MAKTAR

[@mostverticalproductions4808]

Been looking for this pilot since 2002. Thank you for uploading this for everyone. Always mistook the name for Moltar from Space Ghost.

[@GavriloGnatovich]

Glad you enjoyed, any similarity to Space Ghost is purely coincidental...ha

[@neonflights5951]

I loved this so much as a kid! You wouldn't believe how awesome I still think the visuals are, what with the mixed media appeal and the amount of detail and wackiness. I also loved the unusual predicament of the protag and the odd music. It has EVERYTHING I'd expect, and consider this one thing to be a high point of the 90's. I'd like to think this is like, if someone mashed up elements from Earthworm Jim and Invader Zim. I wish it got a full cartoon series!

[@neonflights5951]

@Knock Knock Cartoons hm now that I think if it, the very beginning reminds me of Planet Sheen as well (Supreme Guy reminds me a lot of a more powerful and respected Lord Dorkus)

[@gavartist]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it, it did get slammed for being too much like Invader Zim even though it was developed before Zim was released. My studio was nowhere near LA, Who knew? ahahaha

[@jonejamendomusic7108]

@@gavartist hello

[@SpyrosKingdom]

This was dug up from a deep part of my child hood. Thanks for making such a great pilot! Hopefully we can see the original design to come full in light one day!

[@gavartist]

I am a little afraid whenever I "dug something up" haha. Glad you enjoyed it

[@spochysrandomnetwork]

I love this and Longhair and Doubledome!! :) you're very talented

[@MrLyosea]

I love the use of the 3d models and the 2d. This looks like it would have been an awesome cartoon for cartoon network. Great job my dude. Also the credit font looks similar to tf2 before tf2 was a thing.

[@CarpettinginMotel.townson]

I can see why this wasn’t picked up. A lot of these cartoons were just made for the fun of it.

[@neonflights5951]

... Isn't that like, the intent and purpose of a cartoon?

[@CarpettinginMotel.townson]

@@neonflights5951 well, I mean like the intent behind it. The creator probably wanted to make a short instead of a intended series plug-in.

[@Pioxys]

I totally remember this! I didn't knew you made this piece too.

[@gavrilognatovich5721]

Yes, I did. Wish it had been the original show, Maktar and the Hickuloids, but the Hicks got cut. Always loved the idea of alien hillbillies, but such is life.

[@Kidicaruslover]

6:36 OMG LMAO HIS SCREAM!!! xD

[@TheOmariHimself]

6:37 you mean?

[@diahsetiawati5456]

ITS just like dr.zomboss

[@thehonorablereverendaddiso1943]

I've heard people say that this is a ripoff of Zim, but honestly it has a completely different dynamic. Instead of being a immensely insane, arrogant failure who cannot see his very glaring flaws that hold him back from taking over jack of shit and is sent to Earth just to be away from the important invaders, Maktar is just a sort of sleazy car salesman who knows his limitations, and has to keep up the facade of being a legitimate conqueror to his boss, who only sent him to Earth because of a accidental ray of fucking sun. It's a completely different dynamic, which has a LOT of potential, like maybe those council dudes that find out about his charade maybe trying to help him so they don't get the wrath of their boss for sending off a charlatan instead of an invader. But there are a few problems with this pilot. For one, that robot computer isn't really that funny (I can't tell if he's supposed to be a gay/effiminate personality, but either way he doesn't really add anything to the plot). On that note, a lot of the voices are somewhat annoying in this, like the voices were meant to be the joke. Second, the CG backgrounds do NOT mesh with the environments at ALL, and look rather dated (. And, as other people have said in the comments, the music is WAY TOO FRIGGIN LOUD. It overpowers the voice acting, which is really bad for a cartoon in any context unless intentionally used as a gag, which might be the case at some points, but still it's something to watch out for. And this isn't a flaw so much as something that could be developed, but Maktar could use some more characterization. I imagine him as a sort of "sleazy car-salesman" sort of guy, personally. But overall, this is still good despite it's flaws!

[@GavriloGnatovich]

If you actually knew that back story of this pilot, you would be amazed that it even made any sense at all. Many of your observations are valid. Maktar was developed before the release or any knowledge of Invader Zim, but certainly suffered from being too close to it. Originally, Maktar was a part of a larger invasion force. "Maktar and the Hickuloids" (a family of alien hicks). After its release it went through 3 years of development, but never went any further. The computer was a replacement character for the Hickuloids, once they were cut and definitley has its flaws, much of this was in a rush to finish. There is no disclaimer on an animated pilot, it is what it is. This was an animation cluster you know what.

[@NessWithABeard]

I thought this looked familiar with its blend of 3D and 2D.

[@WolfthatRocks]

This looks cool and all, but it has the same problem as the Kid n Play cartoon: the music and sound effects overpower the voice acting.

[@BumpBobLooly]

What would you do if this became a full series?

[@RingoandCarlin]

Was one of the aliens based on Ringo? He sounds like him

[@djwarhawk4152]

good one Gavrilo i like maktar and the theme song

[@immanuelweaver4522]

Hmmm never seen this pitch before.

[@GavriloGnatovich]

Hope you enjoyed it...

[@LOS_NEGRITOS]

i think the easy thing to compare this to is invader zim, but as much as i like that series this is far superior IMO. slicker designs, more substance to its animation and better 2D-3D interaction overall than zim's. just less iconic characters is all.

[@GavriloGnatovich]

Was meant to be an entirely different show...Originally, "Maktar and the Hickuloids". Unfortunately the Hickuloids had to be cut because the Network would not allow an 11 minute pilot. Maktar was a save, conceived before Zim, but turned out very similar in some ways...Thanks for stopping by.

[@LOS_NEGRITOS]

@@GavriloGnatovich thank you for sharing these! inventive design in animation is not something one finds often nowadays...

[@rodrigovazquez420]

Pretty good!

[@maulanaakbar2998]

Its just like Dr zombies

[@maulanaakbar2998]

Oh I mean Dr.zomboss

[@rodrigovazquez420]

@@maulanaakbar2998 dr who?

[@Rebecca_The_Dragon]

Not as funny as I remember it, a bit obnoxious actually...but I do remember drawing Maktar a lot in my dad's classroom while my mom helped him sort all of his papers after school (he was a teacher)

[@scotty-lad7455]

Very entertaining. I admit the music does overpower the dialogue at times, but otherwise, the voice acting and animation are fantastic.

[@GavriloGnatovich]

This was an unfortunate pilot. It was a cutdown from a larger concept called "Maktar and the Hickuloids". We were forced to cut the Hickuloids because of time, but they were the best characters. Never was too happy with this. This concept was developed before Invader Zim, but aired after Zim had its debut. Flaw number 2

[@BokanProductions]

Funny enough Richard Horvitz was IN this pilot.

[@thehonorablereverendaddiso1943]

Gavrilo Gnatovich Honestly, if you were to ever make another pilot, it should be set in space. I LOVE Longhair and Doubledome, but it did kinda exhaust the potential story lines it could use over the 2 pilots.

[@GavriloGnatovich]

Thanks for the compliment, I hope one day I do, but I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the story possibilities of Longhair and Doubledome, there were some great episodes that never saw the light of day. The Network wanted "fire" and "wheel", but there were episodes about, the invention of money, manners, and other amusing "firsts"...Presently, I am working on a graphic novel of Longhair and Doubledome and expanding on the story.

[@thehonorablereverendaddiso1943]

Gavrilo Gnatovich I'm pumped for that! Also, while I'm here, would it be okay to ask if you have been working on any other projects besides Longhair and Doubledome? I do recall reading something about a short film called "Scribbleman in Doodletown" a while back, but I'd be interested in hearing about what you've been up to. Honestly, I'm dumbfounded you never got your own cartoon, because the art in your works is just GORGEOUS. It's funny, expressive and just plain fun to look at. Sorry for the fanboying, I'm just a good fan of your work.

[@sustelsuk]

This could work if they work more on their sound overlay and editing , it’s too loud and I can’t hear it

[@IdaliBaez-em8ei]

Discount invader zim

[@GavriloGnatovich]

You are not wrong, but understand this cartoon was well along in the process before Invader Sim aired. It also was initially quite a different concept. Maktar and the Hickuloids, a group of alien hicks, but unfortunately the Hickuloids were cut due to the 7:20 constraint. So there is that.

[@IdaliBaez-em8ei]

So, its development pretty much started earlier than invader zim did?

[@IdaliBaez-em8ei]

And I do see the difference in this and the other.

[@GavriloGnatovich]

@@IdaliBaez-em8ei probably close to the same time, like Jung’s universal conscience. Ha. I was unaware of Zim, my studio was in the Midwest. Zim was released during the actual production of the pilot

[@IdaliBaez-em8ei]

Yeesh 😥 that sounds embarrassing, sorry about that. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if it did picked up on Cartoon Network and people would accuse it as a ripoff. Although I can see this as MAKTAR is like a funnier version while invader zim does have funny moments but mainly focused on darker moments. I still enjoyed this pilot 👍