AWN Headline News

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

CINAR CORPORATION, creators of two-time Emmy winning ARTHUR and RICHARDSCARRY, appointed LOUISE SANSREGRET as Vice President of their newlycreated position in Investment Relations. Sansregret will focus her talentson various special corporate and community-based projects, as well asmanaging donations and sponsorships. In addition, SUZAN AYSCOUGH hasreturned to CINAR to take over as Vice President, Communications. Ayscoughwill over see corporate communications and product communications.

THE MILL, a London-based post house, recently finished up a new Daewoo carspot. The 30-second commercial, entitled "Aerial Fantasy," is directed byDaniel Barber of Rose Hackney Barber and produced by Duckworth Finn GrubbWaters. The Mill's Flame artist Jason Watts set the piece to a base-boomingmix of rock and rap music. The spot features the new Daewoo "Lanos"thrashing the world's largest skateboarding half pipe. The spot will airaround Europe in November and arrive in England come January 2000.

Production has started up on NUTTY II: THE KLUMPS, the sequel to the $270million hit THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. Eddie Murphy will return to the role ofProfessor Sherman Klump in the Universal Pictures' and ImagineEntertainment flick. Singer and actress Janet Jackson co-stars in the film,which is produced by Brian Grazer (LIAR LIAR, BOWFINGER) and directed byPeter Segal (TOMMY BOY). Tom Shadyac, Murphy, Karen Kehela and James D.Brubaker are the executive producers, and the screenplay is scribed by

Watch for Hidden Evil Trekers! Activision, Inc. will beam Captain Picardand crew into stores the week of November 22, 1999 with their new releaseSTAR TREK: HIDDEN EVIL. The new game takes place nine months after thefeature film STAR TREK: INSURRECTION, featuring story driven missions thatwarp players into an adventure of combat, stealth and exploration. AsEnsign Sovok, a young officer serving on board the Enterprise, game-playerswill battle the Romulans to save the Ba'ku planet.

* Cartoon Noir Screening. New York, New York, USA. December 3, 1999.

This feature-length compilation of animated short films features works from the American and European artists. Featured in CARTOONNOIR is: APE, Julie Zammarchi's darkly comic critique of monogamy, meateating, and the daily pattern of human brutality; ALTAIR, Lewis Klahr'scollagist elegy on New York nightlife; CLUB OF THE DISCARDED, Jiri Barta'stale of a family of discarded mannequins who enjoy a quiet life in an

The Academy Award-nominated, animated short film, LUXO JR., will accompanyTOY STORY 2 for its Thanksgiving release. Directed by John Lasseter (TOYSTORY, A BUG'S LIFE), LUXO JR. debuted at SIGGRAPH in 1986 to wide praiseof its integration of classic character design with a new level of visualrealism. "LUXO JR. was the first computer animated film where the story andcharacters were more important to audiences than the fact that it was madewith a computer," said Lasseter, Pixar's Executive Vice President,

On November 10, 1999, Nickelodeon Online announced the premiere of a newNickelodeon channel on Apple's QuickTime TV (QTV), a leader on the Internetfor web-based video and audio. Nickelodeon's QTV channel will bring tocomputers around the world clips from Nickelodeon's new television shows,links to nick.com and nickjr.com, and other interactive items of kids.Also, the new NickTime TV will feature programming from Nickelodeon GAS,the first streaming sports network for kids. "QTV is the perfect network