Creator of canceled Netflix show just fired back at streaming service

Update: At least one Netflix show is safe from cancelation, with Black Mirror reportedly getting a sixth season

The blows keep coming over at Netflix, as the under-fire streaming service is now facing the wrath of the creator of its latest canceled show. 

The streamer was in the process of adapting Jeff Smith’s graphic novel series Bone into an animated show, but it confirmed last week the series has been axed due to a shakeup of its animation division. The show had been in development at Netflix since 2019 and this cancelation wasn’t the first time that a planned adaptation of Smith’s popular comic book series was unceremoniously axed. 

Smith himself is very clearly not pleased with the decision. He has recently taken to social media to vent his frustrations. In response to Netflix binning its adaption of Bone, as well as similar decisions over the year from Nickelodeon and Warner Bros, Smith posted a short comic strip that is a clear nod to Charles Schultz, the creator of Charlie Brown. 

In the 10-panel strip, Fone Bone, one of the main characters of Bone, can be seen trying to kick a football only to have the studio (first Nickelodeon, then Warner Brothers and finally Netflix) pull the ball away at the last second. And, if that wasn’t subtle enough, the cartoon ends with Fone declaring “never again." (Editor's note: this isn't the only drama coming to the public's eye at big red: a star of Netflix's No. 1 show Sunset Strip just called that show's stories fake).

This comic strip certainly suggests that Smith has no plans to shop Bone around to another studio or network for a fourth attempt at adaptation. It seems, at least in the short term, the adventures of Fone Bone and his cousins will be confined solely to the medium of comics. Smith’s frustration at the situation is pretty clear, and to further demonstrate this he captioned the social media post with a single word: “Sigh."

The response to the post has been universally sympathetic with many fans of the series expressing their own frustration that Bone won’t be receiving the animated adaptation it seems perfectly suited for. The original comic book series ran from 1991 to 2004, spanning 55 issues, and has gained a passionate fanbase over the years. It has also attracted controversy for its adult themes and in 2010 a Minnesota parent unsuccessfully tried to have Bone banned from all elementary school libraries.

Netflix has faced a storm of criticism over the past few days and this very clear swipe at the streamer's latest canceled show in 2022 will surely only add to it. In response to the news that Netflix lost subscribers quarter-over-quarter for the first time in a decade, the streamer announced that it was exploring several new options to prevent further bleeding including an ad-supported tier and a crackdown on password sharing.

If you're looking for good things to watch, check out this new Netflix show that just cracked the top 10 with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And see the 5 best movies to stream this week on all the major streaming services.  In other huge news, Sony's cast Bad Bunny in its El Muerto Spider-Man spinoff, giving the Spider-Verse a huge injection of star power.