Disinformation? It's more like no information.

I have a bone to pick with Cartoon Network's VP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Terry Kalagian. She did an interview over at Newsarama conducted by Steve Fritz in his weekly "Animated Shorts" column. This isn't really about my disappointment that Justice League Unlimited won't be coming back for another season (okay, that's a small part of it). It's mostly about the incredible amount of non-information she was spouting out during the interview.

She begins by practically gushing about all of the anime that CN is bringing back from Japan, which is all well and fine, but if you ever catch me watching an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh, you have my permission to smack me upside the head. Then Fritz asks her a relatively straight-forward question: Are there any plans for any new anime properties coming? Kalagian then proceeds to answer "I really can't say". Huh? Why can't you say? Is it so secret that you can't tell a guy who is interviewing you pretty much for the sole purpose of promoting how awesome CN (and you) are? Instead she gives the standard, well, we're looking at this and that and we're in touch with him and her, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Fritz then goes on to ask her about the oft-rumored Hellboy cartoon (which I think has a chance to be outstanding). Kalagian answers, "I'm not allowed to talk about it, not yet." Okay, folks, reality check here. This is Cartoon Network, not the Pentagon. And to make things worse, after Fritz mentions graphics he's seen on the net, she says she's aware of them but can only say how excited she is about it. And she does the same thing when Fritz asks her about Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes and Doom Patrol. She says, "You know I can't say anything about it, Steve. You know it."

Now, bear in mind that this interview happened after CN's upfront presentation for the coming year, so there's really no reason I can see for her not to be a little less coy about these shows, all of which I'm going to guess we'll see on CN sooner or later.

And then we come to the "best" part of the interview when Fritz brings up all of the controversy surrounding the recently released Ultimate Avengers, controversy that Kalagian professes to have no knowledge of. Hello? Ultimate Avengers has endured tremendous criticism. A friend of mine at work whose opinion I greatly trust when it comes to all things comics and animation told me in no uncertain terms that it completely sucked. I'll have to see for myself, but I've really not heard or read anyone go out of their way to praise it.

Now, I understand that Kalagian has to be cordial about the controversy since CN will be airing the new direct-to-video movies that Marvel and Lion's Gate are co-producing, but she could have at least acknowledged the controversy and then defended it. Instead, we got, "Personally, I think Ultimate Avengers is great" and "I also think they did an incredible job with the last 20 minutes, when they are all fighting the Hulk". That's all you have to say? What about answering the critics who say that the DC produced cartoons are light years beyond the first Marvel-produced movie? Is Kalagian so in tune with the company line that she can't recognize the tremendous difference quality-wise between a show like JLU and Ultimate Avengers?

I expected more than a corporate speak interview from someone who is a higher up at CN, but I guess it's all about demographics and production costs today instead of producing and acquiring shows that are entertaining and well produced.

So, here's hoping that even after JLU is done airing, DC will see fit to produce a direct to video movie, much like it did for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman. At least we had a couple seasons of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm's vision of the animated DC Universe.

Well, that's it for today. Be back tomorrow with more fun and frivolity. Later, kids.

~Sara