Ultraman enters the streaming era! Shout! Factory and Mill Creek Entertainment have announced a distribution partnership to bring Tsuburaya Productions’ cult classic Ultraman superhero library to streaming platforms in North American.
This multi-year pact provides Shout! Factory and its multi-platforms streaming service Shout! Factory TV with exclusive SVOD and AVOD digital rights in the U.S. and Canada to the expansive library of 1100 episodes and 20 movies, including Ultra Q, Ultraman, Ultraseven, Return of Ultraman, Ultraman Greed and many other favorites.
The plan is for Shout! Factory TV to launch a splashy rollout of Ultraman’s pop culture properties on its TokuSHOUTSu streaming channel later this year. More announcements will be forthcoming from Shout!, Tsuburaya Productions and Indigo Ent. in coming months.
“A colossus of the tokusatsu genre, Ultraman is one of the most beloved and enduring pop culture brands in the world and, amazingly, it’s still growing,” says Jordan Fields, VP of acquisitions at Shout! Factory.
The Ultraman live-action TV series was noted for its fun adventure and special effects-driven entertainment and built a worldwide audience for the property. Created by Eiji Tsuburaya, Ultra Q first premiered in 1966. The show centered on a Giant of Light from the distant Nebula M78, who protects Earth and the human race from an endless array of invading aliens and terrifying monsters together with the crew of the Earth-based defense team and their high-tech weapons. Ultraman battles monsters that cause endless mayhem and destruction on Earth. With the ability to extend his height to over 130 feet, Ultraman merges with a human and only emerges in times of extreme danger to save people and the Earth. The popularity of Ultraman persists to this day, generating over $50 million per year in toys and merchandise in Japan.
Oscar-nominated French animation studio Xilam Animation has inked new deals for its new CG-animated series Athleticus (60 x 2.5) and Mr. Magoo (78 x 7) with Nickelodeon. The kids’ cabler has pay-TV rights two seasons of Athleticus in Asia Pacific, EMEA and Latin Americaand all TV rights for Athleticus in Benelux, Italy, Vietnam, Philippines and Argentina. Additionally, Nickelodeon has picked up the exclusive pay-TV rights for Mr Magoo (78×7’) in the UK. The show will premiere on Nicktoons this week.
“We’re very excited to be building upon our successful partnership with Nickelodeon and to see the broadcaster become home to two further shows from our slate,” said Morgann Favennec, Xilam’s exec VP of distribution. “With its charming characters and humorous stories, we know families all over the globe are going to love watching Athleticus and following the fantastic response to Mr Magoo in the UK, we’re very much looking forward to bringing the series’ hilarious hijinks to new audiences.”
Athleticus is produced by Xilam’s recently acquired CGI-studio Cube Creative and features wild animals taking part in competitive sports, ranging from table tennis to high bar, bobsleigh to curling. How successful the animals are at each of the sports entirely depends on their personality and anatomies resulting in very comical, and often poetic, results. The series is created and directed by the multi-award winning Nicolas Deveaux.
Led by animation veteran Marc du Pontavice, Xilam is best known for hit shows such as Oggy and the Cockroaches and Zig & Sharko, as well as new properties such as Oggy Oggy for a preschool audience, Moka, Mr. Magoo, and the Oscar-nominated feature I Lost My Body. Xilam’s expanding catalog now consists of over 2,200 episodes and three feature films. For more info, visit xilam.com
Tony and Grammy-winning performer Renée Elise Goldberry (Hamilton, Fast and Furious: Spy Racers) stars as Melodia on the new DreamWorks’ Dragons Rescue Riders Special: Secrets of the Songwing set to premiere on Netflix on July 25. This 45-minute sing-along special finds the Rescue Riders having to use the magic of song to save their friends from a majestic songwing who hypnotizes humans and dragons.
The musical special is executive produced by Emmy winner Jack Thomas (Regular Show, DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge) and co-executive produced by Brian Roberts (DreamWorks VeggieTales).
In addition to Goldberry, the show features the voices of Marsai Martin (Little, Black-ish), Zach Callison (Steven Universe, The Goldbergs, Just Add Magic), Skai Jackson (Jessie, Bunk’d, Bubble Guppies, The Smurfs), Noah Bentley (Adam Ruins Everything, Reel Kids, Afternoon Delight), Andre Robinson (Hotel Transylvania 2, Doc McStuffins) and Cassidy Naber (Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures, American Horror Story). The series also features the voice talents of Nicolas Cantu, Brennley Brown, Carlos Alazraqui, Moira Quirk, Roshon Fegan and Brad Grusnick. Additional cast includes John C. MicGinley and Tara Strong.
You can view the trailer for the new special here:
Sony has made a $250 million investment in Epic Games, the two companies announced yesterday. Under the new arrangement, Sony gets a 1.4 percent interest in the game development studio and publisher and gives Epic a valuation of $17.86 billion, according to Venturebeat.
In a press release, the two companies noted that the deal will broaden their collaboration across Sony’s leading portfolio of entertainment assets and technology, and Epic’s social entertainment platform and digital ecosystem to create unique experiences for consumers and creators.
“Sony and Epic have both built businesses at the intersection of creativity and technology, and we share a vision of real-time 3D social experiences leading to a convergence of gaming, film, and music. Together we strive to build an even more open and accessible digital ecosystem for all consumers and content creators alike,” said Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic
“Epic’s powerful technology in areas such as graphics places them at the forefront of game engine development with Unreal Engine and other innovations. There’s no better example of this than the revolutionary entertainment experience, Fortnite. Through our investment, we will explore opportunities for further collaboration with Epic to delight and bring value to consumers and the industry at large, not only in games, but also across the rapidly evolving digital entertainment landscape,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Corporation.
Tencent also invested $330 million in Epic Games in 2012 to acquire a 40 percent stake in the studio. VentureBeat notes that Epic’s valuation has grown significantly since then, in large part by the massive success of Fortnite, which earned $400 million in revenue just in April of this year.
Mention the name Rob Paulsen to any real animation lover, and you’ll get an immediate smile. The talented voice actor has been behind some of the most beloved and iconic toon voices since the early 1980s. From Spike (The Land Before Time) and Carl Wheezer (Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) to Yakko, Dr. Otto Scratchansniff and Pinky (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain) and Raphael and Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle), the unstoppable Paulsen has voiced over 250 different characters and performed in 1,000 commercials. Winner of a Daytime Emmy and three Annie Awards, Paulsen was kind enough to spend a few minutes with us and tell us about his exciting career:
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. We know you’ve been very busy as usual (appearing on Doc McStuffins, The Loud House, SpongeBob SquarePants, DuckTales, Green Eggs and Ham, Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures, etc.). Of course, we are all excited about the new Animaniacs reboot arriving later this year. What can you tell us about the project?
Rob Paulsen: Well, I can tell you it’s for Hulu, and it was slated for a fall premiere, but that was
before the pandemic, and I know everything is in flux these days. Most of the original cast is back for this new version to some extent, which also introduces some new characters. Yours truly is back as Yakko, Pinky and Otto. Tress MacNeille is my little sister Dot, Maurice LaMarche is Brain and Squit, Jess Harnell is also back as my goofy brother Wakko. Mr. Spielberg (Amblin TV and Warner Bros. Animation producing) is back on the show, which is very cool. Our new showrunner is Wellesley Wild, who you know from Family Guy and the Ted movies. He’s a wonderful fellow who is doing a hell of a job. I know that we’re in post-production now.
The Animaniacs are self-aware and know that they have been off the grid for 20 years, and that comes into play. We have great music and use a 30-piece orchestra for every half hour of the show. The music duties are now handled by the amazing Steve and Julie Bernstein, who were the proteges of Rich Stone, the remarkable composer who won a pile of Emmys for doing the music for the original show.
Animaniacs
How is the new show different from and similar to the original, which has a successful run from 1993 to 1998?
As I mentioned before, the irreverent and at times subversive humor is the same. But in addition to Yakko, Otto and Pinky, new ancillary characters will be introduced, many of which I’m not aware of. We have a new showrunner and new writers, who grew up watching the original series. What I can tell you is that it is every bit as joyful and hurt-yourself-laughing funny as the original. The scripts just read really, really funny. I haven’t seen much of the animation yet, but I wouldn’t bet against Mr. Spielberg. You can tell that the kids who are writing the show are informed by the genius of the writers who worked on the first show and the creator of the show, Tom Ruegger. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that he did an incredible job and that the show has become an iconic part of our cultural landscape. Some incredible talents were fostered by him, and it has been pretty cool to witness it all. Well done, Tom!
So, we know a lot of voice artists have adjusted easily to working from home during the COVID era. How are you doing these days?
Well, I am working from home, and that’s one of the cool things about this gig: Nobody cares what I look like, which is absolutely wonderful for an actor — especially for an old one! I am just limited by my talent and the kindness of the people who hire me. I can record from home, and I don’t have to be in the studio with others. I really consider myself a lottery winner, and I realize how terrifically fortunate I am. That’s the truth about our business: To be able to make a living out of bringing joy and happiness to people — my God, what a lovely way to move though life.
I have found new ways to interact with my fan base. I am becoming more and more involved with social media. I’ve been doing some online autograph signing events and fundraisers for charity events. All the other Cons have been canceled this year, but Rob’s COVID-Cons are happening! I’ve also been binge watching shows like Defending Jacob, Dead To Me and Ricky Gervais’ black comedy After Life. Of course, I’m watching Rick and Morty. I did a voice for that show — Snowball, who is a doggy looking for his testicles.
What was the best career advice you ever received?
Ah, yes. My dear friend and true mentor, Alan Oppenheimer — he is a wonderful, remarkable man. He watched me get frustrated because my on-camera agent was trying to book me for a read for Hill Street Blues, and I told him I couldn’t make it as I was working on Jonny Quest in the morning and The Tick in the afternoon at that time. Here I was, working with legends like Alan, Jonathan Winters and June Foray. So Alan told me, “You have to make a decision. You are getting good at this cartoon gig and that is going to create a bit of a conflict.” My wife told me, “It’s not that you’re difficult to look at, but you’re starting to kill it at this animation gig.”
So, I am so glad that my ego was such that I listened to my friends and family who persuaded me to go to this path of not the least resistance, but the most financial reward. I am so glad I get to do what used to get me in trouble in seventh grade. It makes my soul happy every day!
Rob Paulsen
What were your first gigs in animation?
I got my first gig in animation thanks to Don Jurwich, supervising producer on G.I. Joe. (1985-86) I played Snow Job and Tripwire on that show, and I did Slingshot and Air Raid on the original Transformers series.
What are your favorite shows that you’ve worked on?
I have three: Animaniacs (which also encompasses Pinky and the Brain) and then, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) and TMNT (2012-2016). I always say Ninja Turtles changed my career trajectory and Animaniacs changed my life.
Animaniacs is the perfect example of the axiom of luck being the meeting of opportunity and preparation. I’d been a singer for decades, had created all of these character voices for myself. I’d been in animation for eight years at the time. As a singer who can sing in character, I got a foothold in animation, and having done Tiny Toon Adventures with Tom Ruegger, I told them, “If you don’t hire me for Animaniacs, you’re making a mistake!” I was right. Not only was I ready, that show literally changed my life, and for that I’ll be forever grateful to Tom Ruegger, Jean MacCurdy and Steven Spielberg. Now that I have the chance to do it again for a larger fan base, many of which are fans of the original show and are now sharing it with their children and grandchildren, I can’t quantify what that means.
On Ninja Turtles, having the chance to be the voice of Raphael would be a big deal for any actor. But to be able to get a shot at doing a different character — Donatello — for the same franchise some 25 years later for this iconic franchise. And for the new show to be equally interesting and watchable for original fans as well as new ones. To get a chance to do two versions of an iconic franchise was mind-blowing. But honestly, to be part of shows such as The Tick, Mighty Max, Biker Mice from Mars, Goof Troop, Jimmy Neutron, Fairly OddParents … come on, I am a lottery winner!
Going back to Animaniacs, why do you think that show was such a huge critical and audience hit?
Tom Ruegger and all the original writers, Steven Spielberg and all the musicians, everyone took their cues from legends such as Chuck Jones, Bob McKimson, Bob Clampett, Jay Ward and Bill Scott — shows that were purposefully written for both audiences, kids and grown-ups who got the more sophisticated jokes. They assumed that the audience got it, and they did. The proof is in the pudding. I meet people in their 30s who tell me they love Animanicas because they loved it when they first saw it when they were kids, and when they grew up, they got all the other cultural jokes. That’s what happened to me when shows like Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Flintstones and the Looney Tunes shorts. You watch them as an adult and appreciate them with an adult sensibility. It’s not a big secret. People appreciate good material. Maurice (LaMarche) and I would be the first to tell you that we don’t write ‘em and we don’t draw ‘em, but when it works, it’s nothing short of magical and utterly timeless. I’m so proud to be part of something that is able to unleash this much happy to an existing fan base.
OK, now the million dollar question: What do you think is the secret of your success in the voice business?
I never take myself too seriously. But I take my work seriously and work very hard to be funny and clever and not to limit myself. I am always looking to learn from anyone. That’s why I love animation, because it’s about the characters: Voice acting is a small V and a large A because it’s about breathing life into these characters. When it works with the artistic side of things is right, it’s magical and wonderful to be part of.
I also feel like I owe it to myself and the producers who were willing to hire me, and creators and the fans, to be better every day. At 63, I am better than I was when I was 32, and I hope I am better when I’m 65 than I am today! And I’ll stop when I’m dead. I also know that a high tide raises all boats, and I have been surrounded by the best of the best, you name it, including Mel Blanc, my amazing colleagues Billy West, Joe Dimaggio, Tress MacNeille, Tara Strong, Maurice LaMarche, Dee Bradley Baker, Corey Baker, Jess Harnell, Kevin Michael Richardson, Peter Cullen, B.J. Ward, Alan Oppenheimer, Dick Beals, Carol Channing, Rip Taylor, Pam Adlon, Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill … I mean, come on! Shame on me if I wasn’t successful. I’ve had my hand held by the best. I am better because of the people I work with.
Final one for you: Who is your favorite animated character?
I don’t know its name, but it’s always the next one. I never take my success for granted. The reason is I hope I am always working: It is always about getting better, not resting on your laurels, and not believing you’re as good as people tell you you are! Thank you so much for listening to me!
Let me leave you with this, which is how I sign off from my podcasts, and it’s more relevant now than ever now: What we do is all about being joyful in the creative process. It’s important to laugh at least once a day for your soul. Laughter is the best medicine, because you can’t O.D. on it and the refills are free!
Check out Rob Paulsen’s appearance on Butch Hartman’s (Fairly OddParents) podcast here.
You can find out more about the amazing Mr. Paulsen and check out his fun podcasts and videos at robpaulsenlive.com
Just because you won’t be sweatily lugging swag bags up and down the San Diego Convention Center this year doesn’t mean the annual info dump of SDCC is letting up! Comic-Con@Home is your digital destination to safely indulge in your craving for animation insights, first-looks, retrospectives and can’t-miss moments with your favorite voice actors and creators. Here’s an abridged, all-animation version of the packed virtual panel schedule so you can best plan your geek week.
Access the Comic-Con@Home program via comic-con.org and/or SDCC’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/ComicCon.
VIRTUAL PANELS All times given are PT.
Star Trek Universe
Thursday, July 23
10 a.m. Star Trek Universe (CBS All Access / CBS TV)
Join the casts and producers from Star Trek: Discovery, new animated series Star Trek: Lower Decksand Star Trek: Picard. Dominic Patten, Deadline senior editor, moderates the panels with an introduction and discussion with Secret Hideout executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin, who give a glimpse of what’s ahead in the ever-expanding franchise.
Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites) — creator, showrunner and executive producer of the upcoming animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, which premieres on CBS All Access on Thursday, August 6 — will debut an exclusive extended first look from the premiere episode. McMahan also moderates a fun discussion with the Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos, including Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome, Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid, Ensign Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells, and Ensign Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero, as well as the ship’s bridge crew including Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis, Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell, Lieutenant Shaxs, voiced by Fred Tatasciore, and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.
10 a.m. Crunchyroll Industry Panel
Hear about all the latest and greatest anime & manga coming out of Crunchyroll straight from the source: panelists Adam Sheehan (director of events, Crunchyroll) and Lauren Stevens (events manager, Crunchyroll). Special prize giveaway and virtual goodies available during the panel.
Apple and Onion
11 a.m. Cartoon Network Studios: The Art of Storyboarding
In this masterclass virtual panel, hear from artists behind some of Cartoon Network Studios’ hit series as they share their journeys, learnings and top tips for aspiring storyboard artists worldwide. Join leading artists behind award-winning shows to learn how a concept or script is brought to life through the beloved art of storyboarding. Panelists include: Mic Graves, director of and voice on The Amazing World of Gumball; Chuck Klein, storyboard royalty and supervising producer/director, Apple & Onion; Julia Pott, creator of and voice on Summer Camp Island; Alabaster Pizzo, storyboard artist, Summer Camp Island.
12 p.m. Cartoon Network Studios First Look
Craig of the Creek voice stars Philip Solomon and Lucia Cunningham unveil announcements and exclusive clips from their show as well as other CN hits Apple & Onion, Ben 10 vs. The Universe: The Movie, Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart, Victor and Valentino and We Bare Bears The Movie.
12 p.m. Duncanville (Fox)
Cast members Amy Poehler (also creator and executive producer), Ty Burrell, Riki Lindhome, Joy Osmanski, Yassir Lester, Betsy Sodaro and guest stars Rashida Jones and Whiz Khalifa join EPs Mike & Julie Scully to unveil an exclusive first-look at Season 2.
12 p.m. 75th Anniversary of Moomin
Moomins are beloved around the world, these famous characters were created by Swedish-speaking Finnish writer and artist Tove Jansson. Despite leaving us in 2001, her legacy leaves behind a Moomin Museum, Moomin theme parks, (both in her native country of Finland, and one in Japan), countless other ways to experience the joy of her creations: films, comic strips, picture books, and a brand new 2019 TV series featuring the voices of Academy Award-winning Kate Winslet, Taron Egerton, Warwick Davis, and Rosamund Pike. Join Marika Makaroff (executive producer of 2019 Moominvalley animated series and CEO of Gutsy Animation), Riika Kuittenen (museum curator for the Moomin Museum), Sirke Happonen (professor of children’s literature and chair of Humanities and Literature of the University of Helsinki, National Museum of Finland), and Jessica Tseang (comic book historian, pop culture speaker) as they explore 75 years of history of Moomin and the secret to the franchise’s longevity.
2 p.m. Music for Animation
Find out what it takes to create the sonic worlds of your favorite animated shows! Learn how creatives in entertainment write songs, create sounds and compose music from songwriters Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (Central Park) and composers Jefferson Friedman (Harley Quinn), Roger Neill (JJ Villaird’s Fairy Tales), Sebastian Evans (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Tim Davies (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia). Moderated by actors Keith David (JJ Villaird’s Fairy Tales, Gargoyles) and Alan Tudyk (Frozen, Harley Quinn).
3 p.m. ThunderCats Roar (Cartoon Network)
Panelists TBA.
4 p.m. The Blacklist Draws on Animation to Complete Season 7 Amid COVID (NBC)
Series creator & executive producer Jon Bokenkamp, exec producer John Eisendrath and cast members Diego Klattenhoff and Harry Lennix are joined by senior visualization supervisors Adam Coglan and Matt Perrin of animation/VFX house Proof, Inc. to discuss the series’ animated pivot. Philiana Ng moderates.
Looney Tunes Cartoons
4 p.m. Bugs Bunny’s 80th Anniversary Extravaganza
Take a trip through eight decades of laughs and carrots when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) presents an all-encompassing look at one of the world’s most beloved and recognizable stars. Join three of the current voices of Bugs Bunny — Billy West (Space Jam, Futurama, Doug), Jeff Bergman (Tiny Toon Adventures, Our Cartoon President) and Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons, Muppet Babies) — alongside Looney Tunes Cartoons executive producer Pete Browngardt (Uncle Grandpa); movie historian, author and TV personality Leonard Maltin (Entertainment Tonight); animation historian and author Jerry Beck (Animation Scoop); and Warner Archive senior vice president George Feltenstein as they cover the gamut of Bugs’ history from theatrical shorts to Saturday morning cartoons and the new HBO Max series. Actress Yvette Nicole Brown (Community, Avengers: Endgame, DC Super Hero Girls) will moderate the panel.
4 p.m. Inside the Voice Actors Studio
Inside the Voice Actors Studio will give an inside look at what it really takes to become a voice actor in this day and age, with a focus on the new challenges facing the profession as a whole. Hosted by Tony Oliver (voice director and actor), and joined by Dee Bradley Baker, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Laura Stahl, this panel will discuss the essentials that new actors need to know as they launch their journeys into the industry, as well as what kind of experiences they can expect along the way. The panelists will also speak to the effects of the recent shut-downs and industry changes occurring due to the pandemic, social unrest and shifting paradigms.
Close Enough
5 p.m. Close Enough (HBO Max)
Join JG Quintel, creator of the Emmy Award-winning Regular Show, for a panel and table read for his new series — a surreal animated comedy produced by Cartoon Network Studios about a married couple, their five-year-old daughter and their two divorced best friends/roommates all living together on the east-side of Los Angeles. Jason Mantzoukas (Alex), Gabrielle Walsh (Emily), Kimiko Glenn (Bridgette) and Jessica DiCicco (Candice) will join Quintel (Josh) and Calvin Wong (supervising producer) and moderator William Salyers (Regular Show) to discuss the show’s themes of navigating the transitional 30s, juggling work and kids, and pursuing your dreams, while avoiding time-traveling snails, stripper clowns and murderous mannequins.
5 p.m. The State of the Industry: Animation Superstars
ASIFA-Hollywood and some of the brightest talents in animation will assemble for a lively discussion about the inner workings of the animation biz! Moderator David Derks (vice president of ASIFA-Hollywood VP), Jorge Gutierrez (The Book of Life), Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Brooke Keesling (head of animation talent development at Bento Box), Mike Hollingsworth (BoJack Horseman) and Alonso Ramirez Ramos (Disney Mickey Mouse).
Friday, July 24
10 a.m. HBO Max: The Cartoon Network Studios Collection
HBO Max and Cartoon Network Studios are excited to share a few highlights from their amazing collaboration. Show creators Myke Chilian of Tig n’ Seek, Stephen P. Neary of The Fungies and Julia Pott of Summer Camp Island will gather to take a look into what makes these shows truly awesome. Hear from cast members, watch exclusive content and learn to draw a few of your favorite new friends.
C’mon grab your friends for a special return to the Land of Ooo and beyond! Based on the animated series Adventure Time by show creator Pendleton Ward and executive producer Adam Muto, these four specials explore the unseen corners of the world with both familiar and exciting brand-new characters. Join moderator Michaela Dietz (“Amethyst” from Steven Universe), as she shares all of the ba-nay-nay details about the BMO special from Muto (executive producer), Glory Curda (Y5), Olivia Olson (Marceline) and Niki Yang (BMO). Plus, stick around for a righteous sneak peek of the second special, Obsidian. It’s gonna be so spice! Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, now streaming on HBO Max.
12 p.m. Infinity Train(HBO Max)
The mysterious and compelling fan-favorite series from Cartoon Network Studios and HBO Max pulls in for a triumphant return to Comic-Con this year. Climb aboard and join Owen Dennis (series creator), Madeline Queripel (supervising director), and show writers Alex Horab, Lindsay Katai and Justin Michael as they look back on Books One and Two and reveal a sneak peek of Book Three, only on HBO Max.
Dark Horse Comics, Abrams Books and Nickelodeon treat fans to a panel worthy of the Avatar! Join Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra creators and writers Michael DiMartino, Faith Erin Hicks, F.C. Yee and Gene Luen Yang for a further exploration of the beloved world as it has grown and changed since the animated series has ended.
1 p.m. YOLO: Crystal Fantasy (Adult Swim)
Travel to Wollongong, Australia with the cast and crew of Adult Swim’s newest animated comedy. Show creator Michael Cusack is joined by writer/actor Tod Manojlovic and actress Sarah Bishop. Moderated by Zach White, who is just happy to be there. Premieres August 9 on Adult Swim. The first episode is available to watch now online!
2 p.m. 12 oz. Mouse (Adult Swim)
Panel with cast and crew, including show creator Matt Maiellaro (Mouse) and voice actors Mary Spender (Woman), Ned Hastings (Blonde Long-Haired Man) and Paul Painter (Buzby), editor John Brestan and producer/animator Nicholas Ingkatanuwat. Moderated by Max Simonet. New season premieres July 20 on Adult Swim — watch the first episode online!
3 p.m. HBO Max Adult Animation
Join show creators of Robot Chicken, Samurai Jack, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, Black Dynamite, Lazor Wulf and Final Space as they share their favorite San Diego Comic-Con memories. Panelists include Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Genndy Tartakovsky, Carl Jones, Henry Bonsu and Olan Rogers.
3 p.m. Zoom into Xadia: The Dragon Prince (Netflix)
Series creators and voice actors celebrate the saga so far, perform some behind-the-scenes skits, give a sneak peek of upcoming books, and answer fans’ burning questions submitted via social media. Participants include Aaron Ehasz (co-creator), Justin Richmond (co-creator), Paula Burrows (Rayla), Jack De Sena (Callum), Sasha Rojen (Ezran), Erik Todd Dellums (Aaravos), Racquel Belmonte (Claudia), Jesse Inocalla (Soren) and Jason Simpson (Viren).
4 p.m. Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Creator & executive producer Loren Bouchard is joined by cast members H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Larry Murphy to debut new footage, partake in a panel discussion and answer fan questions.
Crossing Swords
4 p.m. Crossing Swords
From the producers of Robot Chicken, Hulu Original Crossing Swords centers on good-hearted hero wannabe Patrick who lands his dream job as a squire, only to learn the royal castle is a corrupt hornet’s nest of horny monarchs, crooks and charlatans. War, murder, full frontal nudity — who knew brightly colored peg people led such exciting lives? Moderated by award-winning film critic Scott Mantz, series creators John Harvatine IV and Tom Root are joined by cast members Adam Ray (“Ruben”), Tara Strong (“Coral”), Seth Green (“Blinkerquartz”), Alanna Ubach (“Queen Tulip”), Adam Pally (“Broth”) and Yvette Nicole Brown (“Sgt. Meghan”) to discuss the new adult animated series and give attendees an idea of what to expect for Season 2.
6 p.m. TZGZ’s Adult Animated Originals (SYFY)
Prepare to depart on a journey of animated bliss and get the first look at four new originals coming to TZGZ, SYFY’s late-night adult animation block! Take a magical “trip” with the fantastically flustered High Wizard as he transports us into the zany worlds of each new show.
Moderated by Baron Vaughn (SYFY WIRE’s The Great Debate), join the creators and celebrity voices of Wild Life — Claudia O’Doherty (Trainwreck), Reggie Watts (The Late Late Show with James Corden), Adam Davies (creator/EP);Hell Den— Neil Garguilo (showrunner/EP/co-creator/writer/star), Justin Ware (EP/co-creator/writer/star), Zabeth Russell (writer/star);Magical Girl Friendship Squad — Anna Akana (Let It Snow), Quinta Brunson (A Black Lady Sketch Show), Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live), Kelsey Stephanides (creator/showrunner); and Devil May Care — Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien), Asif Ali (BoJack Horseman), Douglas Goldstein (creator/EP) — for an exclusive sneak peek at the future of late-night animation on SYFY.
Archer
5 p.m. Archer (FX Networks)
Voice stars Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash and Lucky Yates discuss the upcoming 11th season with executive producer Casey Willis.
Saturday, July 25
10 a.m. Warner Archive’s Secret Origins of Saturday Morning Cartoons
Dip behind the curtain to reveal the beginnings of the beloved tradition of Saturday Morning cartoons with movie historian, author and TV personality Leonard Maltin (Entertainment Tonight), animation historian and author Jerry Beck (Animation Scoop), Warner Archive Home Entertainment SVP of theater catalog marketing George Feltenstein and the Warner Archive Podcast team of D.W. Ferranti and Matthew Patterson. The panelists will offer a grand history of the evolution of animation — from silver screen shorts to full-fledged television cartoons — with glimpses along the way of Tex Avery, Popeye and Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies, as well as Space Ghost and DinoBoy, Jonny Quest, Lippy the Lion and more! Author, NBC/MSNBC political analyst and SiriusXM on-air host and director of progressive programming Zerlina Maxwell (The End of White Politics) will moderate.
11 a.m. The Simpsons (Fox)
Voice star Yeardley Smith moderates a talk about Season 32 with producers, writers and directors Al Jean, Matt Selman, David Silverman, Carolyn Omine and Mike B. Anderson.
12 p.m. The Amazing Brutus: Unusual Places to Find a Great Animated Story
Ricardo Arnaiz (El Americano: The Movie) will share the story behind his new animated film project, The Amazing Brutus, and how great stories can come from the most unusual places, like in this case, an accountant with a great idea and love for the animals and their care. Armando Ibarra and his son Christian Ibarra will talk about the inspiration of what can become one of the best animated films of 2022.
12 p.m. Bless The Harts (Fox)
Exec producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Andy Bobrow crack open some boxed wine, break out their paint brushes and have a nice familial chat with cast members Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, Jillian Bell and Fortune Feimster about Season 1 and what’s to come in Season 2.
12 p.m. Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe (Disney+)
Creators and executive producers Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh gather ’round the virtual table with director Bob Bowen and cast members Ashley Tisdale, Vincent Martella, Maulik Pancholy and Dee Bradley Baker
1 p.m. American Dad! (TBS)
Ever wanted to learn how to draw one of your favorite American Dad! characters? Now is your chance! Join supervising director Brent Woods as he teaches the cast and executive producers how to draw Roger! Grab a sketchbook & pens and learn to draw everyone’s favorite alien alongside Rachael MacFarlane (Hayley), Wendy Schaal (Francine), Scott Grimes (Steve), Dee Bradley Baker (Klaus) and EPs Nic Wegener and Joe Chandler as they chat about the current season and look toward the series’ 300th episode airing on TBS this fall.
2 p.m. Family Guy (Fox)
Voice cast Seth MacFarlane (also series creator), Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green and executive producers Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin and Kara Vallow toast 350 episodes with a virtual table read.
2 p.m. Mexico’s Magnificent Stop-Motion Seven
Meet the masters of stop-motion who have conquered 13 Ariel Awards for animation in 20 years and more around the world. Currently working on computer animated and full stop-motion feature films, these bold Mexicans are about to take the world under the wing and guidance of none other than Academy Award Winner Guillermo del Toro. Panelists are Karla Castañeda (La Noria), Luis Téllez (Viva El Rey), Sofía Carrillo (La Casa Triste), Juan José Medina (Jaulas), Rita Basulto (Lluvia en los ojos), León Fernández (Taller de corazones) and Rene Castillo (Poncho Balón). Moderated by Rodolfo Guzman.
3 p.m. Sailor Moon
Panelists TBA
4 p.m. Cartoon Voices
Mark Evanier (The Garfield Show) hosts a celebration of those who speak for animated characters, featuring four of the most-heard voices around: Laraine Newman (Bob’s Burgers), Bill Farmer (Goofy), Misty Lee (Squirrel Girl) and Dee Bradley Baker (Daffy Duck). They discuss their craft and demonstrate what they do with a very odd reading of Little Red Riding Hood.
Sunday, July 26
10 a.m. Animated Illustration
Panelists TBA.
10 a.m. Hoops (Fox/Netflix)
The star-studded voice the new adult animated series for Netflix launching this summer from 20th Century Fox Television gather for an irreverent-in-the-best-way conversation about coming together to make this show that follows a foul-mouthed high school basketball coach who is sure he’ll hit the big leagues if he can only turn his terrible team around. Voice stars Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle, Ron Funches, Natasha Leggero, Cleo King and A.D. Miles join creator and executive producer Ben Hoffman and moderator/guest voice star Max Greenfield for a truly wild and hilarious Q&A. Fans will be treated to an exclusive first look at footage from the premiere episode. Hoops comes from writer-comedian Hoffman (The Late Late Show with James Corden, Archer), Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie), with animation produced by Bento Box (Bob’s Burgers).
11 a.m. Adventures in Spanish Voice Acting
Estimates place the Latin American dubbing market at 450 million consumers, and Mexico produces 65% of it. As entertainment providers look to profit in that area, they face the challenge of publishing in neutral Spanish to serve all countries equally. Hear the stories from Mexican voice actors Cristina Hernández (Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Padme Amidala), Sebastián Llapur (Darth Vader, Daffy Duck) and Claudia Motta (Bart Simpson, Pikachu) about the different obstacles they’ve had to overcome to become successful in this industry, and how Mexico is changing the way dubbing is done in Latin America. Hugo A. Castro (Gamacon founder and CEO) will moderate.
12 p.m. HBO Max and Cartoon Network Studios: Summer Camp Island, Fungies, Tig N’ Seek, Esme & Roy
Panelists TBA.
1 p.m. Looney Tunes Cartoons (HBO Max)
Executive producer Pete Browngardt, supervising producer Alex Kirwan and art director Aaron Spurgeon join voice cast members Eric Bauza, Bob Bergen, Jeff Bergman and Candi Milo for the looniest and liveliest panel at the ’Con. The creative team will exclusively premiere an all-new cartoon and take fans into the process of bringing Bugs, Daffy, Porky and the other iconic Looney Tunes characters back to the screen. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, now streaming on HBO Max.
2 p.m. LGBTQ Comics and Popular Media for Young People
Comics and animation are universal mediums that have recently made huge leaps in presenting LGBTQ-inclusive stories and characters for young audiences. These groundbreaking successes have made unique creative opportunities for LGBTQ storytellers. A mix of animation and publishing storytellers discuss their projects and answer the questions: How do they approach LGBTQ content and characters for tweens & teens? What are the new and upcoming projects to watch for? And how do new LGBTQ creators find their voice and get their start? Join Prism Comics, moderator Cort Lane (Marvel Rising, Ultimate Spider-Man) and talented panelists Gina Gagliano (publishing director, Random House Graphic), Trung Le Nguyen a.k.a. Trungles (The Magic Fish, Twisted Romance), Alex Sanchez (You Brought Me the Ocean), Noelle Stevenson (Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power), Mariko Tamaki (Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass), Brittney Williams (Goldie Vance, DC Super Hero Girls), and Michael Vogel (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Young Justice) as they look at the world of LGBTQ storytelling for the young fans of today and creators of tomorrow.
2 p.m. Robotech: The Next Phase
The Harmony Gold team talks about exciting new Robotech merchandise and licenses, updates on the continuing Robotech Remix comic series, the live-action Robotech film and our new partnership for future Robotech with Funimation!
TBA
Solar Opposites (Hulu)
Hulu Original Solar Opposites centers around a team of four aliens who escape their exploding home world only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. They are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Justin Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) only see the pollution, crass consumerism, and human frailty while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love humans and all their TV, junk food and fun stuff. Their mission: protect the Pupa, a living super computer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth. Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan are co-creators;.executive producers and writers are Roiland, McMahan and Josh Bycel. Produced by 20th Century Fox Television for Hulu.
HBO Max continues to bulk up its adult animation originals, winning out in an auction and ordering a pilot episode for Chinos — conceived by Fresh Off the Boat creator Eddie Huang. The writer/producer (and food personality) is executive producing the series with his producing partner Raf Martinez, acclaimed tattoo artist Dr. Woo and comics artist/designer Bernard Chang, who will also serve as art director.
Huang and Martinez established their production banner Color Correct with the goal of identifying and nurturing the next generation of diverse storytellers.
With Chinos, audiences will encounter the urban subcultures of Los Angeles through the lens of the Asian-American experience. The show “will shatter the model minority myth and hopefully usher in a generation of Asian American storytellers that do not feel beholden to the expectations of others,” Huang told Deadline.
India’s Animation Masters Summit, hosted by Technopark-based Toonz Media Group, is a prestigious event that brings together the greatest minds in the field of entertainment. While the summit is held every year in the city of Trivandrum, Kerala, this year in response to the evolving circumstances, Toonz is taking its flagship event to the next level.
Toonz Media Group has therefor announced Animation Masters Summit 2020 – Digital. The five-day event will be held over the Zoom virtual platform from July 20 to 24, 2020. Interested participants can register for the event for free by logging on to www.animationsummit.in.
P. Jayakumar
“Animation Masters Summit is part of the Toonz legacy, and the first edition of the event was held in 1999, the year when Toonz was established. Over the years, AMS has evolved and now, because of the prevailing circumstances, we are hosting AMS 2020 virtually,” said Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar. “The most exciting aspect of Animation Masters Summit – Digital edition is that anybody from any part of the world can be a part of this event. In that sense, AMS has scaled up manifold by going digital and becoming truly global. Participation in the event is free and open to all. We expect to reach out to a wide, diverse audience through the virtual event.”
In tune with prevailing circumstances, the theme for AMS 2020 – Digital is `Connecting Minds: Unravelling New Possibilities’. As always, the stellar speaker line-up for AMS 2020 consists of masters from diverse fields in the entertainment industry who will lead the virtual sessions. Confirmed speakers for AMS 2020 include acclaimed animation feature editor Fabienne Rawley of Zootopia fame; veteran Indian cinematographer Ravi K Chandran, whose works include Virasat, Dil Chahta Hai, Black and Kannathil Muthamittal; renowned Bollywood composer Shantanu Moitra (Parineeta, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Lage Raho Munnabhai); and Quentin Staes-Polet, gaming expert and General Manager India and SEA, Epic Games.
The event will also have panel discussions, involving industry leaders who will discuss exploring new ways for the entertainment and content production industry to collaborate and stay ahead of the challenges in the post-pandemic situation.
Established in 1999 as the first significant animation industry event in Asia, Animation Master Summit (previously known as Week with the Masters) is a not-for-profit event organized by Toonz Media Group that seeks to bring together animation experts and leading professionals from around the world to showcase their mastery of the craft. AMS also provides a platform for young artists seeking knowledge and inspiration to interact with these masters.
HBO Max has debuted the first trailer for Tig n’ Seek, a new animated series for all ages created by writer/director/animator Myke Chilian (Uncle Grandpa, China, IL) and produced by Cartoon Network Studios. The 2D Max Original toon premieres on the platform Thursday, July 23.
Tig n’ Seek follows an upbeat and eccentric eight-year-old boy named Tiggy and his cat, Gweeseek. Tiggy not only works at the Department of Lost and Found — finding lost items all throughout Wee-Gee City — he lives there, too! Though he tries to help his friends whenever he can, his over-eagerness and neurotic quirks often lead to chaos in the Department. Tiggy’s partner and best friend is his cat, Gweeseek. She’s a graceful, friendly kitty who appears to be a normal cat, but is also capable of inventing extraordinary gadgets to help her friends in times of need. Join Tig n’ Seek as they navigate the wacky day-to-day dilemmas of working at the Department of Lost and Found.
The show is based on Chillian’s film Tiggle Winks for Cartoon Network’s in-house shorts program.
The series stars creator Myke Chilian as Tiggy, Rich Fulcher as Boss, Jemaine Clement as This Guy and Wanda Sykes as Nuritza. Guest stars on this season include Louie Anderson, Maryann Strossner and many more.
Catch the August issue of Animation Magazine to read more about the latest HBO Max toon! Available soon in print and digital.
WarnerMedia, a division of AT&T Inc., today announced that Johannes Larcher will join the company in August as Head of HBO Max International. He will report to Gerhard Zeiler, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia & President, WarnerMedia International Networks.
“I got to know Johannes as a passionate entrepreneur. His leadership skills, together with his strong direct-to-consumer and digital experience, international business foundations and tech expertise give him the perfect background to drive the growth of HBO Max beyond the United States,” said Zeller.
Larcher will be responsible for the international rollout and management of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer product HBO Max, which launched successfully in the U.S. on May 27, 2020. His first focus will be the launch in Latin America, which is expected in 2021.
Larcher will work closely with Whit Richardson, President, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, Latin America and Priya Dogra, President, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, EMEA & APAC.
“Living at the crossroads of digital technology and content, I’m thrilled to help create unforgettable entertainment experiences for consumers in international markets and make HBO Max an indispensable streaming service around the world,” commented Larcher.
Johannes Larcher currently serves as Managing Director, Digital at MBC Group, the Middle East’s leading media company based in Dubai; where he successfully transformed the group’s flagship digital product, Shahid VIP, into the world’s largest Arabic language video streaming service with over 1.4 million subscribers. From 2016 to 2018, he was Co-Founder and CEO of SubVRsive in Austin, Texas, a WPP funded, Emmy-nominated virtual and augmented reality studio. From 2009 – 2013, he served Hulu as Senior Vice President, International, where he led the launch and initial growth phase of Hulu Japan.
Earlier, Larcher was president and CEO of online video education start- up Academy123, sold to Discovery; and served as GM International for paid search pioneer Overture Services until its acquisition by Yahoo! in 2003. Larcher started his career in 1995 at McKinsey in Los Angeles, where he served media, entertainment and technology clients.
Larcher holds a Master of Arts from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
HBO Max is home to many animated streaming favorites, including titles drawn from the Warner Bros. Animation, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network & Adult Swim libraries, as well as originals such as Adventure Time: Distant Lands, Jellystone!, Looney Tunes Cartoons, continuations of Infinity Train and Summer Camp Island, and upcoming The Boondocks reboot. The platform also holds U.S. streaming rights to the Studio Ghibli film collection and a growing selection of anime curated by Crunchyroll.
Keith Chapman Productions (PAW Patrol) and partners Studio Liddell in the U.K. (Ranger Rob, Cloudbabies) and Alpha Group in China have opened the gates to Camp Furly (52 x 11′)! The CG-animated show is being pitched, in collaboration with Raydar Media, to global broadcasters and streaming platforms for estimated delivery spring/summer 2022.
The TV series, now in pre-production, inclusively welcomes upper preschool viewers to join the funny, friendly and eco-focused Furlies on wild adventures in the great outdoors – centered around the most amazing, inspiring, eco-powered activity camp through the seasons for an un-fur-gettable experience!
The fresh air friends face challenges set by Camp Skippers who watch over the Furlies’ free-range fun and frolics. There’s all the excitement of zip-wiring, rock-climbing, treetop-trekking and solar-biking along with sing-song campfire moments and life-skill lessons to learn in nature. Camp Furly is a seedbed aiming to raise more confident, considerate and environmentally-conscious kids. Furlies encourage children to play the “natural way” to discover the true value of teamwork and friendship.
Camp Furly and its spectacular environs are also home to fascinating Furly wildlife living in the surrounding forest, mountains, lakes and rivers around. Frizzles and Dingbang are a couple of capering bears whose chaotic comedy is a great natural cure for the grizzles!
“Our aim is to engage preschool kids worldwide through vivid animation; to spark their curiosity and imagination around nature; to nurture a playful connection to the amazing, natural world from a young age which may have a more serious, positive change-making impact for this generation’s future,” said Executive Producer Isaac Lin, Head of Global Content and Brands, Alpha Group.
Raydar Media is managing all broadcast and consumer products rights and strategy outside of China and Asia, while Alpha Group are a co-producer and global master toy partner handling distribution and consumer products in China and Asia.
Matt Braly’s popular and imaginative series Amphibia will begin its second season on Disney Channel on July 11. The show, which is currently in production for its third season, finds the lead character Anne (voiced by Brenda Song) and her friends the Plantars on a quest to unlock the mysteries of the music box as they leave their safe world for the distant city of Newtopia. Matt was kind enough to take the time to chat with us and reveal a few details about the second season of his show.
Animag: OK, first things first, congrats on the success of your show and embarking on the second season. Can you tell us a little bit about what we can look forward to this summer?
Matt Braly: Thank you so much. Yes, we have a lot happening this season. Last year, we were introducing the characters and they were in a stationary position and stuck in one area. But this season, we are embarking on a crazy adventure, a road trip deal and the gloves are off. We are going to be exploring the world beyond their town and visit diverse locations. I’m a huge fan of Zelda and the land of Hyrule. So this is kind of our tribute to that. Our gang are on their way to this huge metropolis of Netwopia, which is kind of our Gondor — a cultural focal point and the center of Amphibia. But we will stop at a number of interesting and surprising destinations along the way (which I won’t be able to reveal more at this point).
Matt Braly
What kind of creative opportunities did working on the second season of you show open up for you along the way?
Much of the first season of the show we were busy setting up the premise and establishing each of the characters and making their personalities recognizable. It was about making the audience grow attached to them. Now that we have done some of that, we are able to explore the world and build the lore around these characters. It’s a bit of a magic trick. First seasons are about gestating and getting to know the characters, and second seasons are about following the adventures of these characters that we’re invested in.
How long does it take to produce each season?
Last year, at this time, we were getting ready to premiere the show. So, I feel like each season takes about a year. I can’t believe a year has gone by since we talked about the first season. Some things are overlapping, of course. Right now, we are still working on Season Two while we’ve already started on Season Three. The first season, we had one double-length episode (which was half-hour) which was the reunion finale of the show. This season, we are a bit more ambitious and have four double-length episodes. We’re cooking with gas!
Can you talk about the special guest stars you have lined up?
We have that world-famous amphibian Kermit the Frog appearing on the show. I have to give credit to the Houghton brothers, creators of Big City Greens. When I worked on their show, they kept pitching me this idea of Fozzie Bear coming in as a guest, but playing an actor in the role. So we are taking a page from that. We also have the amazing George Takei, who is a huge Asian-American role model and a personal favorite of mine. I’m also a big fan of Keith David’s, the voice of Dr. Facilier on The Princess and the Frog and Goliath on Gargoyles, and so happy that he is voicing a pretty important new character on the show. Also, very pleased that Alex Hirsch (creator of Gravity Falls) also agreed to give us some voices this season!
Amphibia
What were some of your big challenges this year? How did you all deal with the work-at-home requirements?
Before the COVID-19 situation happened, I would have said that our biggest challenge was keeping up with all the continuity and serializing details of the show as we expand this world and add new territories and characters. But as it turns out, the fact that we had to work from home presented us with a new set of challenges. We were about finished with boarding the second season and we were just getting some color coming from our overseas studios, Rough Draft and Saerom in South Korea, when it all happened. It was a very difficult situation, but I have never been more proud of this team for what they’ve managed to accomplish. I think it’s a miracle that we were able to have the show air this summer.
What were some of the more difficult aspects of working away from the studio?
I would say editorial and recording all the talent has been difficult. Our voice casting department had to get everyone set up at their homes. Some of the cast had more experience and had done more voice acting before, so their setups at home were better. Our lead actress, Brenda Song, had to get into a closet and do what she can to do her recordings. Veteran voice actor Bill Farmer, on the other hand, had a wonderful recording equipment already set up and was able to jump in right away!
Has your life changed at all since you got your own successful animated show on Disney?
I don’t think it has changed that much. The only thing that is a bit weirder is when I used to go to industry meetups or parties, the line between networking or social outings had changed. Friends would come up to me and ask me whether I had any jobs available on the show. I would have to say, “Sorry, no … and Happy Fourth of July!” This is the first time I am an employer of sorts, so that is the only thing that has been different.
And no, I haven’t had a random person at Wal-Mart point at me and say, “Oh, look, that’s the Amphibia guy!” … And I honestly hope that never happens to me! I am sad that I won’t be able to interact with fans at Comic-Con this year, but we are preparing a fun sizzle piece that we’ll release on YouTube around that time, so people will have something fun to watch. But I’m sad that we can’t all get together in an overpacked, sweaty room and tell stories about the show!
Amphibia
Did you receive any memorable responses from fans that have stuck with you?
I have gotten quite a bit of fan mail both from young viewers and some older viewers as well. I have to say what touches me most is when I am contact by Thais and Thai Americans who are so excited that our main character Anne is Thai.
Final thoughts on the second season?
We are going to see some exciting new characters that are going to be introduced. We will have three new core cast members, but there’s one that is very big. But I can’t say any more!
Season two of Amphibia guest stars include Kermit the Frog, Jenifer Lewis, George Takei, Kristen Schaal, Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery, Tress MacNeille, Marlow Barkley, Mia Allan and Ella Allan, Haley Tju, Keith David, Susan Egan and Flula Borg. A new short-form series Chibi Tiny Tales, spotlighting chibi-style versions of favorite Disney Channel characters embarking on wild adventures together, will continue to roll out Sundays on Disney Channel YouTube. The first six shorts highlight Anne and the Plantar family. In two new Theme Song Takeover shorts debuting later this year, Sasha and her Toad Army conquer the theme song with their own lyrics, while Sprig transforms the theme song into an 8-bit videogame. Amphibia t-shirts and pop sockets are currently available at Amazon.com/DisneyChannel, including an exclusive t-shirt designed by creator and executive producer Matt Braly.
ShortsTV, the first and only 24/7 cable TV channel dedicated to short movies, and TVCortos, its sister channel broadcast across Latin America, have announced a new initiative to support filmmakers and film festivals around the globe. Partnering with select film festivals across the United States, Latin America and India, ShortsTV and TVCortos will air the festivals’ respective films and their opening and closing ceremonies, along with additional programming around the festivals, beginning this July and continuing through 2021 on their broadcast channels worldwide.
ShortsTV, the exclusive presenter of the Oscar Nominated Short Films theatrical releases for the last 15 years and long-time advocate for short-form creators and distributors, is launching this partnership as an opportunity to assist key film festivals and the filmmakers they support that have been impacted by the global pandemic.
“The festival circuit is working hard to overcome setbacks due to the pandemic and we want to help. We’ve opened up the ShortsTV and TVCortos networks and are turning them over to leading film festivals globally, getting their films and the festival excitement on air,” said ShortsTV/TVCortos CEO and Founder Carter Pilcher. “The response by the festivals has been amazing and the partnerships we’ve formed will transform the festival circuit. Regional festivals will suddenly have audiences across the globe and viewers will get never-before-seen insight directly into some of the world’s most exciting films festivals and cultures.”
The initiative will launch with Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF), Latin America’s largest, most competitive and prestigious film festival. In its 23rd year, the festival will continue on TVCortos, ShortsTV’s Latin American channel, with one-hour programming blocks during the festival’s original in-person dates, July 17- 26, that will include festival films, opening and closing ceremonies, interviews, and culminate with a marathon of all the episodes on July 26.
“At GIFF, we are super excited about our collaboration with TVCortos,” said Sarah Hoch, GIFF’s executive director. “It comes in a year where so many festivals are at risk of cancellation. We, fortunately, were able to save our festival but with new dates in September. Being able to celebrate on our original July dates, with an exciting lineup, on TVCortos is a fantastic opportunity for us and for audiences as well. Thank you ShortsTV and TVCortos!”
The first wave of announced festival partnerships thus far by region is as follows:
UNITED STATES
Indy Shorts International Film Festival The largest short film festival in the Midwest, Indy Shorts is an Academy Award-qualifying festival that showcases storytelling from around the world in Indianapolis. The festival has moved virtual, and will be screening 18 programs and 120+ short films online, as well as Q&As with the filmmakers. More than $30,000 in cash will be awarded to winners in 11 categories. During the festival, taking place July 21-26, 2020, four outdoor screenings will be hosted at The Tibbs Drive-In Theatre, the last standing Indianapolis drive-in. (heartlandfilm.org/indyshorts)
Prindie Film Festival The Princeton Independent Film Festival, now in its fifth year, is a nonprofit organization that brings international, independent films to Princeton, New Jersey. In 2020, all Official Selection Films (without a current distribution deal) will be entitled to a US Broadcast offer on ShortsTV. In addition to this, the Grand Jury, Grand Live Action, Grand Documentary & Grand Animation winners will be entitled to an international distribution with Shorts International Limited if they do not already have a deal. The festival will take place in September 2020. (www.prindiefest.com)
Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest The host of South Carolina’s only horror film festival will be curating a selection of films made by winners from the May 2020 Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest. The festival films and award show winners will be broadcast during Halloween week. (www.crimsonscreenfilmfest.org)
INDIA
Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) ShortsTV has partnered with Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) to showcase the 2020 Indian Competition Section with all of the finalists on the ShortsTV channel. BISFF is India’s first and the only Oscar Accredited Film festival in the “Live Action” category. The festival takes placeAugust 13-16, 2020 and ShortsTV will be screening the finalist films from August 12-16, 2020. The winner and two runner up films will be announced on the finale night, August 16, on ShortsTV. (www.bisff.in/index.php)
LATIN AMERICA
Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) Now in its 23rd year, Latin America’s largest, most competitive and prestigious film festival, will continuing the festival on TVCortos, ShortsTV’s Latin American channel, with one-hour programming blocks from July 17- 26, 2020 that will include festival films, opening and closing ceremonies, interviews, and culminate with a marathon of all the episodes on July 26. (giff.mx/home-3)
Shorts Mexico The 15th edition of Shorts México, the International Short Film Festival of Mexico, will take place September 2-9, 2020, but will air on TVCortos. (shortsmexico.com)
FACIUNI Becas This student-led film festival, which is part of DirecTV’s Corporate Social Responsibility program, takes place in the nine Latin American countries where DirecTV Latin America operates, with one winner from each country. TVCortos will be airing all nine short films in November 2020, as well as interviewing the student filmmakers. (faciuni.com/ar/home)
Bogoshorts Celebrating its 18th year, the Bogoshorts festival premieres more than 400 films from both Colombia and worldwide in 13 different sections. The festival takes place each December 2020, and will air on TVCortos during that time. (festival.bogoshorts.com)
CINELEBU The only film festival in Chile to qualify short films for the Oscar Awards in the categories, International Animation, Regional and International Fiction, will premiere on ShortsTV in February 2021. (cinelebu.cl)
Keep up with ShortsTV social channels for updates on the festivals by following on Facebook.com/ShortsTVUS.
For more information on ShortsTV and how to watch, please visit Shorts.tv.
Nickelodeon announced today that it has greenlit a 20-episode second season of its new hit animated series It’s Pony, which follows the comedic adventures of Annie and her best friend — who just so happens to be an enthusiastic, impulsive and carefree pony. Season two will premiere domestically in 2021, followed by a rollout across Nickelodeon’s international markets.
It’s Pony is currently one of the top three animated series with Kids 2-11 across all TV, only behind Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House. The premiere of It’s Pony (1/18/20) was Nickelodeon’s highest-rated animation launch with Kids 2-11 since 2018.
“The overwhelming reaction to the first season of It’s Pony has been phenomenal, and fans have been champing at the bit for a second season,” said Nina Hahn, Senior Vice President of Development and Production, Nickelodeon. “We are thrilled to greenlight season two of a show where no matter what happens, everything is better when Annie and Pony are together.”
In season two, Annie and her ever-loving, ever-funny Pony take their city by storm! Whether they are crashing a comic convention or battling a swarm of revenge-seeking flies, Annie and Pony’s adventures test the limits of their friendship like never before. Pony’s unpredictability may be a lot to handle, but Annie wouldn’t have it any other way. Throughout everyday life and extraordinary shenanigans, Annie’s life is better with Pony around.
The series stars Jessica DiCicco (Adventure Time) as Annie, an optimistic and determined farm girl living in the city with her family and best friend Pony; Josh Zuckerman (Strange Angel) as Pony, who is naïve and impulsive, but loves Annie more than anything; Abe Benrubi (E.R.) as Dad, who treats Pony as a nuisance, but recognizes the special bond he shares with Annie; and India de Beaufort (All Hail King Julien) as Mom, who loves Annie and Pony’s relationship and always has a new prank in the works.
Created by Ant Blades, It’s Pony is inspired by a short from Nickelodeon’s 2015 International Animated Shorts Program.
CAKE announces a deal with The Walt Disney Company Germany for the fungi frolics of Mush-Mush & the Mushables, produced by France’s La Cabane and Belgium’s Thuristar in co-production with CAKE. The CGI comedy-adventure will launch on Disney Channel in autumn 2021. Created by Elfriede de Rooster and directed by Joeri Christiaen (My Knight and Me), the show has already been picked up Piwi+, Canal+ Family (France), VRT-Ketnet, RTBF (Belgium), RTS (Switzerland), RTL Telekids (Netherlands) and Boomerang (international). Copyrights Group is global licensing agent.
Mush-Mush & the Mushables (48 x 11’ & 2 x 22’ specials) follows the comedy adventures of the Mushable community as together they put the fun back into fungi! As pocket-sized Guardians of the Forest, each Mushable has a special gift. While Mush-Mush can communicate with nature, Lilit shines bright like a light and Chep has an impressive memory. As they get to know their talents and their limits, the Mushables find there is still a lot to discover about growing up … A fun journey of self-discovery, exciting outdoor adventure and mush, mush more!
Fireman Sam
Channel 5 (U.K.) is further expanding the content pipeline for its preschool programming block, Milkshake!, with re-commissions for Monkey’s Amazing Adventures, Bop-Box and new series acquisition Fireman Sam (Mattel/WildBrain), ViacomCBS Networks U.K. kids’ programming VP Louise Bucknole announced during the virtual Children’s Media Conference.
The news followed an announcement by the BFI that Channel 5 has commissioned Circle Square, Milo, Winnie & Wilbur and The World According To Grandpawith support from the BFI Young Audiences Production Content Fund (YACF). Bucknole has also revealed Channel 5’s involvement in the development funding of preschool craft show Pop Paper City. being produced by LoveLove Films and also a YACF development funding winner. The show is a unique blend of live-action and 3D animation, offering a completely new way of doing craft interwoven with exciting character led adventures.
ALVINNN!!! & The Chipmunks
Bagdasarian Productions’ ALVINNN!!! & The Chipmunks, produced in collaboration with Technicolor Animation Productions, will be causing a rodent ruckus on Disney Channel Spain thanks to a new deal secured by international distributor (exc. France/U.S.) PGS Entertainment. The agreement covers the four produced seasonas and three upcoming seasons for a total package of 364 x 11′, and makes Disney Channel the show’s free-to-air broadcast home in the territory until at least 2029. The deal also marks the first license to the international network for ALVINNN!!!
Presented in CGI-animation, ALVINNN!!! & the Chipmunks reflects the trials and tribulations of a single parent, David Seville, trying to raise six hyperactive Chipmunks. Like most parents, Dave’s patience will be pushed to the limit, forcing him to end many sentences with the iconic, “ALVINNN!!!” The series takes viewers on a roller-coaster ride of music, laughter, and stories geared to entertain the Chipmunks’ generations of fans. Each episode features a new, original Chipmunks song.
Will
Superights (France) has inked deals with several broadcasters for its series Will (52 x 2′) and its spin-off, Handico (12 x 3′), created by French indie producer Cross River Productions. These series have the distinction of being the first edutainment animation titles about living with disability, using positive, dynamic and informative approach to educate children.
Will was purchased by the free-to-air channels TVP in Poland, RSI in Switzerland, and RTVS in Slovakia. Additional purchasers are the SVOD platforms OCS in France, TIM Vision in Italy and Megogo in Ukraine. They join VRT and RTBF in Belgium, TV Escola in Brazil, TV5 MONDE, CANAL ONCE in Mexico, MBC in the Middle East, TFO in Canada, MTVA in Hungary, LATTU KIDS in India, Playkids in the U.S., Wekids in China, Iflix in Southeast Asia and NOGA in Israel. Handico has been secured by broadcasters and platforms such as RTS in Switzerland, TV5 Monde, TVP in Poland and TIM Vision in Italy.
Will is a leader — a driven and creative boy determined to live life to the fullest…in a wheelchair! Through his dynamic and positive character, he shows children that his disability doesn’t limit his experiences. Following the success of Will, Cross River produced Handico as an educational extension to the first series. Using simple and amusing terms, Will explains to children the most common disabilities including their causes and how they affect a person’s daily life. Conditions such as autism, blindness, trisomy 21, myopathy, deafness, tetraplegia, etc. are discussed and presented to the young audience in an engaging and imaginative way.
Be-be-bears
Russian animated series Be-be-bears and Leo & Tig — produced by Parovoz for VGTRK and Digital Television Russia — are heading to MENA territories through a new deal inked with the help of Nucleus Media Rights. Leo & Tig Season 1 (26 eps.) and Be-be-bears S1-2 (104 eps.) will air on Spacetoon International TV & SVOD across 22 countries in the region starting in November.
Be-be-bears follows the adventures of tireless, amusing animals: a brown bear named Bucky, a polar bear named Bjorn and their friend named Littlefox. Bucky loves gadgets and gizmos, Bjorn likes nature and Littlefox is a natural housekeeper. They teach little viewers to live in harmony with nature and develop a curiosity about the world around them, and, of course, about the power of friendship, which can help to overcome any obstacles.
Leo & Tig centers on a small, restless leopard named Leo and his best friend Tig the tiger. Every day, the two little friends explore the amazing environment of the Far East and learn new things about the world around them and how to be friendly and kind, to help each other and to respect nature. Production is supported by The Amur Tiger Center, established by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the Russian Geographical Society.
BRON Media, producer of hit CGI Netflix original The Willoughbys, is growing its animation footprint and making strategic evasive moves around the COVID-19 production/distribution shakeup by launching a new digital division. The studio has been forced to delay several anticipated live-action flicks, including Candyman and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
VFX & tech integration veteran Jason Chen has been appointed Head of Digital to oversee the new virtual production and service outfit.
“We needed to shift. The company directed much of its creative and production teams towards the creation and now launch of this new division,” said CEO Aaron L. Gilbert. “Animation has been the only area of BRON capable of being in production during this pandemic as our production team is set up remotely. We feel fortunate to be working through the logistics of scaling this area of our company during these difficult times.”
BRON Digital will develop and produce long-form series, short-form content and feature-length movies, combining more traditional animation production with a virtual production model built around Epic Games’ Unreal Engine to deliver high-quality CG on a tight turnaround.
“Current advances in virtual production based remote workflows and real-time cinematic game engines allow BRON’s productions to be untethered from traditional physical studio spaces,” said Chen, whose feature VFX credits include Avatar, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Thor: Ragnarok. “It allows for our geographically distributed creative teams to collaborate within a purely Virtual Multi-User experience.”
The company is currently in production using the Unreal tech on the Fables series, created by BAFTA nominee Kevin Turen (Euphoria) directed by Azazel Jacobs (Mozart in the Jungle, Terri) and written by Kyra Noonan — all new to the world of animation. Executive producers are Turen, Chen, Ashley Levinson, Aaron L. Gilbert and Brenda Gilbert for BRON; Jason Cloth of Creative Wealth Media is associate producer. Three more digital series and film projects are kicking off shortly.
BRON’s Animation division has also produced the CG-animated Mighty Mighty Monsters franchise and Henchmen movie.
Disney+ has shared the new trailer, key art and first-look images from the upcoming live-action/CG hybrid film, The One and Only Ivan. Based on the award-winning book by Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan tells the story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who learns that life isn’t defined by place and circumstance but by the power of friendship and the courage to make change happen.
The movie premieres exclusively on Disney+ streaming on August 14.
The One and Only Ivan is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization and the significance of the place one calls home.
Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be.
The heartwarming adventure, which comes to the screen in an impressive hybrid of live-action and CGI, is based on Applegate’s bestselling book, which won numerous awards upon its publication in 2013, including the Newbery Medal.
The film stars Sam Rockwell as the voice of Ivan; Angelina Jolie as the voice of Stella; Danny DeVito as the voice of Bob the dog; Helen Mirren as the voice of Snickers the poodle; Brooklynn Prince as the voice of Ruby; Ramon Rodriquez as the mall employee George; Ariana Greenblatt as George’s daughter, Julia; Chaka Khan as the voice of Henrietta the chicken; Mike White as the voice of Frankie the seal; Ron Funches as the voice of Murphy the rabbit; Phillipa Soo as the voice of Thelma the parrot; and Bryan Cranston as Mack, the mall’s owner.
The One and Only Ivan is directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay by Mike White based on Applegate’s book and is produced by the late Allison Shearmur, Angelina Jolie and Brigham Taylor. Sue Baden-Powell and Thea Sharrock serve as executive producers.
Sky today announced the commission of the new hybrid children’s series The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, from TG Entertainment Limited, which will be available on Sky’s On Demand service Sky Kids in the U.K. & R.O.I.
A Sky Original kids’ series featuring a modular mixed-media magazine format, The Brilliant World of Tom Gates is based on the award-winning, multi-million-copy-bestselling Tom Gates books written and illustrated by Liz Pichon (who also presents the series) and published by Scholastic.
“Liz Pichon is an exceptional talent with a unique comic gift and is an inspirational creative force for children,” said Catherine Bell, Co-Group MD for Scholastic U.K. “Her Tom Gates books are a global success and we can’t wait to see them move from page to screen at the start of the exciting 10th anniversary year.”
The 20 x 11’ series, primarily aimed at kids aged 7-12, is set to premiere on Sky Kids U.K. in early 2021, coinciding with the 10th anniversary year of the first Tom Gates book and the publication of the 18th in the series, Tom Gates: Ten Tremendous Tales.
Celebrating creativity and fun, the series brings to life the unique and comical world of Tom Gates. A combination of 2D and stop-motion animation with live action, it – like the books – blends Tom’s crazy humor with craft ideas and tips and tricks that kids and adults will love to recreate, along with amazing interactive games, gags and catchy songs featured in some of the books to join in with. Tom and friends pop-up and interact throughout, while Pichon herself, who is executive producer and working closely with the whole team to bring to life Tom’s world in every fabulous detail, shares tips on how to draw the characters from the books.
“This TV show is exactly the kind of programme that I would have LOVED to watch as a kid and been completely obsessed by. It’s going to be funny, fun, bursting with creativity and snacks. All the things kids love about the books and so much more,” enthused author and exec producer Pichon. “I am thrilled that SKY have commissioned it (thank you!) and I’m looking forward to bringing the whole world to life with the very talented and hugely enthusiastic team at TG Entertainment.”
Pichon’s award-winning Tom Gates book series has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 44 languages. The heavily illustrated novels, in handwritten font with Tom’s doodles and pictures embellishing the text, document in hilarious detail his everyday trials and tribulations at home and school which all kids can relate to.
“I absolutely love the Tom Gates books! Liz Pichon has a brilliant knack of knowing what kids find funny and engaging and I’m delighted to team up with TG Entertainment to bring Tom’s world to the screen for Sky Kids,” said Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content at Sky U.K. & Ireland. “I know our audience will love this show and be inspired by Tom and Liz to get crafty and creative.”
Series exec producers Ken Anderson & Arabella Page Croft of TG Ent. said, “Tom’s world perfectly lends itself to a winning format for TV and, thanks to the tremendous support from the team at Sky Kids, we’re looking forward to delivering a series that is as much fun to watch as it is to work on!”
Screen Scotland’s Jennifer Armitage, said: “TG Entertainment is run by two of Scotland’s most dynamic producers and we are delighted to support this original new series which will be wholly produced in Scotland.”
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates is produced by TG Entertainment Ltd. – a company jointly owned by Black Camel Pictures and Wild Child Animation – with additional investment from Screen Scotland. The executive producers are Ken Anderson from Wild Child Animation, Arabella Page Croft from Black Camel, author illustrator Liz Pichon, Series Director is George Sawyer, Series Producer is Sueann Rochester and Head Writer on the show is Ben Ward (Horrible Histories) and animation production services are provided by Wild Child Animation.
Ian France, Commissioning Editor for Sky Kids, will oversee the production for Sky.
Sky Kids offers families 11 kids’ channels and over 5,000 episodes of on demand viewing as well as the Sky Kids app, a safe space for younger kids focussed content, games and art tools with parental controls including a sleep mode so parents can moderate screen time. This is complemented by the pin protected Safe Mode on Sky Q, so there’s no danger of children straying into any areas of content that are not right for them.
It should come as no surprise to any streaming TV viewer that adult animation reigns supreme. In fact, nearly 40% of Hulu viewers faithfully devour adult cartoons every month. Die-hard fans of the popular genre have waited long enough to weigh in on their favorites!
Beginning today, Hulu is celebrating the animation lover in all of us by hosting the HAHA Awards (Hilarious Animated Hulu Awards) — the first ever all-animated awards honoring the year’s best in adult animated TV shows and iconic characters now streaming on Hulu. The 10 categories recognize sophisticated pets, epic battles, the best hangover performance and more. Because sometimes a happy hour escape to Moe’s Tavern or The Drunken Clam is exactly what you need.
“As the streaming TV leader in adult animation content, we’re particularly proud of the diversity of voices, shows and storytelling displayed by the first ever HAHA Award nominees,” said Ryan Crosby, VP, Hulu Marketing. “Frame by frame, adult animation captures the most iconic characters, funniest catch phrases and real life storylines, so we wanted to recognize some of the industry’s very best in a way that only Hulu could.”
The 40 hilarious nominees were announced today, with Hulu favorites Bob’s Burgers, Archer, Bless the Harts, Duncanville and Solar Opposites leading the nominations with four apiece — including recognition in top categories like “Best New Show” and “Breakout Star of the Year.”
With these shows and others like Family Guy, The Simpsons, Rick and Morty and many others, Hulu has built the largest streaming TV library of adult animation content. Earlier this year, Hulu also launched two original adult animation shows with the premieres of Solar Opposites — which quickly emerged as the most-watched Hulu Original comedy premiere to date — and Crossing Swords.
Solar Opposites
Hulu subscribers and non-subscribers can cast votes for their favorites in all categories on the official awards website or via social poll on Hulu’s Twitter channel through Sunday, July 19. The complete list of the 2020 HAHA Award nominees is listed below. For your consideration, Hulu has put together a YouTube playlist of nominee highlight reels!
Duncanville
Winners will be announced on Thursday, July 23.
Best New Show Duncanville Solar Opposites Crossing Swords Bless the Harts
Best Fart Performance
Cleveland (The Cleveland Show)
Peter (Family Guy)
Rick (Rick and Morty)
King (Crossing Swords)
Best Hangover Performance
Mr. Burns (The Simpsons)
Archer (Archer)
Francine (American Dad!)
Bob (Bob’s Burgers)
Bob’s Burgers
Best Dance Performance
Homer (The Simpsons)
Bobby (King of the Hill)
Jimmy Jr. (Bob’s Burgers)
Jack & Annie (Duncanville)
Most Epic Battle Scene
Bob (Bob’s Burgers)
Pam (Archer)
Stan (American Dad!)
Peter (Family Guy)
Best Talking
Pet Pupa (Solar Opposites)
Klaus (American Dad!)
Malloy (Brickleberry)
Snowball (Rick and Morty)
Most Awkward Moment
Korvo (Solar Opposites)
Stranger (Cake)
Kimberly (Duncanville)
Wayne (Bless the Harts)
Bless the Harts
Most Insulting Insult
Louise (Bob’s Burgers)
Malory (Archer)
Cleveland Brown Jr. (The Cleveland Show)
Hank (King of the Hill)
Best Catchphrase
Quagmire (Family Guy)
Bender (Futurama)
Louise (Bless the Harts)
Archer (Archer)
Breakout Star of the Year
Duncan (Duncanville)
Korvo (Solar Opposites)
Patrick (Crossing Swords)
Jenny (Bless the Harts)
How do you make a character roll their eyes in a characteristic way? What should a shrew’s fur be made of to make it look natural? How does one create puppet animation that is not only showy, but also effective? Animation filmmakers with specific questions related to mastering their craft can now turn to recognised masters as part of the ASK: Animation Support Kit, a new program for professionals developed by MOMAKIN.
The last day to apply is Wednesday, July 8.
The ASK project, implemented entirely online, is both an advisory scheme as well as an opportunity to acquire new skills. Its first edition consists of consultations with experts in terms of puppet design and animation, as well as a three-week specialist workshop for those who are interested in creating an animatic — a crucial element in the film production process. As a result of joint work, an animatic for a 10-minute film by Martin Bell – a British animator and experienced visualisation supervisor who has worked on the titles such as Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Hobbs & Shaw, Cinderella, Aladdin and No Time to Die – will be produced.
“Projects in the field of professional development in the animation industry constitute an important profile of our activity,” said Paulina Zacharek from MOMAKIN, which is the organiser of the ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum. The idea to create a permanent skills improvement program arose from the Forum’s training section. “We have been working for a long time on creating a practical proposal that provides specific implementation solutions. The recent months have only accelerated our activities and have been crucial in terms of going into the online form.”
Experienced animation creators and artists specializing in stop-motion films were invited to cooperate with the ASK. Among the experts are: Tim Allen, a British animator who has worked on blockbuster films like Corpse Bride and Fantastic Mr. Fox; Magda Bieszczak, currently employed in the American studio LAIKA and co-creator of Tim Burton and Wes Anderson hits; as well as Sylwia Nowak, Piotr Knabe and Marcin Zalewski – artists who have a lot of puppet productions in their portfolio, including Isle of Dogs and the Oscar-winning Peter & the Wolf, directed by Suzie Templeton.
“Each of us in our work faces various challenges trying to realise our vision. Sometimes we are unable to move on because of even a minor obstacle,” said Allen. “Talking to a more experienced creator makes finding workable techniques much faster. Learning from those who’ve already encountered similar problems and have a wealth of solutions is crucial.”
During the one-hour ASK consultation, participants can professionally discuss selected issues regarding a specific animated project – either planned or in production (at any stage of development). Participation in the workshop on animatic can take place regardless of the selected consultations. Prospective participants must be fluent in the Adobe CC software suite (Photoshop, Premiere and After Effects). There are 10 slots waiting for those willing to study under the watchful eye of Martin Bell.
“We have managed to get great specialists engaged to cooperate with us. If the project is positively received, we will be preparing its further editions,” concluded Zacharek.
Applications will be accepted until July 8, 2020. Both the consultation and workshop will be taking place from July 20 to August 10. The cost of participation in the project amounts to EUR 195 per one-hour consultation (discounts shall apply when buying more hours) and EUR 295 for the workshop.
Details, rules of participation in the project and the application forms are available at momakin.pl/en/nasze-projekty/ask-animation-support-kit.
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