AWN Headline News

*Saturday, December 11, 1999. Tampa, Florida, USA.The International Academy of Design will host animator/educator LarryLauria in an all day animation workshop. The workshops will initiate theAcademy's Animation Institute and are geared toward high school, collegeand young professionals. The workshop takes place from 8:30am to 5:30pm at5225 Memorial Highway, Tampa Florida. This exclusive event has a per personfee. Reservations are required, limited seating available. R.S.V.P. withKristine Fescina at (800) ACADEMY.

TheThreshold.com, a leading on-line entertainment network for brandedentertainment, has announced the premiere of its newest show, POKEMON MUST BEDESTROYED. Daily, the series will feature a new POKEMON character beingdestroyed in a delightfully merciless way. Web-surfers and haters of the"pocket things" will be able to vote on the next day's method of destruction. After thecomplete genocide of the little creatures, the network shall remain open shouldanything else need to be permanently eliminated. TheThreshold.com

Venice, CA-based, Blur Studio, a leader in 3D animation, effects anddesign, has spawned a new theme park and special venue division. The new venture will behelmed by veteran ride film director Yas Takata. The new studio comes off theheels of Blur's success with the creation of last year's METEOR ATTACK, acustom film attraction for the Tobu Zoo Park in Tokyo, Japan co-directed by Takata andBlur co-founder Tim Miller. The film has since been licensed by IwerksEntertainment to play at venues around the globe. Takata has directed

Charles M. Schulz, creator of Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy and the rest ofthe PEANUTS gang, has been diagnosed with colon cancer. The cancer wasdiscovered when the 76-year-old Schulz underwent emergency surgery lastTuesday for a blocked abdominal aorta. Schulz' wife Jean said doctors aredetermining the best course of treatment, which can include surgery, radiationand chemotherapy. One concern for doctors is that Schulz, who turns 77 onFriday, is still recuperating from the abdominal surgery. Since being moved

*Saturday, December 4, 1999. North Hollywood, California, USA.

Glenn Vilppu will be presenting a free slide show at 4:15pm at theAnimation Union, 4729 Lankershim, North Hollywood. Glenn will be discussinghis sketching tour to Scandinavia in July, 2000. For more information call(818) 994 2402.

A cloud has eclipsed the world of animation since the passing of belovedvoice-over actress, Mary Kay Bergman. A prolific artist, she has recentlyprovided the voice for Daphne Blake in the two most recent SCOOBY-DOOdirect-to-video flicks; Batgirl/Barbara Gordon in BATMAN: SUBZERO; and allbut one of the female voices on Comedy Central's SOUTH PARK. She is alsobeen the "official" voice of Disney's Snow White since 1989. Mrs. Bergmanhad recently received an Annie Award nomination for her work in the SOUTH