Bone Creator Jeff Smith Offers Update on Netflix Series

In 2019, Netflix optioned the rights to Jeff Smith's beloved fantasy comic Bone. Two years have [...]

By Jamie Lovett

In 2019, Netflix optioned the rights to Jeff Smith's beloved fantasy comic Bone. Two years have passed and, as the series celebrates its 30th anniversary, fans are eager for an update on the Bone cousins' Netflix adventure. Polygon spoke to Smith and asked him what's up with the show. He talked about the talent acquired to work on the series. "There were a couple of people that worked on some shows that I [asked about]," Smith says, "because I watched a bunch of Cartoon Network shows and some Netflix shows. Is this person around? Can we get this person? What's this guy doing now? Or what's she doing? And thanks to the pandemic, I was able to get everybody I wanted."

He also notes how the pandemic affected the production's timeline but allowed them to get some of those previously occupied talents onto the show. "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," he says. "I don't want to really say who they are, because I don't want to steal Netflix's thunder but, yes. I got my dream team of animation people, and I'm pretty excited about it so far."

Bone follows the cousins Bone, Fone Bone, and Phoney Bone after being cast out of Boneville and into a wider world of magic and adventure. Smith is overseeing the adaptation himself. The Bone comic began publication in 1991 and ran for 55 issues, reaching its conclusion in 2004. The series won 10 Eisner Awards and 11 Harvey Awards.

Announcing the Netflix deal, Smith had said, "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."

With Bone and its Usagi Yojimbo adaptation, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, Netflix is betting on classic indie comics to help shore up its kids' programming. Neither series has a release date yet.

What do you think of Jeff Smith getting his dream team to work on Bone? Let us know in the comments.

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