New Superbook coming out...

[JerRocks2day]

I know everybody else here knows about it. But I've been thinking about this new Superbook lately, and it's really not as good as the first SB that came out.

I found the original cast funnier and interesting anyway. And the new Chris and Joy look too much like brother and sister, instead of best friends; and the new Gizmo looks kinda creepy.

And if they wind up remaking Flying House, I hope they don't wind up messing it up, like they did with Superbook.

And it's a shame that the new generation wants CGI over anime. Don't get me wrong, I like Pixar CGI. But when CGI is overused it gets boring.

Anyway, how else saw the first episode and thought the story was weak?

[ChristianKitsune]

[quote="JerRocks2day (post: 1418806)"]I know everybody else here knows about it. But I've been thinking about this new Superbook lately, and it's really not as good as the first SB that came out. Honestly, it kinda ruined my childhood with it's CGI. That's why I prefer anime Superbook over this one because I found the original Chris more interesting than this new Chris. I found the original cast funnier and interesting anyway. And the new Chris and Joy look too much like brother and sister, instead of best friends]

Where can we find the first episode? I saw some clips from the David and Goliath episode a few years ago...it looked cute enough...but I never really watched the original.

[JerRocks2day]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IobnmraPkME

'You sound okay out here quantim, but that's different from playing in front of a crowd.'

That is the worst rebuttal, I've heard in my life.

[Nate]

...

The female lion does the hunting, not the male lion.

Furthermore, the running speed of a lion is 50 mph. The fastest human on record only ran at a speed of 26.7 mph, and that's the FASTEST, far from the average (which is about 10 mph).

0/10

[JerRocks2day]

Yup. And apparently with the new one still in production, I don't even know whether to like it or hate it anymore. Either way, I still prefer old Superbook over this new one.

I even heard they tried to make the new one anime, but by the looks of things, them mangy Executives at CBN made sure it wasn't anime. I've actually been considering pitching my Trouble Shooter idea to them, but im not sure if they'll accept it or not after hearing about the rejected ideas.

[Nate]

I'd be willing to overlook their painfully obvious ignorance of lion biology (and society) if the beheading of Goliath by David was sufficiently bloody and gory enough.

Sadly I feel that in the interest of censoring the Bible they will skip or ignore the beheading part entirely. Probably skip over the part where corpses were everywhere after the Israelites slaughtered the Philistines. But eh what can you do.

[CrimsonRyu17]

Wait. What the heck did he even do to that lion when it jumped over him for no reason? Poke it? HE POKED IT AND IT DIED? Since when did pouring oil on someone's head make them glow? Why do the kids look like typical blonde-haired white christian kids?

This series is pretty terrible but it's Christian so it's automatically good pffffbt.

[ScalpelFactory]

I thought it was really neat and well-animated! Sometimes it's best to just see these things as new work, instead of comparing them to the older stuff [and I grew up on the older stuff, so I'm not dismissing it out of hand].

This is just geared toward a different, newer audience. It's not necessarily the choice of the audience, but of what the studio believes the audience will be drawn towards. I thought it was nifty, all misguided lion biology aside.

[Ante Bellum]

Okay, so I watched what was linked, the entire thing. I've never seen the original so I can't make comparisons, but to be honest I didn't like it. *shrugs* Maybe it the whole "for kids" thing but...I could almost say that what I saw looks like 4Kids.

[JerRocks2day]

Since when did pouring oil on someone's head make them glow?

Can somebody say 'Kingdom Hearts ripoff?'

Why do the kids look like typical blonde-haired white christian kids?

I've checked the facebook and saw more designs, with some more ethnic diversity; but that doesn't excuse the fact this series is off to a bad start, nor mean I like it.

[ChristianKitsune]

Hey... I actually really liked this... I mean it's not AMAZING by any means... but it's a more modern spin on the old series... and let's face a lot of the stuff on CBN could seriously use some newer looks... (not hat I watch that channel a lot or anything)

I've seen some pretty crappy Christian animation...and this is nothing like that.

Perhaps it is because I've talked with the creator of this show a few times and I know where his heart is... or maybe it's just that I've been following the progress...but this IS NOT terrible...not to me anyway...

The voice actors were pretty good, and I thought Gizmo was adorable...

As for the lions and stuff like that...why wouldn't a male lion go after a baby sheep? It's EASY I'm sure male lions could hunt SOMETIMES. Yes typically, female lions do all the work, but c'mon it's a baby sheep... lol not exactly hard to catch... :/ And I don't think Male lions have the claws, teeth and powerful muscles for nothing...

EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RziPtcspGDM I rest my case

Perhaps, I'm just in a mood to be defensive, but I really thought this was a really cute show...and let's look at who the target audience is: It's definitely not 15-28 year olds...it's probably more like 5-10, so they aren't going to show gorey decapitation, scenes, and they will water down a few details so they can understand.

I think what was really important about this show was the message that it got across...which is "Do whatever you do for the Glory of God." Maybe I can relate to this because I believe that whatever talent I have, that I need to give it back to Him who gave it to me...

*shrugs* I dunno, this is also the first episode they completed I think a little leniency is needed here...

My only beef with it was some of the tweening animation needs work...but I won't be too picky. They outsourced the animation to China or something.

Anyway that's my two cents...take it or leave it. But I look forward to more!

[Ante Bellum]

I'm not saying it's wrong to like it. I know it's for kids, especially younger ones. I'm not going to complain about the message or cause behind actually making it. I just personally didn't like it.

[JerRocks2day]

and I thought Gizmo was adorable...

Think what you want, but this is why I prefer old school Gizmo over new school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1dLb47jZfs

As for comparing the original D&G to the new one, I thought the original one was more in depth on David's life because after he defeated Goliath, he had another dilemma: Saul's jealousy, and balancing his friendship with Johnathan.

Plus, I think the original Chris [or even Joy, because she's smart] would say, 'You don't have to play if you don't want to. Nobody's gonna think you're chicken.'

[ChristianKitsune]

Think what you want, but this is why I prefer old school Gizmo over new school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1dLb47jZfs

.... I don't see your point...that version is SUPER annoying lol!

[JerRocks2day]

Annoying? That's actually the Gizmo I know and love. I even love how he blew rockets at them guards.

And personally, I think the people in charge of Voice directing on the new one, made a mismatch on voicing Chris and Gizmo. Gizmo should've been voiced by Sam Vincent.

[ChristianKitsune]

Annoying? That's actually the Gizmo I know and love. I even love how he blew rockets at them guards.

And personally, I think the people in charge of Voice directing on the new one, made a mismatch on voicing Chris and Gizmo. Gizmo should've been voiced by Sam Vincent.

And I love how Gizmo turned into the shepherd boy and squeezed the little sheepie...

XD Well we can debate this in circles, but the fact is that we just need to agree to disagree. I'm a to the series, and I really liked this...if I'm a new comer, then maybe others who are newcomers will like this too, and will get their kids to watch it...

I believe I saw your reply on facebook, and how you talked with the creators first hand. You told them of your complaints about certain things and I feel they answered your complaints pretty well...

So pardon me for sounding rude, but is there any reason why you felt more need to complain about the show here on CAA after you got your answers from the people themselves?

[JerRocks2day]

Any reason why you felt more need to complain about the show here on CAA after you got your answers from the people themselves?

I'm not trying to complain. I just feel the show in itself should've been renamed if they were going to recreate it. Also, I kinda feel it's the executive producers fault. Sorry, if I'm complaining again.

Call me crazy, but I guess I felt Superbook was kinda part of my childhood, at least with the characters. It's why I was always fascinated with the Christopher Peeper and Joy character. I think I even had a crush on her when I was 8 or 9.

Plus, if you're gonna recreate Superbook, it would've been simplier to learn from other shows like The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Gummi Bears; learn from what made those shows popular [the target audience, the tone, themes, creating stronger arcs, etc.] Because I really felt Superbook and Winnie the Pooh could go hand in hand.

[ChristianKitsune]

I'm not trying to complain. I just feel the show in itself should've been renamed if they were going to recreate it. Also, I kinda feel it's the executive producers fault. Sorry, if I'm complaining again.

Call me crazy, but I guess I felt Superbook was kinda part of my childhood, at least with the characters. It's why I was always fascinated with the Christopher Peeper and Joy character. I think I even had a crush on her when I was 8 or 9.

Plus, if you're gonna recreate Superbook, it would've been simplier to learn from other shows like The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Gummi Bears] Because I really felt Superbook and Winnie the Pooh could go hand in hand.

Haha! I guess in a way they did rename the characters then! Because Chris has a completely different last name than Peeper!

I understand what you are saying and I get it, however we are judging an entire series after only seeing the very first episode (and it's a pilot at that)

So...perhaps it's a "Wait and see how it really is..." kind of thing.

I saw the like 10 second mock-up of Micheal fighting Lucifer and it looked pretty cool to me...even if it was a low-rez render haha!

I guess all we can do is pray for our brothers and sisters who are creating this series...and we can pray that God will be in it and that they can improve as each episode progresses.

[JerRocks2day]

I understand what you are saying and I get it, however we are judging an entire series after only seeing the very first episode (and it's a pilot at that)

I know. I should wait and see what developes, and perhaps my attitude wouldn't be the best if I plan to pitch my idea to the executive producers.

Still, after seeing some storyboard of the creation ep, I still have my doubts and predict what will happen next. I predict that Chris Q is going to wind up using his dad's jetpack behind his back, dismantle it while using it, and then hide from his dad about what happened. I could be wrong, but it's a hunch.

As for my Trouble Shooter pitch idea, I'm really working hard on it, since you brought it up. Been getting some help from Disney Veteran Jymn Magon, co creator of Talespin.

As of now, I'm working on sketcihng/inking Joy.

Edit:
I guess the reason behind my problem with the new one is that the creators aren't also being allowed the creative freedom behind creating it, you know? Especially since Gordon Robertson rejected the original anime concept...

[ChristianKitsune]

Ahh interesting! Just becareful that you aren't wasting your time and efforts on a project that may never be picked up because the idea isn't really "Yours." That would be a heart-breaking end to your dream.

I wonder if the reason they didn't allow it be an "anime" is because of the unfortunate but definite reality that not all anime is considered "Wholesome family fun." I mean parents with children who are watching this series might be a little worried if this had more of an "anime" look to it, and because of that they might not let their kids watch it.

I think we need to look at anime from a different perspective. This may tread on completely changing the subject, but I'll try to be brief. Some people don't like anime, or the style...and they prefer a totally different genre.

You and I and everyone else here on CAA LOVE anime and we can see the value in creating a series that is animesque, however the original superbook, while technically an anime, doesn't really have that "look" anymore. It just looks like an 80s cartoon, lol.

So I dunno, anime has this certain stigma against it from a parent's perspective, I guess? And the folks at CBN probably didn't want this new show to have that attached to it.

The character designs do look slight anime though... kind of a Japanese video game feel?

[JerRocks2day]

I wonder if the reason they didn't allow it be an "anime" is because of the unfortunate but definite reality that not all anime is considered "Wholesome family fun." I mean parents with children who are watching this series might be a little worried if this had more of an "anime" look to it, and because of that they might not let their kids watch it.

Unfortunately, the phrase 'family fun' has been redefined over time. And honestly, that sounds like we have parents who are biased against an art form. Like CGI, anime is a medium. It can be used for both good or bad. I just feel that CBN is holding back on creating shows that could potentially become hits of the decade or something. I mean, look at 'Touch by an Angel.' That was a huge hit when it was released in the 90s. I think it was also a Christian show at the time.

I think we need to look at anime from a different perspective. This may tread on completely changing the subject, but I'll try to be brief. Some people don't like anime, or the style...and they prefer a totally different genre.

Just like how most people don't like CGI.

The character designs do look slight anime though... kind of a Japanese video game feel?

The new characters or old characters. Because the new characters are more Code Lyoko type designs.

[ChristianKitsune]

Unfortunately, the phrase 'family fun' has been redefined over time. And honestly, that sounds like we have parents who are biased against an art form. Like CGI, anime is a medium. It can be used for both good or bad. I just feel that CBN is holding back on creating shows that could potentially become hits of the decade or something. I mean, look at 'Touch by an Angel.' That was a huge hit when it was released in the 90s. I think it was also a Christian show at the time.

We do have parents that are biased against anime... unfortunately. But just because this isn't an "anime" art style doesn't mean it won't be a huge hit, niether does creating it in anime art style mean it will be. There are some anime shows that pretty much suck hardcore. :/

Big eys, little noses, gravity defying hair, adorable robot companion= a good way to ensure anime-esque style.

[JerRocks2day]

But just because this isn't an "anime" art style doesn't mean it won't be a huge hit,

I know that. It's not a matter or art that makes a hit, but it's a matter of story, timing and characters that ensure it will be a hit.

Sure, Superbook is now considered an 80s cartoon, but it came out at a time there was no Christan anime, along with Flying House. So both are considered underrated classics.

[JerRocks2day]

Ahh interesting! Just becareful that you aren't wasting your time and efforts on a project that may never be picked up because the idea isn't really "Yours."

Ah, but the reinvention of the characters was sorta my idea. Do you think it would be safe if I bring up how the characters are reinvented? I would tell straight ahead, but I'm kinda feeling, what if that idea is stolen?

[Nate]

Just like how most people don't like CGI.

Wait, what? There may be a few, VERY few people in the minority who don't like CG stuff, but most people love it. If most people didn't like it Pixar wouldn't be making money hand over fist with their movies.

Now I can agree most people don't like badly done CG, but that's different. Not saying that the CG in this pilot episode is badly done, I'm just saying that not liking things of poor quality is different from not liking things.

It's not a matter or art that makes a hit, but it's a matter of story, timing and characters that ensure it will be a hit.

The comic book industry proves that statement completely false.

[JerRocks2day]

The comic book industry proves that statement completely false.

I meant for television shows such as All in the Family and Talespin, both which came out at relevant timing.

All in the Family matched up with the target audience in the 70s, while Talespin matched up with the action/adventure demographic audience in 1990/91.

Wait, what? There may be a few, VERY few people in the minority who don't like CG stuff, but most people love it

I like CGI too, mostly stuff by Pixar and some stuff by Dreamworks. I just happened to bring up that fact. Some people just find CGI overrated and annoying to the fact it's replacing most 2D animation.

Please accept my apologies if this thread is getting off target.

[Nate]

Then I don't understand your statement. All in the Family was a TV show. There was no "art" in it, so I don't understand your statement that art doesn't make a hit.

My point was that humans are inherently shallow creatures and we are inevitably attracted to things that are good-looking, whether it be a person we're dating, a game we're playing, a movie we're watching...

Look at Avatar. The movie was garbage; it did immensely well at the box office. Why? Because "It was pretty." The fact that it had a boring recycled plot and laughable characters didn't matter, everyone loved it because they were all "WHOA CHECK OUT THOSE GRAPHICS."

Even food falls prey to this. Most food ads you see, the food in them is not real. It's fake, or at the very least, it's purposely manipulated so it looks a lot better than the real food item. Why don't they just show the actual food product? Because it doesn't look pretty.

Wonderful art can sell a crappy story with lame characters any day. To say otherwise is to ignore history and reality...and yes, All in the Family's success had more to do with its target audience than its actual content. Brilliant writing and excellent characterization don't mean anything in the television world. Look at all the good shows that networks cancel constantly because of poor ratings (like Firefly or Arrested Development).

[CrimsonRyu17]

As for the lions and stuff like that...why wouldn't a male lion go after a baby sheep? It's EASY I'm sure male lions could hunt SOMETIMES. Yes typically, female lions do all the work, but c'mon it's a baby sheep... lol not exactly hard to catch... :/ And I don't think Male lions have the claws, teeth and powerful muscles for nothing...

You're right. Those claws, teeth and powerful muscles are for either 1. protecting the pride from invading males or 2. fighting the alpha male to take over his pride and then killing the previous alpha male's cubs. Rarely if ever do male lions do any hunting at all. Male lions aren't as effective because of their size and bulkiness which is why the females do the hunting.

I think the only excuse I can think of for having a male lion hunting is because it was a nomadic male, which is a male that has just left its home pride to make his own or has just had his pride taken over. Yeah okay, I'll guess I'll give it that.

I think my issue with new "christian" series nowadays is that they tend to dumb down stuff to the point of ridiculousness or try to make it seem "cool" in the teeny kidbop immature kind of way. Which is why I think this is terrible.

Man, does anyone remember the The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible? I thought that was really fun when I was young. I wish there were more series like that. It was actually kind of informative for my age instead of trying to make itself look like the next hip thing.

[JerRocks2day]

Man, does anyone remember the The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible? I thought that was really fun when I was young. I wish there were more series like that. It was actually kind of informative for my age instead of trying to make itself look like the next hip thing.

I remember that too. Heck a lot of famous voice actors like Rob Paulson, Ed Gilbert, Tony Jay, etc. hard one of their starts there before moving onto other things.

[Nate]

Uh, no, Rob Paulsen was voicing The Smurfs, G.I. Joe, and the Snorks before that show. Ed Gilbert did some voices on Transformers, and Tony Jay had been doing voice work for radio commercials in the 70s. Though to be fair, I do believe that Greatest Adventure was his first cartoon work (still not his first voice work though).