Yesterday, Ain’t it Cool revealed some new art from Studio 4°C’s adaptation of Thundercats. The fact that the series is being creative isn’t exactly new – a few outlets reported on it in mid-2010. However, this appears to be the first time that actual art for the show has surfaced. MTV’s 2010 story on the series reveals that the show will be produced by some of the more accomplished industry figures from the past decade. If MTV’s story is correct, Sam Register (Teen Titans, Transformers: Animated) will fill the show’s executive producer, while Michael Jelenic (The Simpsons (1988-1989), Wonder Woman) and Ethan Spaulding (Avatar: The Last Airbender) will share the role of Producer. In addition, this isn’t the first co-production that 4°C performed for Warner – they also did work on segments for Batman: Gotham Knight and Halo Legends.
So, we have an accomplished studio that knows how to work with a western audience, and three exceptionally talented western figures working on the show. While it’s still a bit early to call, I’m absolutely looking forward to the series. After all, as a child of the ’80s, Thundercats was a staple of my Saturday Morning CartoonTM diet.
I’ll admit, though… there is a lingering skepticism on this series. After all: in retrospect, Thundercats is a campy series (mostly thanks to Snarf, WilyKat, and WilyKit but that’s another story). If they go full-on ’80s with this, the show will just be a campy pretender that will be quickly bitched about on the internet, and forgotten. However, I could see it doing very well if the crew works around the campier elements, outside of the token nod, and focusing on the larger framework that many fans remember.
Now that I think of it, a story about Thundercats wouldn’t be complete without Liono’s cry, or the cheesy-yet-fun ’80s intro would it?
Samantha Ferreira is Anime Herald’s founder and editor-in-chief. A Rhode Island native, Samantha has been an anime fan since 1992, and an active member of the anime press since 2002, when she began working as a reviewer for Anime Dream. She launched Anime Herald in 2010, and continues to oversee its operations to this day. Outside of journalism, Samantha actively studies the history of the North American anime fandom and industry, with a particular focus on the 2000s anime boom and bust. She’s a huge fan of all things Sakura Wars, and maintains series fansite Combat Revue Review when she has free time available. When not in the Anime Herald Discord, Samantha can typically be found on Bluesky.
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