Author: Ryan Ball

Fans of stop-motion animation and classic films such as The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Clash of the Titans will soon have a new title to add to their library of works by a certain legendary special effects animator. Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection will be released worldwide on Feb. 1.

Over the past couple of years, genre buffs have been treated to numerous DVD releases of Harryhausen’s sci-fi and fantasy features, but his rarely seen early works have been hard to find until now. In addition to the series of Mother Goose stories and fairy tales he created in his home studio before getting his start in features, the two-disc Early Years Collection offers a look at a budding animator with his Army training films and various tests and experiments that formed the foundation for his Acadamy-recognized career.

Some footage in this set has never been released before, and all vintage elements have been carefully restored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Disc one includes the shorts Little Miss Muffet, Old Mother Hubbard, The Queen of Hearts, Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, Rapunzel, King Midas and the 2003 Annie Award-winning The Tortoise & the Hare. Tortoise was started back in 1952 and finished 50 years later with the help of stop-motion animators Seamus Walsh and Mark Caballero of Screen Novelties in Hollywood. A behind-the-scenes look at the process of completing the film is included on the disc.

Disc two features an exclusive reunion between Harryhausen and two long-time friends–famed science fiction author Ray Bradbury and Famous Monsters of Filmland publisher Forrest J. Ackerman. There is also video footage of Harryhausen’s Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony, a tour of his exhibit at the world-renowned Filmmuseum Berlin, galleries of rare photos and sketches, and a star-studded tribute to the filmmaker by some of Hollywood’s most respected filmmakers and visual effects artists.

A must-have for any Harryhausen fan or stop-motion aficionado, the multi-region DVD set from distributor Sparkhill runs 233 minutes and will carry a suggested retail price of $29.95.

Harryhausen will be in Hollywood this weekend to present two of his classic films at the Egyptian Theater. Starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, The American Cinematheque will screen new 35mm prints of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and The Three Worlds of Gulliver, both starring Kerwin Matthews. Gulliver co-star Sherri Alberoni will join Harryhausen for a discussion between films. Harryahusen will also be signing copies of his new book, An Animated Life, at 5 p.m in the lobby. For more information, go to www.americancinematheque.com.

At the annual Television Critics Association meeting in North Hollywood, Cartoon Network today officially announced the addition of two eagerly awaited new series to its lineup for winter and fall of 2005. The cable toon outlet revealed that the previously untitled Seth Green project will be called Robot Chicken, and will be introduced to the Adult Swim block in February. Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks will then dive into the pool during the fall season.

Cartoon Network ordered up 20 episodes of Robot Chicken. The stop-motion animated comedy is exec produced by Green, who voiced the Brian Griffin character in Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy, which airs in re-runs on the network. Green describes Robot Chicken as "Saturday Night Live with toys instead of actors." He created the satirical pop culture assault with Matthew Senreich, editorial director of Wizard Ent. The duo will co-write the episodes with Doug Goldstein and Tom Roots. Green recently starred in the box office hit comedy Without a Paddle.

Also on order are 15 episodes of The Boondocks, a half-hour animated series based on the successful, syndicated comic strip of the same name by McGruder and partner Reggie Hudlin. Sony Pictures Television is producing the show, which uses edgy humor to tackle cultural and political issues as seen through the eyes of two inner-city kids relocated to the suburbs and placed in the custody of their grandfather.

The comic strip first appeared in 1999 and is now seen in more than 200 newspapers. McGruder and Hudlin wrote the pilot for the toon and will serve as exec producers on the TV series. The duo is also scripting a Boondocks feature film, which Sony plans to develop as well.

Adult Swim airs Sunday through Thursday from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. (ET/PT) and features such cult favorites as Sealab 2021; Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law; Cowboy Bebop; Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Inuyasha, as well as Former Fox favorites Family Guy and Futurama. The block is No.1 in its time period on all of ad-supported basic cable with adults 18-24 and adults 18-34.

Daily Variety reports that the popular British animated kids property, Noddy, is setting out to crack the Japanese television and consumer products market. The CG series, Make Way for Noddy, will hit three networks in Japan in late 2005 through a deal struck between U.K. rights owner Chorion and OLC/Rights Ent. Japan (ORE), a Tokyo-based intellectual property rights subsidiary of theme park owner Oriental Land Co.

Consisting of 100 10-minute episodes, Make Way for Noddy is based on the beloved books of children’s author Enid Blyton. The show is set in the magical world of Toyland, a place where toys come to life and adventures never cease. The title character is a little wooden boy who can’t stop nodding when he gets excited because his head is on a spring. The peaceful way of life in Toyland is often disrupted by a pair of mischief-making goblins named Sly and Gobbo, who live in the Dark Wood just outside of the capital city.

Hundreds of licensed Noddy products have been introduced in the U.K. alone and the series airs in 115 territories, including the U.S. and China. The property also recently made its publishing debut in China, where state-owned Beijing Publishing House released translated versions of Blyton’s original 24-book series.

Thunderbird Films Inc. and CG animation house Mainframe Ent. have entered into an agreement to co-distribute the popular YTV series, ZIXX. Mainframe CEO Rick Mischel has worked closely with Thunderbird president Michael Shepard in securing distribution rights to the show, and the companies are working together to produce a second season.

ZIXX was developed by Alex Raffé of Savi Media and Debbie Nightingale of The Nightingale Company, in association with YTV. Aimed at kids 8-12, Level I (the first season) has also attracted a strong teen audience with its mixture of live action and video game animation. The sci-fi show chronicles the adventures of an unlikely team of heroes who join forces in a quest to save the universe from evil. Led by fearless alien operative Zixx Phunkee Zee, a contingent of human boys and girls contribute their strategy game smarts to the battle in the Keep–a third dimension labyrinth which operates like a game.

Level II is now in production with CG modeling underway and live-action photography set to begin in February. Thunderbird is producing the show while Mainframe designs and creates all the animated content.

Raffé comments, ” Season two is an upgrade of the first season–the characters have better weapons and cool vehicles, but the puzzles are harder and the villains smarter.”

“ZIXX is a tremendously exciting series and a perfect fit for Mainframe,” Mischel states. “Launching the series with 26 episodes available for license is a huge advantage in the international marketplace.”

Cartoon Network, home of the popular action/adventure block, Toonami, is turning its attention to the victims of Dec. 26 Tsunami that visited so much death and destruction on parts of Asia. The cable outlet is committing its significant worldwide media resources to create an integrated PSA campaign to inspire young people to support global efforts to provide relief to the millions of affected people–more than one-third of whom are children.

Favorite Cartoon Network animated characters will be featured in a musical salute set to the classic rock anthem “Give a Little Bit” by Roger Hodgson, formerly of Supertramp. Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik and UNICEF ambassadors Clay Aiken and India Arie will each sing an all-new recording of the popular tune. The various renditions will be produced and arranged by John Fields, who produces such artists as Mandy Moore, Semisonic, Andrew W.K. and Dovetail Joint.

The campaign will begin airing domestically on Wednesday, Jan. 12, and internationally shortly thereafter. Viewers will be directed to log onto www.kidshelpout.org, which will highlight the positive impact of the tsunami relief efforts. The site will also direct them to UNICEF to find further information, make contributions and to learn how even kids can make a difference regardless of their ability to donate.

The PSAs, created by the Cartoon Network on-air department under the leadership of Pete Johnson, will be distributed to each of Cartoon Network’s and Boomerang’s domestic and international channels. The on-air and online campaign is scheduled to run for at least four to six weeks, and will be amended as the relief efforts progress.

Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of children around the world through immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water, and sanitation. To make a donation or learn more about UNICEF please call 1-800-4UNICEF or go to www.unicefusa.org.

Multimedia software publisher and distributor Navarre Corp. is set to acquire 100% of the general and limited partnership interests in FUNimation Prods. Ltd. and The FUNimation Store Ltd. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, FUNimation, is a leading anime home video distributor and licensor with a library that includes Dragonball Z, Dragonball GT, Yu Yu Hakusho, Case Closed and Fullmetal Alchemist. Navarre expects the transaction to close before May 15.

Navarre is acquiring the FUNimation partnership interests for approximately $100,500,000 in cash and issuing between 1,495,216 and 1,827,486 shares of Navarre common stock. In addition, the sellers could receive up to $17,000,000 in cash to be paid over five years if FUNimation achieves certain agreed-upon financial targets during a set time period.

In addition to the home video distribution of its proprietary content, FUNimation engages in third-party marketing, sales and distribution agreements with content providers including 4Kids Ent. Inc., Nelvana, Alliance Atlantis and WGBH. FUNimation has shown year-to-year growth, posting sales of $49.8 million, $63.7 million and $81.6 million for the years ended Dec. 31, 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively. The company’s management team will apparently remain in place.