The CW Network today announced its slate of upcoming holiday programming, featuring holiday classics, family favorites and all-new specials, including a hybrid recap of Scooby-Doo and the gang’s greatest capers — premiering this Friday — and the DC’s Legends of Tomorrow-inspired CG tale Beebo Saves Christmas, announced earlier this year.
Mystery, Inc. reunites on Friday, October 29 (8-9 p.m. ET), in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now!. The gang gathers at Warner Bros. Studios to reminisce about their favorite cases and how they were filmed. But it turns out that the backlot may have its OWN monster problem! Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo investigate this mystery while celebrating the legacy of the franchise during this one-hour special.
Hosted by Janel Parrish, (Pretty Little Liars), special guests joining the Scooby gang include author Jerry Beck, Karamo Brown (Queer Eye), producer Tony Cervone (Scoob!), Seth Green (Family Guy), Olivia Liang (Kung Fu), producer David Silverman (The Simpsons), animator Tom Sito, Mitch Watson (Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated), “Weird Al” Yankovic and Cheri Oteri (Saturday Night Live).
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You Now! is from Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon and Abominable Pictures. Jonathan Stern writes, directs and executive produces the special. An encore presentation will air on Thursday, November 25 (8-9 p.m. ET).
Beebo was introduced in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S3 episode “Beebo the God of War.”
Everyone’s favorite fuzzy toy turned furry god will once again be a hero as he tries to save Christmas in the all-new animated one-hour special Beebo Saves Christmas airing Wednesday, December 1 (8-9 p.m. ET). When Sprinkles (voiced by Chris Kattan), an efficiency-obsessed elf, decides that Christmas would run better without Santa Claus (voiced by Ernie Hudson), Beebo (voiced by Ben Diskin) and his friends travel to the North Pole to help discover what truly makes Christmas meaningful.
Also starring Kimiko Glenn (Centaurworld, Orange Is the New Black) as the voice of Tweebo, Yvette Nicole Brown (Fairfax, Community) as the voice of Turbo, Keith Ferguson (Kid Cosmic, Ducktales) as the voice of Fleabo, and Victor Garber (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as the narrator.
Beebo Saves Christmas is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and is written by Matt Maala and Kevin Shinick and executive produced by Sam Register, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, David Madden, Phil Klemmer, Grainne Godfree, Marc Guggenheim and Keto Shimizu. An encore presentation will air Tuesday, December 21 (8-9 p.m. ET).
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
The CW will also be bringing back the 2000 Phil Roman special Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, airing Friday, November 26 (9-10 p.m. ET). Based on the hit song that became a worldwide holiday phenomenon, the one-hour special is a goofy and heartwarming adventure that features young Jake Spankenheimer on the quest of a lifetime to track his missing Grandma down on Christmas Eve to prove that Santa Claus is indeed real.
Michele Lee (Knots Landing) provides the voice of Jake’s greedy Cousin Mel and recording artist Elmo Shropshire provides the narration. Encore presentations will air on Saturday, December 18 (8-9 p.m. ET) and Wednesday, December 22 (8-9 p.m. ET).
Genius Brands International, Inc. and WOW! Unlimited Media announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby Genius Brands will acquire WOW! for approximately US$53 million in cash and stock.
The Company hosted a conference call Wednesday morning to discuss the transaction. The replay is available on Sequire.
WOW! Unlimited Media, based in Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Los Angeles, has built one of the world’s leading animation production companies producing for the top broadcasters and IP holders including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sony, Hulu, DreamWorks, Moonbug, Peacock and Mattel. Based on the last 12 months (LTM) from July 2020-June 2021, the Company’s revenue and EBITDA were US$56.4 million and US$5.1 million respectively, and its growing order book has over $62 million dollars of contracted production in the next year alone.
“The acquisition of WOW! substantially accelerates the financial growth of Genius Brands, delivering on our promise to shareholders to execute meaningful and accretive acquisitions, as we seek to rapidly consolidate the marketplace and become the foremost producer, broadcaster, and consumer product licensor of high-quality children’s entertainment in the world,” commented Andy Heyward, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genius Brands.
“I have known and worked with WOW! Chairman and CEO Michael Hirsh throughout my career, and there is nobody more talented, accomplished or well regarded. His track record of many hits includes the first Star Wars animated programs, Magic School Bus, Care Bears, Babar, Johnny Test and Beetlejuice, among others.
“In addition to the animation productions of WOW! today and the exciting new brand brought to the table for Genius Brands, WOW! has a massive social media footprint across YouTube, TikTok, Giphy, etc., expanding the Genius Brands kids’ audience demo into the lucrative teens and young adult marketplaces. The company has over 1 billion views per month on its Frederator YouTube Network, with over 2,500 advertiser supported channels, making it the number one talent driven animation YouTube Network.”
Andy Heyward
WOW!’s Canadian production facilities enable a number of profitable synergies for the company via access to various federal and provincial tax credits, which will allow Genius Brands to transfer its current animation production at great savings from China.
Heyward added, “In addition to WOW!’s third party service production, we will now place many of the exciting upcoming WOW! owned content on Kartoon Channel! and activate it through our consumer products and global distribution sales network, further advancing revenues and earnings.”
Michael Hirsh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of WOW!, commented, “I’m excited to work with Andy and the Genius Brands team. This is a powerful partnership that brings immediate and significant value for shareholders. We bring production capacity, new IP, and a robust and profitable YouTube Network with over a billion views per month. Genius Brands, with Kartoon Channel!, has a fully distributed footprint where our content can thrive and also help Kartoon Channel! itself expand. Genius Brands’ world class consumer product licensing team led by Kerry Phelan, will enable us to monetize all of these great characters and brands. This transaction represents the culmination of our extensive strategic review process. We feel that this is a very attractive opportunity for our shareholders with significant potential upside in the months and years ahead.”
Michael Hirsh
The acquisition increases Genius pro-forma revenues for the last 12 months (LTM) by over 1,100%On a stand-alone basis:
WOW!’s LTM revenue was over US$56 million
WOW!’s LTM EBITDA was over US$5 million
WOW!’s 2020 EBITDA growth was over 45% year over year
WOW! has a robust animation business with consistent revenue and EBITDA growth, and strong visibility into future revenue with marquee clients and partners including Netflix, DreamWorks, Sony, Mattel, Spin Master, Moonbug and Hulu.
The combination is expected to drive synergies on multiple fronts, including:
WOW! in-house brands, currently unexploited, to now be monetized through Genius Brands’ Ad Sales, Global Distribution, and Consumer Product licensing units
Cost-savings from delisting of the Canadian publicly listed WOW! entity and related regulatory, legal and operational expenses
The combination creates an end-to-end animation ecosystem driving exceptional value for shareholders, including:
Addition of two studios with strong track record of producing top end animation — Frederator Studios (produced Adventure Time, FairlyOdd Parents, Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Castlevania) and Mainframe Studios (produced Madagascar: A Little Wild, Barbie Dreamhouse)
A captive animation production studio that can be leveraged for in-house production of Genius Brands’ properties, thus driving cost synergies
Expanding audience demographics beyond kids into teens and young adult audiences and global social media platforms, with high-performing properties such as:
Castlevania (Top 10 on Netflix)
Bee and Puppycat (over 1 billion impressions across YouTube and social media)
Catbug (over 200 million impressions on TikTok)
The transaction will result in an expanded global leadership team. Michael Hirsh, CEO of WOW!, will join the Board of Directors of Genius Brands and continue his responsibilities for Mainframe, Frederator Studios, Networks and Platforms.
The transaction expands Genius Brands’ business in multiple high-growth areas, including:
Highly profitable, full-service animation sub-contract studio with continuing and reliable high-end clients
Expansion into teen and young adult focused animation
Addition of a large YouTube business to drive growth of Genius Brands’ overall AVOD business (the addition of the Channel Frederator Network, an animation and pop culture driven digital network with 1 billion+ average monthly views and 2,500+ creator driven channels)
The united companies will maintain a strong commitment to Canada and the Canadian Tax Credit System:
WOW!’s Canadian content operations will continue as a distinct Canadian controlled business
The transfer of animation production to Canada is expected to benefit Genius Brands through Canadian Content incentives as well as Production Service Tax Credits and to provide direct benefits for Canadians through opportunities for Canadian animators and other production personnel
A brand-new, action-packed trailer and official imagery has landed for Disney and Pixar’s original animated feature Lightyear, which blasts off in theaters June 17, 2022. The sci-fi action-adventure presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear — the hero who inspired the toy — introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans.
Chris Evans (Knives Out, Avengers: Endgame) lends his voice to Buzz. “The phrase ‘a dream come true’ gets thrown around a lot, but I’ve never meant it more in my life,” says Evans. “Anyone who knows me knows that my love for animated films runs deep. I can’t believe that I get to be a part of the Pixar family and work with these truly brilliant artists who tell stories unlike anyone else. Watching them work is nothing short of magic. I pinch myself every day.”
Annie Award-winning director and veteran Pixar animator Angus MacLane, who co-directed 2016’s Finding Dory, helms Lightyear. Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot short) produces.
WarnerMedia Kids & Family released an exciting, scholar-smacking sneak peek at the final installment of the hit animated event mini-series Aquaman: King of Atlantis. This hilarious finale follows events of the first and second episode and will dive onto HBO Max on Thursday, October 28.
In “Chapter Three: Tidal Shift,” the united terrible twosome of Ocean Master and Pytor Mortikov’s plans to overthrow Aquaman imperil the city – and possibly the whole planet! Then, when the dreaded villain Scavenger enters the fold, will the DC Super Hero of the deep be able to hold everything together and finally prove to himself and his subjects that he’s the right man for the throne?
The talented voice cast includes Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead) as Aquaman, Gillian Jacobs (Community) as Mera, Thomas Lennon (Reno 911) as Vulko and Dana Snyder (Jellystone!) as Ocean Master, with Andrew Morgado (Injustice, The Casagrandes) as Pyotr Mortikov.
Victor Courtright (ThunderCats Roar!) and Marly Halpern-Graser (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) serve as showrunners and co-executive producers for Aquaman: King of Atlantis. The series is executive produced by James Wan (Aquaman, Malignant), Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear (Annabelle Comes Home) and Rob Hackett (Swamp Thing) and Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!)
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Aquaman: King of Atlantis presents a playful reimagining of the iconic DC Super Hero and tells an original tale about Aquaman’s first adventures as King of Atlantis. Family audiences follow Aquaman, his royal advisor Vulko, warrior-princess Mera and a fun roster of characters on epic underwater excursions filled with colorful animations, monstrous creatures and thrilling battles. “Chapter One: Dead Sea” and “Chapter Two: Primordius” are now streaming on HBO Max.
20th Television Animation has promoted Chris Cikowski to Vice President, Animation, Deadline reports. The new veep’s assignments include current Fox series Duncanville and The Great North; upcoming Hulu toon Koala Man from Justin Roiland, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit; and in-development projects Standy By from Dan Levy and Ally Pankiw, How to Be Black from Baratunde Thurston, Courtney Lilly, Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland (both for Hulu) and The Hobblepots from Ben Schwartz, Mortal media and Rooster Teeth (ABC).
A Philadelphia native and graduate of Loyola Marymount University’s Film Program, where he spent three semesters in the Disney ABC Internship program, Cikowski entered the television industry as an assistant to Aaron Kaplan. He joined the studio as an assistant in the 20th Century Fox Television comedy division and was soon chosen to work directly under studio President Jonnie Davis. Cikowski left 20th to work as a coordinator under film/TV director McG, rejoining 20th Television Animation under Marci Proietto as a manager and receiving two promotions prior to being named VP.
Chris Cikowski
Veronica Orvalho, Founder of Portuguese digital human startup Didimo (www.didimo.co), has been named among the 21 finalists for the EU Prize for Women Innovators from a pool of more than 260 candidates by the European Innovation Council. The winners will be announced at the EIC Summit in Brussels, Nov. 24 & 25. Orvalho holds a degree in Software Engineering from the University of Belgrano, a Master’s degree in Video Game Development from Universitat Pompeu Fabra and completed her Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Catalonia.
Hailing from Argentina, 44-year-old Orvalho has been dedicated to the study of computer vision, computer graphics and facial communication for more than 18 years. A professor at the University of Porto and attentive to the opportunities that the digital world brings, the entrepreneur believes that knowledge must be shared and that education is the greatest weapon to fight poverty. For this reason, she developed the unique technology for “didimos,” believing digital humans, can contribute to a connection of cultures and knowledge sharing, creating a better human experience in the digital world.
“The future of work is digital, and it is important to share the best examples of what we do to inspire new generations to follow us and to aim to do more and better with new technologies. I believe that the education of a young person is only complete with the complementarity between the academic aspect and professional experience, and I am happy that there are initiatives that demonstrate the importance of going further and innovating in everything we do. Being part of this list is, more than anything, a motivation to continue to grow as a professional and to inspire others to strive for breakthroughs that help people. It is an honor to share this with more women in the technology sector and I think that young women who dream of working in this area will look at these examples as an impulse to join and help,” commented Orvalho.
Over the past few years, Didimo has been developing its innovative technology to create 3D avatars from a simple selfie in 90 seconds. Didimo also promotes the Paper Wings initiative (pt.paperwings.co), whose motto is “Learn, Share and Build,” annually financing scholarships for university students and summer internships in startups in Portugal, accompanied by mentoring by their founders, creating a link between the academic and business universes and proposing a more practical and complete teaching experience for students.
Veronica Orvalho
Award-winning visual designer Anthony Francisco has joined Dolphin Entertainment (www.dolphinentertainment.com) in the newly created post of Creative Director, announced Founder and CEO Bill O’Dowd. Francisco joins the content and marketing collective to develop and execute numerous NFT series involving original and existing IP. The company is planning many drops in the coming months. Dolphin recently secured a partnership with leading cryptocurrency exchange platform FTX to build NFT marketplaces across multiple entertainment and sports verticals.
Francisco most recently served as a Senior Visual Development Artist at Marvel Studios, where he worked for nine years designing some of the world’s most beloved characters and elements for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Baby Groot to Loki to the Dora Milaje (female warriors of Black Panther). His work has been featured in Guardians of the Galaxy Volumes 1, 2 and 3, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Antman, Antman and the Wasp, Black Panther and Doctor Strange. His designs, concepts and creations will be featured in the highly anticipated Eternals (November 5) as well as upcoming films Black Panther 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Thor: Love and Thunder and Captain Marvel 2.
“NFTs are such an exciting new world for any visual artist,” said Francisco. “I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity to establish a creative role that doesn’t already exist inside Dolphin Entertainment. The ideas are endlessly flowing and it’s thrilling for a designer like myself to feel that anything is possible. I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on with the world.”
Prior to joining Marvel, Francisco served as a Senior Concept Artist at Rhythm & Hues, contributing to movies such as R.I.P.D., Seventh Son, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Hunger Games and Snow White and the Huntsman. In January of 2019, he published his first book called Anthony Francisco Art Vol. 1: Uber Monsters, which includes numerous creature designs and renderings.
Anthony Francisco [Photo: Sthanlee Mirador]
Nexus Studios has signed directing duo Mike&Payne (Mike Tyler and Richard Payne) to its global talent roster. The pair’s unique, youthful perspective and passion for craft sees their work move between the dark, the surreal and the dynamic. With studios in London, L.A. and sydney, Nexus’ prolific output includes Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning films, Cannes Grand Prix winning commercials and Emmy-nominated AR & VR experiences.
Unbound by medium or platform, Mike&Payne are able to create seamlessly across 3D, 2D and a hybrid of live action and animation. Brought up on a filmic diet of science fiction and anime films, their work is driven by a fascination with imaginative, fantastical and cinematic storytelling. The pari has applied a meticulous eye for detail and penchant for explosive visuals to works for clients including Riot Games, Adidas, Nike, SKII, Honda and Spotify. Their work has been featured in Vimeo Staff Picks, Stash and Promo News and has won Gold and Silver Promax awards. (nexusstudios.com/talent/mike-payne)
Mike&Payne (Mike Tyler and Richard Payne)
Following an international journey in visual effects taking him from Spain to Australia and back again, Javier Roca is now joining the Montreal team of RodeoFX (rodeofx.com) as VFX Supervisor. The full-service studio was recently nominated for three Emmy Awards for its work on Lovecraft Country, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Employing nearly 600 artists across its Montreal, Quebec, L.A. and Munich locations, Reel FX’s notable credits also include Oscar winner Blade Runner 2049, VES Award winners Stranger Things S3 and Jack Ryan, and three-time Emmy winner Game of Thrones.
Roca has worked with some of the biggest directors in the industry, such as Steven Spielberg and Luc Besson, and has contributed to many award-winning projects including X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), The Martian (2015) and Jurassic World (2015). After studying and directing films, he forayed into camera work and editing before returning to school to complete a Master’s in fine arts specializing in post-production. Since then, Roca has traveled the world to work on movies and shows with ILM, MPC and Weta Digital. He is known for recreating the destructive tsunami in 2012 VES-winning movie The Impossible, and was involved in the Emmy-nominated Game of Thrones S8 and The Mandalorian S1.
Javier Roca
Full-service virtual production studio Sequin (www.sequinar.com) has announced that Bryan Breckenridge, Head of Impact for Snyk, has been elected to the company’s Board of Directors. Concurrently, Sequin has launched a new SaaS Metaverse solution, Sequin.App. The studio’s professional services team leverages gaming engine technology (Unreal Engine) to change what’s possible within the entertainment industry in delivering virtual production and augmented reality experiences. Sequin has worked on projects with Madonna, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg and Ariana Grande, and most recently worked on FOX TV’s Alter Ego avatar competition series.
Breckenridge has held positions at iconic Silicon Valley companies like Salesforce.com, Linkedin, Box and Zillow, and is an advisor to Verb, Inc. He currently leads Snyk’s impact agenda generating social, environmental, and business returns for Snky’s stakeholders. The executive team at Sequin is excited to lean into Breckenridge’s expertise to help the company fulfill its positive social impact aspirations and potential. “Empowering AR professionals to collaborate efficiently and cost effectively will be a key industry accelerator,” he noted in the announcement.
Bryan Breckenridge
Award-winning global experience design company Imagination (imagination.com) has appointed Cyril De Baecque as Production Director of Digital Content in its Sydney office. This appointment is part of the company’s strategic goal to pursue premium content, capitalizing on the shift to digital content since COVID. De Baecque will report to Imagination Australia’s Managing Director, Antony Gowthorp, and will be responsible for driving growth and establishing Imagination as a center of excellence for premium content production, working with clients globally with a particular focus on key Australian clients AWS and Telstra.
De Baecque has a wealth of experience in the experience sector, initially working on live production TV commercials and feature films in Paris before moving to Australia, where he joined Spinifex Group, working his way up to become its Managing Director. He joins Imagination from Sydney experiential agency VANDAL, where as Executive Producer he worked on global projects including world-class TV automotive commercials and feature films.
Cyril De Baecque
SMPTE (smpte.org), the home of media professionals, technologists and engineers, announced that Barbara Lange will step down as the Society’s executive director at the close of 2021, which marks the end of her current contract. Lange has served in this role for 12 years, guiding SMPTE through a dynamic period of growth, extending the Society’s leadership as a global standards organization, and working closely with staff, volunteers, members, and the SMPTE Board of Governors to make SMPTE a more inclusive organization that brings value to individuals and organizations across the media and entertainment industry. Lange will be engaged in the transition of leadership to her successor.
A short list of achievements during Lange’s tenure includes the creation and institution of a new, more comprehensive three-year strategic business plan process; reimagination of the SMPTE brand and the Society’s web presence; the launch of the SMPTE Digital Library; completion of a successful capital fundraising campaign and celebration of the Society’s centenary; publication of more than 200 engineering documents including groundbreaking standards such as SMPTE ST 2110, SMPTE ST 2067 (IMF), and SMPTE ST 2084 (HDR); production of the first virtual presentation of the Society’s annual technical conference; successful navigation of the pandemic through the acquisition of government support and loan forgiveness; and the launch of the innovative Rapid Industry Solutions (RIS) program.
“Of all that SMPTE has achieved during my tenure, I’m most proud of how we’ve transformed the Society into a modern organization that remains very relevant 105 years after its founding … Living through this pandemic, it really makes you think about your life. As I neared the end of my SMPTE contract, I realized I am now ready to discover the next steps of my career,” commented Lange. “I am passionate and interested in several new directions. From working to increase the diversity in technology, particularly girls taking up STEM fields, to studying the growing concerns around sustainability in media tech, there are plenty of areas to focus my attention and offer my skills. While I will miss working daily with my SMPTE family, and particularly the home office team in White Plains, I look forward to new opportunities ahead.”
The 23rd edition of South Korea’s Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF2021) came to a close Tuesday, announcing this year’s award winners. The Crossing by Florence Mialhe took the BIAF Grand Prize for feature film, Audience Prize and Diversity Prize. Another artful feature, My Sunny Maad by Michaela Pavlátová took both the Jury Prize and Music Prize. In the short film competition, Hugo Covarrubias’ Bestia won the Grand Prize, while Steakhouse by Špela Čadež was awarded the Jury Prize.
Bestia
The Crossing is a unique film that shows refugee issues from the perspective of children. A fairytale-like painting style using mainly primary colors highlights this POV — however, the colors are not the clear and vibrant ones normally associated with children, instead being somewhat dingy. The BIAF2021 juries praised Mialhe’s amazing work for its consistency in the theme, while bringing out the maximized diversity of animative expressions in the film.
The jury said of the impactful use of music to push the story in My Sunny Maad: “It was impressive that the refreshing wind instrument of the music led the melody on the native base reminiscent of the Middle East culture, harmonized the center without erasing the color of tradition, and helped the film develop its natural scenes. It was amazing as they were all combined and sounded as if listening to a single song. In the more educational scenes where women dream of freedom, they played a pop-style music showing their unlimited musical production, which further [showed] the meaning of the film that talks about women’s freedom and growth.” (Read more about the movie in the December ’21 issue of Animation Magazine, available soon.)
My Sunny Maad
BIAF2021 Award Winners:
Feature Film
Grand Prize – The Crossing, Florence Mialhe (Germany/France/Czech Rep.)
Jury Prize – My Sunny Maad, Michaela Pavlátová (Czech Rep./France/Slovakia)
Special Distinction Prize – Inu-Oh, Masaaki Yuasa (Japan)
Special Distinction Prize – Archipel, Félix Dufour-Laperrière (Canada)
Audience Prize – The Crossing, Florence Mialhe (Germany/France/Czech Rep.)
PBS KIDS today announced Rosie’s Rules, a new 2D animated comedy series from 9 Story Media Group and its award-winning studio, Brown Bag films, for preschoolers (ages 3-6). The social studies-focused show is slated to debut nationwide on PBS KIDS in fall 2022.
Rosie’s Rules stars five-year-old Rosie Fuentes, a Mexican-American girl just beginning to learn about the fascinating, baffling, thrilling world beyond her family walls. The show aims to teach children concrete social studies lessons about how a community works, helping them develop their awareness of themselves as individuals and as part of a broader society.
“Preschool is that amazing stage when children start noticing the mechanisms of how a community operates, and naturally, they have a lot of questions,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “Rosie is right there with them, figuring things out one ‘rule’ at a time through humor and play.”
Like many children across the country, Rosie is part of a blended, multicultural family. Rosie is Mexican-American; her Papá is from Mexico City and her mother from rural Wisconsin. She has a little brother, Iggy, and an older sister, Crystal, who is Mom’s child from her first marriage. The Fuentes family lives together in suburban Texas with their cat (and Rosie’s partner-in-crime), Gatita.
Bilingual in English and Spanish, Rosie’s multicultural identity is a big part of who she is, and Mexican, Southwestern and Midwestern art, traditions, food and music figure prominently in the series. Music is part of every episode, as Rosie sings a song to begin each story and ends with a celebration tune summarizing what she’s learned.
Rosie’s Rules
Rosie’s Rules features a comprehensive social studies framework that encompasses civics and government, geography, economics and history via engaging, character-based narratives to help children achieve the social studies proficiencies that are important for preschoolers.
Each story builds on a preschooler’s budding understanding of a concept (how the mail works, transportation, family relationships) and extends the learning from there. As Rosie figures things out, the answers — along with other astute discoveries — become Rosie’s Rules. These “rules” range from the silly (“Don’t try to mail your cat to Mexico.”), to the sweet (“There’s nothing better than making your Abuela happy.”) to the practical (“Sometimes, flopping helps you get your feelings out.”). They will also punctuate what Rosie’s learned in the episode, bridging the curriculum takeaway and the heart of each story.
“We are so excited for kids to meet Rosie,” said Angela Santomero, Chief Creative Officer for 9 Story Media Group. “Like many preschoolers, Rosie is just beginning to learn about the world around her. Our hope is that kids will see themselves in the Fuentes family and fall in love with Rosie’s curiosity, determination, creative thinking and humor!”
Rosie’s Rules was created by Emmy Award-winning writer and children’s book author Jennifer Hamburg, a veteran of the children’s television industry whose credits include Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Super Why!, Pinkalicious & Peterrific, Cyberchase and Doc McStuffins. Executive producing with Hamburg is TV veteran Mariana Diaz-Wionczek, PhD, who brings a wealth of children’s TV experience (Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go!, Santiago of the Seas) and cultural, educational and linguistic expertise, along with her own life experience growing up in Mexico City. Maria Escobedo (Grey’s Anatomy, Elena of Avalor, Nina’s World) is on board as story editor.
Games will launch in tandem with the series on pbskids.org and the free PBS KIDS Games App. To extend the learning at home, parent resources, including tips and hands-on activities, will be available on PBS KIDS for Parents. For educators, PBS LearningMedia will offer classroom-ready materials, including video excerpts, games, teaching tips and printable activities.
Kids and family entertainment company pocket.watch, specialized in creating global franchises from the YouTube stars and characters loved by Generation Alpha, today announced an expansion of their successful partnership with the Onyx Family (3.5 million subscribers) with the wide release of animated comedy series Onyx Monster Mysteries and related games, merchandise and original music.
Season 1 of the series, consisting of 12 episodes, is seeing an ultra-wide release across dozens of streaming services, just in time for Halloween. A special sneak preview of all 12 episodes of Season 2 is available exclusively on Amazon Kids+ beginning today and will go into wide release in December.
“We are so lucky to get to work with the incredibly talented Onyx Family,” said Kerry Tucker, Chief Marketing and Franchise Officer, pocket.watch. “Onyx Monster Mysteries is an animated celebration of everything that makes this family so popular — music, humor, adventure, and teamwork. At pocket.watch, we strive to create franchises that proudly represent our diverse global audience and we are thrilled to bring it to so many people, in such a unique way, through this many platforms at once.”
In Onyx Monster Mysteries, created by Albie Hecht, pocket.watch’s Chief Content Officer, the Onyx Family is transformed into cartoon characters in an epic adventure series to save the most endangered and misunderstood species in the world- monsters! The family proves along the way that with bravery, compassion, empathy — and a few cool gadgets — there’s no problem they can’t solve together.
The series promotes diversity throughout the production, with the incredible voice and musical talents of the Onyx Family as well as diverse production talent behind the camera. The show is proud to include the perspectives of showrunner Doreen Spicer (The Proud Family), producer Jon Barnett and creative consultant Adrienne Lopez.
“We are so proud of Onyx Monster Mysteries and its message of diversity and empathy, which are core values of our family,” said Rita and Mirthell Onyx. “We are grateful to pocket.watch for their vision, creativity and commitment to bringing diverse voices and characters to kids and families all over the world.”
Onyx Monster Mysteries
Season 1 of Onyx Monster Mysteries is now available across 20+ platforms and Season 2 is exclusively on Amazon Kids+. Outlets include:
watch live-linear channel:Onyx Monster Mysteries Season 1 will anchor ‘Scream Stream,’ a weeklong Halloween programming block, running 10/26-11/1. Available via The Roku Channel, SLING TV, Pluto TV, Philo, Samsung TV Plus, VIZIO’s WatchFree+, Plex, Redbox, Xumo and more.
watch apps: Season 1 is available on-demand on the pocket.watch mobile and connectedTV apps across all major devices including Roku, FireTV, iOS, Android and more.
Premiere streaming services: Season 1 is available on services including Peacock, The Roku Channel and Prime Video, as well as popular kid streamers Amazon Kids+, HappyKids and Kidoodle.TV. Season 2 is now available exclusively on Amazon Kids+ before going wide in December 2021.
Franchise highlights also include:
Original Music: The Onyx Monster Mysteries soundtrack is a fun and engaging lead up to Halloween! All songs were written and performed by the Onyx Family and are available across all major music services, including iTunes and Spotify, and weekly music videos featuring the animation will drop on the Onyx YouTube channel and across the family’s TikTok and Instagram accounts.
Video Games: Four HTML mini-games, Yeti Family Rescue, Matchup!, Spot the Difference, Word Search are available now on the pocket.watch mobile app.
Ecommerce: Amazon will carry a brand new collection of Onyx Monster Mysteries merchandise, which includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, PopSockets, phone cases, and tote bags. Product is launching globally and available at amazon.com/onyxfamily, the newly launched brand destination on Amazon that also provides easy access to all episodes and games.
Onyx Monster Mysteries
Amassing over 7 million social media followers, more than three billion views on their YouTube content and many more viewers more across major OTT platforms and streaming services including Hulu, Prime Video, and The Roku Channel, the Onyx Family consists of parents, Mirthell and Rita, and their four children Shalom, Sinead, Sade (Shasha) and Shiloh. Their mission is to reach families around the world to “Tell the Story, Feed the Soul, Make them Laugh, Heal the Heart.” Through funding community outreach programs, contributing to HBCU scholarships and participating in various mission projects, their vision is to give back by inspiring families and children around the world to live out their greatest hopes, dreams and aspirations.
The Onyx Family’s multi-million dollar portfolio includes videos, books, music, courses, podcasts, branded merchandise, consumable products, websites, speaking engagements, television appearances, animations and streaming shows on multiple platforms and streaming services. Last year, the Onyx Family was invited to participate in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ inauguration, Our White House: An Inaugural Celebration for Young Americans, hosted by Keke Palmer; and interviewed Dr. Fauci on their YouTube channel to educate families about COVID-19 safety.
For more information on pocket.watch partnerships, creators products and content, visit pocket.watch.
Kids First today announced its first-ever collaboration with Amazon Kids+ on an original children’s program based on Hello Kitty. The two companies are creating a new episodic series, Hello Kitty: Super Style!, which will bring lifestyle brand Sanrio’s global pop culture icon to life in premium 3D animation. The new series will premiere in major territories around the world, including the U.S.
“We love how this new series combines Hello Kitty’s signature kindness with bold new action and humor,” said Veronica Pickett, Head of Amazon Kids+ Original Series. “We can’t wait for our audience to say ‘Hello’ to Hello Kitty: Super Style!”
In this cheerful, action-packed new series, Hello Kitty stars as the friendliest face in the tight-knit community of Cherry Town, where she will stop at nothing to help friends in need. In each episode, Hello Kitty uses the power of her magical bow to activate an amazing transformation, changing her outfit to be a brave explorer, a top-notch chef, a sensational pop star and more to help her pals overcome silly setbacks.
“I believe that children all over the world will be empowered by this Hello Kitty series to live happily in harmony with one another to create a brighter future for all. We hope you’ll also enjoy the new characters that appear alongside Hello Kitty as she explores the important themes of friendship and kindness throughout the series!” said Yuko Yamaguchi, Head Designer of Sanrio Company, Ltd.
The new project is produced by Paris-based production companies Watch Next and Monello (Banijay Group) with Milan-based Maga Animation Studio and distributed worldwide by Kids First (Nate Is Late, Best Bugs Forever), with Japanese distributor ABC Frontier, Inc. in charge of Asian territories.
“Having a well-known international digital video service and soon to be announced best-in-class linear broadcasters all backing the project demonstrates the wide appeal of one of the most popular and adorable characters on Earth,” commented Philippe Alessandri, CEO of Kids First and Watch Next.
“It is very exciting to stream Hello Kitty, a global pop icon representing Japan, on this great service and major broadcasters to deliver her charm. We commit to accelerating our efforts to bring joy to children around the world,” added Shunsuke Handa, Director of International Business of ABC Frontier, Inc.
Leading creative pen display innovator Wacom today introduced its new Cintiq Pro 16 to professional and serious creators of digital content who wish to take their art and design work to the next level.
Building on over 35 years of product innovation and valuable customer feedback, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 combines the company’s most natural and precise pen performance with newly improved ergonomic features into a sleek and portable form factor to help artists, designers, photographers or anyone with a passion for art let their creativity flow from pen to screen.
“The launch of the Cintiq Pro 16 puts the power of our flagship creative pen display line into an extremely portable device that is more adaptable than ever before — giving artists not only better precision, but also flexibility in how and where they work,” said Faik Karaoglu, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Wacom’s Creative Business Unit. “Wacom continues to build products that help artists and designers reach their full potential and reimagine what is possible.”
Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 tablet and pen
Enhanced Comfort and Control
The Wacom Cintiq Pro 16’s sleek and thin design makes it easy to slip into a laptop bag or backpack and is a smart choice for today’s digital content creators who find themselves moving between working locations and computers on a regular basis. “For professionals who are already using a Cintiq Pro 24 or 32 at their place of work, having a Cintiq Pro 16 at the home studio makes a great deal of sense as the device will be most familiar,” adds Karaoglu. “It also happens to be a wonderful choice for schools who are training the next generation for careers in animation, industrial design, game development, photography, etc.”
Wacom’s latest touch screen technology on the Cintiq Pro 16 offers better performance over previous generations. The option to use the pen and multi-touch together is still alive and well as many users enjoy using their fingers for easy and fast navigation as well as the ability to pinch, zoom and rotate illustrations, photos or models within supporting 2D and 3D creative software applications. For added customization and sophistication, the Cintiq Pro 16 features a physical switch on the top edge of the screen’s bezel for turning multi-touch on or off for those users who prefer having touch turned off while working.
ExpressKeys located on the rear edge of the Cintiq Pro 16
Additionally, eight ExpressKeys for integrating and customizing keyboard shortcuts and modifiers into one’s workflow, are conveniently placed on the rear edge sides (four on each side) of the display for better ergonomics and the added benefit of more screen real estate for drawing. Karaoglu notes, “Moving the ExpressKeys to the rear of the device is more intuitive and improves ergonomics and haptic feedback as the keys are located in an area where most user’s hands will naturally gravitate to when working.”
Natural Pen-on-Screen Performance
Wacom’s Pro Pen 2 offers unmatched creative control and precision to those who take their digital art seriously. Delivering four times greater accuracy and pressure sensitivity than the previous Pro Pen, the improved Pro Pen 2 creates an intuitive, free-flowing experience with virtually lag-free tracking on an anti-glare, etched glass surface that emulates the natural feel and feedback of a traditional pen or brush. In addition, optical bonding greatly reduces parallax for better performance when working with fine lines or details.
Cintiq Pro 16 in-box accessories
Handy Accessories
The Wacom Adjustable Stand lets users focus on their work instead of having to draw or paint in a way that is counterintuitive to their style. Third party stands can also be attached to the unit’s VESA mount. For artists who like to experiment with different types of pens, the thin Pro Pen slim and Pro Pen 3D, with three customizable buttons, provide new ways to get creative. When color is critical, the Wacom Color Manager, with Wacom Calibrator hardware and Wacom Profiler software, helps make sure that the colors on your displays and finished work reproduce exactly as intended. Lastly, the handheld ExpressKey Remote is designed to boost productivity by creating software application shortcuts with its 17 customizable buttons and Touch Ring.
Configuration, pricing and availability: The Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 is compatible with both Mac and PC computers and features ultra HD 4K resolution (3840×2160) through either USB-C or HDMI connectivity. The device delivers vivid colors with 98% Adobe RGB. In addition, the display’s cables contain no PVC to meet recent SDG requirements that are aimed at cleaning up the environment. Priced at $1,499.95 USD, the Cintiq Pro 16 is expected to be available online and at select retail locations in October.
Animation Is Film (AIF) announced the winners of its fourth annual film festival today with the feature film Flee (Denmark), written and directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, winning its top honor, the Grand Prize. From U.S. distributor Neon, Flee tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon to be husband.
“In the touching and innovative documentary Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen takes great care in sharing the personal history of an Afghan refugee. The filmmaker uses the process of animation to protect the identity of his subject, while also bringing an added layer to the material, capturing the impact of trauma on memory and identity in the process,” stated Jury chair Peter Debruge.
Belle
Belle (Japan) took home the Special Jury Prize. This film, written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda (Mirai), is the story of Suzu, a 17-year-old high school student who embarks on a journey of adventures, challenges and love in her quest to become who she truly is. GKIDS will release the film theatrically in the U.S. (Read more about Belle in the December ’21 issue of Animation Magazine, available soon.)
“With extraordinary visual imagination and technical skill, Mamoru Hosoda reinvents the classic Beauty and the Beast story for this century. In his telling, a teenage Belle finds her voice and takes a stand on an important social issue,” commented Debruge.
The Crossing
The Audience Award went to The Crossing (France/Germany/Czech Rep.), directed by Florence Miailhe. Kyona and Adriel are separated from their parents facing the road of exile alone. They embark on a heroic journey which takes them from childhood to adolescence, surviving incredible challenges before reaching a new world, free at last.
The 2021 edition featured a jury of heavy hitting animation notables:
Peter Debruge (Chief Film Critic, Variety / Jury Chair)
Sandra Equihua (Netflix’s animated series Maya and the Three)
Dan Krall (Artist, Producer, Dexter’s Laboratory)
Kristin Lowe (CCO of Features for DreamWorks Animation)
Erick Oh (Oscar Nominee for Opera)
Ray Pride (Film Critic)
Raye Rodriguez (Creator & Executive Producer of Crunchyroll Original Series High Guardian Spice)
Charles Solomon (Critic and Historian)
Ramin Zahed (Editor-in-Chief for Animation Magazine)
Animation Is Film 2021
AIF hosted several sold-out events throughout the weekend. The Opening Night film, The Summit of the Gods directed by Patrick Imbert, sold out to an enthusiastic crowd and a lively Q&A discussion with Imbert moderated by respected animation historian Charles Solomon. In addition, AIF hosted multiple special events, including a behind-the-scenes look at Encanto, with director Jared Bush showing the enthralled audience a sneak peek of the upcoming Disney feature.
“At a time when audiences everywhere are still easing back into theaters, we were positively awestruck by the steady hum of enthusiasm on display this weekend at Animation Is Film. With sold-out screenings every day of the festival, Los Angeles announced itself once again as an epicenter for cinema and animation lovers. We were so happy to see everyone again,” said AIF director Matt Kaszanek.
AIF also hosted the North American premiere of Funimation’s My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission, the third feature film in the global hit anime franchise, offering a sneak peek to fans ahead of its U.S. theatrical release on October 29.
In addition, the festival presented the very popular Studio on the Big Screen section, a slate of studio titles that were not able to screen in a theatrical setting upon release and offered to a cinema-going public for the first time: Pixar’s Luca, presented in-person by director Enrico Casarosa; Sony Pictures and Netflix’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines, presented in-person by producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller and co-director Jeff Rowe; and Vivo, presented in person by directors Kirk DeMicco and Brandon Jeffords.
Other special sections included the popular Best of Annecy: Spotlight on Women Directors, presented in partnership with Annecy and Women In Animation; and the LAIKA exhibition in the lobby of the TCL Theatre, which showcased all five of the award-winning animation studio feature films with characters from Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link.
The 4th annual Animation Is Film festival took place October 22-24 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. The festival presented a program of 12 animated feature films in competition, with selections from Asia, Europe and Latin America, and filmmakers attending the screenings and hosting Q&As. The festival was produced by GKIDS in partnership with Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety. The full 2021 film lineup is available at AnimationIsFilm.com.
On the heels of recent groundbreaking animated films from China (including 2019’s Ne Zha and fall 2020 release Jiang Ziya) comes a spectacular all-new anime action-adventure fantasy from the Middle Kingdom, The Monkey King: Reborn, landing on digital, Blu-ray and DVD December 7 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The royal beast is here unleashed in a new trailer, shared exclusively with Animation Magazine.
Playing off the three hugely popular Monkey King live-action films, The Monkey King: Reborn follows the short-tempered trickster after he is insulted while visiting a temple with his master Tang Monk. Outraged, he destroys a magical tree and accidentally releases the ancient King of Demons, who kidnaps Tang Monk as revenge for his long imprisonment. Now, Monkey King and his fellow disciples must rescue their master within three days, before the demon king regains his full power and unleashes his armies to destroy the Earth.
The Monkey King: Reborn
Directed by Wang Yun Fei (fouru-film Yugo & Lala franchise), The Monkey King: Reborn features an all-new English dub for this release.
Montreal-based production company Monlove and Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment today announced a partnership to create a live theatrical and musical stage show featuring the beloved Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety and many others, in an original, family-friendly story that will immerse spectators in a classic animation experience.
The goal for the live show is to continue the legacy of Looney Tunes characters, settings, songs and stories which have, for decades, reflected the human condition using art, humor and history in technicolor animation. The partners are working to create an experience that offers audiences the same charm, swagger and pathos of the cartoons, combined with comedy and gravity-defying performances.
Monlove’s partners Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson will oversee the new stage extravaganza, showcasing an original story for performances around the world. Appealing to a family audience and featuring innovative video and interactive technology, it will combine outstanding music, irreverent humor, puppetry and vaudevillian arts, song, dance and mime to immerse spectators in a classic animation experience. Additional details of the new production will be announced at a later date.
“We are thrilled to partner with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment again, and excited for this opportunity to create a top-notch stage event with the much-loved Looney Tunes characters that so many of us have grown up with,” said Monlove Founder & CEO Allaire. “We can’t wait to bring them to life in a way that fans of all ages have never seen. Based on our wonderful experience creating the live stage show Scooby-Doo and the Lost City of Gold with Warner Bros., this new collaboration promises a universe of infinite possibilities with the characters’ familiar rapid-fire gags, self-referential satire, and explosive energy.”
Peter van Roden, SVP Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, commented, “We are delighted to be partnering with Monlove once again. Their professionalism and track record have proven they are the right team to bring our iconic Looney Tunes characters to life on stage in this all-new way. This show will allow families to come together and enjoy all the hilarious antics the Looney Tunes are known for in a unique experience.”
Allaire and Ferguson will act as executive producers for this new production and create the show’s original concept, book, music and lyrics. The collaboration is Monlove’s second association with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment, following the much-anticipated live stage spectacular Scooby-Doo! and the Lost City of Gold, set to hit large-scale theaters and arenas on January 15, 2022 after a 22-month delay due to COVID-19.
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the seminal animated slacker film that changed the landscape of American cinema when Beavis and Butt-head Do America arrives on Blu-ray for the first time ever December 7, from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Widely praised as the end of civilization as we know it, Beavis and Butt-head Do America follows the brainless pair as they set off on a nacho-fueled road trip to find their stolen TV and score with some hot chicks. Along the way, the metal-head morons become entangled with one nefarious character after another, eventually ending up stranded in the desert and hallucinating in a mind-altering sequence based on and including artwork by musician and artist Rob Zombie.
Creator Mike Judge unleashed Beavis and Butt-Head on the big screen on December 20, 1996. Unabashedly offensive, unapologetically stupid, and unexpectedly funny, the film earned $60+ million and cemented Cornholio’s place among the pantheon of Hollywood greats.
Beavis and Butt-head Do America
The Beavis and Butt-head Do America Blu-ray includes access to a Digital copy of the film, as well as the following legacy bonus content:
Commentary by Mike Judge and Yvette Kaplan.
The Big Picture – A retrospective making-of segment that features the journey to the big screen including story, voice casting and more, including a look at the hallucination scene – drastically different from the animation in the rest of the film – and an extended version of the scene.
We’re Gonna Score! Scoring Beavis and Butt-Head Do America – Composer John Frizzell and Mike Judge detail the use of music in the film and how they came up with the perfect compositions to accompany the visuals of the big adventure.
The Smackdown – A montage of all the characters in the movie getting slapped or fighting.
MTV News “Celebrity Shorts” – With Jennifer Tilly, Snoop Dogg and more.
The SPARK Computer Graphics Society (Spark CG) has announced the 2021 SPARK ANIMATION award winners at the SPARK ANIMATION Celebration. The ceremony is available to view online during the 12th annual SPARK ANIMATION Film Festival taking place October 28-November 7.
Simone Giampaolo’s film Only a Child from Switzerland was selected as this year’s Best in Show, SPARK ANIMATION’s Oscar-qualifying top prize. The film was selected for its powerful and urgent reminder of the unfulfilled promise for global climate change that was promised 30 years ago and remains largely unfulfilled.
Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice
This year’s Director’s Prize was awarded to Vancouverite Desirae Witte’s The Fall, which is premiering at SPARK, while Zacharias Kunuk’s Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice took home the prizes for Stop-Motion Narrative Short and Canadian Film.
William Joyce’s Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat (U.K.) won the 3D Narrative Short prize, while Joanna Quinn’s Affairs of the Art (U.K.) took home the 2D Narrative award.
Mr. Spam Gets a New Hat
The French team of Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer and Alice Letailleur (Pôle 3D) won the Student category with The Seine’s Tears, while Canada’s Michael Joseph McDonald and Joe Bluhm won the Music Video category with Jordan Hart’s“Freedom”.
The CRCR collective (Japan) took home both the Commercial category with Head & Shoulders “The Chase” as well as the Cinematic category with League of Legends“Phoenixmancers”. Matt DesLauriers’ Wayfinder (Canada) was awarded a Special Mention, Animated Interactive, and Anatolii Umanets’ But Happy (Ukraine) round out the winners with the VFX prize.
The Seine’s Tears
Additional honors and special mentions were awarded to:
All Those Sensations in My Belly – Marko Djeska (Croatia) | WIA Diversity Award
Mila – Cinzia Angelini (U.S.) | Runner Up, 3D Narrative Short
I Am Chuma – Wendy Spinks, Clea Mallinson (South Africa) | Runner Up, Mixed-Media Narrative Short
Homebird – Ewa Smyk (U.K.) | Runner Up, Student Short
Felt Right Then, Feels Right Now – Ashton Blyth (U.K.) | Special Mention, Social Message, Student Short
Where Are You Really From? – Steven Lee (U.S.) | Special Mention, Social Message, Student Short
La Bestia – Marlijn van Nuenen, Ram Tamez, Alfredo Gerard Kuttikatt (France) | Special Mention, Social Message, Student Short
The Soloists – Mehrnaz Abdollahinia, Feben Elias Woldehawariat, Razahk Issaka, Celeste Jamneck, Yi Liu (France) | Special Mention, Social Message, Student Short
All Those Sensations in My Belly
Misery Loves Company – Sasha Lee (S. Korea) | Special Mention, Social Message, Student Short
Circus in Town – Sebastian Kellermann, Robin Pfister (Germany) | Special Mention, Documentary, Student Short
Barking Orders – Alex Tullo (U.S.) | Special Mention, Comedy, Student Short
Molly & Her Cat – Annabelle Cabaret, Lucie Damin, Emmanuel-Xuân Dubois, Chloé Laffaire, Yifang Man, Clarisse Milcent (France) | Special Mention, Comedy, Student Short
The Clearing – Daniel Hope (U.K.) | Special Mention, Stop-Motion, Student Short
Three Jumps to Happiness – Artur Hanaj (Poland) | Special Mention, Stop-Motion, Student Short
Save Ralph – Spencer Susser (U.S.) | Winner, PSA
Belshezzar’s Feast “The Writing on the Wall” – Nicos Livesey (U.K.) | Runner Up, Music Video
Katy Perry “Harleys in Hawaii” – Hoku Uchiyama, Adam Bolt (U.S.) | Special Mention, Music Video
Cacophony – “I Am Sorry” – Hayoung Elaine Song (S. Korea) | Special Mention, Music Video
Watch the awards ceremony and more 2021 SPARK ANIMATION programming with an All-Access pass ($60), available at sparkanimation.ca.
Crunchyroll Original series High Guardian Spice is ready to bring a fresh new flavor to the anime platform’s lineup as it makes its bingeable 12-episode streaming debut Tuesday, October 26. Created and executive produced by animation artist Raye Rodriguez, the fantastical adventure-comedy about four young heroines in training arrives complete with a timely Halloween episode.
Animation Magazine is chuffed to reveal behind-the-scenes art for High Guardian Spice in celebration of the premiere. Crunchyroll has also revealed a new trailer and the quest-ready English-language voice cast.
High Guardian Spice keyframe
High Guardian Spice follows what happens when the lives of four fierce girls converge at High Guardian Academy, the one place where they can stumble comically toward adulthood while becoming the heroes they’ve always admired. As they master the ways of battle and sorcery, the foursome form allegiances, uncover legacies, face betrayals and discover their true identities while preparing to protect the world from an ominous unknown threat.
Rosemary with sword (High Guardian Spice)
The series voice cast includes:
Briana Leon as Rosemary, the enthusiastic adventurer intent on becoming a Guardian
Lauren White as Sage, Rosemary’s best friend and witch who specializes in Old Magic
Amber Romero as Parsley, an optimistic dwarf and expert blacksmith
Michelle Deco as Thyme, an independent elf and gifted archer
AJ Beckles as Mandrake, a powerful witch and shapeshifter
Anthony Brandon Walker as Professor Hakone, a Guardian and professor of battle tactics
Barbara Goodson as Parnelle, the youngest student at High Guardian Academy
Cam Clarke as Neppy Cat, a cat that hangs out near High Guardian Academy with a secret ability
Academy cats thumbnail and keyframe (High Guardian Spice)
Julia Kaye as Snapdragon, snarky best friend of Amaryllis who doesn’t feel like he truly fits in
Julian Koster as Slime Boy, a second year witch who is a musician and lover of monsters
Katie McVay as Amaryllis, an entitled witch and school bully
Liisa Lee as Lavender, Rosemary’s mother and a renowned and powerful Guardian who went missing four years ago
Show creator Raye Rodriguez as Professor Caraway, a powerful Guardian and professor of sacred alphabets at High Guardian Academy
Sage character turnaround (High Guardian Spice)
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Raye Rodriguez began his career as a director, storyboard artist and character designer at Fox Animation Domination High-Definition (Fox ADHD). He served as a Character Designer at PUNY Entertainment on Danger & Eggs for Amazon Studios, and as a Storyboard Artist at Sprite Animation on Tinpo for CBeebies.
Parsley in her (dirty) school uniform (High Guardian Spice)
Rodriguez is a consummate creator and anime connoisseur who, as a transgender man and a second-generation Cuban American, is passionate about telling diverse and inclusive stories. He dreams of making the world a more loving and empathetic place by sharing fantastical stories about queer, diverse and relatable characters. Rodriguez is currently developing an original animated drama series at Legendary TV, and is also developing a new animated series around one of the DC characters at Warner Bros. Animation. He is represented by Matt Shichtman at Gotham Group and Ryan and Jesse Nord at The Nord Group.
Thyme final character design (High Guardian Spice)
Emmy-nominated animated preschool series Fancy Nancy returns with all-new elegant episodes next month, in which young fans will see our high-spirited heroine achieve one of her fondest dreams! Season 3 premieres Friday, November 12 on Disney Junior.
Based on the New York Times bestselling books, the hit series follows Nancy as she applies her imagination and enthusiasm to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. In the course of the star-studded S3 episodes, Nancy finally arrives in Paris for a fabulously froufrou family vacation. The extended-length special episode highlights the sights and sounds of the glamorous French capital.
The series voice cast features Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother) and Rob Riggle (Modern Family) as Nancy’s parents, Claire and Doug; Broadway’s Mia Sinclair Jenness as Nancy; and Spencer Moss (Surveillance) as sister JoJo. Also, reprising their recurring roles are Tony Award®-winner Christine Baranski as Mrs. Devine; George Wendt and John Ratzenberger (both from Cheers) as Grandpa Clancy and Poppy; Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) as Bree’s mom, Mrs. James; and Ian Chen (Fresh Off the Boat) as Nancy’s cousin Jonathan.
Fancy Nancy is executive produced and directed by Emmy Award-nominated Jamie Mitchell (Sofia the First) with Emmy Award-nominated Krista Tucker (Sheriff Callie’s Wild West) as series developer, co-producer and story editor. Matthew Tishler serves as songwriter (Mira, Royal Detective) and TJ Hill (The Owl House) is composer. The series is a production of Disney Television Animation.
The 2021 Fredrikstad Animation Festival concluded Sunday with an awards ceremony celebrating the edition’s finest Nordic-Baltic animated films. The closing event was held in the historic Norwegian city’s neoclassical Phønix clubhouse.
FAF took place Oct. 21-24, attracting a record-breaking 400 accredited attendees with a program of 135 films, including three major big screen debuts: The Norwegian premiere of Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s documentary feature Flee opened the festival, which also featured the world premiere of Hanne Berkaak’s Frydenlund Hair Parlor, the latest short from Oscar-winning Norwegian studio Mikrofilm, and the festival premiere of the short film Flames from Finnish director Maja Viitahuhta.
Flee
The program also featured two dozen speakers and masterclasses conducted by notable artists, filmmakers and educators. Chris Ebeling discussed “What blockchain technology means for gaming.” Bee Grandinetti shared her process and experience working on the commercial side of animation and design. Uri Kranot discussed his experiences with partner Michelle Kranot in the expanding world of immersive storytelling. And Guest of Honor Morten Thorning covered both the artistic and business considerations of developing an animation school and cultivating the animation industry in Denmark.
The award winners were determined by three juries of industry professionals:
Short film jurists Jalal Maghout, Lizete Upīte and Bendik Kaltenborn determined the winners of the Golden Gunnar Grand Prix, Best Short Film and Best Student Film.
Feature film jury: Karin Vandenrydt, Karla Von Bengtson and Mats Grorud.
Commissioned film jury: Eirik Heggen, Lana Tankosa Nikolic and Joseph Langdon.
Additionally, young jurors Aurora Nøkleby, Martin Gottfredsen and Patrick Ydse Bjørnnes were tasked with selecting the Best Children’s Film award. FAF also presents a Golden Audience Award, determined by the festival attendees.
Favorite Daughter
2021 Fredrikstad Animation Festival winners:
Grand Prix: A Most Exquisite Man, dir. Jonas Taul
Jury statement: “With its tranquil images, the film manages to build up its own universe in a delicate way, facing the viewer with indirect yet inescapable questions about the meaning of life. The place is not a place, but a mental suggestion. White is not just white, and black is not just black, but they are full of possibilities that contribute to the isolation of the character forming his inner world, and opening the film space to exquisite possibilities.”
Best Feature Film: Flee, dir. Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Jury statement: “All of the four films in the competition are very well executed with great characters, beautiful animation and artwork and are in a way treating the same subject: belonging somewhere. However, we thought that one film stood out from the others. Flee manages in an unsentimental way to tell us something different about the emotional costs of fleeing your homeland. It shows us the beauty of love between a boy and his family members, but also the awakening of a young boy’s sexuality. We are brought along on his journey as a grown man opening up, telling his innermost secrets and feelings — troubled or damaged by his past.
“The film touched us deeply! The subtle and powerful animation, the way the story is ingeniously told, the use of music, a beautiful design and bold mix of techniques makes this a truly beautiful and important film.”
The Landing
Best Short Film: The Landing, dir. Kaisa Penttilä
Jury statement: “The film’s striking combination of humor and harshness portrays beautifully our society’s great fear and judgement of the unknown and the immediate necessity to label and adjust that unknown to our needs and understanding.”
Best Student Film: Favorite Daughter, dir. Susi Haaning
Jury statement: “This remarkably fine-tuned film managed to move us deeply with a poetic image language, steady storytelling and a strong emotional impact. It does an impressive job in capturing what it’s like having a mentally ill parent, which sometimes means the parent and kid roles are reversed; in this case, a dear father and his favorite daughter (called Terminator).”
Help! We Have a Blind Patient
Commissioned Film: Help! We Have a Blind Patient, dir. Robin Jensen
Jury statement: “In a very diverse selection of animation genres, styles and techniques, ranging from music videos, info films, game trailers and commercials, the jury has chosen a film that uses a traditional animation technique in a successful manner, to portray a serious topic in a warm and humorous way.
“The film uses everyday situations to turn the subject matter into something absurdly unique while using the full potential of animation as an art form. The expression and tone of the film encourage laughter while staying respectful to the subject matter. Fantastic work!”
Matilda and the Spare Head
Best Children’s Film: Matilda and the Spare Head, dir. Ignas Meilūnas
Jury statement: “This year’s best children’s film has very good technique. It is very ‘smooth.’ It does not work to buy an extra head, you do not have to learn everything.”
Special mention from the Children’s Jury: The Landing, dir. Kaisa Penttilä
Jury statement: “This year’s special mention goes to a film that has very funny and detailed effects. It shows well that you have to treat people the same no matter what you look like.”
Audience Award: Night of the Living Dread, dir. Ida Melum
Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey, British comedy icon Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous, Shrek 2) and Ade Edmondson (The Young Ones, Ronja the Robber’s Daughter) have joined the English-language voice cast of Best Birthday Ever, according to Screen International. SC Films will be bringing the adaptation of Rotraut Susanne Berner’s million-copy-selling book series to the American Film Market next month (Nov. 1-5).
Synopsis: Little Charlie, a young rabbit, is used to having his parents’ full attention. But all that changes when his baby sister Clara is born, leading to an unexpected adventure with his best friend, Monica.
Directed by Swedish filmmaker Michael Ekbald (Molly Monster), written by Aje Andrea Brucken and co-produced by Submarine (Netherland), Alexandra Schatz Filmprod (Germany) and Slugger Film (Sweden), the 2D-animated family adventure has already sold to Leonine (Germany), Gebeka (France), Big Picture (Spain, Portugal), Folketsbio (Sweden) and Periscoop (Benelux). Best Birthday Ever recently won the Audience Award at Germany’s Schlingel Film Festival.
Best Birthday Ever
Filmax has acquired international rights to Basque animated feature Save the Tree, which premiered this week at the Spanish Screenings in Malaga, Variety reports. The colorful CGI family adventure from directors Iker Alvarez and Haizea Pastor carries a core environmental message and warns against the dangers of our modern tech obsessions. Save the Tree opens in Spain Oct. 22 and will be shopped at American Film Market.
Synopsis: Invisible to the human eye, the pixies of the Pyrenees forests live in harmony until they are pitted against a technophile politician who wants to fill the world with the chaos of technology, internet connectivity and advertising around every corner. The Spain-Mexico-Brazil project is produced by Baleuko, Polar Studio and Tortuga Studios.
Save the Tree
Netflix picked up U.S. distribution rights to U.S./China animated comedy co-pro Extinct, and will debut the 84-minute family flick on November 19 (additional territories to follow). Hailing from a cadre of Simpsons staffers — including director David Silverman, co-director Raymond S. Persi and writers Joel Cohen, John Frink and Rob LaZebnik — Extinct is produced by Cinesite, China Lion Films and HB Wink Animation. The voice cast features Jim Jeffries, Catherina O’Hara, Reggie Watts, Alex Borstein, Adam Devine, Rachel Bloom, Zazie Beetz and Ken Jeong.
Synopsis: Op and Ed are two adorable donut-shaped animals called “Flummels,” who accidentally time-travel from 1835 to modern-day Shanghai. There, they discover traffic, trans fats, and worst of all, that flummels are now extinct. It’s up to this bumbling pair to save themselves, save their species… and just maybe change the course of history.
Extinct is one of many titles coming to Netflix in November. “New on Netflix” animation highlights include:
11/1 | Movies – An Elf’s Story: The Elf on the Shelf, Elf Pets: Santa’s St. Bernards Save Christmas, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind | TV – Angry Birds S4 – Slingshot Stories
11/26 | Movie – Green Snake (a.k.a. White Snake 2)
11/30 | Specials – Charlie’s Colorforms City: Classic Tales with a Twist, Charlie’s Colorforms City: Snowy Stories, Charlie’s Colorforms City: The Lost Valentines Musical | Movies – The Summit of the Gods
Prolific voice actor Jack Angel, known for his work in Voltron and Transformers among many TV, feature film and video game credits, has died at age 90. The news was shared by the Arlene Thornton & Associates talent agency — owned by Angel’s wife of almost 40 years, Arlene Thornton — on October 19 via Instagram.
Born October 24, 1930 in Modesto, California, Angel graduated from San Francisco State University in 1957 and began his career as a disc jockey in Merced. Focusing on radio, working for stations around Los Angeles, Angel also pursued stage roles as an actor. He transitioned to voice acting gradually but shifted to VO work full time after 20 years in radio when a demo he recorded ended up in the hands of an agent.
Hawkman (Super Friends) | Jack Angel c. 1972 (photo taken by Leonard Nimoy, provided by Angel to Noblemania) | King Zarkon (Voltron)
Angel launched into animation in the mid-1970s in Hanna-Barbera’s Super Friends and related series as Hakwman, The Flash and Super Samurai. He also guested on Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo and The Smurfs in the early ’80s.
His cartoon career picked up steam with a number of roles in Voltron: Defender of the Universe (including King Zarkon) and joining the cast of The Transformers in its second season as Smokescreen, taking on Ramjet, Astrotrain (both of which he reprised in The Transformers: The Movie), Omega Supreme, Ultra Magnus and others. Angel voiced roles for many notable ’80s toons, including G.I. Joe, The Real Ghostbusters, DuckTales, Jem, Superman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Angel voiced “Nikki” (right) in Balto
Angel went into the 1990s with recurring roles and additional voice work in TV’s Peter Pan and the Pirates, Tiny Toon Adventures, Talespin and Darkwing Duck, as well as Sonic the Hedgehog, Bonkers, The Mask, Casper and Spider-Man (as Nick Fury). Beginning with The Rugrats in 1999, Angel contributed to a number of Nickelodeon toon favorites — Hey Arnold!, The Wild Thornberrys, My Life as a Teenage Robot, El Tigre and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Earl “The Terror” Thompson (Monsters University)
Over his 50-year career, Angel also performed in dozens of animated features from the world’s top studios. He can be heard in Disney and Pixar titles spanning from The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast to Toy Story 3 and Monsters University; DreamWorks’ The Prince of Egypt; Illumination’s Despicable Me 2, The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who; Blue Sky’s Ice Age: The Meltdown; Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit; Warner’s The Iron Giant; Amblin’s Balto, Fievel Goes West and Who Framed Roger Rabbit; as well as English-language dubs of Studio Ghibli’s Porco Rosso and Spirited Away.
Chunk (Toy Story 3)
In 2012, Angel shared his valuable experience in the book How to Succeed in Voice-Overs: Without Ever Losing.
Transformers fan convention TFcon created an In Memoriam video in tribute to Angel, featuring footage from his appearances at the Baltimore event, which you can watch below. You can also hear more about his remarkable career in this 2012 interview with YouTube’s EpicVoiceGuy (40 minutes).
![Anthony Francisco [Photo: Sthanlee Mirador]](https://www.dev.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/anthony-francisco_ph-sthanlee-mirador.jpg)
