THE TEN BEST ANIMATED TELEVISION SHOWS OF 2012: #5: @BLACKDYNAMITE AND WINNER OF ‘ECA’ 2012’S BEST NEW ANIMATED SERIES

For this entree in the Best Animated Shows of 2012 we decided to combine the post with the 2012 Editor’s Choice Award for best NEW animated series for all of 2012. That show is Black Dynamite.

 

To start off 2012 we had an animated series premier on FOX licensed from a somewhat popular movie with the last name of Dynamite that really was doomed from the start. Most wouldn’t be surprised by this due to the fact that most animated series’ that were at one point feature films, usually go nowhere (see: Friday). The reason for this is usually pretty simple, bad writing. So for Carl Jones to take a popular feature film, put it on Adult Swim with the last name of Dynamite, there had to have been a few skeptics…myself included. Even with the pilot episode on AdultSwim.com for over a year no one could have predicted that Black Dynamite would not only work, but that it would set the standard for licensed animated television everywhere.

For those who do not know anything about Black Dynamite, the series is a derivation from the film of the same name . What Austin Powers more or less did in its satire of big-budget Bond films, Black Dynamite did the same for blaxploitation cinema in that it was a complete mocking of a film industry that was almost a spoof unto itself. The live action starred Michael Jai White as the titular character, Kym Whitley as Honeybee,  Tommy Davidson as Cream Corn, and Byron Minns as Bullhorn. The animated show would have everyone of these stars reprise their roles and would add big time names like the legendary Eddie Griffin and rap superstar Snoop Dogg. But, the more important lesson here is that not only did you have the stellar cast to go along with the anime-like animation done by Titmouse, but you had some of the best and probably most controversial writing maybe in TV history. I think every show has taken pot shots at Michael Jackson, but only Black Dynamite takes 30 minutes to really drive the point home. Everyone has done OJ Simpson jokes, but only Black Dynamite had the presence of mine to consider him a one-time ally.  And to top it all off, you have to tip your caps to Adult Swim. There is not another network on television that would have given this a chance nor have the great Carl Jones just go wild with the subject matter, that takes a network with balls.

And when you are a news organization like Bubbleblabber that is the best at covering Adult Swim television, you do it right by recognizing its stars and Black Dynamite is certainly a star…totally deserving of the pickup for Season 2 and totally deserving of our Editor’s Choice Award for Best New Animated Series of 2012.

 

Honorable Mentions

Brickleberry

Gravity Falls