'Futurama': Now with more cartoon nudity

"We used all of our mighty nerd powers to bring you back," declares a bespectacled alien attending the Package-Con event in Space Diego.

The scene plays out in the mini comic book created for Comic-Con fans to help them transition from Futurama's final episode on FOX to the upcoming feature Bender's Big Score, due out on DVD Nov. 27.

Like Family Guy, a fellow FOX cartoon that was canceled, Futurama got new life after fans who caught the reruns on cable sparked a series renewal.

"I have to say on behalf of everyone who works on Futurama," said the show's creator Matt Groening at Saturday's panel, "that the devotion of you, the fans of the show has sustained us during all the years in the darkness, waiting to return. The letters we got, the drawings, the Internet petition and then coming here [to Comic-Con] every year and doing our presentations really, really helped. So thank you for your inspiration."

Talent that also came out to wow fans with their vocal dexterity included Billy West (Fry, Zoidberg, Prof. Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan), Katey Sagal (Leela), John DiMaggio (Bender) and Maurice LaMarche (Kif, Morbo, Calculon). With the actors switching between their multiple voices, the dialogue quickly became confusing.

Starting January 1, 2008, the 72 Futurama reruns will move from Cartoon Network to Comedy Central, where the brand-new episodes will also run.

The session began with a trailer for Bender's Big Score, which included a lot of cartoon nudity since part of takes place at a nudist beach planet where Zoidberg takes of his shell. The feature, like three more to follow, will actually comprise four new episodes each for Comedy Central.

Returning to production required a few budget cuts, however.

"We did take a bit of a hit, but only in certain places, and I will tell you where those are," revealed executive producer/writer David X. Cohen. "You may see on the writers' grouchy expressions -- our writers' salaries and our music. All the writers on this project are veteran writers from the series. We have our entire cast back. We have the same animators.

"A large savings, which you will not notice is that we have removed the live orchestra from the show. So it will sound exactly the same due to the improved technology of synthesizers ... So that's where the budget took a hit. So we have used a slightly lower budget to make a more impressive-looking product. And the animation is a step above. It's going to be high def, although I don't think it will be initially released that way."

There are benefits to switching from a major network to cable though.

"I will say that a lot of this plot centers around a tattoo on Fry's buttocks," said Cohen. "We used to be able to show naked, animated rear ends on the FOX network, and they cracked down on that."

"Yes, we don't get to show anyone's butt anymore on The Simpsons or Futurama," adds Groening. "When we knew we were doing these new episodes for cable, yes, we went a little further. I think you can see it in the preview that we had."

Comments

Hooray!!! We're *so* glad Futurama will be back!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Jim Long | Jul 31, 2007 4:25:47 PM | #

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WHOOOOOOO

RachelO | Aug 1, 2007 6:38:29 PM | #

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Now, what we've all been waiting for, full frontal nudity!

B | Aug 1, 2007 8:33:09 PM | #

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I'm BACK!!!!!!!

Bender2 | Aug 2, 2007 11:50:16 PM | #

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YES!!

FryFan3000 | Aug 27, 2007 1:56:13 AM | #

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i watch futerama all the time i have the dvds and the movie was funny as hell...i love you futurama, welcome back!

juggalo snyder | Dec 15, 2007 9:06:15 PM | #

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Yeah! Bender is back. Kiss my shiney metal ---.

Ray | Mar 31, 2008 6:53:00 AM | #

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