The long-awaited animated adaptation of Bone, the beloved comic by Jeff Smith, has reportedly been scrapped at Netflix. According to a report at The Wrap, the long-gestating series, which was first announced back in the halcyon pre-pandemic days of 2019, is one of “several high profile projects” that have been “unceremoniously” canceled by the streaming service. The news has generated plenty of disappointment from fans of the comic, which was first released in 1991 and has gained many fans in the interim.
In addition to the cancellation of Bone, The Wrap also reports that several animated shows are being retooled into one-and-done features, including an adaptation of The Witches by Roald Dahl and Toil and Trouble by Lauren Faust.
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The Bone series follows Fone Bone and his two cousins, Phoncible P. “Phoney” Bone and Smiley Bone as they undertake an adventure that leads them out of Boneville and into the wilderness. Their journey leads them to a mysterious valley, and the story cites classic fantasy stories like The Lord of the Rings and seminal comic strips like Pogo as its primary influences. When news arrived in 2019 that an animated adaptation was on the way, excitement reached a fever pitch.
The last time we heard about the Bone adaptation was in July 2021 interview Smith took part in with Polygon, in which he stated that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was partially responsible for the delay in the release of the series and the dearth of news about the adaptation. That interview also underscored how the pandemic had been a double-edged sword for the series, allowing the behind-the-scenes animation team to recruit some heavy hitters who were out of work thanks to the persistent virus.
“[T]hanks to the pandemic, I was able to get everyone I wanted,” Smith told Polygon. “I say thanks because there were people that were in contract, but we were delayed by like, eight or nine months because of the pandemic; [by that time] the contracts were up, and I got everybody I wanted.”
Sadly, it’s looking like audiences may never get to see the fruits of such successful recruitment, which is enough to make any fan as grouchy as Phoney Bone. However, it’s possible that another studio may pick up the project, allowing it a second life, much like the Nimona animated adaptation, originally being produced by Blue Sky Studios but now (somewhat ironically) to be released by Netflix.
Bone Originally Published by Cartoon Books and Image Comics
Image Comics
Bone was originally published in 55 irregular issues by Cartoon Books and Image Comics (depending on the issue), but it gained additional fame and more readers thanks to the fact that it was reprinted in the comics’ section of Disney Adventures magazine. While originally released in black-and-white, Bone later received colorized releases from Scholastic’s Graphix imprint.
The comic has received plenty of accolades, having been the recipient of ten Eisner Awards and eleven Harvey Awards. If you’re interested in reading it, you can easily find an omnibus edition that collects the entire series.
