Warner Animation planning a series of animated shorts... starting with Jonah Hex

[Sawyer]

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=493

Warner Bros. Animation Planning Animated Shorts Series Based On DC Comics Characters
July 08, 2009 by James Harvey

While Warner Bros. Animation currently has no comment, The World's Finest can confirm that the animation studio is producing a series of animated shorts based on DC Comics characters, including Jonah Hex and more.

The first in a series of animated shorts based on DC Comics characters, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, is expected to appear within the first half of 2010, with more appearing during the year. The DC Comics character Jonah Hex will be featured in the first animated short, written by Joe R. Lansdale, slated to appear on an upcoming DC Universe Animated Original Movie DVD/Blu-ray release. The animated shorts will also tentatively spotlight other DC Comics characters and be similar in tone to the DC Universe Animated Original Movie titles. Multiple animated shorts are currently in production. Please note that schedule and content details are subject to change. Expect an official comment and announcement from Warner Bros. Animation in the future.

Warner Bros. Animation currently has seven different direct-to-video animated feature projects in different stages of production, with the majority of these projects headlining characters from DC Comics. Expect more announcements soon.

Stay tuned for further updates.

I think this could be a really interesting way for Warner Bros. to go about this... doing shorts for characters/teams that probably wouldnt do so well in their own movie because general audiences really dont know them too well (Jonah Hex, JSA... Booster Gold?)

I'm interested to see what comes of this.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Captain Marvel/Shazam


I wonder how long these will be? Animated shorts are almost a lost artform(similar to the newspaper strip ie Wednesday comics). Getting across information about a character that people really don't know or just wiz bang action like the Superman 40s shorts.

 

[Sawyer]

I'd say 10-12 minutes seems like the perfect running time. Just like the Batman: Gotham Knight chapters and the 40s Superman.

Sgt. Rock.

 

[GL's Light]

This is a great idea and I'm very happy to see them branch out and try this out.

Some of the characters I'd like to see (who probably wouldn't get full-length releases of their own) are:

Adam Strange
The Atom
Challengers of the Unknown
Deadman
Elongated Man
Firestorm
Lobo
Martian Manhunter
Metal Men
Metamorpho
Mister Miracle
Plastic Man
Power Girl
The Question
Sgt. Rock
The Spectre
Swamp Thing
The Unknown Soldier
Zatanna

 

[Sawyer]

Ooh, also... Suicide Squad.

 

[04nbod]

this is very transparent, they are running out of JL episodes for the DVDs because it will affect those set sales. These are a fill in. A desirable one, I'm always up for new material but I hope its at least related to the main feature

 

[GL's Light]

Also, the shorts should provide more of a sales boost for the DTVs than the inclusion of DCAU episodes since many fans already own the DCAU box sets. I don't think the shorts will necessarily be related to the features, nor do I particularly want them to be. I'd prefer for greater leeway in terms of which characters appear in the shorts.

 

[Sawyer]

I've always found the inclusion of the DCAU episodes to be pretty lame... give us something new for crap sake. Especially since I already own all but Batman vol.4 and Batman Beyond.

The shorts will just be so much more useful and entertaining.

 

[Wally West]

When I first heard about the shorts I thought maybe they were going to play theatrically with various WB films. If they're still frightened to make a Flash or WW film that would be a great way to expose them to film audiences. However, These days a short would just be overkill, given that you already have to sit through 5-7 trailors, and then commercials, and theater anouncements before the feature starts.

Given that they're only DTV shorts, it sounds like a potentially nice bonus.

I hope DR. Fate gets one. I'd say Martian Manhunter too, but I'd rather see him get a feature of his own (not holding my breath on that one though...)

 

[Sawyer]

This is a great idea and I'm very happy to see them branch out and try this out.

Some of the characters I'd like to see (who probably wouldn't get full-length releases of their own) are:

Adam Strange
The Atom
Challengers of the Unknown
Deadman
Elongated Man
Firestorm
Lobo
Martian Manhunter
Metal Men
Metamorpho
Mister Miracle
Plastic Man
Power Girl
The Question
Sgt. Rock
The Spectre
Swamp Thing
The Unknown Soldier
Zatanna

Hells yeah. I think it'd be pretty awesome if Warner animation expanded into Vertigo/Wildstorm stuff and got to work on things like Hellblazer.

 

[GL's Light]

It's too bad Lionsgate has the film rights to The Spirit, because I'd love to see some animated shorts featuring The Spirit.

 

[Webhead2006]

Sounds like a cool idea, i agree anywhere in 10-12min range would be perfect time for an animated short. I agree it would be a great way to expose certain characters who are likely not to see a dtv full movie any time soon let alone a live action film.

 

[cerealkiller182]

This is a great idea and I'm very happy to see them branch out and try this out.

Some of the characters I'd like to see (who probably wouldn't get full-length releases of their own) are:

Adam Strange
The Atom
Challengers of the Unknown
Deadman
Elongated Man
Firestorm
Lobo
Martian Manhunter
Metal Men
Metamorpho
Mister Miracle
Plastic Man
Power Girl
The Question
Sgt. Rock
The Spectre
Swamp Thing
The Unknown Soldier
Zatanna

Hell yeah!

I'd also add:

Doom Patrol
The Creeper
The Outsiders (modern versions of the original roster)
Resurrection Man
Secret Six

 

[Ceb-Man]

I love this idea and using Jonah Hex is awesome!

I'd like to see:

The Atom
Deadman
Hawkman and Hawkgirl
Challengers of the Unknown
The Unknown Soldier
Sgt. Rock
Enemy Ace
Sandman Mystery Theater
Captain Atom
Nightwing
Martian Manhunter
Metamorpho
Black Lightning
Justice Society of America
Firestorm
The Question
Power Girl
Batman and The Outsiders
Booster Gold and Blue Beetle
The Huntress
Adam Strange
Captain Comet
The Creeper
Secret Six
Suicide Squad
Metal Men
The Creeper
Lobo
Plastic Man
Swamp Thing
Zatanna
Uncle Sam and The Freedom Fighters

 

[Sawyer]

The first is coming with Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, featuring..... The Spectre!

 

[Webhead2006]

well we kinda expected that with that dvd cover, but cant wait to see how these shorts do.

 

[Sawyer]

well we kinda expected that with that dvd cover, but cant wait to see how these shorts do.

But its nice to get confirmation.

 

[Webhead2006]

oh totally, sawyer cant wait to see how they turn out. Any word on how long these shorts are?

 

[Evil Twin]

Is it too much to hope for that The Spectre turns a crook into wood and runs him through a buzzsaw?

Things I'd like to see:

Enemy Ace - perhaps an adaptation of "Luck is a Puppy Named Schatzi".

A locked room mystery featuring the bantering Dibnys.

Bat Lash - An adaptation of his first appearance would be fine, where he wanders into a corrupt town simply to enjoy a pheasant dinner and ends up accidentally cleaning it up.

Swamp Thing - Maybe "The Lurker in Tunnel 13" or "The Last of the Ravenwind Witches"

 

[JTStarkiller]

well we kinda expected that with that dvd cover, but cant wait to see how these shorts do.

Which DVD cover?

 

[NightBeetle]

A Question(Vic Sage) and Kamandi short would be interesting.

"Personally, I'm much more interested in getting deeper into the back-log of really odd-ball characters like The Question, The New Gods or Jonah Hex. Hopefully, this series will continue to sell well and we'll get there eventually."

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17681

 

[Webhead2006]

the crisis on two earth's dvd cover.

 

[JTStarkiller]

Obviously, but I haven't seen it posted anywhere. Hoping someone might provide a link or something.

EDIT: Someone posted it last night in the other Crisis thread, so nevermind.

 

[Metamorpho1977]

Captain Marvel/Shazam


I wonder how long these will be? Animated shorts are almost a lost artform(similar to the newspaper strip ie Wednesday comics). Getting across information about a character that people really don't know or just wiz bang action like the Superman 40s shorts.

They tried it for a while back around when Who Framed Roger Rabbit came out, but they stopped.

 

[dnno1]

This is a great idea and I'm very happy to see them branch out and try this out.

Some of the characters I'd like to see (who probably wouldn't get full-length releases of their own) are:

Adam Strange
The Atom
Challengers of the Unknown
Deadman
Elongated Man
Firestorm
Lobo
Martian Manhunter
Metal Men
Metamorpho
Mister Miracle
Plastic Man
Power Girl
The Question
Sgt. Rock
The Spectre
Swamp Thing
The Unknown Soldier
Zatanna

No Hawkman?