#doug langdale

[skullislandproductions]

“The Daffy Duck Program” a “could have been” primetime show for The WB circa 1997, was conceived by Paul Rugg and John P. McCann. So much fun working with them, Doug Langdale and Tony Cervone on this ill-fated gem. Sometimes you can only replay the great ones in your head.

[90smovies]

[popculturegenealogy]

A different type of family tree: Applying family history concepts to animation

"Modern Cartoon Family Tree 2.0" by AlexB9598w

This family tree is unlike any other tree I've seen before. I thought I'd do a fun one this week. It's not focused on a specific character or on the draw of family, the latter which I wrote about before. Instead, this shows the connection between people and their different shows. It all starts out with Donovan Cook and moves down from there. I think this tree is interesting in that it shows the connection between these shows. However it is also, you could say, limiting. I say that because it doesn't exactly focus on the interconnection between people. I know that, for instance, that Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey are married, but this chart only shows them as writers. Similarly, I know about the controversy which enveloped Twelve Forever, leading to the end of the show, and Shadi Petosky, a trans woman, becoming the executive producer of the show and having her own project on the way. Since I don't know most of these shows, I'm narrowing it down to the shows I do know and working back from there. Let's start with one of my favorite shows, Cleopatra in Space, and focusing on the executive producer of that show, Doug Langdale.

Reprinted from my Genealogy in Popular Culture WordPress blog. Originally published on August 28, 2020.

I then expanded this by looking at the companies behind each one of these productions, and it starts to look more like a bit of a tree, showing the parent companies and production companies. Keep in mind that Sony Pictures Television, as of 2002, owns both Columbia divisions, so the chart would look a little different now. Additionally, DreamWorks is now owned by Universal Pictures, a division of NBC Universal, which is, itself, owned by Comcast. So, the chart would look different today.

Now, I wanted to expand this a little more, so I originally wanted to look at all those who have been listed as being on the Cleopatra in Space crew (herein called Cleo Crew), apart from Doug Langdale. Since that was 40 people, I narrowed it down to storyboarders, which consisted of 18 people in total: Aaron Brewer,  Abigail Davies, Adam Temple, Andrew Marshel, Bob Suarez, Chris Ybarra, Derek Thompson, Eugene Huang, Gary Ye, Ingrid Kan, Kevin Slawinski, Laurianne Uy, Samantha Suyi Lee, Scooter Tidwell, Thalia Tomlinson, Topher Parnell, and Wei Li. From there, I broke it down by the overlapping shows that they had worked on. [1] I ended up narrowing it down mainly to DreamWorks shows, as you'll see in the chart below:

We learn a lot from this. For one, Chris Ybarra and Bob Suarez had worked together and/or on two of the same shows: Big Mouth and Turbo Fast. Additionally, Adam Temple and Wei Li had both worked on Carmen Sandiego, while Abigail "Abby" Davies and Laur Uy had worked on Spirit Riding Free. We also find that Bob Suarez and Laur Uy worked on the same show too. Even more fascinating is the fact that ALL of these productions were on Netflix and most, apart from Carmen Sandiego, were tied to DreamWorks. We can conclude that many of the storyboarders probably knew each other and/or had worked with one another in the past. If we combine this with the information about Doug Langdale I showed earlier, it would mean that Langdale worked on the same team as Bob Suarez and Laur Uy on The Adventures of Puss and Boots. These connections were likely part of the reason they were hired in the first place.

In sum, this is a unique family tree of sorts, which shows connections between those in the animation industry. You can see who the "parents" (like DreamWorks and Houghton Mifflin) are and who the "children" (like Bob Suarez and Laur Uy) are as well. This sort of analysis is much better than the "modern cartoon family tree" shown at the beginning of that post. That post almost treats the connections between individuals as static. I may do another one about LGBTQ animations or something else. We'll see what happens! As always, comments are welcome, as I'm deeply unsure about what I'll write about next.

© 2020-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] I also found that Aaron Brewer and Eugene Huang storyboarded Little Big Awesome, which was produced by Amazon Studios and Titmouse, Inc., and that Aaron Brewer and Bob Suarez storyboarded Niko and the Sword of Light, produced by the same groups. Additionally, Frank Squillace directed Jackie Chan Adventures, while Scooter Tidwell was a storyboarder. At the same time, Bob Suarez, Frank Squillace, and Scooter Tidwell storyboarded The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Furthermore, Abigail Davies worked on Cartoon Network's Ben 10, with Scooter Tidwell as a sequence director. Finally, Frank Squillace directed Transformers: Rescue Bots while Thalia Tomlinson worked as an animator for the same show.

[catlove-2000]

HELP WANTED!

Hey there everyone, I have a annocement for potential writers out there but before I begin, let me bring some context to all of this so you can understand all of this better.

When a film becomes very popular and gets sequels, they usually get spinoff material to other mediums to make more money like TV shows, comic books, or video games and Shrek is no exception especially when it comes to its most popular character: Puss in Boots which is where The Adventures of Puss in Boots comes in.

Running from 2015 to 2018, The Adventures of Puss in Boots is an American computer animated series by DreamWorks Animation that was developed and executive produced by Dave the Barbarian creator, Doug Langdale, that is kind of a prequel to Puss' 1st spinoff film from 2011.

The show sees Puss in Boots fight off an endless legion of invaders to protect the previously hidden village of San Lorenzo, after his actions unintentionally broke the spell that protected its legendary mystic treasure from the outside world. Subsequently, he must find a way to restore the protection spell that will cloak the town once more.

Since this takes place before either the 1st Puss in Boots film or even the Shrek films, that means well known characters from the franchise don't appear in the series to some fans' disappointment but that doesn't mean it wouldn't have characters that people won't love to the point of having a favorite which is where Dulcinea comes in.

Voiced by Glee's Jayma Mays, Dulcinea is A sweet and innocent female white cat whom Puss falls for and follows to the town of San Lorenzo, starting off the plot. Now, characters who are positive can be a mixed bag since the writers always mixes positivity with stupidity.

However, Thanks to Jayma's performance and her character development, she is able to be a likeable female character that uses her smart and kindheart to solve things then beating the crap out of people like how many modern female characters are today.

Another thing that makes her work is the romantic chemistry she has with Puss which is very sweet and kind of heartwarming to the point, similar to Puss and Kitty, you are rooting for them to get together in the end.

This is also thanks to Puss' voice actor for the series, Eric Bauza, who before this show or Looney Tunes Cartoons was only know for voicing characters like Stimpy in Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon and Lord Stingray in Superjail but this series proved how not only can he pull off a voice that unrecognizable from his own, similar to Mel Blanc, but can have great chemistry with anyone he works with either a well known voice actor like Paul Rugg and Jim Cummings or a well-known big name like Danny Trejo and Jayma Mays.

However, unlike All King Julien which was nominated for a ton of awards and won some, TAOPIB was only able to won one award for Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special and add that to being on a spinoff show to a film on a streaming service, the show wasn't as well known or talked about thanks to the sour reputation of those kinds of shows.

This also goes to Dulcinea that since most film franchises don't acknowledge other film related media, People prefer Puss to be with Kitty Softpaws who appeared both in the 2011 film and it's 2022 sequel Voiced by Desperado's Selma Hayek.

Which to some people makes more sense. I mean not to slam Dulcinea but Kitty seems like the better match to Puss due to being more similar to him in terms of personality, appearing in the films first then the the TV show first, and her actress didn't appear in garbage like Epic Movie or the live action Smurfs films.

However, in my opinion, I prefer Puss with Dulcinea more. Now, I am not saying that Puss x Kitty sucks. I think they are also a great couple and the chemistry between Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek is great but in terms to the Shrek franchise and it theme about opposites attracting like with Shrek and Fiona.

But since Puss and Kitty seem like the endgame if the ending of The Last Wish would suggest, It seems that Dulcinea was always going to be forgotten to the sands of Deamworks Animation history... or is she?

That's where my fanfic comes in.

The Adventures of Puss and Dulcinea was my answer to this dilemma. Inspired by the The DragonSaver's GOTG fanfic, Half Worlders of the Galaxy, this fanfic puts Dulcinea into the events of the films either helping out or having cute romantic moments with Puss.

However, there is a problem with this. With Half Worlders of The Galaxy, that fic was written when the MCU was still loved and everyone wasn't acting like a wantabe Garth Enis taking pot shots at it every 24/7.

Shrek on the other hand....Well, Let's just say that the films between Shrek 2 and Puss in Boots weren't well received or worth remembering. Sure, Shrek Forever After had its moments but ending the film series with a plot inspired by Its A Wonderful Life isn't the most original idea.

That is where you come in.

I am looking for a co-writer or co-writers to help me develop my own version of Shrek the Third where I am going to write it as the last film in the Trilogy similar to others film trilogies like How to Train Your Dragon or Guardians of the Galaxy only everyone doesn't break up in the final film.

I decided to combine elements from Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish into one plot with the 1st Puss in Boots film being a subplot in the past similar to films like The Godfather: Part 2.

Of course, I need some help with trying to make all of this work without it becoming a jumbled up mess so I am looking for someone that a fan of not just the films but also the Netflix Series as well as hating using tired or problematic cliches, women in the refrigerator, that might ruin the fanfic as a whole.

I have doc that has the Synopsis for my version of Shrek 3 and some character ideas for the the story I attached on to this post. I hope they are good ideas to all of you but I am open to some suggestions to improve it if you want to help.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lNXLXpwzSmK6G3fdqPm_JBVat35GT-DhjnjZ1Wr592U/edit?usp=drivesdk

To contact me, DM me on either my Tumblr account, my Twitter account, or my Instagram account if you are interested in being apart of this.

You can also comment on this post as way to apply if that's more easier to all of you.

[historyhermann]

Cleopatra in Space and the Missing "Quarantine" Episode [Part 2]

Continued from part 1

Relevance to the pandemic

The episode is extremely relevant to the present, even though the flu which is portrayed in the animated series is nothing like COVID-19. When Cleo unknowingly brings the disease back to Mayet as an asymptomatic carrier, and becomes the superspreader. A close watching of the episode shows Cleo gets close to at least five people, including fist-bumping with two, and hugging two more people while walking through an area bustling with students. Since the area was crowded with people, at least 18 students in the area nearby, by my count, she undoubtedly spread the virus to them. As such, the simple action of walking near the gathered students is a super-spreader event. When it comes to COVID-19, densely packed areas where people are talking or singing is risky as it leads to super-spreader events, [2] with the same applying here. In the same episode, Professor Jurval is shown teaching a class with at least seven students, although more are likely there and not shown on the screen. This is another presumed super-spreader event as she coughs toward the students, leading them to spread the cough between each other. Similar to the virus shown in the episode, COVID-19 has various stages and symptoms and does not affect everyone the same way.

Jurval's possible superspreader event

There are few lessons and takeaways from this episode, tempered by the current time and place we live in. The first is that you should quarantine yourself when you are sick and don't think you are above it. The latter attitude is how people have died or become seriously ill with COVID-19. In fact, Cleo spreading the virus almost caused her friends and classmates to die as their rage came to a melting point. She barely saved the day, only thanks to a medical doctor, although one that was seen as a quack, his vaccines of sorts, and her mentor, Khensu. Another takeaway from this episode is that you should listen to medical advice, not ignore it, as Cleo does at the end of the episode when she develops a cold of some type, perhaps as a side effect of the virus she spread or something else entirely.

This was originally written in October 2020, but never published for some reason. It was since named and fixed up in December 2022, so some of the information in it may be outdated. It will be published on my History Hermann WordPress blog on Feb. 23, 2022. The episode was finally released on Peacock on June 25, 2021.

The episode as a whole can be interpreted, in our current time and place, as emphasizing the importance of social distancing, coupled with mask-wearing. If Cleo had social distanced from her fellow classmates, wore a mask, and gone to quarantine, the outbreak of the flu could have been completely avoided. But, that wouldn't have made a "good" story, right? More fundamentally, the episode is about trusting others and not being as self-centered (or arrogant), especially when you don't know something or others will be harmed by your actions. This is especially relevant considering the current infection of the U.S. President with COVID-19 and those around him, [3] after not following the proper safety precautions, whether not social distancing or not wearing a mask. Clearly, no one is immune from the virus, no matter their stature in U.S. society, and no one can escape its wrath or effects.

Unlike COVID-19, where someone can feel "well in their battle against it one hour can easily take a turn the next," as noted by TIME magazine's Senior Editor, the virus shown in the episode only has two stages. Even so, there are many parallels to the current pandemic. The event last Saturday at the Rose Garden to announce Judge Amy Coney Barrett as a nominee for the Supreme Court, has been considered a superspreader event. [4] Similarly, Cleo walking through a crowded area at school, and Jurval sneezing on her class, are similarly superspreader events. At the same time, the way the virus was transmitted in the episode itself is similar to COVID-19 because it spreads in tiny aerosol droplets, something which the CDC recently admitted COVID-19 does as well, after initially denying it. [5] The agency's official website currently states that "some infections can be spread by exposure to [the] virus in small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours," making clear that social distancing and mask-wearing alone will not limit the virus, but rather that it is about the time of exposure.

The episode itself also highlights the importance of proper medical care and science. If Queed had never created the vaccine and inadvertently made Khensu into a test subject, then everyone at the academy would have killed each other. Admittedly, this vaccine did not go through all the stages that those vaccines for the flu, measles, smallpox, and many other diseases, must go through before being given to the general public. In that way, it was a big gamble to even make the vaccines for everyone because they only had one test subject (Khensu). What if the effects on the students had been different? Imagine that instead of removing the flu particles within each of them, it killed or made them sicker? This is where the show falls down. Since it is reportedly geared toward those aged 6-11, according to showrunner Doug Langdale, such serious discussions are often sidetracked. As such, shows like Futurama do a much better job of highlighting the medical issues and risks in infection than Cleopatra in Space, with critics praising it for highlighting "what happens when an epidemic breaks loose in the future." Even so, the Cleopatra in Space episode still has its merits, as it does not have flashbacks and neither is everyone put in quarantine. Similar to the Futurama episode, a vaccine is created, but the plotline is more straightforward and focuses on fewer characters, as Cleo's usual team of herself, Brian, and Akila, is not possible, as Brian and Akila have the flu.

Final thoughts

The parallels to the current COVID-19 pandemic could why the episode is still not listed on Peacock. However, the episode has aired on the DreamWorks channel, Showmax in South Africa, Viaplay in Scandinavia, and ABC Me in Australia, to give a few examples. Perhaps the executives, whether at DreamWorks, Universal Pictures (parent of DreamWorks), NBCUniversal (parent of Universal Pictures), or Comcast (parent of NBC Universal), did not want the episode to be interpreted as a commentary on COVID-19, with a protagonist who violates quarantine rules and is gleeful about it (before releasing her error). If that is the case, it is completely absurd. Since the show is relatively complex, in terms of the fact it has 26 episodes, coming in a total of over 570 minutes of animated content, it undoubtedly took a long time to produce, as compared to shorter productions. The show has been in production since at least January 2018, when the request to develop the music for the show was put out, [6] and when DreamWorks registered the trademark for Cleopatra in Space itself. Looking into those in the show's crew, depending on the person, they worked on the show any time between April 2018 and August 2019, far before COVID-19 was on anyone's mind.

Hopefully, this episode will soon be made available and that other animations in the coming year make parallels to the current COVID-19 pandemic in a way that is respectful and recognizes the gravity of the virus. In the end, there are various lessons and takeaways that viewers can glean from this episode, and the animated series as a whole, which will have relevance to this current time and place, and into the foreseeable future.

© 2020-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

-------

Notes

[2] Brown, N. (2020, May 15). What is a coronavirus "super-spreading" event? Retrieved October 4, 2020, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-spreader-coronavirus/.

[3] Over 19 people have been infected as noted by Norah O'Donnell in the CBS News special report on late night television on October 5, 2020 about the return of the U.S. President from Walter Reed to the White House, a number that increases every day.

[4] Santucci, J. and Faulders, K. White House aides anxious as coronavirus cases rise in Trump's orbit: Sources. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from https://abcnews.go.com/US/white-house-aides-anxious-coronavirus-cases-rise-trumps/story?id=73435247; Holland, S. and Chiacu, D. Trump set to go home to a White House hard hit by coronavirus. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-medical-status-unclear-doctors-040418365.html.

[5] Dillion, N. CDC admits COVID-19 can spread through tiny aerosol droplets suspended for 'minutes to hours'. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from https://www.yahoo.com/news/cdc-admits-covid-19-spread-211400081.html; Edwards, E. CDC reverses again, now says COVID-19 is 'sometimes' airborne. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from https://www.today.com/health/cdc-reverses-again-now-says-covid-19-sometimes-airborne-t193348.

[6] Lofty, C. (2019, November 25). Cleopatra comin' atcha! - the music of Cleo in Space. Retrieved October 4, 2020, from https://futurevega.com/blog/cleopatra-in-space.

[tigresslanzhu]

After Bride Of Po

Po: Let me guess… “I told you so”?

Tigress: No. I didn’t want to make you feel worse about the whole Lu-Shi thing. Next time, though, I hope you’ll listen to me when I have suspicions instead of say “you’re just jealous!”

Po: I’m Kung Fu sorry! I can’t help what Nickelodeon makes us do!

[drawnaghht]

Samurai Rabbit with Stan Sakai & The Usagi Chronicles Creative Team (links)

Another interesting thing I remembered from re-listening the CBCC podcast interviews is the production and story reasons for why phones/screens/tvs etc don't exist in Samurai Rabbit. The showrunners (Langdales) wanted to explore how a feudal japan would look like without european and western influence (because of the alien invasion giving them tech). Basically, it gave them as a crew an interesting opportunity to try and design a feudal and modern fusion japan like an alternate universe a 1000 years in the future. But with animals.

The answer from Doug and Candie in the interview itself is a lot more nuanced and detailed than I can paraphrase here, so please have a listen to it!

Besides Candie and Doug Langdale, CBCC also interview Stan Sakai and art director Khang Le, who give a very insightful look into the show and how it was trying to bridge the world of the comic with something new.

You can listen to the interview on the Comic Book Couples Counseling website: https://www.comicbookcouplescounseling.com/post/stan-sakai-samurai-rabbit-interview

Or have a listen on youtube, this version has subtitles!

[dorothydalmati1]

Obscure Animation Subject #115: Dave the Barbarian

This show is created by Doug Langdale and produced by Disney Television Animation, only lasting for a single season of 21 episodes on Disney Channel from January 23, 2004 to January 22, 2005. It was critically acclaimed, but got cancelled due to low ratings.

But, anyone who watched it will say that it’s one of the funniest shows Disney has to offer. It centers on a powerful but wimpy barbarian named Dave and his friends and family, who go on surreal Medieval-themed adventures. Dave is very sensitive to pain and would rather knit and cook than fight evil. He is also afraid of many things and at least once an episode, he will be frightened somehow and shriek his high pitched, effeminate scream. He is also allergic to many things. According to Fang, Dave wanted to be a barbarian when he was young, but thought a barbarian was a librarian who also cuts hair. Dave's catchphrases are "Bejabbers!" and "Please don't hurt me!" He also has two siblings on his side, with Candy as a self centered fashionist, and Fang is the destructive younger sibling with the “act first'' mindset.

This feels less like a show from Disney and more of something from Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon. It’s off the walls and very stupid but in a pretty silly and charming way. The jokes are witty, self aware and tend to break the fourth wall often. There is a “Narrator” in the show that does interact with the heroes and vice versa. In fact, the show’s one and only special “A Pig’s Story” has a huge focus on that and is about Dark Lord Chuckles kidnapping the Narrator and forcing him to tell stories where Dave is a failure. It’s so bizarre and out there that I love it. The show has just the right amount of weird jokes and genuinely well thought out gags that makes this a very pleasant experience watching.

Such a shame it didn’t get good ratings with not much attention, it’s one of the funniest disney cartoons you will find. Memorable characters, good usage of the Middle Ages, and tons and tons of laughs. It has a small cult following and I highly recommend you check this one out. It will be worth your time!

[aghhtdraws]

ship name or not?

so I wanted to make a short post to get these thougs off my head but it'll get lost on my main so here it goes!

this doesn't really concern anyone who usually visits this blog for art, but it's more a thinkpiece related to the newer/younger tmnt Leo x Usagi ship (rottmnt x usagi chronicles respectively)

I’m seeing a lot of confusion (kinda) abt the tags to use and want to propose an alternative. How about “yuinardo” ? it sounds kind of funny (like the two characters), doesn’t sound like anything else (as far as my google search can reach), uses both their unique names and also capitalizes on how Rise!Leo is often called Nardo by his brothers as a nickname - among others, but that’s one of his most unique nicknames in the series and feels unique to Rise specifically. And Yui bc Yuichi - also just his name but a unique part of it.

I guess maybe the longer name could be something like "cityxfarm sword" bc those are the three consistent elements abt this younger ship. I know the latter is kind of uncreative but I can't think of anything better atm haha x'D

I was never around much for the 2003 leosagi ship bc- I was a baby on neopets and not online enough for that? 2003 tmnt was pretty new here and didn't air as often/quickly but also even in the later 00s, I did not really seek out fanfic relating to it bc - again, teen with not enough time lol, also social media and internet weren't really the thing they are now, so i wasn't really aware there could be fanfic of it. shipped and read other things. So maybe I don't know all my leosagi history. I kinda stayed away from the tmnt fandom in general bc it was mostly all angsty which I didn't really gel with anymore. alternatime ship names have always been a thing in all fandoms but I think right now we've been having the most versions of these two characters or this dynamic than ever before.

the 2018 Rise Leo x Usagi Chronicles has been getting more popular. ROTTMNT was a 2018 reiteration of the tmnt for animation that was really under-appreciated and has slowly become more appreciated as the fandom re-grew with the 2022 movie in august.

Usagi Chronicles is a spin-off/soft-reboot led by fans of Usagi Yojimbo, Stan Sakai's original comic about Miyamoto Usagi, but this time he is a great ancestor of a new character, Yuichi Usagi! and this Usagi is a creation of Doug and Candie Langdale (exec producers) + Khang Le (who I think designed/developed Yuichi's look?). So basically this is like a canon-supported fan-AU with an original character cast thematically based on the og comic cast (Usagi and his friends match Miyamoto Usagi and *his* friends) + the "Senso" Usagi comic as a worldbuilding point.

His naming is a bit confusing bc in Japan, Yuichi is usually a first name, but here in the show it feels like it's treated like a surname. But apparently, there was an intentional marketing move to have this be the opposite? So his real surname is Usagi, while his given name is Yuichi? There was a whole post about it, but I can't remember where else I've heard it.

Anyway, this series is my fave right now and I think it's fun in both it's lightheartedness and it's more touching moments and I love all the character and family dynamics and themes that it has. I think it's fun that people ship him and Rise!Leo because they are actually really similar in some personality aspects. I saw this show, realized there was crossover potential with Rise and thought, "oh, it'll be fun to do actiony scenes and stories with this kind of friendship!" Anyway, I'll do a deep-dive on that later.

Everybody likes this young version of Leo and then I guess at some point before 2021, other fans started making ship art/fic with Usagi? Often their own versions of Miyamoto Usagi, fitted for the Rise TMNT world bc the two never managed to have a crossover with this iteration bc of Nickelodeon pausing the show abruptly in 2020. I wasn't very online in 2018 so idk when else the ship happened, maybe when the finale of the show aired and the "unpausing" was finalized and fans realized there wasn't going to be a crossover? but now with the movie, more ppl have discovered that there's also a cartoon series for Usagi! And more people are slowly understanding/remembering maybe that this Usagi character has had previous iterations, ppl make their own versions/AUs for fun based on the newer Usagi show, or they don't watch the Usagi show and just make their own modern/ROTTMNT versions of Miyamoto Usagi in general.

This ship is a bit unique bc they are stated to be exactly the same age and they have very similar vibes as characters (goofs on the team + faux confidence + showoffs). When I first found that other people shipped this too, I just called it "2020s Leosagi" bc again, just the main thing abt them is that they're younger characters for a younger audience in their respective shows. + it's funny that there's almost a Leosagi friendship for every decade. I've also heard the term "cringe naenae babies" from friends but i don't really know what this meme means lol xD

I don't have beef or anything with the Leoichi/Leochi tag+name but it's sorta confusing for me personally bc it sounds both too short vocally and also like Leo's alone or something (Leo+ichi) I'm not fluent in japanese so I might b wrong, but just a thought. Leochi sounds similarly short.

then there's also the Usagi's who are complete OCs (w new names) and where do you fit those ships? and idk, I guess I just wanted to think abt this YuiNardo ship name more in-depth, just to think abt it , a bit for fun, bc I really do think it's a fun name but also make a new umbrella term, so maybe people would find it easier to tag stuff! but I usually don't interact with other fans in larger fandoms and ship fandoms like this so idk, this could easily be more confusing x3

Anyway, I think as fandoms and shipping go, it would be more fun to have multiple tags for different experiences, +these are different ships/versions of the characters so it feels like it would make sense. Just my fandom experience from previous years + for organizing/better finding + I feel like shipping should be fun, cuz in the end, this is just based from the og TMNT and Usagi creators being friends and making smth fun with these characters!

TL;DR - YuiNardo sounds like a funny/fun leosagi ship name for this younger iteration of the Rise!Leo-Yuichi Usagi friendship/relationship, and I wanna use it as the ship name going forward bc ships should b about fun and creativity, right? anyway, u can also use it if u want to! no pressure, just sorta putting it out there. - Aghht out!

Addendum(1.03.23): apparently, the Katanashipping tag was specifically for the 2003 ship - as well as the og Leosagi tag, bc that Leo x Miyamoto Usagi started it all. That makes sense! Sorry that I mis-tagged it originally! I did not know until finding the tags on tumblr and going thru them to the start of the tag - bc I'd been keeping away from the tmnt fandom for a long time after the 12 show + never saw it during the 03 show's run bc I wasn't online as much + social media didn't exist in the way it does now. I think everyone used Leosagi for that bc it made sense. I'll keep the tags for this post specifically in the hopes that more ppl will find it then and it'll give food-for-thought about this. Katanashipping of course doesn't make as much sense for the newer ship bc the shows have not had crossovers + while both characters seem like they are a bit obsessed w swords in different teen boy ways (preferring swords bc they are big and flashy), they are not as centered about the swords or swordsmanship as much as the 03 characters.

I know it seemed more like Leosagi was a catchall for all the Leo x Usagi ships, but now it makes more sense that it's not bc it's made searching for content harder. I like the "younger version" but i like the og too bc that's what I shipped as a teen (when the 03 show characters all just looked like Really Old Teens to me). I suppose that's just how the internet's sorta become - there'd shorter memory abt stuff, but fandoms especially as folks move on from shows they like and some of the history of fandom becomes lost. I've been on social media for so long now, I totally forgot how specific ship names could get. I guess that's why I suggested YuiNardo for the "new" version - it sounds unique. If ppl already shipped Rise Leo with their own versions of a younger Miyamoto Usagi and original Usagis, the "youngest" ship with Yuichi x Rise Leo needed it's own tag and that became Leochi/Leoichi (and w the earlier Rise Leo x Usagi ships, everyone must have used the Leosagi tag then too? Further investigation must be made about this...) now this Yuichi Usagi x Rise Leo version seems unique bc Yuichi is basically a canon fancharacter in a sense, as a descendant he is like a homage. But I like the character and I see that a lot of ppl continue to make their own versions or borrow elements of the Y!Usagi from SRTUC... but this means that almost all versions of Usagi depicted by fans are ALL fanon versions... and that's fine, I like how creative fans can get! But also that means we almost never see thr "full" show version of Yuichi Usagi in fanart (altho fanfic is a different matter, if only slightly). But that makes me a bit sad bc I think this version deserves to exist in our fanon and headcanons too, y'know? I guess my flaw in all this is that I actually lile SRTUC and its own og depiction of Y!Usagi bc he is a fun character for me while not many other ppl seem to like him. Like with so many other rare shows I like where fanon is louder than canon 😂

So, yeah Yui x Nardo. cute ship. if only there was more of it ^^; But a lot of the fanworks are still really interesting in their own rights. I think I'll keep using Yuinardo for the show versions and then Leochi for any other fans' versions. That makes sense, right?

Anyway, non-serious discussion over! Just some silly fan-stuff to mull over during school breaks and other free time.

[dalt20]

Tooning in 4. Dev Ross part 4 of 7

DL: Yeah. Well the episode all’s Fahrenheit in love and war? Process of that episode?

DR: I believe that was a script doctor job. They weren’t please with..uh.. the first writers take on it, so i took it over and redid it.

DL: Well do you remember people like John Behnke, Rob Humphrey, and Jim Peterson? They were the creators of quack pack. They wrote for darkwing duck.

DR: Not really. I didn't interact with them

DL: Well but you know them right?

DR: Of them only. Our department was getting really big by then.

DL: Well you know Doug langdale? He was working the same time as you on DD, goof troop and bonkers. Also Aladdin.

DR: Yes, I knew him but barely

DL: Well, he went in to do great things. He’s working with Hollywood producer James wan on samurai rabbit for Netflix.

DR: Nice! I no longer follow any animation as I only work in live action now.

DL: Yeah! Well we’ll save that special project until the end of the interview. But don’t worry we’ll come back to it.

DR: No worries.

DL: The darkwing Duck episode, up up and awry. Process on that episode?

DR: Don't really remember anything about it

DL: Oh well it was your lowest rated darkwing episode on IMDb. 6.9 to be exact.

DR: Well, you can't please all the time.

DL: Time and punishment? Process for that episode?

DR: My inspiration was that Christmas movie where an Angel takes Jimmy Stewart forward in time to see the effects on his family and community if he committed suicide!

DL: Oh it’s it a wonderful life, eh?

DR: Right! Are we going to go thru every episode I wrote because I really don't remember... Tad and I would sit in his office and just throw around crazy ideas. He was fantastic to play off of. So many times we'd come up with concepts just by riffing. We'd talk about movies, books, look at comic books, the news...

DL: By note, yeah it would be redundant to just go over every darkwing Duck episode you wrote .

DR: Thanks! I would have to excuse myself then. I don't think about the old stories ever! A writer must stay current or die

DL: Writing for The little mermaid for Disney and CBS .

DR: Horrible experience.

DL: Why was that?

DR: I had come back to Disney after being lent out to Universal. I was assigned Little Mermaid but my story editors never came into the office so we couldn't riff on ideas like I used to with Tad. Their was hardly anyone around then and very uninspiring. No team work or comraderie. I was really unhappy so quit soon after. I went freelance then and only worked with Tad and Kevin Hopps. I worked a bit with two other story editors but again no teamwork there.

DL: Oh. Kevin hopps was a sitcom writer. He wrote for Norman lear.

DR: Yes! Great talent and great human being!

DL: I know. So, did you watch the original film?

DR: Which one?

DL: The 1989 film with Jodi benson? The classic box office success! Putted Disney in the map again and started the Disney renaissance.

DR: Yes, I did!

DL: Thoughts on the film?

DR: It was charming. Songs were fantastic! May I ask you a question?

DL: Sure, Go ahead!

DR: I don't want to sound rude, However, I wrote for Disney so long ago. I don't understand how my thought are even interesting on such old work. How my thoughts are even halfway interesting on why I wrote something. I'm curious as to what you will do with my answers.

DL: I’ll post on my blog. My job is to know about the writing process of the episodes of some shows.

DR: I'm not ungrateful, just wondering.

DL: As a interviewer. As of saying.

DR: Most staff writing processes are the same. We team up to throw around ideas to see what sticks.

DL: Hmm. Ok.

DR: I mean it will more interesting to talk more about the dtv films.

DL: We pitch ideas to our producers to see what interests them. They may like half of an idea from me and the only half from you and then tell us to construct a story out of the blended ideas. That's the way it works.

DL: Ok. Can I ask you about Aladdin : return of Jafar?

DR: That was totally a group think story. A dozen of us sat around and spit balled ideas. We agreed on one the broke up the story with each of us writing a section of the movie.

DL: Was it true that the film was a pilot for a tv series.but Michael Eisner didn’t know how to release the show, so he told you to make a pilot film?

DR: I don't remember.

DL: Well that’s what most people say. But it was the most sold video in 1994, next to the lion king!

DR: Right!

DL: Did you got a cut of the VHS sales?

DR: No! Staff writers only got salary. It's how most animation writers get ripped off. My films for Univeral made millions but I got nothing but a small fee for writing.

DL: Oh, I’m thinking about theatrical films. Now they get the money from the films.

DR: Depends! It depends on their agent!

DL: Yeah. So you wrote 4 episodes of cro for children’s television workshop/film Roman and ABC. Tell me what was cro?

DR: It was a show all about math.

DL: Oh. So how would your episodes work with a premise of cavemen and math?

DR: Vey difficult! You have to know the conceit of the show.

DL: Oh. What age were they approaching to?

DR: Very hard to write for!

DL: So how was CTW in general, The creators of Sesame Street?

DR: Loved them!

DL: Can you tell me about them.

DR: Just very smart and innovative thinkers. I love that! I love working for out of the box thinkers. They also appreciate crazy creators like me.

DL: well were you happy mark zaslove was the story editor on the show?

DR: Mark was brilliant but was a very tough boss. Very talented and very demanding.

DL: well did you feel upset when the show got canceled?

DR: No!! It was a very hard show to write for!

DL: Well apparently CTW got upset, that's why they created the cable channel noggin.Did you know that?

DR: No.

DL: well yeah. going back to disney, you wrote for bonkers and jungle cubs.

DR: Yes. Hated Bonkers.

DL: why? was it a roger rabbit ripoff?

DR: I believe so. It just wasn't a good concept. Character was horribly unlikeable. Not at all fun to write for.

DL: who was? bonkers or  lucky? or in season 2, miranda?

DR: Both... I didn't write on season two and barely on one. I shouldn't say both, definitely Bonkers. I think so. It was a bad ripoff.

DL: well question. why anyone make a show about a cartoon in a cartoon? that makes no sense.

DR: Exactly.

DL: thoughts on the president of Disney TVA, frank price? he was your boss on jungle cubs and return of jafar.

DR: No opinion. I had enough on my plate being a full time writer with three kids!

DL: oh. well moving on to jungle cubs, how was writing the humans must be crazy?

DR: I liked that show a lot but was freelance by then and only did 2 episodes.

DL: oh how did you feel about the jungle book characters but as babies, a la muppet babies?

DR: I liked them a lot. It is always fun to imagine what an adult was like as a child! I think that about people I meet!

DL: well did you like the orginal film?

DR: Loved it!

[disneystheweekenders]

The Weekenders creator Doug Langdale and his wife Candie (also a screenwriter!) launched their own podcast about cartoons. They're open to questions and... the episode linked above reveals some Weekenders BTS! :)

[omoriboii]

Your Aubrey reminds me of Fang from the show "Dave the Barbarian" by Doug Langdale.

holy shit you're right lmfaooo

[90smovies]

[mlp410nightcore]

Hi Everyone!! This is a brand new next gen for my Blossom Love AU. Sebastian's parents are Princess Celestia and Manolo Sanchez. Sebastian is musically gifted just like his father and can handle himself under pressure just like his mother. He's also very caring and loving towards his subjects. Sebastian also has a little sister named Tranquil Sunrise. Credit goes to LightingSparkle95 for the base that I used and to Hasbro, Lauren Faust, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Doug Langdale and 20th Century Fox Animation for the characters Princess Celestia and Manolo Sanchez and for the show My Little Pony:Friendship Is Magic and the movie The Book Of Life. I only take credit for my next gens and the Blossom Love AU. I hope you guys like him!!!

[earthwormjimnocontext]

Yes. There were also the cartoon writers, as much as I love the cartoon, a different cartoon that the head writer, Doug Langdale, worked on made me thankful that it didn't get a third season.

Same fucking writer.

Prepare to see one of the most cursed Earthworm Jim images I have ever seen.

[historyhermann]

Cleopatra in Space Review

The mythology and history of Cleopatra, pharaoh of Egypt, has often been a topic in popular culture, from Hollywood films, webcomics like Everywhere and Nowhere, and mature animated series such as Clone High. This year, a new show, titled Cleopatra in Space, tapped into those myths and stories and began streaming on NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs, my History Hermann WordPress blog on Jan. 5, and Wayback Machine. This was the second article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on December 22, 2020.

The animated series is based on a graphic novel series of the same name by Mike Maihack, with Doug Langdale and Julia “Fitzy” Fitzmaurice as showrunners. As a fan of various animated series, especially those with sci-fi elements, this series drew me in, even though it’s aimed toward younger kids, rather than young adults or mature adults over age 18. Egyptian themes and mythology are interwoven throughout the show’s imagery and music, composed by Jay Vincent and Ryan Lofty.

The series begins with the premise that brown-skinned Cleopatra “Cleo,” voiced by Lilimar Hernandez, a rambunctious teenage princess in Ancient Egypt, touches a tablet, which sends her 30,000 years into the future. She enters the Nile Galaxy, where she is considered the “savior” to defend the galaxy from the evil clutches of Octavian (voiced by Jonathan Kite) and attends an intergalactic high school on a planet, Mayet, governed by a council of talking cats. Lilimar also sings the theme song, “Written in the Stars,” which opens every episode.

The show’s first season, which is 13 episodes long, begins Cleo’s adventures with her friends Brian (voiced by Jorge Diaz) and Akila (voiced by Katie Crown), and her mentor, Khensu. Cleo is shown to be sometimes brash, dislikes authority, and likes to do her own thing. However, she also respects Khensu (voiced by Sendhil Ramamurthy) and supports her friends, apologizing if she made a mistake or overstepped. Unlike other shows where the protagonist wants to talk rather than fight, she fights the robotic soldiers of Octavian, destroying them repeatedly, using futuristic weapons like laser guns and plasma staffs. At the same time, she is a relatable character, is resourceful, and can go into action as needed, not even needing to plan. She, Brian, and Akila form a team, which go on wild adventures, whether on Mayet or in the Nile Galaxy, fighting space scavengers, space butterflies, robotic dragons, or angry ex-cons who work at a space hotel. While there are serious moments, the show is filled with comedic moments. Like other animations, teamwork and friendship are emphasized.

Cleopatra in Space has compelling characters and stories, and various sci-fi themes, like time travel. Apart from Maihack confirming Cleo as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the graphic novels, which means that she would have the same characteristics in the animated series, Brian is shown to have social anxiety and Akila as a busybody who enjoys school. Specifically, Akila, unlike Cleo, who detests school, likes to study in libraries and is very gregarious. Cleo is further shown to have an academic rival, who is unique to the animated series, named Callie (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) and Zaid (voiced by Xolo Maridueña), a so-called “bad boy” who Cleo has a crush on. Additionally, the episode “Quarantine” has a lot of parallels to the current COVID-19 crisis, as Cleo ends up infecting the whole school campus with a virus from another planet after she ignores Khensu’s warning to quarantine. However, licensing issues have prevented it from being added to Peacock.

Currently, half of the show’s second season, six episodes, are listed on Peacock for streaming. This season begins with Cleo getting her own animal companion named Mihos, like similar companions in other animated series: Kero in Cardcaptor Sakura, Amaru in LoliRock, Luna in Sailor Moon, and Nut in Magical Girl Friendship Squad. The mystery of Octavian deepens as Cleo and her team tries to search for the UTA Tablet, while Zaid is expelled by the council. Like season one, there are many sci-fi and fantasy vibes, including simulated realities and futuristic technology. The importance of self-worth, accepting who you really are, and controlling your ego, are major points of these episodes, including when Brian employs an A.I. named Cyrano (voiced by Greg Cipes) to help him become more popular. Furthermore, at times Cleo begins to distance herself from her friends, while at others she plays matchmaker between Brian and Akila, whose romance expands during these episodes, and tries to establish herself as the team leader. In one episode, “School Break,” the show’s first confirmed LGBTQ characters are introduced: Theoda (voiced by Cissy Jones) and Pothina (voiced by Kari Wahlgren), the mothers of Akila.

If the show is renewed for a third season, after the second half of season 2 is added to Peacock, hopefully, the show improves moving forward. For one, the show could have more LGBTQ characters other than Theoda and Pothina. While Cleo and her friend Akila, who are roommates, do kiss each other in the episode “Do-Over,” it is clearly shown to be a “friendship kiss,” rather than a romantic one. Any same-sex pairings, either of Brian and Zaid, Akila and Cleo, or Cleo and Callie, some of which are favored by those in the small fandom for the show, are unlikely in the upcoming season, due to the emphasis on Brian and Akila as a would-be couple, and Zaid and Cleo are shown to have feelings for one another. The show could further benefit from re-casting the voices of brown-skinned characters, like Lakshmi and Yosira, so they are voiced by people of color rather than White actors like Kari Wahlgren.

If Cleopatra in Space is a success, it may result in more animated shows from DreamWorks are added to Peacock in the future, instead of on Netflix, like most animated shows from the company. However, due to the lack of promotion by DreamWorks and Peacock of the show on Twitter, and in general, there is a possibility that the show will be canceled after the second half of season two is added to Peacock. In the end, the show is fun, exciting, and can be enjoyed by everyone, worth watching in its entirety.

Cleopatra in Space is available on Peacock for streaming

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