The Simpsons

[Randall]

They sort of did. Think of it as the "Special Edition" version. It's pretty fun, actually.

[Ben]

Gotcha.

[gaastra]

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Simpso ... n-12/11679

Comic book guy gets the cover.

[eddievalient]

Jeff Albertson, you mean.

[OriginalGagBonkers]

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

Comic book guy: NO its me Comic book man! Worst catchphrase ever...

[Tyler_Legrand]

Interesting. As they use this crazy new technology to add all those little details, the quality of the character animation dilutes.

The contrast between the animations they copied from the old opening and the new animations they added in is amazing.

For example, I don't understand why they heavily subdued Marge's part. So that the unibrow baby can be included I guess.

[Ben]

Interesting! I actually think the new animation is more "sterilized" and obviously closer to the character designs we have now. There are new light and shadows going on, and the line work is much refined, but it's essentially the same intro, allowing for some of the many extra characters that have been introduced over the years.

I thought this was quite good...brave of them to reanimate (for the most part) a classic signature title sequence, when they could have changed for something completely different. And, really, the cartoon look of the first season, which was quickly updated by season two, is finally reflected in the titles. It's true it loses a bit of the roughness of the sequence we all know, but it's also an fascinating comparison of how the artists have come on in ability.

[Tyler_Legrand]

At risk of sounding like a "only the old things are better" fanboy... I'm gonna list my opinions.

... and obviously closer to the character designs we have now. There are new light and shadows going on, and the line work is much refined...

I'd say it's possible that it is "too refined"; in essence, being too focused on staying on-model, therefore not as willing to take risks. I suspect the animators worked so much on conforming to the models that they're not confident enough to draw dynamic new angles or poses.

I can't prove that, but the new intro doesn't support otherwise. A part that amuses me is the transition from Homer's car to Bart's skateboard; Homer's animation imitates the old intro's (excepting that sudden pause to look at the radioactive bar), and Bart's entry imitates the old intro's. Both are pretty fluid.

But Otto's animation goes back to the new habit of very obvious start-stop pose-to-pose technique. (a la Family Guy?) Like I said, quite a contrast. Plus, I hate Chief Wiggum's lazy waving.

Another example is Marge's beeping the horn. Seeing the new intro frankly made me appreciate her in the old intro more; the 'roughness', as you said, gives her a flexibility, and a clearer 'line of action'. Again, I suspect the need to stay accurately on-model gave Marge in the new intro stiffer kinetics.

I'd say this Bartman video is a good representation of the raw animation talent the older Simpsons had: (But never mind the crappy walk cycle at the beginning...)



Hey look, it was directed by Brad Bird. Figures.

Anyway, obviously the writing has a higher priority than the animation and this is all technical stuff that the average viewer barely cares about. I still think it's another part that lacks substance; and the high-definition shininess can hide the flaw, unlike writing, which doesn't have much to hide behind.

[OriginalGagBonkers]

Cant they just END the show now? I mean I liked the old episodes but alot of people are like ticked about the new episodes.

[eddievalient]

Like me. The last episode I really liked was "Worst Episode Ever" and that was way back in season 12. It's time to wrap things up before it gets any worse (although the show will probably still run for a few more years).

[EricJ]

Like me. The last episode I really liked was "Worst Episode Ever" and that was way back in season 12. It's time to wrap things up before it gets any worse (although the show will probably still run for a few more years).

No one hates Groening more than me, and I'll agree Mike Scully deserves some kind of world trial at the Hague--
But what few episodes I've been watching, Scully's absence in the last few seasons seems to have been helping the show dig out of its post-Conan O'Brien pit:

The Scully "Tantrums against religion, un-PC, Mad Magazine, the Internet, and any mean ol' poopyhead who says the show isn't funny anymore" now seem to have evaporated, and under Bill Odenkirk, the humor now seems to have been "tamed" back into silly non-sequitirs and ridiculously extended running-gags.
Not to some ADD-dissociated Seth MacFarlane degree (or the Groening high-school bully humor Odenkirk oversaw on "Futurama"), but enough that "normal" mainstream viewers can now watch an entire episode without wanting to punch one of the writers out personally...About eight or nine years too late, but any improvment's welcome.

[Foxtale]

I'd say this Bartman video is a good representation of the raw animation talent the older Simpsons had: (But never mind the crappy walk cycle at the beginning...)



Hey look, it was directed by Brad Bird. Figures.

Whoa, I thought I knew all the older simpsons animations, what is this from? ... I'm very confused, it wasn't from an episode, correct?

[Ben]

Nope...it was one of a few "music videos" put out during the show's original surge in popularity.

If you have the first couple of Simpsons seasons on DVD, you have this somewhere within with the other two.

[Foxtale]

Oh okie, I bought them all for my dad but haven't had a chance to watch them yet. How many of these were there? I know that a few of the dvds have the butterfinger commercials on them. Man i remember those...I really don't like butterfingers though

[OriginalGagBonkers]

"Do the Bartman" music video was part of the season 2 of The Simpsons. Foxtale there are a quite a few butterfinger ads with Bart on the DVD of Season 2. Nobody better lay a finger on my butterfinger....Man I missed having those.