What property would you like to see made into a western animated series?

[bartholen_v1legacy]

NOTE: This is strictly about western animated series only. No films, and no anime. Just to be absolutely clear.

Jumping off from the thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.881256-Are-There-Animated-Series-Aimed-at-Adults-That-Arent-Comedies] about there not being non-comedic, adult audience animated series in the west, I thought why not think of something to be made into one? There's certainly no shortage of books, comics and the like to be used for such purposes. Which ones in your mind would most benefit from a western animation adaptation?

Having recently discovered Sandman, I think that would be a perfect fit for an animated series. The visuals in the comics are so crazy from time to time that making them in live action is practically impossible. The story is arc-based, so making multiple seasons out of it wouldn't be a chore.

Dark Souls would be fit for an animation adaptation. Call me ignorant, but there's certain trends in anime that would just IMO go against the downbeat, toned down aesthetic. Putting a story in it could come across as forced, but it'd be IMO better suited for a mini-series more focused on visuals and atmosphere than story. Plus I think having those big eyes underneath all that medieval armor would just go against the whole feel of the series.

I also chuckle to myself at the idea of there being a Marvel Zombies adaptation. One can dream...

Your picks?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Sly Cooper.
Make it a little like Archer, but like from a thief's point of view.
It'd just be badass and fun and people will love it.
Ans be sure to give Carmeltia her Sly Cooper 2 voice, before she became a comical stereotypical over-the-top Latina woman. I get she was always Hispanic, but there's a difference between just being Hispanic with a temper and literally getting angry over everything and using "Dios Mio!" the same way the rest of us you a comma.

But if that's too fun loving, how about a Warhammer 40k toon? Centered on a DeathWatch kill team as they try to survive each other. Have like...a Dark Angel, a Space Wolf, a Flesh Tearer, Minotaur and an Inceptor. Maybe throw in a Lamenter and Mortifactor in season 2.
Just be a good ol' everyone hates everyone else but there are orks and necrons around fluster cluck.

 

[Zontar]

Stargate. Having a reboot be in the form of starting the story over from a new perspective would allow for the other worlds to truly be otherworldly and for aliens to be much more alien then they are in the setting. Though this would require the need for 45 minute animated episodes, but to be honest I'm actually curious why that isn't already a thing.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Something that could be funny but not necessarily a comedy that I'm sure would work as an animated series (or mini-series) would be The Dresden Files. This was already a TV series I know but I would still be interested in seeing a revised series. It would be really interesting to see things like the Third Eye effect and certain creatures in a fully animated world.

Other than the Dresden Files, I think Johnny the Homicidal Maniac would make for another cool animated mini-series. It would have to be a mini-series really since the joke would be, "this isn't a comedy, it's a David-Firth style nightmare of a story that you might find funny if you happen to be fucking insane".

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

But if that's too fun loving, how about a Warhammer 40k toon? Centered on a DeathWatch kill team as they try to survive each other. Have like...a Dark Angel, a Space Wolf, a Flesh Tearer, Minotaur and an Inceptor. Maybe throw in a Lamenter and Mortifactor in season 2.
Just be a good ol' everyone hates everyone else but there are orks and necrons around fluster cluck.

Hoo boy, now that's a good fit. Though it still remains to my understanding that lore-wise Spehhs Mahreens are supposed to be pretty much emotionless, stoic fanatics, and therefore quite fundamentally unrelatable as protagonists. How about Gaunt's Ghosts? I haven't read the books, but have heard good things about them, and they're set in the most human faction of the 40k-verse.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Firefly, hopefully it could flesh out the 'Verse a bit more, maybe focus on other place? Or maybe an adaptation of a comic book like the current Miss Marvel. That's all I got right now...

 

[Thaluikhain]

Hoo boy, now that's a good fit. Though it still remains to my understanding that lore-wise Spehhs Mahreens are supposed to be pretty much emotionless, stoic fanatics, and therefore quite fundamentally unrelatable as protagonists.

Except when the author can't be bothered and makes them normal people. BL has published a few stories where everyone has forgotten the marines are marines.

OTOH, a decent author can make stoic fanatics (though not emotionless ones, Space Marines (usually) have emotions) work well.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

But if that's too fun loving, how about a Warhammer 40k toon? Centered on a DeathWatch kill team as they try to survive each other. Have like...a Dark Angel, a Space Wolf, a Flesh Tearer, Minotaur and an Inceptor. Maybe throw in a Lamenter and Mortifactor in season 2.
Just be a good ol' everyone hates everyone else but there are orks and necrons around fluster cluck.

Hoo boy, now that's a good fit. Though it still remains to my understanding that lore-wise Spehhs Mahreens are supposed to be pretty much emotionless, stoic fanatics, and therefore quite fundamentally unrelatable as protagonists. How about Gaunt's Ghosts? I haven't read the books, but have heard good things about them, and they're set in the most human faction of the 40k-verse.

Eh? Dan Abnett has a dedicated following sure, but I absolutely hate his interpretation of 40k. Basically, his stories are a waste of the setting. Gaunts Ghosts could realistically take place in Star Wars, Starship Troopers, Star Trek or even StarGate and you'd have to change almost nothing for it to fit. It's dudes and dudettes with lasers fighting other dudes and dudettes with lasers, and on the rare occasion, generic alien race with lasers. Nothing unique or lore-centric at all.

I mean if you're not going to do giant armored super soldiers punching daemons and orks in the face with power fists and thunder hammers, why bother? That's the point of 40k! If the choice is giant drunk burly werewolf space vikings with axes fighting giant plague filled walking cancer space zombies or Prvt. Bill and Prvt. Steve arguing about shift changes...ten bucks which I choose.

And part of tragedy of Space Marines, and the Heresy in particular, is that they're all supposed to be these proud, noble, emotionless alien killers and almost none are. They're jealous, spiteful, envious, conniving, petty and even childish. And they fucking hate one another! Those chapters I listed? Every single one has gone to war with at least one other. And I mean hundreds dead on each side war.
So lots of animosity and bitterness in having to work together.

 

[Diablo2000]

Stargate. Having a reboot be in the form of starting the story over from a new perspective would allow for the other worlds to truly be otherworldly and for aliens to be much more alien then they are in the setting. Though this would require the need for 45 minute animated episodes, but to be honest I'm actually curious why that isn't already a thing.

It was a thing at some point, the fact you didn't hear from it should be a indication on how well it went...

 

[Zontar]

Stargate. Having a reboot be in the form of starting the story over from a new perspective would allow for the other worlds to truly be otherworldly and for aliens to be much more alien then they are in the setting. Though this would require the need for 45 minute animated episodes, but to be honest I'm actually curious why that isn't already a thing.

It was a thing at some point, the fact you didn't hear from it should be a indication on how well it went...

Yeah, a half hour kids series. I was thinking adult animation that had a serious tone and used the formate as a means to actually show and tell a good story instead of being a quick cash-in on the success of a live action series by trying to dumb it down for kids.

 

[Thaluikhain]

And part of tragedy of Space Marines, and the Heresy in particular, is that they're all supposed to be these proud, noble, emotionless alien killers and almost none are. They're jealous, spiteful, envious, conniving, petty and even childish.

Well...yes and no. I like the idea of them being childish, in that they have a certain naivety due to not growing up, seeing the universe often in very black and white terms, but many chapters are more or less what they are supposed to be.

And they fucking hate one another! Those chapters I listed? Every single one has gone to war with at least one other. And I mean hundreds dead on each side war.
So lots of animosity and bitterness in having to work together.

You've covered the ones most notorious for infighting, though. And, unless they've changed it, the DA and SW haven't gone to war, their primarchs had a brawl and they get champions to reenact it. They might hate each other, sure, but they avoid outright fighting over it (fighting over the Fallen, OTOH...). The Lamenters and, IIRC, the Minotaurs rebelled against the Imperium, it's not surprising they've fought other marines.

Personally, I like the Imperial Fists. Dorn was an arrogant tosser, and they follow his lead, but he wasn't a bad person, you just didn't want to have to listen to him talk about how wonderful he is. Likewise, the Blood Angels have the curse, but it makes them more tolerant of other people's flaws.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

SNIP

Fists would be good. Though I prefer Crimson Fists, being Spanish myself.

Though in terms of Marines hating each other, I'm sure you could make up a feud between two chapters. Say the Imperial Fists have a grudge against the Flesh Tearers for that time 2000 years ago the Tearers killed an entire planet rather than a few hundred renegade nobles. Worse yet, it was an Imperial Fists recruiting world and the Tearers acted without sanction from the Fists.
There ya' go! Angst between two chapters.

Or you can make it personal. Brother Carvo of the Raptors was part of Task Force Falling Claw and they were killed almost to the man when their Iron Hand allies abandoned the southern flank to pursue an Emperor's Child commander who fought in the Heresy. And now Carvo finds himself alongside an Iron Hand who was at the same battle.

Or just have a Minotaur. And the High Lord's personal chapter, everyone hates them.

Its cheese, sure, but this is 40k we're talking about. You'd find less cheese in a Kraft factory.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Fists would be good. Though I prefer Crimson Fists, being Spanish myself.

Yeah, pity they dropped Cortez. Though, maybe he wasn't a great choice for a name.

Though in terms of Marines hating each other, I'm sure you could make up a feud between two chapters. Say the Imperial Fists have a grudge against the Flesh Tearers for that time 2000 years ago the Tearers killed an entire planet rather than a few hundred renegade nobles. Worse yet, it was an Imperial Fists recruiting world and the Tearers acted without sanction from the Fists.
There ya' go! Angst between two chapters.

Or you can make it personal. Brother Carvo of the Raptors was part of Task Force Falling Claw and they were killed almost to the man when their Iron Hand allies abandoned the southern flank to pursue an Emperor's Child commander who fought in the Heresy. And now Carvo finds himself alongside an Iron Hand who was at the same battle.

Sure, you could, but then again you could have them working together as well, there's no reason they have to fight each other.

And the High Lord's personal chapter,

Er...what? You mean the Ultramarines?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

And the High Lord's personal chapter,

Er...what? You mean the Ultramarines?

No actually, they're even worse. The Ultramarines are marry-sues, sure, but the Minotaurs are the literal pet dog of the High Lords. Not the glory boys, but the 'do our dirty work' Chapter of hired muscle that enacts the High Lords personal orders. They get the best equipment and hundreds of recruits all the time, and in return when the High Lords say "Go bring the NovaMarines back into line" they go off and kill half of the NovaMarines without question.

And fucking hell, wasn't Cortez just a badass?! I miss him!

 

[stroopwafel]

Bloodborne(both Lovecraftian themes and gothic horror lends itself extremely well for animation), the Metro series(could overlap with Stalker) and also The Witcher would make for one kick-ass cartoon. Not anime though. Espescially not the modern 'otaku' garbage. No, preferably those that made the Spawn cartoon. No CGI and no 20 second still frames like in modern anime; just plain old hand-drawn animation.

 

[twistedmic]

I'd like to see an animated adaptation of the 'Malazan Book of the Fallen' series, or a show set in that universe. Some of the characters, locations and magic use would fit really well into an animated form, particularly shape-shifters, and I think it would be awesome to see stories focusing on armies like the Bridge Burners or the Bone Hunters.

 

[Mr.Mattress]

Davy Crockett, one of America's first "Self-Made Men" and "Cowboy". I think it'd be interesting to see an Animated series based on him. And they can make up so much about him because a lot of the events of his life are exaggerated anyways.

 

[Zen Bard]

The Diablo series.

Blizzard's created such a rich world with all three games, it would be interesting to see an animated series set in the world of Sanctuary featuring some of the character classes banding together to either fight one of the Lesser Evils or dealing with the chaos after banishing The Big D himself.

 

[Kotaro]

The Dresden Files - Despite the existence of a short-lived (crappy) live-action show, the author himself has said that he always imagined it as a cartoon. Target it toward an adult audience, and it could definitely work.

Striking the Root - It's a short little independently-published fantasy novel. While I was reading it, I couldn't help but constantly think that it would be a perfect fit for an animated movie or miniseries.

I will also second Sly Cooper.