Toon Zone Talkback - Judson Exits Warner Bros. Animation

I think it's very interesting--and it doesn't sound like a good sign--that they're not going to replace her. Warner Bros. Television is a huge production studio, and I think it would be very easy for animated product to get lost. On the one hand, that might not be so bad, since I'm skeptical that cartoons benefit from executive attention ("Never make Lipnick like you! He's taken a interest!"). On the other hand, without institutional support, it's easy to imagine things withering.
 
Of course, leave when things aren't all tidy anymore. I still am surprised about this move. Live Action shows based on animated franchises?!? Live Action? How about ADULT Animation shows based on mature characters, like Wildstorm, Vertigo, or at least a animated series based on MAD Magazine.


On the contrary, I would love to see a live action Flintstones show. That's about it. I would also love another Warner Bros. Feature Animated movie with all the Warner Bros. owned characters involved, including the DC Comics characters. But sadly, I don't think that's happening.
 
Dark ages are when they make things, but those things stink. WB Animation isn't making anything. This is more akin to the 70's and 80's, when they also didn't make anything.
 
This is sad, but not surprising.
With the way WBA is now, I understand what she's doing...:(

But wait a second! Instead of a replacement, now they're promoting the head of its Television department to the position??? From what I read in the article, my mind is in doubt about this move.



Live-action stuff based on its animation franchises?! IMO, with the lack of new WBA shows and promotion, that's the LAST thing we need. The time for true rejuvenation is now.



So what they're basically saying here is that "his roots consisted of being actively involved in children's programming, and now he makes a semi-return to his roots by being head of the animation department"???
I don't care if it says semi-, half-, sort-of, or kind-of in front of the word "return." That quote, IMO, just reminds everyone that "cartoons are for kids."

I really don't know what else to say. My guts tell me that WBA is heading further and further into darkness :sad:. On the other hand, I'll just have to wait and see what happens down the road...
 
You know, people get all over me when I say that Time Warner is THE MOST POORLY RAN ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY IN THE WORLD because, at times, I seem to beat the notion into their heads.

While that may be true and the fact that there are a lot of companies with inept executives, no company publicly shows its ineptness more than Time Warner. The fact that Warner Bros. Animation is no longer its own entity is worrisome to say the least. It's theoretically been halved and seen more as a technique rather than a medium. The television side is now essentially a part of Warner Bros. Television and the theatrical side is now a part of Warner Bros. Pictures. If I had my way, this is what I would have done, especially if costcutting and unit unification is what they wanted in the first place (something they've actually done as of late with New Line Cinema, which used to be a separate unit but now a "prestige" brand of Warner Bros. Pictures), and it actually makes sense.

An animation unit that includes the major animation studios of Time Warner, the animation library, a unit responsible for potential content creation, and outlets to broadcast the shows (especially since Cartoon Network is at least pretending to give a damn about animation these days) would be welcome, but alas, sense left the company the moment AOL flashed them a few bucks for a slight majority stake in the company.

Instead, the head of WB Animation was essentially tossed aside, though the writings on the wall was evident when The CW sold the Kids' WB block timeslot to 4Kids Entertainment and cancelled all WB-made shows from the block in one fell swoop. The current CEO of Time Warner has always been an opponent of synergy, so WB Animation and Cartoon Network has been separate in nearly everything and barely worked together. Now, Looney Tunes are nowhere to be seen in a regular form on television in the US for more than 30 minutes a day.

And yes, the new de-facto head of WB Animation is Peter Roth, a former programming head of Saturday morning of ABC just as Michael Eisner (yeah, that Michael Eisner) left. He got the job only to go ahead, as most people in Saturday morning programming did. And since it's already established that animation is a secondary (or maybe even tertiary) part of Mr. Roth's agenda, the only thing I expect will happen is even less thought about it. And I didn't think that was even possible.

It just seems like they got rid of Ms. Judson because they severely limited her position. Aside from Brave and the Bold, there aren't real projects are coming to television in the first place from Warner Bros. Animation. Everything's mostly direct to video. T-Works is only using library stuff for the most part. Artists had already been canned. Shows have already been outsourced (remember, Johnny Test used to be made by and at WBA). There is no direction at Warner Bros. Animation, and sadly, there is literally no more Warner Bros. Animation.

Again.
 
But what animated properties could be turned into live action? Oh, no...a vision of a live-action Scooby Doo, put together just like the Scooby Doo movies, just sprung into my head. Gahh. Or how about a live action Johnny Test, with yet another talking CGI dog? Bleh. Or maybe...a live action Batman series? Huh...now that's interesting. That could be very interesting. I know I'd check that out.
 
I stand corrected. So what will we call it?



Time Warner is too big to be considered the worst. It has flaws like every other company. Yet as bad as their animation and comic book adaptation departments are they still produce successful movies, tv shows, and their channels like CNN, TBS, and TNT are successful and some of the magazines like EW and Time. Its just that they really suck when it comes to cartoons and comic book adaptations. Which, of course, upsets many of us.
 
Isn't it in the top five of the biggest media conglomerates in the world? If it is, then that truly sucks. Get some real businessmen up in there.
 
Well, Warner Bros. Animation's working with Studio 2.0 (another WB company) on new upcoming T-Works projects, like short form Batman cartoons, and a cartoon based on The Wizard Of Oz (I Think), and DTV movies coming, but other than that, it's really nothing, like you said. And, although it's kind of off topic, even though Walt Disney Animation Studios may have a lot of movies coming out (mostly PIXAR), their Walt Disney TV Animation unit is only producing 1 new show. The Replacements and The Emperor's New School just have a few batch of episodes left to air. The only DTVs they're making at the moment are the Disney Fairies.
 
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