Fox Kids will start airing WOODY WOODPECKER on May 8. The series, produced by Universal Cartoon Studios, features new adventures of Woody, Wally Walrus and Chilly Willy. It was originally scheduled to air during the fall '98 season. The show's supervising director and producer is animation veteran Bob Jaques.
* Tuesday, March 2. Glendale, California, USA.
Meet the Authors is a book signing and informal discussion with famed animation authors Charles Solomon (The Disney That Never Was, The Prince of Egypt: A New Vision in Animation) Jerry Beck (Warner Bros. Animation Art, I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat), Michael Mallory (Hanna-Barbera Cartoons) and Harvey Deneroff (The Art of Anastasia). The event which starts at 7:00 p.m. at Borders Books and Music in Glendale is free to the public. For additional details call (818) 241-8099.
Anime fans will soon be able to acquire SPEED RACER toys. ReSaurus is producing 12 Speed Racer and Trixie action figures, as well as Mach V and Shooting Star action playsets.
CINAR Corporation has entered into a new alliance with Viacom Consumer Products, in a move that will broaden the merchandising rights associated with stories and characters created by Richard Scarry. Under the terms of the agreement, CINARs role is expanded from producer of the animated series, THE BUSY WORLD OF RICHARD SCARRY, to a licensing and entertainment partner with Viacom Consumer Products and the Estate of Richard Scarry.
Famed animation director and educator Richard Williams will present his acclaimed Animation Masterclass at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in London, England, May 21st-23rd. This intensive three-day workshop teaches the solid principles behind classical animation that apply both to traditional and computer animators. Triple Oscar winner Richard Williams has won over 250 international awards including numerous Hollywood and British Academy Awards. His films include Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Christmas Carol, and the original Thief and the Cobbler animated feature.
The Crested Butte Reel Rest taking place August 12-15 in Crested Butte, Colorado is seeking short films under 60 minutes for numerous categories including animation. Animated entries must be submitted by May 1, 1999 with a $30 fee while Student Entries can be submitted until June 1 with a $20 entry fee. For more information visit www.crestedbuttereelfest.com or call (970) 349-7487.
* Monday, March 1. Glendale, California, USA.
As part of ASIFA-Hollywoods Animation Expo 99, An Evening of Hanna-Barbera, with special guests Joe Barbera and Iwao Takamoto, takes place at Kreider Hall in Glendale Community College. An informal discussion with Barbera and Takamoto moderated by Michael Mallory, along with a screening of Hanna-Barbera shorts, starts at 7:00 p.m. For admission information/reservations, call (818) 842-8330.
John McGrew, a layout artist for Chuck Jones Warner Bros. unit from 1938 to 1943, passed away on January 11, 1999 in France at the age of 88. McGrews contributions to the artform are often overlooked because of the short time he spent in the business, but his layouts and color stylings for THE DOVER BOYS, THE ARISTO-CAT, CONRAD THE SAILOR and SUPER RABBIT, among others films, were groundbreaking and revolutionary for their time. Chuck Jones has often said in interviews that McGrew helped introduce a more abstract and design-influenced background style.
McFarlane Toys, SPAWN creator Todd McFarlanes toy company, has created a set of YELLOW SUBMARINE action figures based on the animated cult classic Beatles film. The toys bring back John, Paul, Ringo and George in all their glory along with the Blue Meanie, and will be available later this year when the film is finally re-released.
ToyBiz announced at ToyFair 99 that they have acquired the license to produce toys based on MTVs CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH.
* Saturday, February 27. Los Angeles, California, USA.
Disney's HERCULES has its world television premiere on Saturday, February 27th, on the Disney Channel at 7 p.m. (ET/PT)
Comedy Central has promoted advertising executive Larry Divney to president and chief executive. Hereplaces Doug Herzog, who left the channel last month to become chief ofFox Broadcasting. Divney has directed Comedy Central's advertising salessince the network's inception in 1991, and has worked at CNN, MTV and theA&E Network. With Herzog's initiative, the network has found tremendoussuccess with original animated programming like SOUTH PARK, BOB ANDMARGARET and DR. KATZ: PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST.
Disney Interactive has appointed Frank Evers to vice president of product development andproduction. Evers assumes overall responsibilities for the development ofall Disney Interactive products. In this role, he will oversee staffing,long range product planning and the development of policies, processes andquality assurance procedures for product content. He will report to JanSmith, Senior VP and general manager of Disney Interactive worldwide. Priorto joining Disney, Evers was VP of production at Activision, spearheading
Chicago-based TRICKY PICTURES has added Frank Anderson to its roster of directors and will be repped exclusively by the company.Anderson, a 17-year veteran of the commercial production business, hasworked on animation campaigns for McDonalds, Unicef World Fund and Procter& Gamble. Anderson's diverse styles range from "photo-mation," a techniqueemploying cutout photographs animated like stop motion puppets, to pixilation (animating humans frame by frame). "Frank shares our philosophyof integrating a variety of production techniques, manipulating textures
Boston-based LOCONTE GOLDMAN DESIGN hasnamed five-time Emmy Award-winner Scott Pressler to Senior Design Director.Pressler has worked as an independent designer for the last 10 years with anumber of high-profile clients. Pressler was a broadcast designer for NBCSports from 1989-1996. While at NBC, he was the creative director andsenior designer of the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, and designer andcreative director for the 1992 summer Olympic games, Wimbledon '92-'94, NFL
Mattel and Nickelodeon have partnered to create toys for the Nicktoon series, CATDOG. The two-headed toys hit storesin March '99. The line includes Pull and Pose CatDog ($19.99), a plushstretchable and posable toy; Toon Team Packs ($14.99), six-inch mini-plushdolls with accessories; CatDog Ride-On Bicycle ($10.99), a bicycle for thewacky duo; and Stretchy CatDog ($7.99).
The Carsey-Werner Co., a dominant live-action TV production company having produced shows like COSBY and ROSEANNE, is developing their first animated show. The primetime cartoon, BOB, THE DEVIL AND GOD, is in the early development stages, and will reportedly be picked up by NBC. The show is created by Matthew Carlson (an executive story editor on WONDER YEARS, and creator of the U.S. version of MEN BEHAVING BADLY and TOWNIES). A Carsey-Werner spokesman said that the voice cast will be comprised of James Garner (God), Robert Downey Jr.
Seth MacFarlanes FAMILY GUY has edged out Matt Groenings FUTURAMA for Foxs golden post-SIMPSONS Sunday timeslot...
World Events Productions has licensed the 3D animated series, VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION to Teletoon, Canadas all-animation network. The show will make its Teletoon Canadian premiere on Wednesday, March 3. Voltron, based on the popular 80s cartoon, is produced for World Events by Mike Young Productions (THE SECRET GARDEN) and Netter Digital Entertainment (BABYLON 5).
A recent deal between Canadas Teletoon and Hostess Frito-Lay will result in Chester Cheetah hosting CINETOON, an animated feature-length movie which airs on Teletoon the first Saturday of every month, starting March 6. The promotion will celebrate the March launch of the new Chee.tos Shockwaves snack food, and a CINETOON Trivia Challenge will enable viewers to win Sony Playstations and other prizes.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation has announced the winners of the 1998 College Television Awards Competition, recognizing excellence in college student film/video productions. Animation awards, sponsored by the Walter Lantz Foundation, were given out in both traditional and non-traditional categories. There will be a black tie Awards Gala on Sunday, March 7, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, followed by a public screening of the winning entries on Monday, March 8 (see Events below for additional information). The winners are:
Disney's Chinese-themed MULAN finally opened in China today on 13 screens in Shanghai. Chinese officials had originally declined to import MULAN when it was released last year because of their dissatisfaction with Disneys release of KUNDUN, a live-action film about Chinese rule in Tibet, two years ago. The timing for MULANs debut was less than favorable, falling on the last day of school childrens winter vacation period. MULAN is scheduled to screen in other parts of China including Beijing, although dates havent been announced yet.
* Monday, February 22. San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
Cartoon Network.com debuted two original interactive on-line cartoon series on February 22. As each cartoon unfolds, users can make choices about which direction the story will take. PINK DONKEY AND FLY, created by pop culture icon Gary Panter, is the unlikely love story between a pink donkey and a fly as they try to keep clear of The Ol' Coot and his troublesome wife, Maw. B. Happy, from renowned underground satirist Mark Newgarden, follows the bluebird of happiness, B. Happy, who wants to rid the world of misery.
