thoughtnami

[thoughtnami]

Will you be doing a Rewind: WB100 Women's History Month this Saturday March 1st?

No. Because I didn't do #WB100 Women's History Month last year.

I wanted to recap everything I did last year and add the few images I made for the projects I missed but didn't post in 2024.

I'm done "Celebrating Every Story."

[thoughtnami]

If Warner Bros can license their IP's to Dynamite, could they do the same with video game companies?

I suppose they could if they wanted to, but since Warner Bros still has a video game company of their own, they prefer to keep those licenses in-house.

Now, you may be thinking "well, if that's the case, why doesn't WB just publish all of their IPs under the comic publisher it owns, DC?"

While DC does publish comics based on certain IPs like Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo, DC is mostly a singular brand for the most part with its own original characters and franchise. Also, Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo are still active brands unlike many of the franchises licensed out to Dynamite. Space Ghost, Jonny Quest, ThunderCats, Thundarr the Barbarian, The Herculoids, Wacky Races, Captain Planet, Ben 10, Silverhawks, and Dynomutt have been largely dormant brands at Warner Bros.

Even The Powerpuff Girls has largely been a dormant brand in recent years. That's why you're seeing someone other than DC Comics handling them as well as giving these properties a refreshed look and new life.

Then again, maybe we'll see WB-owned characters in games made by third-party publishers in the future, but let's be honest. There's not that many independent publishers out there, and they want these characters and franchises to be everywhere.

[thoughtnami]

Over on the Thoughtnami Blogspot, I've been working on DWUSAU, an alternate timeline where Doctor Who is an American series rather than a British series.

It's going to be a nine-part series:

The Story So Far:

Part One: The Original Series Begins (1963-1971)

Part Two: The ABC Years (1971-1981)

Part Three: The Voyage to NBC Begins (1981-1983)

Part Four: The NBC Years (1983-1989)

Part Five: The World Without The Doctor (1989-1996)

[thoughtnami]

Jeff, I'm trying to learn more about the history and development of Toonami Reactor. Would you be willing to speak with me about your time working on the project?

There's not really much to tell on my end. I just conversed with one of the schedulers at Cartoon Network at the time, a guy named Luca, and we bounced off ideas with each other. I kind of suggested that the idea of making an official online portal for Toonami was needed.

At the time, there were just a handful of folks with unofficial Toonami fansite, The X Bridge (then, at the time called CNX at the time) was one of them, so I think the network wanted to reach out to some of us.

Later on, the idea of making a media portal for Toonami component came up, and Luca asked for show suggestions. They already knew that Dragon Ball Z would be a part of it because it was the biggest show at the time. Others third-party shows that were on the block couldn't be added to the site because of licensing issues and limitations. Batman: The Animated Series was off-limits too.

A friend of mine had gotten me into a show called Star Blazers, the popular 1970s dub of Yamato, and I asked if it was possible to add it on Toonami. They didn't put on the block, but they did put it on Toonami Reactor.

I wasn't much of a consultant aside from the fact that I suggested they used the Real Player format since, at the time, that was more reliable across multiple platforms and dial-up than something I regrettably should have suggested, Quicktime, which was still largely Apple-based but starting to grow as a streaming platform. Admittedly, Real was more reliable for the medium. It was still strange launching a media portal like Toonami Reactor when broadband wasn't widely available and still more or less a luxury and not so commonplace as it is today.

But these guys were rebels, and I was glad they wanted to hear what I had to say.

[thoughtnami]

Do you think CN will have a late night Vault Warner Bros block of some sort?

No.

That's... that's not ever going to happen.

For starters, Cartoon Network ends its programming day at 5 PM E/P and hasn't had a late-night slot in 20 years. They're not putting anything in late nights, let alone a block with older Warner Bros cartoons.

Second, Cartoon Network really isn't a priority for Warner Bros Discovery in the United States. Most of the network's general programming is dictated by the European market rather than the US side of the channel, which tends to primarily focus on the Adult Swim block (yes, I know Cartoon Network considers Adult Swim as a "network" for ratings purposes, but officially and legally, the entire network is still Cartoon Network).

Third, cable television isn't really a priority for Warner Bros Discovery as a whole in the United States. The general focus has been on the streaming side of the company as well as original productions like films and TV shows. Linear cable has been pushed aside in recent years, and they're exploring options beyond traditional linear cable.

One of WBD's biggest market is FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) channels. The "By WB TV" brand is constantly growing, and they've been expanding their offerings since they launched it two years ago in 2023. You're more likely going to see older WB cartoons on something like that rather than Cartoon Network.

So, yeah, a late-night "Vault WB" block on Cartoon Network isn't going to happen in the United States. Ever.

[thoughtnami]

Oh... my god.

I'm reading this post I made from 2014 in 2025, and I have to say this:

Lex Luthor isn't THAT bad by comparison.

I mean, he did spin off his companies when he became President, and he did manage to actually serve time. He didn't destroy democracy in the process, which goes to show you comic book logic is NOTHING compared to the real world.

Still... hindsight is everything, ain't it?

You live in Metropolis: is Lex Luthor a hero or villain?

That’s an interesting question, especially if we don’t consider the events of his presidency nor the Everyman project too much. 

A lot of Metropolitans call Lex Luthor boss. He’s one of the biggest employers in the city if not the world. His hands are in everything from technology to media to lodging to financial services. To the public at large, he’s not really a villain, but, more or less, the prototypical rich guy we love to hate.

An unholy amalgamation of Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Steve Jobs 

Everybody in Metropolis has a Lex story. Either somebody got screwed by him or somebody got saved by him. He’s a very polarizing figure, that’s for sure.  Then again, so is that other high-profile guy hovering over the skies of Metropolis.

[thoughtnami]

For those who managed to find this place, welcome. This is the old Thoughtnami Tumblr account.

Granted, I haven't made much here in a while, but for some reason, folks are checking it out.

I don't really post here much anymore, and a lot of that is because I really haven't thought about Tumblr in a long, long time.

I used to have a much bigger venue in The X Bridge, but I walked away from that because folks only wanted me to talk about Toonami, a block that, at the time I walked away, had been off the year for a number of years. That was the past, and I wanted to look ahead.

So, I kept myself busy.

And I went through a lot of things on the other side of the screen.

Then, social media as it once was imploded thanks to a despotic little man with way too much money and power.

Then, I found myself again.

Instead of heading back here, I found solace at Bluesky and, surprisingly, at Blogger.

I found my old blog and just started writing how I felt. Then I wrote some more.

Then, I reintroduced myself properly here.

Tonight, I came back to Tumblr.

I don't know if I'll stay, mind you. I honestly thought people weren't here anymore, but life tends to surprise you. This isn't a return to this Tumblr.

It's just me dropping by just to say "Hello."

Hello.

[thoughtnami]

I wrote this 10 years ago way back in 2013.

Now, we're months away from Doctor Who's 60th. And while Disney didn't gobble up the rights to the franchise, they are the primary broadcaster of the series throughout most of the world except the UK, which is wild, to say the least.

That's how crazy the world can be in a decade.

What if Disney perchased Doctor Who from the BBC for the 50th Anniversary? What would be their plan for that Show when they gobble it up.

Probably nothing since Disney rarely celebrates big anniversaries of properties they acquire (see last year’s 50th anniversary events for Spider-Man and this year’s 50th anniversary of the Avengers and X-Men).

Wouldn’t even be as extensive as what the BBC is doing for Doctor Who with their multiple retrospective specials, a docudrama film based on the creation of the series, a radio drama featuring past doctors, the 50th anniversary special, the Christmas special, a DVD release of lost episodes recreated in animation, and, of course, the current half-season that’s on right now. 

Disney would probably do half of that and air them on ABC Family. 

[thoughtnami]

25 years ago today, July 10, 1998, I started a revolution.

I originally called it CN2. Two years later, I called it CNX.

But most folks knew it as The X Bridge. It was one of the first Toonami fansites online back when people used to make fansites (I do miss those days).

I started on GeoCities. I found a home at ToonZone. I helped build communities (the Inner Circle for Life!). I actually helped create a network even though at the time, I really didn't know that's what I was doing! And you know what?

I had fun.

Though the site is kind of comatose at the moment, I have fond memories of what I created at TXB, and one day, when I feel the time is right, I will bring it back.

Now is not that time.

Not yet.

Would be nice if I had some change to get things started. Or at least some inspiration to push me ahead.

But today, I celebrate being online and becoming a storyteller and animation historian for a quarter of a century.

The Revolution Will Be Digitized.

Keep creating.

[thoughtnami]

Checking In

It's been a while. So, let me say howdy, hello, and salutations.

The world has been kind of hectic, and I feel like I'm dusting an old corner of my room as I'm typing these words.

I've been kind of busy lately, but at the same time, I've been easing up on posting on social media for a spell, especially on the Bird App.

I don't know who's actually reading these words, especially since I really haven't posted anything lengthy in a while. It's not that I didn't have anything to say, heaven knows. It's just that I never wanted to be someone constantly talking about things that makes me angry.

That sort of thing wears on your soul and can consume you if you let it, and I refuse to let it.

So, I've been putting my energies into other things. Some things I can show off like my recent #WB100 x #CN30 tribute (a summary of what I've done can be found here: https://www.behance.net/gallery/170483501/WB100-x-CN30). Other things I can't really share because they're personal projects I'm not ready to reveal publicly at this time. But it's good stuff.

Truth be told, I'm not really sure of my place in this world these days. I'm too old to be doing things like this on a daily basis (hell, The X Bridge, the site where I really felt like myself, turns 25 on July 10, so I've been doing this since I was in my 20s). Maybe it's time I should just fade offline.

Or, maybe, I should just do more. The problem with that is my tools are limited as are my funds (freelance work is few and far between, and my used computer can only do so much), and the few savings I did have goes into medications (how in the world is eye health NOT covered by health care?), so, any little bit helps a lot.

Regardless, I'm working hard to find a place in this world. I haven't been on Tumblr in a while.

I think I need to come back every now and then.

[thoughtnami]

45 Candles

I have just completed my 45th solar revolution.

It was a rough year. It was a troubling year. It was a challenging year. But by the time It ended, I began to rebuild myself.

I had been in a funk and hated a lot about myself for way too long. I hated that I wasn’t in a place I needed to be professionally. I hated that I was still stuck in a position that I couldn’t get out of. I hated that I couldn’t convince the love of my life to come live with me down here so we could start a life and a family together, and when she died… I hated myself for fighting harder to make that happen.

I felt like my life had come to an end. I felt like I had nothing to live for. I felt like I didn’t need to stay around. And with signs telling not to look forward to things I wanted to see and do anymore, and the country you live in continues to embrace hatred over love, greed over grace, and pain over peace, I was in a dark, dark place.

So much bad luck. Water heater leaks. Losing ¼ of my clothing and a whole lot of irreplaceable items like books, comics, photos, and other things to water damage. Months later, I lost my computer, my tether to the outside world.

I felt like I was cursed.

I felt like staying in my bed because there was nothing worth getting up for. And even in that frustration on my lowest day, I started to be more reflective about some things.

I have my health. My right eye is blurry, but at least I could see color and basic shapes (but not details), but I’m still healthy for the most part. I still have a family that still loves the hell out of me. I still have a hole in the wall where I can rest my head. I have friends. Most of them are online, but I am ever-so-grateful to have them in my life.

The more I thought about the good things in life and not focusing so much on the bad stuff, the more I realized I’m actually okay. I wasn’t cursed. I wasn’t damned. I was okay. Life was fine. Not perfect, but fine.

I felt like I needed to start over and find focus in things I left behind a long time ago.

I started to write again.

I started to draw again.

I started to be more creative again.

I looked back at the things I’ve done decades ago and wondered where that guy was. Whatever happened to that guy who just loved what he was doing and created folders full of sketches and stories? I know I can’t go back to what I used to be, but I’m rediscovering that side of me I felt was long buried, and you know what?

I’m actually enjoying this trip now. It’s been way too long since I felt so… happy and unafraid? That’s what that feeling is. I missed it. So, today, January 21, I've turned 45, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this next solar revolution will take me.

[thoughtnami]

Orrin C. Evans (1902 - 1971) and All-Negro Comics (June 1947)

The story behind the creation of Milestone Media has been told and retold for over 20 years, but the story behind the first comic book written and drawn by Black talent is one worth sharing.

The origins feel just like a typical superhero origin story. Orrin C. Evans was a reporter for many Black-owned newspapers throughout the north, starting with the Philadelphia Tribune  and Philadelphia Independent. In the mid-1930s, Mr. Evans was hired by the Philadelphia Record and became one of the first Black journalists at a mainstream widely-circulated newspaper in the country. While there, he wrote several general assignment pieces and caught the eye of the United States Congress with his series about segregation in the military. Written in 1944, Mr. Evans exposed how moronic and hypocritical segregation was in a military that is overseas fighting in a war where they want to restore democracy and make all men equal and free. The article was read in the halls of Congress, and Mr. Evans got many accolades from his peers for his work. 

By the end of the war, the Record was faltering and eventually ceased publication. Mr. Evans worked at various Black newspapers and outlets, including the Philadelphia Independent, the Chicago Defender, and The Crisis (the NAACP’s magazine founded by W.E.B. Du Bois) writing about issues that affect the Black community. He wanted to bring some of those positive attitudes and values he wrote about, not to mention a sense of pride to younger readers. Seeing a lack of positive, non-stereotypical Black superheroes in the still-new comic book industry, Mr. Evans felt the need to give the Black community their own champions and heroes they could look up to and be proud of.

That’s when Orrin C. Evans became a comic publisher.

Along with writers Bill Driscoll and Harry T. Saylor, Mr. Evans created a publishing team for this endeavor to create an all-Black comic book featuring Black creators and Black characters. His brother George Evans Jr., John Terrill, and a pair of one-named artists (Cooper and Cravat) were the artists and plotters of the stories in their initial book, All-Negro Comics.

Among the characters introduced in the first issue were the hard-boiled detective Ace Harlem, a hero named Lion Man who was an American-born scientist who protects and guards a mystical mountain which is a source of  an element that many kingdoms want their hands on,  a cutesy tale entitled Dew Dillies about a pair of wide-eyed childlike pixies. and a pair of humor strips, Sugarfoot and Lil’ Eggie. All of these made their way into the very first issue of All-Negro Comics in June 1947.

Sadly, this was the only issue ever published. The creative teams had strips ready for the next couple of issues, but newsprint distributors (likely pressured by bigger publishers) wouldn’t sell Mr. Evans any more paper to print his books, and he had no other choice but to shutter operations on All-Negro Comics.

Not much is known about the creators of the titles, but Orrin C. Evans returned to newspapers shortly after the end of All-Negro Comics serving as editor of the Chester Times and the Philadelphia Bulletin, director of the Philadelphia Press Association, and an officer of the Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia, and got many more accolades from his peers up to his death in 1971 at the age of 68. The New York Times, in their eulogy, called Mr. Evans “the dean of Black reporters,” but truth be told, he was perhaps the “father of Black comic books.“ 

[thoughtnami]

Returning Soon...ish

2022 sucked. I lost so much.

My computer and a lot of recent projects. Some things I was working on and have saved over the last month are still on that computer. Drafts for projects that I was preparing, including updates to the books I was writing, my Justice League Universe stuff, my Chalice notes, and others are gone. Backup often & always, kids.

A quarter of my wardrobe, thanks to a water heater leak.

My cell phone service.

Use of an eye (I can't see details much in one eye).

Family members.

The love of my life (I lost her back in January, and it still hurts).

But I'm rebuilding.

I don't have a computer of my own anymore, can't afford one at this time, and I definitely need one of those. I'm currently working with an older, borrowed laptop from my godmother. It's missing a couple of keys, which is why I don't feel comfortable doing a lot of typing these days. That makes a lot of things difficult.

Especially since freelance writing and graphic design work helps pays the bills. I know it's a long shot, but I put a computer on my Amazon Wish List, so if you could help me out there, I would be forever thankful.

I also have a PayPal account, and if you want to help me there, I'd appreciate that as well. Even a little helps a lot.

I don't know what the future holds, but I know I want to do more posting, especially since the place I usually conduct myself seems to be under new management. Sometimes you have to return to your roots to grow again.

I don't know when I'll be back online full-time, but when I do, I'll be back on Thoughtnami. Until then, here's where I am. I may not be writing much, but I am keeping an eye out for things.

Stay tuned. Watch this space. And keep creating.

[thoughtnami]

History lesson, kids. You might get this wrong, but you’ll be a lot smarter when you learn the answer.

I have two iconic American inventions here. the chocolate chip cookie and the Oreo cookie. Which one of these favorites is older? If you think it’s the chocolate chip cookie, you’re absolutely wrong.

I know, it surprised me too, but here’s the skinny.

People love chocolate and they love cookies. So, at the turn of the 20th century, more industrialized products came into households, and one of the first was a popular chocolate cookie filled with a sweet white creamy filling. And this cookie was called … the Hydrox. Made by the Sunshine Biscuit Company, the Hydrox (named after the cooking process combining hydrogen and oxygen) was introduced in 1908 and became a hit with consumers. 

Meanwhile, several smaller bakery companies made their versions of the Hydrox, but the National Biscuit Company created their own knockoff that would take over the world, so to speak. The Oreo Biscuit was created in 1912 and completely eclipsed the Hydrox in popularity and sales (some to this day still call Hydrox an Oreo-ripoff despite predating the cookie by four years). 

While off-the-shelf cookies were a quick convenience for an increasingly lazy society, some still preferred their cookies to be homemade. Baking chocolate was becoming more available  for home use, so making chocolate-flavored things had never been easier. Unfortunately, the prices for baking chocolate has always been higher than readily available chocolate bars. Depending on which version of the story you hear, the invention of the chocolate chip cookie was an accident made by Ruth Wakefield, co-owner of the Toll House Inn. The Inn opened up in 1930 by Ruth and her husband Kenneth in Whitman, MA. Mrs. Wakefield, a trained dietitian, prepared and cooked all of the meals for the inn and became famous around New England for her deserts.

One day in 1936, she ran out of baking chocolate for her new batch of  butter drop do cookies. Mrs. Wakefield used pieces of a Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bar as a substitute hoping the chocolate would blend in as smoothly as the baking chocolate. To her surprise, the pieces remained intact, and the Toll House cookie, also known as the chocolate chip cookie, was born. The recipe was reprinted throughout New England, eventually grabbing the attention of Nestle, who put the recipe on their semisweet chocolate bars with Mrs. Wakefield’s permission. By 1939, chocolate chips were on the marketplace, and Mrs. Wakefield got fame, fortune, and chocolate for life up until her death in 1977. 

So, while some may think it’s been around forever, chocolate chip cookies are a pretty modern invention that came 24 years after the world was introduced to Oreo cookies.

[thoughtnami]

Neat!

Then again, falling down the stairs could make quite a sound. 

See what a group of engineers did  to encourage people to use the stairs in Stockholm.

Badass

[thoughtnami]

“All things come to an end. Even the future.”