Monday, February 02, 2009

X-MEN: 90's ANIMATED SERIES ON DVD

Disney is releasing the 1990's FOX Animated X-MEN series on dvd. I will be sitting this one out as I fucking hated that cartoon. While many mark the show as the beginning of the X-Men franchise, I view it as the start of the X-Men's decline into poop. The ugly costumes (thanks, Jim Lee!), the eye-sore color palette (again, thanks Jim Lee!), Jubilee, Cyclops the tool, Meek Jean Grey (Jim Lee strikes again), the "Kelsey Grammer Beast", the uber-muscles on everyone, the crappy animation, the crappier storytelling, .... bah. The tragic part is, many current fans came into comics through this series and think this is how the X-Men should be. The closest successful X-Men cartoon was the short-lived 1989 pilot "Pryde of the X-Men". Sure, Wolverine sounded like a Dreadnok, but it was still a much better adaptation of the comic.

I was in the store the other day where I saw the advertisement for the 90s dvd set. Suddenly this dude turned to me and said, "You know those awesome bands that rocked, but weren't mainstream, but blew everything away? The ones that sold out concerts even though they got no publicity? And then they release some pop/mainstream song with a catchy tune that the radio loves? And all of a sudden people who have no clue as to the history of the band, or don't pick up there past albums start to show up at their shows? And the end result is that your favorite band stops rocking and starts to churn out safe catchy songs because those new fans eat them up like McDonald's hamburgers ? [he then pointed to the X-Men dvd ad] Well this is that song."

He then turned and walked away and out of the store. He may have been homeless. Or a Soothsayer. I'm not sure. I love L.A.
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*note: X-Men:Evolution is pretty sweet, beginning with Season 2... a very stylized, reinterpretation of the X-Men.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Always hated that show!
the sad part is that the x-men cartoon that appeared years earlier in the marvel hour...was a much better, but not remembered 3 parter

this was always a cheap looking show.

At least the Japanese version has a cool open

MOCK! said...

Jim Smash wrote (in tiny letters) *note: X-Men:Evolution is pretty sweet, beginning with Season 2... a very stylized, reinterpretation of the X-Men.

I agree with you. My kids picked up several volumes for our car trip to the Outer Banks last year and I was pleasantly surprised. Doubly so becasue of the attempts at reimagination, not the bastardization that was the 90's series...the resolution to the Phoenix Saga makes me wince every time the kids watch it.

Anonymous said...

this goes next to crystal skull on my "i-peaked-and-i'm-kidding-myself" dvd shelf.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU!

I, too, hate that cartoon.

Jim said...

Ha! No judging here (despite appearences of this blog).

The one good thing of the show, is that it brought many new people into comic shops and into a life of comic reading.

Its just a shame the show couldn't have been better.

Name: Aine said...

I loved this show. But I was about 10 when it came on. I bought these DVDs. They might not be how the X-Men is supposed to be. I read the comics, too. But this was my introduction. And sitting here, right now, watching these, I'm feeling very nostalgic.

I love Storm! She was always mt favorite.