Netflix announces an animated TV version of celebrated comic series Bone
Good news for fans of dragons, Stupid Stupid Rat Creatures, and weird, Pogo-looking tourists today: Bone is finally getting the animated adaptation treatment. Jeff Smith’s celebrated comic book—long the subject of attempts to turn it into something, including a short-lived computer game series, and ill-fated efforts from both Nickelodeon, and Warner Bros., to create a cinematic version—has just become the latest target of Netflix’s adaptation efforts. Per Deadline, the series is being turned into an animated series, slowly digging its way through all 55 issues of the original Bone comic.
A frequent contender on lists of the greatest graphic novels of all time, Smith’s story blends classic cartoon character slapstick with Tolkien-esque narrative sweep, dropping three comical cousins (Fone, Phoney, and Smiley Bone) into a world full of monsters and magic. It’s one of the most charming family friendly stories ever told in the medium—funny, sometimes scary, and ultimately heroic as hell—and the idea of Smith’s distinctive blend of art styles finally being translated into motion is tantalizing to contemplate.
Here’s Smith, talking about the deal:
I’ve waited a long time for this. Netflix is the perfect home for Bone. Fans of the books know that the story develops chapter-by-chapter and book-by-book. An animated series is exactly the way to do this! The team at Netflix understands Bone and is committed to doing something special—this is good news for kids and cartoon lovers all over the world.”