Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Batwoman Likes the Ladies

    With all the leather, spandex and capes they wear, you have to wonder about the sexual orientation of most comic-book superheroes. Still, DC Comics has caused a stir by announcing that it is bringing back the Batwoman character and making her a lipsick lesbian. Kathy Kane and her batty alter ego will come out of the cave in 52, a weekly, limited series that takes place during a year in which marginalized superheroes have to step up when Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman all mysteriously vanish.

    Batwoman will make minor appearances in 52 before getting her starring role in issue #11. In the comic, she will often cross paths with her ex-girlfriend, a cop named Renee Montoya, whom she greets with a punch in the face in one issue.

    While DC and other publishers have introduced gay characters in the past, Batwoman will be the most high-profile example of diversity to emerge in recent years. Still, pushing a sexy lesbian on the young male target demographic isn’t exactly a risky endeavor. More information on the 52 series can be fond at www.52thecomic.com.

  • Jetix, Disney Launching Yin Yang Yo!

    Jetix Europe and the Walt Disney Co. are gearing up for the fall debut of their fourth co-production, a series titled Yin Yang Yo! The Flash-animated show from the producers of The Fairly OddParents will begin rolling out in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and the U.S. beginning in September.

    Aimed at kids 6-11, Yin Yang Yo! follows polar opposite twin rabbits named Yin and Yang, who must put their differences aside as they train to become Woo Foo Knights and prevent Carl the Evil Cockroach Wizard from plunging the world into eternal darkness. Helping them along the way is Master Yo, a grumpy, old panda bear who also makes sure they get their homework done, eat their vegetables and do all the things normal kids do.

    Yin Yang Yo! is an original production for Jetix platforms worldwide. Jetix Europe holds all television, home video and consumer products rights for Europe and the Middle East. Home video licensing and merchandising is being handled by JCP (Jetix Consumer Products), and TV distribution is serviced by Buena Vista International Television, which will launch the property with 26 half hours at MIPCOM Jr. in October.

  • Barnyard, Ant Bully Swap Dates

    With Paramount Pictures pushing the release of the animated feature Barnyard back a week to Aug.4, Warner Bros. has moved its Ant Bully up a week to July 28, according to ComingSoon.com. Studios generally seem to be having difficulty jockeying for position amid the recent onslaught of 3D animated movies, resulting in an ever-changing toon release calendar.

    Featuring the voices of Kevin James, Courtney Cox, Danny Glover, Sam Elliott and Wanda Sykes, Barnyard takes a comical look at what really happens in a barnyard when the farmer is away. The film is written, produced and directed by Steve Oedekerk, writer of Bruce Almighty and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and director of Ace Ventura: Pet Detectiveand the hilarious Thumb movie spoofs. Animation was completed at Oedekerk’s San Clemente-based Omation Studio.

    Helmed by Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius creator and director John A. Davis, and produced by Tom Hanks’ Playtone Prods., Ant Bully is based on the popular children’s book by John Nickle, in which a young boy floods an ant colony with his water-gun and is magically shrunken down to insect size and sentenced to hard labor in the ruins. Boasting a star-studded voice cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Lily Tomlin, Cheri Oteri, Bruce Campbell, Regina King and Ricardo Montalban, the pic will be released simultaneously in IMAX 3D and conventional formats. Davis’ Dallas-based DNA Productions (Olive, the Other Reindeer) delivered the CG animation for the feature.

    In other movie release date news, Warner Bros.’ Superman Returns will open two days earlier than previously announced, taking a Wednesday bow on Jun 28. The shift will give the superhero flick a little more time to rake in dough before Disney releases the highly anticipated sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest on the following Friday, June 7.

  • Disney Pics Going Online with CinemaNow

    The Walt Disney Co. has teamed with CinemaNow Inc. to make the animated hit Chicken Little and other studio features available online for downloading. Titles will be released digitally on the same day they arrive on DVD, with new releases costing around $20 a rip. CinemaNow has similar partnerships in place with Sony Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate.

    The movies will be downloaded in Windows Media format and encrypted to prevent piracy. Users will not be able to burn titles to a DVD, even for personal use. In addition, a licensing restriction allows movie files to be loaded onto a computer only three times. CinemaNow plans to offer portability in the near future, and will provide users with a free portable version of each purchase.

    Other Disney titles slated for download with CinemaNow include the live-action features Glory Road, Flightplan, Eight Below and Annapolis. For more information on CinemaNow, go to www.cinemanow.com.

  • Laura’s Star to Fall on DVD in U.S.

    Warner Home Video announced today that it will release the German animated feature film Laura’s Star on DVD this fall. Based on the popular children’s book by Klaus Baumgart, the award-winning and critically acclaimed family production was released in European theaters last year, and is slated to arrive on shelves in the U.S. on Sept. 26.

    Directed by Thilo Gruf Rothkirch and Piet de Rycker (The Little Polar Bear), Laura’s Star tells the story of a young girl who feels very alone when her family moves from the countryside to the big city. On the first night in her new surroundings, Laura has trouble sleeping and runs to find a falling star, which has broken its leg in the fall. In return for mending its leg with a band aid, the star scatters stardust around Laura’s bedroom, bringing all of her toys to life and helping her adjust to her new life.

    Laura’s Star won the Adults Jury Prize for animation at the 2005 Chicago Int’l Children’s Film Festival, picked up a Lola Award for Outstanding Children or Youth Film at the 2005 German Film Awards, and was nominated for Best Film at the 2005 Carrousel Int’l du Film. The pic recently screened at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival in May, and was included in the Lucas 2004 Int’l Children’s Film Festival, the 2005 Sprockets Toronto Film Festival for Children, the 2005 Festival of German Films in Paris and the 2005 Showcomotion Young People’s Film Festival.

    The DVD will include a making-of documentary and featurettes on the film’s music, talent, producer and director. There will also be a look at the compositing of a scene and an interactive feature titled Laura’s World Game Collection. The disc will carry a suggested retail price of $14.98.

  • Marvel’s Arad Resigns, Inks New Deal

    As Marvel superhero characters burn up the box office in X-Men: The Last Stand, the company has announced that it has entered into a new business arrangement with producer Avi Arad, who is resigning as chairman and CEO of Marvel Studios and chief creative officer of Marvel. Currently at work on the eagerly awaited Spider-Man 3 for Sony Pictures, Arad will independently produce Marvel films including Iron Man and Hulk under his own production shingle, Avi Arad Prods.

    In addition to the Spider-Man films and latest X-Men feature, which just broke the Memorial Day weekend box-office record, Arad is credited with producing such blockbusters as Universal’s Hulk and 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four. He will continue to serve as creative advisor for Marvel through the remainder of 2006, and will remain actively involved in various licensed productions, including Spider-Man sequels.

    “I have helped to build Marvel into a very special company, and on the heels of the tremendous success of X-Men: The Last Stand, I felt like it was the right time for me to move away from the day-to-day corporate responsibilities in order to focus on what I love best’creating and producing,’ Arad comments. ‘I am leaving behind a great team to run the studio, and I expect to remain actively involved in the development and production of many Marvel films in the years to come.”

    Stepping in to lead television and film development at Marvel are Michael Helfant, president and COO of Marvel Studios, and Kevin Feige, Marvel Studio’s president of production. Feige has worked alongside Arad for the past eight years and Helfant was recruited just last year to manage the expanded scope of studio operations. Marvel director Sid Ganis, an independent producer and president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will assist Marvel during the transition.

  • 4Kids Ent. Rides With Zula Patrol

    4Kids Ent. has acquired exclusive worldwide licensing rights and will manage promotional initiatives for the new CG-animated children’s series The Zula Patrol. The space-themed educational show geared to kids pre-k through second grade began airing on American Public Television affiliates in the fall of 2005, with international television sales being handled by Los Angeles-based MarVista Ent.

    Created by Deborah M. Manchester, Ph.D., The Zula Patrol is designed to promote an understanding of science and astronomy through engaging, character-driven stories and learning objectives that address specific National Science Education Standards. The learning extends beyond the tube with schools and after-school programs across the country using ‘Zula’s Launchpad for Learning’ science kits, and school districts utilizing the show’s content for teacher accreditation workshops.

    The series follows a group of aliens from the imaginary planet Zula as they fearlessly travel the galaxies helping others and saving the universe from intergalactic danger. Fearless leader Bula, pilot Zeeter, intergalactic scientist Multo, pet Gorga and cosmic twins Wizzy and Wigg work together to keep dastardly villain Dark Truder and his talking toupee, Traxie, from taking over the Galaxy.

    Marketing and outreach efforts for the series include interactive traveling museum exhibits, educational programs and other events available in Dallas, Texas; Chicago, Ill.; San Francisco, Calif. Hartford, Conn. and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In addition, a Fulldome Digital Theater show featuring Zula Patrol characters will launch nationwide in the spring of 2007. For more information on The Zula Patrol, go to www.zula.com.

  • PBS KIDS Gets First Live Host

    Lori Holton Nash, a Chicago-based performer, teacher and mom, has been tapped to host the new PBS Kids after-school block for preschoolers, which will debut on Sept. 4. Joined by an animated sidekick, Nash will guide kids through two hours of programming, including animated favorites Clifford The Big Red Dog and Dragon Tales, and new series Curious George and It’s a Big Big World.

    Discovered during an extensive, nationwide talent search, Nash will make appearances at various events across the country, visiting local PBS member stations and participating in children’s events in addition to appearing on air and online. The Wisconsin native has been performing since she was nine years old and is the founder of The C.A.M.P.U.S. Inc. (Celebrating Artistry Musicality Physicality United Successfully), a resource that provides recreational arts programming for families.

    Sure to be a highlight of the new block, Curious George is a new animated show from the companies behind the recent big-screen debut of the inquisitive monkey and his friend in the yellow hat. Produced by Imagine Ent., Universal Studios Family Productions and WGBH Boston, the show is based on the best-selling books by Margret and H.A. Rey, and will use George’s insatiable curiosity as a way to acquaint young children with key concepts in math, science and engineering.

    The hosted preschool destination is part of PBS KIDS Next Generation Media, a broad-based initiative to define public television’s role in the changing digital children’s media landscape. A new 24/7 early elementary school digital broadcast service dubbed PBS KIDS GO! Channel is scheduled to launch in October on local PBS stations.

  • X-Men Stands Tall At Box Office

    The latest superhero comic book adaptation from 20th Century Fox pulled in big numbers over the weekend, setting a new Memorial Day record. X-Men: The Last Stand earned more than $120 million, according to estimates, solidly trouncing Sony’s The Da Vinci Code to take the top spot. Meanwhile, DreamWorks Animation’s Over the Hedge managed to hold onto most of its audience share in week two, finishing the four-day period in third place with an estimated $35.3 million.

    Featuring visual effects work by MPC, Soho VFX, Weta Digital, Cinesite, Framestore CFC, Rhythm & Hues and Kleiser-Walczak, X-Men: The Last Stand kicked off the summer movie season with the kind of bang studios have been chasing with big event films like Poseidon and Mission: Impossible III, both of which performed below expectations. Even the highly hyped Da Vinci Code, which has raked in more than $145 million in just two weeks, hasn’t deciphered the secret to box office success quite like the Marvel superhero franchise has.

    The first X-Men movie opened to just over $54 million in July of 2000 and eventurally earned nearly $300 million around the world. X2: X-Men United followed in early May of 2003 with an opening weekend take of $85.5 million on its way to $407.5 million worldwide. Though not the best reviewed, Last Stand may be the most profitable of the series, having smashed the Memorial Day weekend record of $90.2 million set by The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997.

    As predicted, business for The Da Vinci Code trailed off nearly 50% in week two, while Over the Hedge saw only an 8% decline. The CG critter pic has plundered an estimated $84 million since opening last week, and should be around a good chunk of the summer. However, stiff competition will arrive in two weeks when Disney/Pixar’s Cars races out of the gate. The latest directorial effort from John Lasseter (Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life), the talking car movie has been garnering rave reviews and should prove to be another blockockbuster hit for the Mouse House and its prized toon shop.

  • ADV, Handheld Ent. Bring Anime to ZVUE

    HandHeld Ent., the company behind the ZVUE portable media player, has inked a partnership with ADV Films to make its extensive anime catalog available for instant download at www.ZVUE.com. Through the agreement, users will be able to purchase downloads of such ADV-handled series as Azumanga Daioh, DNAngel, Elfen Lied, Gilgamesh, Godannaar and Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi.

    The addition to its content arrangement with ADV Films, HandHeld Ent. has recently expanded its video-on-demand offerings with the acquisition of 1,500 full-length films and television shows from Worldvision Cinema. Other acquisitions include fashion shows from IMG, legendary punk rock videos from Music Video Distributors, Latin music videos from Sunflower Ent., music tracks from eMusic, comedic movies from Fun Little Movies, extreme sports videos from TotalVid, independent films from StoryPIPE.com, and classic TV programs and cartoons from LikeTelevision.

  • Avatar, Venture Bros. New on Disc

    A number of TV favorites arrive on DVD today, led by season releases of the hit Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Air Bender and [adult swim] staple The Venture Bros. Classic toon fans can also pick up the volume 3 set of episodes from the 1972 series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, while Universal Studios offers up the Riddick Trilogy, which includes both live-action features and Peter Chung’s animated adventure.

    Avatar: The Last Air Bender Book 1: Water, Volume 3 offers chapters 9-12, four stories serialized in the hit anime-inspired cartoon series. “The Waterbending Scroll” finds Aang mastering the complicated waterbending techniques just in time to take on a gang of cutthroat pirates, while “Jet” has Aang and pals befriend an adolescent boy leading a Robin Hood-like rebellion against the firebending tribe. “The Great Divide” has our heroes mediating a truce between refugees, and “The Storm’ goes back in time to depict how Aang came to be encased in ice. DVD extras include a look behind the scenes with the voices of the series. The Paramount Home Entertainment release lists for $16.99.

    The Venture Bros.: Season One hits shelves as a two-disc set complete with all 13 episodes of the series about sons of famous scientist who travel the wold getting into silly adventures with the family bodyguard, a former secret agent. Warner Home Video has included commentaries by cast and creators, the pilot episode ‘The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay,’ bonus episode “A Very Venture Christmas’ and a behind the scenes look at the upcoming live-action movie. The set carries a suggested retail price of $29.98.

    Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Vol. 3: The Original Animated TV Series includes episodes #25-36, originally on CBS between 1975 and 1976. Also included is a bonus 12-track audio CD featuring original music from the animated series made available for the first time. Distributed by Urban Works, the single-disc release is listed at $19.99.

    Vin Diesel is the universe’s No. 1 bad boy in Riddick Trilogy, a two-disc compilation of the original 2000 sleeper sci-fi hit Pitch Black, the 2004 follow-up The Chronicles of Riddick, and the anime gap bridger, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury, directed by Peter Chung of Aeon Flux fame. Bonus materials include feature commentary with Diesel, director David Twohy, producer Tom Engleman and visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang; making-of documentaries; a featurette titled Peter Chung’The Mind of an Animator; The Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia; deleted scenes; Toomb’s chase log; visual effects featurettes, and interactive 360′ views of sets used in the films. Universal lists the set at $19.98.

  • Nat Geo Appoints Head of Kid Sales

    Karen Vermeulen has been hired as the first dedicated sales exec. for National Geographic Television International’s growing kids business. Based in London, Vermeulen will also work closely with National Geographic Kids’ programming and production president Donna Friedman Meir and her U.S.-based team to drive development of animated and live-action programming for children.

    Vermeulen joins National Geographic from Entertainment Rights, where she was territory manager for the U.K., Ireland and German-speaking Europe, responsible for maximizing TV, new media and DVD sales for a range of properties including Postman Pat,Basil Brush, Little Red Tractor and Barbie. In her new role, she will take responsibility for managing the expanding stable of brand franchises and developing properties.

    National Geographic Kids and King Rollo Films are currently in production on the sereies Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies, which blends animations animation and live-action wildlife footage. Other projects include Iggy Arbuckle, an animated comedy adventure produced with Blueprint Ent.; Toot & Puddle: I’ll Be Home For Christmas, an adaptation of the award-winning and best-selling Holly Hobbie book being animated by Grand Slamm Children’s Films; and Are We There Yet?, a global reality adventure series produced in partnership with Cellar Door and Sinking Ship Prods.

  • Boomerang Marooned with Mike, Lu, Og

    Boomerang, Turner Broadcasting System’s 24-hour classic animation channel, is adding the half-hour comedy series Mike, Lu, Og to its lineup this summer. The show, which originally aired on Cartoon Network, will debut on Boomerang on Monday, June 5 and will air daily at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. (ET).

    Created, written and directed by Rugrats creative producer Chuck Swenson, Mikhail Aldashin and Mikhail Shindel, Mike, Lu, Og follows the adventures of Mike, a sophisticated girl who leaves her home in New York City as an exchange student looking for adventure on the open seas. What she finds is a secluded island populated by some of the quirkiest natives imaginable, including her new friends Lu and Og. Lu is a self-proclaimed princess who’s been spoiled rotten by her doting father, the island’s governor, and Og is a quiet, Zen-like genius who holds philosophical discussions with his talking-animal cohorts, Goat, Pig and Spiney.

    The production was an international effort. Co-creator Aldashin, who held an official Russian government position representing the animation field, created storyboards out of Pilot Studio in Moscow while Swenson and Shindel created approved final storyboards and oversaw business operations at KINOFILM in Venice, Calif. Animation was then completed by Sunwoo in Korea.

    Mike, Lu, Og originally premiered on Cartoon Network in 1999 and is one of the more contemporary series to air on Boomerang, which is dedicated largely to the Hanna-Barbera library of vintage toons. Dexter’s Laboratory, another ‘now-classic” series from Catoon Network, joined the Boomerang line-up in January of this year.

  • Bejuba! Ent. Expands to U.K.

    Production and distribution company Bejuba! Ent. is opening an U.K. office and has hired Karen Hunter to serve as head of sales for its European operations. Hunter will be responsible for selling Bejuba!’s library of properties, which include the award-winning animated comedy series The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers, produced by U.K.-based Pesky Animation and Studio B Prods., the hit live-action/CGI action series Monster Warriors, produced by Coneybeare Stories, and the animated short film catalogue of Academy Award-winning Tandem Films.

    Hunter, who previously worked with Bejuba! president Tatiana Kober at production and distribution company Egmont Imagination U.K., will also be responsible for selling Ricky Sprocket, a toon series being produced with Studio B and Academy Award winners Snowden Fine, which will debut next year. In addition, Hunter and Kober will work together in seeking to acquire additional projects for the company.

    ‘Bejuba!’s U.K. office will make it easier to work with our European clients, as well as give us a greater opportunity of finding new projects that are developed outside North America,’ says Kober. ‘This move is right on target with my growth plans for the company, Karen is a strong addition and I am extremely excited to be working with her again on what I believe will be a very long and successful relationship.’

    Prior to joining Bejuba!, Hunter served as senior sales manager for Egmont Imagination U.K., then became deputy managing director for international sales for Egmont Children’s Books and sales manager at Strawberry Ente. Before Egmont, she was a sales exec at BBC Worldwide.

    Established in 2003, Bejuba! Ent. is focused on bringing production partners together, closing gap financing and securing distribution for its clients, which also include Cut-Out Films, National Geographic Kids Programming and Production, Klasky Csupo, Pork & Beans and ZDFE.

  • X-Men Make Last Stand

    Director Bryan Singer may have abandoned the franchise in favor of Superman’s big return, but the ensemble cast is back in leather for another adventure from the world of Marvel Comics in X-Men: The Last Stand. The third installment in the blockbuster superhero film franchise arrives in theaters today with hopes of cracking The Da Vinci Code and outperforming DreamWorks Animation’s Over the Hedge with its own animal attractions over the lucrative Memorial Day weekend.

    In X-Men: The Last Stand, lines are drawn between mutants when a cure for mutations is discovered and certain tortured superheroes are seduced by the possibility of leading normal lives. Hugh Jackman returns to lead the good guys as Wolverine, while Frasier star Kelsey Grammer joins the cast as Dr. Hank McCoy, a hairy, blue mutant also known as ‘Beast.’ The film features visual effects work by MPC, Soho VFX, Weta Digital, Cinesite, Framestore CFC, Rhythm & Hues and Kleiser-Walczak.

    Filling in for Singer on this X-Men outing is Brett Ratner, director of the Rush Hour series and of action films and the latest Hannibal Lechter thriller, Red Dragon. Currently in pre-production on Rush Hour 3 with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, Ratner has failed to impress a number of critics with his superhero trilogy ender.

    Though reviews have been mixed, a built-in young male audience should drive X-Men to the top of the box office chart. However, Over the Hedge still has the highest theater count with more than 4,000. Da Vinci is close behind with just over 3,700, followed by X-Men with nearly 3,700.

    Fans of the X-Men films and comics can go to Last Stand‘s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/xmenthelaststand, and vote on whether or not the mutants should give up their powers and be normal at www.curesummit.com. The film’s official website is www.x-menthelaststand.com.

  • Academy Names Student Winners

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has honored thirteen students from nine different colleges and universities in the 33rd annual Student Academy Awards competition. Three films in each category, including Animation, will go on to compete for the gold, silver and bronze prizes at the June 10th awards presentation ceremony at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater at 6 p.m.

    The animated films that are guaranteed a prize are The Dancing Thief by Meng Vue from Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida; ?The Possum, by Chris Choy from California Institute of the Arts; and?Turtles by Thomas Leavitt from Brigham Young University. The gold medalist will receive $5,000, while the silver and bronze winners get $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.

    The top three toon contenders were whittled down from a field of eight finalists, which included Betty by Rie Ito from the School of Visual Arts, New York; Institute for the Digitally Challenged by Riash Shahnawaz from Pratt Institute, New York; Lolly’s Box by Valerie LaPointe from the University of Southern California; Onnazuri: Or Men, Women, and Capitalism by Yusuke Murakami from New York University; and The Shoes by Wenchung Lu from California Institute of the Arts.

    A Student Academy Award win puts a film in the running for an Oscar. Last year’s top student toon, Shane Acker’s 9, went to the big show but ended up losing to John Canemaker’s The Son and the Moon: An imagined Conversation. Acker is now directing 9 as a CG feature film for producer Tim Burton. Previous student winners who have gone on to greatness include director/producer Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express, Monster House), Pixar chreative head John Lasseter (Toy Story, Cars) and South Park co-creator Trey Parker.

  • Star Wars Con to Toast 30 Years

    Rabid fans of George Lucas’ space opera can start making travel plans for next year’s Star Wars Celebration IV, a massive party being thrown in Los Angeles by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Gen Con LLC to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film series that became an enduring cultural phenomenon. The five-day event will kick off on Thursday, May 24 and continue through Monday, May 28, 2007 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

    Star Wars Celebration IV will feature live entertainment, celebrities from all six movies, special film and video presentations, an exhibit of movie props and costumes, exclusive merchandise sold at a 24-hour store, pop culture tributes, immersive events, costume contests and other activities. Only members of the Official Star Wars Fan Club will be allowed in on the first day, but the event will be open to the general public from Friday through Memorial Day

    Held in Indianapolis in April of 2005, Star Wars Celebration III drew more than 34,000 fans from all over the world. Organizers say Los Angles is the perfect place for 30th anniversary event since the first official Star Wars fan gathering, the 10th anniversary convention, took place in the City of Angels in 1987.

    “We started getting questions about a possible Celebration IV even while the last convention was running,” says Steve Sansweet, director of content management and head of fan relations for Lucasfilm. “So we’re determined to far outstrip anything we’ve done before, both in size and scope, as well as introduce many first-time activities and lots of exclusives.”

    According to Sansweet, Lucasfilm plans to present other Star Wars-related events in the Los Angeles area just prior to Celebration IV, extending the festivities from the weekend before through the Memorial Day weekend. Specific details about programming, guests, activities, entertainment and exclusive merchandise will be announced as the convention nears. Online ordering for event tickets and discounted hotel rooms is scheduled to begin late summer/early fall. Updates will be provide at http://starwars.com.

  • MTV2oons First Look

    MTV 2 is set to launch its first animation block at noon on June 10, and we have your first look at the shows. In addition to a brand-new season of Celebrity Deathmatch, the Sic ‘Emation block will feature the new series Where My Dogs At? and The Chico & Guapo Show. To see Quicktime clips from all three shows, head over to the Animag Funbag at www.animationmagazine.net/wac/fun_bag.html.

    Celebrity Deathmatch from creator Eric Fogel features the famous and infamous duking it out in no-holds-barred fights to the death. The first episode of the new season features a bloody stop-motion fight between socialites and former best friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie.

    Where My Dogs At? from creators Jeffrey Ross and Aaron Lee stars two animated dogs (voiced by Ross and Saturday Night Live alum Tracy Morgan) who provide biting commentary on celebrities and pop culture. In the premiere episode, the mutts observe a battle of the thinnest between Nicole Ritchie, Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton.

    Created by actor Orlando Jones and scribes P.J. Pesce and Paul D’Acri, The Chico & Guapo Show is set in a New York City recording studio and follows the comic misadventures of two hapless interns striving to get ahead in the music business by any means necessary.

    For more information on the MTV2 Sic ‘Emation block, pick up the July issue of Animation Magazine, coming soon to Barnes & Noble locations and other fine booksellers.

  • Nintendo Offers Wii Pricing, Shipping Info

    Nintendo’s next-generation video game console, the Wii, made a big splash at this year’s edition of E3 in Los Angeles, leaving many gamers drooling and wondering how much it is going to cost and when they can get their hands on it. Today, Nintendo announced that the price of the machine will not exceed $250 in the U.S. or 25,000 yen in Japan. In addition, the company said it will ship six million systems to retailers worldwide between the fourth quarter of 2006 and March 31, 2007.

    The Nintendo Wii incorporates unique freehand controller, which works like a television remote and is designed to make gameplay more intuitive. The remote can be swung like a tennis racket or sword, or turned sideways and rotated like a steering wheel. In addition, users will have access to a vast catalog of popular games created for past Nintendo systems.

    The Wii replaces the GameCube, which has been a third-place finisher behind Sony’s Playstation 2 and Microsoft’s Xbox. With its impressive E3 debut, the Wii has pundits predicting that Nintendo will emerge as the leader in the next-gen battle. Microsoft currently has the lead since it’s Xbox 360 beat the other two to market by about a year, but gamers haven’t exactly been overwhelmed with the initial lineup of games. Both the 360 and the PlayStation3 will sink or swim based on the quality of the games since the machines offer greater processing power but little innovation.

    The launch of the Wii and continuing success of the Nintendo DS handheld system has the company forecasting global sales growth of 18% by the end of the fiscal year. During the period, Nintendo expects to sell 17 million Wii games. Exact launch dates, game titles and details on the Wii’s ‘Virtual Console’ aspect will be announced soon.

    Photo: Nintendo President Satoru Iwata shows off the Nintendo ‘Wii’ and its wireless game controllers at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, May 10, 2006. (Robert Galbraith/Reuters)

  • Hammy Short to Accompany Hedge DVD

    Sources at DreamWorks Animation tell us the animation crew is working on a short film starring the hyperactive, red squirrel from the studio’s hit CG feature, Over the Hedge. The short will be included in the upcoming home video release of the film, and will most likely screen in theaters with DreamWorks next feature toon, Aardman’s Flushed Away, which will debut on Nov. 3.

    Voiced by Steve Carell (The 40 Year Old Virgin, NBC’s The Office), Hammy is one of the forest pals who raid suburbia in Over the Hedge. The compuer-generated toon bowed in theaters last weekend and earned more than $37 million despite being overshadowed by the cultural phenomenon that is The Da Vinci Code.

    There’s no word yet on what the scene-stealing Hammy will be doing in the short, but he just may give Fox Animation and Blue Sky’s Scrat from Ice Age a run for his money. A primitive variety of squirrel, Scrat has appeared in two shorts that expand his supporting role in both Ice Age films.