Last weekend, we had the pleasure of attending New York Comic-Con 2012. It was jam-packed as 116,000 attendees explored every nook and cranny of the Jacob Javits Center. While the anime/manga presence was extremely limited compared to previous years, notable guests such as Danny Choo, Yu Asakawa, Yoshitaka Amano, Moyoco Anno, Masakazu Ishiguro, and Masakazu Katsura all graced the bright lights of New York. Check out some photos taken at the convention by our own Tony Yao.
Who said Japanese pop culture was dead in NYCC? The spirit of New York Anime Festival still lives on! Things are going to be really interesting for next year’s NYCC on the Japanese side of things. We can’t wait.
We did a couple of video interviews with Yu Asakawa and Danny Choo and hoping to have them up soon! Stay tuned!
It’s been years since Disney Television Animation created a great action animated series. In fact, their last great action animated series, was Gargoyles which aired in 1994. As of the late 90’s, Disney Television Animation changed gears, producing comedic /pop-culture style cartoon shows, such as: Kim Possible, Phineas and Ferb, Lilo & Stich: The Series.
Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network, and even Nickelodeon have dominated the action animation genre for more than a decade. Batman, The Animated Series, produced by Warner Bros. is listed as the second greatest animated series of all time[1]. Cartoon Network, revolutionized the animation industry when it premiered its action/animation block Toonami, and Genndy Tartakovsky’s epic masterpiece, Samurai Jack. In 2005, Nickelodeon broke new ground when it aired, Avatar: the Last Airbender, and its sequel, Avatar: The Legend of Korra.
However, it looks like Disney Television Animation has struck gold. Last Friday, Disney XD, premiered its new series, Tron: Uprising, at New York Comic Con 2012. Troy Underwood, and Executive Producer/Director Charlie Bean, screened the two-part episode event, “Scars 1 & 2”
Tron: Uprising has all the components of a great animated action series. Although, it’s described as filler between 1982′s Tron and 2010′s Tron: Legacy; its strong story line along with complex characters gives it the feel of an original animated series.
The animation is highly stylized work of art; a nice blend of CGI and hand-drawn animation. It resonates of a film noir; drenched in black and it’s only colors are the neon lines on character’s suits.
When it comes to action, Tron: Uprising doesn’t hold back. The fight scenes in “Scars 2” are brilliantly choreographed. This is the superb quality that one can expect from Charlie Bean; who worked alongside Genndy Tartakovsky on Samurai Jack.
Tron: Uprising is the action animated series that Disney Television Animation has been looking for. It has the potential to hold its own against Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. Tune in October 19, Tron: Uprising is a gem that’s truly worth watching.
Charlie Bean with die-hard Tron Fans – photo:Brian A.Gonzalez
Samurai Beat Radio 