The History of X-Men: The Animated Series & How Belief in a Vision Conquered a Lack of Cash

[@omegon88]

Larry Houston here. That was very accurate and thorough, sir. I'd just add that Will, Rick, and I also directed "Pryde of the X-Men" and we storyboarded "Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends" episodes and drew several title cards. I also storyboarded the X-Men sequence in the Firestar episode and storyboarded the original X-Men Intro and the GI JOE MOVIE Intro.

[@focusedonfuture3255]

Thank you for your work. X-men was so big that my local station actually aired it in primetime just before Star Trek the next generation on Saturday nights here in Canada where we didnt have Fox yet. X-men at 730pm followed by ST:TNG at 8 in the 6th season was huge for our local station. The town was empty during that 90 minute block kicked off by your X-men show.

[@TheOldest]

Thank you so much for your contribution. Not enough words to express how important X-Men was growing up, and the animated series is still its best representation in media.

[@UndrAttack]

The G.I. Joe movie intro is 🔥🔥🔥

[@remyguzman58]

Big fan of your work sir. We met at Ocala con a few months back. Thank you for all your hard work.

[@xnightshadyx]

@@omegon88 the GI Joe movie intro is so great, but who decided on the COBRA soldier crotch shot when they’re parachuting in?

[@Theonetruewonderfly]

The Crow, Beavis & Butthead, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Aeon Flux, and now the X-Men cartoon. This channel is back in the 90's, and I'm loving it!

[@windmillmedia7555]

Now we just need some episodes on the original Nicktoons.

[@JWoogie66]

Don't forget The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.

[@louisthompson8642]

Warren said "I have wings, I can fly " Rouge , storm and Firestarter quietly leave the room

[@louisthompson8642]

​@JWoogie66 that show was only missing Jeffrey Combs

[@ishotmyboss]

Michael Che approves.

[@paulie9483]

X-Men was my life as a kid. Every Saturday morning, syndication after school, becoming the characters on the playground, the video games, everything.

[@SolarDNA]

Which one of us is the clone?

[@storm2k]

It does bear mentioning that Pryde of the X-Men did inspire one very important bit of 1990s culture: the six player X-Men beat em up arcade game that consumed quarters like no one's business while having a soundtrack that still goes hard today.

[@MistyLover17]

And both of those got really nice shout outs in X-men 97! The Motendo episode had several nods to the 90's arcade game and Tolerance is Extinction, Pt. 2 had the team dressed in the same outfits they wore in Pryde as well as the 70's- 80's in the comics😄

[@seatspud]

And of course, can't forget... Colossus: "AAAAAOOOOOOAAAHHH!"

[@SocietyofSteve]

"Welcome... To Die!!!"

[@denimdan908]

When i was young Cookie Crisp was giving away a single Fleer Ultra X-men card in each box of cereal to promote the Fox series the summer before it aired. I still remember the first card i had ever gotten, Banshee. That box of cereal and cartoon started a lifelong obsession of collecting comic books and superhero cards.

[@wstine79]

"TO ME, MY SECRET GALAXY!!"

[@wstine79]

"PREVIOUSLY, ON SECRET GALAXY...."

[@ErickC]

[SFX GLASS BREAKING] [SFX THUMP] WAUUUGGHHHHH!

[@arashimiyazawa8165]

"BOBBY SHUT UP!" *SHOVE*

[@TheBlueB0mber]

11:49 We miss you Stan. Excelsior!

[@kareningram6093]

I don't care who you are, that theme song is a banger. Probably one of the best TV show theme songs ever. Not animated shows, but all TV shows.

[@DNOstalgia]

Are you referring to the theme tune for Linda?

[@kareningram6093]

@@DNOstalgia The X-Men theme song?

[@benjaminhayward5921]

Man, it's fantastic, but Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers has it licked in my book.

[@Cre8Lounge]

Nah

[@ilkoderez601]

Keep "revisiting" episodes like this. I appreciate it.

[@paulslade129]

X-Men 97 is the greatest revival of a cartoon ever.

[@Ratralsis]

I remember growing up with the X-Men as a kid in grade school and eventually junior high. The biggest thing I remember from watching it as it aired was how frustrated my friends and I were with the constant deluge of commercials. Each break was short, but it felt like you couldn't go more than two minutes without another commercial break. They'd do the theme song, go to commercial. The recap of previous episodes, another commercial. It was endless. I know now that it wasn't as bad as all that, really (the episodes were a normal number of minutes long, after all), but as a kid, it felt maddening.

[@ajbertelson9871]

God I will never forget that fall and the absolute anticipation of the saturday morning episodes.

[@erichfiedler1481]

Nice that the X-Men have been making a hell of a comeback as of late with new comics, the revival of the animated series, acknowledging mutants in the MCU with a Professor X cameo in Doctor Strange 2, Kamala being rewritten as a Mutant in this Cinematic Universe, Namor in Black Panther 2, and of course Deadpool & Wolverine

[@mightyfilm]

That's because of the Fox Studio buyout (grandfathered movie rights and all that), and seriously demoting the guy who was running the Marvel Brand under Disney.

[@darktetsuya]

I wasn't really into the comics at the time, everything I learned about the X-MEN was via the animated series! we rarely missed an episode whenever it aired on TV, so imagine my shock when disney announced they'd be bringing it back for a new season! it definitely felt like they didn't miss a beat bringing everyone back, even with the new voice actors across the board.

[@mightybaloo1880]

As a kid, I never noticed the flaws, but as an adult that has a little experience with traditional animation, it's a fun journey noticing all the flaws in those early episodes. There's one episode I recall where you can see that they either replaced or had to add Rogue's mouth. The wild scale inconsistencies. The amount of times they messed up the coloring (Wolverine's arms being yellow being the most frequent one) it's all good for a chuckle. Never in a mean spirited fashion by any means, just fun.

[@bloodeagle6458]

"I go where I wanna go" one of wolverine's best lines

[@DeathsNitemareShepardOfHope]

One of the best cartoons ever made, the whole alien monster in the subway tunnels leading into what became the Dark Phoenix Saga was prime "I'm not missing an episode no matter what. I don't care if I'm only 11 and this isn't my house, we're watching X-Men and Spider-Man for the next hour." 😅👍

[@Dynaman21]

“Let’s adapt comic stories for the screen.” Crazy idea, instead of just using the characters and writing whatever. And it worked.

[@xnightshadyx]

Why adapt a story we already know people liked when we can just come up with whatever bullshit we want? - Someone at Sony, probably

[@michaelphillips5424]

@@xnightshadyx Nailed it! 🤣

[@Spindash54]

Appreciate the proper crediting to Ron Wasserman as well as Saban and Levy’s underhanded business workings.

[@JediMB]

Yeah, it's completely nuts that it's legal for contracts to essentially try to rewrite reality. Saban and Levy want all rights to the music? Sure, fine. But they still didn't write/compose it. Factual crediting should be enforced by law (unless someone actively wants to remain anonymous).

[@fnjesusfreak]

@@JediMB The Mighty R.A.W.! At least DIC's Sailor Moon albums credited him properly.

[@dl_97201]

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. I am old enough to remember watching that on first run and we loved that show. My best friend loved the show because his parents kept pressuring him to involve his sister when we went out to play so we could each pretend to be someone from the show. I was (almost) always Ice Man.

[@kevin10001]

I agree I remember watching it growing up in first run syndication cause I was born a year after it ended cause it ended in 83 I was born in 84

[@iankane1733]

20:03 Hell yes, brother. Keep it up with the sound effects, brother. Hell yes.

[@RevLink]

X-Men TAS was the show that got me into reading comics. I watched Superman and Batman in movies and on TV before that, but it was the X-Men that got me to actually read the source material. They're still my favorites to this day.

[@banonKING]

Appreciated the Spider-man And his Amazing Friends call out. And yeah, I would have loved a late 80s Pryde of the X-men series before the 92 series... even just a season of that kickass TOEI A-team animation. Also, AJ is a great dude! Fantastic Marty McFly too.

[@SuperD0077]

X-Men in 1993 was the best for me! The animated series was already airing, my first job in high school was at Pizza Hut, and the first thing I did when I got my first paycheck was buy the X-Men video game for the Sega Genesis and then that summer Pizza Hut had a promotion with the X-Men and me working there I got the video tapes, the mini comic and all the other stuff they had. The only thing I never did was get the action figures, I was way long removed from buying toys, but I should've gotten them to collect them, never thought about that at the time.

[@ciscodeer9094]

I am proud to own all five seasons on DVD of X-Men TAS.

[@ninjasec]

This and the cartoons you mentioned were a big part of my childhood, and still hold up today

[@NESADDICT]

All of my X-men knowledge is from the 90’s cartoon. Gambit was my favorite.

[@R3troZone]

I still have a VHS copy of Pryde of the X-Men and volumes 1 and 2 of the Pizza Hut exclusive X-Men the animated series VHS tapes.

[@AndrewDasilvaPLT]

Same!

[@benjaminhayward5921]

Not that I had to try that hard, but I made my mom take us to Pizza Hut just to get those videos! 🤘

[@joshuafrias2415]

Man, I wish i was there for the Fox Kids era. If only i was born a few years before 1999... oh well. Still, I'm glad X-Men 97 is continuing the legacy of the original series...and with period-correct aesthetics, too. Just gotta wait until Jubliee plays with POGs...

[@Ryoku1]

memory unlocked ... oh god. pogs... my red metal slammer that was way too light... memory overload

[@marcussmith4913]

You missed the 80s cartoons bro... even better than the 90s. Was a good time to be a kid.

[@eharasan]

I recently watched the original animated series and found it to be really good, and then I watched X-Men '97, and they did a pretty good job of picking up where the original left off.

[@joeblankenship377]

A "clapclap multiverse" AND a "Super Sunday, also called Super Saturday?" This is a good video.

[@jinpei05]

Love these episodes that revisit previous topics and fill it out with even more insight. Thanks, Dan!

[@kingtoby231]

Thanks!

[@illrobbzilla]

5:12 this is why I started re-watching Spider-Man and his amazing friends as a highschooler 😍

[@HesarealNoWhereMan]

X Men Legends needs to make a comeback. I am READY!!!

[@AMVH2012]

I used to "sneak" into my aunt and uncle's house to watch X-men because they had satellite and got Fox when we didn't have cable. That was the wild west of satelite too. No direct TV or any other provider, that I knew of, you just had an 8 foot dish and a decoder. The first time I saw Tiger Sharks it was on some channel that couldn't sell ad time, it would just cut for two and a half minutes and then come back.

[@jfernsten]

Dan, I also love "Pryde of the X-men"...but how could you not mention Australian Wolverine?😂

[@Shin_Lona]

We don't talk about Australian Wolverine on this channel... 😆 But seriously though, if we could get Dodd to re-record those lines, it would be perfect.

[@acereporter73]

Aussie Wolverine was the *BEST!* He always wanted the smoke.

[@g8kpr3000]

I was in high school and college when the show originally Aired. As a big X-men fan from the comics, i wrote it off a a cheap bastardization of the comic book. With x-men 97 coming out, my daughter and i watched the entire show together and I was able to just sit back and appreciate it for what it was. We both really loved the new series, was hoping you would have mentioned the head writer being fired. I still don’t understand why.

[@Allencartercomix]

My introduction to the X-Men was this "Pryde of the X-Men" pilot on the Marvel Action Universe in 1988 at 8 years old. I also watched reruns of both the Solo Spider-Man and Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, which made me a fan of Iceman.

[@GOPsithlord]

It's concussive blasts not "lazers" thank you very much. Dan, you're killing me!

[@bluebaron6858]

We need the X-Men more than ever

[@Ottophil]

MAGA = FOH

[@LuiJoD316]

SO TRUE!

[@jeffturner5541]

Bro, Jim Lee was an excellent artist for the X-Men issues but he was nowhere near as important as Chris Claremont who barely got a mention in your video. This guy was such a legend in comics and not only resurrected the X-men but turned them into one of the most successful comics in the 80s and 90s. Jim Lee was popular but not even their best artist on the X-books.

[@benrichardson8099]

This show is in my top 5 of all time great great cartoon..

[@Jackalblade9]

I was always more of a Kitty Pryde fan than a Jubilee fan, likely because I grew up with Kitty Pryde. That said, any version of the X-Men was my favorite comic book, and any time I could see them on TV was magic.

[@saidi7975]

I prefer Jubes.

[@spencerconway9670]

Loved the original X-men series in the 90's. It is still the best versions of the characters to date! I hope to see the new series soon.

[@JohnConstantine666]

one of my all time favorite TV shows. I have all the DVDs of this show. watched it growing up too

[@modestolizardi2532]

Still have the opening as a ringtone!

[@Jamal-bl7yh]

The History and Substantial Impact Of Space Ghost Coast To Coast how a Late Night Hanna Barbera talk show changed Cartoon Network and Adult Animation as a whole

[@MichaelMartin-qe5ye]

18:48 I'm surprised that Beau DeMayo is mentioned, but none of the controversy surrounding the end of his tenure.

[@hermanehrentraut4956]

I remember this show was a staple in college Saturday morning a bunch of us would gather in the student union because the dorm rec rooms were just simply to small to hold us all.

[@Captain_Subpar]

A further reminder that if you're in your late 30s/early 40s, (and especially if you didn't have cable TV) you owe your childhood to Margaret Loesch.

[@Mausr]

Some of the best writing on KZbin. They always lives up to the material, it’s wonderful❤

[@SkipkittleAMV]

The best videos are on Secret Galaxy, with one of the best KZbin personalities up here!!!❤❤❤ Your Robotech video is one of my all time favs. Your recaps on the parts of ALL the history is truly a labor of love! Never stop i will always be a fan. Was Waiting for this one. (Love the blend of your sponsors into your videos, is very smooth)

[@FluxExplorer]

The Xmen 97 reboot was so much better than I anticipated. From making Cyke a total badass, to the interesting new ways they used their powers including piggybacking off each other, to the animation, to the cast, to the drama, to Remy’s fate that left my son and I with dropped jaws. It’s by far the best thing Disney has put out in the last decade, if not more.

[@artman2oo3]

I watched it, every single Saturday morning it aired... until I started college in 1994. It was more difficult to keep up with it then. But I loved the series a lot! You made a great video about it here!

[@jemcoones2388]

Another great video. I loved the OG and the XMEN '97. I would LOVE to see a RE-VAMP of Spiderman & His Amazing Friends, done like the XMEN '97. That would be awesome.

[@Shane665]

8:30 Cash Rules Everything Around Me, C.R.E.A.M. get the money dollar dollar bill y’all. Love that Wu Tang teaser.

[@gohjohan]

I just watched it. Thank you for adding X-men '97 to the updated video. Please keep up the good work, Dan!

[@The22ndDoctor]

20:04 I didn't even realize I was wearing my "They Live" glasses.

[@mattnart]

In the Four Million Years Later Transformers podcast they have a running gag - "AKOM gonna AKOM" because they were no better when making that show back in the day. As soon as I saw their name in this video, I laughed hard. AKOM, indeed, gonna AKOM.

[@Crocogator]

x-men 97 was such an incredible surprise as someone who grew up with the show. remember my friend bringing his VHS collection of the show and rewatching the whole thing at the cottage as a teenager.

[@adamkrasneski3679]

@7:15 that settles it. I habe to rewatch the robocop movies 😂😂😂

[@Synplex]

@19:48 correction we have seen X-Men 97 characters in live action movies. Did you forget Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness had the Charles Xavier cameo in the yellow X-Men animation chair with the X-Men animation theme song playing in the background when he appeared? So yes the multiverse is infinite, but they have already appeared in a live action marvel cinematic movie 😁

[@JadedMax]

"The name's Gambit mon ami, remember it." I don't end up speechless often, but Holy shit dude.

[@thecunninlynguist]

My childhood....I loved morph the best growing up. The revival series is dope too!

[@tenebrousoul9368]

I was so pissed he had such little time in the series.

[@thecunninlynguist]

@tenebrousoul9368 same here, even when he became good again they still used him rarely

[@gohjohan]

I felt more sorry for Morph and what he went through. I still have an affinity to Cyclops and Wolverine, particularly Wolverine because we both have the same personality type.

[@mikemayberry7121]

I wish they'd revive the style of Spider-Man 1967 and do the Venom saga. That could be awesome

[@wepunchdragons3733]

I have been a professional comic book illustrator my whole life, and this era of X-Men, and the show specifically, played a big, big role in why I was uncompromising in my choice to do that.

[@willwidrick8039]

I remember since I didn’t originally have FOX having to watch this at a family member house or at church luncheons. I ended up watching most of the episodes via DVD. Still holds up well & 97’s is a solid continuation

[@leodenverrex3819]

That epic Tech-Rock Theme Song with the punctuating bell chime. Pure awesomeness!

[@DarkKnightBatman420]

I'm excited for X-Men 97's potential.

[@daviddalby6217]

The American theme goes hard. The Japanese theme goes so. Much. Harder. ‘SHOCK!!!!!!’

[@nhaprophet]

CRY FOR THE MOOOONNN

[@shartslaw322]

Wow, you got through that one without any bloopers, well done!

[@kidgruesome407]

I remember watching this on tv as a kid. The show is still Very good quality imo. Great content.

[@RAZTAKILLAH01]

I was in the Army when this came out. So funny that at 3:00pm , fully grown men, racing to the barracks to watch this show. That's how you knew it was already an instant classic

[@cornbredx]

I was very very young but I weirdly still have hazy memories of Fox wanting to get into Saturday morning cartoons, and all that starting up, and then watching it all the time. I was homeschooled so reading the newspaper was one way I learned to read, and while I dont know that I read *that* article I do remember reading articles about Fox and Saturday morning cartoons.

[@michaellyndaker2438]

Love that quick They Live! reference @ 20:08

[@T.R.R.Jolkien]

Tell Cyclops, I made him a convertible…

[@lifeisoverated81]

I'm actually the proud owner of literally every single 90's Toybiz, Marvel action figure. It's 4 large totes completely full of the figures & a fifth tote with all their vehicles, accessories & play-sets. Every single X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Ironman, Hulk & Ghost Rider.

[@johndunne550]

Long trip for work tomorrow. This will help! Thank you!

[@snukastyle]

Little Clowns of Happytown. That's another memory long-buried you guys have awoken! We didn't have Fox here ntil 1996, but I was able to get the first two episodes on VHS at Blockbuster. It was one of those tapes that probably got worn out over the years until we could watch the series proper. X-Men '90 would be amazing, especially with that gorgeous animation...

[@Premium_Lemon]

We are sometimes "America's Hat" 🤣🤣 Good one!

[@Three_Tiny_Robots]

"The Multiverse- The more you have, the less any of it matters" funny, sad, and true. 😆

[@scottlyttle5586]

I recorded season 2 on VHS tape, and even made a custom label for it.. still proudly have that VHS tape.. even if the machine I used to record it has gone into history..

[@KingBrachion92]

I got an Etsy ad break right at the "clap-fart" gag and I almost choked laughing.

[@mreeping]

I get waaaay too excited for your videos. And I'm totally okay with that. Perfect escapism. Thank you!!

[@PhilBertran]

I love the X-Men Animated Series so much. The only problem it had was it wanted to start the characters from scratch, but with their characterization from 30 years of stories they hadn't adapted yet. Otherwise it and X-Men '97 have been fantastic.

[@seanklingle139]

I didn't get to see Pryde of the X-Men, but I watched the original when it aired and it was my favorite comic book cartoon series besides Superman TAS. Thanks for such a thorough history on it! If anyone needs me I'll be rewatching it while waiting for a season 2 hopefully of 97

[@A-Muse-U]

Personally, I saw the tail end of Xmen TAS and didn’t really connect with it, my Xmen will always be Evolution. Even when 97 was announced, I kinda shrugged cause I didn’t connect with it. But randomly one day, since I have long mornings before work, I decided I’d finally watch the series. And I’m glad I did. Now I want Xmen Evolution 01 or whatever a sequel series to that would be lol

[@bazanime]

I like that I can conveniently binge Xmen from start to latest end in one place, as well as other series.

[@mekman4]

Great Stuff, as always!

[@alexd1685]

Let's not forget the end credits with the, at the time, killer CGI renderings of each character.

[@Weaponx8]

The show made me fall in love with comics and superheroes

[@F13fan]

I absolutely loved it! Watched it every Saturday morning. And spidey & tmnt, those were main go tos. I had just gotten into comics then this got me further in & of course also buying the toys

[@tombakabones274]

X-Men the animated series gave the older kids like myself something to watch on Saturday mornings compared to the other networks

[@rumrunner8019]

Margaret Loesch was to Kathleen Kennedy what Yoda was to Palpatine.

[@MG6960]

Narrator: "Previously on Secret Galaxy..." Wolverine: "Daaaaaaaaannn!"

[@JoRoq1]

X-Men ‘97 was good overall. It felt like someone acting the way they thought people in the late 90s acted, but the critical respect for the original series was there. Hopefully season 2 stays consistent after the production drama before the series premiere.

[@Estolcles]

Jamie Kellner: Near blocker of "X-Men" and "Batman: The Animated Series", destroyer of World Championship Wrestling (the one who drove the nail in the heart, though Russo lost a LOT of viewers), track record that truly speaks of failing upwards and being lucky to take advantage of other people's successes.

[@kyngou]

The commercials are still playing and I know it’s going to be good This is the episode I have been waiting on