Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • E3 Expo Opens

    The Electronic Entertainment Expo, best known as simply E3, welcomes video game industry professionals from around the world as leading companies showcase their latest technologies and upcoming games in Los Angeles. Today’s opening of the show floor follows yesterday’s conference kick-off, which featured a surprise visit from Microsoft chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates. Making his first E3 appearance, Gates outlined the company’s gaming plans for the year and thrilled attendees with a first glimpse at Halo 3, the next installment in the best-selling game franchise. Other highly anticipated next-generation offerings from all major players will be unveiled over the next three days at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

    During his press conference on Tuesday, Gates stated that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 next-gen console will have a 10 million-unit head start by the time Sony releases the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo gets its Wii on the market. He said his company will have more than 160 games available by the end of the year, and announced Microsoft’s bold new vision to connect Xbox 360 gamers with the hundreds of millions of PC and mobile gamers around the world via the Xbox Live online entertainment network. Dubbed ‘Live Anywhere,’ the initiative aims to create a ubiquitous, always-on world where games, friends and digital entertainment are always accessible through the Xbox Live interface, regardless of location or device.

    According to Gates, more than six million gamers are expected to be connected to the Xbox Live network by this time next year. Gamers will have the ability to jack into the Xbox Live environment from their Windows-based PCs with the introduction of the Windows Vista operating system and Shadowrun this winter. In addition, the company’s Spanning Windows Mobile games service will give users with Java and BREW-based handsets on-the-go access to cross-platform gaming communities at any time, from any location.

    Not to be outdone, Nintendo is unveiling its upcoming Wii home console, which it claims will allow players to feel games like never before. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was at E3 on Tuesday to demonstrate the Wii Remote, a revolutionary control system that lets players manipulate their games through motion. Using a four-player tennis game, Iwata and team showed how the device became a virtual tennis racket that let the players actually feel the vibration of the hit and hear the sound of the ball via a built-in speaker. According to Nintendo, the Wii Remote’s sensors are delicate enough to enable players to hit straight, add slice or put top spin on the ball. Depending on the game, the controller could be virtually anything, including a weapon, a baseball bat or an airplane. The Nunchuk controller attachment also includes a motion sensor, which brings additional creative possibilities to the control system. Future games may allow players to use a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, or strap on a pair of virtual boxing gloves.

    “Not only is Wii compelling to current game players, but it also will entice new players with new experiences,” Iwata stated during the briefing. “To expand the total number of game players, we must make our experience both friendlier and more compelling. With Wii, it is.”

    Games in development for the Wii console include a third chapter in the Metroid Prime series, a new Mario title and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Nintendo says a slate of other Wii games are in the works with dozens of developers around the world.

    The third major combatant in the next-gen war, Sony, revealed details of its PlayStation 3 console on Monday. As previously reported, the system will be available at retail worldwide on Nov. 17 for the U.S. price of $499 (20GB) and $599 (60GB). In addition to playing DVD and CD, the PS3 will be compatible with the new Blu-ray discs. Sony is also touting its combination of Cell and RSX processors, which are intended to greatly increase speed and graphics quality.

    While it optimizes play with next-gen titles, the PlayStation 3 will be compatible with a vast catalog of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games. Nintendo’s Wii will also allow users to enjoy their cache of Game Cube purchases. To help sell more of these current-generation releases, Atari is launching a two-fold, consumer-oriented program dubbed Gamers First. Kicking off on June 1 at participating retailers, the initiative will drop the price of all existing games for PlayStation2, Xbox and GameCube to $19.99 on. The price cut will also include Atari titles for Game Boy Advance and Windows, with the exception of the recently released Dungeons & Dragons Online. All Windows titles included in the program will also be available for immediate download at Valve and Direct2Drive for $19.99.

    Heiress and TV/film star Paris Hilton will also be at E3 on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to promote her long-term licensing agreement with Gameloft, which will develop, publish and distribute mobile games based on the pop culture phenomenon. She will be signing autographs and introducing her first game, Paris Hilton’s Jewlery Case.

    E3, the interactive entertainment industry’s biggest annual event, continues through Friday, May 12 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Keep reading Animation Magazine Online for Further updates, and find more information about the show at www.e3expo.com and www.e3insider.com.

  • Atari Gets Animated with Besson’s Minimoys

    Atari announced that it is developing a video game based on acclaimed director Luc Besson’s upcoming animated feature, Arthur and the Minimoys. The action-adventure title will be released for PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Windows in conjunction with the movie’s North American theatrical debut.

    Arthur and the Minimoys tells the story of a 10-year-old boy who hopes to save his grandmother’s home from being demolished by seeking his grandfather’s treasure, which is hidden in the land of the Minimoys, a race of tiny, magical creatures who live in harmony with their environment. With the help of Princess Selenia and her brother, Betameche, Arthur has a string of adventures on his way to the forbidden city ruled by the evil M the Malicious. The voice cast features Madonna, Snoop Dogg, Mia Farrow, Freddie Highmore and David Bowie.

    According to Atari CEO Bruno Bonnell, the development team has been working with the film crew from day one to ensure that the game remains extremely faithful to the film. As they move through the various Minimoy environments, players will encounter menacing enemies and varying gameplay elements including driving, fighting, flying and puzzle solving. Players can only progress by cleverly combining the skills of Arthur is an acrobat, Selenia the warrior and Betameche the marksman. The PlayStation 2, PSP and PC versions are being produced by Lyon-and Paris-based Etranges Libellules, which has created games based on the French animated features Asterix XXL and Kirikou. The Nintendo DS game is developed by Dreamon, and the Nintendo Game Boy Advance version by Mistic.

    “When you make a children’s film, your primary intent is to introduce kids to a new world that is both fantastic and exciting. Atari’s video game will keep the film’s adventure alive by allowing players to step into the characters’ shoes to explore and try to save the world of the Minimoys,” says Besson.

    Chairman of production company EuropaCorp, Besson is best known as the director of such cult action hits as La Femme Nikita and The Fifth Element. Arthur and the Minimoys is based on his 2003 children’s book of the same name, one in a series of four tales involving his Arthur character. EuropaCorp is producing the film while Weinstein Co. co-president of production Michael Cole and director of production and development Michael Schaefer are overseeing for the distributor. For more information on the property, visit www.arthur-lelivre.com.

  • Cars Speedway Premiere a Sell-Out

    More than 30,000 race fans and animation aficionados snatched up tickets for the world premiere of Disney/Pixar’s Cars at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at Charlotte, North Carolina, completely selling out the event nearly a month in advance. The latest computer-animated feature will screen before the massive crowd on Friday, May 26, with Disney CEO Bob Iger, Cars director John Lasseter, and voice cast members Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy and racing legend Richard Petty in attendance.

    Cars will be shown on four giant, custom-built outdoor movie screens measuring 115-feet wide and 50-feet tall at Turn No. 2 of the famed super-speedway in North Carolina. This first-ever multi-screen outdoor digital projection will employ twelve DLP Cinema projectors from Barco, Christie and NEC. Proceeds from the Premiere, which is sponsored by Kodak, will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities and Association of Hole in the Wall Camps.

    With hits Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and A Bug’s Life under his belt, Lasseter delves into the secret lives of automobiles with his latest directorial effort. In the film, Wilson voices the role of Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car who takes a detour to the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs and discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line. The unexpected pit stop forces Lightning to slow down long enough to get to know the townspeople, including a 1951 Hudson Hornet voiced by Newman, a snazzy 2002 Porsche voiced by Hunt and a rusty tow truck voiced by Larry The Cable Guy. Also lending their voices to the production are Tony Shalhoub, Michael Keaton, Cheech Marin, George Carlin, Katherine Helmond and Pixar lifer John Ratzenberger. In addition to Petty, racing superstars Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Darrell Waltrip and Michael Shumacher also put in cameos. Cars opens in theatres everywhere on June 9.

  • PlayStation 3 Gets Due Date, Price Tag

    After some delay, video game enthusiasts can finally mark a date on their calendars for the release of Sony’s highly anticipated PlayStation 3. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has announced that the next-generation video-game console will be available at retail worldwide on Nov. 17 for the U.S. price of $499 (20GB) and $599 (60GB).

    The PS3 unit will be available in “clear black” and will come equipped with Blu-ray disc capability, Giga-bit Ethernet, a pre-Installed hard drive disc and the combination of Cell and RSX(TM) processors. In addition to playing next-gen titles, the machine will be compatible with a vast catalog of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games.

    In addition, a new controller has been created with a high-precision, highly sensitive six-axis sensing system that is capable of processing all parameters within the controller itself, thereby eliminating the need for any additional settings on the display system. By applying this technology, it will become possible to freely control the PS3 system over the network.

  • SpongeBob, Diner Dash Mash

    Nickelodeon has teamed with casual games publisher PlayFirst to combine their two biggest franchises in one online video game. SpongeBob SquarePants Diner Dash will be available for download on Nick Arcade (www.nickarcade.com) and other game portals all over the U.S. this month. The title will then roll out in international markets later this year.

    PlayFirst’s Diner Dash has been played more than 100 million times worldwide, making it one of the most popular games on the Internet. The original hit game follows Flo as she tirelessly works to turn her fledgling diner into a five-star restaurant, satisfying customers of all types along the way. The same basic game mechanic will apply to the SpongeBob version, which will be tailored to include popular characters from Bikini Bottom and the wacky brand of humor the TV series is known for.

    “Joining one of the top properties for kids’SpongeBob SquarePants‘with one of the top casual games in the market’Diner Dash‘is a significant step in the expansion of Nickelodeon’s casual gaming business,” says Paul Jelinek, VP of digital media products for Nickelodeon Networks. “PlayFirst has demonstrated that they understand how to tap the exploding mass market interest in interactive entertainment. This launch will continue to grow the kids’ demographic for casual downloadable games.”

    Nick Arcade, which has logged more than 20 million downloads in the past year, features more than 80 family-friendly games including those based on such hit Nickelodoen cartoon series as Danny Phantom and Dora the Explorer. Original games that have become popular with visitors include Feeding Frenzy and Magic Ball 2. All games can be tried out for free and then purchased at an average price of $20. Also available is the Nick Arcade Pass, a $7.95 per month subscription plan that entitles users to keep one game of their choosing each month, plus discounts on other games and various items in the Nick Shop.

    PlayFirst was established in 2004 and is funded by Mayfield Fund, Trinity Ventures and Rustic Canyon Partners. More information on the company and its portfolio of casual games can be found at www.playfirst.com.

  • El Cap Celebrates 80th with Dumbo, Pooh

    To kick off its 80th anniversary, the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood will present a special two-week engagement of Disney’s animated classic, Dumbo. The Oscar-winning film, which turns 65 this year, will screen from May 25 through June 7 as the new, deluxe Big Top Edition DVD hits retail on June 6. Also on the playbill at the El Capitan is the 1966 animated featurette Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree. Pooh is also celebrating his 80th birthday and will make a live, in-theatre appearance.

    First released in 1941, Dumbo tells the story of a young circus elephant who is teased for his unusually large ears, until he discovers that he can flap those ears to fly. The film received the Oscar for Best Scoring of a Motion Picture, and was nominated for Best Song (‘Baby Mine”). The film was directed by Ben Sharpsteen, and based on a book by Helen Aberson and Harold Perl.

    Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree is the 26-minute featurette that introduced A. A. Milne’s tales of the Hundred Acre Woods to the screen. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, the movie finds the title bear up to his nose in trouble when he and his pals discover a fabulous honey tree that is protected by a swarm of bees. Accompanying the comedic action are songs by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman (aka The Sherman Brothers). Sebastian Cabot narrates the short and Sterling Halloway provides the voice of Pooh.

    Robert Sherman, who wrote many songs for the various Pooh films, will participate in a panel discussion prior to the film screenings on Thursday, May 25, at 7:00 p.m. Other panelists will include veteran Disney animator Eric Goldberg and film music historian Miles Kreuger, who serves as president of the Institute of the American Musical.

    The El Capitan Theater is located at the corner of Hollywood and Highland. Tickets for all shows can be purchased at the box office, online at http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan, or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6.

  • First WAC-O Winner Chosen! New Films Posted!

    Through an online voting process, readers of Animation Magazine have chosen the first quarterly winner of the World Animation Celebration Online (WAC-O), a web-based festival of extraordinary animated short films from around the world. Animation Magazine congratulates Marco Nguyen, Pierre Perifel, Xavier Ramon’de, Olivier Staphylas and R’mi Zaarour for racking up the most votes for Le Building, their traditionally animated comic romp produced at Gobelins School in France.

    In the outrageously funny Le Building, an old woman tries to get her neighbor to stop singing so loud in the shower, but sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to bring down her whole apartment complex. The film is currently available for viewing at www.animationmagazine.net/wac.

    For being the first quarterly winner, the team behind Le Building will receive a Mirage Studio PRO 2D animation software package from Bauhaus Software, Autodesk’s Cleaner 6.5 desktop video solution and one of NVIDIA’s latest Quadro graphics processing cards. In addition, Le Building is eligible to win the year-end Grand Prize (prize yet to be determined).

    ‘Bauhaus Software is proud to sponsor another great World Animation

    Celebration, and we know that the winners are going to love their copies of Mirage Studio PRO,’ says Bauhaus president Paul Ford. ‘Animation Magazine has hit it out of the park once again by bringing these up-and-coming, world-class

    animators to the attention of the animation community at large. All of us at Bauhaus Software are looking forward to seeing a lot more from these artists in the future.’

    WAC-O currently features a total of 45 animated shorts, including nine brand-new entries recently posted. Entries represent a wide range of animation techniques including CG, hand-drawn, Flash and stop-motion, and vary in genre from comedy, drama, science-fiction, horror and fantasy. New films are added each month and are immediately subject to voting. Festival visitors can view all films and vote for their favorites at www.animationmagazine.net/wac. Film submissions are received on a rolling basis. Submission forms and additional information can also be found at www.animationmagazine.net/wac.

  • Katz, Runner, Barbie Hit Disc

    ‘Squigglevison’ makes its triumphant return with the DVD release of the first season of Dr. Katz Professional Therapist: Season One. The brilliant-but-cancelled Comedy Central series is joined at retail today by Central Park Media’s anime feature, Animation Runner Kuromi 2, and the latest CG release featuring everyone’s favorite leggy, blonde doll, The Barbie Diaries.

    The 1995 season of Dr. Katz Professional Therapist arrives as a single-disc release containing all six episodes. The Emmy Award-winning show follows the exploits of a psychiatrist who continually tries to motivate his ambitionless 20-something son while treating a string of neurotic stand-up comics. The first season features the voices of Ray Romano, Joy Behar, Larry Miller, Dom Irrera and Dave Atell.

    Select installments include commentary tracks by series creators Jonathan Katz and Tom Synder, co-star H. Jon Benjamin and guest stars Attell and Romano. Other bonus materials include a biography of Dr. Katz, “Short Attention Span Theater” shorts and a new Squigglevision short titled Shrink Wrapped. The Paramount Home Entertainment offering lists for $19.99.

    Winner of the 2005 Tokyo Anime Fair, Animation Runner Kuromi 2 continues the adventures of Kuromi, who is more determined than ever to make it in the anime business. Directed by Akitaroh Daichi (Fruits Basket, Kodocha, Now and Then, Here and There), the film takes a humorous look at the inner workings of anime production and finds our hero stretched to the limit when the boss decides to quit smoking just when the workload bursts out of control. Bonus materials on the DVD include an alternate-angle storyboard feature, an interview with Daichi, a featurette titled A Day in the Life of Kuromi, an art gallery, a sketch gallery and the original Japanese trailer. Central Park Media lists the title at $19.95.

    The string of successful direct-to-video Barbie movies rolls on with The Barbie Diaries, a brand-new, CG-animated feature that finds the iconic doll and her friends at school. When she’s not playing with the band or working for the school TV station, Barbie pursues a crush and finds the courage to be herself with the help of a special diary and charm bracelet. Extras include bloopers, outtakes, a music video with Skye Sweetman, and featurettes titled Kevin’s Paper Clip Movie and The Scoop on Skye Sweetman. The disc is available from Lionsgate Family Home Entertainment for $19.98.

  • Warner Bros. Inks Legal Download Deal

    As more and more people illegally download movies and other content from the web, industry majors are scrambling to find a way to give them what they want without having to press charges. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group today announced a deal with BitTorrent Inc. to make hundreds of feature films and television shows available for electronic sell through in the U.S. Initial offerings will include such films as Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and TV shows like Babylon 5 and The Dukes of Hazzard. Other titles will be made available day-and-date with their DVD releases.

    The pact makes Warner Bros. the first major studio to provide video content via the BitTorrent publishing platform, available at BitTorrent.com. The company’s file-swarming” technology enables the transfer of massive files from a website to a PC with the speed and bandwidth efficiency of peer-assisted transfers.

    ‘BitTorrent has made the leap in creating a legal partnership that respects the value of the intellectual property,’ says Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. ‘This has provided us with a next-generation platform for the distribution of our films and TV programs.”

    ‘Entering into agreements such as this to distribute our content is not only a better way to reach existing and new customers, but a reflection of the critical role distribution technologies play in the future of the entertainment industry,” adds Darcy Antonellis, exec VP of distribution technology and operations for Warner Bros. Technical Operations.

    BitTorrent previously signed an agreement with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to prevent film piracy and promote innovation in online digital distribution of content. The service is scheduled to launch this summer with more than 200 Warner Bros. productions. In addition to recent releases such as North Country and Rumor Has It, users will be able to download library titles such as The Matrix, Dog Day Afternoon, Natural Born Killers and National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation.

  • Mickey Debut Best Ever for Playhouse Disney

    Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse debuted on Friday, May 5, and posted the highest ratings ever for a Playhouse Disney premiere. The learning-focused preschool series features 3D versions of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy, who entertain toddlers while helping them develop early math skills.

    The Friday premiere of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ranked No. 1 in the 7:30 p.m time slot with kids 2-5 among all basic cable networks in the U.S. The show posted a 6.2 rating with its targeted demographic, while adult/child co-viewing made it the top pick among women 18-49. In total households, the premiere brought viewership for the time period up by 22%, while the number of total viewers went up 38% with approximately 2,777,000 people turning in.

    The series kick-off benefited from a strong lead-in with the Disney Channel debut of Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo. The Oscar-winning movie aired at 5:30 p.m. and brought in nearly 3.2 million viewers, making it the top-rated basic cable program in a number of demographics including kids 2-11 and adults 18-49.

    Mickey Mouse Clubhouse features song-filled stories that present stimulating challenges built around a theme of the day. Mickey speaks directly to young viewers, asking questions and encouraging them to play games, participate in special phrases or cheers and solve puzzles to reach a goal. Each episode will also feature the theme song, ‘Hot Dog!,” written and performed by Grammy Award-winning band They Might Be Giants.

    The Walt Disney Television Animation production is produced by Leslie Valdes, directed by Rob LaDuca and Sherie E. Pollack, and exec produced by Bobs Gannaway. It airs regularly on Saturday at 9 a.m. during the Playhouse Disney block. For a behind-the-scenes look at the show, pick up the May issue of Animation Magazine, available at Barnes & Noble stores across the contry.

  • Legendary Game for Warcraft Movie

    Blizzard Ent.’s hugely successful Warcraft franchise is the latest video game property to be groomed for the big screen. Legendary Pictures has acquired movie rights for the best-selling online fantasy series, and both companies are focused on adapting the interactive experience for moviegoers. A targeted release date and details on director and cast signings will be revealed in the coming months.

    “From our first Warcraft game to our latest novels, our intention has always been to develop a rich fantasy universe that could support stories and products in many forms,” states Chris Metzen, VP of creative development Blizzard. “In addition to being a truly rewarding experience for us, the creation of this motion picture also feels like a natural next step for the Warcraft universe.”

    Blizzard’s chief operating officer, Paul Sams, adds, ‘We searched for a very long time to find the right studio for developing a movie based on one of our game universes. Many companies approached us in the past, but it wasn’t until we met with Legendary Pictures that we felt we’d found the perfect partner.’

    The first Warcraft title debuted in 1994. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness came out the following year to garner critical acclaim and multiple Game of the Year awards, paving the way for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos to break sales records when it launched in 2002. The latest entry, World of Warcraft, boasts more than 6 million paying customers, making it one of the world’s most popular online games.

    “It’s not always the case that interactive game properties lend themselves to proper adaptation to film,” says Legendary Pictures chief creative officer Jon Jashni. “We are intending to approach this as we would the adaptation of a best-selling novel: respect the essence of all that it is but also build upon that fertile base while translating it into a new medium.”

    Legendary Pictures formed a partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures in 2005 to co-produce and co-finance at least 25 pictures over an initial 5-year period. Operating from the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif., Legendary first produced director Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and will follow up that flagship project with Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, M. Night Shymalan’s Lady in the Water and Roland Emmerich’s 10,000 B.C.

    In addition to the Warcraft series, Blizzard Ent. creates the popular StarCraft and Diablo games. The company is a division of Vivendi Games and hosts a free Internet gaming service, Battle.net, that serves millions of active users. More information is available at www.blizzard.com.

  • Tom and Jerry Get Game On with Eidos

    In addition to getting a new series on Kids’ WB! on The CW, cartoon icons Tom and Jerry are going interactive with a new video game from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and publisher Eidos Interactive. Eidos will handle North American and European distribution of Tom and Jerry Tales, which is scheduled to launch this fall for the Nintendo DS system and Game Boy Advance handheld gaming systems.

    Developed by Sensory Sweep Studios, Tom and Jerry Tales continues the game of cat-and-mouse as players take on the role of Jerry and try to outwit hapless housecat Tom. In his quest to return safely to the mouse hole, Jerry must avoid booby traps and out-maneuver his long-time mortal enemy. The game promises to deliver vast, colorful environments and an original art style as it captures the fun of the time-honored toon series.

    Eidos Interactive was recently acquired by SCi Entertainment Group Plc, and has beefed up its offerings with Tomb Raider: Legend, Conflict: Global Storm, Hitman: Blood Money, Championship Manager, Just Cause, Battlestations: Midway, Urban Chaos: Riot Response. The company has also picked up interactive rights to the Reservoir Dogs and Highlander film properties.

  • Golden Age Hits the Motherload

    Comedy Central today premieres Golden Age, which is touted as the first adult animated series to be produced by a major television network for broadband. New episodes of the series from Augenblick Studios will air weekly on the cabler’s broadband channel, dubbed Motherload.

    Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of Golden Age, a dark comedy that uses hand-drawn and Flash animation to reveal the shocking true stories of classic cartoon characters. The first episode, which is now available for download, follows the scandalous career of Jerome, the gumdrop from the cartoons that promoted movie theater refreshments in the 1950s.

    Golden Age is created and directed by Aaron Augenblick, who also writes the show with Tim Harrod, a staff writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Augenblick got his start working at MTV Animation on such shows as Daria, Cartoon Sushi and Downtown. Harrod used to write for The Late Show with David Letterman, and spent six years with award-winning humor publication The Onion. In 1999, he received the Thurber Prize for American Humor for the Onion’s New York Times-bestseller, Our Dumb Century.

    Providing music for Golden Age is Bradford Reed, a member of King Missile III, whose noteworthy songs include “Detachable Penis’ and ‘Jesus Was Way Cool.’ The former Blue Man Group regular is the official musician of Augenblick Studios, and has created music for Cartoon Network, Sundance Channel, NBC and Spike TV.

    Brooklyn-based Augenblick Studios previously produced animation for Comedy Central’s Shorties Watchin’ Shorties, and now produces twisted animated shorts for the MTV2 cult hit, Wonder Showzen. The company’s other clients include VH1, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. In addition to commercial projects, the studio has produced such short films as Ramblin Man (2000), Drunky (2001) and Plugs McGinniss (2003), which have been seen at Annecy, South by Southwest, Slamdance and other film festivals around the world.

    For more information on Augenblick Studios, go to www.augenblickstudios.com. Golden Age can be viewed at www.comedycentral.com/motherload.

  • TELETOON Orders More Delilah & Julius

    Canada’s TELETOON has picked up a second season of the animated series Delilah & Julius from DECODE Ent. and Collideascope Digital. The co-pro partners have gone back to the drawing board to produce 26 more half-hour episodes of the 2D-animated teen spy show. DECODE also announced that it has sold all 52 episodes to NICK Germany.

    Delilah & Julius follows the adventures of two stylish, teen spies who thwart evildoers around the world with help from their posse and some super-cool gadgets. In addition to saving the world one crime at a time, the duo have to keep one step ahead of their jealous rivals at The Academy.

    According to Madeleine L’vesque, TELETOON’s director of original production, Delilah & Julius is one of the top rated shows for kids 6-11on the network’s English-language outlet, and is also a hit with kids 2-11 on the French network. Season one also currently airs on Cartoon Network Latin America, Nickelodeon Netherlands and M-Net’s kids channel, KTV. DECODE holds worldwide distribution rights for the series, which has recently been picked up by TV12 Singapore and RTBF in Belgium.

    ‘We’re very pleased with NICK Germany’s support for Delilah & Julius, which represents our first deal with this important new channel, says DECODE Ent. partner Neil Court. ‘It’s great to build on these recent sales with a TELETOON order for further episodes and we look forward to introducing the new season to international buyers.’

    Headquartered in Toronto, with offices in London, DECODE Ent. produces and distributes such popular animated television programs as Planet Sketch, Naughty Naughty Pets, Bromwell High, The Save-Ums, Franny’s Feet, King and Angela Anaconda. Programs created and produced by Collideascope include Olliver’s Adventures, Rock Camp and The Heart of Laughter.

  • Massive Kids’ Net in the Works

    Scholastic, NBC Universal, Corus Ent., Classic Media/Big Idea and ION Media Networks are joining forces to launch Smart Place for Kids, a new multi-platform children’s programming network. Bilingual content from the combined libraries will be made available over ION’s nationwide web of 60 broadcast stations, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks and an all new, dedicated 24/7 digital broadcast channel. The September 2006 launch will also include video-on-demand services and a branded website.

    The coalition was spearheaded by ION Media Networks (formerly PAX TV), which will own a 51% stake in the new kid net while the other participants take equal shares of the remaining 49%. The venture will be managed by a board consisting of all partners.

    ‘We saw an opportunity in the kids category for a strong coalition of committed partners with a vision of making television a trusted destination for children and families,’ says ION CEO Brandon Burgess. ‘As an independent broadcaster, we want to step out in front to make television a better place and be a multi-platform leader.’

    “By joining with ION, Scholastic, Classic and Corus Entertainment in this new children’s programming venture, NBC Universal has accomplished the dual goals of getting back into the business of supplying children’s television programming and ensuring that the NBC and Telemundo children’s programming blocks are populated with shows that are educational, informative and at the same time entertaining,” adds Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal Television Group.

    While ION brings Smart Place for Kids blocks to its analog television stations, NBC and Telemundo will dedicate their Saturday morning lineups to the partnerships’ children’s programming. Telemundo, which will start carrying Smart Place in October, will also add a Sunday morning block in January. Programming will consist of both custom-produced content and library titles, with Classic Media/Big Idea, Scholastic Media, Corus’ Nelvana and NBC Universal contributing more than 1,000 half-hours of animated and live-action kid fare. Each partner will produce one original series per year. More details on programming and scheduling are expected soon.

  • Disney Completes Pixar Acquisition

    The Walt Disney Co. announced Friday evening that it has completed its acquisition of computer animation juggernaut Pixar Animation Studios. The announcement was made by head Mouseketeer Robert A. Iger, who touted the move as a major step toward leading the industry in the field of feature animation. In the all-stock transaction, 2.3 Disney shares will be issued for each Pixar share.

    As previously reported, Pixar president Ed Catmull will serve as president of the new Pixar and Disney animation studios, reporting to Iger and Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. Acclaimed director and producer John Lasseter will drop the exec VP role at Pixar for the title of chief creative officer of the combined animation outfits, and will also be the principal creative advisor at theme-park attraction factory Walt Disney Imagineering. Steve Jobs, previously chairman and CEO of Pixar, has joined Disney’s Board of Directors as a non-independent member.

    “For the last 15 years, Disney and Pixar have shared one of the most successful partnerships in entertainment history,” Iger comments. “From Toy Story through The Incredibles, the success of these animated films was due to the creativity, innovation and immense talent of the phenomenal Pixar team, led by Steve, Ed and John. We also fully recognize that Pixar’s extraordinary record of achievement is in large measure due to its vibrant creative culture, which is something we respect and admire and are committed to supporting and fostering in every way possible.’

    At Disney’s annual shareholder meeting in March, Iger stated that Disney was committed to building upon the legacy of Walt Disney and has made animation its top priority. However, we’re still waiting to see if the Pixar crew will tackle a feature-length outing for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt’s very first cartoon character, which was recently re-acquired from rights holder NBC/Universal after nearly 80 years.

  • Shrek 2 Federal Probe Cools

    Execs at DreamWorks Animation are breathing a bit easier since the Los Angeles office of the Securities and Exchange Commission recommended the termination of a federal probe of the company’s investor relations. The Commission began looking into the toon unit in June of 2005 when weaker-than-expected Shrek 2 DVD sales caused the company to miss its second-quarter financial guidance.

    A decision to drop the probe still has to come from the SEC, but it is likely that no legal action will come from the investigation. However, DreamWorks Animation is still dealing with class-action lawsuits filed by shareholders who believe the company failed to warn them of the number of Shrek 2 DVDs being returned by retail outlets that couldn’t move them.

    In late August of last year, the SEC launched an informal investigation into Pixar Animation Studios for similar reasons. The company also missed its second-quarter expetations due to lower than-expected sales of The Incredibles on DVD.

  • Justice League Heroes Find Voices

    In addition to adding Green Arrow as a special, unlockable character Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has signed Hollywood talent to voice the eagerly awaited Justice League Heroes video game. Legendary DC Comics superheroes will be voiced by the likes of Ron Pearlman Key talent, including Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Blade II), Michael Jai White (Spawn, Spawn: The Animation) and Chris Edgerly (Drawn Together, Chicken Little). The game is set for release by Eidos Interactive this fall on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PSP.

    Perlman, who has played villains in the animated Justice League TV series, will bat for the good guys as the voice of Batman in the video game. Green Lantern will be voiced by White, who played Spawn on the big screen, while Edgerly will run with the role of The Flash. Other key hires include Crispin Freeman (Viewtiful Joe, Kingdom Hearts II) as Superman, Courtenay Taylor (God of War, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One) as Wonder Woman, Kari Wahlgren (The Wild, Steamboy) as Zatanna, Daniel Riordan (Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Star Trek: Enterprise) as Martian Manhunter and Ralph Garman (Family Guy, The Joe Schmo Show) as Green Arrow. On the villain side, Carlos Alazraqui (Camp Lazlo, Reno 911) will voice The Key, while Peter Jessop (Spawn: The Animation) provides the voice of Brainiac.

    Justice League Heroes is developed by Snowblind Studios. Award-winning comic and animation writer Dwayne McDuffie (Static Shock, Justice League, Deathlok) created the story for the action adventure game, which features one- to two-player cooperative combat and role-playing customization as players master each hero’s unique super powers.

  • Star Wars, As It Was, on DVD

    George Lucas has finally caved in to fan demand for DVD releases of the original theatrical versions of the fist three Star Wars films. Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will grant wishes when the unadulterated Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi arrive at retail on Sept. 12.

    Packaged separately as two-disc sets, each film in the first trilogy will feature Dolby 2.0 Surround sound, closed-captioning and subtitles in English, French and Spanish for their U.S. release. International sound and subtitling will vary by territory. What you won’t see is all the digital tinkering Lucasfilm did to prepare the movies for their Special Edition theatrical re-releases. Yes, Han Solo will even shoot first in the Cantina scene.

    Lucas previously stated that he would not release the original versions on DVD because he felt that they were unfinished works. In addition to appeasing the fanbase, another round of releases provides the filmmaker and Twentieth Century Fox an opportunity to exploit the franchise over yet another holiday period. The discs will only be on sale through Dec. 31.

    “Over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us that they would love to see and own the original version that they remember experiencing in theaters,” says Jim Ward, president of LucasArts and senior VP of Lucasfilm Ltd. “We returned to the Lucasfilm archives to search exhaustively for source material that could be presented on DVD. This is something that we’re very excited to be able to give to fans in response to their continuing enthusiasm for Star Wars. Topping it off with a new interactive adventure makes September 12 a red-letter day for Star Wars fans.”

    The interactive adventure Ward refers to is LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. The action-packed sequel to one of 2005’s best selling video games promises more tongue-in-cheek humor as it combines classic Star Wars storylines with the endless customization inherent in the LEGO brand. A trailer to the new game from LucasArts and TT Games can be downloaded at www.starwars.com/gaming/videogames/news/lego2trailer.html.

    In other Star Wars news, Lucas himself will be honored with an action figure that depicts him dressed in Storm Trooper armor. The Hasbro toy will be offered only to participants in the company’s Ultimate Galactic Hunt program, and will require proof of purchase of five vintage Star Wars action figures.

  • Ice Age a Mammoth Hit in Mexico

    As Mexico celebrates Cinco de Mayo today, Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios are toasting the south-of-the-border success of their latest animated feature. Ice Age: The Meltdown has surpassed Shrek 2 as the nation’s biggest box office hit in history, according to Daily Variety.

    Known simply as Meltdown in Mexico, the Ice Age sequel has raked in more than $28 million, compared to Shrek 2‘s record-breaking take of $27.8 million. A cume of around $30 million is predicted for Meltdown, which has been playing in Mexican theaters for five weeks now.

    For the release, Fox Mexico reportedly sunk a lot of cash into promotional efforts, which included billboards, product tie-ins and CG-animated spots that aired during the most-watched soccer matches.

    Moviegoers in Mexico have exhibited a strong appetite for CG animation from major Hollywood studios. Meanwhile, domestic efforts such as Anima Estudios’ Magos y Gigantes (Wizards and Giants), Mexico’s first animated feature in more than 30 years, have a long way to go to catch up. Anima is hoping it’s next toon feature, Imaginum, fares better with local auds.