Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Hide Leaves Alone in the Dark

    Two supernatural thrillers went toe-to-toe at the North American box office over the weekend, but Lions Gate’s CG-laden actioner, Alone in the Dark, proved no match for Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning and a mischievous imaginary friend. 20th Century Fox’s Hide and Seek took in $22 million to claim the No. 1 spot from Sony Pictures’ family comedy, Are We There Yet?

  • Incredibles Sweeps Annies

    In a repeat of last year’s Finding Nemo run, Disney and Pixar made good on all ten nominations for The Incredibles at last night’s 32nd Annual Annie Awards. Though so many prominent figures in the animation industry were on hand for the awards ceremony, director Brad Bird was truly the man of the evening, occupying the podium almost as much as host Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants. The ASIFA-Hollywood event was held at the Alex theater in Glendale, Calif.

    Kicking off the evening, Kenny couldn’t help but comment on the week’s much reported attacks on SpongeBob, in which the cartoon character’s sexuality was called into question by a fringe conservative group. ‘First of all, he’s imaginary,’ Kenny noted, drawing applause. ‘Secondly, he’s a kid and thirdly, he’s a sponge’he’s asexual, which you would know if you ever watched the Discovery Channel.’

    In addition to taking the top award for Animated Feature with its presentation of The Incredibles, Walt Disney Pictures’ sewed up the Short Subject category with the Oscar-nominated toon Lorenzo, directed by Mike Gabirel. Lorenzo beat out fellow Oscar hopeful Ryan from Chris Landreth, as well as Mark Kausler’s beloved throwback It’s the Cat, Blur Studio’s photoreal sci-fi thriller Rockfish and Barley Film’s humorous Agricultural Report. Barley Films was also nominated last year for Boys Night out, which it produced in association with Bert Klein and Teddy Newton.

    Bird was called up to the stage so often to accept awards for The Incredibles that Kenny jokingly put a chair by the podium for him. Now nominated for an Oscar for his Incredibles screenplay, Bird picked up an Annie for Writing in an Animated Feature Production. In his acceptance speech, he gushed over the fine folks at Pixar and the creative control they gave him. ‘It’s a place where story truly is king,’ he declared before thanking his wife and three sons for inspiring the blockbuster about a family of superheroes. Also up for the award were the Shrek 2 team of Andrew Adamson, Joe Stillman, J. David Stem and David N. Weiss, and Shark Tale scribes Michael J. Wilson and Rob Letterman.

    Pulling off an unexpected but much deserved win in the voice acting category, Bird was recognized for his work as eccentric superhero costume designer Edna Mode in The Incredibles. He thrilled the audience by doing a little Edna, saying ‘You push too hard, darling, but I accept. Bird later told Animation Magazine Online that he had no expectation of winning since he assumed his voice was going to be replaced with that of a professional actor. ‘I guess they wanted someone who would be there every day,’ he joked.

    Called up again to accept the award for Directing in an Animated Feature Production, Bird commented, ‘I want to thank Disney for marketing the film. That was a great idea.’ The remark was a jab at Warner Bros., which failed to attract an audience for Bird’s directorial debut, the critically acclaimed The Iron Giant. He went on to comment on the respect animation has been earning in the eyes of the entertainment industry and the ticket-buying audience. ‘There’s been this kind of closeted thing where people would come up to you and say, ‘I loved your movie’ I mean, my daughter, Brittany, loved it.’ I love that things are changing ‘. People are embracing their inner animation lover.’

    Pixar’s talented crew also picked up Annies for production design (Lou Romano), music (Michael Giacchino), character design (Tony Fucile), storyboarding (Kevin O’Brien), animated effects (Martin Nguyen) and character animation (Angus MacLane). Nguyen enjoyed his second consecutive win, having picked up last year’s award for animated effects in Finding Nemo.

    Not to be shown up by collegue Bird, Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull received a standing ovation as he accepted the Ub Iwerks award. The honor was presented by Leslie Iwerks, grandaughter of the legendary animator.

    On the television side, SpongeBob SquarePants was the big winner, garnering the top award for Nickelodeon. While his feature film lost out to The Incredibles, the loveable yellow bath accessory beat fellow TV hopefuls Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends from Cartoon Network Studios, My Life as a Teenage Robot from Frederator Studio and Nickelodeon, Star Wars: Clone Wars from Cartoon Network Studios and The Batman from Warner Bros. Animation.

    The rest of the TV kudos were pretty well dispersed. The award for production design went to Richard Daskas for Cartoon Network’s Samurai Jack ‘Season of Death.’ Best Music was awarded to Robert J. Kral for Warner Bros. Animation’s Duck Dodgers, while the writing award was handed to Etan Cohen for Fox’s King of the Hill episode ‘Ceci N’est Pas Une.’ Picking up a trophy for character design was Patrick Mat’ for NBC’s Father of the Pride and storyboarder Wendy Grieb pulled off a win for ‘The Maddening Sprite of the Stump’ episode of Disney’s Dave the Barbarian.’ No-show Brittany Murphy took top voice acting honors for the role of Luane Platter in the King of the Hill installment ‘Girl, You’ll Be a Giant Soon,’ while the TV directing award went to Shaun Cashman and Phil Cummings for Cartoon Networks The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (‘Attack of the Clowns’). In addition, Acme Filmworks took Best Animated Television Commercial for its United Airlines ‘Interview’ spot. The stylized 2D work bested some stiff competition, including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in an Aflac commercial produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

    Disney’s The Lion King 1 ‘ was named best Home Entertainment Production, winning over fellow DisneyToon Studios release Mickey, Donald & Goofy The Three Musketeers and Warner Bros. Animation’s Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster.

    Receiving the prestigious Winsor McCay Award this year were independent animator/director Don Bluth, former Disney child star Virginia Davis and Top Cat voice actor Arnold Stang.

    Accepting the honor, Bluth revealed, ‘I got into the animation business by accident. I was supposed to be an English teacher.’ He then recalled his days as a Utah farmboy, noting, ‘As I milked those cows, I grew to hate each and every one of them.’ He went on to explain that his only means of escape from the drudgery of farm life was riding his horse into town and hitching it to a post outside of the local theater where he would get lost in the latest Disney feature. Bluth also told of some of his personal brushes with Walt Disney, whom he eventually came to work for before striking out on his own to create such memorable films as The Secret of NIMH, An American Tale, The Land Before Time and Titan A.E., as well as the ground-breaking video games Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace.

    Virginia Davis was also in person to receive the McCay Award. As a child, she was cast by a young Walt Disney to star in his series of ‘Alice’ shorts, in which she performed alongside his animated creations. ‘I cherish those memories of working with Walt early in his career,’ she commented. Contradicting a memorable quote by Walt himself, she concluded with, ‘I’d like to set the record straight. It didn’t all start with a mouse. It all started with a little girl and two visionaries [Walt and brother Roy, who ran camera on the films.]’

    Arnold Stang was snowed in on the east coast but was vouched for by a letter from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who worked with Stang on his first feature film, Hercules in New York. ‘I am pleased to congratulate Mr. Arnold Stang, whose terrific animation voice work dates back to the 1940s,’ the letter reads. ‘The Winsor McCay Award for Lifetime Achievement is a fitting recognition to Mr. Stang’s exceptional contributions.’

    Noted animation historian, filmmaker, educator, poet and playwright Bill Moritz posthumously received this year’s June Foray award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation. Moritz is perhaps best known for the 30 plus years he spent archiving and restoring Oskar Fischinger’s films. His book, Optical Poetry: The Life and Work of Oskar Fischinger, was published shortly before his death in March of 2004.

    For a full list of 2004 Annie Awards winners and nominees, visit www.annieawards.org.

  • DreamWorks’ Gromit Joins Kennel Club

    As he gears up for his big-screen debut, the canine half of Aardman Animation’s popular clay-animated team, Wallace and Gromit, is taking some time to help out with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The partnership with DreamWorks Animation SKG marks the first time in Westminster’s history that the dog show has accepted sponsorship outside of the dog food industry.

    The quiet but brilliant Gromit will host streaming video feeds of competition highlights at Westminster’s web site (www.westminsterkennelclub.org.), which draws more than 100,000 hits each day of the show. The video clips will be posted online within two hours of the actual competition for any particular breed or variety, allowing viewers to follow the progress of the contenders as they vie to be Best of Breed.

    This will also be the first time streaming video is used to augment the dog show’s TV coverage. The competition will be broadcast live from New York’s Madison Square Garden on local television and on USA Network Feb. 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. (ET).

    DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg issued the comment, “Knowing how selective the Kennel Club is about working with new partners on what is regarded as one of the most prestigious dog shows in the world, we consider it a true honor to have Aardman’s mascot, Gromit, chosen to host their online presence.”

    Wallace & Gromit creator, director and writer Nick Park, adds, “Although he is not a purebred, I am certain that Gromit will have no problem going nose to nose with the other dogs at the competition. After all, how many of them have been to the moon and back?”

    DreamWorks will release Aardman’s first Wallace & Gromit feature in theaters on October 7, 2005.

  • Pet Alien Abducts Big Ratings for CN U.K.

    The new toon comedy series, Pet Alien, mounted a successful invasion of the British airwaves. Distributed by Taffy Ent. and produced by parent studio Mike Young Productions (MYP), the CG-animated show debuted on Monday, January 24 at 5:30 and pulled in Cartoon Network U.K.’s top ratings for the entire day among the coveted four to 15-year-old demographic.

    Based on a property created by Jeff Muncy of John Doze Studios, Pet Alien is co-produced by Moonscoop/TF1 France; Crest, India; and Telegael, Ireland.

    The series follows the adventures of space aliens who visit the seaside town of DeSpray Bay to experience life on Earth firsthand. Dinko, Gumpers, Flip, Swanky and Scruffy take up residence in the lighthouse hideaway of 12-year-old Tommy and attempt to help the boy with his daily challenges. However, their well-intentioned efforts only succeed in turning his life inside out and upside down.

    "We’re thrilled with this tremendous response to the series," says Bill Schultz, executive producer of Pet Alien and a partner at MYP and Taffy. "Not only was this debut the number one show on the network for the day, but it also beat several highly established programs on other networks, including Spongebob Squarepants, That’s So Raven, and Josh and Drake."

    Pet Alien debuted on Cartoon Network in the U.S. on Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. (EST/PST). Later this year, the show will roll out on Cartoon Network in Latin America, Asia/Pacific and Japan, and will eventually reach 160 countries around the globe.

  • McFarlane Spawns Fox Series

    Todd McFarlane, creator of the Spawn comic-book, feature film, video game and animated TV franchise, is teaming with AngryFilms to develop a Twilight Zone-type series for the Fox network, according to Daily Variety. Titled Twisted, the half-hour anthology show is based on the comic-book series of the same name, which McFarlane owns. Each episode will feature a different tale of horror or sci-fi hosted by McFarlane himself.

    Joining McFarlane and Angry Films in the production is Fox TV Studios’ alternative division, headed by Dave Madden. Trey Callaway (I Still Know What You Did Last Summer) will serve as exec producer/showrunner, with McFarlane, Terry Fitzgerald, Rick Benattar, Susan Montford and Don Murphy taking on exec producer duties.

    McFarlane made his first foray into the video game business with last year’s release of Namco’s Spawn: Armageddon. In addition, he has written a sequel to the 1997 live-action feature film and is working with IDT Ent. on a new Spawn animated series. The first Spawn toon series aired on HBO from 1997-1999 and won two Emmy awards.

  • Darguad Restructures with Dupuis Takeover

    Change is in the air at French publishing, distribution licensing and sales company Dargaud as its acquisition of animation and comic-book company Dupuis is made official this week. While Darguad works to better leverage its recent expansions, it is seeing a shake-up in management and a re-examination of governance strategy.

    As Dargaud Distribution managing director Guillaume Galliot makes a move to production, Justine Bannister, former head of international distribution at Dupuis, step up to oversee international distribution and acquisitions.

    Darguad’s international sales force will now be comprised of sales and marketing manager Michèle Massonnat, sales exec Victoire de Mones, sales exec Alexia Lepère and servicing manager Christophe Lucas. In addition to her current role in international co-productions and French broadcaster relations, Ellipsanime VP Marie-Pierre Moulinjeune will now be handling distribution for France.

    With the incorporation of the Dupuis Audiovisuel animation catalogue, Dargaud Distribution today controls one of Europe’s most valuable animation libraries. The more than 1000 hours of programming includes Asterix, Lucky Luke, Tintin, Spirou, Corto Maltese, Jacques Cousteau, The Mr Men and Babar. The acquisition follows closely on the heels of Darguad’s recent takeover of animation producer Ellipsanime, and its joint-venture with French producer Storimages.

    Darguad has initiated a complete reappraisal of the rights management systems and the catalogue. "Naturally, the optimisation of all media rights for all properties in all territories will be our primary objective", notes Bannister. "Local knowledge has been the best approach for us in the past, so we shall be looking for the best potential partners in each territory to attain these goals."

    With Ellipseanime and Dupuis now in house, Dargaud is looking to produce approximately 100 half hours of animation per year. A production slate will be released in the coming months.

  • Wacom Introduces Cintiq Pen Display

    Wacom Technology Corp. has announced the coming of it’s Cintiq 21UX interactive pen display that allows artists to work with a pen directly on a 21.3" color-accurate LCD. The new product will begin shipping in March and promises more screen area, more pressure sensitivity, better pen control, higher resolution and more comfort for enhanced productivity.

    The Cintiq 21UX combines a professional quality LCD display with the control and comfort of Wacom’s patented cordless, battery-free tablet technology. The 21.3" display features UXGA (1600×1200) resolution, a 170-degree viewing angle, anti-glare and hard texture coatings, 24-bit color with ICC color profile, a 400:1 contrast ratio and 250 cd/m2 brightness. The tablet technology provides 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, 5,080 lines-per-inch resolution and pen tilt sensitivity. In addition, the unit’s stand allows it to be rotated 180 degrees in either direction and tilted to any angle between 10 and 65 degrees.

    Many professional graphics software applications are specifically designed to be used with the Wacom pen. These include Adobe’s PhotoShop and Illustrator, Macromedia Flash. Corel Painter, Discreet Combustion, Apple Motion, Alias Maya, Sketchbook Pro and StudioTools.

    Many creative professionals have told me that using a Cintiq has doubled their productivity, "says Wacom senior product manager Michael Marcum. Recognizing the hourly value of creative professionals, I think it’s easy to see how a Cintiq can pay for itself in less than six months."

    The Cintiq 21UX will carry a suggested retail price of $2,499. Customers can register to pre-order at www.cintiq.com.

  • Alone, Hide Seek to Scare

    The latest big-screen video game adaptation from director Uwe Boll and a supernatural thriller starring Robert DeNiro compete to scare the pants off of moviegoers this weekend. Today sees the release of Lions Gate’s CG effects fest, Alone in the Dark, and 20th Century Fox’s entry in the creepy-kid genre, Hide and Seek.

    Atari’s horror game, Alone in the Dark, gets the Hollywood treatment with a heaping helping of digital animation and other visual effects by Toybox. Christian Slater stars as Edward Carnby, a paranormal detective whose investigation into the mysterious death of a friend leads to a showdown with demons worshiped by an ancient culture. Tara Reid plays his ex-girlfriend, Aline Cedrac, who just happens to be a brilliant anthropologist with some skills that may help Edward thwart world domination by evil forces. The film also stars Stephen Dorff, William Sanderson and Frank C. Turner.

    Boll has made a career of bringing video games to theaters. The director’s last film, House of the Dead, was based on the Sega title of the same name and he is in post-production on an adaptation of Majesco’s BloodRayne with Terminator 3’s Kristanna Loken in the title role. In pre-production is Boll’s cinematic take on Vivendi Universal Games’ Hunter: The Reckoning featuring Donald Southerland, and he is also producing a movie based on Crytek’s first-person shooter, Far Cry. Most recently, he optioned the rights to the Eidos game Fear Effect.

    Despite a target audience consisting mainly of 13-year-old boys, Alone in the Dark is rated "R" for violence and language. After so many watered-down PG-13 stabs at the horror genre, it’s refreshing to see the return of the R-rated fright flick, such as the next film on our list.

    Directed by John Polson (Swimfan), Hide and Seek stars DeNiro as a widower coping with his wife’s suicide. Meanwhile, his daughter, played by Dakota Fanning, deals with the loss by inventing an imaginary friend named Charlie. Strange things start to happen and a doctor, played by the ravishing Famke Janssen, is brought in to assess young Emily’s bizarre behavior. The cast also includes Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas) and Amy Irving (Carrie).

  • Magic Roundabout Launched Online

    Forty years after it debuted on TV in the U.K., The Magic Roundabout is back with a CG-animated feature set for theatrical release in the U.K. and France in February. A trailer for the film and more can be found at www.the-magic-roundabout.com. The site was created and launched by creative agency Greenroom Digital.

    Directed by Jean Duval, Frank Passingham and Dave Borthwick, The Magic Roundabout movie tells the story of four unlikely heroes and their quest to recover three magic diamonds, reverse the onset of a brutal winter and return the evil ice sorcerer Zeebad to his prison beneath the ground.

    The original series was created by Frenchman Serge Danot in the late 1960s, then adapted into English by Eric Thompson. Along with the digital makeover, the classic puppet property has attracted top British talent for its leap to the big screen. Sir Ian McKellen (the Lord of the Rings and X-Men sagas) will provide the voice of Zeebad (aka Zebedee). Other celebrities on board include pop stars Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue, as well as acclaimed actors Ray Winstone (King Arthur, Sexy Beast) Bill Nighy (Love Actually, the upcoming Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge!, Vanity Fair).

    In addition to the trailer and a synopsis of the film, the web site’s content includes a number of games, video downloads, character sections, competitions and a chatroom.

    The Magic Roundabout movie is a co-production of Pathé, France’s Films Action and the U.K.’s Bolex Bros./SPZ. French studio Action Synthése handled the animation using Softimage|XSI. Miramax will distribute the kid pic in North and South America.

  • Gay Moms Stall PBS’s Buster

    Just days after a fringe conservative group accused SpongeBob of being a pawn in some gay agenda, The Boston Globe reports that public TV station WGBH-TV (Channel 2) is postponing a new episode of the series Postcards From Buster because of the depiction of an alternative lifestyle. Originally slated to air Feb. 2, the latest installment of the Arthur spinoff visits three children of a lesbian couple.

    Postcards From Buster combines animation and live-action to chronicle the adventures of an 8-year-old rabbit who travels the country with his airplane pilot father. During his travels, Buster visits with real children and learns about their way of life.

    WGBH explains that the installment falls in line with previous episodes that acknowledge that children grow up different types of families. Titled ”Sugartime!," the program in question has Buster go to Vermont and visit a sugar house where they make maple syrup. The gay women are said to be background figures and not a focal point.

    Buster producer WGBH has pushed the airdate back to March 23 to give other PBS member stations time to review the episode. While a spokesperson for the broadcaster contends that the episode is apolitical and doesn’t throw a spotlight on homosexuality, the station is being sensitive to local concerns.

    PBS stands behind the show and the manner in which it presents the situation.

    Postcards from Buster airs weekdays at 5:30 p.m.

  • Gumby is Game Bound

    As Gumby celebrates his 50th birthday, the evergreen brand is showing its flexibility with a move to the video game arena. In a deal with Prema Toy Co., Inc., Namco Hometek has been awarded exclusive interactive entertainment publishing rights to the classic children’s entertainment property. Under the agreement, Namco will create multi-platform games featuring Gumby, Pokey, Prickle, Goo and other characters from the clay animation series produced by Clokey Prods. in the ’50s. Gumby may also make cameo appearances in other upcoming Namco games.

    “Our family is very excited to see Gumby make his debut in the interactive world,” says Gumby creator Art Clokey. “With Pac-Man and its other hugely successful video game franchises, Namco has proven that they are a leader in this medium and we are thrilled to be working with them on bringing Gumby to life for the video game generation.”

    With the success of the Gumby and Friends television show, the property launched a top-selling poseable doll line that remains a favorite among kids and adults alike. The original animated Gumby and Friends episodes can still be found on various television outlets and are available on home video.

    At Namco, Gumby joins such successful game franchises as Tekken, SOULCALIBUR, Dead to Rights, Pac-Man World, Ridge Racer, Time Crisis and ACECOMBAT. For more information about the company and its products, go to www.namco.com.

  • THQ Wireless in on Plot to Destroy All Humans!

    Since it was previewed at E3 last spring, THQ’s upcoming Destroy All Humans! has been one of the most highly anticipated video game releases of 2005. While the publisher gets set for the title’s worldwide release for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, THQ Wireless has announced plans to expand the roll-out via mobile games, ringtones and wallpapers in April.

    Riffing on ’50s sci-fi films, Destroy All Humans! stars Crypto, an innocent-looking extraterrestrial who arrives on Earth armed to the teeth and bent on wiping out the human race. The wireless game will feature 13 hostile missions and two gameplay modes. The ringtones with his evil laugh and trademark taunts in the form of authentic Alien voice ringers and wallpapers.

    In addition to exclusive downloadable content like ringtones and wallpapers, the latest game news and cheat codes can be obtained by text messaging ALIEN to 69847(MYTHQ). THQ Wireless will be revealing more details regarding Destroy All Humans! over the next few months.

  • Stan Lee Among Annie Presenters

    As the animation community gears up for this Sunday’s 32nd Annual Annie Awards, ASIFA-Hollywood (International Animated Film Society) has announced the legendary comic-book creator Stan Lee is among the list of celebrity presenters for the "Oscars" of the animation industry. The black-tie ceremony honoring the year’s best animation across film, television, commercials and short subjects will take place Jan. 30 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, Calif.

    This year’s event will be hosted by Annie-nominated comic actor and prolific voice artist Tom Kenny, best known as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants. He will be joined on stage by industry VIPs including Stan Lee, who created some of Marvel Comics’ most successful superheroes and keeps grabbing animation news headlines with the many toon projects he has in the works with IDT Ent.

    Also lined up to present awards are John H. Williams, producer of Shrek and the upcoming Disney CG feature, Valiant; Bill Kroyer, acclaimed animator/director; Bill Fagerbakke, co-star of SpongeBob SquarePants; Mary Jo Rupp, an actress with many animated roles to her credit but best known as Kitty Forman on That 70’s Show; Sean Marquette, series lead in Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends; actor Stephen Root, whose credits range from Office Space to Finding Nemo and Sci-Fi Channel’s primetime animated series, Tripping the Rift; Candi Milo, a prolific voice artist who can be heard on more than a dozen animated shows; Bob Bergen, who received a daytime Emmy nomination as Porky Pig on Cartoon Network’s Duck Dodgers; and Jess Harnell, voice of countless film and television characters. In addition, the legendary June Foray will again present her namesake award.

    The Annie Awards begin at 3 pm with a pre-reception sponsored by IDT Ent. in the courtyard and lobby areas of the Alex Theatre. The awards ceremony follows at 5 pm. Immediately after the awards ceremony concludes, guests will enjoy a post-show celebration dinner at Milano’s Cucina Italiana (525 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale), two blocks north of the Alex Theatre.

    More than 1,000 entertainment industry insiders attend the annual Annie Awards. Tickets are available to the general public, space permitting. General admission is $60 and VIP tickets with preferential seating are $100. Tickets are available through the Alex Theatre box office by calling (818) 243-ALEX (2539).

    The 32nd Annual Annie Awards are supported by sponsors Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disneytoon Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Pixar, Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Television Animation, IDT Ent., Sony Pictures Imageworks and Cartoon Network.

    For tickets and information on the Annie Awards, contact ASIFA-Hollywood at (818) 842-8330 or visit www.asifa-hollywood.org.

  • Warner Home Vid Sets Golden Blaze

    Warner Home Video is taking the “my dad can lick your dad” debate to its extreme with the May 10 release of an all-new animated feature titled Golden Blaze. Blair Underwood, star of Bill Cosby’s Nick at Nite animated series, Fatherhood, lends his voice to this story of two African-American boys whose schoolyard rivalry spirals out of control when a freak lab accident endows their fathers with superpowers.

    Golden Blaze is set in the small suburban community of Quaint Valley, where comic-book fanatic Jason Fletcher vies to complete his collection before class bully Leon Tatum beats him to it. Things get really interesting when Jason’s dad, a bumbling scientist, has an accident in the lab and takes on powers similar to those of Jason’s favorite superhero, The Golden Blaze. But every superhero needs a super villain and Jason soon learns that Leon’s dad, Quaint Valley’s richest and most powerful citizen, has acquired the abilities of Quake, Golden Blaze’s archenemy.

    The film also features the voices of Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile, Daredevil), Sanaa Lathan (Alien vs. Predator, Out of Time), Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, MTV’s Spider-Man) and Khleo Thomas (Walking Tall, Holes).

    “This is one of few full-length animated features for kids with an African American superhero and multicultural cast of characters," comments Eva Davis, VP of multicultural marketing for Warner Home Video. "Golden Blaze provides an exciting and positive story with themes that are universally appealing.”

    Golden Blaze was produced by Urban Ent.’s Michael Jenkinson (Undercover Brother) and Nichelle Protho, and directed by Bryon E. Carson. The 85-minute feature will debut exclusively on DVD with a suggested retail price of $19.98.

    DVD extras include a feature titled Static Sketch, which shows young animators how the animated series Static Shock was created.

  • Target Creates Home Entertainment Label

    Target Ent., in a joint venture with independent DVD publisher Lace International, has launched its own dedicated home entertainment label. The new development sees Target make its first foray into China, signing a deal with state broadcaster CCTV for the home entertainment rights to the CG-animated series, The Jellies, created and produced by Optical Image in association with Newscreen Media.

    Target Home Entertainment will be headed by Target’s Chris Rayson. He comments, "After exhibiting at MIPCOM last October, Target has signed some significant deals across our drama, comedy and children’s titles. We are looking to expand upon this with attendance at key markets throughout 2005, offering new, exciting and high quality programming."

    The launch of Target Home Entertainment rounds out an exciting 12 months for Target. The company recently set up its own production division and established itself as a player in the licensing arena, representing shows such as Chapman Ent.’s animated Fifi and the Flowertots.

    On the live-action side, the company nabbed DVD rights to The Graham Norton Effect, a 13×60 So Television production that airs on Comedy Central in the U.S. and on BBC Three in the U.K. Target will release the series in March this year.

  • Animatrix Director Jones Jacks into Imageworks

    Andy Jones, who directed the Animatrix segment The Final Flight of the Osiris and served as Digital Domain’s animation director on 20th Century Fox’s I, Robot, is joining Sony Pictures Imageworks. Jones joins an impressive team of animation directors and supervisors that includes David Schaub, Spencer Cook, Sean Mullen, Troy Saliba, Pepe Valencia, and Todd Wilderman.

    "Andy is a tremendously skilled character animator, whose talent and style are a welcome addition to our established team," says Barry Weiss, senior VP of animation production at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

    Jones also served as animation director on the groundbreaking CG-animated feature, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and as animation supervisor on director Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla remake. Prior to that, he was recruited by James Cameron to work on the sinking sequence in Titanic.

    Imageworks earned an Oscar for its first animated short film, The ChubbChubbs! and its work on The Polar Express recently garnered a Best Feature Film Animation award at AEAF (Australian Effects and Animation Festival). Also recognized for the animation of the Smokey character in Polar Express, the team was nominated for a 2005 VES (Visual Effects Society) Award in the Best Character Animation in an Animated Feature Film category.

    Current projects in the Imageworks pipeline include the CG performance-capture feature, Monster House, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Spider-Man 3, and Sony Pictures Animation CG features Open Season and Surf’s Up. Future projects include the recently announced adaptation of Beowulf that director/producer Robert Zemeckis and Shangri-La’s Steve Bing are spearheading.

  • NATPE NEWS: Kappa Mikey Plucked by MTV Networks

    Viacom’s MTV Networks has made its first-ever global program acquisition, nabbing worldwide broadcast rights to Animation Collective’s Kappa Mikey for Nicktoons in the U.S. and Nickelodeon’s international channels. The pick-up covers 26 half-hour episodes of the comedic action show that will premiere on in 2006. The agreement also grants MTV Networks international distribution rights for third-party broadcast sales.

    Described as a fish-out-of-water parody of the anime genre, Kappa Mikey has American actor Mikey Simon join the cast of LilyMu, which was once the top rated anime show in Japan. While he struggles to connect with his fellow cast members and adjust to life abroad, Mikey’s crazy antics and style lift LilyMu out of the ratings gutter and make him Japan’s biggest star.

    Keith Dawkins, VP and general manager of Nicktoons, comments, “MTV Networks’ global acquisition of Kappa Mikey for Nicktoons and Nickelodeon internationally is a significant move forward in our strategic plans to leverage the strength and resources of our global networks to deliver our audiences everywhere the very best, cutting-edge entertainment available.”

    New York City-based Animation Collective (http://www.animationcollective.com) creates Flash-based animation for television, the Internet, home video and feature films. The Incredible Crash Dummies, which the company co-produces with 4Kids Ent., airs on Fox Box on Saturday mornings. Leader Dog and Tortellini Western, two original series produced by the company, air on Nicktoons.

  • Disney Channel Goes to Thailand

    According to C21 Media, The Disney Channel will debut in Thailand through a distribution deal with P. Southern Network Co. (PSN). Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney will be pitched for inclusion in program packages offered by the approximately 500 cable operators that make up Thailand’s Cable TV Association.

    Animated programs will be dubbed for the market, a process that is scheduled to take just over a year. The line-up will also be broadcast in English via a separate feed.

  • Stan Lee Makes Superhero of Ringo Starr

    Fresh from his legal victory over Marvel Ent., comic-book king Stan Lee has teamed up with former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr to create a new animated property. Financed, produced and distributed by IDT Ent., the venture will see Starr transformed into a reluctant superhero with a great sense of rhythm.

    Lee’s POW! Ent. and Starr’s Rocca Bella shingle will develop the project with for television, home entertainment, publishing and all categories of licensing and merchandising. Production on the animated series will begin in 2005 with a DVD rollout planned for the first quarter of 2006. Executive producers for POW! Ent. are Lee and COO Gill Champion. Executive producer for Rocca Bella is Marjorie Bach. IDT Ent. COO John Hyde will supervise production.

    Starr will lend his voice to his animated alter ego, joining Lee’s pantheon of superhero characters, which includes Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men and The Hulk.

    “Ringo is beloved worldwide for his commitment to people and his singular wit," Lee comments. "Our Ringo superhero character will combine these qualities, along with [his] secret powers which people generally didn’t know about because he has kept them secret, until now.”

    This is not Starr’s first brush with animation, having collaborated with the other Beatles on the 1968 toon classic, Yellow Submarine. He later starred in 1981’s Caveman, which featured stop-motion animation by Jim Danforth (When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth), Randall William Cook (Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and the late, great Dave Allen (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids). Most recently, he portrayed Mr. Conductor in the first season of PBS’ popular Shining Time Station series, featuring Thomas the Tank Engine.

  • Ubisoft Puts Sony Animation in Play

    Video game publisher Ubisoft will develop and publish games based on Open Season and Surf’s Up, the first two feature-length CG-animated films from Sony Pictures Animation. The exclusive, multi-title licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products marks Ubisoft’s first foray into the world of feature animation. The move will provide some competition for THQ, which has exclusive publishing rights to games based on Pixar properties.

    Based on the humor of In the Bleachers cartoonist Steve Moore, Open Season follows a couple of unlikely forest friends as they rally all the other animals to turn the tables on unsuspecting hunters. Martin Lawrence will lend voice to a 900-lb. domesticated grizzly bear named Boog, while Ashton Kutcher plays a scrawny, one-horned mule deer named Elliot. Deborah Messing will voice a forest ranger who rescued Boog as a cub and raised him. Moore serves as exec. producer along with John Carls. The Open Season game will be released on all platforms in conjunction with the film’s theatrical debut on September 29, 2006.

    An animated mockumentary, Surf’s Up posits that surfing was actually invented by penguins and has a camera crew documenting a major penguin surfing competition. The Film is being directed by Ash Brannon (Toy Story 2) and Chris Buck (Tarzan), and produced by Chris Jenkins (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). The flick and its videogame adaptation are both scheduled for release in summer 2007.

    Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot comments, “Ubisoft’s long-term agreement with Sony Pictures allows us to be part of the creative process from the very beginning, working closely with the animators and directors on the vision and tone of the games."

    Ubisoft’s award-winning Montreal studio will be developing the Open Season and Surf’s Up games, working in close collaboration with the production teams at Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks, which will be creating the animation for both pics.