Re: JQ and SK, Axes and Cans.......

From: chance <chance_at_unix.infoserve.net>
Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 08:10:04 -0700

>Yeah, the folks at HB just never know when they have a good thing.

Mmm...let's take some time to differentiate between the different levels of
"folks at H-B". Fred Seibert sits on the throne, nominally at least, and
reports to Atlanta. Below him are executive producers, then producers, then
the myriad directors, writers, artists etc. that make up the show. Let's just
say that it appears *everyone* below Fred "knew that they had a good thing".

A number of industry people of all stripes (though not associated with the show,
past or present) dub Messr. Seibert as "utterly clueless", though I've had another
hi-profile animation individual (again, never associated with the show) tell me
that "I doubt Seibert had anything to do with it (cancellation), as he was always
the one championing the program". Yeah, well...this was one voice singing
contrary to the rest of a very loud choir.

>Epilogue: There were ads running on TCN today for JQ videos. I guess that's
> the real purpose of the marathon.

No. The release of the vids and this "marathon" thing is publicity to hype the
new series. It is set to air on TNT, TBS and TCN simultaneously come fall.
If it fails, it won't be through lack of trying on the part of people that also tried
hard with Kats. Hanna-Barbera's problem has always been one of poor
management, not lack of talent. Kats showed what *can* be accomplished
when everything works together, and the cancellation showed what happens
when the far-sightedness of the creative types is matched by an equal level
of myopia in the upper echelons of management.

>"Let me throw a barrel at it!"
> -Brace, on Freakazoid

Ehh...hate to nitpick, but the character was "Dash O'Pepper" to Messick's
"Dr. Danger".
_____________________________________________________
"Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed
 antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters,
 through Arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in
 the winter of 1925. Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence." -- "Balto"
_____________________________________________________

Received on Wed May 08 1996 - 11:25:57 PDT