S01E06)

This episode picks up right where we left our heroes, at the Tower of Omens. The Thundercats have left the chamber where they found the Book of Omens, but Lion-O has stayed behind to try and understand why the book is empty. He believes that the book might actually be a piece of technology instead of just a book. As he starts to take a knife to the spine of the book, a beam of light is emitted from the jewel on the cover, and it proceeds to take his soul inside of the book.

Lion-O awakens to the sound of Jaga’s voice. Apparently he is inside of the book along with Jaga’s soul, which we saw enter the book at the end of the last episode. Jaga explains that Lion-O must learn from the book’s historical records by reliving the past life of one of his ancestors, Leo. The book actually takes Lion-O’s soul and places it into Leo’s body so that now Lion-O is in control of the story. He must relive the events that transpire and achieve the same goals as Leo once did, or the Book of Omens will be closed to him forever.

Leo’s story takes place during the short flashback from the last episode. The cat race is working under the rule of Mumm-Ra. Leo is basically the second-in-command of the cats. Mumm-Ra explains that they are after the Eye of Thundera, for him to control using the Sword of Thundarr. It is a similar sword to the Sword of Omens from what I can tell and it is held by a black gauntlet that is encrusted with gems, similar to Lion-O’s gold gauntlet but much more menacing. Lion-O is commanded to get the slaves prepared to invade the planet where the Eye is being kept.

Lion-O finds a massive area of prison holding cells, where every manner of humanoid creature is being held captive. Dogs, lizards, sharks, and more are all in large rooms separated by species. As the animals are outfitted with collars that will explode should they try to escape, Lion-O and a female cat are caught in the middle of a prison riot. They each hold their own and take two of the prisoners to solitary confinement for acting out. Once there it is made apparent that it was a ruse to get some attention. Both of the prisoners and the female officer have been in cahoots for staging an overthrow of Mumm-Ra. They make some last-minute arrangements, filling in Lion-O as well.

Lion-O is brought to a level of the ship where his new sword and gauntlet are being forged out of the same material as the ones currently being used by Mumm-Ra. The Sword of Omens and its gauntlet are passed to Lion-O and he takes the responsibility very seriously. He and the female cat commander then head for the hanger, where the Eye of Thundera has just been brought aboard. They manage to take it from Captain Tygus, the general who was commencing the attack on the planet’s surface, and place it within its rightful place in the Sword. Lion-O then heads to Mumm-Ra’s chambers to begin the rebellion.

The overly-confident Lion-O confronts his would-be leader, ready for battle. I would have been confident too had I been in Lion-O’s shoes. However, this is short-lived. Where Lion-O believes he has the single greatest power in the universe in the palm of his paw, Mumm-Ra is quick to inform him that there are actually three additional gems with similar attributes in existence. And, it just so happens, Mumm-Ra has already collected these three stones and incorporated them into his black gauntlet. Though he seems to be outmatched, his bull-headed nature kicks in as he decides to do battle with Mumm-Ra in light of this information. As the two clash, the scene thoroughly redefines epic.

Lion-O manages to knock loose one of the stones in Mumm-Ra’s gloves and takes its power into his own. The two foes don some incredible looking “space-armor” and go back to the fight. They manage to shatter the hull of the ship, do some more fighting in zero gravity, and re-enter unscathed. At one point Lion-O gets the upper hand and takes a few moments to free and rally the slave creatures. Mumm-Ra reappears and the two continue to battle until Lion-O conquers his enemy.

Mumm-Ra is beaten and has reverted back to the withered corpse-like body he normally displays. His magical stones are stripped away and fused into Lion-O’s gauntlet. He leaves the broken being that is Mumm-Ra to fend for himself as he returns to the bridge of the ship. Because of all the commotion earlier, the ship is in disarray and headed to crash on a nearby planet: Third Earth. Everyone prepares for impact just as Lion-O’s soul is once again torn back into the pages of the book and to the soul of Jaga.

Jaga informs him that the remaining stones are to be his next target, but that during his quest he must also strive to unite the many species of Third Earth. Without their aid, the Thundercats cannot hope to conquer Mumm-Ra’s tyranny. From what I can tell of Lion-O thus far, making friends should not be an issue. Jaga sends his spirit to return to his body, and in a flash Lion-O awakens back in the Tower of Omens to some confused looks from his team. It should be interesting trying to explain this adventure to them!

Another fantastic episode to the series that is finally starting to take shape! I can’t wait to see what happens next. Out of all the species you saw in the episode, which one stands out as the most interesting that you would like to see the cats encounter? Sound off below!

The Book of Omens is Found

by Christopher Scott

ThunderCats “Journey to the Tower of Omens” (S01E05)

The Thundercats are in a forest searching for the Tower of Omens, which is the resting place of the Book of Omens. They have hit a small roadblock in their directions and are unsure of which direction to travel next. Lion-O is trying to use the ability of “sight beyond sight,” which uses the Sword of Thundera to guide him toward whatever goal he has in mind (sort of like Jack’s compass in Pirates of the Caribbean). The ability is not working properly, which Cheetara attributes to Lion-O’s lack of confidence. Just as she tries to help him to trust himself, Snarf trips on a branch, revealing an entrance to the temple.

Meanwhile, Mumm-Ra is watching their every move. He imprisoned Jaga in a lantern that was supposed to guide him to the Book of Omens in an earlier episode, but apparently that did not work as well as he had planned. He has a flashback of the first time he grasped the Eye of Thundera, several generations ago. I guess he was the leader of the cat race, and they conquered a plant for its power. The flashback is really short and not very thorough with explanations. Now that he has seen the direction the Thundercats are going, he decides to leave his pyramid fortress and track down the book personally.

The feline team enters the temple to find it is rigged with traps. Each trap seems to be attuned to the skills of a particular team member. The first room is a long bridge over a spiked floor. There are hundred of keys hanging from the ceiling. Cheetara decides to grab keys and try them until one works, however after the first incorrect key the bridge is retracted, leaving them all hanging onto a ledge at the far door. This room is solved by Wilykit and Wilykat. Being an expert thief, Wilykat has become a master at lock-picking and soon opens the door for everyone to climb into.

The next room is full of whirling blades, spinning at such a pace that they would surely kill anyone who might get caught in their path. Cheetara steps up for this trial. Having been trained as a cleric, she can augment her speed like magic and dashes into the hall. She loses a few hairs along the way, but gracefully dismounts the ceiling on the other side and opens the door, stopping the blades so that all may pass.

The third test opens up to a tremendous crevice in the earth. At first it would seem that they all must re-enter the jungle and continue their quest, but Cheetara reminds Lion-O that his sword may offer another path. Lion-O once again practices sight beyond sight, which shows him a switch on the cliffside. Tygra steps up and uses his whip to hit this switch, exposing the true Tower of Omens and a bridge to get them there.

Everyone’s excitement is building as they enter the chamber. There is a large column in the center with a spiraling staircase. Besides being very tall, there seems to be no trick to this room. That is, until Mumm-Ra shows himself. After some cocky banter, Mumm-Ra tosses the lantern with Jaga’s soul to the ground, but Cheetara springs forward and catches it. Lion-O and Tygra run for the staircase while Panthro steps forward to engage Mumm-Ra in battle.

Panthro holds his own for a while until Mumm-Ra finally transforms to his ultimate form, known Mumm-Ra the Ever Living. Using this form he conquers Panthro quickly, as well as Wilykit and Wilykat. He then leaps into the air, and, spreading his massive wings, takes flight up the tower. Tygra breaks off from Lion-O and holds back the enhanced version of Mumm-Ra for a few moments, but is also no match for the villain. Just as Lion-O reaches the top and sees the Book of Omens, Mumm-Ra appears to keep him from his prize. The two face-off as Cheetara awakens and races to the top of the tower to aid her king.

Mumm-Ra dispatches both of them with relative ease. Cheetara could only get in the way and Lion-O is not yet powerful enough to wield the Sword of Omens against such a powerful enemy. When all hope seems lost, Jaga sacrifices himself by destroying the lantern and exposing incredible light. As you may remember from the first episode, Mumm-Ra cannot handle direct light, and is forced to retreat from the tower. A small ball of light then escapes from the broken lantern and floats to the Book of Omens and dissipates. I guess it signifies Jaga’s soul is now encased in the book. As Lion-O opens the book he finds it to be … blank. And so ends the episode.

Were you expecting something different? And what do you think will be their next plan now that they have retrieved the book that has been the focal point of the story so far? Leave your thoughts and comments below!

The Life and Times of Panthro

ThunderCats “Old Friends” (S01E04)

By Christopher Scott

Panthro is making some repairs to the Thundertank after its debut at the end of last week’s episode. Lion-O tries to help him, but Panthro shuns him. It seems that Panthro has not yet come to accept Lion-O as his leader, or even his friend. The rest of the Thundercats also seem to have been left out of the project. Panthro explains that he is almost finished, but the vehicle is out of Thundrillium (a source of energy found on the planet). He points to a mine where he is planning to gather some, but the remainder of the team insists that he take them along. Wilykit and Wilykay are left behind for this episode as the adults leave on their mission.

The destination of our heroes seems to already be in use by the lizards. They seem to have a massive mining operation, harvesting tons of Thundrillium. Grune resurfaces in the series here as he is in charge of this task. He has also enlisted the help of some new technology. There is some sort of robot drill named Driller that is responsible for the majority of the stripping of the mine. It seems to take orders, but there is no telling if it is sentient or not.

Panthro begins a flashback montage at this point, which is the premise of the episode. It tells the story of how Panthro and Grune came to be Generals in the war effort. They began as grunts on the frontline who were commended for their valor together. Grune always had a lust for power and Panthro was just along for the ride for the most part. Grune makes it known to his friend that he has every intention of seizing the throne one day, and Panthro really seems okay with that in a “That’s never gonna happen so why bother to argue with him,” sort of way.

The two are eventually sent on their mission to find the Book of Omens after being denied an opportunity to become Generals (which I already thought they were from the first episode, so I’m not sure what that’s all about). They wander all over the world looking for the Book, but without even a clue as to where it might be it is not surprising that they never find it. After a long time Grune starts to hear a voice calling him. He chases the voice for days and Panthro just follows him as if he has nothing better to do. They stumble upon the pyramid lair that houses Mumm-Ra, but they don’t know that at the time. Grune find a way inside and eventually frees his soon-to-be leader. Again, Panthro says very little to stop him. Grune pledges loyalty to Mumm-Ra and fights Panthro until he falls from a ledge inside the lair. The flashback is broken into three separate parts to get this far, but is very anti-climactic in the end.

Back in the present, Panthro has sort of taken the lead of the group of misfits, believing that Lion-O is unfit for the task. (Here, I was a bit torn. Lion-O’s decisions have been pretty terrible thus far, but Panthro’s flashback is not convincing me that he is any better at the job.) Panthro says they will wait for dark to enter the mine, and, out of spite, Lion-O says they should go now and leaves anyway. It isn’t long before he is in over his head and Panthro has to save him. They argue a bit about who is leading and Cheetara steps in to remind everyone that Lion-O is the king and gets to rule them all regardless of how bad he is at it.

Once inside the mine they encounter Grune and the lizard workers. There is almost a short battle, but it is interrupted by Driller as Grune escapes. Lion-O jumps into battle with the machine and conquers it, which wins him some points with Panthro for his skills. The mine begins to collapse because of Driller’s blind fury during the fight, so the team makes a hasty retreat after grabbing a handful of Thundrillium. After making it outside, Panthro pledges allegiance to Lion-O’s rule and together they head back to their campsite.

Not a bad episode, but nothing too deep either. What did you think? Leave a comment below and tell us how this series is stacking up to your expectations!

Lion-O Finds Purpose in his Life

ThunderCats “Song of the Petalars” (S01E03)
by Christopher Scott

We can breathe a sigh of relief this week as this episode reminds us all of how to tell a story. The tale begins with a team of lizards tracking the Thundercats through the woods. By finding previous campsites and food remains, they are having no trouble catching up with Lion-O and his team. General Slithe, the leader of the lizard armies, is assisted by several of the mechs used to take down Thundera. They seem to be closing the gap with their prey quickly.

Cut to our heroes who have taken refuge for the night. Wilykit and Wilykat are daring each other and acting like children while the others sit around a campfire and continue to mourn their losses. It is hard to believe that their lives have been so greatly changed in the blink of an eye. The brooding is broken when Snarf is spooked. The cats climb the nearest tree to get a better view of the dangers approaching. It seems like the lizard army is barreling down on top of them. Lion-O decides they need to run from this threat, which does not sit well with Tygra.

Tygra seems to have taken Lion-O’s role from the last episode a bit (though not so intrusively). He says that they must stand and fight as their father would have. His brother is quick to remind him that their father’s pride and actions cost him his life, and Lion-O is not ready for them to see the same fate. The group retreats until they arrive at a large bramble. Lion-O decides they will take refuge there, much to the chagrin of Tygra.

The scene changes to what seems to be a clearing in the thorny briar. Tiny plant-like humanoid creatures (later named Petalars) are singing a melody as a ceremony takes place. A Petalar is about to be born as another, much older, Petalar gives a short message to the newborn about the importance of the gift of life. The older creature passes away, becoming a collection of leaves blowing in the wind. The melody continues to play until it is interrupted by the destruction of the thorny vines. The Thundercats emerge and instantly feel awkward for having ruined the ceremony. A young Petalar runs up to meet the newcomers, introducing himself as Emerick. Some laughter breaks the tension and introduces the two species.

One of the Petalars gives a brief history of their race. They once lived in a land called The Garden, but a terrible storm blew the entire race to the thicket. They have a crude map drawn on a leaf that they hope will lead them to their previous homeland. Lion-O decides to help the Petalars return home safely while they are making their own way through the thorns.

Emerick quickly takes a shine to Lion-O. The two bond over sword fighting techniques and it seems that Lion-O has almost become a father figure to the boy. The peaceful scene is broken when a large bird swoops in and snatches Emerick. Emerick begins to stab the bird’s talons and is dropped from the sky into the shrubbery below. As Lion-O searches for him, Emerick emerges from the brush, having aged to what seems to be a teenager. The lifespan of the Petalars lasts only a single day.

The scene changes back to the lizards who have arrived at the edge of the briar. The machines are slowly cutting away at its perimeter, but it is a slow grind. General Slithe sends some of his forces inside the thicket to hunt down the Thundercats and bring them out.

Back inside the thorny mass, the Petalars and Thundercats continue on their quest to find the way back to The Garden. The bird who had attacked Emerick returns, and Emerick rushes into battle with his old foe. Emerick has learned quite a bit of swordplay now and holds his own until his weapon is knocked away. Lion-O steps in and swipes at the bird, which scares it off. Emerick is infuriated with Lion-O for interrupting the battle. As most teenagers, he wanted to prove himself as independent and feels ashamed for needing help.

The two races continue on their journey as Lion-O begins to question himself again. He sees the Patalar people passing away at a rapid pace, making him wonder what the point of fighting is. Kingdoms come and go, as do races and people. So why keep fighting for the Thundercats when they’ll just be a spec of time in all of history? Now Emerick has aged to adulthood, and spots the entrance to the Cliff of Wings, the fabled jumping point where they can ride the air back to The Garden. Just as they all begin to enter the passage, Lion-O is hit with a blast from behind that takes him off of his feet.

The lizards have found their quarry and are quick to dismantle them all. Before the Thundercats knew what was attacking them, they had all been bound and gagged. Emerick and his people safely made it to the passage before the assault, but stop short of their goal. From their perspective, the team of cats have been helping their race for a lifetime, and in their time of need the Petalars would not turn their backs. Using a magical pollen, they take to the skies and confuse the lizards while freeing their friends. They all manage to escape and travel through the passageway.

The group emerges from the passage to find the Cliff of Wings to be nonexistent. Their hopes dashed, Lion-O returns again to brooding. It also holds similarities to his own life. Will the Book of Omens be a lie? Will their quest ever be completed? As they contemplate what to do next, it seems General Slithe has set the bramble on fire. This further ruins their chances of survival, but Emerick realizes that the heat from the flames is causing an updraft that can carry the Petalars out and back to their home!

Just as the race of leaf people start to escape, Emerick is passing away. He gives some sage advice to Lion-O about life being about the journey and then turns to leaves and blows away. The Thundercats regroup and Lion-O commands that they take on the lizards and fight their way out with honor. There is an epic battle scene, but in the end the group is surrounded and outmatched. They prepare to meet their end when suddenly, a cat/tank machine appears and begins to decimate the forces of the lizards. They go into a full-scale retreat. Everyone is questioning who their savior might be and we are treated to the return of Panthro!

This show has been a wild rollercoaster ride so far. Like it or hate it, leave your comments below!

Christopher Scott is a contributor for the television blog TheTalkingBox. He spends much of his time watching TV intended for 8 year olds when not spending it with his family in Huntsville, AL.

Lion-O Begins His Quest

ThunderCats "Ramlak Rising" (S01E02)
by Christopher Scott 

I’d like to preface this recap with a few author’s notes. To those of you who watched the first episode and missed the second, you may think this recap is very poorly done because of the fatal character flaws throughout. I promise you, I was just as surprised. It was as if they had completely different writers for this one. I know they haven’t had much time to develop the characters, but I was floored, personally. With that, here are the details of episode two, “Ramlak Rising.” 

The episode begins with Lion-O, Cheetara, and Tygra paying homage to their fallen race. Lion-O carves the Thundercats’ crest into a wall as a fire burns in the foreground. The remaining cats discuss what the first step toward their goal must be. Both Tygra and Cheetara begin with the assumption that they will carry out the last wish of Jaga - to look for the Book of Omens. Lion-O will have nothing to do with that plan, though. Instead, he immediately takes control of his power as leader of the Thundercats and states they will be tracking down Mumm-Ra to bring him to justice and exact his revenge. Lion-O uses the precedence of his father’s rule to make the decision, stating that his father would do the same if he or Tygra had been the one to fall. Cheetara and Tygra decide to follow Lion-O rather than continue a futile argument that would only tear apart their newly-formed team. 

Shortly after starting out they encounter Wilykit and Wilykat, who had managed to survive the destruction and are now more lost than ever. The two beg to join the expedition, but Lion-O demands that they not join because he has no time to babysit. Again, Tygra and Cheetara see the only logical choice: bring them along as they clearly cannot survive on their own. Another short-lived argument arises where Lion-O makes another executive decision and leaves the duo behind. He obviously did not account for their clever trickery however; the two continue to follow them, insisting that they were going that direction anyway. 

Photo: Cartoon Network

There is a short wandering montage as we watch the team go from land to land searching for the Sea of Sands that will lead them to Mumm-Ra’s temple. Spirits are low, supplies are dwindling, and the sun is high when Wilykit spots the entrance to the shoreline of the Sea. The vast Sea of Sands stretches out before them, challenging their will, when they spy a bountiful feast in the middle of it all. I honestly thought the writers would go for the oldest cartoon trick in the book here and it would be a mirage. It is ALWAYS a mirage! Can you believe the food was actually a trap placed by pirates in the middle of the “ocean” to lure a giant squid they are tracking into the open?! Seriously! 

The pirate crew of crawfish humanoids, led by Captain Cornelius Tuna, hauls the Thundercats onto their ship and takes them captive. The captain explains that they are tracking this giant squid named Ramlak that had destroyed their homeland (déjà vu). Just as they finish the story, the squid attacks the ship. Lion-O and his companions are quick to aid in the defense of the ship from the squid, and after it retreats the captain begins to chase it. 

During this downtime Captain Tuna and Lion-O have an opportunity to bond over their rivaled lust for revenge. They each begin to exhibit an insanity and obsession with catching this squid. For those who have read Moby Dick, this unrivaled fixation makes Captain Ahab seem like a pacifist. Lion-O doesn’t skip a beat though. He never questions Tuna’s ability to lead or the sanity of his choices. The two continue to pilot the ship directly into a dangerous electrical storm.

One short side story is happening all the while this is taking place with Wilykit and Wilykat. The ship’s cook is making them all sorts of meals in the hopes to eat the children upon fattening them up. It’s amusing to watch them make a fool out of the cook as they fill themselves up and proceed to fool the cook and escape. 

Eventually they track down Ramlak the squid and proceed to engage him in battle. A very formidable foe, Ramlak begins to take apart the ship and break it in half, spilling the crew into the sandy depths. Lion-O and Captain Tuna are still on the portion of the ship that remains intact when Lion-O awakens from his madness and is concerned with the safety of the drowning crew. Tuna doesn’t believe in such weakness and stays engaged in the battle at hand. He fires a harpoon at Ramlak and is devoured as it retreats. There is a three second pause, and then it comes back full force, causing Lion-O to finally leap into action. Sword of Omens in hand, he slices through the beast, spilling the water of the homeland of the crew into the Sea of Sands. 

Lion-O seems to have returned to normal now, like magic, and decides that they should all regain focus and head for the Book of Omens. Meanwhile, we see that Mumm-Ra has returned to his lair with Grune and a battered Jaga. He is still trying to gain the location of the Book of Omens from the cleric. Jaga makes it apparent that he will never reveal such vital information willingly. Mumm-Ra reveals the answer to that predicament: a simple lantern. With the aid of an incantation Jaga’s soul is ripped from his limp body and encased in the lantern. We see his face in the glass orb of the lantern turn to anguish just before a beam of light blasts forth into what we must assume is the direction of the book. And so ends episode two.

Christopher Scott is a contributor for the television blog TheTalkingBox. He spends much of his time watching TV intended for 8 year olds when not spending it with his family in Huntsville, AL.

Thundera Falls, Lion-O Takes Over the Crown

ThunderCats "Omens" (S01E01)
by Christopher Scott

The series begins with this hour-long special episode, “Omens.” A hooded figure is walking about the slums of Agrabah, I mean Thundera, followed by a cat/dragon hybrid pet. He comes to a stop noting the lawlessness of these streets as he watches some thugs beating up someone. The figure decides to intervene in the fight and makes quick work out of them. One of the adversaries attempts to sneak up on the figure and is intercepted by Cheetara, who outs the identity of the figure as Lion-O, heir to the throne of Thundera. The thugs cut and run at this point leaving Lion-O to continue on his trip to pick up a package. Cheetara decides to follow him, and the two are off. 

The next scene brings us to the capital building of the city, where we meet Clawdus (current king of Thundera), Tygra (adopted brother of Lion-O), and Jaga (leader of the Order of Clerics and council to the throne). There is a conversation of the general theme of the episode: that Lion-O doesn’t live up to the expectations of his father. It is a very typical storyline that doesn’t pull any punches. 

Lion-O, in the meantime, has arrived at his destination to pick up a piece of technology. He seems to have a fascination of it as I guess it doesn’t exist in their world. He treats it almost like magic, stating that such objects are foretold in the Book of Omens and told to children for bedtime stories. He realizes he is late for his meeting at the palace, and runs off hastily. 

Upon arriving at the capital, he meets with his father and there is a ceremony of sorts (though apparently no one was invited). Some clerics bring in the Sword of Omens, presenting it to Clawdus. There is a short history lesson that the sword has been passed down for generations, the Eye of Thundera is in the hilt, the sword brought order to the lands and united the Thundercats (which is the name of the entire race), and so on. Clawdus wields the blade for a while, striking at Lion-O who parries the blows with an average sword, and then Lion-O gets to try it. As he holds the blade he gets a vision of something menacing for a moment, but tells no one of it (I’m sure it was nothing anyway). 

Photo: Cartoon Network

The next scene opens with Clawdus leading his sons on some horse-like animals to the gates of the city. A general of the army by the name of Grune has returned from a quest to seek the Book of Omens. Though the book remains undiscovered, Grune has brought a Trojan Horse, I mean large statue encrusted with gems (and not full of enemies), as a gift. We are also told that Panthro, another distinguished general, did not survive the quest. The group returns to the city to begin a celebration for Grune’s return. 

The celebration begins with our first glimpse of Wilykit and Wilykat. They are clever children who are street rats. They steal some coins from a man with some trickery, and are off to buy a feast for themselves. Lion-O is also at the celebration, and breaks up some heckling of a few lizard prisoners that Grune returned with. They plead their case with the future king, stating their innocence. Lion-O takes it into consideration, but leaves them to their fate for the time being.

Marking the end of the celebration, a day of games begins to commemorate their lost general, Panthro. The game consists of climbing a tree and ringing a large bell at the top before the opponent can. Besides that, there seems to be no rules. After some conversation about Lion-O being lame, he challenges his brother to this tree-climbing contest. The game is pretty one-sided and Tygra wins easily, having knocked Lion-O from the tree to claim his prize. Lion-O goes away to question if he will ever be able to lead the Thundercats and is met by Jaga, who reassures his confidence. 

Lion-O finds himself in the city, passing by the lizards in chains again. This time, there is a full-blown riot going on. Lion-O, Cheetara, and Tygra end up involved in the brawl, which lasts only until Clawdus arrives to break it up. After some convincing by Lion-O, Clawdus pardons the lizards and sets them free as a gesture of peace. 

This peace is extremely short-lived as the following night the lizards return en masse for an attack on Thundera. Lion-O is blamed for the attack and is made to stay out of the fight. Grune, Tygra, and Clawdus make for the front gates to battle alongside the army. While the attention is drawn away, lizards emerge from the crystal that has been relocated to the heart of the city. General Slithe of the lizards also makes his first appearance here. They begin to place technological bombs throughout the square that are remarkably similar to the technology Lion-O managed to find at the beginning of the episode.

The focus returns to the front of the city, where huge robotic suits have come from behind some trees in the distance. They begin to pummel the city with missiles that explode simultaneously with the bombs that had already been placed. We also find out that Grune sold out his entire race for more power. He offers a trade: the Sword of Omens for Panthro, whom he presents to be alive. Clawdus chooses the sword (Really!?) and then the Order of Clerics appear to turn the tide of battle in favor of the Thundercats again.

All of the major players fall back to the tree from the earlier game, where Panthro is chained at the top. As Tygra and Clawdus arrive, they are trapped by all manner of lizards and giant robots. That is, until Lion-O (in a very Batman-esque move) shouts from the shadows and eliminates the robots with the bombs he has been hoarding. Clawdus takes the opportunity to cut a swath directly to Panthro, cleaving 5 or 6 lizards per strike. He finally reaches Panthro and frees him, only to find another plot twist. Panthro is actually Mumm-Ra, and he murders Clawdus by stabbing him with a dagger in the back! The clerics show up again to take on Mumm-Ra, but they are no match. Only Jaga and one cleric survive the onslaught. The Thundercats are gathered and jailed.

The final scene takes place in the capital once more, though it is much darker now. Lion-O is freed from jail by one of the lizards he pardoned earlier. He takes the opportunity to launch an attack on Mumm-Ra to reclaim the Sword of Omens with his brother’s help. While Mumm-Ra is distracted (torturing Jaga into revealing the location of the Book of Omens), Lion-O makes for the sword. He uses the Eye of Thundera to inflict some major damage on Mumm-Ra, knocking him through a wall and outdoors. As he tries to counter-attack, we find he is hurt by sunlight, and thus retreats. The remaining cleric is freed and revealed to be Cheetara. She, Tygra, and Lion-O aid Jaga to his feet and they escape together down a secret passage. Jaga then chooses to sacrifice himself to help them all escape so that they may search for the Book of Omens. The three remaining Thundercats continue down the path while Jaga unleashes furious attacks on those who continue to chase them. The episode ends with Lion-O overlooking the dilapidated kingdom of Thundera and vowing that this is only the beginning.

Christopher Scott is a contributor for the television blog TheTalkingBox. He spends much of his time watching TV intended for 8 year olds when not spending it with his family in Huntsville, AL.

My Addiction to Animation

by Christopher Scott

Why is it that when we, as adults, see the word “cartoon” it triggers a gag reflex at first glance? What part of our psyche ensnares our childhood and holds it for ransom from the rest of our daily lives? And why is it that, no matter how adult the theme may become, cartoons will always play second fiddle to live television regardless of production value, storyline, or artistic intent?

Well, I’m tired of keeping my closet obsession with the world of animation a secret. I’m here to set the record straight and give some life to the world of cartoons so that those gems in this generation don’t get passed by. Hopefully I spark some interest in you to join the revolution and take part in some amazing journeys yourself. 

Now, rather than debate about which generation had the best cartoons and why (because we all know it was mine anyway), I’m going to focus on what is out there right now that you are missing. The first of which being ThunderCats! 

Skeptical? You should be! This is the retelling of one of the greatest cartoon storylines of the 80s, next to Transformers. Airing for 5 seasons and totaling 130 episodes, the original ThunderCats is an epic saga that is more than difficult to live up to. However, what I think is so great about this reboot is, it hasn’t been overdone yet. Unlike so many cartoons that always come back for more, ThunderCats had a great run, then faded from existence. It is the perfect reboot template! In this new show, Lion-O is the heir to the throne when, as foretold by the Book of Omens, the kingdom of Thundera is overthrown, and his father slain. Now, he must recover the Book before the evil Mumm-Ra can find it and gain access to its powers. There’s more to it than that, but I don’t want to spoil it. 

The premiere episode just recently aired on July 29^th, so catching up should be fairly simple in the next few weeks. Plus, it is being aired on Cartoon Network, which is known for long-running series on a regular schedule (i.e. Justice League, Ben 10, and Samurai Jack). Be sure to catch it on Friday nights at 8:30ET. 

Another great cartoon in its infancy is Transformers: Prime. Now, those who know anything about cartoons know that this one has had a million iterations, on a million channels, and in a million art styles. Their success has varied from time to time, but the generic story has always remained the same: good versus evil on a grand scale. This story tries to cash in on the movie franchise by having a few characters as cameos. Bumblebee is a Camaro and can’t talk, Ratchet is the ambulance and team doctor, and Optimus is … well, Optimus. 

Based on the last 5 series I wouldn’t have given this one much thought, but it is airing on a new channel, The Hub. I figured watching this was my best chance at gauging this new station, and it has yet to disappoint. The only problem I have with the show is the CG is a bit weak, and the lack of High Definition is very noticeable. I will admit though, it gives off a bit of nostalgia because of this. It’s like watching Beast Wars (another CG Transformers concept) on antenna TV as a kid. I am HOOKED! If you’re thinking about trying to enter the series this late in the game, I highly suggest investing in a DVR. I can’t find them online anywhere yet. It wouldn’t be hard to jump in right now, but there are a few details you would find useful. 

The last show I want to touch on is a great cartoon that truly captures why we love cartoons. It airs on The Disney Channel and is called Phineas and Ferb. The creative minds behind this show have put together a masterpiece of animation. It has already cemented itself as one of those shows that kids today will reminisce about in their college dorm rooms or at reunions with friends. 

The concept behind the show is so simple, it’s amazing that I can’t think of anyone having done it before. Two kids trying to make the most out of every day of their summer vacation use their creativity and engineering expertise to entertain themselves and their neighborhood. In typical cartoon fashion, this is only a mild idea of what they get into. From building roller coasters to time travel to their secret agent platypus and interesting assortment of friends, this show is a kid’s fantasy. And adults will marvel at just how much thought went into such a show. Maybe it’s the unique hypnotic songs that come up during each episode that keep me coming back for more, but this is one series I will own just to be able to pass it down to my kids someday.

Hopefully this has given some of you a newfound interest in cartoons. Maybe it has only piqued your curiosity as to what all of the fuss is about. All I can say is this: there is a cartoon out there for everyone if you only give them a chance. So turn on the TV, switch it to your favorite animated network, and enjoy being a kid again.

Christopher Scott is a contributor for the television blog TheTalkingBox. He spends much of his time watching TV intended for 8 year olds when not spending it with his family in Huntsville, AL.

Welcome TheTalkingBox's Newest Contributor!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

TheTalkingBox is happy to announce that we have a new contributor to the site! Christopher Scott has joined the writing team and will be focusing primarily on animated television shows. I have known him for over a decade, and we've shared many conversations and trivia bits about television shows (especially 80s and 90s cartoons!) with one another throughout the years. You may have seen his recent recaps and thoughts on Iron Man: Armored Adventures, and he will be catching us up on ThunderCats beginning tomorrow. Stay tuned to see what else he has in store!

Throwback: Favorite Cartoons

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Since Comic-Con officially starts today, I thought that I'd do a throwback that features some of my favorite cartoons. And not just those from childhood, either. I totally watched cartoons through high school, haha.Sure, I still catch them on Netflix every now and then, but I haven't regularly followed any (not counting The Simpsons and South Park, since they're not geared toward children anyway) regularly in years.

My mom tells me that I had a Rainbow Brite obsession as soon as I could discern specific programs on television. I remember renting a few at the video store when I was learning to read, but I honestly can't remember watching the show on regular television. I still love Rainbow Brite, and will be rocking a shirt from the show tomorrow! (Today is my Marvel shirt. of course.)

Now, my very favorite from elementary school: ThunderCats. You better believe that I was the only girl in the first grade rocking a ThunderCats lunchbox and thermos! I loved that show, from how cute Snarf was to how cool it looked when Cheetara ran to the Rober-Berbles and how neat it was to have robot pandas around. Mumm-ra was a pretty scary bad guy, but I thought he was unique.

Next, the cartoons that I watched religiously after school as part of the Disney Afternoon years: Gummi Bears, TaleSpin, and Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers. As I've probably mentioned before, Rescue Rangers was what we talked about at snack time in Kindergarten, so I had to be up the latest adventures of Chip, Dale, Monty, Gadget, and Zipper! FatCat was my favorite villain, though Nimnul ran a close second! I thought that the storyline for Gummi Bears was just fabulous, and the characters were quite lovable. With TaleSpin, it was simply the characters. I thought that Don Carnage was a hilarious bad guy, and the idea of "cloud-kicking" blew my mind. The storylines were a bit outrageous (I wasn't the best at allowing myself to have a willing suspension of disbelief as a child) and wrapped themselves up all too quickly, but how could you not love Wildcat, Baloo, Molly, Kit, and the others?

And, on the weekends as a youngin', Foofur and Punky Brewster were my Saturday Morning Cartoons of choice. As a kid who was deathly afraid of dogs, the idea that a bunch of canines lived together (along with Fencer the cat and a few rats) with no real owner was amusing. The constant hiding from the realtor was funny to me, and I just remember laughing at the show all the time. With Punky, I think it was Glomer who first sucked me in. He seemed like such a cool "pet" and I had a fascination with magical creatures and the world of fun that they could create for someone. Sure, Punky and her friends were cool, but Glomer, he was amazing! 

Middle school was pretty simple for me... Rugrats and Doug. I was new to having Nickelodeon, and those two shows were big hits with me and my siblings. While everything that the rugrats ever did was pretty unbelievable, I adored their ability to teach about other cultures and holidays, and thought that the writing was great. Doug was quite a bit more believable (well, not the fact that people were blue, haha), and I thought that most of the secondary characters were well-written and developed... like Judy, Connie, and Mr. Dink. I'll even admit that I actually liked the Disney episodes of The Brand-Spankin' New Doug, which wasn't a hit with a lot of other people. I thought that aging the kids a year did a lot for the show and the way they handled the situations that were faced.

In high school my favorites included The Weekenders, Teacher's Pet, Recess, and Pepper Ann. The first two were Saturday morning shows, the latter two were afterschool shows (though they began on Saturdays, of course). I've written about a few of these before, but in a nutshell, it was the characters that kept me coming back. In The Weekenders, the cast was pretty small, so it was easy to latch on to each of the four, and understand where they were coming from and what they were doing. With Teacher's Pet, the idea that a dog went to school was pretty intriguing, but the fact that his teacher was also his owner (and she didn't realize who the dog was) baffled me to the point that I just couldn't stop watching, waiting for the day that she discovered the truth. My fourth grade wasn't like Recess in any way (we didn't even have cliques yet), but the storylines were incredibly believable to me, and the roles that the kids took in each scheme just made sense. Similarly, although I couldn't directly relate to Pepper Ann, I just "got" the show and her interactions with other characters was just moving for me. 

My college cartoon was totally As Told by Ginger, which I just thought was written well. There were a bunch of characters, the storylines were more pre-teen/teen-oriented, and the depiction of social life at school was a little more believable than a lot of other shows. Plus, there was a special where they went to camp, and I spent two of my summer during college working at a resident camp, so that held a special place in my heart. 

I know you're dying to share... what have your favorite cartoons been throughout life??

Netflix Increases & More: This Week in TV News...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Glee isn't planning to have guest stars during Season 3.

NBC finally released their fall schedule.

Looks like the role of Lily will be recast on Modern Family.

There's a new weight loss television docu-series in the works. If you are 75+ pounds overweight and work in a food-related industry, consider auditioning!

One-third of SpongeBob fans are adults. [I find this to be news!] But, more newsworthy, with a new episode coming Friday the 15th, they've decided to debut an original story created for Twitter. The Ice Race Cometh: A Twitter-Tale will be told through a series of tweets starting today.

A new version of Care Bears will be on television soon. A network has not yet been announced, but The Hub seems to be the leading contender.

Falling Skies got renewed. A second season will run 10 episodes next summer.

Looks like The Situation has left Jersey Shore.

Part of the pilot for the new ThunderCats series has been leaked. It has a much more youthful look than the original. Tygra and Lion-O are brothers, sons of the King. Wily Kit and Wily Cat are pickpockets. Cheetara is introduced. Lion-O is presented the Eye of Thundera sword. 


Melissa & Joey has been renewed for a second season.

More on the adoption stories of Catelynn and Ashley will be revealed on a special airing on MTV tonight: 16 and Pregnant: Adoption Special.

FOX's reality series Cops will have an animated spin-off, focusing on six officers.

TNT is rebooting Dallas, launching summer 2012.

The long-anticipated Terra Nova will only air 13 episodes in its first season. This will likely mean it'll air September-December, then be off again until September 2012. All because of the allegedly groundbreaking CGI.

BBC Worldwide is offering you the chance to rent their TV episodes via Facebook.

Sherwood Schwartz, creator of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island, passed away at age 94 of natural causes.

Netflix is upping their prices. Well, for DVDs. If you want streaming-only, it's $7.99/month. For DVDs only, it's also $7.99... but if you was both, it starts at $15.98 in September (no grandfathering), and increases for options like blu-ray and multiple DVDs at a time.

If you can make great cakes or do a good impression of Buddy, send in your video to appear on a future episode of Cake Boss.

What do you think the biggest television news of the week was? My bet: the Netflix increase!