Mattel Interactive has entered into a deal with Danish company, TV Animation, the creators and owners of the animated interactive TV series THE NELLY NUT SHOW and the real-time technology, The Cartoon Broadcast System. The partnership will further develop the series for world TV markets. Mattel Interactive will represent the partnership in North America and other English speaking territories around the globe.
DRAGON HALF follows the crazy life of Mink, whose father is a knight and mother a dragon. Besides her odd couple parents, Mink has fallen in love with a handsome singer, who also happens to be a dragonslayer. What does a half-breed do when she wants to see her love in concert? Watch and find out. The all-new English dubbed version will fly into stores April 25, 2000, priced at US$19.98.
This Month: Voice Acting And Music & Sound...
MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO VOLUME 3 beams onto video. Devastated by a Jovian ambush, the Nadesico flee across the dead surface of Mars. Now the crew's only hope may be a dangerous plan to use the enemy's own technology to transport the Nadesico back to Earth! The mission blasts off on April 25, 2000. The English dubbed version will sell for US$19.98 and the Japanese with English subtitled version for $29.95.
San Francisco, California-based Mondo Media, a leading online animation and syndication company, is looking for 2D TRADITIONAL CHARACTER ANIMATORs, ANIMATION DIRECTORs, CHARACTER DESIGNERs/ILLUSTRATORs and STORYBOARD ARTISTs to work on original Web-based animated shows. . . Imaginary Forces, a conceptual design/production company based in Hollywood, California, is looking for 2D/3D ANIMATORs. . .Manhattan's So!much[design] is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR. .
GLO*RI*A 2 boards store shelves in April. The wealthy Gloria family has hired new handsome tutors for their young girls. Lessons that aren't taught in normal schools happen when a field trip ends in a fight for survival. The steamy story hits stores on April 11, 2000. The English dubbed version will sell for US$19.98 and the Japanese with English subtitled version for $29.95.
If you're looking to hire the top animation talent available, post your job openings on AWN absolutely free...
Manga Entertainment to release Satoshi Kon's animated psychological thriller PERFECT BLUE on DVD. In the film, pop singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright new career when she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. However, a mysterious stalker, who knows all her personal secrets, accompanies her journey to fame. The film was nominated by The Motion Picture Sound Editors for a Golden Reel Award along with six other 1999 animated feature films including TARZAN, TOY STORY II, POKÉMON and PRINCESS MONONOKE.
Two new columns in this new issue #19: Ed Hooks and his Voice Acting For Animators column; and Marc Spess and his Claymation column...
DEVILMAN compilation comes to DVD. Manga Entertainment presents two animated volumes on one DVD featuring: a full screen version digitally re-mastered with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, a scene index, Go Nagai biography and filmography, photo gallery, original trailer, Manga video previews and Manga video Web link. Based on Go Nagai's best-selling manga comic book, DEVILMAN, EPISODE 1: THE BIRTH introduces a young high school kid named Akira, whose parents have mysteriously disappeared.
Check out the latest "behind the scenes" features and tutorials from Visual Magic Magazine...
AWN has just launched a brand new Event Calendar...
Plympton's new series of comics extracted from the comic book, "Sleazy Cartoons of Bill Plympton," is for ADULTS ONLY...
On Wednesday, April 12, 2000, Nelvana Limited announced it has acquired privately held Klutz, one of the leading branded children's book publishers in the U.S., for US$74 million. The Toronto-based company plans to integrate Klutz into Nelvana's Branded Consumer Products business, which includes established operations in publishing and merchandise licensing. Under the terms of the agreement, Nelvana will acquire 100% of the stock of Klutz.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz. This week, we're asking questions about forgotten films. During WWII, what Warner Bros. war effort geared character used salty language and strong subject matter? In which 1972 film was Daffy Duck 'loaned' out to Filmation? Who was the little boy with the oversized head who appeared in more than 75 of Columbia's animated shorts? Good luck...you'll need it!
An event has happened that comic book fans have been debating over late night games of Dungeons and Dragons for decades -- What would Batman be like if Stan Lee created him? DC Comics announced the teaming of living legend Stan Lee, the co-creator of Spider-man, the Hulk and the X-Men and founder of Stan Lee Media, with longstanding rival DC Comics to present Lee's alternative interpretation of such super-heroes as Batman and Superman.
The Screen Actors Guild and Saban have been struggling over the issue of dubbing rules for DIGIMON:THE MOVIE. Under SAG's dubbing agreement, Saban's Bugboy Productions hired Guild actors to dub the Japanese animated film into English. The dubbing agreement does not require American actors to be paid residuals for just dubbing foreign language films. However in a letter from SAG attorney Vicki Shapiro to Bugboy Prods., SAG feels that the film was more than just dubbed.
Bristol-based Harvest Films has been commissioned by BBC1 to produce a half-hour animated special entitled, HAMILTON MATTRESS. Developed in conjunction with the BBC Animation Unit, the stop-motion special features a cast of characters created by John Webster, writer of some of the most successful television advertising campaigns. The special will follow the story of an unloved Aardvark and his canny caterpillar companion, who embark on an epic adventure in which friendship and talent triumph over vanity and greed.
If you're waiting for the bus and a poster talks to you don't be startled. To promote, the debut of the hit series ANGELA ANACONDA on Cartoon Network Europe, the toon TV channel has designed talking posters to be placed in bus shelters all over the U.K. The posters will be fitted with a hidden movement sensor that will make it talk whenever a person passes by. There will be five different sound bites plus a song emanating from the posters for Cartoon Network Europe's new 52 part series created by Joanna Ferrone and Sue Rose, creator of the highly successful PEPPER ANN and voice of Angela.
* Thursday, May 4, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Eruptor.com has launched their new live-action/animated series, JONNI NITRO. The Web series stars Olivia d'Abo (TV's THE WONDER YEARS) and Thomas Jane (DEEP BLUE SEA). The show is being directed by comic book artist Marc Silvestri. The series follows femme fatale, Jonni, as she tries to bring justice to a world that's not as black and white as it appears. "Getting to watch such a talented animator make another art form come to life, is a real honor," said Brad Foxhoven, Eruptor's Co-Founder, President and CEO.
"The turn-out was terrific. It's better than we ever imagined. It shows the depth of emotion in Hollywood toward this issue," said Tom Sito, president of the Screen Cartoonists' Union Local 893. With bright, artistic signs in hand, a crowd of nearly 250 people consisting of both working and non-working animation professionals showed up to picket in front of Los Angeles PBS affiliate KCET. The picket even drew members from SAG and the American Film union. The event was a show of support against the recent move by PBS that sent their network's animation work to Canada.
Mainframe Entertainment is set to produce two new TV movies based on the characters from their TV series REBOOT. The two telepics are being produced in partnership with Canadian cable broadcaster YTV Canada, Inc. for broadcast in the Spring and Fall of 2001. REBOOT was the first ever half-hour computer animated TV series produced in the world. The series was originally shown in North American in September of 1994 on YTV in Canada and on ABC Television in the U.S.
One week after THE SIXTH SENSE broke records on video, PHANTOM MENACE doubled the SENSE's first week total in only two days. "VHS is still alive and well, despite reports from others to the contrary," said Fox spokesman Steve Feldstein. Fans of STAR WARS were disgruntled over George Lucas' decision not to release the new installment on DVD. Nonetheless, they were not alienated enough to boycott the VHS release of EPISODE I. The video has made an estimated US$100 million in just two days and is forecasted to reach $200 million in its first week in release.
Stan Lee Media, Inc. (SLM) announced a strategic alliance with Canadian-based Toon Boom Technologies for the development of Web-based animation software, which SLM will utilize in constructing its episodic Web comics. Jamie Wilkinson, executive vice president, Internet strategy for SLM, will oversee Beta testing in late summer/early fall 2000, to take place in Montreal and at a number of animation houses throughout the world. Pentafour Software & Exports Ltd., a leading developer of 2D/3D graphics and animation, special effects and software, will also participate in the project.
