Author: Mercedes Milligan

Comic-Con: Nickelodeon Unleashes SpongeBob Universe, ‘Rugrats,’ ‘Transformers: EarthSpark,’ ‘Avatar’ & More in San Diego

Nickelodeon will invite fans to dive into an immersive experience at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2022, showcasing the depths of Bikini Bottom, imaginations of babies, a new generation of Transformers robots, the hallways of Monster High, the elements of Avatar and more.

Headquartered at its 1,800 square-foot booth (#4113) on the convention center floor, Nickelodeon will celebrate fan-favorite characters and shows with one-of-a-kind panels, talent signings, activations, exclusive products and interactive design elements featuring: SpongeBob Universe (SpongeBob SquarePants and its two original spinoff series, The Patrick Star Show and the Paramount+ Original series, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years), the Paramount+ Original series Rugrats and Transformers: EarthSpark, plus Monster High: The Movie, Avatar: The Last Airbender and more.

SpongeBob SquarePants

Every day of the convention, Nickelodeon’s booth will feature: a 16-foot-tall Bumblebee of Transformers: EarthSpark photo opportunity and AR experience; an immersive Monster High: The Movie activation, where fans can compete against the clock to match objects to lockers; an eight-foot-long underwater television from The Patrick Star Show that fans can step inside; a Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years photo opportunity; a Rugrats photo opportunity; an Avatar: The Last Airbender-themed retail area featuring a custom t-shirt station and one-of-a-kind, exclusive collectibles; costumed-character appearances; and autograph signings with the voice casts and producers from SpongeBob Universe, Rugrats, Transformers: EarthSpark and Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast.

Nickelodeon will present four panels: Nickelodeon’s Rugrats: The Babies are Back!, an exclusive look at the all-new series; SpongeBob SquarePants: Dive into SpongeBob Universe!, a deep dive into the iconic franchise; Introducing Transformers: EarthSpark!, an insider event that celebrates a new take on the global franchise; and Avatar: Braving the Elements – LIVE!, a behind-the-scenes look at how Avatar was brought to life.

Rugrats

Panels

Nickelodeon’s Rugrats: The Babies are Back!
Thursday, July 21, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Room: 6BCF): Hold on to your diapies, throw “Cynthia’s Workout” on the stereo, and HALT! for Reptar – your favorite babies are back and better than ever! Join voice talent from the Paramount+ Original Series Rugrats, EG Daily (Tommy), Cheryl Chase (Angelica) and Charlet Chung (Kimi), along with executive producer Eryk Casemiro as they bust out of the playpen to give fans an exclusive look at behind-the-scenes art and sneak peeks of never-before-seen content, perform a live table-read, and provide answers to popular questions. A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do! Moderated by Jim Viscardi, Executive Editor, Comicbook.com.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Dive into SpongeBob Universe!
Thursday, July 21, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Room: 6BCF): Put on your diving suit and get ready to delve deep into Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and its two original spinoff series, The Patrick Star Show and the Paramount+ Original Series, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years. Legendary voice talent from all three series —Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Jill Talley (Karen, Squidina), Kate Higgins (Narlene) and Carlos Alazraqui (Nobby) —and executive producers Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller will take fans on an undersea adventure to explore these iconic shows and characters and reveal what to expect next from SpongeBob and the denizens of Bikini Bottom. Moderated by Patrick Gomez, Editor-in-Chief, Entertainment Weekly.

Transformers: EarthSpark

Introducing Transformers: EarthSpark!
Friday, July 22, 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. (Room: 6A): Autobots, Roll Out! Meet the next generation of heroes in the new original animated series, Transformers: EarthSpark. From Nickelodeon and Entertainment One, the all-new Paramount+ Original Series will showcase an insider event that celebrates a new take on the iconic global franchise with a behind-the-scenes look at art, casting, never-before-seen clips and a first time look at the Hasbro toyline inspired by the series. Featured panelists include all-new series voice talent — Danny Pudi (Bumblebee), Kat Khavari (Twitch) and Zeno Robinson (Thrash) —along with co-executive producer Dale Malinowski and executive producer Ant Ward. Moderated by Mike Cecchini, Editor-in-Chief, Den of Geek.

Avatar: Braving the Elements – LIVE!
Friday, July 22, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Room: 6A): Ready to explore the amazing world of Avatar: The Last Airbender? Avatar: Braving the Elements, the official companion podcast co-produced by Nickelodeon and iHeartRadio, is back for season 2 and bringing you an episode live from San Diego Comic Con! Join hosts Janet Varney (the voice of Korra) and Dante Basco (the voice of Prince Zuko), along with special guests, for a one-of-a-kind panel that takes you behind the scenes of how Avatar was brought to life like never before!

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Daily Booth Activity

Transformers: EarthSpark Photo Opportunity and AR Experience: Fans can take photos with fan-favorite Bumblebee and new characters Twitch, Thrash, Robby Malto and Mo Malto from the upcoming all-new series. Attendees can also scan different objects in the space with a QR code to make elements animate with sounds and lights.

Monster High: The Movie Experience: Join in on the building anticipation for the upcoming live-action movie musical based on the iconic Monster High franchise about the children of famous monsters and creatures. Beneath the 22-foot-tall clock tower, compete against the clock to match objects to lockers designed with each character in mind. Correctly place objects to their respective lockers before time runs out!

Monster High: The Movie

The Patrick Star Show Photo Opportunity: Step inside Patrick’s underwater television set and snap a photo with the world’s most famous sea star.

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years Photo Opportunity: Gather around the campfire and take a photo with 10-year-old SpongeBob, best pal Patrick Star and camp counselor Squidward.

Rugrats Photo Opportunity: Take a selfie with the iconic babies —Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, Susie, Kimi, Phil and Lil, and pet dog Spike —of Rugrats!

Customized T-Shirt Station: Fans can purchase a t-shirt from the retail shop and customize it on the spot with characters and art from their choice of 10 fan-favorite Nick shows: SpongeBob SquarePants, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, The Patrick Star Show, Rugrats, Big Nate, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold!, The Fairly OddParents, Rocket Power and The Wild Thornberrys.

Autograph Signings: Signing opportunities with SpongeBob Universe voice talent and producers, Rugrats voice talent, Transformers: EarthSpark voice talent and producers, and Avatar: Braving the Elements’ Janet Varney and Dante Basco.

Costumed-Character Appearances: SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star of SpongeBob SquarePants will make appearances at Nick’s booth at select times during the convention.

Retail: Attendees can purchase Comic-Con exclusive figures and collectibles, t-shirts, pins and more.

Giveaways: Special giveaways and posters will be handed out throughout the convention.

Follow @Nickelodeon and #NickSDCC for updates.

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years

July 8, 2022
Kong Studio Illuminates ‘AIDS: The Unheard Tapes’ for The Open University

U.K. animation house Kong Studio recently collaborated with The Open University on a series of animated shorts reflecting on people’s personal experiences of living with HIV over the last 30 years.

The Love, Sex and HIV animated shorts were commissioned by The Open University Broadcast and Partnerships team as a companion piece to the BBC and OU documentary AIDS: The Unheard Tapes, airing on BBC Two and streaming on iPlayer. This project focuses on recorded interviews discussing personal experiences of living with HIV when the AIDS crisis was at its peak.

In the 1980s and early ’90s, fear of AIDS was at its highest with homosexual relationships and lifestyle as a central trope within media and society at large. A huge turning point for those with HIV came in 1996 as new treatments and drugs became available helping people to be healthier for longer and giving them the opportunity to fully experience life.

Peter Keogh, Professor of Health and Society at the Faculty of Well-being, Education and Language Studies, is a nominated academic consultant on the program. He saw an opportunity to explore the experiences of people living with HIV once these treatments had become available. Professor Keogh wanted to highlight how people with HIV could negotiate their romantic and sexual relationships and manage to live otherwise ordinary lives. It was an exploration of stigmatization and of managing the reality of living as HIV positive.

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes – ‘Ash’ animated by Emily Scaife.

For the animated shorts, Keogh dug into an archive of interviews conducted over the last 30 years and selected four contributors. Each interview was a different example of living with HIV. Transcripts were taken, names changed and accounts were voiced by an actor.

“We felt that animation was an effective way to represent a sensitive subject matter. Animation makes it easier for us to set a tone and convey a feeling rather than being explicit,” explains Andrew Hudson, Senior Broadcast and Partnership Manager at The Open University. “We also wanted to show our speakers living ordinary lives where they negotiate their relationships while living with HIV in a positive way. We didn’t want viewers to feel negative or melancholic towards our speakers, or for the subject matter to be sensationalized.”

Having already proved their worth on The Secrets of the Museum animations for The Open University, Kong Studio set to work creating another series of shorts. Animators Natasha Pollack and Emily Scaife set to work producing two episodes each, while Joe Blaxland’s motion graphics approach for the more stat-heavy introduction completes the set.

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes – Introduction animated by Joe Blaxland.

“We were really excited by the script. One of the favorite parts of our job is finding the right talent for a project,” says Emma Burch, Executive Producer at Kong Studio. “Emily’s work had been on our radar for a while, and we thought her abstract approach would be an ideal fit. On discovering she needed flexible working hours, we came up with the idea of multiple animators. We always enjoy collaborating with Natasha and love the character she injects into her work. The interviews were allocated based on their content and I feel they fit both animator’s styles perfectly.”

The Open University team didn’t give the team strict visual briefs, instead emphasizing the tone and feel they wanted to evoke from the shorts. This gave the animators freedom to interpret the interviews as they wished, with only minor tweaks here and there.

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes – ‘Andrew’ animated by Natasha Pollack.

Pollack worked with Kong Studio last year on an explainer video for Waltham Forest Council and had impressed the team with her hand-drawn style and wit. She set to work on designing and animating the interviews withj “Andrew” and “Elisa.” Pollack’s figurative approach lent itself well to illustrating the complex issues around using barrier protection during sex, with the silly metaphor or wearing of a hat being a firm favorite.

“This project has by far been the most sensitive animation I have worked on, and I had to approach animating The Unheard Tapes from a fresh point of view,” Pollack notes. “My own work can be glib and silly, so I was initially concerned about the level of humor I should inject into the shorts. I didn’t want them to appear flippant or insincere. The character design had to be quite fluid so that ethnicity would be ambiguous. I also wanted the figurative characters to flow into one another to show the passing of time and different relationships.”

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes – ‘Elise’ animated by Natasha Pollack.

The “Lisa” and “Ash” episodes were designed and animated by Scaife, known for her abstract and experimental style. Having recently become a mother for the first time, Scaife had the extra challenge of developing the animations while also caring for her one-year old. Kong Studio’s flexible approach to working meant that Scaife could fit in designing and animating the shorts from home to work around her family schedule. For Lisa’s account about having a baby shortly after testing positive for HIV, the animator drew on her own recent experience of birth and joy of having a baby.

“Throughout the process, I had to keep at the back of my mind what feeling I was trying to evoke. What mood am I trying to hit at certain points in the accounts,” says Scaife. “The Open University team gave me a lot of freedom to interpret the interviews as I wished and let the shorts develop organically. This is a rare project where I wasn’t tied to an initial animatic or storyboard. Instead, I produced test animations and got feedback from the Kong and OU teams on these instead. For Lisa’s story, I wanted the colors to be soft and darker. I hit upon using my son’s nightlight, cutting out motifs from different colored gels and filming the projections on my bedroom wall. The footage was then animated into the final short. It has been great to have the flexibility and work with such a dynamic team while enjoying creative freedom.”

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes – ‘Lisa’ animated by Emily Scaife.

Kong studio co-founder Tom Baker comments, “We love working with the OU as you always learn something, and the subject matter can be absolutely anything. AIDS: The Unheard Tapes was a bit different. The subject matter is heavy but there’s a redemptive arc in the storytelling, with a bit of hope shining through. It needed to be serious, mezmerising and captivating, much like the tapes themselves. What was so satisfying is how two very different animators like Emily and Natasha can come together to merge these stories and styles tackle a difficult subject in a thoughtful and coherent way. The OU were on board all the way through. It’s nice when a partner trusts our instinct and gives the animators the chance to let the project visually evolve the way it should.”

“We also had four very different voiceovers giving us the opportunity to work with Joyce Carter-Grey and Daniel Pinto for the first time. All finished off with Fonic’s simple but effective sound design, making the series feel cohesive,” Burch adds.

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes – ‘Lisa’ animated by Emily Scaife.

The Open University’s Andrew Hudson says of the collaborative experience, “Using three animators for the five episodes has worked extremely well. What started as a necessity to get the animations delivered in time for the BBC and OU co-production broadcast, has resulted in the shorts being distinct from one another while maintaining a consistency in colour and tone to make one cohesive series. Each animation reflects the subject well, whether that’s the representation of Andrew’s dating to the possible trauma of having a baby who could be HIV positive. The videos contrast and complement one another while avoiding becoming sensationalist. Instead, we see people living ordinary lives despite their HIV diagnosis. Our contributors are not allowing HIV to restrict their lives or define them.”

AIDS: The Unheard Tapes animated shorts are available to watch on The Open University’s Broadcast and Partnership page here.

kong-studio.com

July 7, 2022
‘Hamster & Gretel’ Soars into Action August 12 on Disney Channel

Disney Channel announced today the Friday, August 12 (9:35 p.m.* EDT/PDT), premiere date and debuted the official trailer for their upcoming animated superhero comedy, Hamster & Gretel, from Disney Branded Television.

Joining the cast as recurring characters are Priah Ferguson (Stranger Things) as Gretel’s best friend, Bailey; Liza Koshy (Liza on Demand) as news reporter Veronica Hill; Alyson Stoner (Phineas and Ferb) and Brock Powell (Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe) as the evil sibling duo Lauren and Lyle a.k.a The Destructress and FistPuncher, respectively; and viral rap sensation Akintoye as Kevin’s confident buddy, Anthony.

Guest stars are Jenny Lorenzo (Victor and Valentino) as Carolina’s mother, Abuelita; legendary Latin pop star Karina La Voz as the tear-jerking La Cebolla; YouTube star Thomas Sanders (Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe) as frat guy horse-man Neighslayer; TikTok star Casey Hamilton (@MrHamilton) as Gretel’s mild-mannered substitute teacher, Mr. Chabner; and Adam Rose (Merry Happy Whatever) as evil jingle writer The Earworm.

Hamster & Gretel introduces Kevin and his younger sister, Gretel, who are about to be bestowed superpowers by space aliens. But something goes awry, and it’s Gretel and her pet hamster (named Hamster) who suddenly have new abilities. Now, protective older brother Kevin must figure out how to work with both Gretel and her pet, Hamster, to protect their city from mysterious dangers.

Starring in the series is newcomer Meli Povenmire as Gretel; Michael Cimino (Love, Victor) as Gretel’s older brother, Kevin; Beck Bennett (SNL) as Gretel’s pet hamster, Hamster; Joey King (Kissing Booth) as her tech-savvy cousin, Fred; Matt Jones (Bob Hearts Abishola) as the siblings’ easygoing father, Dave; and Carolina Ravassa (Maya and the Three) as their charismatic mother, Carolina.

Created by Dan Povenmire (of the Emmy Award-winning global hit series Phineas and Ferb), Hamster & Gretel is produced by Disney Television Animation and is inspired by Povenmire’s relationship with his significantly younger sister. Brandi Young (Milo Murphy’s Law) serves as producer, Joanna Hausmann (Bill Nye Saves the World) will serve as co-producer/story editor and Dorothea Gerassimova (Mira, Royal Detective) is the art director.

You can read all about the creation of the super-hilarious new series in Animation Magazine‘s exclusive interview with Dan Povenmire in the August ’22 issue (coming soon)!

*Due to special programming, start time is subject to change.

July 7, 2022
Watch: Slapworks Launches Adult Toon ‘Loosey Goosey & Fried Chicken’

Slapworks Animation Studios is serving up free-range fun by releasing the first two episodes of their new 3D adult animated show on YouTube today: Loosey Goosey & Fried Chicken. The serialized web show follows two flightless birds trying to migrate home, but can’t seem to escape a strange and dangerous land called “Florida.”

The show stars some of the best voice acting talent in the biz, including Rob Paulsen (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Fred Tatasciore (Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Yosemite Sam, Hulk).

The Slapworks creative team has visual effects experience on 50+ tentpole film and TV projects (incnluding Avengers: Endgame, The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Black Panther) and created “Goosey” with an eye on unity.

“This show is about embracing differences. Goosey is boneless, and Chicken is deep fried and decapitated. One’s spineless, the other is brainless. Total opposites,” says director Mark Nelson. “Separately, these two mutants will end up on a Chick-fil-A menu, but they’re stronger together and might just stay alive by covering each other’s flaws.”

The show is made up of nine episodes which will launched every two weeks in chompable one- to three-minute segments on the Slapworks YouTube channel. Follow along with the odd fowls on Slapworks’ social feeds: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Learn more about the studio at slapworks.com.

July 7, 2022
Animaccord Debuts New ‘Masha and the Bear’ Series for Social

International licensing company and studio Animaccord is launching a new spinoff from its global hit animated family show Masha and the Bear. Dubbed Shorties, the latest series will debut on digital platforms, with an exclusive premiere on Facebook and subsequent release on YouTube.

Shorties depicts short-format adventures of Masha and her forest pals that cover education, entertainment, friendship and other key themes, and take the characters into new locations for the first time — such as a toy store, a restaurant, an airport and even a museum.

Each episode averages a two minute runtime and is produced in high-quality 3D animation.

The premiere of Shorties will debut the series in several languages simultaneously: English, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic and Spanish (Latin America and Castilian) and published on the relevant official language Facebook page and YouTube channels for Masha and the Bear.

July 7, 2022
‘Batman: The Long Halloween – Deluxe Edition’ Masks Up for September Release

No tricks, just treats for Dark Knight fans as Batman: The Long
Halloween – Deluxe Edition — the complete mystery with added mature content — comes to 4K for the first time ever. The R-rated, feature-length animated film will be available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-rayCombo Pack (SRP $34.99 U.S.) for the first time ever, as well as on Blu-ray+Digital (SRP $24.99 U.S.), Blu-ray (only available in Canada, SRP $29.99) and Digital starting September 20.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and inspired by the iconic mid-1990s DC story from Jeph Loeb and the late Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween begins as atrocious serial killings on holidays in Gotham City send The World’s Greatest Detective into action, confronting both organized crime and a unified front of classic DC Super-Villains while attempting to stop the mysterious murderer. The story was originally released as a two-part film, and both films still stand at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, The Boys, Batman: Under the Red Hood) leads a star-studded cast as the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne alongside the late Naya Rivera (Glee) as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Josh Duhamel (Transformers, Jupiter’s Legacy) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Billy Burke (Twilight, Revolution, Zoo) as Commissioner James Gordon, Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian, Battlestar Galactica, Batman: Year One) as Poison Ivy, Titus Welliver (Bosch, Bosch: Legacy, Deadwood) as Carmine Falcone, Julie Nathanson (Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay) as Gilda Dent, David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad, Dune, Ant-Man) as Calendar Man & The Penguin, Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Young Justice) as The Joker, Amy Landecker (Your Honor, Transparent) as Barbara Gordon & Carla Vitti, Jack Quaid (The Boys, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Oppenheimer) as Alberto, Fred Tatasciore (American Dad!, Family Guy) as Solomon Grundy, Alyssa Diaz (The Rookie, Ray Donovan) as Renee Montoya and Alastair Duncan (The Batman, Batman Unlimited franchise) as Alfred.

In addition, Robin Atkin Downes (The Strain, Constantine: City of Demons) voices both Scarecrow & Thomas Wayne, John DiMaggio (Futurama, Disenchantment) is the Mad Hatter, Laila Berzins (Genshin Impact) is Sofia Falcone, Jim Pirri (World of Warcraft franchise) is Sal Maroni and Zach Callison (The Goldbergs, Steven Universe) is Young Bruce Wayne. Additional voice work was provided by Gary LeRoi Gray, Rick Wasserman, Frances Callier and Greg Chun.

Chris Palmer (Superman: Man of Tomorrow) directs Batman: The Long Halloween from a screenplay by Tim Sheridan (Reign of the Supermen). Producers are Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) and Kimberly S. Moreau (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Butch Lukic (Justice Society: World War II, Superman: Man of Tomorrow) is supervising producer. Executive producer is Michael Uslan. Sam Register is executive producer.

Batman: The Long Halloween – Deluxe Edition on 4K, Blu-ray and Digital comes with the new featuruette Batman: The Long Halloween – Evolution of Evil: The mystery surrounding the Holiday Killer shrouds Gotham in a sinister darkness forcing Batman to stop the villain’s assault on the city. This is a comprehensive look at The Long Halloween with original writer Jeph Loeb and filmmakers.

July 7, 2022
Soak Up the Sun with New ‘Craig of the Creek’, ‘We Baby Bears’ & More on CN/HBO Max in July
Summer is heating up on Cartoon Network!

Head deep into the forest with all-new episodes of Craig of the Creek beginning Monday, July 11 at 6 p.m. ET/PT. Join Craig and friends as they head out to a hidden waterfall deep in the creek, create the ultimate board game, develop an unlikely friendship, and learn a few lessons when Craig has Jason the Forest Scout over. Plus, catch an epic sneak peek of DC League of Super-Pets airing during the premiere of “The Champion’s Hike” on Monday, July 11.

Premieres continue as Craig finds himself competing in a staring contest, master sleuth JP takes on a new case as his alter-ego/superhero, Silver Fist, and the Secret Keeper finds the courage to reveal their true feelings for a friend.

Then, buckle up for the ride of a lifetime as all-new episodes of We Baby Bears land Monday, July 18 at 6 p.m. ET/PT. Join the baby brothers as they travel to worlds unknown in search of the perfect home. When faced with fierce competition and neverending mystery, the bears must put their fears aside to overcome any obstacle — even if that means aliens or an endless junkyard!

All-new episodes of Craig of the Creek and We Baby Bears will be available on HBO Max the day after their CN premiere.

We Baby Bears “Teddi Bear”

Fans can also catch all-new episodes of Total Dramarama beginning Monday, July 18 at 6:15 p.m. ET/PT, leading up to the season three finale. Full of misadventure, pranks, and lobsters, this final batch of episodes is full of surprises!

Younger viewers will be able to break new Looney Tunes ground with the series premiere of Bugs Bunny Builders debuting on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network Monday, July 25 at 8 a.m. ET/PT. Join Bugs, Lola, and the rest of the Looney Builders as they work together to help their fellow citizens of Looneyburg with zany building projects. Whether building a thrilling new racetrack or creating an out-of-this-world ice cream sundae, no job is too big or wild for the Looney Builders when they work as a team and utilize their super-looney tools and souped-up vehicles. The series will also head to Cartoonito on HBO Max the following day.

And on Cartoonito on HBO Max, the adorably lovable Love Monster is back with all-new episodes jampacked with more friends and fun stories about life lessons! New this season are stories led by the other characters, allowing preschoolers to experience the world of Fluffytown from a whole new point of view. Plus, George Takei resumes his role as the wise Elder Panda. The most respected Panda in all of Fluffytown. Elder Panda accompanies the ever-curious Love Monster as he embarks on all-new adventures with friends. Season 3 available to stream Thursday, July 28.

Episodes of Pocoyo are also rolling out weekdays on Cartoonito on CN.

Total Dramarama “Be Claws I Love You, Shelley”

July Highlights

Tuesday, July 5

8:30 a.m. ET/PT Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go “Song of Sodor” — When Nia suggests adding a song to spice up Sir Topham Hatt’s new bench unveiling, he calls upon her to write a song for the ceremony, but Nia soon finds she may have bitten off more than she can sing.

Monday, July 11

6 p.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek “The Champion’s Hike” — Craig joins his former enemies, the Champions of the Other Side of the Creek, when they meet up at Jackie’s house before heading out to find a secret waterfall. On HBO Max July 12.

Tuesday, July 12

6 p.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek “Bored Games” — Bored on a rainy day, Craig, Kelsey and JP put together their broken board games and find themselves transported into the ultimate gaming challenge. On HBO Max July 13.

Wednesday, July 13

6 p.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek “Scoutguest” — Craig finds himself with an unlikely house guest when Jason the Junior Forest Scout sleeps over. On HBO Max July 14.

Thursday, July 14

6 p.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek “My Stare Lady” — Craig enters a dangerous staring contest, hoping to win another one of Kenneth’s Cubes. On HBO Max July 15.

Friday, July 15

6 p.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek “Silver Fist Returns” — There’s a thief in the Creek, and there is only one hero who can stop them: SILVER FIST! Plus, one of the Creek kids finds the courage to finally reveal their true feelings for a friend. On HBO Max July 16.

Monday, July 18

6 p.m. ET/PT We Baby Bears “High Baby Fashion” — The Bears enter Panda into a fashion contest, but he’s got some fierce competition when Madam Malin and Madeline show up! On HBO Max July 19.

6:15 p.m. Total Dramarama “Be Claws I Love You, Shelley” — When Owen brings a lobster in for show and tell, we discover that Chef has a real lobster problem.

Tuesday, July 19

6 p.m. ET/PT We Baby Bears “Teddi Bear” — In an endless junkyard, the Bears meet Teddi, a sentient teddy bear. On HBO Max July 20.

6:15 p.m. Total Dramarama “Total Trauma Rama” — Duncan, normally the bad kid, has an identity crisis when his pranks start curing people of their fears.

Wednesday, July 20

6 p.m. ET/PT We Baby Bears “A Gross Worm” — The Bears help Unica return an endangered alien worm to its home. On HBO Max July 21.

6:15 p.m. Total Dramarama “The Doomed Ballooned Marooned” — After over-decorating a birthday table with balloons, several kids float away to a deserted island.

Thursday, July 21

6 p.m. ET/PT We Baby Bears “A Real Crayon” — The Bears find a mysterious crayon that has the power to make anything they draw become REAL. On HBO Max July 22.

6:15 p.m. Total Dramarama “Legends of the Paul” — Duncan grows jealous of Paul’s 100-year time out and determined to be King of the Pranks, has to team up with Paul, learn his ways, then double-cross and become a legend.

Friday, July 22

6:15 p.m. Total Dramarama “A Bridgette Too Far” — As season three draws to a close, Bridgette becomes desperate to star in an episode.

Monday, July 25

8 a.m. ET/PT – Cartoonito – Bugs Bunny Builders “Splash Zone” – SERIES PREMIERE — Mayor Foghorn Leghorn hires The Looney Builders to build a giant water slide for Looneyburg’s waterpark. He keeps adding onto the design with the support of Bugs until problems arise.
- “Ice Creamed” — It’s Taz’s birthday, so The Looney Builders build him a huge ice cream sundae. Porky worries about making a mistake and delays the build causing the ice cream to start to melt.
- “Race Track Race” — The Looney Builders race against the clock to build Cecil Turtle a new racetrack. Daffy gets caught up in his own desire to race and changes part of the build.
- “Dino Fight” — George P. Mandrake hires The Looney Builders to build a T. Rex fossil. It’s Tweety’s job to place the bones with his crane, but his fear of the big dino affects his ability to get the job done.
- “Snow Cap” — Pauleen Penguin hires The Looney Builders to build her a home in Looneyburg. Lola soon discovers they got the design wrong and the crew has to make adjustments.
- “Tweety-Go-Round” — Tweety leads The Looney Builders in building a new merry-go-round at the park for the kids. His crane breaks down and his small size affects his ability to contribute to the build.
- “Smash House” — The Looney Builders learn that Taz accidentally destroyed his house, so they set out to build him a new one that’s smash-proof.
- “Play Day” — When the Looney Builders build themselves a playground, Daffy gets so excited about his section that he takes all the supplies for himself.
July 7, 2022
Official Trailer for ‘Luck’ Tips the Delicate Balance of Fortune

Apple TV+ on Wednesday night debuted the official trailer for Luck, giving us a taste of our heroine’s epically bad luck and further explores the double-sided otherworld where fantastic creatures manufacture our fortune.

From Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation comes the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world, who when she stumbles into the never-before-seen Land of Luck, sets out on a quest to bring some good luck home for her best friend. But with humans not allowed, her only chance is teaming up with the magical creatures who live there to do it.

Directed by Peggy Holmes (The Pirate Fairy, Secret of the Wings, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning) and written by Kiel Murray (Cars 3, Raya and the Last Dragon), the film features the voices of Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Noblezada, Simon Pegg, Flula Borg, Lil Rel Howery, Colin O’Donoghue, John Ratzenberger and Adelynn Spoon. Producers are John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and David Eisenmann. (The movie is the cover story for our August Issue No. 322.)

After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and is now available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with 246 wins and 1,009 award nominations and counting. You can read our exclusive interview with Peggy Holmes here.

July 6, 2022
Trailer: Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Primal’ Roars Back into Action July 21

Genndy Tartakovsky

Five-time Emmy Award winner (including Outstanding Animated Program) Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal returns Thursday, July 21 at Midnight on Adult Swim, and the next day on HBO Max.

“Hard core, epic badassery is coming your way!” said Tartakovsky. “Season Two is amped up, and when it drops nothing will ever be the same.”

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal follows the tale of Spear (Aaron LaPlante), a caveman at the dawn of evolution, as he forms an unlikely friendship with Fang, a nearly extinct dinosaur. In the second season, Spear and Fang journey to a new world to rescue Mira (Laëtitia Eïdo) from her captors, only to find a place filled with savage brutality.

In addition to resounding praise from critics and fans alike, the first season of Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal is currently a top 10 most-watched series from the Adult Swim library on HBO Max.

Filled with suspense, heartbreak, excitement, love and fear, all with almost no dialog, the series is a painting come to life, relying solely on music and graphic imagery to tell the story of two unlikely allies as they navigate through a treacherous world. After bonding over unfortunate tragedies, Spear and Fang seem to become each other’s only hope of survival.

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal is created by Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan) with art direction from Scott Wills (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Samurai Jack) and music composition from Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy, Samurai Jack) and Joanne Higginbottom (Samurai Jack, Salem) and sound effects design from Joel Valentine (Big City Greens, Samurai Jack).

July 6, 2022
OIAF Selects 7 Diverse Features for 2022 Grand Competition
After receiving 76 submissions for this year’s Features Competition, the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) selected seven animated works representing diverse voices in animation. OIAF 2022’s Features Competition includes:

Khamsa – The Well of Oblivion
- Barber Westchester (dir. Jonni Philips; United States)
- Dozens of Norths (dir. Koji Yamamura; Japan)
- Khamsa – The Well of Oblivion (dir. Vynom Vynom; Algeria)
- Perlimps (dir. Alê Abreu; Brazil)
- Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish (dir. Lei Lei; China, United States, Netherlands)
- The Island (dir. Anca Damian; Romania, France, Belgium)
- Unicorn Wars (dir. Alberto Váquez; Spain, France)
Perlimps

“This year’s feature finalists are stylistically, technically, thematically diverse and oh so timely,” says OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson. “We’ve got a musical film about refugees; a decidedly adult anti-war film featuring teddy bears and unicorns; a touching and comic memoir about a family’s experience living under repressive regimes in China; an utterly hypnotic and mystifying beauty from past OIAF Grand Prize winner, Koji Yamamura; a lo-fi indie comedy from cult sensation and OIAF special guest, Jonni Philips; and, a surprising work from Algeria about a boy with amnesia who embarks on a journey to restore his memory.”

Dozens of Norths

A story of fragmented memory, Dozens of Norths won the Excellence Award at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival and Best Feature Animated Film Award at the 13th International Animation Film Festival – Golden Kuker Sofia.

The Island

The Island, a creative take on Robinson Crusoe, and the thematically timely Unicorn Wars are no strangers to the festival circuit, both having received acclaim earlier this year at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Unicorn Wars

This year’s competition welcomes Barber Westchester, the debut feature of indie animator Phillips, whose cohort of characters take on the existentialism of the everyday.

Barber Westchester

This year’s Features category films will compete for the Grand Prize for Feature Animation, which is decided by the expertise of OIAF 2022 Features Jury members Pilar Newton-Katz, Marc Bertrand, and Hugo Covarrubias.

Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish

OIAF 2022 runs from September 21-25 at local venues throughout the Ottawa downtown core. Passes are available for purchase through the OIAF Box Office, individual tickets will be available closer to the Festival dates.
July 6, 2022
Comic-Con: Disney Brands Showcase New Toons & Fan Favorites

ABC, Disney Branded Television, Disney Television Animation, Disney Television Studios, Disney+, FX and Hulu are ready to take over the San Diego Comic-Con convention with stars and creators of 18 of its fan-favorite shows descending on the world-famous gathering this month. This includes sessions with some of your favorite animated series and sneak peeks at brand new toon content coming soon to screens:

Thursday, July 21

2:15-3:15 p.m. – Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur – Moon Girl Magic! Join the cast and creative team of Disney Channel’s highly anticipated animated series, based on Marvel’s hit comic books, for a conversation about this innovative action-comedy series centered on African-American teen girl Super Hero, Lunella Lafayette. Panelists include Diamond White (The Bold and the Beautiful), Libe Barer (Sneaky Pete), Fred Tatasciore (Marvel’s Hit-Monkey), executive producer Steve Loter (Kim Possible), supervising producer Rodney Clouden (Futurama) and producer Pilar Flynn (Elena of Avalor) and will be moderated by Janine Rubenstein, editor-at-large, PEOPLE Magazine and host of PEOPLE Every Day. (Room 6BCF)

6:00-7:00 p.m. – Koala Man – G’day mates! A brand-new animated comedy from the creators of Rick and Morty and Pokémon Detective Pikachu coming to Hulu makes its triumphant debut at San Diego Comic Con with creator, exec producer and the Koala himself, Michael Cusack, with EPs Justin Roiland, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. Learn everything about what the suburban Aussie superhero is all about as the team unveils exclusive footage, breaking news, and more! (Room: 6BCF)

7:15-8:15 p.m. – Solar Opposites – Solar Opposites makes its triumphant return to San Diego Comic-Con! Join the panel for an out-of-this-world conversation with co-creators and EPs Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan and EP Josh Bycel, who will discuss the newly released season three on Hulu and what the aliens are up to later this year, including exciting exclusive clips. Accompanied by cast members Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giambrone and Mary Mack, this Q&A and discussion is sure to be an otherworldly time. (Room: 6BCF)

Friday, July 22

1:00-2:00 p.m. – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder – ♪ The! Proud! Family! What? ♪ Creator and executive producer Bruce W. Smith, executive producer Ralph Farquhar and series stars Kyla Pratt (Penny), Paula Jai Parker (Trudy), JoMarie Payton (Suga Mama), Soleil Moon Frye (Zoey) and Alisa Reyes (LaCienega) discuss the critically acclaimed Disney+ revival of the groundbreaking animated series The Proud Family and share a behind-the-scenes look at the first season, moderated by Janine Rubenstein, editor-at-large, PEOPLE Magazine and host of PEOPLE Every Day. (Room: 6A)

3:00-3:45 p.m. – Bob’s Burgers – The Emmy Award-winning animated FOX series makes its triumphant return to San Diego hot off the critically acclaimed release of The Bob’s Burgers Movie! Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard, executive producer Nora Smith and director/producer Bernard Derriman will break news about the upcoming season; and the always entertaining cast including H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Larry Murphy will have you howling with laughter with never-before-seen footage followed by a lively panel discussion and audience Q&A. (Indigo Ballroom)

4:00-4:45 p.m. – FX’s Little Demon: Exclusive Pre-Series Premiere Sneak-Peek Screening and Q&A – It’s been long prophesized that a malevolent force would alter the universe for the rest of time, and you can get a front-row seat! Join FXX in celebrating its newest animated comedy, heading to the metaphysical realm of San Diego in advance of its August 25 series premiere. Thirteen years after being impregnated by Satan (Danny DeVito), reluctant mother Laura (Aubrey Plaza) and her Antichrist daughter, Chrissy (Lucy DeVito), attempt to live an ordinary life in Delaware but are constantly thwarted by monstrous forces, including Satan, who yearns for custody of his daughter’s soul. Join the DeVitos, Plaza, creators Darcy Fowler, Seth Kirschner and Kieran Valla and executive producer Dan Harmon for a not-to-be-missed exclusive screening, followed by an other-worldly Q&A moderated by TV Guide Magazine’s Damian Holbrook. (Indigo Ballroom)

5:00-6:00 p.m. – FX’s Archer: Exclusive Season 13 Screening and Q&A – The award-winning animated comedy series returns to San Diego in celebration of its upcoming 13th season! This year, Archer and The Agency have been acquired by the spy conglomerate known as IIA and struggle to find their identity. Will they be able to maintain their independence, or will they succumb to their corporate overlords? Join for a not-to-be-missed exclusive screening of the season 13 opener, followed by a spirited Q&A with H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash and Lucky Yates, plus EPs Matt Thompson and Casey Willis. (Indigo Ballroom)

7:00-8:00 p.m. – The Great North – Join the Tobin family for a hilarious conversation about their outrageous Alaskan adventures on FOX’s hit animated series. Creators and executive producers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, executive producer Loren Bouchard and stars Dulcé Sloan, Paul Rust, Aparna Nancherla and Ron Funches discuss what’s to come and preview the upcoming third season with exclusive clips, breaking news and special appearances from star Jenny Slate and more. (Room: 6BCF)

Saturday, July 23

10:00-11:00 a.m. – The Ghost and Molly McGee – Join creators/executive producers Bill Motz and Bob Roth and executive producer Steve Loter for a joyful celebration of this Disney Channel original series. Cast and crew will talk about their favorite moments, songs, and behind-the-scenes stories from season one, along with some fan surprises and hints at what’s to come in season two! The panel will be moderated by Doug Bensimon, executive director, Current Series, Disney Television Animation. (Room 6A)

11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. – The Simpsons – Join series writers, animators — and special guest moderator, Gravity Falls creator and The Simpsons superfan Alex Hirsch — as they reveal the adventures planned for the Simpsons in season 34 and beyond! Take a sneak peek at Treehouse of Horror XXXIII — and the never-before-attempted bonus Halloween episode! That’s right — TWO HALLOWEENS in 2022! Secrets will be revealed! Games will be played! And freebies — including original artwork — will be given away! Live in person for the first time since 2019! Come and be astounded at how we let ourselves go! (Ballroom 20)

12:30-1:45 p.m. – American Dad! and Family Guy – It’s a Smith-family Funday with Steve (Scott Grimes), Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker) and Jeff Fischer (Jeff Fischer) plus executive producer & co-creator Matt Weitzman, executive producer Joe Chandler, co-executive producer Nicole Shabtai, moderated by American Dad! alum Jordan Blum. who will treat fans to a first look at scenes from all new episodes coming soon to TBS… plus a few other exciting announcements and surprises!

THEN, stay tuned for an exclusive, first look at Family Guy’s season 21 premiere episode and watch the full episode months before the rest of the world! After, you will get special sneak peek at all of the hilarity and hi-jinks that will be coming next fall! (Ballroom 20)

6:45 – 7:45 p.m. – Hamster & Gretel – Join the cast and creative team behind Disney Channel’s Hamster & Gretel as they present a first look at the hilarious new superhero series before it premieres. Renowned animation veteran and creator Dan Povenmire, co-creator of the hit series Phineas and Ferb, will be joined by co-producer and story editor Joanna Hausmann and select cast members (to be announced) for a discussion about the world and the characters of this new music-filled animated series, moderated by actress and comedian Liza Koshy. (Room 6A)

July 6, 2022
Trailer: TMS Deals Out Original Anime ‘High Card’ in January 2023

TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd. announced that their original anime series, High Card, will begin airing in January 2023. Showcased in the newly debuted official trailer, the opening theme will be “Trickster” by FIVE NEW OLD.

The key visual unveiled by TMS was illustrated by the show’s character designer and chief animation supervisor, Nozomi Kawano. The poster showcases the two-faced nature of the High Card members, who embark on dangerous missions using supernatural powers, while moonlighting as employees of a long-established car dealership.

The preview reveals the show’s artistic style and features Finn and the other members of High Card in exhilarating action scenes.

Synopsis: After discovering that his orphanage was on the brink of closing due to financial stress, Finn, who was living freely on the streets, set out for a casino with the aim of making a fortune. However, nothing could have prepared Finn for the nightmare that was awaiting him. Once there, Finn encountered a car chase and bloody shootout caused by a man’s “lucky” card.

Finn will eventually learn what the shootout was about. The world order can be controlled by a set of 52 X-Playing cards with the power to bestow different superhuman powers and abilities to the ones that possess them. With these cards, people can access the hidden power of the “buddy” that can be found within themselves.

There is a secret group of players called High Card, who have been directly ordered by the king of Fourland to collect the cards that have been scattered throughout the kingdom, while moonlighting as employees of the long-established car maker Pinochle. Scouted to become the group’s fifth member, Finn soon joins the players on a dangerous mission to find these cards.

“All you need in life are manners, dignity, and the will to bet on your own life.”

However, Who’s Who, the rival car maker obsessed with defeating Pinochle, and the Klondikes, the infamous Mafia family, stand in the way of the gang. A frenzied battle amongst these card obsessed players, fueled by justice, desire and revenge, is about to begin!

Are you ready? It’s Showdown!!

An original work from TMS, Homura Kawamoto and Hikaru Muno, High Card is direected by Junichi Wada. Newly announced collaborators on the series are composer Naoki Kuroyanagi, chief animation supervisors Nozomi Kawano and Haruna Nagata (Given), editor Rie Ito, sound effects designer Hiromune Kurahashi, with music by Ryo Takahashi (SK8 the Infinity).

The previously announced roster also includes screenwriters Kenichi Yamashita, Kazuhiko Inukai and Shingo Nagai; character draftre Ebimo; animation directors/key animators Shunpei Mochizuki an dJunichi Hayama; effects animation director Takashi Hashimoto; color designers Yumi Nanmoku; art directors Minoru Onishi and Akira Suzuki;
cinematographer Tomoyuki Kunii; CG director Masafumi Uchiyama and sound director Shoji Hata. High Card features card design by BALCOLONY, reoenl (FLAT STUDIO) provided concept art and STUDIO HIBARI CO., LTD. produced the animation.

TMS also shared additional character information for two key roles in the series:

Bernard

Bernard Symons (voiced by Kazuhiro Yamaji) is High Card’s Handler and Administrative Staff at Pinochle’s Old Maid branch. He does everything from making tea, cleaning, performing car maintenance and relaying information to and from the head office. He is also Leo’s caretaker.

Theo

Theodore Constantine Pinochle (voiced by Daisuke Ono) is the boss of High Card and the CEO of Pinochle, a company built upon tradition and formalities. His administrative skills are highly trusted by political and business establishments. Being a cool-headed man of few words, even his son Leo knows little about his past.

The voice cast also features Gen Sato as Finn Oldman, Toshiki Masuda as Chris Redgrave, Shun Horie as Leo Constantine Pinochle, Haruka Shiraishi as Wendy Sato, Yuichiro Umehara as Vijay Kumar Singh and Kazuhiro Yamaji as Bernard Symons.

Hailing from Kobe, Japan, FIVE NEW OLD (fivenewold.com / @fivenewold) is a highly acclaimed international rock band known for their captivating stage presence, and bilingual singer Hiroshi’s impressive vocals. HIroshi also plays guiter, alongside Wataru (guitar/keyboards), Shun (bass) and Hayato (drums). “Trickster” is licensed from Warner Music Japan.

FIVE OLD NEW

TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd. (TMS) is one of the largest anime studios in Japan. With strong focus on anime production, licensing and distribution, TMS boasts a library of over 12,000 episodes across a total of 420 titles that include much-loved anime titles such as Lupin the 3rd, Dr. STONE and MegaloBox. (www.tms-e.co.jp)

highcard-anime.jp | highcard.jp | @highcard_pj

July 6, 2022
‘Confessions from the Hart’ Animated Kevin Hart Special Debuts on Roku

Confessions from the Hart, the new Roku Original special from Kevin Hart’s global, multi-platform entertainment company HARTBEAT, premieres today (Wed., July 6) in honor of Hart’s birthday. The 30-minute animated anthology, based on Hart’s popular IGTV series of the same name, marks HARTBEAT’s first ever animated project.

The special showcases moments from Hart’s life, as told by him. Each segment includes Hart’s honest, firsthand account of stories never before explored about his life, career, relationships and journey.

In addition to exclusively premiering the special, The Roku Channel will showcase Confessions from the Hart with a special hub celebrating all the Kevin Hart content available for free on The Roku Channel, including Roku Original Die Hart, Cold as Balls, Exit Strategy, Straight from the Hart, Real Husbands of Hollywood and more.

Founded by Kevin Hart, HARTBEAT is the global, multi-platform media company creating entertainment at the intersection of comedy and culture with a mission through its three divisions: HARTBEAT Studios, which finances, develops and produces innovative content; HARTBEAT Media, which connects with consumers around the world through events and the company’s extensive distribution network; and PULSE, the company’s branded entertainment studio that serves as a creative and cultural consultancy to brand. HARTBEAT’s flagship consumer brand, the LOL! Network, reaches audiences across its O&O social media, audio, and OTT partners.

July 6, 2022
Netflix Unshells Official Trailer for Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie’

Netflix has debuted the furiously action-packed, fun, funny and future-y trailer for the turtley awesome 2D feature Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie! The half-shell heroes return on August 5.

Continuing the tale from the hit Nickelodeon series, Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello are back in action and up to their teenage antics in this comedic adventure that raises the stakes higher than ever before. The Turtles are put to the test when a mysterious stranger named Casey Jones arrives from the future to warn the mutant brothers of an impending invasion of the most dangerous alien force in the galaxy — the Krang! Can the team rise up to become the heroes they are destined to be, or will their teenage foibles get the better of them? What unfolds is the most adventurous, emotional, and epic story ever told of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The flick voice stars Ben Schwartz, Omar Miller, Brandon Mychal Smith, Josh Brener, Kat Graham, Eric Bauza, Haley Joel Osment, Rhys Darby and John Michael Higgins.

Directed by Ant Ward and Andy Suriano, written by Tony Gama-Lobo and Rebecca May, and edited by Matt Feinman, the movie is a Nickelodeon Animation production.

You can read all about Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie in the August issue of Animation Magazine, coming soon!

netflix.com/teenagemutantninjaturtles

July 6, 2022
Channel 5’s Milkshake! Sets Kids Slate at CMC

Channel 5′s preschool strand Milkshake! today announced a broad slate of new kids’ commissions and acquisitions at The Children’s Media Conference 2022, which is underway in Sheffield, U.K. this week. Speaking at the Commissioner Conversations Pre-School panel this morning, Louise Bucknole, General Manager, Kids & Family U.K. & Ireland at Paramount revealed the new slate as part of Milkshake!’s commitment to providing British-originated children’s content that celebrates, inspires, educates and entertains the audience.

Milkshake! will introduce three new series to its extensive existing content mix – these include two new preschool commissions:

Tweedy and Fluff [image: Tweedy & Fluff© Ltd.]
Tweedy & Fluff (40 x 5′, Second Home Studios / Stitchy Feet) Like a small child with their first pet, Tweedy and Fluff go everywhere together. A special bond between two big-hearted pals made from woolly yarn, who met on the workshop floor of a tweed mill and couldn’t imagine life without each other. A child’s first pet is an exciting challenge; learning to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak, getting comfortable with responsibility; feeling the anxiety that goes hand in hand with love. This new relationship journey can be hugely rewarding and frequently hilarious.

Created by children’s author Corrinne Averiss, Tweedy & Fluff explores love, nurture and friendship through visual comedy. Tenderly realized in handcrafted stop-motion at Second Home Studios, directed by Chris Randall. This series is supported by the U.K. Government’s Young Audiences Content Fund. Managed by the BFI, the fund supports the creation of distinctive, quality content for young audiences.

Cooking with The Gills (25 x 11′, MCC Media) The series follows popular presenter and farmer JB Gill and his family as they reach out to talented young cooks from all over the U.K. to ask for help in how to prepare and cook a wide range of delicious recipes from around the world. The Gills cook along and serve local families and friends in their rural pop-up kitchen & café. We find out about where these dishes and ingredients come from along the way.

The preschool programmer will also bolster its children’s content with a new acquisition:

Oggy Oggy

Oggy Oggy (156 x 7′, Xilam Animation) This French animation series is a spin-off to Oggy and the Cockroaches, a popular children’s show which has aired globally over the past 20 years. Unlike the original show which catered to pre-teen audiences, Oggy Oggy is designed for younger audiences and follows a young kitten and his cat pals in a bright and colourful world.

The three new titles will be joined on Milkshake! by returning favorites, including the second series of Meet The Experts (20 x 11′) produced by Boom Kids, which has also received funding through BFI’s Young Audience Content Fund. Other returning titles include the fifth series of Daisy & Ollie (26 x 7′) produced by Hoopla, as well as the second series of Show Me How (20 x 7′) by eOne Unscripted, the second series of Pip & Posy (52 x 7′) the co-production with Sky Kids produced by BAFTA-winning production company Magic Light Pictures, and series 13 of Fireman Sam (26 x 11′) from WildBrain.

“We’re very proud to announce such a wide range of high quality new and established children’s series that represent the best of public service content on Milkshake! for 2022 and beyond,” said Bucknole. “Our expanding portfolio of British-originated animations, including stop-frame, live-action and factual entertainment content will be supported by fresh acquisitions that further cement the enduring appeal of Milkshake! as we strive to celebrate and reflect the pre-schooler’s world of wonderment, friendship and connection, to create those all-important memories that allow them to flourish.”

July 6, 2022
People on the Move: Nick Ups Caluori, Nexus Signs ‘Raya’ Director, Hykade Steps Down as Animationinstitut Head

Sabrina Caluori

Sabrina Caluori has been elevated to the position of Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy for Nickelodeon, leading on- and off-air consumer marketing, brand creative and content launches globally across the brand’s linear, digital and social platforms. The announcement was made today by Brian Robbins, President and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; and Chief Content Officer, Kids & Family for Paramount+, to whom Caluori will report. The appointement follows the departure of Jenny Wall, who stepped down this week from her position as Chief Marketing Officer at Nickelodeon.

In her expanded remit, Caluori will oversee brand and creative marketing, supporting content for Nick’s linear networks and the Nick content developed for Paramount+. She also will continue to develop consumer campaigns designed to connect Nickelodeon and its franchises with kids and families around the world. Additionally, Caluori will add Vincent Arrico, Senior Vice President and Executive Creative Director, Nickelodeon; and Sara Francis, Vice President of Marketing Operations, to her existing direct reports.

Caluori joined Nickelodeon in August of 2021 as Senior Vice President, Brand and Content Strategy, overseeing global brand strategy, original programming launches, media planning, digital and social media, and marketing analytics. Prior to Nickelodeon, Caluori spent 12 years at HBO, most recently as EVP of Marketing & Digital Media where she built and led the digital and social marketing function across all brands and programming. She built massive, global franchises for iconic series including Game of Thrones, Euphoria, Westworld and Silicon Valley, leading to three Interactive Emmy wins and a Cannes Lion Grand Prix. Additionally, Caluori ran the publishing and editorial operations for all of HBO’s digital platforms including overseeing the go-to-market strategy for HBO’s entrance to direct-to-consumer streaming with HBO NOW.

Before joining HBO, Caluori headed the account team at the interactive agency Deep Focus, where she oversaw digital media, creative and publicity for clients such as HBO, Miramax, Google, Court TV and Comedy Central. In 2015, Caluori was named to the Hollywood Reporter NextGen list, in 2016 she was inducted into the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Advertising Hall of Achievement and in 2019 she was named to Ad Age’s 40 under 40 list.

Carlos López Estrada

Nexus Studios has signed Raya and the Last Dragon director Carlos López Estrada to its creative roster. Bringing with him an impressive and eclectic body of work, Estrada has garnered global recognition and a bevy of industry accolades, including an Academy Award nomination and a Latin Grammy win. Seamlessly crossing genres and techniques, to deliver sleek mixed media commercials, award-winning indie features and 3D animated blockbusters for Disney to live theater productions and TV, the Mexican-born, L.A.-based director weaves humor, cultural heritage and spoken word into his storytelling.

Estrada’s concept-driven music promos showcase a variety of innovative techniques, including bringing Billie Eilish to gruesome tears, casting a troop of real baboons for pop-quartet Caged Animals, creating a cut out performance from Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, and bringing together Katy Perry and Pikachu. His debut feature, Blindspotting, propelled him into notoriety after its premiere at Sundance and subsequent release by Lionsgate. President Obama marked it as one of his favorite movies of the year and it earned Estrada a First-Time Feature nomination by the Directors Guild of America, with a TV sequel in 2021.

Estrada was named as one of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch, and his work has been featured in SXSW, LA Film Festival, Cartoon Network and the Hammer Museum as well as high profile publications including Vice, TIME Magazine and The Guardian. He is currently directing a thought-provoking, animated feature documentary in development at Nexus Studios, set to release in 2023, as well as the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Robin Hood.

Andreas Hykade [photo: Dominique Brewing]
Prof. Andreas Hykade (director, Altötting, The Runt, Ring of Fire) will step down as the director of Animationsinstitut at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg on September 30, in order to take on a new role at the institute that focuses on teaching. From the beginning of the academic year 2022/23, he will be Head of Animation Directing. After eight years in charge of Animationsinstitut, Hykade feels that the right time has come for him to hand over his office:

“When I took over as director, I had set goals for Animationsinstitut, laid down in the strategy paper Filmakademie 2030 — most notably the financial security of the institute as well as the specialization ‘Character Animation’ and the comprehensive integration of the issue ‘intellectual property (IP)’ into our curriculum. We were able to achieve all of this,” notes Hykade. “In addition, we pushed on with the internal internationalisation of the institute, successfully navigated our conference FMX through turbulent times and expanded our research & development for the benefit of our students. Above all, however, we succeeded in offering our students a fully fledged course of studies during the difficult time of the pandemic. My thanks go to all those who have actively supported Animationsinstitut in rising to these challenges.”

Success has proved Hykade right: In the rankings of the specialist press, Animationsinstitut is regularly listed among the world’s top 10 animation schools. The institute’s productions have won the most important international prizes – most recently, the photorealistic CGI production The Beauty caused a sensation with a Student Academy Award.

“I would have liked to see more dynamism regarding our goal of becoming a leading European region for animation, VFX and games. Other countries are pulling ahead of Baden-Württemberg in various fields. But I am convinced: We could make up ground if we focused on the development of intellectual property in all animation crafts. Perhaps a new generation of young artists can support us in taking the necessary steps,” Hykade adds. “Our maxim in the past years has been: ‘The person is more important than the project.’ It is my hope that our students as well as our team and the lecturers keep up this spirit.”

The accomplished filmmaker and educator will likely recommit more of his time to his own work, with several film, book and music projects for a range of audiences on his docket. “My time as head of Animationsinstitut was so exciting and moving that it definitely calls for an artistic treatment. I have two different working titles that I have yet to choose from: ‘The Beautiful Kingdom’ or ‘The Boss Who Cried.’”

July 5, 2022
TV & Streaming: HBO Max Renews ‘Ten Year Old Tom,’ New Shows on Hulu, CN Climate Champs & More
The critically acclaimed Max Original adult-animated series Ten Year Old Tom has been renewed for a second season on HBO Max. The S2 order was announced at Rooster Teeth’s RTX festival in Austin, Texas this weekend. The series is created, produced, directed and written by Steve Dildarian (The Life and Times of Tim), who also voice stars as Tom. Byron Bowers (Honey Boy) joins the writing team for S2 and voices the character Nelson.

“Steve Dildarian has always had a unique and charming way of depicting the pain and hilarity of everyday life. We love the sincerity and bewilderment of Tom as he navigates the misguided adults around him daily and we are looking forward to more life lessons and mishaps in Season 2,” said Billy Wee, SVP of Comedy & Animation for HBO Max.

Ten Year Old Tom follows the misadventures of an average kid as he contends with questionable guidance from the well-meaning grownups around him. S1 also starred Todd Glass, Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich and Edi Patterson, with guest appearances by David Duchovny, Jennifer Coolidge, Natasha Lynonne, Mark Proksch, Tim Robinson and more. The series is exec produced by Dildarian, Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements ( Tomorrow Studios), and Nick Weidenfeld (Work Friends). ShadowMachine will continue producing the animation for S2.

Coming to Hulu in July

New animated titles are arriving on Hulu this month! Available now, the Annecy-screened film Ginger’s Tale, from the now-defunct Vverh Animation Studio, follows a plucky young heroine who sets out to rescue her kind friend when the magical Stone of Fire brings him wealth at the cost of his goodness, attracting the attention of the kingdom’s evil queen.

On the anime side, catch the complete Season 2 drop of Platinum End on Thursday, July 7. Synopsis: When life becomes too much for Mirai to bear and attempts taking his own life, he’s saved by Nasse, a guardian angel who offers him a chance at becoming the new god. To do so, he must face off against 12 other candidates within 999 days.

Also debuting Thursday will be How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Season 1 (Eps. 14-26, Dubbed). Synopsis: Suddenly summoned to a fantasy world and betrothed to the princess, Kazuya Souma is crowned the new king. Unlike the royalty before him, he won’t be using swords and magic to rule; will administrative reform really get this kingdom back on track?

And of course, we must remind you to mark your calendars next week for the complete Season 3 premiere for Solar Opposites, the spaced-out sci-fi spoof from Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan that has the insane Earth-dunking comedy you crave. Binge the new season Wednesday, July 13!

Younger auds will want to tune in to Disney+ on Wednesday, July 6 for new episodes of PJ Masks! The immensely popular children’s series launched on Disney Junior (U.S.) in 2015, and has since inspired millions of kids around the world in their superhero dreams.

The PJ Maskas are three kids who don their masks and pajamas at night to become a hero team, to keep rivals and “baddies” from ruining people’s day. Connor becomes Catboy (with cat powers), Amaya becomes Owlette (owl powers) and Greg becomes Gekko (lizard powers). Together, they go into the night to save the day using their unique skills and vehicles. Kids and parents have been motivated by the series’ themes of inclusion and imagination.

New episodes will rev up new vehicle-loving villains Carly and Cartoka; take kids along for a camping trip, a sleepover and a Dragon Dance demo; unleash a pirate robot and more!

Cartoon Network Africa is kicking off a new super fun vacation season phase of its campaign to inspire kids to take care of our planet as Climate Champions (cartoonnetworkclimatechampions.com)! The action begins with an on-air stunt with fun and adventurous, eco-tastic episodes every day from Monday, July 11 to 18 July at 9:40 CAT.
- Laugh along with your favorite cartoon characters from Teen Titans Go!, Craig of the Creek, The Amazing World of Gumball, DC Super Hero Girls, We Baby Bears, Coach Me If You Can and Ben 10 as they tackle environmental issues. From cleaning up the ocean to protecting an ancient tree, our heroes will face many unexpected adventures while learning about climate change.
- CN has partnered with DStv to launch a new mobile game called Grubby Shores that goes live July 11 on DStv’s mobile edutainment game, Island Adventures, available on the MyDStv app. Come along and explore a newly discovered grubby island destroyed by pollution and climate change. The dirty island needs all Cartoon Network Climate Champions to save it! Play, learn and win one of 10 DIY Vegetable Garden kits weekly or an incredible family getaway.
- You can also join the Cartoon Network Climate Champions crew for even more activities, more games and cool tips to help protect our planet during the eco-packed holiday activations at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre (Pretoria) from July 6-10 and Tyger Valley Shopping Centre (Cape Town) July 13-17.
More TV & Streaming Bytes:
- Overseas animation made a splash on the Netflix Top 10 for June 27-July 3, including features Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (No. 9 for Films in English, 4th week in Top 10) and Tadeo Jones 2 (No. 9, Films – Non-English), plus the anime series BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- S1 (No. 8, TV – Non-English).
- Now available as an OVID exclusive streaming premiere, history buffs and fans of beautiful hand-crafted animation won’t want to miss the docuemntary short The Girl with the Rivet Gun, directed by Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly.
- Sky Cinema will be premiering Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank as a Sky Original on July 22.
- Kung Fu Pork Choppers S4 has finally launched in mainland China, following the success of the previous seasons with an OTT rollout across iQIYI, Tencent, Mango TV, Youku and MIGU, as well as broadcasters KAKU and Aniworld TV.
- Paramount+ officially entered the Asian market with a launch in South Korea, on No. 1 K-Content platform TVING as part of its global partnership with CJ ENM.
- VlogBox reports rapid growth for the U.K./India kids’ media shingle Videogyan, which has seen a major boost in viewship following their team-up to create CTV/OTT channels across Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV and Google TV — overcoming some challenges and resulting in revenue increases of 75% and an audience growth of 80%.
July 5, 2022
Special Events: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ 30th Anniversary, Mignola Documentary, Yuasa Retrospecitve
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Disney animated classic and its historic Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, The Wonderful World of Disney and ABC will present Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. This two-hour animated and live-action blended special will pay tribute to the film and its legacy by showcasing the fan-favorite movie, along with new memorable musical performances, taking viewers on a magical adventure through the eyes of Belle. The special airs Thursday, Dec. 15(8-10 p.m. EST) on ABC, and will be available the next day on Disney+.

Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), who is currently in an overall deal with Disney Television Studios, is set to executive produce with Hamish Hamilton set to direct. The talented cast, whose performances will be seamlessly woven through the original feature film, will be announced at a later date. The special includes live never-before-seen musical performances and features brand-new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. Each performance is created to pay homage while also adding to the story. Songs from the original animated classic will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios.

“Beauty and the Beast was always a game-changing cinematic experience for me,” said Chu. “When the animated movie came out, I watched it multiple times in the first weekend. It showed me the outer limits of what animated artists and storytellers could achieve, so the fact that I get to executive produce a tribute to all the creatives that made this masterpiece through our Electric Somewhere company is a dream I didn’t even think was possible. With world-class creatives and talent to reinterpret the classic musical numbers (with a few surprises), I can’t wait for the audiences, in person and at home, to experience what we have in store for them. It’s a true celebration of creativity.”

Mike Mignola draws Hellboy [image courtesy of Kevin Hanna and Jim Demonakos]
Los Angeles-based Secret Movie Club will present the first public screening of the highly anticipated Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters documentary at L.A.’s iconic Million Dollar Theater on Saturday, August 13. The screening will include a live onstage interview with Mike Mignola, the legendary creator of Hellboy, alongside documentary filmmakers Jim Demonakos and Kevin Konrad Hanna, and Secret Movie Club founder Craig Hammill.

The evening will begin with a special 35mm archive print screening of Universal Studios’ iconic Bride of Frankenstein, the James Whale-directed film which has inspired Mignola’s storytelling for decades. Attendees will be able to purchase a limited-edition 18” x 24” Secret Movie Club poster featuring Hellboy, the Frankenstein monster, and the monster’s bride, by Mignola and award-winning colorist Dave Stewart. The event will begin at 6 p.m. Advance ticket and poster sales are available now.

Limited edition poster

Synopsis: When Mike Mignola created Hellboy, he unleashed a visionary comic-book character and launched an entire universe populated by unique heroes and creatures, misfits and monsters. Featuring in-depth interviews with Mignola alongside appearances from the likes of Patton Oswalt, Guillermo del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Rebecca Sugar and Victor LaValle, Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters is a film for fans of the Hellboy universe and the Hellboy movies, but more than this, it’s a film for anyone interested in creativity and the imagination.

The documentary was originally crowdfunded on Kickstarter, where it generated more than half a million dollars in pledges from backers. It will be appearing at film festivals throughout the year; follow its progress on Twitter.

In celebration of the critically acclaimed new film, Inu-Oh, the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles and GKIDS will co-present a retrospective for one of the most visionary artists in all of animation, Masaaki Yuasa. Yuasa made his big screen debut in 2004 with the cult favorite Mind Game, and went on to direct the wildly popular animated films Lu Over the Wall; The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl and Ride Your Wave, each of which were produced by his animation studio, Science SARU. The filmmaker will appear in person to discuss this impressive body of work, including his latest, Inu-Oh.

Masaaki Yuasa: An American Cinametheque Retrospective:
- Friday, August 5, 7: 30 p.m. | Aero Theatre | Inu-Oh / Ride Your Wave + Q&A with Masaaki Yuasa (tickets)
- Saturday, August 6, 7 p.m. | Los Feliz 3 | Mind Game + Q&A with Yuasa (tickets)
- Saturday, August 6, 10 p.m. | Los Feliz 3 | The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl + Introduction by Yuasa (tickets)
- Sunday, August 7, 4 p.m. | Los Feliz 3 | Lu Over the Wall (tickets)
July 5, 2022
‘Thing’ Wins Top Prize at Student Film-Dominated Anča Awards

Winners of the 2022 Anča Awards were announced at the closing ceremony of Slovakia’s Fest Anča on July 2 at the historical Žilina Town Theatre. The jury was primarily swayed by student films that depicted the world with emotion, humor and objectivity.

Thing (Germany), this year’s overall winner of the international award for Best Animated Short, tells the story of a man who is chased by a small “thing” that will not leave him alone. The film’s director, Malte Stein, is well-known to the festival and visitors, as his films having been part of the Anča line-up for many years. The jury of Mihai Mitrică, Saša Bach and last year’s grand prize recipient, Sarina Nihei, noted that they were “driven to the edge by this short film and also very haunted by this little ‘thing.’”

The jury gave an honorable mention to In My Chest of Fire There Is Still Place to Temple Your Dagger: A Love Story, from Spanish student didrector Pablo Ballarín, which centers on the relationship between the well-known Ash and Pikachu characters in the iconic Pokémon anime series. The jury praised “the author’s fresh visual approach and honest storytelling with a great sense of humor in addressing the universal topic of love and hate told through the eyes of well-developed characters.” [Trailer.]

Mom, What’s Up with the Dog” (2021)

The same main jury gave the Anča Award for Best Student Animated Short to the French short Mom, What’s Up with the Dog?,which tells the story of an 11-year-old girl and the awakening of her sexuality. Director Lola Lefevre introduces us to a very personal story with a certain degree of humour and honesty, as noted by the international jury that added “the story will resonate universally with all audiences.” [Trailer.]

The Special Recognition Award in the Student Films category went to Crumbs of Life by Polish director Katarzyna Miechowicz. Her film leans toward absurdity as it presents three characters living in a small coastal town. The jury was particularly impressed by the film’s visuals. [Trailer.]

Sisters (2021)

The winner of the Slovak section of the competition was Sisters, about the relationship between Big Sister and Small Sister, stuck in sand in an arid land. The jury consisting of award-winning Czech director Michaela Pavlátová, Anastasiya Verlinskaya, director of the Ukrainian festival Linoleum, and journalist Jair Salvador Flores Alvarez (a.k.a. Kropka), described the film as a “metaphor of a burden, which in the most subtle and delicate way shows that every end has a new beginning.”

In the same category, the jury gave the Special Recognition Award to Sounds Between the Crowns by Filip Diviak (Czech Republic). They praised the film’s “perfect mix of brilliant character design, outstanding music and humor that one can hardly believe it’s by a student.” [Trailer.]

Festival director Ivana Sujová observed: “That awarded films in both the international and Slovak section were by students shows that the voice of a new generation of creators is here to be heard, and their mature visual expression is here to be seen.” She added that the Fest Anča team look forward to their future productions.

Coucou Tchoutchou (2021)

Jurists Kate Jessop, Michael Mihályi and Dorota Brázdovičová (a.k.a. Seafur) watched 23 pieces to decide the Best Animated Music Video Award and the Special Mention of the same category. The former was awarded to French animator Charlie Mars for Vabaira’s “Coucou Tchoutchou,” which the jury described the music video as “funny, dynamic, striking and entertaining, with an inventive use of character animation.” [Watch.]

The jury gave the Special Recognition Award to the music video for “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” by Elton John and Dua Lipa. Made by Raman Djafari, the jury appreciated its “strong character design, fluid animation style, and impressive connection between audio and visual.” [Watch.]

Mishou

The Anča Award for the Best Animated Short for Children was decided by kids from elementary schools and preschools in and around Žilina during the Children’s Days for schools on June 28 and 29. After viewing nine competing films, the pupils’ votes went to Mishou, a 2D and stop-motion from Berlin-based director Milen Vitanov, about a lost puppy in Antarctica and who is saved by a group of rabbits. [Trailer.]

Local children can look forward to seeing this film beginning in September as part of the Kino Fest Anča: The Best Animated Films for Children 2022 project.

The winning film, as well as other competing and non-competing animated shorts for children, can be enjoyed by animation fans from the comfort of their homes from July- 10 at DAFilms.sk. Six curated sections of animated films for adults will be available, and all sections incorporate the festival’s theme — Women in Animation.

www.festanca.sk

July 5, 2022
Animation Guild Ratifies New Contract
The Animation Guild’s members have voted to ratify the 2021-2024 Animation Guild Master Agreement. Of the valid votes cast, 87% were in favor of ratification. What’s even more impressive is the historic turnout of the vote — the number of TAG members who cast a ballot more than tripled since the last ratification vote. A temporary agreement with AMPTP was announced at the end of May.

Since the last contract cycle, Guild leadership has worked tirelessly to increase engagement, including hiring communications staff, investing in mobilization strategies and supporting member committees and member-run initiatives. The fruits of this labor were evident in the high level of engagement throughout the negotiations process including support and participation in social media campaigns that trended #1 on Twitter in both California and Los Angeles.

“This ratification vote shows that the membership has acknowledged the incredible work of our negotiations subcommittees and dedicated themselves to continuing the work. While we achieved significant gains, we were not able to reach all the priorities we set out to achieve and that our members deserve,” says Business Representative Steve Kaplan.

“The Local has dedicated itself to member engagement and open discussions about how to achieve those goals, and the membership has responded by ratifying this agreement and agreeing to support efforts to build our strength as a Union and community to give us greater leverage in the future. I must acknowledge and thank each member of the committee for their hard work over this long negotiation period and thank the leadership and staff of the Local for their never-ending support.”

Some of the key gains secured by the Negotiations Committee include:
- Establishing wage minimums for streaming derivative and original work. Programs that fell under the New Media High Budget threshold provided for freely negotiable wages. Now, derivative and original productions of at least 11-minutes in length and budgeted at $25,000 or more per minute are subject to wage minimums.
- For the first time in the history of the agreement, writers have their own job classification and a framework to build a ladder of progression. The progression has added new classifications for wage minimums, and also addresses issues related to compensation for experienced writers who are not in a supervisory role.
- Created a pathway for Union-covered remote work outside of L.A. County in an unpublished sideletter. The employers agreed that members who have been working remotely outside the state can continue to do so and be covered by the agreement under specific circumstances. This was not a mandatory subject of bargaining.
- Extended parental leave protections to address other life events, such as caring for a family member with a serious health condition.
- Retroactive wage increases.
You can retrace the progress of TAG’s #NewDeal4Animation on the Guild’s Negotiations Timeline here; and review the Memorandum of Agreement here.

The Animation Guild, also known as Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), was founded in 1952. The labor union represents more than 5,000 artists, technicians and writers in the animation industry, advocating for workers to improve wages and conditions.

animationguild.org
July 5, 2022