A new Earthworm Jim cartoon show is in the works, as announced by Interplay Entertainment, and creator Doug TenNapel is not involved in any way.
Originally released for the Sega Mega Drive and SNES in 1994, Earthworm Jim won over fans with its satirical story and unusual art style, thereby spawning a series as well as an animated show in the 1990s. However, it had been a rocky road for Earthworm Jim as the third and fourth games floundered. A remake of the original was in development in the mid-2000s but was binned when it was almost complete.
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Then, Earthworm Jim HD came out for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, though critics confirmed it was a little dated for the state of modern platformers in 2010. And the newest entry in the series has been announced for the Intellivision Amico. You know the Intellivision Amico, don’t you? The console that plays Android and Flash ports and has since been delayed indefinitely?
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So, the news of a show is music to the ears of fans. I just learned that worms don’t have ears. Of course, there is the problematic relationship that the fans of Earthworm Jim have with its creator, Doug TenNapel. In 2009, TenNapel was a frequent contributor to the far-right news website Breitbart, sharing opinions against same-sex marriage and the LBGTQIA+ community at large.
When a video game journalist criticised the original Earthworm Jim, he misgendered her multiple times, and said that he would be happy to have a "calm discussion of how wrong and triggered you are." This exchange has coloured the series of games as well as TenNapel’s online presence, so fans quickly inquired whether or not the creator has had a hand in the development of the new show.
“I say Trans Rights are Human Rights, baby!” read a reply from the official Earthworm Jim account on Twitter. More specifically, TenNapel has sold the rights to Earthworm Jim to Interplay Entertainment bar the ones for comic books. As a result, he has no involvement in the project.
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While the time frame for the show is not known, the story will introduce “new characters as they navigate the galaxy, where each planet is home to a race of anthropomorphic animals,” as the titular hero attempts to find his home. Passion Pictures, which has worked on a number of Apex Legends shorts and Love, Death and Robots films, will be the one at the reins of the show.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to create a show for an iconic character that we grew up both playing on Genesis, and watching on TV,” said producer Aaron Billet in an interview with Variety. “The fans have matured and deserve a current take as we bring in new audiences.”
Featured Image Credit: Interplay EntertainmentTopics: TV And Film
