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Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series
In late 1992, on small budgets and under tight schedules, the cast and crew of The Animated Series crafted a television show that, despite an industry full of naysayers, immediately shot to #1. This “kids' show” often landed more than half the TV viewers across America, and a twenty-year gold rush of Marvel motion pictures and TV series followed. Previously on X-Men is Eric Lewald’s personal, inside account of how the series got on the air, the many challenges that were overcome, and how the show prevailed. The head writer interviewed 36 of the artists, writers, voice cast, and executives who helped make this game-changing series a worldwide success. This book is an authoritative look into the creation of the animated series that nobody expected to succeed. Lewald offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the Saturday-morning cartoon series that changed Hollywood.
451 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 11, 2023
It may not be very interesting to the uninitiated, but fans of the ‘90s X-Men cartoon will find the bevy of insider’s anecdotes astounding, and will be awash in nostalgia: it will truly feel like an insight into childhood.
May 28, 2018
So much fun, and so full of nostalgia. The format (the bulk of the content seemed to be long chapters full of interviews with the cast, crew, writers, and executives) lent itself to feeling a bit repetitive - but the anecdotes were amazing, and the story itself fills me with gratitude that these folks were given the chance to do a Saturday morning cartoon a bit differently.
Would I have liked this book nearly as much if it hadn't been as big a part of my childhood? Probably not. Does it matter? :)
Would I have liked this book nearly as much if it hadn't been as big a part of my childhood? Probably not. Does it matter? :)
February 4, 2019
An extremely thorough insight into the making of the 90s X-Men cartoon.
If you've ever wondered "how did that cartoon come about?" then prepare to delve into stacks of interviews with creators, producers, network execs, voice artists and scriptwriters to find out everything. Really satisfying anecdotes and insights into how it all happened.
If you carry the torch of nostalgia for X-Men: The Animated Series, then this is an excellent book. If you'd like to know how cartoons were created in the 90s, this is also a great read.
Highly recommended.
If you've ever wondered "how did that cartoon come about?" then prepare to delve into stacks of interviews with creators, producers, network execs, voice artists and scriptwriters to find out everything. Really satisfying anecdotes and insights into how it all happened.
If you carry the torch of nostalgia for X-Men: The Animated Series, then this is an excellent book. If you'd like to know how cartoons were created in the 90s, this is also a great read.
Highly recommended.
April 10, 2019
The 90s X-men cartoon was alongside Batman: The Animated Series for my favorite interpretations of a comic book superhero. It's also the best representation of the X-men outside of the comic books themselves. This book is basically a behind-the-scenes detailing how the creators managed to convince Fox to give them a shot in creating it and their attempts to tell mature PG-rated stories in a network that really just wanted them making G-rated stories if they wanted to make them at all.
Honestly, it's kind of a frustrating story because the book reveals just how passionate the creators were about the X-men and how much they were willing to risk their jobs on creating it. It was a huge success and their reward was to have their budgets and paychecks contnually slashed until the ratings finally tapered off. I think the book would have benefited from a Episode Guide and commentary to go along with it but is very detailed in conveying the philosophy of how they created their work. "Mature, deep, and emotional storytelling" is their guideline.
I would have appreciated some reminders of what some of the plots they discussed were as well as a description of Pryde of the X-men (known to me but not the casual reader) but these are minor quibbles in an otherwise fascinating book.
Honestly, it's kind of a frustrating story because the book reveals just how passionate the creators were about the X-men and how much they were willing to risk their jobs on creating it. It was a huge success and their reward was to have their budgets and paychecks contnually slashed until the ratings finally tapered off. I think the book would have benefited from a Episode Guide and commentary to go along with it but is very detailed in conveying the philosophy of how they created their work. "Mature, deep, and emotional storytelling" is their guideline.
I would have appreciated some reminders of what some of the plots they discussed were as well as a description of Pryde of the X-men (known to me but not the casual reader) but these are minor quibbles in an otherwise fascinating book.
April 16, 2025
4.25 An amazing retrospective on a game-changing series, Previously On X-Men dives deep into the development, creation, and cultural impact of X-Men: The Animated Series.
That said, while fascinating, it’s definitely a niche read—and its length can sneak up on you. At times, it gets a bit lost in the weeds and could have benefited from tighter editing.
Still, if this series shaped your childhood (as it did mine), it’s absolutely worth picking up.
That said, while fascinating, it’s definitely a niche read—and its length can sneak up on you. At times, it gets a bit lost in the weeds and could have benefited from tighter editing.
Still, if this series shaped your childhood (as it did mine), it’s absolutely worth picking up.
March 31, 2018
I didn't watch the original "X-Men" series, but I was fascinated by this look at putting together an animated television program. Eric Lewald and his cohorts clearly felt passionately about their work creating and sustaining this program, and apparently so did fans of the show. An excellent case study about television writing and production.
January 4, 2026
Any fan of X-Men: The Animated Series, whether they grew up watching it while it aired or discovered it later, will find much to appreciate and enjoy in Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series, Eric Lewald's extensive reflection on the series complete with gobs of interviews, photos, storyboards, original art, and more! I don't know why you'd read this book if you haven't seen the show, but honestly even the first several chapters detailing the inception of the series would be fascinating to the uninitiated simply because it gives a very cool snapshot of the children's animation landscape in the nineties and how it intersected with the comics scene—particularly how the parallel development and success of Batman: The Animated Series enabled their own while also making them look bad because they got far less of an animation budget. You get a real sense of the passion of the creators and how the studio executives just didn't get their vision for a show for kids that was a bit more serious and dramatic than the usual fare...and also Stan Lee was a bit of a diva who had a genuinely terrible idea for what the show was supposed to be. There's a lot of inside baseball here, and although Lewald is occasionally discreet about certain executives' shitty decisions, there's also plenty of tea spilling as Lewald and other writers air their grievances with various aspects of the production from scheduling delays to animation snafus.
As a fan of the show who was rewatching it for the first time since childhood, I really loved hearing about how some of my favorite episodes came to be! A lot of the major storylines get ink, and each episode or multi-episode arc gets its own write-up where Lewald talks about the basis for the episode and what he thinks worked and didn't work about it. Some of these were more interesting than others, and I often wished for a little more trivia/explanation on episodes where certain elements didn't make sense. But it was also neat to hear about storylines that never came to be, like the fact that Jean was supposed to be pregnant in season two but the studio was like TEENAGE BOYS DON'T WANT TO SEE A PREGNANT WOMAN THAT'S NOT HOT or the fact that they wrote a series finale for the end of season four that had to be reworked once the studio ordered more episodes.
This is an extensive and detailed book, and it sounds like Lewald really enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with his old colleagues and reflect on the experience. Especially with the voice actors that he didn't actually have a whole lot of interaction with at the time! It has the feel of an "unauthorized" history even though it's by the guy who ran the show, and the lack of polish is somewhat endearing, but I feel like it could have used a bit more structure and editing. A lot of the interviews cover the same ground—Lewald just can't stop asking people about Lady Deathstroke's breasts—and I wasn't personally interested in the careers of every single person who worked on the show, though sometimes it did give some interesting context to their work on the show. I was skimming a lot by the end, though I slowed down for some cute stories from fans writing letters about how much the show meant to them.
Revisiting the show, I could see that it didn't hold up quite as well as I hoped, not like Batman: The Animated Series did, so I slightly rolled my eyes at Lewald's constant assertions that this show was so ADULT and CHARACTER-DRIVEN. It's a good show, my dude, but it's not THAT good! But I do think it was absolutely groundbreaking and revolutionary for the time—"Nightcrawler" rightfully gets called out over and over for talking about faith frankly and respectfully in a children's show—and I believe it had a huge impact on pop culture because, well, I was there and this was how I got all my X-Men knowledge. This show brought the superteam into the mainstream, and it's why we got the movies. This is not the best written nonfiction book by any means, but it's very cute and nostalgic, and it's a real treat for fans. I'm glad Lewald took the time to put it together!
As a fan of the show who was rewatching it for the first time since childhood, I really loved hearing about how some of my favorite episodes came to be! A lot of the major storylines get ink, and each episode or multi-episode arc gets its own write-up where Lewald talks about the basis for the episode and what he thinks worked and didn't work about it. Some of these were more interesting than others, and I often wished for a little more trivia/explanation on episodes where certain elements didn't make sense. But it was also neat to hear about storylines that never came to be, like the fact that Jean was supposed to be pregnant in season two but the studio was like TEENAGE BOYS DON'T WANT TO SEE A PREGNANT WOMAN THAT'S NOT HOT or the fact that they wrote a series finale for the end of season four that had to be reworked once the studio ordered more episodes.
This is an extensive and detailed book, and it sounds like Lewald really enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with his old colleagues and reflect on the experience. Especially with the voice actors that he didn't actually have a whole lot of interaction with at the time! It has the feel of an "unauthorized" history even though it's by the guy who ran the show, and the lack of polish is somewhat endearing, but I feel like it could have used a bit more structure and editing. A lot of the interviews cover the same ground—Lewald just can't stop asking people about Lady Deathstroke's breasts—and I wasn't personally interested in the careers of every single person who worked on the show, though sometimes it did give some interesting context to their work on the show. I was skimming a lot by the end, though I slowed down for some cute stories from fans writing letters about how much the show meant to them.
Revisiting the show, I could see that it didn't hold up quite as well as I hoped, not like Batman: The Animated Series did, so I slightly rolled my eyes at Lewald's constant assertions that this show was so ADULT and CHARACTER-DRIVEN. It's a good show, my dude, but it's not THAT good! But I do think it was absolutely groundbreaking and revolutionary for the time—"Nightcrawler" rightfully gets called out over and over for talking about faith frankly and respectfully in a children's show—and I believe it had a huge impact on pop culture because, well, I was there and this was how I got all my X-Men knowledge. This show brought the superteam into the mainstream, and it's why we got the movies. This is not the best written nonfiction book by any means, but it's very cute and nostalgic, and it's a real treat for fans. I'm glad Lewald took the time to put it together!
January 7, 2024
A fun peek behind the scenes that frequently veers into the self-congratulatory. The first 200 pages or so serve as an engaging oral history of "X-Men: The Animated Series," and contain a lot of neat information about the behind-the-scenes challenges the show faced. Large chunks of the show bible and internals memos are reprinted here, and they are both fascinating and genuinely insightful.
Unfortunately, the remaining 250 pages of the book are dedicated entirely to transcripts of interviews between author Eric Lewald and many of the actors, writers, artists, and executives who worked on the show. While these are an interesting source of information, Lewald repeats the same questions over and over again, and many of those interviewed give very similar answers. Some, such as Mystique actress Jennifer Dale, have basically no memory of working on the show. Rarely is Lewald's recollection of things challenged or enhanced by his interview subjects. The book also features an interview with a television critic and a chapter of "fan testimonials," both of which are pure fluff.
Lewald being the sole author and primary interviewer lets many of his more questionable claims go unchallenged. He frequently downplays the success of both the X-Men comic books and previous Marvel Comics adaptations, as well as "X-Men" rival "Batman: the Animated Series". Some of Lewald's more spurious claims:
1. That "X-Men" was Marvel's first television hit (ignoring the five primetime seasons of CBS' "The Incredible Hulk").
2. That the show was the first version of X-Men to foreground human vs mutant conflict (the graphic novel "God Loves, Man Kills" was already a decade old by the time the cartoon went on the air).
3. That the comic book version of Phoenix was a separate entity from Jean Grey, and the show was the first to consider them one character (this one is seemingly born from a misunderstanding/misremembering of a later "X-Factor" storyline).
4. That the two-part episode "One Man's Worth" was the first X-Men story to show a universe where Charles Xavier never formed the X-Men. The episodes aired the same year as the comics' landmark "Age of Apocalypse" story, which featured the same premise, and the episodes feature many cameos and visual references to "Age of Apocalypse." (Lewald would claim in later interviews that "Age of Apocalypse" was directly inspired by "One Man's Worth," though this has never been acknowledged by any of the writers who worked on the story arc. The close release of both stories and lack of supporting evidence makes Lewald's claim dubious at best, though not impossible.)
5. That no one involved in the production of the original "X-Men" movies read the comic books, and solely used the animated series as a reference. This is demonstrably untrue, but Lewald later quotes screenwriter David Hayer as more specifically saying that director Bryan Singer used the series as his sole point of reference during the production of the first X-Men film, which seems more likely.
Still, Lewald is so clearly proud of the work he and his team accomplished on "X-Men," and his enthusiasm is earnest enough to keep the book from feeling like a complete vanity project. It's a fun read, and at least worth a skim ahead of the upcoming "X-Men '97" revival.
Unfortunately, the remaining 250 pages of the book are dedicated entirely to transcripts of interviews between author Eric Lewald and many of the actors, writers, artists, and executives who worked on the show. While these are an interesting source of information, Lewald repeats the same questions over and over again, and many of those interviewed give very similar answers. Some, such as Mystique actress Jennifer Dale, have basically no memory of working on the show. Rarely is Lewald's recollection of things challenged or enhanced by his interview subjects. The book also features an interview with a television critic and a chapter of "fan testimonials," both of which are pure fluff.
Lewald being the sole author and primary interviewer lets many of his more questionable claims go unchallenged. He frequently downplays the success of both the X-Men comic books and previous Marvel Comics adaptations, as well as "X-Men" rival "Batman: the Animated Series". Some of Lewald's more spurious claims:
1. That "X-Men" was Marvel's first television hit (ignoring the five primetime seasons of CBS' "The Incredible Hulk").
2. That the show was the first version of X-Men to foreground human vs mutant conflict (the graphic novel "God Loves, Man Kills" was already a decade old by the time the cartoon went on the air).
3. That the comic book version of Phoenix was a separate entity from Jean Grey, and the show was the first to consider them one character (this one is seemingly born from a misunderstanding/misremembering of a later "X-Factor" storyline).
4. That the two-part episode "One Man's Worth" was the first X-Men story to show a universe where Charles Xavier never formed the X-Men. The episodes aired the same year as the comics' landmark "Age of Apocalypse" story, which featured the same premise, and the episodes feature many cameos and visual references to "Age of Apocalypse." (Lewald would claim in later interviews that "Age of Apocalypse" was directly inspired by "One Man's Worth," though this has never been acknowledged by any of the writers who worked on the story arc. The close release of both stories and lack of supporting evidence makes Lewald's claim dubious at best, though not impossible.)
5. That no one involved in the production of the original "X-Men" movies read the comic books, and solely used the animated series as a reference. This is demonstrably untrue, but Lewald later quotes screenwriter David Hayer as more specifically saying that director Bryan Singer used the series as his sole point of reference during the production of the first X-Men film, which seems more likely.
Still, Lewald is so clearly proud of the work he and his team accomplished on "X-Men," and his enthusiasm is earnest enough to keep the book from feeling like a complete vanity project. It's a fun read, and at least worth a skim ahead of the upcoming "X-Men '97" revival.
August 1, 2019
If X-Men: The Animated Series was a fundamental part of your childhood, then this is the book you've been waiting for. Furthermore, "Previously on X-Men" has enough insight on the travails of creating television (specifically, making animation) that parts of it will interest people who didn't spend the 1990s with this theme song in their head.
Eric Lewald (the show's head writer) shares anecdotes from the show's creation -- most from its first year, before everyone knew it would be a big hit. He lays out threats that could have undermined the show's creation: Stan Lee thought he should narrate; Haim Saban would not sacrifice money for quality; unnamed Marvel executives didn't "get" the show.
Additionally, Lewald does an exhaustive job of interviewing cast, crew and executives involved with the show. And, while it's fun to hear from Rogue and various suits, Lewald isn't much of an editor. He dedicates 200 pages to the interviews, nearly half of the book's running lengths. And he barely edits them.
Consequently, many stories are told from multiple perspectives. (Saban was cheap! The cast parties were crazy!) And this isn't a Rashomon situation where each telling provides a new layer of understanding. This is just five or six people telling us the same crazy work story. It's fascinating the first time, but the charm wears off long before the interviews conclude. And there's a fan testimonial section that could be excised entirely. (If you're reading a 450-page book about X-Men: TAS, then you don't need to be convinced of the show's merits.)
However, it's also the interviews section that provides the book's most pleasant surprise. Most animation or television retrospectives focus on writers, animators and cast. Lewald also includes the executives who helped shepherd it through its awkward, often fraught gestation. How many retrospectives bother to include the marketing executive or the Standards & Broadcast person? These unsung heroes provide unique perspectives and insight we don't often get.
Finally, "Previously on X-Men" offers fun tidbits on how the crew et. al. view "Batman: The Animated Series," later X-Men shows, and the films.
It's a fun and thorough -- occasionally too thorough -- tour of a seminal show and moment in pop culture.
Eric Lewald (the show's head writer) shares anecdotes from the show's creation -- most from its first year, before everyone knew it would be a big hit. He lays out threats that could have undermined the show's creation: Stan Lee thought he should narrate; Haim Saban would not sacrifice money for quality; unnamed Marvel executives didn't "get" the show.
Additionally, Lewald does an exhaustive job of interviewing cast, crew and executives involved with the show. And, while it's fun to hear from Rogue and various suits, Lewald isn't much of an editor. He dedicates 200 pages to the interviews, nearly half of the book's running lengths. And he barely edits them.
Consequently, many stories are told from multiple perspectives. (Saban was cheap! The cast parties were crazy!) And this isn't a Rashomon situation where each telling provides a new layer of understanding. This is just five or six people telling us the same crazy work story. It's fascinating the first time, but the charm wears off long before the interviews conclude. And there's a fan testimonial section that could be excised entirely. (If you're reading a 450-page book about X-Men: TAS, then you don't need to be convinced of the show's merits.)
However, it's also the interviews section that provides the book's most pleasant surprise. Most animation or television retrospectives focus on writers, animators and cast. Lewald also includes the executives who helped shepherd it through its awkward, often fraught gestation. How many retrospectives bother to include the marketing executive or the Standards & Broadcast person? These unsung heroes provide unique perspectives and insight we don't often get.
Finally, "Previously on X-Men" offers fun tidbits on how the crew et. al. view "Batman: The Animated Series," later X-Men shows, and the films.
It's a fun and thorough -- occasionally too thorough -- tour of a seminal show and moment in pop culture.
November 12, 2025
The definitive book on one of the definitive TV programs of the 1990s. Virtually *every* major player associated with the iconic animated series is interviewed or profiled here, and the depths plumbed are nothing short of amazing — like, there's even an entire chapter dedicated to the source inspirations for almost ALL of Beast's literary references throughout the entire show's run. You get a lot of inside baseball on the show's chaotic origins (including a VERY surprising revelation about who was one of the biggest naysayers to its production) and thorough, behind-the-scenes synopses on virtually every single episode. Learning about all of the what could have been scenarios and how much executive meddling went on at Fox Kids is gripping stuff, even if you've never even seen a single episode of "X-Men." It leaves no stone unturned and no question unasked — if only more "tell-all" production history books were THIS exhaustive and satisfying.
December 26, 2024
A fine book but I echo a lot of what others have said about it as well: namely, it repeats a lot of talking points, does get some details wrong, and was a bit light when it came to information on running the show past season 2. It was very interesting to see how the folks behind the show had to fight tooth-and-nail to keep such basic things intact like overarching storylines, Morph dying, and not forcing in product placement at every angle. For a piece of history it's great to see just how much was changed - and at the same time as another comic show, Batman!
But, overall, I would only recommend this to diehard fans of the show who have an interest on the behind the scenes aspect of it - and even then, don't expect much after the first 2 seasons. I also wasn't too into the transcripts of interviews done with cast and crew but that was more of a personal opinion.
But, overall, I would only recommend this to diehard fans of the show who have an interest on the behind the scenes aspect of it - and even then, don't expect much after the first 2 seasons. I also wasn't too into the transcripts of interviews done with cast and crew but that was more of a personal opinion.
February 13, 2020
It's better in the first third when the author gives you a lot of inside info about setting up the show. Then the book gives way to somewhat repetitive interviews. Perhaps the most interesting were Bishop and Storm who make clear that they felt separate from the cast and want to be known for their "REAL" acting
It could have used some more narrative about creative choices past the first season. And obviously I would have loved to hear their take on the Linda lawsuit.
Also, maybe some critics? A repeated point is that this show was really better than Batman TAS, especially once you take budget into consideration. Maybe I'm wrong, but I always thought of it as a very, very good show rather than a hall of fame show. (No shame in that.)
It could have used some more narrative about creative choices past the first season. And obviously I would have loved to hear their take on the Linda lawsuit.
Also, maybe some critics? A repeated point is that this show was really better than Batman TAS, especially once you take budget into consideration. Maybe I'm wrong, but I always thought of it as a very, very good show rather than a hall of fame show. (No shame in that.)
October 13, 2021
I liked the book, but it repeated a lot of talking points. I don't regret buying it, but it could've been cut down significantly. I might get the art book as a nice compliment. The book gives a good insight how animated series were made and perceived in the 90s entertainment industry. Nowadays, I feel like American, action-oriented cartoons are in flux because anime as replaced it amongst Millennials and Gen Z audiences. It also doesn't help that Disney is leaning onto the MCU aesthetic to all their non-movie content.
Anyway, I admired what the editors, writers, animators and even executives (not Saban and Lee) fighting for keeping the quality of the stories. However, the actual animation...I feel their pain on that one.
Anyway, I admired what the editors, writers, animators and even executives (not Saban and Lee) fighting for keeping the quality of the stories. However, the actual animation...I feel their pain on that one.
May 25, 2019
This is a very special book. There are some formatting and structuring flaws (a portion of the book is interviews with cast and crew that can become repetitive) that can happen in independent publishing, but having this history collected in one, beautifully bound, volume by the series creator is priceless. To my knowledge, this information cannot be found anywhere else. Also, the fan testimonies at the end brought tears to my eyes.
August 9, 2022
I wanted to read this from cover to cover and love it. I love the X-men comics, cartoon and even the movies (most of them anyway). I was so excited to read all about TAS. I got to about page 265 and then I started questioning the editors. Too long by about 200 pages, and why spend 60 of them on a synopsis of Every. Single. Episode? It picked up again with the writers’ interviews, but I’m glad to be done.
September 10, 2019
This is a fun, informative, and thorough account of how this show was created that will appeal mainly to fans but offers insights into the entertainment industry that others may find fascinating. The information is exhaustive, ranging from episodic breakdowns to executive interviews. There’s an unofficial, non-sanctioned air throughout that contributes to some of the most entertaining asides; neither Stan Lee nor Marvel are presented in the typical reverent fashion that’s so commonplace today. (4.5 out of 5)
August 18, 2019
Informative book with tons of behind the scenes of the greatest cartoon series ever made.
The only downside is the author's apparent hate on for Stan Lee which is prevalent in the book, comes off poorly with Stan's recent passing.
The only downside is the author's apparent hate on for Stan Lee which is prevalent in the book, comes off poorly with Stan's recent passing.
June 7, 2020
Great book
Very comprehensive, and a wonderful peek into the world of 90s network television animation. Brought up a lot of great memories of being a child, and watching this show on TV!
Very comprehensive, and a wonderful peek into the world of 90s network television animation. Brought up a lot of great memories of being a child, and watching this show on TV!
July 3, 2023
A fascinating read for fans of the animated series, clearly put together through painstaking effort and massive collaboration. I would pick it up and put it down over the months, but always found it engaging.
February 13, 2021
Great read
If you were a fan of the cartoon back in the day and you like to read about behind the scenes type book or oral histories, this is the perfect book for you.
If you were a fan of the cartoon back in the day and you like to read about behind the scenes type book or oral histories, this is the perfect book for you.
March 13, 2024
Overly long, needing an editor to splice together stories and remove redundant and repetitive entries, it still has some interesting looks into the making of the show.
May 9, 2024
La primera parte del detrás de cámaras y el kmpsctobde la serie hacen de este libro un mustvread para los fans
Lo malo es elnrelleno de los testimonios de los productores, repiten mucho!!!
Lo malo es elnrelleno de los testimonios de los productores, repiten mucho!!!
October 14, 2024
I finished reading "Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series" by Eric Lewald (show runner for the series). For those that don't know, this is referencing the 1992 X-Men: The Animated Series one of my all time favorite shows and a show that did really shape much of my person.
Not only did this show jumpstart my love of X-Men in general as well as comics, but likely is the basis for my love of animated shows and movies. While the show may not have reached a ton of people beyond its targeted audience (kids and those others fond of X-Men or superheroes in general), it was understatedly groundbreaking television--as the book points out frequently.
It was a children's show that focused on plot, character, serial storytelling, and real world issues (prejudice, disguised racism, religion, among others) at a time when children's TV steered clear of all of that for fear that it would be "too complicated." It was a cartoon that did not think of the merchandising first and story second. And despite some very outdated technology depicted in the show, I personally feel that it holds up amazingly. Certainly better than the other two X-Men centric cartoons that came after.
The book discussed the trials and tribulations of getting this show started as many contemporaries of the early 90's couldn't see the vision of what the show was meant to be. It (along with Batman: The Animated Series) skyrocket the Fox network to be a major player among (at the time) the 3 other available stations. There were times when ratings for this superhero cartoon exceeded not only the Saturday morning time slots for ABC, CBS, and NBC, but also the few times that it appeared in prime time.
It gave a brief description of each of the 76 episodes (including the final 6 that are drastically different from everything that came before). Which means that at long last I know the actual order in which the episode should be watched. Not the production order, not the airing order, not the DVD order, and not the Disney+ order. Something that I think is important for serialized storytelling.
Eric continues to book with interviews of cast, writers, directors, editors, producers, and pretty much every other job associated with the show. While these interviews became a little tedious and repetitive with so many of them, it was nice to hear so many different voices from different views of television production on how the show impacted them and in many ways the world.
The few people that read my reviews may not understand the full cultural impact that this show had. It's mania has faded over the years and thoughts of the X-Men in non-comic media have been replaced by later cartoons and the movies. But for so many people, this show was the first of its kind. A labor of love from all involved--even though most didn't have much knowledge of who the X-Men were.
I no longer have the possibility of meeting Stan Lee (who did not come out great in this book), but I hope that at some point I'll get to meet or at least get an autograph of the singular voice that shaped my childhood of Alison Sealy-Smith. My love of--maybe obsession with--Storm stems primarily from her. She and Lisa Simpson have taught me the basis of my morality and (hopefully) general acceptance of people.
I don't often read non-fiction and this show has such an important place in my heart that I was a little nervous starting this. The sheer amount of love put into this show astounded me and honestly brought some tears to my eyes. I would say overall I'd give it a 7/10. It's not the most exciting read, but worth it for anyone who had their childhood touched by this show.
Not only did this show jumpstart my love of X-Men in general as well as comics, but likely is the basis for my love of animated shows and movies. While the show may not have reached a ton of people beyond its targeted audience (kids and those others fond of X-Men or superheroes in general), it was understatedly groundbreaking television--as the book points out frequently.
It was a children's show that focused on plot, character, serial storytelling, and real world issues (prejudice, disguised racism, religion, among others) at a time when children's TV steered clear of all of that for fear that it would be "too complicated." It was a cartoon that did not think of the merchandising first and story second. And despite some very outdated technology depicted in the show, I personally feel that it holds up amazingly. Certainly better than the other two X-Men centric cartoons that came after.
The book discussed the trials and tribulations of getting this show started as many contemporaries of the early 90's couldn't see the vision of what the show was meant to be. It (along with Batman: The Animated Series) skyrocket the Fox network to be a major player among (at the time) the 3 other available stations. There were times when ratings for this superhero cartoon exceeded not only the Saturday morning time slots for ABC, CBS, and NBC, but also the few times that it appeared in prime time.
It gave a brief description of each of the 76 episodes (including the final 6 that are drastically different from everything that came before). Which means that at long last I know the actual order in which the episode should be watched. Not the production order, not the airing order, not the DVD order, and not the Disney+ order. Something that I think is important for serialized storytelling.
Eric continues to book with interviews of cast, writers, directors, editors, producers, and pretty much every other job associated with the show. While these interviews became a little tedious and repetitive with so many of them, it was nice to hear so many different voices from different views of television production on how the show impacted them and in many ways the world.
The few people that read my reviews may not understand the full cultural impact that this show had. It's mania has faded over the years and thoughts of the X-Men in non-comic media have been replaced by later cartoons and the movies. But for so many people, this show was the first of its kind. A labor of love from all involved--even though most didn't have much knowledge of who the X-Men were.
I no longer have the possibility of meeting Stan Lee (who did not come out great in this book), but I hope that at some point I'll get to meet or at least get an autograph of the singular voice that shaped my childhood of Alison Sealy-Smith. My love of--maybe obsession with--Storm stems primarily from her. She and Lisa Simpson have taught me the basis of my morality and (hopefully) general acceptance of people.
I don't often read non-fiction and this show has such an important place in my heart that I was a little nervous starting this. The sheer amount of love put into this show astounded me and honestly brought some tears to my eyes. I would say overall I'd give it a 7/10. It's not the most exciting read, but worth it for anyone who had their childhood touched by this show.
February 1, 2025
The Definitive book on the production of X-Men TAS. Writen by the show runner and has interviews with almost everyone who had anything to do with the show. It is a must read if you are a fan.
May 4, 2025
Previously on X-Men: The Making of an Animated Series is an X-Men: TAS fanboy's (or girl's) dream. The plethora of content -- interviews, commentary, script notes -- cover every corner of the series' world, leaving no stone unturned. And while those never watched the show will not get as much out of it as die-hard fans, the book is accessible to casual viewers and even those who never watched the show but have peripheral knowledge of the X-Men in general. The only downside is that, at times, the books feels a bit too long. But perhaps that is unfair critique, as the book should be judged on it's own terms -- an in-depth look at the series that deserves to go 400+ pages. Still, it felt lagging at times.
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