WB's ThunderCats "Rock Band" concept (2006)

http://thundercats.org/cartoons-and-movies/2011-series/lesean-thomas/

From our front page today. The back story and concept art of the 2006 ThunderCats project that had LeSean Thomas designing a group of teenagers who transformed into ThunderCats to fight Mumm-Ra in a modern day earth environment.

I remember reading about this a while back and viewing some of the artwork. I didnt know all of the details that were included, so I definitely enjoyed this article. It certainly would have been an "interesting" concept, but I am glad they went with what they did in the 2011 version. I have to say I like his version of Mumm-ra!

I read up on LeSean's "ThunderCats" project. It's a shame it never took off.

Never liked this concept and I'm not a big fan of the art style. I think we really dodged a bullet here.

I am so glad this never happened.

"Booshman, post: 97011" said:

Never liked this concept and I'm not a big fan of the art style. I think we really dodged a bullet here.

+1! Mumm-Ra is the better designed in this version and I might have to admit, had this aired on TV it would not have been canceled early like the 2011 series because it seems like it would appeal to kids a lot more.

Our staff artist Joe Spicer (spicemaster) inked and coloured this Mumm-Ra concept that LeSean shared with us.

I love spicemaster's coloring of LeSean Thomas's Mumm-Ra.

This would have been the end of the ThunderCats imo.

I wonder why all this ThunderCats news is coming out now! Maybe they are free to talk about some better news...

I like LeSean's artwork, and I quite like the Mumm-Ra design he did, but I don't like the rest of the concept. It wouldn't have felt like ThunderCats IMO. However I would've loved to see what LeSean would've done if he were allowed to bring his own version of ThunderCats instead of working on an idea that was already there when he came on board.

P.S. Can't wait to see Cannon Busters. I plan on contributing to the Kickstarter on payday and hope it gets a full 25 min pilot with the stretch goals (or even better a series pickup or movie), which it just might considering it's reached a 3rd of it's goal in just 2 days.

It's strange, I know. But "ThunderCats" does have its fans, and I think it's great that we're still talking about it even today.

I find it strange that were getting all this news now as well. but maybe there is a reason for that or it's just wishful thinking on our parts.

I absolutely loath this concept. This is so far removed from its source that there is no reason whatsoever this should be based on or even called ThunderCats. This is garbage :lionomad:

If it were several years ago I might have agreed (well.... no I wouldn't, though I'd have understood). But now adays, we are seeing music being incorporated into the narrative of cartoons in a more and more seamless fashion. I'd be hesitant to write it off 'til I saw execution. And just because a concept is "safe" doesn't mean it will be very good. The new show we got was safe as can be but the execution was.... less than stellar. The art and exspression in the concept would have been enough for me to watch and give it a fair shake. Pedigree is pretty good too.... But I tend to have very little chuu' to a "brand" as much as a job well done... One has enough problems than to indulge in poorly placed epimethean tendencies.

I've thought about using LeSean's Mumm-Ra the Everliving for a story I'm writing currently that features the 1985 "ThunderCats" characters from season one and characters from another '80s TV show called "Punky Brewster."

"NuudoruNoMasho, post: 97080" said:

If it were several years ago I might have agreed (well.... no I wouldn't, though I'd have understood). But now adays, we are seeing music being incorporated into the narrative of cartoons in a more and more seamless fashion. I'd be hesitant to write it off 'til I saw execution. And just because a concept is "safe" doesn't mean it will be very good.

That's all well and good. This concept, a kids rockband that can transform into superheroes, is fine by me. Just DONT DRAG THUNDERCATS INTO IT! Plus, there is no execution, we only have the concept to discuss. And I don't like it. :D

"NuudoruNoMasho, post: 97080" said:

The new show we got was safe as can be but the execution was.... less than stellar. The art and exspression in the concept would have been enough for me to watch and give it a fair shake.

If you really think the 2011 show was less than stellar, I'm beginning to see why we differ in opinion about this rockband-concept. :)

"NuudoruNoMasho, post: 97080" said:

Pedigree is pretty good too.... But I tend to have very little chuu' to a "brand" as much as a job well done... One has enough problems than to indulge in poorly placed epimethean tendencies.

Poorly placed epimethean tendencies? Well, 10 points for fancy word use, but no. We are discussing the concept. There is nothing more. If there was a resulting pilot or test footage or whatever, I could give my opinion about that, but there isnt. It's just this concept. And I really dislike it. Not because I'm a Epimethean thinker, far from it. But because it has nothing to do with ThunderCats. They could've called it literally ANYTHING else. And that fits your opinion. If you have ...very little chuu' to a "brand"... you wouldnt care about that. I do have a deeply rooted passion for the ThunDerCats "brand". Thats does not mean I dislike new thoughts, ideas or designs, it means that there are some things, some characteristics, some rules that makes ThunderCats ThunderCats. Change too much of and it looses it's identity and becomes something else.

I agree, this concept is garbage, I am so glad it never happened. Just the thought of this makes me cringe. It's bad enough that I got a remake I really enjoyed and it ended after only one season. But the fact that this show was even an idea is mind numbingly bad.

I don't like the Mumm-ra design, he looks like he has fat folds on his arms instead of muscles.

I agree with most of you that this concept couldn't have worked for two reasons; neither of which is because the concept isn't "thundercats'y" enough (I will site Sonic le rebelle on this one. It is this concept at it's most blatant and it never looses the "Sonic" feel. Sort of marrying SatAM and Adventures in tone. The music is even actually pretty nice in it's original french... not in English though... that is blech).

Reason 1 in can't work : because they couldn't have gotten a hold of the original music for re-arrangement. That was the death sentence. It could work if they whent with some kind of Meta thing (a la Digimon Tamers) using the leitmotifs. But they couldn't get the leitmotifs. Part of the reason the new one suffered.

Reason 2: Thundercats isn't popular enough. People have grown up and realized "Some kind of Andrew Loyd Weber's "Cats" in space fights a mummy" and that is stupid.

"ThunderCats" will forever have a special place in my heart. :)