AWN Headline News

BKN (Bohbot Kids Network) Bulldog Network, a programming block which debutsin the US on August 29, 1999, has acquired the programming and licensingrights for many worldwide territories for MONSTER RANCHER. The show willdebut as a lead entry on BKN as a daily Monday - Friday half-hour series.MONSTER RANCHER was originally developed in Japan as a Sony PlayStationvideo game by Tecmo, and the series is currently in production at TMS,Japan's largest animation house. The series is about an 11 year old boy who

CARTOON has announced this year's nominees for the coveted Cartoon d'Or.Making the list for best European animated short films are: L'ARME DUCROCODILE by Eric Blesin (Belgium), EL CARMINANTE by Debra Smith (UK),JOLLY ROGER by Mark Baker (UK), MIGRATION by Constantin Chamski (France),LE CYCLOPE DE LA MER by Philippe Julien (France), and SALTKVERNEN by PjotrSapegin (Norway). The annual Cartoon Forum, where the Cartoon d'Or isawarded, is organized by AEFA Cartoon, the European Association for

One year old Vancouver-based Mercury Filmworks, a fully equipped digitalanimation facility, has added 3D production to its list of in-houseservices. Currently, the 3D animation department at Mercury is working onthe television series D'MYNA LEAGUES, which has been created and developedby Vancouver-based animation house Studio B, and is slated to air onCanada's CTV/VTV in January 2000. With the addition of the new 3Ddepartment, Mercury is now unique in its ability to take not just a single

Children's BBC has commissioned newly formed London-based Silver Fox Filmsto produce ANGELMOUSE, a 26-part series for the BBC. The series is about alittle mouse who has been sent down from heaven to help out. He's not verygood at his job, however, and whenever a good deed backfires, as oftenhappens, his halo dims or disappears. Graham Ralph is directing the serieswhich is slated to debut later this year. Graham Ralph recently formedSliver Fox after relinquishing his stake in London-based Hibbert Ralph

The Voice Over Group meets Monday, July 12, and every second Monday of themonth at Monday, July 12, 7 pm in Burbank, California, USA. Contact MJLallo at (818) 980-6576 or Murel Whitaker at (310) 412-2719.

Disney Consumer Products has named Stephen De Kanter, a 10-year veteran ofDisney Consumer Products, president of Global Licensing, a new organizationthat will oversee Disney's worldwide merchandise-licensing operations. DeKanter has led Disney Consumer Products Latin America since 1989. In hisnew role, de Kanter will be responsible for planning, strategy, andlicensee management for all Disney licensing activities. Walt DisneyInternational has responsibility for the performance of The Walt Disney Co.

The soundtrack for Willis O'Brien's stop-motion masterpiece, KING KONG, isbeing released by Turner Classic Movies Music/Rhino Movie Music. Composedby Max Steiner, the collection includes music cues from the 1933 RKO film'smost memorable moments, featuring a nearly 25-minute suite consisting ofpreviously unreleased material. The liner notes includes an introduction byDanny Elfman (of the band, Oingo Boingo, and composer of many soundtracks,including EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, BATMAN, and SLEEPY HOLLOW), and notes by