SDCC 2024: Dynamite And Warner Bros. Discovery Expand Their Partnership; ‘The Herculoids’ Find Their Writer
by Erik Amaya
If you love Hanna-Barbera or other cartoon properties in the Warner Bros. Discovery stable, today is a good day.
Dynamite announced this morning that it has expanded its deal with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products to produce more comics from a wider array of animated properties. New upcoming titles include Ben 10, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, The Herculoids, Dynomutt & Blue Falcon, and the first ever comic books based on Thundarr the Barbarian.
The Herculoids, meanwhile, have already found their writer with Tom Sniegoski. For those unfamiliar with the 1960s Hanna-Barbera series, it centers on a family of space barbarians — father Zandor, mother Tara, and son Dorno — who travel a world both advanced and primitive with a group of creatures called the Herculoids. Their number includes Zok, a “giant dragon able to shoot lasers”; the rhinoceros-like Tundro; Igoo, a rock creature with a decidedly ape-like countenance; and the shape-shifting Gloop and Gleep, a pair of characters who endure in pop culture and are likely the best known of the Herculoids outside fan circles. Of course, the whole lot should be very well known as they were designed by comics legend Alex Toth. Nevertheless, the group face off against mad scientists, wayward robots, and other who threaten their way of life.
“I know this is gonna sound stupid, but ever since I was a little Sniegoski-ling, I’ve been in love with these characters forever,” Sniegoski said in a statement. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for this project and can’t wait to show the fans what I’ve got planned.”
The other newly announced properties, meanwhile, represent a push into other eras of cartoons (and shows produced by Ruby-Spears). Thundarr the Barbarian and Dynomutt & Blue Falcon hail from the 1970s while Captain Planet and the Planeteers comes to us from the 1990s and Ben 10 from the early part of the 21st Century. The latter also enjoys a deep comic book connection as the series was created by well-known comic luminaries Joe Kelly, Joe Casey, Steven T. Seagle, and Duncan Rouleau. Thundarr also has comic bona fides as its principle creator was the legendary Steve Gerber. Additionally, Jack Kirby contributed to the production design with Toth devising the main characters (as seen above).
The partnership between WBDGCP and Dynamite has already led to books like the well-received ThunderCats and Space Ghost. It also continues apace with The Powerpuff Girls and Jonnny Quest. More information about the upcoming titles will be released soon.
