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George Lucas Says Gerry Anderson’s THUNDERBIRDS Inspired His New Tartakovsky-Free CLONE WARS Cartoon!!
I am – Hercules!!
Alex Weprin of Broadcasting & Cable attended the Cartoon Network upfront. It featured an appearance by George Lucas, whose new “Clone Wars” series will be satcast on the channel. From Weprin’s report:
“ … when it came to Star Wars, and the look and feel of it, I did want to do something that was a little more in the realm of anime design-wise than what is now currently in television and movies, outside of Japan. I wanted to give it a look and feel of something that is so compact. We picked the Gerry Anderson Thunderbirds to be our inspiration, and you will see it has a very stylized look. I didn’t want it to look like Beowulf, which we could have done, I didn’t want it to look like The Incredibles, when you are doing animation, you have a cast of characters and everyone knows what they look like, you really do have to come up with a very sophisticated and dynamic caricature of those characters.”
Good news, if you’re to ask me, as the “look” of the old Supermarionation “Thunderbirds” holds up amazingly well!
Read all of Weprin’s story on the matter here.
The "Clone Wars" movie hits cinemas Aug. 15. The series follows in autumn.
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I love Thunderbirds
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I like the T-Birds.
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weird we like the same things. we should hang out, do stuff.
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whats up with the dark crystal?
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..."we wanted a style that was different and distinct enough from what we had done before so that it would allow us to re-release all of these characters once again as a myriad of action figures, statues, busts and other merchandising opportunities"
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I'm curious as to why Lucas is so hung up on the Clone Wars/Anikan Skywalker story. I'm a huge Star Wars Fan, but personally, I just don't care about this cartoon and will most likely skip. But I would have been doing back flips for a cartoon set between Episodes 4 & 5. How great would it have been to see the further adventures of Luke, Leia and Han before the 'Empire Strikes Back'? Or for that matter, why not continue the story after Episode 6 and show us what happened after the fall of the 'Empire' and the eventual fates of the beloved characters that got us hooked on this series to begin with. I don't mean to Prequel bash, but if it wasn't for my love of the first trilogy, I just never would have watched the second trilogy. What does everyone else think?
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Actually it's only fans (and critics) who are so harshly against Lucas, the average guy in the street quite enjoyed the Prequels, hence all the money they made.
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My theory: Lucas feels as if the Original Trilogy was not entirely his creation, especially Empire. He felt like he was stymied by a small budget for the first Star Wars, and then he had others take over the creative direction with Empire. He tried to bring it back together under his control in Jedi, but had personally and creatively become exhausted at that point.The Prequels, on the other hand, are his vision all the way through. On a personal level, he cares about the Prequel timeline more than the Original Trilogy, I think, which have been "tainted" by other people.
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The Prequels are retarded. You saw to that. WE KNOW HOW THE CLONE WARS END. WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO ANAKIN. Either advance the story forward or bury it.
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The One shining spot on that bleak garbage Force on us by aging HACK was The Clone Wars It was Brilliant and everything the prequels wasn't Tartakovsky gave everything that Lucas couldn't or wouldn't in short time span. And I think its his own hubris making throw more crap into this Clone Wars crap.
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I'm proud of you, fanboys.
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Genndy done it better, and Lucas is only trying to make everyone forget by doing a 22 part CGI cumshot of underwhelming proportions. Bring Genndy back!!
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that would redeem Lucas for eps 1 and 2.
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ever since Tartakovsky left that show has sucked SOOOOO badly.
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Apr 04, 2008 5:04:46 AM CDT
"I didn’t want it to look like Beowulf, which we could have done
by tonagan
Lucas sounds like a kid trying to be cool: "Yeah, big deal, I could do that, I just don't want to."
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SO it'll be pretty. I'm sure we can look forward to some lightsaber action. I'm looking forward.
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I really am.
Would much rather see an anthology show set between Eps 3-4 (is this the live action one?), and animated features of the "expanded universe" stuff, like Shadows of the Empire (decent story set between 5-6) and Heir to the Empire (set a few years after ROTJ). -
Not that I don't think the series will be cool. I just don't see any excitement in watching a story whose beginning and conclusion (not to mention some of the middle) we have already seen. Bring on the live-action show, or heck, even the further adventures of Luke and co.!
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... no more Star Wars franchise crap for about 5 years. Then, Lucas can hire JJ Abrams to "revamp" everything, thus killing the franchise permanently.
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I always imagined what the wars would be like ever since Obi Wan dropped the brief line about it in A New Hope and animated or not, it's just a bunch of cg bullshit with no real heart or motive to it. Lucas is a master of the shallow melodrama.
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In fact they look very amateurish and completely devoid of style. They look like they were done by people that didn't know what they were doing. They aren't good at all.
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I really, sincerely hope that Lucas never touches the characters of Han and Luke in any future project. The reason? Because their ONLY incarnations are through Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill. They ARE those characters, so I really hope it stays that way.
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funny how one gibberish word pars so seamlessly with another gibberish word.
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Apr 04, 2008 9:39:02 AM CDT
It could look like Beowulf...with $1million a minute
by performingmonkey
That's how much it cost to make Beowulf look how it did. While I'm pretty sick of the Clone Wars I can't wait to sample this series. The live action is the real series though...
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Maybe he will decide the technology was not good enough for Beowulf style animation in 2008 and update it later, along with random plot points.
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except the combination to his brain box.
I haven't seen eps 2 and 3 and dont plan to. Ep 1 was enough for me to walk away. -
I love the prequels but i was never interested in the Clone Wars itself. I was more interested in the story of Anakin and Obiwan which is what the prequels were about. I did love the Clone Wars animated shorts and thats enough. They should have done an Old Republic or something fresher. But then again, this may well turn out to be good despite my reservations.
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The best Star Wars films were the ones he had the least to do with.
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I'm absolutely awed by the folks who come in here to bitch about Lucas, yet won't watch the shows. If it's not your cup of tea, then leave it alone. I don't like teen flicks, but I don't come into a chat for teen flicks and spout garbage about how much I dislike them and make it a point not to watch them. That's what losers do.I agree that Lucas seemed to promise a lot for the prequels, and I was over-hyped too, especially after having such a love for the original trilogy, but it's not the first time that my wishes have been washed out with the tide, and won't be the last. If I kept crying about how awful it was to be victimized and just sit at home feeling sorry for myself, I wouldn't have discovered the beauty of the world outside.
Lucas isn't writing all of the dialog, losers, so come back when you have your head out of your ass and actually take some time to find out a little something about what you're bitching about. It's almost like people say, "Oh, look! there's an article about Lucas or Star Wars. Let's go bash it, so we can think that we're being cool." I can't wait to see the 90min feature on the big screen. I hope Lucas knocks it out of the park. I can hardly wait until the live-action TV show comes out, too. -
George says he didn't want it to look like The Incredibles? Why not? The Clone Wars trailer really doesn't look all THAT sophisticated and dynamic. I'm sure it will be fun enough on the first viewing, but let's face it, George is running on fumes. The only way he could even begin to approach the energy and excitement of The Incredibles would be if he completely removed himself from the creative process and turned the reins over to Brad Bird and Pixar. Reboot the Prequels!!
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Kermit the Frog Solo
Princess Piggy
Fozzybaca
Gonzo Skywalker
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nice to see you are moving on creatively.
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Apr 04, 2008 7:55:00 PM CDT
What a complete ASS! Tartakovsky is the only good in the Pre
by kirttrik
Fuck Lucas! He's a shameful, depressing example of what can happen when ego out weighs skill and talent. Fuck him. Tartakovsky made his crappy prequel lay-out watchable, entertaining, and informative. There's more emotion, intelligence, and exciting choreography in the hour and a half of cartoon than in the miserable 7 and half hours of the shit he spewed upon the screen. Not to mention that the first major action scene in Attack of the Clones is a direct storyboard rip from the season premiere of Samurai Jack. You know, this series is just a retelling of Tartakovsky's Clone Wars. That's not the story that needs retelling, it's those fucking abominable prequels! Who ever is directing this cartoon better hope it isn't too successful or the dark master Lucas will be forced to bad mouth your work and redo it in his own crappy image...again...till it is a pale reflection of the original.
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...to reiterate...FUCXK YOU LUCAS!
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FuuuAAAAAAA!
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Why not?
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It could be a steam punk story, Tucker sent to the future. Hmmm?
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'Cause that's what I want to see. P. Diddy gett'n down with JarJar and WomWomp or whoever.
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I feel that Wicket's story needs to be more fully fleshed out. Maybe he could run into this generation's Olsen Twins and fight some more skull faced mutants.
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...hopefully it won't be too bad.
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Anakin Skywalker, Boy Genius...
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I'm pretty sure.
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Tartakovsky's two part series was so good it really should be aloud it's own name without confusion. having to specify "the clone wars cartoon rules but the cgi cartoon sucks" is gonna be really annoying.
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Apr 05, 2008 8:32:13 AM CDT
I'm not throwing stones, I'm throwing boulders, it deserves...
by kirttrik
...a freak'n anvalanche!
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"What this here needs is some crap'n up." Said Lucas to his highly paid team of yes-men.
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Lucas took a huge acidic dump in it to the point of overflowing the brim. I'm not exaggerating.
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..can i join? I got some cool model kits and posters and comics..i'm not being funny..i'm totally serious
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What The Fuck is Lucas talking about.... and why are you agreeing with him. He straight up lifted that Samurai Jack look that Tartakovsky did for the Clone Wars (I hope Tartakovsky getting compensation for reuse of his characters style/look). I was really sad when the first images of the character from this 3d endeavor popped up cause i was expecting more along the lines of Final Fantasy...
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So you wanted them to look more DEAD? I'm glad Lucas said he DIDN'T want Beowulf/FF looking stuff. Why do you want uncanny valley?! If they still can't get decent eyes on a Beowulf/FF budget what makes you think they'll take the time/spend the money to make them look alive? GL's a cheaparse remember? You're not gonna get Davy Jones here. Also it's not being done by their ILM A-team (with the exception of some fantastic key players).
Having said all that we haven't really seen them move/emote for more than a few seconds yet.
I actually like the designs - to me it's more like a Slavic puppet-take on Genndy's (or to be totally accurate Paul Rudish's) style. But I think they went too overboard with the texturing - it's diluting the lines.
And yes, the 2d designs were better still. -
these days?
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Well it wasn't as bad as FF or his earlier Polar express (invasion of the deadeyed zombie children), I'll give you that. But yes, they still had no life in the eyes (barring a couple of the Angelina shots. I know firsthand they tweaked those 10 times as much as the other characters). Look at it again, and especially at the scene where the guy dies and the 'life' goes out of his eyes - and there's no difference!!
You can make the advances with the peachfuzz and bloodvessels in the eyes all you like, but why you'd want to try (then fail and put it in the film anyway) what in retrospect is probably the holy grail in terms of difficulty, is beyond me. Stop playing BAD videogames there son. It's making you think Beowulf was successful (did enjoy the story, dead characters aside) with its animated corpses! ;) BTW.
"Way ahead" eh? Way to miss the point. Are you actually trying to argue Lucas/his companies are incapable of that level of 'realism'? Like I said before, Davy Jones/Pirates, but he's not aiming for that. If DJ's not totally convincing to you I'd argue it's absolutely as convincing as Beowulf. If he wanted that for the cartoon he'd just get ILM proper to do it rather than Lucasfilm Animation in Singapore. It's a conscious aesthetic decision silly, didn't you read the article? Did you forget there's another Star Wars television show that will be live action (although how alive the actors will look is up for debate these days)? It makes sense to go stylised. "Way ahead"! I guess you think the pinnacle of CG is photorealism like all those other wrongheaded (and young) types. CG can do more than that and it's too bad people like you keep paying for stuff like Beowulf and FF rather than showing the suits we want to see imagery that's not strangled by those myopic constraints. Fair enough? BTW notice I'm not saying any of this will be good or that Lucas isn't crazy these days, I'm just addressing your technical argument.
And don't shout. I may be a lot older than you, but I'm not deaf y'know! -
Apr 06, 2008 2:20:23 PM CDT
I think his handling of the series has made me a SW fan no more
by kirttrik
Yeah, fuck this shit! And I've been a fan since I was 5 or 6. It's a sad day, but I'll only watch fan edits of this stuff, if that. By rejecting Tartakovsky he's lost me and any respect I've had for him. Wow, I never thought I'd say that, I really can't say I'm a Star Wars fan anymore...wow.
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It's like I'm a little lamb lost.
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Check it out! It shows what real nerds can do with a lightsaber, more than Hollywood and a billion dollars worth of effects.
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Try to concentrate dude. When you type in all caps like you did my name, you're 'shouting'. I guess you're a newbie to these here interwebs.
Adult movies huh? So the hilarious/ludicrous scene with the naked Beowulf that was so like Austin Powers (can't remember the film that did that originally but I think it was French, or bloody should have been even if it wasn't) with the artful framing/coving up his wobbly bits was 'adult'?! Did they at least just do the bloody scene straight in the 'unrated'/director's cut? The fact that you hold it up as an adult movie either says you come from the same stunted viewpoint where kids' movies are de rigueur for animated movies and we should give one extra points every time one doesn't talk down to this audience. Or that you think violence counts for something being 'adult'. Thematically it's not exactly brain melting, is it? Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it to but at least try to stick with an argument. I can't tell if your rationale is technical or aesthetic or tonal. As far as the 'adult movies' thing goes, use actual realism as your barometer. If the same movie was filmed live action, maybe you'd see there was nothing that intellectually mindblowing or absorbing about it, considering corruption is the core moral dilemma.
And you really shouldn't use Revolutions as a paragon of realism. Stop confusing context with execution. A bunch of old boats going down a plughole is never going to look 'real' and is about as pointless as example as using the old wobbly rubber Yoda (yes I love it too but stay with me here sunshine) as a beacon of realism over the cg one. Why have you shifted from arguing the photorealism of characters and how visually convincing they are to stylised vistas? Not to mention SOUND now? WTF dude? Stop with the ADHD and try to focus! Talk about shifting sands!
At least we can agree they shoulda brought back Tartakovsky. And Rudish who designed that stuff.
But that would mean money, and I have friends who were offered LESS to work on Ep3 in the same roles they had on Ep2. That tells you where LFL is coming from. And I think half the thing here is that Lucas has a MAJOR dog-in-the-manger (look it up youngster) thing going on and is narky we all thought Genndy's stuff was more fun than the new movies. Somehow I still have hopes for the liveaction series though. Don't ask why because that's one I'm not going to even try to argue! -
Not LFL. Although they're cheap too!
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Go watch some Samurai Jack dude. You'll feel better.
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Yeah...Tartakovsky.
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You really are a newb. Next you'll be lecturing people on spelling "teh suck" properly and we'll all roll around laughing with the irony. My friend, if you're (irony!) going to take me to task on misuse of English (capital e you dolt), you probably shouldn't simultaneously misuse and misquote 'your' for 'you're'. Ever heard of the one about glass houses? All caps is generally accepted on the internets/interwebs/interwhatevers as shouting. Generally from some high school kid who wants attention. I myself sometimes use it for want of a fucking italics function as AICN is still too cheap to provide things other sites have accepted as standard for over a decade. Chief being the ability to edit a post.
I sure hope for your sake you're (see what I did there?!) not American or English because you'd be a walking cliché with the most unoriginal putdown ever. I say this because I think you meant to say 'your' instead or 'our' country. If I'm wrong and you're an Aussie like me then (stay away from me and) I think you meant convict not illegal alien.
Now, did I leave anything out? Oh yes. Wagging your finger at me about Beowulf. Ironic considering after the gaffe about the story being a higher achievement than the book (when you said story did you mean film?), quickly followed by lording it over me for presumably not having read it when even ignorant old me knows there's a character named Grendel in it. Is Grandel his cousin or something? What else? Oh yeah. "Shouting is when you use an exclamation point". Funny but I've been under the impression that shouting means shouting and an exclamation point is so named because it marks an exclamation! See? Just like that! To be fair, it's entirely possible that every time you yourself make an exclamation you're shouting while you do it. I prefer to just modulate my voice. Maybe you're that underage guy at the bar trying to be popular. Or drunk. While beating people over the head with a dictionary without having opened the thing yourself.
One of these days we're going to have to introduce you to the infantile but amusing concept of "pwned". At least now I understand why you have such a literal understanding of subjective things and keep arguing apples-to-oranges comparisons. Good luck with your continuing education Stormy. I hope your English teacher doesn't see this. -
doing the Coupe De Gras to the head of his franchise. He needs to take a break and un-fuck himself from doing this failed ruined Clone Wars crap ever again. You tried it Georgie. You tried and failed, give it up already. It's like he sits around in his office chair saying this time they'll really like it... no really!
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..long live Captain Scarlett and UFO dammit!
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Who would win in a fight? First round: Tag teams of Big Girl Annie (TM & © of course) and Big Pussy Jar Jar versus Big Girl Tin Tin and Flaming Queen Alan, who of course would wear his Zebra jacket. On the same bill, The Hood vs. Sidious, and slap-down between 3PO and that chess playing robot that Brains built.
All of a sudden I want a sequel to Masters of Teras Kasi (with character mods or whatever you call 'em)... -
Oh shit, did someone else say that already? It's just so obvious...
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MINDFREAK! MINDFREAK!And a thieving bastard.
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she looked photoreal to me... ;)
She had a bad case of crabs though...
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