D&D (2024) The D&D Cartoon Heroes In The 2024 PHB

Art by Dmitry Burmak​

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Why has Wizards been so obsessed with this cartoon lately? It's like every other product for the past year or two has been like ALSO THERE'S THE KIDS FROM THE OLD CARTOON LMAO, like get over it.

Because it's a property that they (finally) own the rights to, free and clear, and are free to exploit without the tedious and difficult process of launching a new and successful TV show or movie and, as was pointed out previously, there are no likeness rights to pay for.

It's a property they can exploit endlessly, even if they're so far doing it in ways that don't seem to be exactly bringing in the big bucks.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Because it's a property that they (finally) own the rights to, free and clear, and are free to exploit without the tedious and difficult process of launching a new and successful TV show or movie and, as was pointed out previously, there are no likeness rights to pay for.

It's a property they can exploit endlessly, even if they're so far doing it in ways that don't seem to be exactly bringing in the big bucks.

Hopefully they are looking at X-Men '97 to see how to bring back a legacy animated series the right way. Granted, the success in reviving the X-Men series is probably going to be difficult for anyone to even come close to replicating...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Hopefully they are looking at X-Men '97 to see how to bring back a legacy animated series the right way.

Their current streaming experiment doesn't exactly fill me with hope that they've got a bold vision and the will to execute it.

 

[Clint_L]

I'm happy for those who have a nostalgic love for these characters.

Personally, I still hate them with the passion of a snotty teenager who was appalled to have the game he loved turned into a badly animated kiddy's show. But I will try to look past that. Maybe I'll work them into my campaign so they can suffer a horrific and humiliating death.

 

[Yaarel]

Because it's a property that they (finally) own the rights to, free and clear, and are free to exploit without the tedious and difficult process of launching a new and successful TV show or movie and, as was pointed out previously, there are no likeness rights to pay for.

It's a property they can exploit endlessly, even if they're so far doing it in ways that don't seem to be exactly bringing in the big bucks.

And WotC should exploit the Cartoon. The characters are part of the D&D heritage, fun, nostalgic and seem to still have still have currency among players today.

Heh, I was just looking at the depiction of the Wizard, Presto. Still saddled by the stereotype of "long-beard long-hair long-robes", but at least he escaped the long-beard long-hair!

 

[ezo]

Wow, that got a bit dark. Why did she end up as unicorn fodder?

Are you kidding? How could she NOT!?!

 

[Bagpuss]

She has a cloak of invisibility.
My question is where Eric the Cavalier is.

Actually I've found both of them.

If you look at the cover of the new PHB, it is clear Sheila's murdered Eric and stolen his gear.

 

[ezo]

Actually I've found both of them.

If you look at the cover of the new PHB, it is clear Sheila's murdered Eric and stolen his gear.

View attachment 363133

Or Eric killed her and made her hair into a wig...

 

[Yaarel]

Hopefully they are looking at X-Men '97 to see how to bring back a legacy animated series the right way. Granted, the success in reviving the X-Men series is probably going to be difficult for anyone to even come close to replicating...

What is X-Men 97 doing right to reach viewers today?

(I am enjoying the show.)

 

[Meech17]

Current WotC lore is they have always been in Faerun and yeah have yet to escape

Wow. That's kinda dark. Might be a cool angle for a reboot though.

This is Regdar erasure! Hasn't the poor guy suffered enough?

Regarding the cartoon characters: I did not watch it growing up, even though I was squarely in the target audience while it was airing, so I have no nostalgia for it. What little I've seen of it looks... kind of bad? I'm sure one of these days I'll sit down and watch it from beginning to end, but I suspect I would find these sorts of reprises more endearing if the show had imprinted on me as a youth. Art looks good, at any rate!

I've never heard the term DungeonPunk before the discussion about the new cover yesterday, but I get it. I have a lot of nostalgia for these characters from 3/3.5e. The art is very 2000's though.

I tried watching the cartoon recently after discovering it's on YouTube, and couldn't make it through the first episode. It's not good..

She's actually comparing her tattoo to the rune on the statue, something I never noticed before.

I don't think I've ever seen this art before (The one of the trap blowing up in her face is one of my favorites.) but it's cool the amount of world building that went on in making these characters. I wish this was the cast they chose to bring forward from the past.

Merchandising. Also, if they are smart, they may want to reboot it for modern kids.

I wonder if the new action figures were like a test launch. If they sold well, then maybe pump money into a cartoon..

Makes zero sense.. Usually the merch follows the show, but it seems like something WOTC would pull.