Marines (lost animated portion of "Aliens" toy commercial; 1992): Difference between revisions

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(huge update (still wonder what the "operaiton: aliens" psoter was for, though? ))
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'''''Operation: Aliens''''' was a proposed cartoon pilot that was developed in 1992, both to coincide with the release of the third film in the series, ''Alien 3'', and with a proposed line of action figures Kenner Toys was producing. Details on the pilot itself are scarce, but what is generally known is that the idea to do a cartoon series was envisioned by Fox during the marketing blitz for the third film, and the animation work was outsourced to a Korean animation studio.
'''''Marines'''''<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20180404032524/https://www.ebay.com/itm/-/362286068516?roken=cUgayN&soutkn=QN2XXX</ref> was the title given to unused animation for a set of toy commercials for Kenner's ''Aliens'' toyline. Frames from the finished animation were uploaded on a long-defunct site devoted to Korean animation along with a poster with the caption ''Operation: Aliens'', leading to long running speculation that the animation was a scrapped pilot for an ''Aliens'' animated series.


What happened next is unclear. Production evidently got far enough along that an ''Operation: Aliens'' toy and merchandise line was planned and designed, and that the pilot was due to be aired in Fall 1992 on Fox's television network. However, the pilot was scrapped, although late enough in the process that several pieces of merchandise went to store shelves still bearing the ''Operation: Aliens'' banner.
In April 2018, animation professional Will Meugniot, who had directed and produced said animation, upload a storyboard for the second commercial on eBay and explained in the description that "Operation: Aliens" never existed and that the animation was produced for a set of toy commercial  in 1992. The animated footage ended up being unused after the producer of the live-action footage found a technique to better film the actual toys and decided to use that instead.


Assuming that the plots outlined in the mini-comics from the Kenner toyline were intended to be part of this cancelled series, the pilot would have followed Lieutenant Ellen Ripley and several members of the Colonial Marines as they captured or destroyed dangerous xenomorphs who were attacking various locales. One major conceit of the action figure line is that the xenomorphs were breeding new hybrids, in the form of the chestbursters assimilating various traits of their hosts (including a bull, a mantis, a scorpion and others).
:''"In 1992, while producing Conan the Adventurer and X-Men for Graz Entertainment, Meugniot was asked to storyboard, produce and direct animated segments for three Aliens toy commercials, done in support of a new Aliens toyline. The trio of ads were all concerned with a team of space marines defending a space station from an Alien attack. The animation was done by Akom, using the same team that did the Conan titles. However, a new snorkel camera had come to the attention of the commercials' live action producer, allowing him to film the toys with unprecedented clarity, so he decided to use this footage instead of the completed animation in the final cut of the commercials. <br> The shown frame captures from finished animation have sparked an internet myth that there was an "Operation Aliens" animated pilot, which doesn't exist.
"''
:''-Will Meugniot, in the eBay product description for the storyboard<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20180404032524/https://www.ebay.com/itm/-/362286068516?roken=cUgayN&soutkn=QN2XXX</ref> ''
==References==
{{reflist}}


It's likely the pilot was scrapped when members of the production realized that it would be incredibly difficult to plan a children's program where the antagonists are double-jawed, phallic-shaped creatures with acid for blood. It's also likely that the lackluster box office performance of the third film put a damper on any future opportunities for tie-in films or shows.


The pilot has never been released in any form, and the only evidence that it was at least partially animated are a series of screencaps that appeared on a now-defunct website for Korean animation.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
[[File:OP_ALIENS.jpg|thumb|600px|center|Montage of stills from the pilot.]]
[[File:OP_ALIENS.jpg|thumb|600px|center|Montage of stills from the commercials.]]




[[Category:Lost animation]]
[[Category:Lost animation]]
[[Category:Lost TV]]
[[Category:Lost TV]]

Revision as of 03:45, 4 April 2018

Opposter.jpg

1992 "Assault" poster advertising the series.

Status: Lost

Marines[1] was the title given to unused animation for a set of toy commercials for Kenner's Aliens toyline. Frames from the finished animation were uploaded on a long-defunct site devoted to Korean animation along with a poster with the caption Operation: Aliens, leading to long running speculation that the animation was a scrapped pilot for an Aliens animated series.

In April 2018, animation professional Will Meugniot, who had directed and produced said animation, upload a storyboard for the second commercial on eBay and explained in the description that "Operation: Aliens" never existed and that the animation was produced for a set of toy commercial in 1992. The animated footage ended up being unused after the producer of the live-action footage found a technique to better film the actual toys and decided to use that instead.

"In 1992, while producing Conan the Adventurer and X-Men for Graz Entertainment, Meugniot was asked to storyboard, produce and direct animated segments for three Aliens toy commercials, done in support of a new Aliens toyline. The trio of ads were all concerned with a team of space marines defending a space station from an Alien attack. The animation was done by Akom, using the same team that did the Conan titles. However, a new snorkel camera had come to the attention of the commercials' live action producer, allowing him to film the toys with unprecedented clarity, so he decided to use this footage instead of the completed animation in the final cut of the commercials.
The shown frame captures from finished animation have sparked an internet myth that there was an "Operation Aliens" animated pilot, which doesn't exist.

"

-Will Meugniot, in the eBay product description for the storyboard[2]

References


Gallery

Montage of stills from the commercials.