Good News! AQUAMAN is getting an ANIMATED SERIES! Bad News! It looks like THIS!

[Frontier]

Someone mentioned something earlier and it got me thinking....maybe the producers of these series are adopting this art style more to target young audiences without too much adult attention.

Particularly nowadays with grown men constantly complaining about LGBT and minority representation in their media. Although, said animation style didn’t stop the same people from complaining about She-Ra’s cleavage being too small or the queer themes in the series.

But I think there is a hard shift from American producers away from animation that’s targeting all-ages. Outside of streaming services like Netflix, most modern animation just doesn’t use the detailed art style that we (I.e our age bracket) is used to. Like I said earlier, my kids pretty much gobble this stuff without much complaints because this is what they are used and don’t have much point of reference beyond the Steven Universe, Teen Titans Go and all the wacky stuff on Cartoon Network. Adults are coming in with a different perspective because we grew up (and still consume) on art that’s much more detailed. If this stuff wasn’t gaining traction with their target audience, I don’t think they’d lean so hard into it.

I think WB definitely views more of a distinction between animation/art style and the different age groups than they used to.

Stuff like this show, DCSHG, or TTG! is what's viewed as appropriate for younger audiences and specifically aims it at said younger audiences, while stuff like the older Timm style, Young Justice, and such are now viewed only for adults, so we see Young Justice: Outsiders made for mature audiences or the recent DCAU movies that are part of the adult-oriented direct-to-DVD line of movies.

Heck, look how Marvel has been treating their animation as of late after the Disney acquisition.

[Jcogginsa]

That's why I put "Calarts" in quote marks. I know it isn't really from Calarts students.

However, it isn't just "artstyle which I dislike". It is a current trend in animation that we can see on Teen Titans Go or Thundercats Roar.
.

That's only because that's the style that is currently popular to dislike.

The first recorded usage of the term "CalArts Style" was by John Kricfalusi, who used it to refer to The Iron Giant. And since then it has never had a consistent definition

[green_garnish]

The idea there's been no good animation in 80 years is so wrong that it's nothing but laughable

You're right.

I meant to say no good superhero animation.

[Vakanai]

You're right.

I meant to say no good superhero animation.

So none of the DCAU, Spectacular Spider-Man, Incredibles, Into The Spider-Verse does it for you, noted.
Definitely disagree.

[green_garnish]

So none of the DCAU, Spectacular Spider-Man, Incredibles, Into The Spider-Verse does it for you, noted.
Definitely disagree.

It's not good animation (not counting cgi stuff here). Doesn't make much of out not entertaining. If defy anyone to identify a drawn superhero show since Fleischer that is as well animated as first generation Tom and Jerry or Loony Tunes.

[Kirby101]

TV animation doesn't have the budget those did. But not as great doesn't equate with "no good animation".

[green_garnish]

TV animation doesn't have the budget those did. But not as great doesn't equate with "no good animation".

A lot of those actually were TV animation but the basic point is that most of the shows people are saying are terrific modern examples of animation were specifically designed to be visually stylish without requiring as much actual animation. If you can get away with having 20 percent fewer frames in which no movement is progressed, you've saved a ton of money. This is the basis for stylized look of Superman:TAS, Batman:TAS, Teen Titans and TT: Go, and the genesis of anime. How can we get away with doing less actual animation?

The irony is that the very passion with which this point is being debated is ultimately the answer to the thread's original (paraphrased) question: Why would you create an Aquaman animation that looks like this?

We aren't giving them any particular reason not to, because we are insisting that sub par animation is actually really great stuff as long as the design style is striking. There's nothing wrong with that either. I'm not hating on Superman or Batman animations, I get a kick out of them.

[Kirby101]

Fleisher, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry were all theatrical. And Superman went over budget. Of course less is spent on TV. Hanna Barbara of Tom and Jerry fame made their fortune by getting cartoons done for TV at a lower budget. Doesn't mean The Jetsons and Flinstones were no good. So I don't get your point.

[CliffHanger2]

A lot of those actually were TV animation but the basic point is that most of the shows people are saying are terrific modern examples of animation were specifically designed to be visually stylish without requiring as much actual animation. If you can get away with having 20 percent fewer frames in which no movement is progressed, you've saved a ton of money. This is the basis for stylized look of Superman:TAS, Batman:TAS, Teen Titans and TT: Go, and the genesis of anime. How can we get away with doing less actual animation?

The irony is that the very passion with which this point is being debated is ultimately the answer to the thread's original (paraphrased) question: Why would you create an Aquaman animation that looks like this?

We aren't giving them any particular reason not to, because we are insisting that sub par animation is actually really great stuff as long as the design style is striking. There's nothing wrong with that either. I'm not hating on Superman or Batman animations, I get a kick out of them.

Thing is animation drawn that badly will never be good. I'd take any 80s show over that. Things being "fluid" doesn't supersede everything else.

[Anthony W]

Someone mentioned something earlier and it got me thinking....maybe the producers of these series are adopting this art style more to target young audiences without too much adult attention.

You're giving them way too much credit. I have to hand it to Victor Courtright, the ThunderCats GO! debacle would hurt most careers but he just keeps failing upwards.

[Jcogginsa]

Thing is animation drawn that badly will never be good. I'd take any 80s show over that. Things being "fluid" doesn't supersede everything else.

Animation isn't judged by how good still images look, it's judged by how good the movement looks.

[WebLurker]

It's not good animation (not counting cgi stuff here). Doesn't make much of out not entertaining. If defy anyone to identify a drawn superhero show since Fleischer that is as well animated as first generation Tom and Jerry or Loony Tunes.

Batman: The Animated Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Boom, done.

[green_garnish]

Batman: The Animated Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Boom, done.

My point made. Thanks.

[WebLurker]

My point made. Thanks.

That destroyed your point; that we hadn't had good superhero animation since the '40s.

(Admittedly, that is true; we have better.)

[CliffHanger2]

Animation isn't judged by how good still images look, it's judged by how good the movement looks.

The ideal is to have both. But i'll take limited animation and good images over the other alternative.