What's with all the Akom hate?

[Philmister978]

I agree. The yhave their share of good moments and bad moments in animation. AKOM's best work is definitely the Simpsons. I really like their other shows too. I think there was some negative reception to Toei being dropped for AKOM in Muppet Babies. Everyone's main problem with AKOM is that when compared to the A or B studio, they look like the bottom of the line. These days I can't tell the difference between an AKOM Simpsons or a Rough Draft Simpsons because they've been working on it so long that they've managed to obtain a consistency. I can tell a difference between them in older episodes though as Rough Draft was much more fluid beginning in S4 and later on.

AKOM Tiny Toons looks nice to me but it still shows that late 80s stiffness that people are unhappy about. I like all the styles though. That's what makes each company interesting in it's own way.

And Transformers, don't forget Transformers.

Anyway yes, I will agree on the company having it's good moments and it's excruciatingly bad moments (To call City of Steel, The Autobot Run, The Core, Five Faces of Darkness, Carnage in C-Minor *All TF eps*, Christmas with the Joker, Feat of Clay Part 1 *Both Batman:TAS* any X-Men ep that they did in either season 1 or 2, or their early Muppet Babies work to be bad is a bit of an understatment. Although they are rather amusing at times).

 

[Robochao]

And Transformers, don't forget Transformers.

Anyway yes, I will agree on the company having it's good moments and it's excruciatingly bad moments (To call City of Steel, The Autobot Run, The Core, Five Faces of Darkness, Carnage in C-Minor *All TF eps*, Christmas with the Joker, Feat of Clay Part 1 *Both Batman:TAS* any X-Men ep that they did in either season 1 or 2, or their early Muppet Babies work to be bad is a bit of an understatment. Although they are rather amusing at times).

Bad animation can be funny. For example I was watching Earthworm Jim(AKOM) and Evil Jim spun the blaster so fast that it was supposed be fast moving and blurry. Instead I see a funny flower like object that is slowly rotating. The effect wasn't pulled off too well.

My beef with AKOM's work on X-men is that sometimes they look like plastic figurines being moved across the screen. Like when Beast is in court and the guards whack him with their batons. It's so cheesy. Btw I'm watching "Catscratch Fever" of Batman and I wanna see for myself what is so bad looking about it. It probably comes later in the episodes when the quality begins to plummet.

 

[Philmister978]

Bad animation can be funny. For example I was watching Earthworm Jim(AKOM) and Evil Jim spun the blaster so fast that it was supposed be fast moving and blurry. Instead I see a funny flower like object that is slowly rotating. The effect wasn't pulled off too well.

That is awesome! But can it beat this?

My beef with AKOM's work on X-men is that sometimes they look like plastic figurines being moved across the screen. Like when Beast is in court and the guards whack him with their batons. It's so cheesy. Btw I'm watching "Catscratch Fever" of Batman and I wanna see for myself what is so bad looking about it. It probably comes later in the episodes when the quality begins to plummet.

Yeah, their action work does tend to be quite corny. Though I really haven't seen any of their Batman work though. But I do dislike their X-Men work.

 

[Robochao]

That is awesome! But can it beat this?

Yeah, their action work does tend to be quite corny. Though I really haven't seen any of their Batman work though. But I do dislike their X-Men work.

That looks like it was traced poorly. The faces scream DURRR to me.

 

[Philmister978]

That looks like it was traced poorly. The faces scream DURRR to me.

That and the horribly mismatched color schemes. Plus Rodimus Snarl is in there.

Also, I was just checking out a bit of the Bucky O'Hare series (also Akom BTW). And it turns out that they can do some pretty decent action work... If directed properly that is (such as in that series).

EDIT: I think you can add both, Bucky O'Hare and Authur onto Akom's best works List then.

 

[Philmister978]

Oh Jon, I have a question to ask. Did anyone (other then the Batman crew) dislike Akom's work at Warner Bros.?

 

[Philmister978]

Oh Jon, I have a question to ask. Did anyone (other then the Batman crew) dislike Akom's work at Warner Bros.?

Okay, what I really mean to say (Trying to keep this conversation going) is that can anyone answer my above question.

 

[Classic Speedy]

Okay, what I really mean to say (Trying to keep this conversation going) is that can anyone answer my above question.

I know Jenny Lerew didn't care for Akom, if these blog comments are any indication.

 

[Philmister978]

I know Jenny Lerew didn't care for Akom, if these blog comments are any indication.

It helps a little. But not by much.

 

[Classic Speedy]

It helps a little. But not by much.

Well, I know Jon McClenahan wasn't too impressed by Akom. Just do a search on this forum.

 

[Philmister978]

Well, I know Jon McClenahan wasn't too impressed by Akom. Just do a search on this forum.

Well, I'll try to find the posts that say that.

Also I found out that the Attack of The Killer Tomatoes series' staff hated their work too. Though they really shouldn't be talking considering how poor their work in season two is. Seriously, it looks like a Filmation reject made in flash. I honestly prefer Akom's season one work compared to the domestically made season two.

 

[The Spectre]

I know Jenny Lerew didn't care for Akom, if these blog comments are any indication.

I'm assuming the "first show I saw to come back" which was "mostly an Art Vitello episode" refers to Cinemaniacs (second episode produced, and first with overseas animation) which was animated by Akom.

 

[Philmister978]

I'm assuming the "first show I saw to come back" which was "mostly an Art Vitello episode" refers to Cinemaniacs (second episode produced, and first with overseas animation) which was animated by Akom.

Could be, but then again, I wasn't paying too much attention to it.

 

[Jonny Mack]

Oh Jon, I have a question to ask. Did anyone (other then the Batman crew) dislike Akom's work at Warner Bros.?

Sorry, hadn't been following this thread ... but look, here's the thing:

When Tiny Toonscame on the scene, it was really revolutionary for an animated TV series. It was the first time anybody had tried to capture the old Golden Age wackiness in a TV series. Up until that stage Akom had been doing the kind of regular old kiddy fodder that had been the 'norm' - the same kind of crap I had to work on myself when I started in the industry (Laverne & Shirley in the Army, etc.). This is all to say they probably weren't prepared to do the kind of work that Tiny Toons demanded. But they were an established animation house. So when the big-wigs at WB started planning, "Where are we going to get all this work done?" I'm sure they talked to Kennedy Cartoons and other North American studios (Encore?) but it undoubtedly became apparent that they wouldn't be able to handle the whole series.

After StarToons had done a couple of Tiny Toons episodes, we had gained Mr. Ruegger's (and MacCurdy's?) trust enough that when Animaniacs came out, they called us right away and asked how many we could do. The implication was that if we could do all 65 episodes (first season) they may have have given them to us (who knows?) But honestly, our crew was too small to handle that much work, so we promised we could deliver ten half-hours (in the end, we got small segments that were cut together with other studios' work, but which when added together would've added up to about ten episodes).

But they (and most Hollywood animation producers) needed to rely on the big "animation factories" like Akom and Cuckoo's Nest to handle the lion's share of the work.

If Tom Ruegger reads this and can shed more light on it, awesome.

But from an animator's perspective, Tiny Toons was a new challenge as far as quality was concerned, and I'd have to cut Akom some slack if they were caught a little off-guard.

That said, I wasn't real impressed with most of their work for Tiny Toons.

As far as Warners staff telling me they didn't like Akom's work, that would've been unprofessional. No, nobody from WB ever told me they didn't like Akom's work. The Batman crew, however, did tell us they didn't like our work!

 

[Peter Paltridge]

The Batman crew, however, did tell us they didn't like our work!

I thought that was just Sander Schwartz. I do know, since you told me, that you put together a demo animation for possible work on Justice League and he was the one that rejected it, on the grounds that it couldn't have possibly been your team because it looked so different.

 

[John Pannozzi]

As far as Warners staff telling me they didn't like Akom's work, that would've been unprofessional. No, nobody from WB ever told me they didn't like Akom's work. The Batman crew, however, did tell us they didn't like our work!

You can read Bruce Timm's (negative) feelings on AKOM at http://books.google.com/books?id=EM...bruce+timm+akom&cd=1#v=onepage&q=akom&f=false

 

[Robochao]

I would say the main turnoff that Akom had was the extremely weak animation in the effects department. Their explosions, fire, and smoke looked way too cartoonish and out of place in Batman. Also the quality of their drawings compared to a TMS episode is just plain. I watched Clayface PT:1 yesterday and the most hilarious part where Batman tortures a criminal by dragging him on deep water for him to spill the beans on who was impersonating him was so hilarious.
But Akom seemed to be animating this part without care. It just looked stiff, boring like as if they were animating it to get it out of the way.(Just an opinion.)
PT:2 of Ckayface was just AAHEHAEH. My eyes are stuffed with delicious animation and I was reminded of Akira.(TMS did animated both btw!) AKOM's character animation is okay but the way the characters are drawn as they move are just dull. You can also see dirty layouts that Ninja Turtles and Scooby Doo seem to have a lot. AKOM is okay, it's always just the comparison to other shows that makes them look so terrible. If I had a carton I would definitely hire them now though.

After years of experience they couldn't possibly pull anymore bad stunts? Amirite? AKOM deserves no more abuse.

 

[Philmister978]

Sorry, hadn't been following this thread ... but look, here's the thing:

When Tiny Toonscame on the scene, it was really revolutionary for an animated TV series. It was the first time anybody had tried to capture the old Golden Age wackiness in a TV series. Up until that stage Akom had been doing the kind of regular old kiddy fodder that had been the 'norm' - the same kind of crap I had to work on myself when I started in the industry (Laverne & Shirley in the Army, etc.). This is all to say they probably weren't prepared to do the kind of work that Tiny Toons demanded. But they were an established animation house. So when the big-wigs at WB started planning, "Where are we going to get all this work done?" I'm sure they talked to Kennedy Cartoons and other North American studios (Encore?) but it undoubtedly became apparent that they wouldn't be able to handle the whole series.

Understandable, since Akom was founded by Nelson Shin, who probably was used to working at DPE for so long. With (as far as I know) Transformers: The Movie and his Korean film being the exceptions.

After StarToons had done a couple of Tiny Toons episodes, we had gained Mr. Ruegger's (and MacCurdy's?) trust enough that when Animaniacs came out, they called us right away and asked how many we could do. The implication was that if we could do all 65 episodes (first season) they may have have given them to us (who knows?) But honestly, our crew was too small to handle that much work, so we promised we could deliver ten half-hours (in the end, we got small segments that were cut together with other studios' work, but which when added together would've added up to about ten episodes).

I see. But then again it was an offshoot (somewhat) of Kennedy (which aside from Akom was considered the worst company of the series).

But they (and most Hollywood animation producers) needed to rely on the big "animation factories" like Akom and Cuckoo's Nest to handle the lion's share of the work.

Of course, all studios need it. Heck if I ever make a series (which I'm calling SunnyHill Valley, which I'll explain about another time), even I'd have to outsource animation.

But from an animator's perspective, Tiny Toons was a new challenge as far as quality was concerned, and I'd have to cut Akom some slack if they were caught a little off-guard.

That said, I wasn't real impressed with most of their work for Tiny Toons.

Well, they were (relatively) new too, don't forget that.

As far as Warners staff telling me they didn't like Akom's work, that would've been unprofessional. No, nobody from WB ever told me they didn't like Akom's work. The Batman crew, however, did tell us they didn't like our work!

Now that cought me off guard completely. Your company provided some awesome bits of animation. How could they turn you down?

 

[Robochao]

AKOM impressed people in the 80s but as this era started to seep in, the demands were getting more complicated and AKOM couldn't handle them as people were expecting them to. I'm sure lots of people ask why anybody even hired AKOM in the first place but it was either because of money or they were an okay studio that people were interested in. After people saw their attempts at that these advanced animation demands, let's just say BOOOOOOOO!

But people complained about AKOM in the 80s too so my theories and comments are nulled! AKOM was sometimes taking after Toei occasionally(Muppet Babies, Transformers.. anything else?) too. Toei and AKOM also animated that Little Pony movie together.

Do they have a relationship?

 

[Philmister978]

AKOM impressed people in the 80s but as this era started to seep in, the demands were getting more complicated and AKOM couldn't handle them as people were expecting them to. I'm sure lots of people ask why anybody even hired AKOM in the first place but it was either because of money or they were an okay studio that people were interested in. After people saw their attempts at that these advanced animation demands, let's just say BOOOOOOOO!

But people complained about AKOM in the 80s too so my theories and comments are nulled! AKOM was sometimes taking after Toei occasionally(Muppet Babies, Transformers.. anything else?) too. Toei and AKOM also animated that Little Pony movie together.

Do they have a relationship?

I don't think they do.

And if they do, it's definitely not on the same level as Madhouse and Dr. Movie.

And let's not forget that Akom was founded by a company by a guy who was normally used to producing (fairly, as DePate Frelang Enterprises produced higher quality animation then HB and especially Filmation at that time) limited animation. Plus most of the shows the company worked on at that time were mostly low budgeted to begin with (Even Toei had problems working around the low budgets for G1 and GI Joe).

Heck it's more surprising that (according to Peter DeCerres, or however you spell his last name) in Spiral Zone, the South Korean company (Which in this case was Akom) apparently produced better animation for fifteen episodes while the Japanese company that did the brunt of the work (Some unknown company by the name of Studio 80) did the sub-par animation. A sort of Role reversal, if you might.

Make of what you want about the above two paragraphs if you will.