In the 2000s, you couldn't have a kids' TV channel without an accompanying website. Boomerang was no exception, but it was a little different than most. Rather than having its own dedicated site, Boomerang had a hub on Cartoon Network. It changed many times, and this post will focus on those various rebrands and redesigns. Let's start at the obvious place, the very beginning.
When Boomerang launched in 2000, Cartoon Network went all out for its section on the website. There were the obvious inclusions like flash games, but the real star of the show was its timeline. Starting in 1958 and ending in 1976, visitors could click on a particular year and learn about the cartoons that premiered then. These sections also mentioned hit movies and songs, news stories, and even merchandise from the cartoons. Here are a few of the years as they appeared on the site, but I recommend checking it out for yourself if you're interested.
In 2004, Cartoon Network's website got an all-new, flash-heavy rebrand to go with the channel's redesign. Boomerang still maintained a presence on this version, although it was smaller. The timeline was gone, and in its place were more flash games. Biographies on cartoonists like Tex Avery and an animation "how-to" starring Atom Ant were also added. While these were nice additions, they weren't exactly new. In the previous incarnation of the CN website, these items were part of its "Department of Cartoons" section. Kind of disappointing they didn't add anything actually new, but it was nice these features weren't abandoned.
In 2010, Cartoon Network got another major rebrand. Boomerang's section once again shrunk, with the focus being almost entirely on videos and games. I should also note the games that were present this time around. Instead of games about Looney Tunes, visitors were instead treated to flash games of The Powerpuff Girls and Teen Titans. Nothing wrong with either show, but it is indicative of the channel's transformation into Cartoon Network 2 and the disappearance of those classic shows.
While I'm pointing things out, the art featured in the first image is pretty odd. For one, the old CN logo is still being used. By 2010, the logo had gone through not one, but two redesigns. And two, Yogi's collar is miscolored!
And that was the last time Boomerang had a genuine presence on the CN website. In 2015, to go along with the channel's rebrand, a new site was made, which was little more than a trailer and some PR blurbs.
In 2017, the website became the home of the Boomerang streaming service. That is how it would remain until it closed up shop in 2024. Ironically, the app shut down around the same time as the official Cartoon Network website did. There was a lot of controversy about that decision, but I understand why the powers that be did it, even as someone who browsed this site a ton back in elementary school. Kids simply don't visit websites these days, so why spend the money on them? Nowadays, searching "Boomerang.com" merely leads you to the Max website.
And that's the end of the saga of the Boomerang website. Much like the channel itself, it started out strong before slowly devolving into a shell of its former self. That's a downer way to end a post, so I'll give you a tease of what's in store for tomorrow. Come back on Thursday, and we'll look at even more Boomerang merchandise. I've got some cool oddities in store for that post!
No comments:
Post a Comment