Hey fans, Steven is finally coming back! After a hiatus that started in January, Entertainment Weekly reports that "Steven Universe" will return in June for what Cartoon Network is dubbing "The Summer of Steven."
The most recent episode of "Steven Universe" aired on January 8, 2016 and left the fanbase on an indefinite hiatus. Following internal leaks that occurred earlier in the year, Entertainment Weekly's announcement of new episodes was expected. What wasn't expected was the other part of the announcement; "Steven Universe" has been confirmed for a fifth season... well, kind of.
(A basic representation of fans at the moment.)
Back in the summer of 2015, the show was confirmed for a third season, which at the time constituted 158 episodes total according to Rob Sugar, the brother of creator Rebecca Sugar. For simplicity, that's 52 episodes per season, plus two. Season One contained exactly 52 episodes, and Season Two left off on episode 26. Logically, Season Two would be continuing when Steven Universe returns in June, but that isn't the case according to writer Matt Burnett.
FYI, Season 1 was 52 episodes, all other seasons are 26 episodes. I don't know why the change, but it didn't affect how we made the show.
With that in mind, Season Five would end on episode 158, meaning that no new episodes were actually announced as being greenlit.
To clarify what was said in the tweet above, the airing schedule of "Steven Universe" does not affect the production schedule. So it's very possible that Season Three getting confirmed in 2015 was relating to production and not airing; this new confirmation is just how Cartoon Network will handle the episodes for broadcast.
Aside from all the season confusion, fans are very happy with the announcement of new episodes, leading to some very interesting Reddit comments.
The cast of Eddsworld, drawn by the late Edd Gould. (Source)
It's a bittersweet day for fans of the internet webshow "Eddsworld". At noon today, the last episode of "Eddsworld Legacy", properly titled "Eddsworld - The End (Part 2)" was uploaded to Youtube. This 12 minute long episode was worked on by 10 separate animators, all of whom credit this show as their biggest inspiration.
So, what exactly is "Eddsworld Legacy" anyway? It is a tribute to the original "Eddsworld" show following the death of animator Edd Gould in 2012.
Gould, who started the acclaimed show in 2003, died of leukemia on Mar. 25, 2012, following a six year fight with it. He was 23. His dying wish was for the show to continue.
And so it has. His friend and co-writer at the time, Thomas Ridgewell, went to Indiegogo to raise money for the show. He called the project "Eddsworld Legacy." Initially a $50,000 goal, they raised $83,211 in two months.
Ridgewell, who headed the Indiegogo, took over all managing, producing, writing, and directing roles for the show, while also trying to get over his best friend's death. Within a few months, only two episodes were released and Ridgewell fell into major depression.
The show went on a year long hiatus, and wouldn't see another new episode until Feb. 2014 in the form of "Fun Dead." It was at this point in time that the Legacy hit its stride.
The Legacy team hired Eddie Bowley to take over half of Ridgewell's responsibilities, allowing the production side of things to run again.
Following the death of Edd Gould, the Eddsworld Legacy team has uploaded 14 new videos, 13 of which count as full episodes.
With "The End," Eddsworld Legacy has come to an end. Ridgewell will be stepping down from the project completely and will be giving it to Gould's family, who will do with it as they see fit.
It's been an absolute honour but I just can't do it anymore. Too many memories. Too much pain. It's time to move on.
Though it may be the end of the Legacy, it may not be the end of the show. For now, though, Gould's world was able to spin again, even for just a little bit.
This is Tom, Paul & Eddie signing off. Thank you so much, everyone. We hope you enjoyed Eddsworld Legacy. Good luck to the Gould family x
Screenshot of character Pearl from the episode "So Many Birthdays." (Source)
Disclaimer: Steven Universe (SU) happens to be my favorite show at the moment. I frequent its Reddit and its creators Twitter accounts on a daily basis, so keep that in mind.
Over the last few days, the "Steven Universe" community has been in an uproar over content leaks that heavily spoil major plot points in the show. The source of these leaks is Cartoon Network UK.
As reported by iDigitalTimes, Cartoon Network UK put up two clips from unannounced episodes up on its website. These clips were around three minutes long a piece and both contained the climaxes for their individual episode. Of those climaxes, one of them spoils the conclusion to a story arc that's ranged over the last 20 or so episodes.
To give a little context, "Steven Universe" was created in 2013 by Rebecca Sugar, who had previously been a story-boarder on Pendleton Ward's "Adventure Time." Sugar was awarded the title of Forbes' "30 Under 30" in 2012 for her work on "Adventure Time", and she was then asked to pitch a show. She is the first female show creator in the history of Cartoon Network. Her show takes heavy inspiration from Japanese animation, which focuses on plot driven stories.
For a typical cartoon, posting an unreleased clip online isn't typically a problem as most tend to have self-contained episodes without much of a story. "Steven Universe," on the other hand, is plot-centric.
It probably doesn't help that the show is currently in the middle of a two month long hiatus with no future episodes announced. The hiatus follows a group of five episodes shown from January 4-8, known as a "Steven Bomb." This particular one was the fourth.
The focus on Steven Bombs is a choice made by Cartoon Network in how it airs the show. The crew of the show, who refer to themselves as the "Crewniverse," have no impact on how the show is aired. However, this style of airing episodes requires an extensive backlog of finished episodes to keep the ball rolling. According to writers Matt Burnett and Ben Levin, it takes about nine months or so to fully produce an episode, which complicates this.
With all of that in mind, the leaks that occurred on Friday were directly the fault of Cartoon Network UK, done without the consent of the Crewniverse. Along with the fans on social media, the Crewniverse were understandably upset by this. (Matt Burnett, a writer on the show, was a little more comical than most.)
This leak wasn't the first that Cartoon Network has done. Back during the Steven Bomb in January, a four second clip of an episode preview played during another show on the network. This clip spoiled the return of a major character in the series, which ironically came from the same set of episodes that were leaked last week.
These leaks are most likely accidents on the part of Cartoon Network. but they paint a broader picture on how disconnected Corporate and creator can be. Hopefully there won't be another leak or the faucet will be completely dry.
Internet media giant Rooster Teeth ended the third volume of its anime-inspired series "RWBY" last week. The difference this time, however, is that it's the first volume to have been made since the death of "RWBY" creator Monty Oum in 2015.
Monty Oum died on February 1, 2015 following an allergic reaction he sustained thanks to medication used in a routine check up. He was in a coma for about 10 days before being taken off of life support by his family. He died at 33. The internet community and Rooster Teeth were devastated. Fans created tributes for the man and Rooster Teeth did as well.
Oum was hired in 2010 to animate Rooster Teeth's main series "Red vs. Blue." Eventually, he pitched his idea for an anime-style series to his boss Burnie Burns. That series ended up being "RWBY", which Oum wrote and animated for two volumes before his death.
According to the RWBY Wikia, the show's plot focuses on Team RWBY, a group of girls who are learning to fight monsters known as the Grimm. The show had a very light-hearted focus at first, generally falling into the action-comedy genre of videos. In the third volume, however, "RWBY" takes a severe 180 and focuses much heavier on the drama aspects of the characters and how they must deal with the world falling apart around them. "Like other continuity-heavy sagas out there, RWBY will grow up over time," says Gray Haddock, Head of Animation at Rooster Teeth in a journal that he posted on the site.
This plot evolution of "RWBY" was always there from the start. In yet another journal (which came earlier), Haddock explains that the team of animators knew the direction "RWBY" well before Oum's death; Oum had even begun animating parts of the new volume. "His story ideas will live on," says Haddock in that same journal.
And his ideas have been living on. According to the Wikia mentioned earlier, the team for "RWBY" was expanded greatly after Oum's death. Writing duties were given to Rooster Teeth's main writers Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross, both of which are currently in charge of writing "Red vs. Blue." They worked with Oum prior to his death, and understand where the story needs to go.
Thank you all so much for watching #RWBY3 this year. I'll post a sappy journal later, but for now know that you all mean the world to me <3
Following the end of Volume 3, Burnie Burns, the former CEO of Rooster Teeth, confirmed that the show would be continuing on for at least another volume in a nicely sarcastic tweet.
I super double promise that if we ever end a popular multi-season show, we will let everyone know in advance. https://t.co/Fwg8M2hBqy
After two seasons and 40 episodes,
"Gravity Falls" ended its three and a half year long run on Disney XD
with a three-part story arc called "Weirdmageddon." According to Variety,
this ending was the choice of show creator Alex Hirsch.
“I did this because I love the show. I didn’t want us to ever run
out of mysteries. I didn’t want to see Mabel and Dipper have to sit there in
front of the TV and shrug,” he said. “For me it’s most important to do
something that I believe in, something I’m proud of, something I can stand up
and say ‘That was my plan’ rather than stretch it out.”
If you've taken this amazing journey with me, whether fan, collaborator or friend, feel free to spread the word! #goodbyegravityfalls
As stated by Wikipedia, the show follows twins Dipper and Mabel
Pines during their summer vacation in the weird Gravity Falls. The show had a
finite beginning, middle, and end, which allowed for Hirsch to plot it out over
time. The ending, in that respect, felt satisfactory as all plot points led to
it, which, according to Hirsch on Tumblr, is unusual in cartoons.
Wikipedia states that “Weirdmaggedon” was shown in three
separate episodes. Each part aired on different dates with small hiatuses in
between each; the final part had the longest hiatus, but also the longest run
time. "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls" clocked in a 44 minute run
time, which is double the usual 22 minutes an episode has. They were shown on
Oct. 26, Nov. 23, and Feb. 15 respectively.
The show focused primarily on the weird and magical elements of
childhood and growing up. It explained a lot of this through mysteries spread
out within the story. It’s only fitting that a new mystery has been circulating
throughout the fan community following the end of the show.
The air date of the finale. Compared to the hiatus between parts
one and two, which was a month, there was a three-month hiatus between parts
two and three. Though it could be explained by the fact that the finale was 44
minutes long and part two was 22 minutes long, there’s still the fact that “Gravity
Falls” debuted on June 15, 2012.
According to the popular fan theory circulating Tumblr, if you
write the dates out in numbers, you get 2/16/15 and 6/15/12, which are
opposites of each other.
Whether this was intentional or not, it’s good to know that even
the end of this show has fans searching for answers. Maybe someday fans will see something more from "Gravity Falls."
Screenshot from "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls" (Credit: Disney XD)
The 43rd annual Annie Awards took place on February 6, 2016 in Los Angeles, California to celebrate achievements in animation over 2015.
Isao Takahata, the skilled animator of Studio Ghibli fame, was given the Winsor McCay award for lifetime achievement in animation alongside Phil Roman and the late Joe Ranft. The 80-year-old co-founder of Studio Ghibli hit his stride last year when his film "The Tale of Princess Kaguya" was nominated for an Oscar.
Takahata created Studio Ghibli in 1985 with his long term partner Hayao Miyazaki. Both partners have worked on multiple films together, most famously Studio Ghibli's "Castle in the Sky." Takahata, in his own merit, has worked on 17 films, 12 of which he has directed. Of those 12 films, he was also the writer on nine of them, including "The Tale of Princess Kaguya."
Takahata, unlike his younger partner Miyazaki, has no plans to retire from animation any time soon. He is currently the artistic producer on a Dutch film titled "Red Turtle" which is due for release in 2016.
Now switching gears to the other winners, "Inside Out" was a big one.
Of the major nominees during the event, Pixar's "Inside Out" took home the most awards. According to The Hollywood Reporter, those awards were:character animation, character design, editing, music, production design, story boarding, voice acting, writing best director and best animated feature.
"Inside Out" offers a unique take on childhood depression and emotional development. It's Rotten Tomatoes score of 98 percent from critics seemed to be reflected in the amount of awards it received. Whatever the case, "Inside Out" is undoubtedly marching fiercely into the Oscars.
Other notable awards from the Annie's were Don Hertzfeld's "World of Tomorrow", which won Best Animated Short Subject and 2K Game's "Evolve", which won Best Character Animation in a Video Game.
Full results from the Annie Awards can be found here.
In a shocking turn of events,creator Ian Jones-Quartey announced that Lakewood Plaza Turbo would be Cartoon Network's first ever "Multi-Platform Experience."
Quartey, via Twitter, announced that the universe he has created will be focused in a variety of media platforms, starting with a free mobile game for IOS and Android devices; as of this writing, the game is currently out on IOS and will be out in a few hours for Android.
Media Outlet Wired explains that the game is Cartoon Network's first mobile title involving entirely new characters and a new universe to expand on. The game represents a new strategy for Cartoon Network, one that involves opening up to all platforms.
Rob Sorcher, Cartoon Network's CCO, describes the decision as Cartoon Network's focus on creating "animated worlds" that can expand to more than just a television. As Wired explains, the goal is to have a universe that can cover anything and everything, pushing the reach the company can have on its audience.
The game, which is titled "OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo", will also be opened up to indie developers for a large Game Jam; a type of event where developers create a game within a short period of time. As Fast Co Create reports, the game jam is being held as a way to further expand the franchise of Lakewood Plaza Turbo as never done before. The game's code will be given to 200 individual developers at an event being held in Portland, Ore. from February 12-14. The winning spin-off game will eventually be released to the public as an official Cartoon Network game and the developer will be given a creative contract with Cartoon Network.
The game itself holds many comics created by various writers and artists. Wired continues in saying that the franchise will branch out with more comics and a television series may follow. ORIGINAL STORY 2/4/16:
After a leak in 2013, the pilot for Ian Jones-Quartey’s show
“Lakewood Plaza Turbo” has officially been released to Cartoon Network’s
Youtube Channel.
According to Quartey, the pilot was originally conceived for
Cartoon Network’s pilot program in 2012. It was released in 2013 online and
then removed after some time, leaking in various lengths and qualities all over
Youtube. Though the pilot was initially well received among fans, Quartey’s job
as co-executive producer at Steven Universe put the future of the show in
question.
On May 29, 2015, Ian Jones-Quartey stepped down from his position
in Steven Universe and told fans on Twitter that he had a “secret project” in
the works.
But I'm ready to move onto... well... "other things"!
This sparked immediate fan speculation that he was in fact working
on “Lakewood Plaza Turbo.” Voice actress Stephanie Naldolny, who plays K.O.,
has since confirmed that the show is in production.
Though releasing the pilot officially doesn’t confirm
anything in of itself, fans are speculating that Cartoon Network may be
releasing “Lakewood Plaza Turbo” sooner rather than later.
MY TAKE:
Though it’s not professional to really add your own voice to
these kinds of things, I do have an idea as to when we may see this show. For
one thing, this format is heavily following how Steven Universe was released.
The Steven Universe pilot was also released in 2013, but was greenlit
immediately after that. The pilot was officially released in May of 2013, and
then the official first episode followed in November of that same year.
Assuming Cartoon Network likes this format, we may be seeing
this show as early as the summer. On Twitter, Ian Jones-Quartey mentioned that
this week would be a big one AFTER the release of the pilot, so we may be
seeing a release date very soon.
