On July 11, StoryMakers Studio will bring several of the biggest names in the cartoon world to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatres Complex in Hollywood for a star-studded salute to Walter Lantz and his classic cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker. Guests of honor will include celebrated film critic and cartoon buff Leonard Maltin, six-time Emmy Award-winning cartoon producer Phil Roman and voice actors June Foray (Woody Woodpecker, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Disney’s Mulan), Maurice LaMarche (Futurama, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain) and Billy West (The New Woody Woodpecker Show, Ren & Stimpy, Futurama).
‘We wouldn’t be surprised if these voice artists spent part of the evening talking as the characters they’re so well known for,’ says Ronn Campbell, StoryMakers Studio’s exec producer.
Storymakers says the best thing about the event is that fans can enjoy it even if they don’t live in Los Angeles. According to Campbell, the company already has people from Europe and Asia reserving their viewing passes at www.StoryMakersStudio.com/woodywoodpecker. Everyone who signs up to watch the show online will have the option of downloading eBooks that are of interest to animation fans, industry professionals and anyone who wants to work in the field.
‘When the word got out that we were doing this event, animation professionals and fans from all over the world started contacting us, asking for a way they could enjoy our Woody Woodpecker event,’ notes series host and confessed cartoon fan Gordon Meyer. ‘We’re delighted that we can make this available to them.’
Details of StoryMakers Studio’s Salute to Woody Woodpecker, including information on how fans around the world can view the event, can be found at www.storymakersstudio.com/woodywoodpecker.
