The Vile One's Dungeon: San Diego Comic Con 2008 - Wolverine And The X-men Report
Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 08.04.2008
The mutants return for their third animated series. Plus a bonus interview with Wolverine, Magneto, and Beast.
SAN DIEGO COMIC CON WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN PREVIEW
While Marvel Studios might not have made any huge announcements for their live action movies like in 2006, this year at Comic Con was a big year for their animation division. Attendees were treated to an early preview of Hulk VS. Wolverine and Next Avengers. Hulk VS. Wolverine is being released together with Hulk VS. Thor as a double feature for the Lionsgate direct-to-DVD animated Marvel releases in early 2009. Next Avengers is due out on DVD in early September.
But even more exciting is the long awaited animated series, Wolverine And The X-men. It's been about 2 or 3 years since the series was first announced as being in development. But at Comic Con 08 fans were finally treated to the pilot of the series, the first three episodes shown together. Wolverine And The X-men was produced by Marvel Studios and First Serv Toonz, and it's set to debut on BBC later this year, and will make its US debut early next year on Nicktoons. The series recently wrapped production on 26 episodes, which is it for now, unless the series is a hit, and judging from the words of the production team, would determine if more episodes for the show are produced.
Craig Kyle introduces Wolverine and The X-men at San Diego Comic Con.
Wolverine And The X-men, if the pilot is any indication, really looks like it will be the greatest X-men series of all time, and will far surpass X-men Evolution and the incredibly popular 1990's animated X-men series. Fans will feel the same way if they can get over their Wolverine hang-ups, which have been vocalized since the series was announced.
The pilot featuring the first three episodes were fantastic. The show utilizes many Marvel comic characters finally making their debut in animation including Domino and even Dust. The overall design style is similar to that of Evolution, to which this series shares many of the same crew members including Steven E. Gordon (Director), Greg Johnson (Writer), Boyd Kirkland (Writer/Producer), and Craig Kyle (Writer/Producer). Keep in mind, this is not the same storyline as either series, from the first episode the story establishes it's own separate canon. The characters are full grown adults much like the 90's X-men, but this is not an X-men: The Animated Series, Five Years Later story as others have suggested.
In the first episode, Wolverine is preparing for an away trip at the thriving X-mansion. The X-men are still strong and united, but their way of life is soon quickly shattered when a disaster leaves the mansion in a pile of rubble, and Professor Xavier and Jean Grey are now gone. One year later the team has disbanded and gone their separate ways. An anti-mutant organization called the MRD ruthlessly polices and targets mutants as well as any civilians that get in their way.
After Wolverine gets drawn into the situation after he's exposed when saving a human family's little girl in an accident. With the conflict between humans and mutants building, the man called Logan takes it upon himself to revive the X-men to clean up the mess. It starts with Beast who remained at the remnants of the X-labs trying to investigate the whereabouts of Jean and Professor X. But bringing the band back together is not an easy task. Cyclops has become a broken man, and other members have fallen off the grid. And Senator Kelly is trying to pass a mutant registration act, while also signing off on mutant policing sentinel robots.
The action scenes and fights were very well done. The animation is incredibly tight and well done. There's a nice little mix with CG animation for vehicles, but it doesn't painfully stand out.
Early in the first episode, there's a rather weird character beat that might put off some fans. And more than likely Cyclops fans are really going to hate it without giving anything away.
However, the biggest problem fans have with the story is directly addressed. The idea of Wolverine leading the X-men team because he's not a leader. As the guy in charge, Wolverine in this series messes up . . . a lot. Tension between the dejected Cyclops and Wolverine about being leader is clearly set-up and foreshadowed. But the whole conflict of the story is if Wolverine can overcome his shortcomings as a leader and pull the team through. And honestly, why not do a story where Wolverine is moved into the role of leader for the X-men? There have been plenty of stories with Cyclops as the leader. Cyclops was portrayed as the team leader in the last two animated shows. But a story where you have a character who is not a natural leader, and was never meant to be a leader is a lot more interesting. It opens up many avenues for more twists and drama. All this comes into play in this show.
Tonally, the story hast a darker edge and is more mature than the last two shows even though content wise its not ultra violent. You aren't going to see Wolverine cut anyone up on this show. The show is totally being set up for a strong serialized first season storyline, and there's a doozy of a plot twist at the end of the third episode.
To boil it down, the show is a lot closer to what people probably would've wanted X-men Evolution to be instead of the kids in high school type scenario. The voice cast is great, and everyone really falls into their characters. Kari Wahlgren's Emma Frost and Steven Blum's Wolverine are awesome. Fred Tatasciore does one of the better Beasts in recent memory.
Steve Blum, legend and the voice of Wolverine.
Wolverine And The X-men looks like its going to be one hell of a ride for 2009. And it needs to be said, here and now. Hugh Jackman has nothing on Steven Blum.
The voice actors were live in attendance for the QnA after the preview.
After the screening, the cast and crew were in attendance for a short QnA session. Voice actors Steven Blum (Wolverine), Tom Kane (Magneto), Yuri Lowenthal (Iceman), Liam O'Brien (Angel and Nightcrawler), and Fred Tatasciore (The Hulk/Beast) were all in attendance in addition to Craig Kyle, Boyd Kirkland, and Greg Johnson from the production crew. Kyle announced that the show is set to debut on Nicktoons in January of 2009, and also that Wolverine will be fighting the Hulk in episode 7 of the series awesome.
Tom Kane, the voice of Magneto.
Yuri Lowenthal, the voice of Iceman.
Liam O'Brien, the voice of Nightcrawler and Angel.
INTERVIEW WITH THE CAST
Following the end of the panel, Steve Blum, Fred Tatasciore, and Tom Kane were nice enough to have a sitdown interview with me during the Con after hours. To those who aren't aware, Steve Blum is currently the voice of Wolverine in all videogames and animation. He also recently debuted as the Green Goblin in the new hit animated series, The Spectacular Spider-man. Blum also does the English voice of the villain Orochimaru in Naruto and most famously played Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. Fred Tatasciore has played the Incredible Hulk in Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, Next Avengers, the Hulk VS. Thor/Hulk VS. Wolverine combo, and now Wolverine And The X-men. But now Fred gets to stretch his range by also playing one of the story's central characters, the eloquent and brilliant Hank McCoy, aka the Beast. In a previous interview, Fred said that in real life he wants to be the Beast but he's actually more like the Hulk. Well I can say, having seen the show, Fred is the Beast. Tom Kane's (Magneto) voice will soon be heard in theatres as the voice of Yoda in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Kane also plays the elderly Tony Stark/Iron Man as well as Ultron in Next Avengers and the sinister Weapon X Professor, Abraham Cornelius, in Hulk VS. Wolverine. Kane's other fantastic credits are too numerous to list, but he's also worked on Kim Possible and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends.
Fred Tatasciore, the voice of Beast and the Hulk.
The Vile One: For Fred, did you work on Marvel: Ultimate Alliance?
Fred Tatasciore: Yeah, it was . . . we're talking way back, yes.
TVO: So you're working on Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Fusion?
FT: Not that I know of. Well I did Ultimate Hulk or--yes. I did it then, so I'm hoping to do it now.
TVO: Did you ever do Beast in any videogames?
FT: Not yet.
TVO: Hopefully they'll make a game for this show [Wolverine and The X-men].
FT: Hopefully. I really appreciate--
TVO: Well you also played Jarvis before in Ultimate Avengers 1 and 2.
FT: *In the Jarvis voice* Jarvis is very nice . . .
TVO: For Steven, going from playing Wolverine in the videogames, then in Hulk VS. Wolverine, and the series Wolverine And The X-men, do you ever make any conscious adjustments to the voice of the character for the different stories?
Steven Blum: Well I just do what they tell me to do pretty much. I just have to rely on what the director's vision is for the particular project. You know, they tell me to amp it up for something like this, I have to take it to the next level . . . I think the core of the voice is the same all the way around. That's what got me the job. But, once you get in there, there has to be some consistency in maintaining the nature of the character itself. So once you get in there, they have a specific direction they want it to take, they want to bring subtle consistencies to the game where its just balls to the wall fighting.
TVO: And you just naturally have this badass voice, that when I hear it, just gives me chills.
SB: *Laughs* It's throat damage.
TVO: What do you think about an actual fight between you and Fred? Since we saw you fight in Hulk VS. Wolverine, and we are going to see Hulk and Wolverine fight again in this series, in real life how would a fight between the two of you go? Fred thinks you're a little quick.
SB: That's not a sexual thing, is it?
FT: No, no. I mean it can be, but I don't think, I mean we don't have to discuss all that, do we? I mean that's a totally different interview, this interview is over!
Tom Kane: What happens in San Diego, stays in San Diego, baby!
SB: No. For Fred and I, it would be a war of words, and he would win . . . No, we're buddies, and I could never hurt this man.
FT: It was a lot of hype, I'm sorry.
TK: We're lovers, not fighters.
TVO: For this series, did many of the voice actors get to interact and work off of each other?
SB: For this series . . . We were all together in the room.
TK: I came in a couple times, I'm not even sure why. I came in there a couple times, which certainly helped a lot, because I was recording a few of these, I don't know how many, before I got to work with everybody. So I was in a vacuum. And usually when they record people separately, usually that happens when you have celebrities because they can't coordinate, but even when they do that they usually get everyone together at least for a couple, the very first two. And that didn't happen this time, and that's the only time it--So I really was a little lost until I got to do it with everybody. And sometimes I'm like, "Oh I can see it in my head. I can see it in my head, and hear the voices." So that really made a big difference for me. That really is the one thing I dramatically miss about not living in LA. There's a lot I don't miss about LA, but it breaks my heart every time I do a session because I know how much fun I'm missing that my co-workers are having.
FT: . . . Magneto, the first time I heard him, I just froze. It was like, "Oh . . . oh dear."
TK: . . . I think the only time we really don't collectively record as a group is if there's a lot of on the counter celebrities.
FT: That's true.
TK: It's just civilians like us, and its almost always the truth.
TVO: So it's kind of like a radio play?
TK: Exactly like that.
TVO: And you'll do a lot of the physical motions when you are acting out as well?
SB: Yeah, a lot of the reactions had to come later because it just wasn't scripted--
FT: Or animated.
SB: So we did go out and do ADR and separate things for that [the fights], and that is extremely physical.
TVO: Now do you ever just get so into it, that you really just want to slash Fred?
Where you thought you were Wolverine, and Fred was the Hulk?
TK: He wants you guys to fight, I can tell.
SB: How could you want to hurt that face? Look at that face, how could you want to hurt it?
FT: Yeah, what it is, is actually a play. Think of it like we're playing together, we know exactly the illusion of it. But, boy howdy you know if we're thinking like what Hulk's doing or what Beast's doing--at least to me, I'm visualizing what's going on. I almost put myself there.
TK: You can't get more than about this much off the microphone or it doesn't sound any good, and also as someone said, the radio play. It very much like a radio play in the sense that--well actually, we're even less rehearsed [unlike a more rehearsed radio play] . . . we read this thing almost for the first time when we're in front of a microphone. They hand us a script when we walk in--so we have to be staring at that piece of paper, or we don't know what we're gonna say about it . . . But also keep in mind, this is acting. We don't confuse each other like when, I dunno, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie aren't going to do a movie and fall in love--Well, anyway.
TVO: Do you ever read any material or comics for your characters and have any favorite stories for them?
TK: I must admit, I've read a couple X-men comic books long ago, but I'm a child of the movies and the cartoon series. I started off with the cartoon series long ago because I had kids who watched it, and then the movies.
FT: I'm gonna ditto that. I'm a big movies and cartoon fan [for X-men], and just a big, big Marvel--just a big comic book guy, for a long time. I don't collect them, but when I become a character I do like to study him, who he was, who he is, and you do find out sort of extended things. It was interesting to find out about She-Hulk.
TK: I'll bet you were interested to find out about her.
FT: *In Hulk's voice* "I'm related to her! We're cousins! C'mon where are we? Kentucky? Ah no offense to Kentucky, but--I kid Kentucky."
TK: Hey, my family's from Kentucky!
FT: *Still in Hulk's voice* "Oh man!" Anyway, I'll go back to Beast, and say I do like to look at it and do the research, read the bibles and those kinds of--
TVO: Beast really has a rich history being an Avenger and having a lot of pain in his history as well, just like Wolverine.
FT: Truly, and I'm finding out more and more about him too.
SB: One of my very favorites is probably the Hulk vs. Wolverine clash there--
TVO: The original one from the '70's, Wolverine's first appearance?
SB: Yeah. It can't really get better than something like that, and they happen to be two of my favorite characters.
TVO: And they just keep fighting. They can't not fight.
SB: They can't not fight.
TVO: They can't just go have a beer or something.
SB: He's hard to reason with.
TVO: Do you think Wolverine likes Rogue in this show?
SB: Wolverine is non-committal, completely non-committal.
FT: He can't be [committal], really.
TK: He thinks of her [Rogue] as a daughter. A really hot, hot daughter. Intentionally untouchable, so it's ok.
TVO: I'm very excited about this show, and thank you so much guys.
All: Thank you.
Shout out to my friend Sheldon Lee for his great photos which he's let me use for the reports.
UP NEXT: Still have reports for Next Avengers and Hulk VS. Wolverine which will be in the can soon. Also the blockbuster interviews with Academy Award winner, Richard Taylor, the cast and crew of Freakazoid, and the stars of Primeval.
