Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • ‘Rusty Rivets’ Launches on Nick Aug. 22

    ‘Rusty Rivets’ Launches on Nick Aug. 22

    An inventive new animated preschool series will be joining the Nickelodeon lineup when Rusty Rivets premieres on the network Monday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Produced by Spin Master Entertainment (PAW Patrol). The 26 x half-hour series will bow after an all-new primetime PAW Patrol special, “All-Star Pups,” at 7 p.m.

    Rusty Rivets follows 10-year-old Rusty — a resourceful, tech-savvy hero who with his best bud Ruby invents his way out of every jam by imaginatively repurposing spare parts and found objects into the wildest, coolest contraptions evers. The series encourages kids to use their imaginations to design and create gadgets and inventions, promoting creative problem solving, innovation and engineering.

    In the series premiere, “Rusty’s Rex Rescue/Rusty’s Park N’ Fly,” Rusty’s friend Liam gets stranded on top of a tall stack of junk in Rusty’s Recycling Yard. Rusty and Ruby come to the rescue with a Jurassic rescue robot who ultimately becomes their trusty friend, Botasaur. Then, Rusty and friends must find a safe way to bring Mr. Higgins’ remote control plane down safely when it can’t land. They use Crush, a robot clamp, as a daredevil rescue pilot to save the plane.

    On select digital platforms, Nickelodeon will roll out full-length episodes of Rusty Rivets ahead of their linear premiere. NickJr.com will also launch two online games inspired by the show: “Penguin Problem,” in which players run through the Recycling Yard to retrieve escaped penguins and build creative tools to transport them to safety; and “Combine It and Design It,” which offers four different machine models for players to design and build with Rusty.

    Episodes launch on the Nick Jr. App, NickJr.com and Nick VOD platform beginning Monday, June 20.

    Rusty Rivets
    Rusty Rivets
  • Multi-Platformer ‘Mighty Magiswords’ Takes It to the Next Level

    Multi-Platformer ‘Mighty Magiswords’ Takes It to the Next Level

    Cartoon Network is continuing its epic quest to redefine the fan experience with the evolution of its latest animation franchise, Mighty Magiswords. The property originally debuted last year on the Cartoon Network Anything micro-network as a 15-second interactive series, and is ready to take over the multi-platform universe beginning this summer with a number of new projects in the works.

    Mighty Magiswords, created by Kyle A. Carrozza — an animation artist and writer who has worked on Random! Cartoons and SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge Out of Water — is a comedy adventure about a brother and sister “warriors for hire” duo who travel the world on epic quests to collect magical swords. Cartoon Network Studios in Los Angeles is producing the new TV series, premiering this fall.

    In addition to taking to the airwaves, Mighty Magiswords is inspiring nearly 400 pieces of platform-specific original content, including shorts, vlogs, web and mobile games, and interactive narrative content — all enhanced with proprietary technology allowing fans to participate in the world and collect their favorite swords. CN will begin to introduce fans to this expanded world this summer through a series of character-driven shorts, a web game and on-air spots.

    Mighty Magiswords
    Mighty Magiswords
  • Jeremy Whitham Named Dev Director at Shout!

    Jeremy Whitham Named Dev Director at Shout!

    Shout! Factory has appointed industry vet Jeremy Whitham as Development Director, a newly created role that expands Shout!’s development and production team. The announcement was made by Co-Founder and President Garson Foos, to whom Whitham reports.

    In this new role, Whitham will spearhead Shout’s premium content development for television and digital entertainment services to continue growing the company’s new series and movie production businesses. He will work closely with founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos, and with VP of Acquisitions and Film Development Jordan Fields. Whitham will lead concept development for new creative projects and forge new production partnerships for series and movies.

    “I am delighted to welcome Jeremy Whitham on board. He holds a significant track record in production development for scripted series, unscripted shows and original specials. He brings a great deal of experience, forward-thinking creativity and leadership,” said Garson Foos. “We want to keep the momentum going given the success we’re having producing new Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. Jeremy will develop new programming that emanates from our deep pop culture passion, and what we like to think is good taste for interesting, compelling content. We look forward to Jeremy playing a big role in this important growth area for the company.”

    Whitham is a veteran executive and producer with more than 15 years of experience in TV development. Most recently, he was VP of Development at Smart Dog Media, where he helped to develop formats that aired on NBC, Syfy, Food Network, History Channel and Twitch, including Syfy’s Opposite Worlds and Robot Combat League. Previously, Whitham spent more than 6 years at BBC Worldwide Productions as a key executive for BBC’s first LA-based development team responsible for producing series for primetime TV and syndication. He is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

    Shout! Factory
    Shout! Factory
  • Vancouver Animation Biz Takes on Annecy

    Vancouver Animation Biz Takes on Annecy

    The Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) and nine top animation studios from “Hollywood North” have ascended the French alps for the 56th Annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival, with the hopes of taking home some esteemable film prizes and courting skilled workers — and dollars — to bolster the city’s booming animation sector. (Recent local productions include The Angry Birds Movie, Hotel Transylvania, TMNT, My Little Pony et al.)

    VEC and attending studios — Animal Logic, Comic Animation/Cinesite Animation, Stickgirl Productions, Urban Safari Entertainment, Bardel Entertainment, Global Mechanic Media, Titmouse, Atomic Cartoons and Flying Kraken Creative Studios — can be found in the first ever Canada Pavilion at the MIFA film market. Each studio has its own aims, from talent recruitment and courting buyers, to seeking co-production opportunities or simply showcasing their latest projects.

    Ann Marie Fleming’s Window Horses (Stickgirl Prod./NFB) is among 10 animated feature films vying for top honours in the festival competition, and Fleming is the sole Vancouver representative in the Canada Territory Spotlight. Meanwhile, Titmouse brings R-rated feature Nerdland for its European screening debut, and its advertising animation, “Adult Swim: First Dates,” has been included in the Commissioned Films in Competition.

    “Being our third year at Annecy, the VEC continues its commitment to helping these studios make the connections they need to fill jobs in Vancouver,” said the Commission’s Digital Entertainment & Interactive Sector Manager Nancy Mott. “With more than 60 VFX and animation companies in the city and the enormous growth in the sector, even Vancouver’s fast-growing pool of talent cannot meet its demand. Therefore, we are courting artists and technicians abroad in addition to hiring within our local hubs.”

    “Vancouver is a world-class destination for animation companies and talent. We have first-rate infrastructure, a collaborative community of innovators and proximity to major industry hubs in the U.S. Our business-friendly climate is robust with excellent tax incentives. Combined with exceptional post-secondary training facilities and phenomenal quality of life, Vancouver has earned its place in the top three VFX and animation cities in the world.”

    To support this growing industry, the Canadian Government has revised elements of its International Mobility Program to ease the way for temporary workers. Most relevant to Annecy recruitment efforts is the francophone fast-track program which enables a fluid transition to Canadian jobs for artists in France and French-speaking European countries. Check in at the Canada Pavilion or visit the VEC website for more information.

    Window Horses
    Window Horses
  • CN Heroes Ready to Save the Day at Annecy

    CN Heroes Ready to Save the Day at Annecy

    Cartoon Network is returning to Annecy for the 2016 Animation Festival and MIFA market, bringing a selection of new and familiar heroic characters along. The network will be hosting its renowned Picnic by the Lake and a special “It’s Hero Time” panel event, as well as keeping an eye out for animators and original creators to join the studio on projects across the globe.

    On Thursday, June 16, CN representatives will host a series of face-to-face interviews with artists in a bid to source promising new talent to join its teams in the U.S., EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

    “We have some of the best creative minds in animation working at Cartoon Network Studios and we’re always on the lookout for creators with unique ideas. It’s key to us to work with talent that understand the importance of creating content across multi-platforms for this generation of kids. We’re looking forward to meeting the talent at Annecy and discussing these shows and how we are developing content in a different way,” says Tramm Wigzell, VP Multi-Platform for Cartoon Network Studios.

    Thursday is also the day marked out for Cartoon Network’s Picnic by the Lake, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Moon Beach, La Plage de l’Imperial. From 6 to 7:15 p.m. in the Salle Pierre Lamy, the “It’s Hero Time” panel will offer special access and behind-the-scenes peeks at The Powerpuff Girls and Ben 10 — with a chance to hear why and how these popular heroes are making their triumphant return in 2016. The panel will also discuss new multi-platform series Mighty Magiswords and include a look at the making of the new series of Ben 10.

    “It’s Hero Time” will be moderated by Patricia Hidalgo, SVP, Chief Content & Creative Officer, EMEA Kids & International Kids Strategy at Cartoon Network’s parent company, Turner. Panelists include Haley Mancini, Head Writer and voice of Princess Morbucks for The Powerpuff Girls; Tramm Wizgell, VP of Multi-Platform, Cartoon Network Studios and lead development executive on all five series of Ben 10; and Kyle Carozza, creator of Mighty Magiswords.

    The Powerpuff Girls / Mighty Magiswords / Ben 10
    The Powerpuff Girls / Mighty Magiswords / Ben 10
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Piper Exclusive Clip: Catch a First Look at the New Pixar Short Preceding Finding Dory
    IndieWire has the honor of introducing Alan Barillaro’s wee feathered hero, coming to theaters July 17.

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Is Nintendo’s Next Classic
    Nintendo kicked off its E3 livestream with a jaw dropping trailer for the 2017 Wii U and NX release. “It’s like Wind Waker and Twilight Princess had a baby,” says Engadget‘s Mat Smith.

    The Oral History of ‘Nicktoons,’ Part 1: How the Storied Animation Block Came to Be
    Mathew Klickstein, author of SLIMED!, dishes some never-before-seen bonus materials gathered in his quest to tell the Nicktoons story in this four-part online article series.

    How Art & Graft Created This Warm, Textured Animation about a Leafcutter Ant
    A spot for a sunglasses campaign delivers unexpected CG artistry thanks to creative director Mike Moloney and his team at the London animation and motion graphics studio.

    Win a Free License of Sapphire
    Sign up for a free 30 day trial of GenArts’ Sapphire 9 and enter to win a free year-long license of the VFX suite.

    Piper
    Piper
  • ‘Moana’ Teasers Offers a Touch Demi-Godly Power

    ‘Moana’ Teasers Offers a Touch Demi-Godly Power

    Disney has released a teaser for its upcoming CG animated feature, Moana, which comes out November 23, 2016. The trailer opens with an invigorating narration by Maui, illustrated by his tattoos come to life. But young Moana (and an adorable pig companion) aren’t quite as impressed as the supernatural being was expecting. The trailer then sweeps the viewer along, promising epic seascapes, lush locales, daring characters and — of course — some Disney magic.

    Maui is voiced by Dwayne Johnson, while the daring heroine Moana is voiced by Auli’i Cravalho — a gifted young Native Hawaiian singer making her big screen debut. Moana is directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog) and produced by Osnat Shurer (Lifted, One Man Band).

    Synopsis:

    Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why.

    From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.

    Moana
    Moana
    Moana
    Moana
  • Nick Titles ‘Hey Arnold!’ Movie Starring Original Voicers

    Nick Titles ‘Hey Arnold!’ Movie Starring Original Voicers

    Nickelodeon — now celebrating its 25th year of original animation — has announced the title for the highly anticipated return of one of its cartoon classics will be title Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie. The made for TV movie, announced earlier this year, will feature 19 of the original voices from the beloved series, and Hey Arnold!‘s creator Craig Bartlett is serving as writer and executive producer. The two-hour Nickelodeon Animation Studios production will debut in 2017.

    Returning voice actors reprising their TV roles are: Francesca Marie Smith (The Prince of Egypt) as Helga; Anndi McAfee (Tom and Jerry: The Movie) as Phoebe; Justin Shenkarow (Recess) as Harold; Olivia Hack (Family Guy) as Rhonda; Nika Futterman (The Boxtrolls) as Olga; Dan Butler (Frasier) as Mr. Simmons; Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) as Grandpa; Tress MacNeille (The Simpsons) as Grandma; Antoinette Stella (Melrose Place, writer) as Stella; Carlos Alazraqui (Happy Feet) as Eduardo; Dom Irrera (Back at the Barnyard) as Ernie; Maurice LaMarche (Futurama) as Bob Pataki; Kath Soucie (Rugrats) as Miriam; Danielle Judovits (Toy Story) as Big Patty; Danny Cooksey (The Lorax) as Stoop Kid; Jim Belushi (According to Jim) as Coach Wittenberg; and Craig Bartlett as Miles.

    The project will give new life to favorite characters Helga, a complicated and cynical girl whose mean act hides a wealth of emotions; Phoebe, Helga’s confidante and best friend; Harold, a former bully with a tough exterior and soft interior; Rhonda, a preppy fashionista from a prestigious family; and Olga, Helga’s intelligent, attractive and friendly older sister — and many more. Lane Toran (original voice of Arnold) and Jamil Smith (original voice of Gerald) will also be voicing several other roles for The Jungle Movie.

    New voices in the Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie include: Mason Vale Cotton (Mad Men) as Arnold; Benjamin “L’il P-Nut” Flores, Jr. (Game Shakers) as Gerald; Gavin Lewis (Real Boy) as Eugene; Jet Jurgensmeyer (Bubble Guppies) as Stinky; Aiden Lewandowski (Comedy Bang! Bang!) as Sid; Laya Hayes (Santa Hunters) as Nadine; Nicolas Cantu (The Impossible Joy) as Curly; Wally Wingert (Sonic Boom) as Oskar; and Stephen Stanton (Star Wars Rebels) as Pigeon Man. Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) voices resident villain, Lasombra, an infamous river pirate operating from a secret compound in the jungles of San Lorenzo.

    Hey Arnold!
    Hey Arnold!
  • China’s UYoung Opening L.A. Division

    China’s UYoung Opening L.A. Division

    Leading Chinese kids entertainment company UYoung Culture & Media Co., Ltd. has announced the opening of a U.S. base of operations to further its goal of creating, developing, producing and distributing brands that appeal to the Chinese and international markets. The new division, UYoung Entertainment International, Inc., will be based in Los Angeles. UEI will make its debut at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, where it will launch its first international brand: P. King Duckling.

    UEI has also announced the appointment of kids’ industry luminaries Sander Schwartz and Elie Dekel as senior advisors. Schwarz and Dekel will support the launch of P. King Duckling and advise the company on international expansion plans and growth strategies. Schwartz will also pursue future co-production and content distribution opportunities for UYoung, while Dekel drives branding and consumer product licensing strategies.

    UEI’s animated preschool series P. King Duckling will premiere on Disney Junior in the U.S., Latin America, India, Korea and Southeast Asia later this year. The irreverent comedy follows the feathery adventures of an extremely intrepid, but slightly hapless, young duck and his two best friends, Chumpkins and Wombat. Together the friends embark on a series of hilarious adventures. Whether they are in their hometown of Hilly Hole or flying to the moon, the trio always find creative and imaginative ways to overcome the silly challenges they meet on the way. The series is executive produced by James Chen Gu and Josh Selig (Wonder Pets).

    UEI will be exhibiting at Licensing Expo at booth: B154.

    P. King Duckling
    P. King Duckling
  • Animafest Zagreb Reveals 26th Edition Winners

    Animafest Zagreb Reveals 26th Edition Winners

    After a jam-packed week devoted to animation — comprising over 300 films and 200 special guests — the 26th World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb culminated Saturday with an awards ceremony. The 2016 jury gave the Grand Prix in Short Film, an Academy Award-qualifying honor, to Phil Mulloy’s Endgame.

    In the jury’s statement, they said of Endgame:

    “Bold, shy and witty, but ultimately chilling, this is a film that demonstrates superb storytelling, timing and film craft along with the daring use of the film frame. The whole piece is a minimalist journey into the most dangerous of all games.”

    The 2016 Grand Prix Short Film jury members each presented a special award. Peter Lord to Deer Flower by Kangmin Kim, Normand Roger to Peripheria by David Coquard Dassault, Vjera Matkovic to Before Love by Igor Kovalyov, Cecilia Traslavina to Broken – The Women’s Prison at Hoheneck by Volker Schlect & Alexander Lahl, and Raimund Krumme to Peter’s Forest by Martina Mestrovic.

    The Feature Film Grand Competition jury (Justine Bannister, Marcy Page, Bosko Picula) gave the top prize to The Magic Mountain by Anca Damian.

    “We found this film to be a challenging, artistic blend of diverse animation styles that so perfectly, and sometimes even poetically portrayed the haunting existential journey of one man through these stark landscapes and underlined the futility of war – we also wish to honour the genre of animated documentary by awarding the Grand prix to this beautifully narrated and edited film,” said the jury.

    This jury also gave a special mention to Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson’s Anomalisa. A third jury (Eugene Kim, Corrie Francis Parks and Darko Vidackovic) decided the best Croatian film winner: Travelling Country by Ivan Bogdanov & Vessela Dantcheva (special mention to Ghost Town by Marko Djeska); and the student film winner: What They Believe by Shoko Hari (special mentions to About a Mother by Dina Velikovskaya and The Noise of Licking by Nadia Andrasev).

    Best site-specific animation went to Slobodan Tomic’s The Rise of Fascism. The Best Film for Children was awarded to Welcome to My Life by Elizabeth Ito (special mention to Follow Your Heart by Rob O’Neill). The audience awards went to the short film Sunday Lunch by Celine Devaux and feature film April and the Extraordinary World by Frank Ekinci & Christian Desmares. Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design was named Best Animation School.

    Endgame
    Endgame
  • Mercis Commissions ‘Miffy’ Season 3

    Mercis Commissions ‘Miffy’ Season 3

    Mercis has commissioned a third season of popular CG-animated series Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small from London’s Blue-Zoo animation studio. The 26-episode order will be delivered by late July 2017. The first two seasons, from 2015 and 2016, have met with ratings success worldwide — TVE Clan in Spain will be the newest Miffy broadcaster when it premieres the series June 20.

    Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small is based on the classic storybooks by Dutch author and illustrator Dick Bruna. Broadcast partners for the 26 x 7 seasons 1 and 2 include Nick Jr. in the U.S., TVO and Knowledge Network (Canada), Tiny Pop (U.K.), ABC (Australia), KZOOM (Belgium), YoYo (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore), NHK (Japan), KRO/NCRV (Netherlands), TVNZ (New Zealand), MiniMini (Poland), TVE/Clan (Spain) and SVT (Sweden).

    Miffy's Adventures Big and Small
    Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small
  • AmebaTV Secures Monster Programming

    AmebaTV Secures Monster Programming

    AmebaTV has inked a deal with Ireland’s Monster Entertainment that will bring an extensive selection of its internationally popular animated kids’ content to the streaming platform. The agreement will provide AmebaTV with some 150 episodes from Monster’s library.

    Among the notable animated series coming to the North American on-demand service are international productions including non-dialog offerings like Gazoon (France, Sparx Animation/TF1), Hullabalooba (Finland, Studio Outo), Pikkuli (Finland, Sun In Eye Prod.) and slapstick comedy Outopus (Costa Rica, Rocket Cartoons); and Rocka-Bye Island (Ireland, Magpie6 Media/Monster).

    “Monster Entertainment has expanded our catalog in a big way bringing a mixture of internationally loved programs,” noted Tony Havelka, President, AmebaTV. “Their shows are very popular with our audience. Kids love these unique, high quality, and extremely entertaining shows and come back to watch them over and over again.”

    Gazoon
    Gazoon
  • Atlantyca Launches Official NorAm E-Shop

    Atlantyca Launches Official NorAm E-Shop

    Atlantyca Entertainment kicked off the weekend by launching its first official North American e-commerce site, Geronimo Stilton Official Merchandising. The B2C online store will offer a unique line of Geronimo Stilton products managed by MyLocker, through a licensing partnership secured earlier this year between the brand’s exclusive North American licensing agent Lawless Entertainment and MyLocker.

    Fans of the intrepid mouse will be able to pick up a variety of products, including a line of apparel which customers can customize by selecting artwork of their choice from the Geronimo Stilton Classic, Geronimo Stilton Sport and Geronimo Stilton Prehistomice collections to adorn one of over 200 products for children, men and women — including tees, hoodies, bags, caps and more.

    “As the Geronimo Stilton books continue to be extremely popular throughout North America, our beloved mouse has an enormous amount of young readers and loyal fans who have anxiously been seeking to know how they can extend their reading adventures by purchasing their own official products” said Atlantyca’s Licensing Manager, Marco Piccinini. “Our wonderful relationship with the dynamic MyLocker permits us to extend the Geronimo Stilton brand even further throughout North America and most importantly, is connecting us with our highly valued Geronimo Stilton fans! We are excited to introduce this newest endeavor and look forward to introducing additional collections throughout the year that fans will be certain to adore.”

    Geronimo Stilton t-shirt
    Geronimo Stilton t-shirt
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    E3 2016: Batman: The Telltale Series‘ First Screens, Cast Revealed
    Developer promises “a living, breathing comic book” featuring the voices of Troy Baker as Bruce Wayne and Laura Bailey as Selina Kyle.

    This Impressive LEGO Remake of Ghostbusters Features Tons of Hilarious Cameos
    Ahead of the girl-powered reboot arriving in theaters, Ghostbusters fans can enjoy a sleek and superbly executed stop-motion LEGO short from Digital Wizards Studios.

    Chinese Cartoon Film Beautiful Forest Is on Its Way to Oscars 2017
    Yang Chun utilizes 12th century painting style to create a melancholy short film about a dying bird, which has had a qualifying screening in L.A.

    Animation Sensations: Children’s Series at Bethlehem’s SouthSide Film Festival
    Pennsylvania fest program offers April and the Extraordinary World and over 40 kid-friendly short films from around the globe.

    Studio Ghibli Sexist? – Producer of Legendary Japanese Animation Company Rationalizes Why All Directors Are Men
    The studio is often lauded for its unconventional animated heroine’s, but does Yonebayashi’s theory about gendered differences in storytelling hold water?

    Batman: The Telltale Series
    Batman: The Telltale Series
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Sundance Winner Nuts! Opening in Los Angeles & Pasadena July 8
    The strange but true animated tale of John Brinkley opens in NYC June 22, with many more select theaters set to screen the Annecy selection.

    New York International Children’s Film Festival Announces 2017 Festival Dates and Call for Entries
    The next edition is set for February 24 through March 19, 2017 at venues throughout NYC. Submissions are now open for shorts and features aimed at audiences ages 3-18.

    Video: Official Trailer for LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures
    Series premieres June 20 on Disney XD — catch a sneak peek during the “Battle of the Bricks” live-stream Saturday, June 11 at 8 p.m.

    Troika Develops New Style Guide for Cartoon Network
    Hollywood-based agency creates a vibrant, inventive insert and promo system to aid brand consistency while maintaining personality.

    BBC Children’s Renewals for Footy Pups & Art Ninja
    Dot to Dot Productions will deliver additional seasons of of preschool hybrid sports series and live-action art show.

    Nuts!
    Nuts!
  • Lupus and Tricon Team Up for ‘My Big Red Head’

    Lupus and Tricon Team Up for ‘My Big Red Head’

    London-based animation company Lupus Films is joining forces with co-producer and distributor Tricon Kids & Family to develop My Big Red Head — a new potential co-production project with Disney XD EMEA. The animated comedy is being written and developed by BAFTA winning writing duo James Lamont and Jon Foster (The Amazing World of Gumball).

    My Big Red Head (52 x 11; Kids 8-12) will follow the antics of the Mayhem family of Greensville, Pennsylvania. In many ways, the Mayhems are like any other family. Dad (Bub) runs an auto repair shop, Mom (Pam) helps keep the company accounts and the three kids — Kevin, Red and Missy — go to the local school. But they’re not quite normal, since Bub is actually a Chaos Monster (second in line to The Realm of Eternal Chaos), which means the kids have to navigate the stormy waters of growing up as half-human, half-monster hybrids.

    With Lamont and Foster writing, the show will be directed by Gumball cohort Miklos Weigert, with Tricon’s Andrea Gorfolova and Frank Saperstein executive producing alongside Lupus Film’s Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding. “We are extremely excited about My Big Red Head,” says Fielding, co-founder of Lupus Films. “James Lamont and Jon Foster are a brilliantly talented comedic writing team and they’ve created a wonderful world and cast of characters who demonstrate just how hard it can be growing up in modern America when your family isn’t quite the norm!”

    My Big Red Head
    My Big Red Head
  • Disney XD FC Kicks Off This Summer

    Disney XD FC Kicks Off This Summer

    Disney EMEA announces the launch of Disney XD FC, a series of animated football (or soccer) themed shorts that will take the field on multiple platforms this summer across EMEA, Latin America and the U.S. The 10 original cartoons, each two- to five-minutes in length, were commissioned from top animation talent across Europe, Africa and Latin America. The first five shorts are live on online now.

    #DisneyXDFC launches with the following five shorts:

    Twin Tackle from Norwegian brothers Tommy & Markus Vad Flaaten (a.k.a. TwinTrash) tells the story of Tommy and his homemade battery-eating twin-brother-robot, Twinbot, who must help their friend Lisa and her football team take on the local bullies in an epic schoolyard football match.

    90100 is a collectively created short conceived, directed and produced by French animator Thierno Bah about eleven football players, imagined in eleven unique and striking styles by different artists, working together towards the same goal.

    Dribbles the Bunny from German creator Jenny Bury tells the story of Dribbles, a well-meaning bunny whose dreadful keepy-uppy skills unleash total chaos, and an angry bulldog, upon the park and the other kids who play there.

    Good as Goaled by British duo Tom Gran and Martin Woolley, also known as Spin Kick Bros., and produced by Bristol-based Wildseed Studios, features rebellious Yukon girl Lottie Bearshout, who just wants to tempt her responsible friend Hunter into a kickabout.

    Scoring Pointes by London comedian Bec Hill and Dublin animator Gareth Lyons features a cheeky pair of ballet slippers with big dreams of playing football, who swap places with their owner’s football boots on the day of an important match.

    Rolling out from June 17 will be:

    P. One by Guillermo García Carsí, the Spanish creator of Pocoyo and the award-winning short Doomed, and produced by El Señor Studio, tells the story of young Alex who just wants to improve his goalkeeping skills while fending off the misguided assistance of an alien penguin.

    Matchwinner from German creator Linus Stetter, Matchwinner introduces Jay, a clumsy janitor and football super-fan who is mistaken for his footballer idol and realises it is up to him to score the winning goal.

    No Ball Games is a British short created by artist and director Paul Layzell and produced by Blink Industries, about a girl with plans to become the greatest footballer in the world, accompanied by her talking football, and in spite of the neighbourhood’s new “No Ball Games” policy.

    A Dogshow with Cat by South African Mike Scott, a finalist in the recent Disney-sponsored Triggerfish Story Lab for new African writers, this short features Catlyn, a videogame fanatic who starts to believe her best friend Doggie Poggie’s head has turned into a football.

    Martian Soap 2111 by Alvaro Ceppi and Carlos Bleycher and produced by Zumbastico Studios in Chile, is a “micro-telenovela” follows 15-year-old Aurora, who has just moved to Mars and must get to grips with a new school and a new sport: anti-gravitational soccer.

    P. One
    P. One
    Twin Tackle
    Twin Tackle
  • ‘Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon’ Heads to Shanghai Fest

    ‘Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon’ Heads to Shanghai Fest

    Russian animated feature Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon has been selected to screen out of competition at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival, taking place in the Chinese metropolis June 11-19, 2016. The film will screen as part of the “International Panorama” program on June 13 and 18.

    Produced by Riki Group and Petersburg Animation Studio and directed by Denis Chernov, Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon is CG-animated comedy-adventure film that follows the lovable Kikoriki characters on a journey into the wild jungle where perilous adventure awaits. The film is one of the top 10 most successful Russian animated features ever made, and was produced with the support of the Cinema Foundation of Russia.

    According to Riki Group’s VP of International Distribution, Diana Yurinova, China is a key market for the company’s projects and they are currently in active negotiations with leading Chinese distributors and co-production partners for the next installment in the Kikoriki franchise — Kikoriki: Deja Vu (fall/winter 2017-2018) — which will be set in ancient China.

    Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon
    Kikoriki: Legend of the Golden Dragon
  • Cosmos-Maya Grows with WowKidz on YouTube

    Cosmos-Maya Grows with WowKidz on YouTube

    Singapore- and Mumbai-based animation producer Cosmos-Maya has continued to grow with the launch earlier this year of digital video outlet WowKidz — a new YouTube channel to showcase Cosmos-Maya’s popular original content. The studio is the largest producer of original Indian animation. Since its debut, WowKidz has amassed almost 160,000 active subscribers and roughly 200 million cumulative views.

    “Content consumption is changing dramatically in the digital era and the barriers of geographies are breaking,”  said Anish Mehta, CEO and producer of all series at the studio. “We at Cosmos-Maya are keen to produce good original content for the global VOD platforms that will bring in the best of Indian animation content for kids of Indian origin all over the world.”

    The next evolution is the dedicated e-commerce site for WowKidz.com, launching in Q3 of 2016 to coincide with India’s massive Diwali festival. In addition to merchandise inspired by Cosmos-Maya’s successful originals like Motu Patlu, Shiva, Kisna, Eena Meena Deeka and ViR – The Robot Boy, the site will offer consumer products from top animated series and character driven kids’ brands from around the world.

    WowKidz
    WowKidz
  • CN Curates 360 Adventure Time Card Wars Experience

    CN Curates 360 Adventure Time Card Wars Experience

    Cartoon Network’s multiple award-winning original 2D series Adventure Time will offer fans an epic summer with the launch of an immersive 360-degree experience building on Card Wars. The multi-platform rollout encompasses linear and digital content, mobile gaming and consumer products ahead of the series’ eighth season later this year.

    Card Wars began as a fan-favorite Adventure Time episode before evolving into a #1 Top App for iPhone and iPad in 2014 — the game has since racked up more than 5 million downloads and is Cartoon Network’s highest-grossing mobile game. Now a multi-platform stand-alone property, Card Wars’ world will expand over the summer.

    On July 7, a new episode titled “Daddy-Daughter Card Wars” will follow up the epic card game of 2012 as Jake calls upon his daughter Charlie to help win a top-tier doubles tournament against a longtime rival. The episode will have a next-day launch on the Cartoon Network video app, iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. July 12, the Adventure Time: Card Wars DVD arrives with both “Card Wars” toons plus 14 other curated episodes and an exclusive card for the physical game coming in August.

    At San Diego Comic-Con, Cryptozoic Entertainment will introduce fans to the tabletop game with a Card Wars Doubles Tournament before its official release. Arriving August 3, Card Wars Doubles Tournament mirrors the experience of the Team Tournament in “Daddy-Daughter Card Wars” with the addition of two vs. two battle play.

    On the app side, Card Wars Kingdom, developed by Kung Fu Factory, reimagines the Card Wars gameplay (including fan-requested PVP and Tournament modes). This 13th game in the mobile franchise comes out August 3 and will be joined by an official guidebook from Penguin Books later this year.

    Adventure Time Card Wars
    Adventure Time Card Wars