Samauri Jack-What did you think?

[Jowy Blight]

What did everyone think of it?

I thought it was pretty good, but some of things they did were kinda weird.

[nightwing_38116]

I thought that it was VERY good. Some parts were a little slow. However, the overall mood was cool and Phil LaMar did a great job of voicing Samurai Jack. The JL teaser didn't hurt it either.

[Joe Tully]

I liked it a lot, the art was pretty good...I was getting a little bored with it in a couple of places, but it recovered from those points quickly. Did anyone else notice the cameo of the Big Dog from 2 Stupid Dogs?

I really liked the dogs. Good action, but didn't have me too excited. It's no Batman, but I'll definitely watch again on Mon. It's got me interested to see what kind of stuff will show up next.

[Jowy Blight]

It's got me interested to see what kind of stuff will show up next.

Yeah, I'll be watching Monday also, I'm interested in seeing how Jack will try to get home again.

[mxyzptlk]

i think it was pretty good

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

...could anyone give a general plot of the episode? Please? You guys are lucky you got to see it...

[bushnader666]

Originally posted by BorgeoisBuffoon
...could anyone give a general plot of the episode? Please? You guys are lucky you got to see it...

Don't worry. I didn't see it either, but I bet you that it will be repeated ad nauseum, just like Scooby-Doo or that MTV 20th special.

[Keith]

Impressive - most impressive.

My observations - I liked everything except some of the sound effects. For some reason it ticked me off everytime I heard a sound effect I recognized from another series - I noticed some that I thought had been used in Powerpuff Girls and some from Dragonball Z. I guess I consider those "signature" sounds for those series and they don't click in Samurai Jack.

I REALLY liked the nods to Conan the Barbarian. The whole bit about steel not being strong, but the hand that wields it is - classic! Plus they've got the guy who played the wizard in Conan the Barbarian voicing the villain here.

Speaking of Conan (and totally off topic). If you've read any of the Conan comics over the years, you've more than likely at least seen an issue illustrated by John Buscema (he's done other comics as well). John has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and is in pretty bad shape from what I read. If you would like to send him a card or letter, he can be reached at:
John Buscema
104 Oaklawn Drive
Port Jefferson, New York 11777

Personally - this is like a legend coming to an end. I grew up reading comics he had illustrated - he defined Conan for me (my father and I collected the series - owning practically every issue).
More importantly than that, he was an inspiration - filling my little head with dreams of drawing comics myself. That has never quite materialized, but the fact that I even had those kinds of dreams as a result of his work is a testiment to the impact he had.
Here is just one example of his artistry:
http://image.milehighcomics.com/istore/images/fullsize/18711732592.137.GIF


Back to Samurai Jack - I was highly impressed with Samurai Jack and will be looking forward to see how the series progresses.

[Joe Tully]

The movie will air again tomorrow (Sat.) at 7 PM. So I hope that those of you who missed it will be able to catch it then.

I forgot to mention...Usually I don't notice music, but I really thought that they did a good job with the music on the show. It's obvious they put a lot of effort into everything and I am sure they will make the regular series just as beautiful as the movie.

Also...I really liked the JL teaser, though it didn't show much. Bats' ears look a little bit too big, but I'll probably get used to that. Other than that, it looked great, just like the pics I've seen so far.

[The Mad Hatter]

Like I said in the WBC board, I thought that the visuals and music came together to create a work of near-genius, one that's more original than anything I've seen in years.

...and Justice League promos! Did you all stick around after the credits for the third promo, with animation from the show? Tonight has been a true treat.

[Calhoun07]

Yes, I did notice the "borrowing" of sound effects from other shows! More than once, I tried to place them! We could have a Name that Sound Effect game!

And those dogs did turn out to be kinda cool, tho I was turned off at first to see talking animals in something trying to reach a more mature audience, but they won me over. Was it just me, or was one of those dogs in one of the pan over shots of the group one of the dogs from the old Woody Woodpecker shows? The kinda slow speaking one?

I do have to say I liked this premire quite a bit and will seek out to watch it during the week (tho they better rerun it outside of it's Monday time slot because I can't miss Boston Public!). I am glad to see a new series that has a continuing story arc in it, and not something that insults the intelligence of the viewer. Man, this series will rock. I hope somebody is securing the rights to get the episodes all out on DVD!

[DerekPowers]

i thought it rocked! it was better than i expected, and the art was beautiful. I loved it in the begining w/ all the different lands, that was awesome (except they had the xena syndrom of weird time lapses, they intergrated ancient egypt and ancient greece then through in the robin hood which is from midevil times, but it was cool so i cant complain). The action was great, i loved how long the battle with the drones was, you could tell they really worked on it and didnt want to make him beat them too easily. also, i liked the overall plot, it was very good. i hope they keep a story arc and hopefully will resolve it. heres my question:

will jack ever resolve this problem? if he does, then there's no series. i wish the creators would make this like an anime where they finish telling the whole story and end it or create a new conflict. that would be great, but i doubt cn would want it to end to soon.

anyway, i'm really looking foward to future eps, i really enjoyed it. my one concern is that i hope each ep has as good of a story as this one did. i really enjoyed the action and the anime-ish direction and sequences, but i only like that when it has a good story to go with it. I'd hate to see them have a stylization over-kill with no plot, but judging from the movie, i doubt they will.

[Joe Tully]

Was it just me, or was one of those dogs in one of the pan over shots of the group one of the dogs from the old Woody Woodpecker shows? The kinda slow speaking one?


That was probably the Big Dog from 2 Stupid Dogs. I can remember a few dogs from Woody but didn't recognize any there. Besides, CN doesn't have rights to Woody so they wouldn't risk something like that. The Big Dog was very slow, deep speaking, grey with a purple nose though I'm not sure if they colored him quite the same tonight.

[JustJack]

I'd have to say, this series has everything I've wanted. period. I mean..just look at it!

I'd have to admit though, at the beginning, the "no line art" seemed more South Park, than anything else...but once the action started kicking in...ohhh yeah.

The "dog oppression", I found hillarious.

And when he slapped the "dog tag" on Jacks Samurai helmet...my brother exploded in laughter. I'd say it was delt with, at least, in the right light.

it was aaaall good.

[Mr. Obsession]

While it took me a minute to get use to the visual style of the series, all in all it was awesome.

And the JL promo at the end, well my jaw dropped. November can't come fast enough.

[Bud 'n Lou]

Unfortunately, the leccy went out at my house about a half hour in (this is the second showing too; I missed the first), and I didn't get to see any more than that. But from what I *did* see, I thought it was pretty good. Kinda violent and action-oriented, which gives me high hopes for the standard of the JL series (which seeing the promo for made me squeal with glee). The animation was great, and so was the art, for the most part. The backgrounds rocked, to put it plainly, and I liked most of the character designs, but I think Jack's face will take some getting used to. For some reason, I think it resembles my brother, which is quite disturbing to me.
I will say that the jive-talkin' trio irritated me a little. And the fight scenes were LOOOONG! At least they were well-choreographed, though.
Overall, I have a postive out-look for the show.

[Jowy Blight]

Did you all stick around after the credits for the third promo, with animation from the show?

AAArrrrrrrggghhhh....... I missed that, what did they show?

[RoboHobo]

they showed a messed up picture of Batman! Why would they screw up Batman's look,his head looks all goofy now!

[batboy2001]

I thought it was okay, what I mean by that is it had some flaws in my eyes. It was pretty slow and kinda weird, the best part was him fighting the bug things, the dogs were cool. Time will tell.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Thanks for the info about John Buscema, Keith. He IS a legend, and Marvel wouldn't have been the same without him. His style soon became the "house" style of the 80s, but even those who tried to ape him failed to capture his "essence." He may have thought of his work as only a "job," but personally, I thought he turned out great work even when he phoned it in. His excellent sense of anatomy and proportion has helped me when I've had to draw the human body for whatever reason.

[The Mad Hatter]

AAArrrrrrrggghhhh....... I missed that, what did they show?


From what I could tell, it was a highly condensed version of what got shown at the comic con (and reported here)... the Justice League defends themselves against unseen attackers. We got quick glimpses of all the members, including Wonder Woman using her armbands to deflect bullets, and a great shot of Batman looking moody.

[Bud 'n Lou]

The Flash wasn't shown. :O(

[DR. BELCH]

Yes, I did. I also noticed the "Talking Dog Says!" billboard in the background, which leads me to wonder if the burned-out city was Townsville. Hope those dogs don't turn up the skeletons of the Power Puff Girls while digging.... :shiver:

A slow opening, but it built up to a great climax--Jack's naked torso covered in scars and drenched in bug ichor is an unforgettable sight. And I loved the behind-the-scenes stuff. Interesting that a black actor is voicing an Asian hero...and an Asian actor is cast as the villain. A very interesting effect.

[Sveven Dvorking]

By this time, I think they aired the whole series in advertisements.

[The Mad Hatter]

How do you know? Did you happen to find out an exact synopsis of every future episode before we did?

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

Tell us, Sven! I may not get to watch ANY of the episodes...so I'd appreciate some spoilers!:)

Hm....I'll watch for the Two Stupid Dog cameo...and it sounds like there are some creepy scenes in Jack. I have to watch it...

[Lachesis]

Saw show. Most impressed. The animation was giving me flashbacks to "The Thief and the Cobbler" at a few points. And it's nice to know Mako is still around.

[Sveven Dvorking]

I didn't find out anything. I was being sarcastic.

-Sveven:p

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by Sveven Dvorking
I didn't find out anything. I was being sarcastic.

-Sveven:p

So were they. Believe me, you're not subtle.

Sigh. Stupid cash crunch, keeping me from getting cable or a satellite dish. I really wanted to see the premiere of this show. . . .

[Bud 'n Lou]

Pfft. Shows how observant I am..I didn't notice the sarcasm from either side.

And, no I'm not being sarcastic.

Edited to add: LOL @ Maxie. I love it.

[Nightwing]

Originally posted by DR. BELCH
A slow opening, but it built up to a great climax--Jack's naked torso covered in scars and drenched in bug ichor is an unforgettable sight. And I loved the behind-the-scenes stuff. Interesting that a black actor is voicing an Asian hero...and an Asian actor is cast as the villain. A very interesting effect.

The voice was the first thing I noticed (design doesn't count cuz I got to see that before seeing the movie) about Jack when I saw the movie, and I think it's perfect. I don't think there's anything weird about the actor choice at all. But I was drawn to it, that's how well it fit the character!

Example: When I saw the behind the scenes thing, LaMarr was talking about how to set Jack's voice, and as he was doing so he said "we settled on a young Asian Clint Eastwood" while simultaneously slipping into Jack's dialect. I cringed! It was excellent. Humble, and fitting.

And that's a very important thing because when we tend to become fans of a character we become even bigger fans of the voice over artist as well if they click right, like our beloved Kevin Conroy, for example.

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Maxie Zeus


So were they. Believe me, you're not subtle.

Sigh. Stupid cash crunch, keeping me from getting cable or a satellite dish. I really wanted to see the premiere of this show. . . .

Ah, but that's Sven for you!

Ohhh, man the cash crunch. Don't remind me. My rent is going up here in the next couple months, and I just hate it. How do people afford DSL and digital cable for like 80 bucks a month? I guess they don't buy all the comics and DVDs I do!

[joker]

i thought it was great, very good. i thought the use of the word "shiznit" was pretty funny. the only thing i would have liked to seen more of was jacks training, i wish it would have focused more on that rather than showing 3 seconds shots. but over all very great

[nightwing_38116]

When does the SJ premiere air again?

[Calhoun07]

Did anybody catch Monday's episode? I missed it but will see it on Friday.

[The Mad Hatter]

Argh! I completely forgot about the show! Monday is a darned odd time to be showing new animated episodes...

[Keith]

I caught last night's show - it didn't seem quite as inspired as the premiere - but it was still very good. This series has definitely got that "Kung-Fu" feel to it - traveling around helping people and all.

My big complaint yet again had to do with something on the audio side of things - the guy who voiced Mandark on Dexter's Lab seemed to be doing the same kind of voice for the main villain in this episode. It's great that they want to use the same voice actors, but how about changing the delivery or something!

[DR. BELCH]

Sorry, Keith--I think that guy only has one voice: high and geeky. Though an actor who can do 100 or more seperate characters is great, a few voice actors--Don Adams and Yeardley Smith come to mind--build entire careers on one or two voices, most often just their natural speaking rythms.
And I'm glad I'm not the only one to miss SJ yesterday. Now I feel like less of a mook...gracias.

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

Can anyone tell me what happened on Monday's SJ? I would greatly appreciate just the general plot and the outcome...

...put me up for the line of people who missed it Monday. Sigh...oh, yeah, did the half-hour eppy seem as impressive as the movie premiere?

[Joe Tully]

Only read this if you're sure you won't watch Fri. either and don't care about the spoilers!

Samurai Jack tries to catch a boar for food, but is interrupted by a large stampeding creature known as a Woolly. It is running away from two small blue humanoids (though definitely not human) who are riding Woollies and are trying to catch it. Jack helps them catch the Woolly and follows them to their home, he soon finds out that the Woolies can talk and have been enslaved by these little guys! The little guys are from outer space and have on orb that gives them power to control Woolies with their tridents that give Woolies electric shocks. Also, the orb makes Woolies walk on fours instead of upright as the do naturally. Jack destroys the orb and the Woollies are freed, the Woolies help Jack beat up the little guys, and the little guys get back in their spaceship and go home. The head Woolly helps Jack in return by telling him in which direction to travel to find Aku. Jack heads off in that direction. I'm skipping some minor details, but that's the main idea.

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

Thanks a million, Joe!
With eppys like these, I KNOW I wanna see it!:mad: It's nice to see Jack helping out whole species. Kudos to him!

Sigh....I gotta get C. Network....I'll try to work on getting it...

[Keith]

If you've read today's news update on either my site or here at ToonZone, you know that there was some information regarding Samurai Jack coming to DVD that popped up yesterday at The Digital Bits.

There was some talk about the uphill battle of getting Warner Bros. to release the series in season-by-season sets rather than "best of" releases.

If you would like to support releasing Samurai Jack in season-by-season sets, let Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network know your opinion by signing the Samurai Jack on DVD petition.

The petition can be found here: http://www.petitiononline.com/DVDjack/petition.html

Any help you can provide in publicizing this petition would be appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

Keith