This is the latest in a series (of indefinite length and regularity) of blog posts memorializing cancelled toys. Our subject today is Mattel's Green Lantern: the Animated Series.
GLtAS was a 2012 CGI cartoon with designs by Bruce Timm. This was his first work in 3D animation, which he was reluctant to do at first, but the designs worked well in CG and the show's writing was good. Unfortunately, it came out during the time that Cartoon Network would cancel any show that didn't have good enough toy sales, and Green Lantern (the cartoon) didn't get any toys, because Green Lantern (the movie) did so poorly in the toy aisle.
However, some development work was done, because producer Giancarlo Volpe shared these three prototypes that he bought on eBay: Atrocitus, Hal Jordan, and Kilowog. In typical Mattel fashion, the villain has been shrunken down (Atrocitus "should tower over Kilowog," according to Volpe), but it would have been fun to mix these with the JLU or Young Justice lines.
If you've never watched it, Green Lantern: the Animated Series was good, and since it's only a single season you can zip through it in no time. The fact we lost out on both a toyline and a second season is a true shame.
There's a great bit where Kilowog is eating some horrible lobstrosity thing and Hal's grossed out, but Kilowog is more disgusted that Hal's eating a cheese sandwich! "Mebbe you should eat that in the closet from now on."
My favorite is the episode where their batteries run out and they realise "oh, crap, our rings have been translating for us *this whole time* and now we can't communicate." Brilliant move.