Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Aardman’s Purple and Brown to Color Nick U.K.

    Aardman Animations is continuing its full-scale deployment of television content with a new interstitial series titled Purple and Brown for Nickelodeon U.K. Created by Aardman’s Richard Webber, the ten one-minute shorts are set to launch on the kids’ channel on Feb. 13 and are now available for download on Nickelodeon U.K.’s broadband video service, TurboNick.

    Purple and Brown are two comical stop-motion characters who live in a world populated by other equally weird and wonderful plasticine characters. In each episode, they greet their new friends with infectious laughter and an innocent curiosity, which always ends in one or both of them sustaining a considerable degree of injury.

    The series is exec produced by Nickelodeon’s Howard Litton, along with with Aardman’s Miles Bullough, David Sproxton and Peter Lord. Webber, whose animation credits include Creature Comforts, Angry Kid and Morph, writes, directs and provides voices for the interstitials.

    Aardman recently sold its clay-animated Creature Comforts television series to U.S. broadcaster CBS, which will air an Americanized version as a 2006-2007 midseason entry.

  • Mouse TV Announces Upcoming 2006-07 Slate

    Disney’s four-pronged small-screen empire (ABC Kids, Toon Disney, Jetix and Disney Channel) unveiled plans for the new 2006-07 season at the New York upfronts today. A total of 849 new episodes, 11 new series and 25 new movies including seven Disney Channel Original Movies are scheduled to air across the four different Mouse House TV and cable platforms.

    “As the momentum of our ratings success builds, we are committed to offering high-quality stories and characters that connect with kids and families,’ says Gary Marsh, Disney Channel’s worldwide entertainment president. ‘Our winning mix of programming across our cable channels and broadcast network allows us to reach diverse targeted audiences and deliver some of the biggest hits–and stars–for kids.”

    ABC Kids, the Saturday morning programming block on the ABC Television, adds the original animated comedy The Replacements (also premiering in September on Disney Channel) and Hannah Montana, a live-action comedy starring Miley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus (debuting Friday, March 24 on Disney Channel). An hour block of the Jetix action/adventure hit Power Rangers: Mystic Force, the 14th edition of the popular franchise, will be showcased on ABC Kids.

    In the fall of 2006, Toon Disney will become the exclusive destination for Jetix programming. The popular block will feature over 100 hours of comedic action/adventure each week. New shows joining the Jetix block are Yin Yang Yo from Walt Disney Television Animation, Jackie Chan Adventures (last seen on Kids’ WB!) Oban Star-Racers, Mon Colle Knights and NASCAR Racers.

    This season, Toon Disney will also pick up three animated series also seen on Disney Channel: American Dragon: Jake Long, Lilo & Stitch: The Series and The Buzz on Maggie. The new animated comedy The Replacements will debut in September 2006 on Disney Channel and ABC Kids.

    The Replacements follows the adventures of Riley and her younger brother Todd, who were orphans until they answered an ad for Fleemco Replacement Parents and ordered two “cool” parents’mom is a British super-spy and dad is a renowned stuntman. They’re joined by CAR, mom’s super-intelligent talking spy car. The voice cast includes Nancy Cartwright (The Simpsons) as Todd, Grey Delisle (The Fairly OddParents) as older sister Riley, Kath Soucie (Pooh’s Heffalump Movie) as Agent K, Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) as Dick Daring and David McCallum (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as CAR. The series was created by acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Dan Santat, exec produced by Jack Thomas (The Fairly OddParents) and directed by Heather Martinez (SpongeBob SquarePants).

    Yin Yang Yo is an animated action-adventure series about a panda named Master Yo, the world’s last teacher of the mystical art of Woo Foo, whose guidance will help two bunnies, Yin and Yang, overcome their sibling rivalry and work together to defeat the always evil and often hilarious forces of their strange and supernatural world.

    Set in the year 2082, the visually elegant Oban Star-Racers will premiere in June 2006 during Jetix on Toon Disney. The stories follow an alien spaceship that has arrived on Earth to collect the fastest star-racing heroes for The Greatest Race of Oban, one that only takes place every 10,000 years. Rebellious teenager Molly joins Earth’s racing team, along with Rick Thunderbolt, Jordan, Stan and Koji. The series is produced by Sav! The World Productions.

  • PBS, Kids’ WB! Top Daytime Emmy List

    While PBS’s Sesame Street again garnered the most nominations in the children’s TV categories, the public broadcast outlet’s Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks emerged as the animated favorite as the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced nominees for the 33rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on ABC from the Kodak Theatre on April 28.

    Jakers!, a CG-animated series from Mike Young Prods. and Entara, received a total of four nominations, three of which are for voice cast members Maile Flanagan, Russi Taylor and Tara Strong, who are up against each other in the Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program race. Jess Harnell from Mike Young’s Pet Alien (Cartoon Network) Tony Jay from Nelvana’s Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends (Nickelodeon) fill out the category. Jakers! is also up for Outstanding Children’s Animated program, along with PBS’ Arthur, Cartoon Network’s Baby Looney Tunes, Nick Jr.’s Dora the Explorer and the Discovery Kids offerings Peep and Todd World, another Mike Young production.

    Warner Bros. toon shows also did well. The Kids’ WB! entries The Batman and Coconut Fred’s Fruit Salad Island are both in the running for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program, going up against Discovery Kids’ The Save-Ums and NBC’s Tutenstein. Meanwhile, Baby Looney Tunes snagged a second nom for music direction and composition, along with PBS’s Clifford’s Puppy Days and Maya and Miguel.

    Competing against the juggernaut known as Sesame Street in the Outstanding Pre-School Children’s Series category are Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Room and the Discovery Kids shows Paz and Hi-5.

    Animated shows are holding their own against live-action competitors in the sound and music categories as Warner Bros. toons completely fill the Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing’Live Action and Animation field. The Batman, Coconut Fred’s Fruit Salad Island, Johnny Test, Loonatics Unleashed and Xiaolin Showdown are all up for the award. Meanwhile Nick Jr.’s Dora the Explorer is up against live-action shows in the sound mixing competition and Disney Channel’s The Buzz on Maggie is taking on the soaps and talkers in the Best Song category with ‘Just the Way I Am’ by composers/lyricists Bob Thiele and Dillon O’Brian.

    The complete list of 2006 Daytime Emmy Award nominees can be found at www.emmys.org/awards/daytimeawards_noms.php.

  • Ocean Visual FX Launches Studio

    Veteran visual effects artist Robbie Robfogel has formed vfx and 3D animation studio Ocean Visual FX in Huntington Beach, Calif. The facility is using Newtek LIGHTWAVE 3D, Eyeon’s Digital Fusion compositing package and BOXX Technologies 3D workstations to design and produce effects and animation for feature films, broadcast and corporate marketing.

    Company CEO and vfx supervisor Robfogel has been affiliated with such pixel haouse as Foundation Imaging, O-Entertainment, UFO Films, Transcontinuity Studios, Interweave Entertainment and others. Over the past decade, he has worked on such high-profile productions as Batman & Robin, Roughnecks: Starship Trooper Chronicles and Max Steel, as well as numerous music and corporate videos. ‘Our mission at Ocean Visual FX is to create cool, exciting and innovative product that helps the producer, director or company tell their story effectively in a memorable way,’ he says.

    The Ocean team includes chief operations officer LuzMary Robfogel, Emmy Award-winning 3D modeler and animator Brandon MacDougall and character animator Jeff Clifton. MacDougall won a team Emmy in 1998-99 for Oustanding Special Effects for a Series for Star Trek Voyager. He was also nominated for the same series in 2001. An experienced Lightwave expert, Clifton previously served as character animator at Clear Crown Studio where he created animal characters for the PC game Wild Life! Before that, he was a 3D artist at Brainforest Digital Animatics.

    Ocean has completed a web and DVD 3D modeling and animation package for Champion Sidecars, a company specializing in the conversion of Harley Davidson and Honda Gold Wing motorcycles into classic trikes and sidecars. The studio is also developing a 3D-animated promotional ad character for the Internet in conjunction with New Dimensions in Media. This interactive marketing tool will act as an agent host and guide on corporate websites.

  • New Book Takes 3D Artists Back to Drawing Board

    Geoffrey Kater, an ward-winning director/designer and partner in 3D animation boutique S4 Studios, has released Design First for 3D Artists, a new book that merges the often disparate disciplines of design and computer animation to teach emerging animators how to create their own personal design style and lay the foundation for a successful career.

    ‘One of the things I have found is that animators just don’t learn how to properly service a client,’ Kater says. ‘This book will teach people how to confidently present their own concepts, how to be open to serendipity and inspiration to create a personal vision, and how to gather reference material. There are a lot of harsh realities that job seekers will have to overcome, but in the end, they will greatly improve their chances of being hired.’

    Kater hopes that this will be the first in a series that will launch Design First as a prominent educational brand. With his reverence for basic design technique, he revisits the basics to help young talents learn how to reach for their pencils before they reach for the keyboard. ‘I decided to write this book because I wanted to share with beginning and experienced animators my own experience in using traditional drawing techniques to create characters, props, environments, color, lighting, composition and storyboards,’ he notes. ‘As a studio owner, I am constantly meeting talented people who know how to animate, but who don’t know how to design with individuality. In today’s marketplace, that’s just not enough.’

    In the book, Kater takes readers through a complete mock production, creating a robot character named Bleep with a design style inspired by ancient Chinese architecture and armor, one of his favorite motifs. ‘I demonstrate how to create the story, draw a character, break it down, model it, and use every drawing you create along to way to keep the design accurate and consistent form 2D start to 3D finish.’ Kater also creates, from storyboard to completion, a fictional TV ad campaign for Nokia phones.

    Design First for 3D Artists also includes a CD-ROM that provides additional illustrations and a test animation, and is linked to support website www.designfirstfor3d.com. The 350-page book from Wordware Publishing can be purchased directly through the site and from major retailers for the suggested retail price of $49.95.

  • First Look at Flushed Away

    If you haven’t yet picked up your DVD copy of DreamWorks Animation’s and Aardman Animations’ Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, you’re missing out on some sneak peek footage and behind-the-scenes material for the upcoming CG feature Flushed Away. Head over to the Animag Fun Bag and get your first look at the next comic adventure from the studios that brought you Chicken Run and the Annie-winning, Oscar-nominated Wallace & Gromit feature.

    See it here: https://www.dev.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wac/fun_bag.html.

  • DIC, Buffett Form Millionaire’s Club

    DIC Ent. is developing an all-new, direct-to-DVD animated series with billionaire investor Warren Buffet. The Secret Millionaire’s Club will consist of 13 titles that promote financial literacy to kids through relatable characters and real-world situations. The first two installments are scheduled for release this fall.

    Now in production, The Secret Millionaire’s Club, will feature the words, voice and likeness of Buffett as he imparts financial lessons while presenting entertaining adventures. The series will revolve around a rundown local youth center that is facing foreclosure threats by an unscrupulous developer buying up properties in Omaha. As the last four members of the club are cleaning out the attic, they find a box of rare and valuable sports memorabilia and make millions by selling items on an auction website. After they pay off the mortgage on the center, the ‘secret millionaires’ ask local celebrity Buffett for advice on how to invest the money as they deal with dishonest owners, corrupt accountants, corporate raiders, crooked politicians and other nefarious characters.

    While DIC manages number of animated properties with educational components, The Seceret Millionaire’s’ Club is quite different from such shows as Trollz, Inspector Gadget, Strawberry Shortcake, Liberty’s Kids, Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego and Care Bears. The DVD series will be available for worldwide distribution vial a major home entertainment distributor that has yet to be named.

  • 4Kids Works Out with YoMonkeys

    Children’s entertainment company 4Kids Ent. Inc. has picked up exclusive worldwide licensing rights to Animation Collective’s yoga-inspired kids’ series YoMonkeys. In addition to handling the global marketing, promotional and licensing initiatives, 4Kids will control U.S. broadcast and web rights for the short’format, health-oriented cartoon show.

    YoMonkeys consists of 52 interstitial-length episodes that teach children the basics of yoga, an increasingly popular activity that promotes flexibility and overall fitness. The property is the brainchild of Animation Collective’s Larry Schwarz, creator of the new anime-inspired series Kappa Mikey, which premieres Feb. 25 on Nicktoons.

    New York-based Animation Collective and 4Kids Ent. plan to develop a comprehensive licensing and marketing program for YoMonkeys, which further augments 4Kids Ent.’s recently launched Healthy 4Kids website (www.4Kids.TV/healthy/). The new platform is dedicated to educating children of all ages about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

  • BKN to Unmask Zorro

    Animation company/distributor BKN has acquired exclusive rights to produce and distribute a new TV series and home-video feature based on the classic Zorro character. The deal with Zorro Prods. will see the masked latino avenger brought to modern times with 26 animated episodes and a direct-to-DVD movie tentatively titled Zorro: Generation Z.

    Zorro’s trusty steed will be replaced by a sleek, black motorcycle as college freshman Don Diego rights wrongs in a modern-day city patterned after Los Angeles. No longer relying on his swordsmanship and athletic abilities alone, our hero will reportedly use high-tech gadgets including a Z-Pod and a Z-phone.

    BKN, which will also handle worldwide merchandising and licensing for Zorro: Generation Z, will be presenting the $8.4 million series and movie at MIPTV in Cannes this April.

    The company recently entered the home entertainment and new media distribution market with the formation of BKN Home Entertainment Ltd in the U.K. and BKN Home Entertainment Inc. in the U.S. The slate of animated feature films to be produced for distribution include Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Kong II – Return to the Jungle, A Christmas Carol, Robin Hood, Jungle Book, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Prince and the Pauper, The Three Musketeers, Gulliver’s Travels, Alice in Wonderland and The Nutcracker. The company will also handle DVD releases for the full BKN catalogue, including such new TV series as Legend of the Dragon, Kong’The Animated Series and Dork Hunters from Outer Space.

  • Tree Friends Mobilize with Starwave

    Starwave Mobile, a mobile licensing and publishing unit of the Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG), has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Mondo Media for the animated cult favorite Happy Tree Friends. The series of gory comedy shorts is one of five popular entertainment and lifestyle brands recently acquired by the company for the development of mobile content.

    Happy Tree Friends (www.happytreefriends.com) stars a host of adorable animated forest animals that face eye-popping calamities at every turn. The webisodes debuted online in 2000 and built a dedicated following that continues to grow. Now a mainstream international hit, the show is available on DVD and can be seen on G4 TV. Starwave’s Happy Tree Friends content will include video, voicetones and mobile greetings.

    Additional mobile content deals have been struck with footwear and apparel company AND 1, The Weinstein Co.’s upcoming film Alex Rider: Stormbreaker, astrology phenomenon AstroStyle and Jada Toys’ Chub City toy line.

  • Robotech Going Mobile

    Trailblazing anime series Robotech will soon bring its mechanized battle action to cell phones via an exclusive licensing deal struck between Harmony Gold USA and Airborne Ent., a subsidiary of CYBIRD Co. Ltd. The Robotech suite of wireless content will be available across major carriers this spring and will include wallpapers, ringtones and ringback tones. A mobile game is also in development.

    Robotech arrived in the U.S. more than 20 years ago and helped pave the way for Japanese animated shows to take root in American popular culture. The show has been praised for its compelling storylines and characters, as well as its exciting action sequences. In fact, the sci-fi hit was probably the first U.S.-aired cartoon series to kill off one of its main characters.

    About Airborne Ent.’s offerings are available across wireless carriers in North America and Europe. The company’s product portfolio consists of original and branded properties including Family Guy, Maxim ToGo, SPEED TV Mobile, NHL Mobile and Donald Trump’s Real Estate Tycoon. For more information, go to www.airborne-e.com. Harmony Gold can be found on the web at www.harmonygold.com.

  • Wallace & Gromit Vege Out on Disc

    Fresh off its sweep of the 33rd annual Annie Awards, DreamWorks and Aardman Animations’ clay-animated Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit arrives on home video today. The first feature outing for Nick Park’s plasticine duo should harvest a bumper crop of cash on disc, especially with the Oscars coming up in a couple of weeks.

    Directed by Nick Park and Steve Box, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit finds our heroes the proprietors of Anti-Pesto, a humane pest control company currently employed in ridding gardens of hungry bunnies as the town’s annual vegetable growing contest nears. During a service call, Wallace falls for Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter) and makes an enemy of Victor Quartermain (Ralph Fiennes), a huntsman and social climber who’s after a chunk of the Tottington fortune. More trouble arises when the town is terrorized by a mysterious beast that is gobbling up every bit of produce, even those cleverly guarded by Anti-Pesto devices.

    Bonus features include commentary by Park and Box, deleted scenes, production stills making-of documentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes titled A Day in the Life at Aardman and How to Build a Bunny. Fans also get Box’s award-winning short film, Stage Fright, three new Wallace & Gromit Crackling Contraptions shorties and interactive activities such as Anti-Pesto SWAT Team and Victor Quartermaine’s Guide to Cool. Fans can pick the disc up for $29.99 or less.

    If the Were-Rabbit isn’t quite scary enough for you, you may want to pick up Doom, Universal Pictures’ big-screen adaptation of the hit video game. The film stars Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as soldiers battling demonic forces and mutant creatures in a research facility on Mars. The unrated, extended version includes a look at the famous ‘First-Person Shooter’ with visual effects supervisor Jon Farhat, behind-the-scenes featurettes, a Doom 3 Xbox demo and a tour of the game’s locations, weapons, creatures and strategies. There’s also a documentary titled Doom Nation, which explores the worldwide phenomenon of the Doom franchise. The carries a suggested retail price of $29.98.

  • Bambi II Bounds to Retail

    One of Disney’s most endearing characters returns to the screen after 64 years, and he’s brought with him pals Thumper, Flower and a host of woodland characters fans recall from the 1942 classic feature. Directed by Brian Pimental (writer on A Goofy Movie, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast), the direct-to-DVD sequel Bambi II is now available for a limited time before it goes into the Disney vault for safe keeping.

    Produced by the endangered DisneyToon Studios, the 2D feature followup has Bambi reunited with his father (voiced by Patrick Stewart), who must raise the young deer and teach him to be a Great Prince of the Forest like himself. Reconnecting with sweet doe Faline, Bambi finds himself challenged by a young buck with budding horns and faces even greater obstacles as he learns the ways of the forest.

    Extra features include Bambi Trivia Tracks, Thumper’s Hurry & Scurry games and a featurette on the making of the film titled The Legacy Continues. The DVD retails for $29.99.

    Also hitting shelves today is a pair of Warner Bros. Animation superhero productions. The Batman: The Complete First Season offers 13 episodes of the Cartoon Network and Kids WB series on two discs complete with interactive challenges and featurettes on the new look and direction of the show. Meanwhile, the first season of Teen Titans also gets a two-disc, 13-episode release with behind-the-scenes featurettes, Puffy Ami Yumi music videos, Easter eggs and interactive features. The Warner Home video releases each list for $19.98.

  • TELETOON’s Ricky Sprocket Springs from Snowden Fine, Studio B

    Studio B Prods. and TELETOON have come aboard Ricky Sprocket ‘ Showbiz Boy, a new animated series from Alison Snowden and David Fine, the Oscar-winning creators of Bob and Margaret. Studio B will be the animation studio and will co-produce the series with Snowden Fine. Distribution will be handled by Bejuba!, which will also exec produce the program which will air on TELETOON in Canada in the fall of 2007.

    Ricky Sprocket ‘ Showbiz Boy is a half-hour animated comedy aimed at kids 6-12. The series follows mega superstar child actor Ricky Sprocket, who is a regular kid with an annoying sister, too much homework, childhood issues and a crazy showbiz life.

    Alison Snowden and David Fine recently moved to Vancouver after spending the past fifteen years living in London, England. In the U.K., they produced short films and numerous ads in addition to their award-winning series. Based on their Oscar-grabbong short, Bob’s Birthday, Bob and Margaret (produced with Nelvana Ltd), was a primetime hit on Global TV in Canada and Comedy Central in the U.S. For more information on their productions, go to www.snowdenfine.com.

    Studio B (www.studiobproductions.com) is currently in production on 26 new episodes of Being Ian for YTV, and 26 additional installments of Class of the Titans for TELETOON, both distributed by Nelvana. Bejuba! is working on several different projects including the Studio B/Pesky co-production The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers! for Cartoon Network and Jetix Europe’s Monster Warriors from Coneybeare Stories.

  • BBC Worldwide, Nicktoons to Reveal Secret Show

    BBC Worldwide has acquired cross-media rights to The Secret Show, a new series from BAFTA-winning, independent U.K. studio Collingwood O’Hare Ent. In addition, Nickelodeon outlet Nicktoons has been secured as the U.S. broadcast partner for the program geared to kids 7-10.

    The Secret Show is a fast-paced comedy-adventure series that revolves around special agents Victor Volt and Anita Knight, who work for U.Z.Z to protect the world against the evil forces of T.H.E.M. Assisted on their madcap missions by insane scientist Professor Professor, the super spies manage to save the world once or twice a week.

    The pilot episode, featuring Stephen Fry as the guest villain, premiered at Cartoon Forum 2004. The series reunites designer/co-director Andrea Tran and composer Roger Jackson, and will be produced entirely in the U.K. at Collingwood O’Hare’s London studios, as was the BAFTA-winning series Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!

    Commissioned by the BBC, The Secret Show will air on the BBC’s pre-teen digital channel, CBBC. Nicktoons in the U.S. will begin running episodes in January of 2007.

  • Hecht, Shrek Scribe Visit Planet One

    Former Nickelodeon topper Albie Hecht has teamed with Oscar-nominated Shrek writer Joe Stillman to develop a CG sci-fi movie titled Planet One. Slated to hit theaters in 2008, the film will be budgeted at around $50 million and will be funded by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios, the feature division of video game maker Pyro Studios (Commandos).

    Putting a comic twist on the sci-fi movies of the 1950s, Planet One will have an alien planet dealing with an extraterrestrial visitor from earth. The action will revolve around an adventure-seeking alien named Lem and swinging American astronaut Captain Russ Baker. Lem dreams of exploring space but can’t find the courage to move out of his parents’ basement until a NASA spacecraft drops out of the sky. Expecting to touch down on a barren planet, Captain Baker finds himself landing in the middle of someone’s barbecue and becomes a fugitive from the paranoid local authorities. With Lem’s help, he must find his way back to the ship so he can return home.

    In another case of deja-toon, the concept is reminiscent of a project in development at DreamWorks Animation. Pitched by South Park contributors Josh Lobis and Darin Moiselle, It Came From Earth! also has aliens coping with the arrival of human astronauts.

    At Nickelodeon, Hecht served as exec producer on such features as The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Planet One will be the flagship production for Hecht’s new shingle, Worldwide Biggies.

    ‘Worldwide Biggies’ goal is to produce projects that will generate characters that can be developed across multiple platforms,’ says Hecht. ‘With Ilion’s huge commitment to CG animation, and the creative genius of Joe Stillman, Planet One has the key ingredients in place to establish characters that can be built into major children’s franchises.’

    With offices in New York and Los Angeles, Worldwide Biggies has established a children’s programming development deal on Nickelodeon and has produced the Video Game Awards on Spike TV, which Hecht created during his tenure as the networ’s president.

  • Win a Curious George Prize Pack!

    Beloved by generations of young readers, Curious George makes his long-awaited big-screen debut with an animated adventure featuring the voices of Will Ferrell and Drew Barrymore. As the monkey business gets set to commence in theaters this Friday, we’re giving away cool Curious George prize packs courtesy of Universal Pictures. Head over to the Animag Fun Bag to try your hand at our latest contest and you’re entered to win!

    Play Here: https://www.dev.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wac/fun_bag.html

    Prize Pack contains:

    Curious George GameBoy Advance video game from Namco

    Curious George soundtrack featuring music by Jack Johnson

    Curious George kid’s t-shirt

    Other lucky winners will receive various prizes, including:

    Curious George mug

    Set of Curious George Mad Libs Junior from Penguin Young Readers Group

    Curious George kid’s hat, courtesy of Drew Pearson

    Curious George poster

  • Disney Channel Goes to Moon for Animated Series

    Disney Channel has recruited Emmy Award-winning animator Mike Moon to oversee animated series for the cable outlet. The hire was part of a larger executive restructuring that sees original series programming exec Adam Bonnett promoted to senior VP of original series and top development exec Jeff Brustrom named VP of live-action series. and has also to further build its animated series business. Brustrom and Moon will report to Bonnett, who will continue to report to Gary Marsh, president of entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide.

    Moon joins the Disney Channel team as VP off animated series. Last year, he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for his work as producer/art director on Cartoon Network’s Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. He also earned an Emmy Award for his work as director/art director on Mickey’s Mouseworks for Walt Disney Television Animation. Among his other credits are art director on The Powerpuff Girls Movie and director/art director on Disney’s House of Mouse. Moon began his career at Klasky Csupo as a Layout Artist on The Simpsons and went on to work on such shows as Clone High and Dexter’s Laboratory.

    Bonnett oversees all live-action and animation development and current series for Disney Channel’s programming block for kids 6-14 and for the Jetix-branded action/adventure block for kids 6-11. He joined Disney Channel as director of current programming in 1997 and has served as VP of original series since 2001. Bonnett will continue to lead the entire series programming team that has delivered such award-winning shows as Kim Possible, The Proud Family, That’s So Raven, Lizzie McGuire and newest hit The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

  • Little Robots Expands on Tickle U

    BBC Worldwide’s stop-motion preschool series, Little Robots, is graduating from its 10-minute time slot to a full half-hour spot in Cartoon Network’s Tickle U block. Recently picked by Fox Entertainment for home video distribution, the show is currently in its fourth season with 13 new episodes now in production.

    Little Robots follows the animated adventures of Tiny and his diminutive android friends. The series is created by Create TV & Film, part of recently formed U.K. media and rights owner Create Media Ventures Ltd., and produced by award-winning animation house Cosgrove Hall Films.

    The increased presence of Little Robots on Cartoon Network is part of BBC Worldwide’s overall strategy to grow its children’s business in North America. Playmates recently came aboard as master toy licensee and announcements regarding a publishing partner are expected in the near future.

    Little Robots premiered on Cartoon Network in the U.S. last year and can be seen in more than 87 million U.S. homes. The program has also been sold in more than 80 countries worldwide.

  • Disney to Dish Out Pixar’s Ratatouille

    After this summer’s release of Cars, the Disney distribution pit crew will don aprons to serve up Ratatouille, Pixar’s next CG-animated effort. The deal, announced with Thursday’s SEC filing, will see the new toon forked into theaters in the summer of 2007.

    Though Disney has agreed to acquire Pixar, the deal hasn’t official gone through so Ratatouille was picked up under a separate deal that will have Pixar entirely bankroll the film’s production and pay Disney a distribution fee. Once the merger is complete, Disney will then own all rights to the family pic.

    Though Pixar hasn’t released many details of the film, the story reportedly revolves around a rat named Ratatouille who lives in a upmarket Parisian restaurant run by an eccentric chef. Jan Pinkava, who served as an animator on Pixar’s Geri’s Game and A Bug’s Life, and story artist on Toy Story 2, is attached to direct from a script by composer Emily Cook (Spy Kids) and Kathy Greenberg.

    Pixar’s slate beyond Ratatouille remains a mystery, but should come to light as the studio and Disney firm up their plans for the immediate future.