Justin Carter is a weekend editor that covers entertainment for the io9 section on Gizmodo. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and you can follow his coverage here. Story ideas and tips can be sent to jcarter@kinja.com.
Even as the industry was being hit by layoffs and a general sense of uncertainty, animation was in top form throughout 2023. Between established tentpoles including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and the Mario movie, and the original fare of Scavengers Reign and Fired on Mars, it was a pretty good and consistent year. There was a little something for everyone, and it felt like near everything got its time to shine and find its audience. Now that 2024's taking its first steps, the question isn’t so much “can 2024 match that same energy?” as it is “what will 2024's output tell us about the industry and its future?”
After a year consistently stacked with banger after banger, 2024's animation slate may not be quite as spread out in terms of sheer greatness. It may be that the good stuff is especially good towards the summer or the end of the year, not entirely unlike with movies. And depending on how things go with the animation industry’s unionization efforts, things may be further impacted by delays and layoffs.
It’d be nice to just wish for more adult-oriented animation and less cancellations. But honestly, both of those are just part of a larger desire for entertainment to take animation far more seriously. Given that we just got done supporting actors and writers as they demanded better working conditions and respect, that same support needs to be extended to the animation industry as it works on addressing its own set of issues.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Source: Gizmodo