Is thundercats fandom slowing dying? or is it near dead already?

Thundercats has had many revival attempts in the last 5-10 years and nothing has truly been a runaway hit or a big money maker. Even the sale of thundercats vintage and modern merchandise has slowed and prices either dropped significantly or spiked due to limited availability.

None of us fans are getting any younger, Is this the death Nell of thudnercats?

The problem is WB and their licencing of products for the brand. WB have done very little with Thundercats to keep it as relevant as Transformers, TMNT etc.

This is a great mythology that just needs real support. You have to believe to achieve and WB doesn't beleive.

ThunderCats as a franchise is underrated. I most definitely believe in its mythology.

I doubt that the franchise's fandom is slowly dying. Just the other day I randomly searched ThunderCats and found many articles (many of which were about S7's dismal attempt at getting the license) and strangely enough, I wasn't expecting to see comments from people on these articles (as there hardly is on many relevant topics that one would expect there to be). People were showing their support for TC and how they grew up with it. I think that it is a very niche market, yes, but I do think that a ThunderCats fan fits a certain profile of people. Unlike MOTU, we grew up with the cartoon and the toys but many MOTU fans had the toys first and then the cartoon came and built upon that. I know some figures of TC were released before the show came out if I recall correctly, but on my side of the globe first came the show and then the toys, and so the show was the foundation of my love for TC. I think for all fans the show is the foundation and perhaps the revivals of the brand isn't doing it any justice hence it appears like there is no interest. But if you react towards what the fans want, which is a complete collection of figures representing their cartoon counterparts, you'll once again see them roaring online. At the moment, there really isn't much to discuss other than the smaller lines of incomplete lineups, and the (potential complete) upcoming line by TLS. So despite us getting older, don't think the fandom is dying. We're just not vocal now. It doesn't help to be vocal if whatever you say gets squashed underneath the big corporate foot of WB.

"Sebastiaan, post: 121448, member: 25673" said:

I doubt that the franchise's fandom is slowly dying. Just the other day I randomly searched ThunderCats and found many articles (many of which were about S7's dismal attempt at getting the license) and strangely enough, I wasn't expecting to see comments from people on these articles (as there hardly is on many relevant topics that one would expect there to be). People were showing their support for TC and how they grew up with it. I think that it is a very niche market, yes, but I do think that a ThunderCats fan fits a certain profile of people. Unlike MOTU, we grew up with the cartoon and the toys but many MOTU fans had the toys first and then the cartoon came and built upon that. I know some figures of TC were released before the show came out if I recall correctly, but on my side of the globe first came the show and then the toys, and so the show was the foundation of my love for TC. I think for all fans the show is the foundation and perhaps the revivals of the brand isn't doing it any justice hence it appears like there is no interest. But if you react towards what the fans want, which is a complete collection of figures representing their cartoon counterparts, you'll once again see them roaring online. At the moment, there really isn't much to discuss other than the smaller lines of incomplete lineups, and the (potential complete) upcoming line by TLS. So despite us getting older, don't think the fandom is dying. We're just not vocal now. It doesn't help to be vocal if whatever you say gets squashed underneath the big corporate foot of WB.

I only ever seen Thundercats toys in shops here after the cartoon aired. A good line of figures will sell to fans. But I think WB really need to do another TV series or a movie to get Thundercats popular again.
So the 2011 series didn't go well, big deal, try again. Transformers, TMNT, Voltron and multiple other popular brands have had shows/movies/toylines that didn't really appeal to fans but usually they just have a short break then try again with something new having learned from the fans criticisms.
The quality of the writing of the 2011 series is what got the 2011 series cancelled not the poor toy sales. It had some great moments but far too much filler episodes that did nothing for the show. Not to mention a lot of creative decisions that really made it not very appealing to the audience.
Bandai did a great job with the toys. Each figure was cartoon accurate with lots of articulation and accessories with unique sculpts.

I do think that the fandom is fading away mainly because there are no new fans of ThunderCats. This is obviously because of the reasons [USER=5058]@Mark M[/USER] pointed out above. WB have done nothing to keep ThunderCats in the public eye. Most of the kids of today aren't going to bother hunting down and watching a cartoon that is 30 years old. You'd be surprised but many of the current younger generation have no idea about many of the popular movies and cartoons from the 80s. I've met many teens who don't even know who Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Lee is. So most of the people who make up the ThunderCats fandom are children of the 80s and 90s like us. And as we get older, many lose interest in the show. So yeah, I do think that the (already small) fanbase of ThunderCats is shrinking.

I feel that WB took wrong decision by making the 2011 reboot TOO different form the original. If anything, they should have tried to stick more closely to the original while updating some things. I'm not dissing the new series, it's just that it doesn't feel like ThunderCats to me at all. It doesn't tie in to the original the way the numerous adaptations of TMNT, Transformers, DC and Marvel Superheroes have done.

Take an example of the "Star Wars" franchise. If Lucas had stopped with the original three movies, none of the youngsters today would have had any idea what a Jedi is. But he kept the franchise going through the prequel trilogy, the TV series, the novels etc. Even though "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was pretty much derivative, it achieved what it wanted to do, attract the younger generation to the franchise, something that the 2011 series couldn't have done even if it had been a success and continued because it hardly had any connection to the original.

I can't recall any cartoon franchise whose reboot has been as different from the original as ThunderCats. Danger Mouse, Duck Tales, TMNT, Transformers, Care Bears, Scooby Doo, even live-action adaptations like Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Tintin, don't stray very far from their originals.

while not dead and buried, it is in a period of stagnation: no new series on tv/theater for so long stretches of time, no matter how different/unique, keeps new young eyes from finding it. When that happens, the young find other shows to watch and love, shows that might have some of the similar themes as TC; and when/if TC gets a new iteration, those same young eyes will look at it as see a show trying to copy their beloved show, not knowing TC came first and that ideas/themes are universal.

I agree with Wily in that a big part of the problem with the 2011 series was how far from the originals it was.

I think if it would have been a whole new show, it would have been great. I really liked the idea of Thundera being just a city rather than a planet, and I liked how they showcased the Cats govern system and the inner conflicts in their society.

But presenting it as a reboot when it had almost nothing to do with the original was a mistake. Many of my friends who loved the 80s series didn't like these ones, specially Tygra being Lion-O's adopted brother and Panthro getting those mechanic arms.

"Tygra_Rules, post: 121454, member: 9228" said:

I agree with Wily in that a big part of the problem with the 2011 series was how far from the originals it was.

I think if it would have been a whole new show, it would have been great. I really liked the idea of Thundera being just a city rather than a planet, and I liked how they showcased the Cats govern system and the inner conflicts in their society.

But presenting it as a reboot when it had almost nothing to do with the original was a mistake. Many of my friends who loved the 80s series didn't like these ones, specially Tygra being Lion-O's adopted brother and Panthro getting those mechanic arms.

The biggest problems was the pilot with the way they basically made the Thundarians the villains towards the other races of Third Earth.

"Wilycub, post: 121452, member: 25043" said:

Take an example of the "Star Wars" franchise. If Lucas had stopped with the original three movies, none of the youngsters today would have had any idea what a Jedi is. But he kept the franchise going through the prequel trilogy, the TV series, the novels etc. Even though "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was pretty much derivative, it achieved what it wanted to do, attract the younger generation to the franchise, something that the 2011 series couldn't have done even if it had been a success and continued because it hardly had any connection to the original.

I can't recall any cartoon franchise whose reboot has been as different from the original as ThunderCats. Danger Mouse, Duck Tales, TMNT, Transformers, Care Bears, Scooby Doo, even live-action adaptations like Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Tintin, don't stray very far from their originals.

Exactly. If we look at TMNT as a good example. TMNT The Next Mutation didn't do well but it still tied into the overall mythology of TMNT.

I disagree with you all, I like the storetelling of the reboot , It really based on the serious topics of today's world; classicism, racism , politics and war. Something the 80s series doesn't focus on.

"xluckinekostylex, post: 121458, member: 26034" said:

I disagree with you all, I like the storetelling of the reboot , It really based on the serious topics of today's world; classicism, racism , politics and war. Something the 80s series doesn't focus on.

The problem isn't the topic they covered but how they handled them. Like I said unlike the 80's series they basically made the cats/Thundarians the villains at the start of the series. This made the Thundercats a lot less heroic. Instead of showing there fight against the evil Mumm-Ra it was more a mission for Lion-O trying to make up for the crimes and way the Thundarians treated the other races of Third Earth.

"Mark M, post: 121459, member: 5058" said:

The problem isn't the topic they covered but how they handled them. Like I said unlike the 80's series they basically made the cats/Thundarians the villains at the start of the series. This made the Thundercats a lot less heroic. Instead of showing there fight against the evil Mumm-Ra it was more a mission for Lion-O trying to make up for the crimes and way the Thundarians treated the other races of Third Earth.

2011 version thundercats team are united the animals against their true enemy , but that doesn't make them less heroic..

I thought the 2011 series was a great re-imagining. Yes, it had some very different concepts, but they still told a story very true to ThunderCats while keeping us guessing. I would have loved to have seen it continue and it doesn't make a lot of sense that it wasn't a success. At first I thought it was too much change, but they really made it work to me as they fleshed things out. And they were building a world just as interesting as the original.

I think ideally you would have seen the 2011 series complete a full run and be it's own unique take, and then after that success you bring something more classic back to build on that success and basically take the original world and flesh it out more.

We have endured a lot of disappointment as a fandom, but I would be surprised if Hollywood doesn't come calling at some point.

"xluckinekostylex, post: 121460, member: 26034" said:

2011 version thundercats team are united the animals against their true enemy , but that doesn't make them less heroic..

A lot of the animals had a grudge against the cats. Like I said if they had been portrayed differently from the start it would have made them more heroic to the audience.

"xluckinekostylex, post: 121458, member: 26034" said:

I disagree with you all, I like the storetelling of the reboot , It really based on the serious topics of today's world; classicism, racism , politics and war. Something the 80s series doesn't focus on.

They could have tackled all those serious topics of today's world while still keeping the same roots as the 80s series. Leonard Starr had already built a fantastic universe. All that was needed was to build on it, add more backstory and dimensions to characters. Do you know many iterations of Batman, Superman and Spider-man there have been? And yet the core of them all is the same. The origin of the characters is the same.

"xluckinekostylex, post: 121458, member: 26034" said:

I disagree with you all, I like the storetelling of the reboot , It really based on the serious topics of today's world; classicism, racism , politics and war. Something the 80s series doesn't focus on.

We haven't said we desliked the new series (personally, I said I liked them). What we didn't like is how far it was from the originals to be called a reboot, and i think many people felt the same way back in the day ;)

"Tygra_Rules, post: 121464, member: 9228" said:

We haven't said we desliked the new series (personally, I said I liked them). What we didn't like is how far it was from the originals to be called a reboot, and i think many people felt the same way back in the day ;)

So the reboot doesn't heavily connects with the original series' roots, big deal! It's still a good show.

It is still very much connected. You still have Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, Jaga, Grune, Lynx-O, etc. You still have the Sword of Omens. You still have Mumm-Ra. You still have a Thundertank. Etc, etc. They shifted things around more than they reinvented the wheel here. It's really a very well written and plotted series and I think if it had been able to continue, it would have won a lot more people over. 18 episodes is nothing compared to the original series.

"xluckinekostylex, post: 121468, member: 26034" said:

So the reboot doesn't heavily connects with the original series' roots, big deal! It's still a good show.

That's what I said. If the reboot was a whole new show that people didn't link to TCs on their minds, it'd have been great. It was a good show, but as people couldn't take the idea off their minds that it was a TCs reboot, they didn't connect with it as they were expecting something more like the original series.

It's like David Nolan's Batman trilogy. Many people liked it, but I know some DC/Batman/comics fans who didn't as they stated it was not Batman. Many of them told me Nolan created a whole new character with a whole new story and whole new villains with whole new backgrounds, and gave it the name ofa well-known superhero. Although the movies could have been great, they didn't stick to Batman and his background (despite his parents getting killed); some fans said it was great, but it was not Batman, son Nolan should have called his character different, like Manbat if he wanted to (although taht's still a DC character, ironically from Batman lol.)