'Futurama' Stars Working On Kickstarter For Animated Webcomic Goblins (kickstarter.com)

Long-time Slashdot reader wonkavader writes: Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, and Phil LaMarr from the Futurama cast are working on a Kickstarter campaign to animate the Goblins web-comic. Also involved are Matt King, Jim Cummings, Matthew Mercer, Steve Blum, and Jennifer Hale from World of Warcraft, Resident Evil, Cowboy Bebop, Mass Effect, Powerpuff Girls, and other stuff. It's surprising to see so many well-known voice people...

The writing for the show will be done by Matt King and Phil LaMarr along with the original Goblins creator, Tarol Hunt. They have an initial teaser trailer (or rather the 'animatic') which is definitely aimed at people who have already been following the comic.
Last week Reddit hosted an AMA with some of the project's stars, including Phil LaMarr (Samurai Jack, Futurama), Matt Yang King (WoW, GI:Joe), Tarol Hunt and Danielle Stephens (Goblins Comic).

Comments

Been reading Goblins for years

[Anubis IV]

I never figured it’d be able to line up this sort of talent. I never even realized it was big enough to draw that sort of talent. I always just thought it was a decently well-written and drawn comic that occasionally gave me fuel for my nightmares (see: finger monster).

Re:Been reading Goblins for years

[lucasnate1]

My thoughts exactly. Idk, I always assumed OOTS or even Erfworld are more popular.

Re:Been reading Goblins for years

[gurps_npc]

I agree. But it has some really good plot points.

I loved the "total annihilation, as if it had never been - including memories of the object". Great story line, making me feel sorry for an idiotic hero, while at the same time removing a character from the plot without having to kill her off.

Re:Been reading Goblins for years

[abies]

I never even realized it was big enough to draw that sort of talent.

Half million dollars for one episode might have something to do with that...

Re:Been reading Goblins for years

[Baron_Yam]

I'd love to see OOTS animated, in more or less the same style as the webcomic is drawn. Great story, great humour, and absolutely no need to get at all fancy with the art.

Erfworld, not so much. It would need some 'higher end' animation, and I don't think the plot would work so well with a mixed audience. It'd go more to the niche of RPG min-maxers, because the story is mostly about figuring out the mechanics of an RPG world and optimizing for them. That's not a huge audience without a lot of more general humour to pad things out.

Re:Been reading Goblins for years

[Kjella]

Half million dollars for one episode might have something to do with that...

From the stretch goals their running price seems to be $150-200k/episode, but yeah... this isn't your typical YouTube video but the lower end of pro animation. Big shows like Family Guy and the Simpsons are $1-2m/episode, when you consider the names involved the costs don't seem out of line. Whether you can get that kind of money from a Kickstarter, I dunno... my guess is that this might be an alternative pitch for a series no TV channel wanted to pick up, like if you got a script, a potential cast and a teaser trailer already having them say "support our Kickstarter" is not much extra work and even if it fails some channel might see it has potential.

Re:Been reading Goblins for years

[Anonymous Coward]

The backstory was that the "lesser" finger horror was actually a literal nightmare that managed to escape the dream it was from. So if it gives you nightmares then you might end up creating a new one.

Re:Been reading Goblins for years

[Calydor]

While I enjoy the comic as well, the total annihilation idea isn't specifically Thunt's. I remember reading it in one of the later DragonLance novels a couple of decades ago, it was the ability of this once-sealed god of chaos. One touch, and all memory of your existence was wiped away.

Never heard

[Anonymous Coward]

Never heard of that web comic, i checked it out. Seems fine, but there's better.

If i had the power, i'd animate Gone with blastwave.

Still good luck with the endevour.

8-bit-theater

[IckySplat]

Would have been my preference.
***Hadoken***

I apologize if the Goblins creators read this...

[Baron_Yam]

But I hope they get a say in the plot but NOT the storyboarding.

The comic is engaging enough that I hate the irregular updates because I'm always waiting in anticipation of the next one, but some of the artwork completely fails to communicate what's happening.

I'm new to Goblins

[Anonymous Coward]

I just flipped through a few comics of it for the first time. It was incredibly boring and I too am surprised there is enough of a draw to animate it.

Certainly each to their own. But given that I like role-playing, fantasy, Futurama, and other various nerdly trappings one would think I'm the perfect demographic for Goblins. But alas, I honestly believe it is simply not very good. (pity it's not an OOTS animated series, I'd be totally on board for that)

Re:I'm new to Goblins

[Calydor]

Might I suggest you try again in a few days, just in case your verdict is influenced by having a bad day? Goblins really is one of the best fantasy/RPG webcomics on the net.

Re:I'm new to Goblins

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it's not for me. I don't particularly like the art style and the jokes are lame.

You can enjoy it without me also enjoying it.

Re:I'm new to Goblins

[Anonymous Coward]

Goblins really is one of the best fantasy/RPG webcomics on the net.

One of the best fantasy webcomics? Are your sure you aren't thinking of Oglaf ?

First episode: "I'M SAD"

[ToTheStars]

For more information: http://www.badwebcomicswiki.sh...

Re:First episode: "I'M SAD"

[Anonymous Coward]

I've read those complaints before. In my never humble opinion, the author(s) of that wiki page are butt-hurt losers who wouldn't know fun if it stabbed them in the eye with a dull stick.

Re:First episode: "I'M SAD"

[Anonymous Coward]

Having just read these complaints, some of them are on-point and others are overblown. However, his standards seem too high. Given Sturgeon's law, this comic decidedly above-median, especially considering it is free-to-read over the internet.

While I'm not about to quit reading Goblins, I particularly agree about the following:
-Some of the gore is, frankly, disgusting to look at, and makes those scenes non-enjoyable.
-Pacing is leaden, especially because of juggling too many simultaneous storylines.
-Much of the attempted moralizing falls flat. So does a lot of the attempted humor.

Re:I'M SAD

[ToTheStars]

I'M SAD

Sorry you got moderated by someone who's never heard of Goblins before... http://www.badwebcomicswiki.sh...

Something like C&H Shorts?

[tepples]

I'd love to see OOTS animated, in more or less the same style as the webcomic is drawn. Great story, great humour, and absolutely no need to get at all fancy with the art.

Would it look something like the Cyanide & Happiness shorts?

Re:Something like C&H Shorts?

[Baron_Yam]

Probably. Also, you just destroyed several hours of my evening...

srsly?

[Anonymous Coward]

wat for lol... put it up on youtube. Monetize it and if it's good dough will roll in.
srsly kickstarter should only be used for hw projects.

Re:srsly?

[Anonymous Coward]

He bought his keyboard on kickstarter.
It tpes real god.

Huh.

[Anonymous Coward]

I love futurama, so tried reading this webcomic which I have not heard of before. I tried but could not get into it, it seems quite bad? Is this thing popular?

For a Second thought Futurama was coming back

[Anonymous Coward]

now that would be something I would def help crow source

So many red flags

[Anonymous Coward]

Look up the last Goblins kickstarter. I'd post a link but the creator has had it taken down with DMCA. Basically it raised a bunch of money and then fell through.

The creator had a mental breakdown and disappeared for about 2 years. Fans were wanting to drive to his house and make sure he hadn't killed himself.

This kickstarter just reeks of a massive scam. I don't think the voice actors know what they are getting themselves into.

Why bother?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why support that, when these same people are already doing this? https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/26/disenchantment-matt-groening-netflix-series-the-simpsons

Stars? You mean the voice actors?

[Anonymous Coward]

Voice Actors from 'Futurama' Working On Kickstarter For Animated Webcomic Goblins.

Seriously?

[HeckRuler]

What? Seriously? They know this guy is crazy right? I mean, hey, tortured artists are a thing, but he had a breakdown. I guess he's still going strong, and when it comes to being mentally functional that's really all that matters. But this is a bad idea anyway. I mean, the entire premise of the comic is playing off of tropes that are generally only known to D&D players. Which, just in case I have to remind the geek crowd, is still a nitch thing. It's hella more common these days, but it's still not common. And it's not just D&D tropes, it's subverting those tropes. How many audience members out in the general public are going to be bored with standard D&D? And hell, it's based on a previous version of D&D. A previous version of the previous version of D&D. And it touches on some... well... taboo subjects that will never make it to prime-time TV. And the side-arc with the secondary heroes has never been coherent.

How the hell did this one happen?

Re:Seriously?

[HeckRuler]

From the AMA, as far as I can tell, Matt King (The voice actor for Illidan in 2002 Warcraft 3) just really likes the comic and pushed everyone into it. Apparently he has connections?

They're asking half a mil. I don't see it happening. I'll eat crow if they make it, but... yeah.

Re:Seriously?

[lucasnate1]

They could just edit the hell out of it to make it fit ordinary audiences. This already happened with comics adapations.

Re:Seriously?

[Baron_Yam]

>They know this guy is crazy right? I mean, hey, tortured artists are a thing, but he had a breakdown.

Buy the rights to animate it (including the rights to ongoing use of the content of the webcomic), leave him the rights to the webcomic format.

The artist gets a payday, but isn't a risk to the animated product.

>And it's not just D&D tropes, it's subverting those tropes.

I think the world can handle 'silly prey creatures decide to stand up for themselves and become heroes'.

If HarmonQuest can get an audience and two seasons, I'm pretty sure Goblins is good for a couple itself.

Jim Cummings??

[Anonymous Coward]

Jim Cummings fucking seriously? The disney-straight-to-dvd hack that can only do ONE voice will have a part in this? I won't watch one episode. Anyone who watched cartoons in the nineties can back me up on this, all and I mean ALL his voices have that signature "twang" to them, you can always tell which voices he does. Talentless fucking idiot.