But Why MY Thing????

So…last week people were pretty upset about Thundercats Roar! I responded less than graciously to some of the more extreme voices.  But you know, a lot of people simply did not understand the decision here.  Why Thundercats.  They were not hating anyone, but they felt genuine frustration over a feeling that there was not a lot of thought into the choice and that, honestly, the art seemed poor even by the standards of a cartoon being rushed out for kids.

I had to explain more than once that the art does not really appeal to me. But a repeated question from people expressing their frustration was:

And you know what?  This is absolutely a fair and justified question. My tweet mocking the ridiculously angry was not aimed at this kind of genuine question.

The thing is? We already know the answer.

The Cartoon Network wants recognized properties.  They would rather put out a cartoon with a known IP than take a big risk on an unknown quantity. For example, the Cartoon Network tried Plastic Man… and then passed…and that is a character with a rich history.

I wish I had a better answer, really I do…but they opted for Thundercats over an original property because it provided a safer bet.

I would love to see the Cartoon Network (and other networks) take a risk and either adapt a fresh property that has not seen an animated version or an entirely new concept…but networks like to hold off on chances unless they think it might be a sure thing.