CNX Toonami REVOLUTION

Your Guides to Toonami
Ever since Toonami has been a part of Cartoon Network, there's always been someone behind the scenes. Sure, there's real people responsible for its creation, but there has always been a toonhead (not to be confused with the informative show with the same name) at the controls. At the same time, these guys have been synonimous with the spirit of Toonami. Whether it's old reliable Moltar, the enigmic satelite Clyde 49, or the pilot of the GPS Absolution, TOM, these guys play just as big a part as the shows on Toonami.

MOLTAR

Prior to the debut of Toonami as well as during the original opening credits, a familiar face had been a part of the block. He was already the director of Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast (which he still continued to do) and was a classic villain on the 60's Space Ghost show (he turned over a new leaf in recent years, but can still hang with the best of them). Of course this red hot superstar is none other than Moltar.

The backstory goes that Moltar's the man responsible for Toonami, since he's the one at the controls. He wanted to get the best in action animation as well as get an enlightened look at what makes them great. Moltar was never an opinionated individual, but his words spoke volumes. His famous "Reruns" speech, a response to the fans who wanted more (like us), still brings signs of hope that's still being felt today. Though he's no longer at the reins of Toonami, Moltar still remains one of the main icons of the Toonami spirit.

Clyde 49

Cartoon Network has created several icons for its programming. The checkerboard logo and patterns used in the background. The jester for its shorts. The spinning globe for World Premiere Toons. Moxy, the janitor-turned-pirate-TV-show-host. The network's current theme song, "Powerhouse." The most successful icon to ever come from the network is a little old satelite named Clyde 49. His primary mission is to transmit signals back to the Ghost Planet HQ. His rarely-seen misadventures had him encountering jets, mechanical demons, or just chilling out by the poolside. Clyde 49 often began and ended the block in a bar code, as if it was a real network (sounds like a good idea to me), was prominent in the was many of the promotions (including being displayed prominately on an airplane), and a primary logo for the CNX: Toonami campaign (if you're just arriving a tad bit late on the revolution) as well as many Toonami sites, including Toonami: The Unofficial. In July 1999, we said goodbye to both Clyde and Moltar, as the new guy came along.

TOM

When change was in the air and a new look was going to happen, little did we know that Moltar and Clyde 49 weren't going to be a part of it. Instead, Moltar passed the reins of Toonami to a new robot host named TOM and moving the block into the next millennium. The Toonami Operational Module (my definition; CN never gave an explanation for the intials) is simply an upgraded version of Clyde 49, as traces of the satelite droid are evident in his design and size, not to mention taking over both the Moltar role of controller and the Clyde-49 role of icon of the block. No longer a simple satelite, TOM's bringing Moltar (and the world) Toonami from a brand new vessel, the Zentrani-inspired Ghost Planet Spaceship Absolution, which marked the beginning of the a brand new era of Toonami. In September 2000, everything changed!

TOM2 and SARA

Absolutely nobody saw it coming. The Intruder was a very pivotal event that rocked the Toonami fanbase from its foundation, introducing the computer of the Absolution, SARA, who would prove to be more important in the days ahead. A red gelatinous creature that destroyed much of the Absolution and "killed" TOM in the process. SARA configured TOM's core matrix (his memories and his personality) into a sleeker, more battle-ready shell, dubbed TOM-2 (but he's still the same old TOM), which proved useful for getting rid of the Intruder once and for all (and blowing up one of the Absolution's engines as well). The aftereffects of TOM's action led to the reconstructed Absolution. <