HBO Max is continuing to get grief after slashing nearly 40 titles from its library, and another animation creator is speaking out to slam the streamer. The Fungies! creator Stephen P. Neary called out HBO Max for failing to promote his series, then pulling it from their service altogether.
In tweets posted to his Twitter account yesterday, Neary addressed The Fungies! exit from HBO Max, writing, “I’m heartbroken but I want to take this opportunity to thank all the amazing artists and production folks for their hard work on this sincere, fever dream of a show.”
He added, “We worked so hard through the pandemic, and I hoped that diligence would be rewarded with support from the network. Was promised the show would air on Cartoon Network, which would drive views to HBO Max, but soon after launch, the show was pulled from the air without notice.
“There was little to no promotion. Although I was graciously asked speak on a mushroom podcast,” Neary wrote. “A company representative monitored the taping so that I wouldn’t give away any ‘spoilers’ to the show.”
Neary also shared words of compassion for his fellow creators who had their shows pulled from HBO Max in “uninformed, money-driven decisions,” writing, “My heart goes out to the other shows affected, and the beautiful work getting canceled before even airing.”
The Fungies! is just one of 37 shows leaving HBO Max this week as the streamer prepares to merge into one service with discovery+ next year. The cuts, which were announced Wednesday (August 17), largely affected animated and unscripted series.
HBO Max has already pulled animated series like Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Esme & Roy, Infinity Train, Little Ellen, Odo, Summer Camp Island, Tig n’ Seek and Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs. Before Neary shared his statement, Summer Camp Island creator Julia Pott protested HBO Max’s cuts, tweeting, “Animation is not nothing!”