Warner Home Video will release Batman: Gotham Knight to DVD and Blu-Ray on July 8, the company said today. The title will also be made available on pay-per-view, OnDemand, and for download on the same day.The 75-minute release will feature such villains as Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Deadshot in six interlocking stories that chronicle Bruce Wayne’s journey as Bob Kane’s legendary Dark Knight.
The production was divided among Studio 4ºC, Production I.G and Madhouse, and overseen by visionary directors Shojiro Nishimi (Tekkonkinkreet animation director), Futoshi Higashide (Jaianto robo: Animeshon animator), Hiroshi Morioka (Tsubasa Chronicle), Yasuhiro Aoki (The Animatrix animator) and Toshiyuki Kubooka (Fushigi no umi no Nadia animation director). Individual stories were written by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Josh Olson (A History of Violence), David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Emmy winner Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series), Jordan Goldberg (associate producer of the upcoming live-action film The Dark Knight), and award-winning comic-book writers Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello.
The film is produced by Emma Thomas (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Michael Uslan and Benjamin Melniker (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Toshi Hiruma and Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series).
Extras on the DVD include the documentary "A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City", a sneak peek at the upcoming original animated movie Wonder Woman, and an audio commentary. The Blue-ray disc and a two-disc DVD special edition release will also include "Batman and Me, A Devotion of Destiny: The Bob Kane Story" and favorite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series selected by Bruce Timm.
Batman: Gotham Knight will be presented in widescreen (1.78:1) aspect and 5.1 Dolgy Surround Stereo with English and Spanish tracks; Spanish subtitles and closed captioning will also be available. The regular DVD will retail for $24.98; the special two-disc DVD for $29.98; and the Blu-ray for $34.99.
Wonder Woman Next for DC Universe
DC Comics, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Premiere and Warner Home Entertainment have announced that Wonder Woman will be the next animated feature in the DC Universe line of PG 13-rated home video releases. The movie is in production and will follow Batman: Gotham Knight, which Warner recently announced will hit retail on July 8.
Wonder Woman is featured in Justice League: The New Frontier, a DC Universe movie that debuts on DVD and Blu-ray Disc tomorrow. A far cry from the cheesecake version portrayed by Lynda Carter on television in the 1970s, this super-powered Amazon warrior towers over Superman and doesn’t mess around when it comes to doling out justice. Actress Lucy Lawless, most famous for portraying a similar character on TV’s Xena: Warrior Princess, provided the voice in New Frontier, and will most likely return to the audio booth for Wonder Woman.
Created by William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman, also known as Princess Diana. first appeared in the pages of DC Comics in December of 1941. Inspired by Greek mythology, the character was endowed with the Lasso of Truth, indestructible bracelets and other gifts form the gods of Olympus. She was a founding member of the Justice League, and was a main character in such TV cartoon series as Super Friends and the more recent Justice League of America.
Following the success of Superman Doomsday, the first DC Universe release, Warner Bros. Animation has been busy cranking out these animated movies aimed at more mature audiences. Marvel Comics and Lionsgate started the trend with Ultimate Avengers, but that series seems to have stalled after the moderately successful The Invincible Iron Man, a toon feature that may get the benefit of a second look when Marvel and Paramount release the highly anticipated live-action Iron Man movie on May 8. In the meantime, Marvel have been producing CG-animated Iron Man shorts, which also feature Spider-Man and The Hulk, and can be ssen at www.marvel.com.
Fox Issues Horton Who-Ville Challenge
In promoting its upcoming CG-animated feature, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! 20th Century Fox is challenging communities across the U.S. to raise their voices in one designated area and proclaim “We Are Here!,” just as the Whos of Who-ville do in the film’s climax. We’ll be listening for the loudest gatherings in each community. The winning locality will enjoy a special hometown screening of the movie, which hits theaters on March 14.
Interested communities can go to www.hortonmovie.com/hometownchallenge to fill out the registration form by Wednesday, Feb. 27. All entrants must provide contact information for their mayor or another designated official. Once that official has confirmed participation by March 4, communities will gather on March 9 to shout out the designated line. Decibel levels will be measured by special sound meters at each city’s gathering. The winner will be announced on March 12 in USA Today and at USAToday.com. The special screening will then be held on March 13.
Featuring a voice cast led by Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett, Horton Hears A Who! employs state-of-the-art computer animation by Blue Sky Animation to bring the classic Dr. Seuss book to life for moviegoers. In the film, an imaginative elephant named Horton (Carrey) hears a faint cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. He later learns that the speck houses the entire city of Who-ville, inhabited by the microscopic Whos. Ridiculed and threatened by neighbors who think he’s lost his mind, Horton is determined to save the Whos and their heroic Mayor (Carell). Watch the extended trailer now on AniMagTV (www.animag.tv).
"G.I. Joe" Animated Movies are in figure Battle Packs
TVshowsondvd.com reports that the animated G.I. Joe movies will be on DVD as part of special battle packs. Each battle pack contains 3-4 different figures and an animated DVD containing 5 part mini-series for each specific set.
The 5 battle packs in June will be The MASS Device, the Weather Dominator, The Pyramid of Darkness, Arise Serpentor Arise, and a fan favorite set. And each set will include a piece of the MASS device from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
Tour Helps Introduce Oscar Shorts Nominees to Hollywood
The artists nominated for Best Animated Short almost always come from outside the Hollywood system, which means they can feel a little lost when they go to the Oscars. In recent years, then, TheStar.com reports, Ron Diamond of Acme Filmworks has set up the Oscar Showcase Tour, which takes nominees to San Francisco and Los Angeles to meet the artists and executives at Pixar, Sony, Walt Disney, Fox, and other studios.
"Persepolis" Gets a Small Bump from Wider Release
Oscar hopeful Persepolis more than doubled its theater count over the weekend, but saw its income during the frame rise by only 8% compared to the weekend before, according to data compiled by Box Office Mojo. The film took in $442,000, giving it a total gross of $3.5 million.
Alvin and the Chipmunks, meanwhile, held steady at number 21 at North American box offices, grossing $735,000 for a total gross of $212.9 million,
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything took in $180,000 to give it a domestic cumulative gross of $12.6 million.
Hasbro Launches Incredible Hulk Site
On top of Hasbro's previously-launched Iron Man toy site, the company has now also brought online a website for The Incredible Hulk toys.
After entering the site and getting an audio greeting from the green fella himself, you can check out the toys that were revealed at the New York Toy Fair and also enter for a chance to win a trip to the movie's premiere!
The Incredible Hulk, opening June 13, stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt and Tim Blake Nelson.
The film is produced by Emma Thomas (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Michael Uslan and Benjamin Melniker (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), Toshi Hiruma and Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series).
Extras on the DVD include the documentary "A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City", a sneak peek at the upcoming original animated movie Wonder Woman, and an audio commentary. The Blue-ray disc and a two-disc DVD special edition release will also include "Batman and Me, A Devotion of Destiny: The Bob Kane Story" and favorite episodes of Batman: The Animated Series selected by Bruce Timm.
Batman: Gotham Knight will be presented in widescreen (1.78:1) aspect and 5.1 Dolgy Surround Stereo with English and Spanish tracks; Spanish subtitles and closed captioning will also be available. The regular DVD will retail for $24.98; the special two-disc DVD for $29.98; and the Blu-ray for $34.99.
Wonder Woman Next for DC Universe
DC Comics, Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Premiere and Warner Home Entertainment have announced that Wonder Woman will be the next animated feature in the DC Universe line of PG 13-rated home video releases. The movie is in production and will follow Batman: Gotham Knight, which Warner recently announced will hit retail on July 8.Wonder Woman is featured in Justice League: The New Frontier, a DC Universe movie that debuts on DVD and Blu-ray Disc tomorrow. A far cry from the cheesecake version portrayed by Lynda Carter on television in the 1970s, this super-powered Amazon warrior towers over Superman and doesn’t mess around when it comes to doling out justice. Actress Lucy Lawless, most famous for portraying a similar character on TV’s Xena: Warrior Princess, provided the voice in New Frontier, and will most likely return to the audio booth for Wonder Woman.
Created by William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman, also known as Princess Diana. first appeared in the pages of DC Comics in December of 1941. Inspired by Greek mythology, the character was endowed with the Lasso of Truth, indestructible bracelets and other gifts form the gods of Olympus. She was a founding member of the Justice League, and was a main character in such TV cartoon series as Super Friends and the more recent Justice League of America.
Following the success of Superman Doomsday, the first DC Universe release, Warner Bros. Animation has been busy cranking out these animated movies aimed at more mature audiences. Marvel Comics and Lionsgate started the trend with Ultimate Avengers, but that series seems to have stalled after the moderately successful The Invincible Iron Man, a toon feature that may get the benefit of a second look when Marvel and Paramount release the highly anticipated live-action Iron Man movie on May 8. In the meantime, Marvel have been producing CG-animated Iron Man shorts, which also feature Spider-Man and The Hulk, and can be ssen at www.marvel.com.
Fox Issues Horton Who-Ville Challenge
In promoting its upcoming CG-animated feature, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! 20th Century Fox is challenging communities across the U.S. to raise their voices in one designated area and proclaim “We Are Here!,” just as the Whos of Who-ville do in the film’s climax. We’ll be listening for the loudest gatherings in each community. The winning locality will enjoy a special hometown screening of the movie, which hits theaters on March 14.Interested communities can go to www.hortonmovie.com/hometownchallenge to fill out the registration form by Wednesday, Feb. 27. All entrants must provide contact information for their mayor or another designated official. Once that official has confirmed participation by March 4, communities will gather on March 9 to shout out the designated line. Decibel levels will be measured by special sound meters at each city’s gathering. The winner will be announced on March 12 in USA Today and at USAToday.com. The special screening will then be held on March 13.
Featuring a voice cast led by Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett, Horton Hears A Who! employs state-of-the-art computer animation by Blue Sky Animation to bring the classic Dr. Seuss book to life for moviegoers. In the film, an imaginative elephant named Horton (Carrey) hears a faint cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. He later learns that the speck houses the entire city of Who-ville, inhabited by the microscopic Whos. Ridiculed and threatened by neighbors who think he’s lost his mind, Horton is determined to save the Whos and their heroic Mayor (Carell). Watch the extended trailer now on AniMagTV (www.animag.tv).
"G.I. Joe" Animated Movies are in figure Battle Packs
TVshowsondvd.com reports that the animated G.I. Joe movies will be on DVD as part of special battle packs. Each battle pack contains 3-4 different figures and an animated DVD containing 5 part mini-series for each specific set.
The 5 battle packs in June will be The MASS Device, the Weather Dominator, The Pyramid of Darkness, Arise Serpentor Arise, and a fan favorite set. And each set will include a piece of the MASS device from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
Tour Helps Introduce Oscar Shorts Nominees to Hollywood
The artists nominated for Best Animated Short almost always come from outside the Hollywood system, which means they can feel a little lost when they go to the Oscars. In recent years, then, TheStar.com reports, Ron Diamond of Acme Filmworks has set up the Oscar Showcase Tour, which takes nominees to San Francisco and Los Angeles to meet the artists and executives at Pixar, Sony, Walt Disney, Fox, and other studios.
"Persepolis" Gets a Small Bump from Wider Release
Oscar hopeful Persepolis more than doubled its theater count over the weekend, but saw its income during the frame rise by only 8% compared to the weekend before, according to data compiled by Box Office Mojo. The film took in $442,000, giving it a total gross of $3.5 million.
Alvin and the Chipmunks, meanwhile, held steady at number 21 at North American box offices, grossing $735,000 for a total gross of $212.9 million,
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything took in $180,000 to give it a domestic cumulative gross of $12.6 million.
Hasbro Launches Incredible Hulk Site
On top of Hasbro's previously-launched Iron Man toy site, the company has now also brought online a website for The Incredible Hulk toys.After entering the site and getting an audio greeting from the green fella himself, you can check out the toys that were revealed at the New York Toy Fair and also enter for a chance to win a trip to the movie's premiere!
The Incredible Hulk, opening June 13, stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt and Tim Blake Nelson.
The Incredible Hulk Promo Shot
Got some promo shots from the upcoming film THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
Here is what the email said:
I work at TARGET and we just got some merchandise from the upcoming film THE INCREDIBLE HULK. I managed to take two snap shots of them for all you to see cause these promo pics are no where.
Check them out below.
NY Times on "Chicago 10" Digitally Rotoscoped Documentary
The New York Times has examined Chicago 10, the upcoming documentary film written and directed by Brett Morgen. The movie uses the same digital rotoscoping techniques as in Beowulf and A Scanner Darkly to present the trial of the Chicago 8 (expanded to 10 to include the eight's 2 lawyers), arrested for a protest at the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and subjected to police brutality and a highly controversial trial. The article delves into both the controversies of the movie's view of history and the relatively sedate response it has received from the critical community.
LA Times: Japan Drawing Increasing Numbers of Pop-Culture Tourists
The Los Angeles Times has taken note of the rise of Japan as a tourist destination, especially for more offbeat, pop culture themed tours oriented around ninjas, the gadget-laden Akibahara shopping district, and anime. While it has traditionally been considered an expensive tourist destination, rising popularity in Japanese culture and surges in foreign currencies against the Japanese yen have led to a 14% increase in foreign tourists from last year.
Justice League May be Moving to Canada
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Warner Bros.' Justice League movie might be moving its production from Australia to Canada:
Justice League was due to be shot at Fox Studios this year until Warner Bros suspended production last month, citing uncertainty over the new incentives. Based on a comic book, it is due to star the Australians Megan Gale, Teresa Palmer and Hugh Keays-Byrne among eight lead roles and employ a huge crew that includes visual effects specialists.
"One of the reasons for doing Justice League in this country is the opportunity to bring back all the people we lost on Happy Feet who went overseas," Miller said. "We spent four years developing this talent and the cream of them left because they didn't have another film to go on to ...
"The idea is to say come back, start off on Justice League then move onto Happy Feet 2."
Miller described the movie's status as "precarious" and said Warner Bros was pushing for it to be shot overseas, with Canada the most likely option.
You can read the full article on this here.
Stephen Chow Would do Green Hornet
ComingSoon.net talked to Stephen Chow this morning and asked the Hong Kong action star if he would be interested in playing Kato in Seth Rogen's upcoming The Green Hornet. Here's a clip:
After explaining to Chow and his interpreter who Seth Rogen was—Chow may have been jetlagged or slightly confused, or just acting that way to avoid answering questions, but he knew who we were talking about when we said that Rogen played the police officer in Superbad. He seemed genuinely pleased that Rogen might think of him, though he hasn't been approached, thinking that maybe Rogen doesn't have his contact info. Chow then asked if we might have Rogen's number, so he could get in touch, and offered to give us his number, so we could arrange a meeting.
Chow also talked a bit about producing the Dragonball movie. You can read the full article here.
Worth Checking Out...
Deb Aoki's About.com:Manga has scored an interview with graphic designer, author and comics connoisseur Chip Kidd, fellow collector Saul Ferris about Bat Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan. The book, scheduled to be released by Pantheon Books in October, looks at DC Comics and Shonen King's manga incarnation of Batman. About:Manga also has a preview of the book.
The PsychommuSlamFest Zine has a brilliant look on the building blocks of anime's success in North America and why it can be recreated through the vehicles that brought it to prominence in the past.
Tangentially, let's anime on anime zines of the late 80s
Roland Kelts SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / Manga magnate aims to redraw San Francisco
also, on Pop Japan Travel
(Keiko) Takemiya the teacher
Danielle Leigh's Manga Before Flowers - “Manga for Adults”, be sure to read the comments.
Production I.G posted a Q&A with Le Chevalier D'Eon assistent producer George Wada
Via Anime Nation, Papo de Budega has an English translated interview with general administration director of Toei Animation Kaz Yamashita
A look at the experiencing of purchasing FUNimation's download-to-own anime.
From Patrick Macias Koakuma ageha – The P & I tapes
'Jin-roh' and the problem of depicting history and politics in anime/manga
ANNtv's new Anime Jump Show<, in which Mike Toole talks Galaxy Angel Matt Alt's BEST ALL-ENGLISH ANIME THEME SONGS DAY
Via Cartoon Brew, 1930’s wartime Japanese cartoon
Via Twitch, giant police robots in Morav
Why Post This?
For no other reason than I thought it was very funny....
"Lil' Bush" Returning in March with New Characters, Guest Stars
The second season of Lil' Bush will add new characters to the series when it debuts in March, Comedy Central said today, including Lil' Rudy Giuliani, Lil' Mitt Romney, Lil' Fred Thompson, Lil' John Edwards and Tiny Dennis Kucinich. Guest stars for the new season will include Kevin Federline as M.C. Karl Rove, along with Phil Lesh, Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Joel and Benji Madden, and Joe Escalante.
The new season will debut on March 13 at 10:30pm. In the debut episode, "Lesbian Freakfest," the Lil' Gang will try to prevent the Lil' Dems from ruining St. Patrick's Day with an all-inclusive parade.
Remembrance ceremony Sat. for departed animators
The Animation Guild, ASIFA Hollywood and Women In Animation will hold "An Afternoon of Remembrance" on Saturday, March 1 honoring those in the animation community who passed away in 2007.
The non-denominational ceremony will take place at Hollywood Heritage Museum (Lasky-DeMille Barn), 2100 North Highland (across from Hollywood Bowl), Hollywood.
Those whose lives will be celebrated include Renee Alcazar, Roger Armstrong, Dick Arnall, Warren Batchelder, Max Becraft, Pat Boyd, Sheila Brown, Erica Cassetti, Harvey Cohen, Alberto De Mello, Greg Drolette, Walker Edmiston, Ray Erlenborn, Natatcha Estebanez, Becky Fallberg, Mary Lou Ferguson, Ben Ferrer, Lu Guarnier, Ed Hansen, Terry Harrison, Florence Heintz, Dave Hilberman, Dick Hoffman, Steve Krantz, Ryan Larkin, Carol Lundberg, Celine Miles Marcus, John Marshall, Roberta Gruetert Marshall, Tom O'Loughlin, Henry Ortiz, Brant Parker, Nicole Pascal, Charles Nelson Reilly, Will Schaefer, Charlene Singleton, Ken Southworth, Connie Spongberg, Art Stevens, James Street, Iwao Takamoto, Aleksandr Tatarskiy, Caren Terry, Jim Thurman, Elbert Tuganov, Al Wilson and Jack Zander.
Food and refreshments will be served at 1 p.m., with memoriams at 2 p.m.
The Afternoon is free of charge and is open to all; no replies are necessary.
This list is not final; it is accurate to The Animation Guild as of February 2008. If you know of someone who should be on this list, contact TAG recording secretary Jeff Massie at (818) 766-7151.
Precious Moments creator Eugene Freedman dies, 82
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Eugene Freedman, the creator of the teardrop-eyed porcelain Precious Moments figurines, died Tuesday at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Hawaii. He was 82.
The characters appeared in two Rick Reinert Pictures cartoon specials: Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas Story (1991), which aired on NBC, and the syndicated Little Sparrow: A Precious Moments Thanksgiving Special (1995).
For his title role in Timmy's Gift, Zachary Bostrom was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Voiceover in an Animated Series or Special.
A longtime Milwaukee resident, Freedman -- who had a second home in Maui -- was the founding chairman and former president and CEO of Enesco Group, a global gift and collectibles company based in Itasca, Illinois.
Rick Freedman said that his father had an "eye for design," along with keen instincts that made him a natural in the gift and collectibles industry.
Through his career, his father recognized the potential of Samuel J. Butcher's two-dimensional art on greeting cards as a successful series of porcelain figurines, he added.
Born in Philadelphia on March 9, 1925, Freedman grew up in Milwaukee and attended Northwestern University and California Institute of Technology. He received his Navy commission at Notre Dame University and was a Second World War veteran.
He began his career in the late 1940s as a salesman for a Milwaukee-based gift and novelty company. After a year, Freedman opened his own manufacturing and distribution company under the name Gene Freedman, which later became the Freedman-Mathews Corporation in Milwaukee. Joining Enesco at its inception in 1958, Freedman held a variety of management positions prior to being named president and CEO in the late 1960s.
Under his leadership, the company grew to achieve an international sales volume in excess of $500 million. Freedman also is credited with the development of Precious Moments. He was named to his current position of founding chairman in September 1998 after stepping down as Enesco’s president and CEO for more than 30 years.
Freedman has been honored with a multitude of awards, including the ESA (Epsilon Sigma Alpha) vision award, the Lee Benson award, the Congressional Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and a special recognition award from the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers (NALED).
In May 2001, Freedman received the Chuck Yancy Lifetime Achievement Award in New York City. It was presented to him by Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and tabletop industry’s non-profit organization that supports Amfar in their research programs to find a cure for AIDS. Also that year, Freedman was honored with the first Fraternal Order of Police and Easter Seals Humanitarian Awards.
In October 2000, Freedman received the Laureate Award from the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement in Chicago and was installed into the Chicago Business Hall of Fame. In addition, Freedman also received several foreign trade awards during his 42 years in international business.
Although Freedman retired from the gift business in 2005, he consulted for small gift firms until his death.
Remaining active in the philanthropic community, Freedman served as vice-chairman for the National Easter Seals Corporate Partnership Board, a national governor for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and chairman of the board for EnLight Children's Charities. He also sat on the board of directors for VSA arts (Very Special Arts) and C.A.U.S.E.S. (the Child Abuse Unit for Studies and Educational Services).
Eugene Freedman is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Perchonok; son Richard; daughters Nancy (Ben) Remak and Penny Freedman; sister Frances Franklin; one granddaughter; and numeroous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 26 at Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun, 2020 West Brown Deer Road, River Hills, Wisconsin. Interment at Greenwood Cemetery, 2615 West Cleveland Avenue, Milwaukee, will follow. Ballard Family Mortuary is assisting with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the Freedman family requested donations in Freedman's memory to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation or the National Easter Seals Society.
Toon Zone Interviews Matt Wayne on Spinning "The Spectacular Spider-Man"
Having already served as a story editor on Justice League Unlimited and cast a storm with Hellboy, Matt Wayne is no stranger to superhero cartoons. The Marvel Animation Age and Toon Zone News caught up with Matt in an email interview to talk about his work on the upcoming The Spectacular Spider-Man. Take it away, Matt!
TOON ZONE NEWS/MARVEL ANIMATION AGE: How did you come to work on The Spectacular Spider-Man?
MATT WAYNE: I had pitched some stuff to Michael Vogel (Director of Animated Programming, Sony Pictures Television), Sony's point guy for Spider-Man, and who had seen my work on Justice League Unlimited. He eventually recommended me to Greg Weisman (producer). When Greg e-mailed me about it, I was on board in an instant. It's hard to say no to something like this.
TZN/MAA: The show deals with Spider-Man’s early days but does not specifically start with his origin. Do you think it’s important to establish his reasons for being early, or to you, is it a case of “we know why he became Spider-Man already, why show it again?”
WAYNE: We aren't assuming viewers know his origin. You can tell from the online preview clips that Greg made a choice to introduce Peter Parker in action, though Amazing Fantasy #15 did it another way. Probably the right call, as this is a half-hour cartoon in 2008 and not seventeen pages or whatever in 1962. As our show tells it, Spider-Man's situation is recapped quickly and then the high school and super villain woes begin … and away we go. A flashback to That Fateful Day may come later, you never know.
TZN/MAA: There’s been a large number of women announced to appear in the show – Mary Jane, Betty Brant, Gwen Stacy, the Black Cat and so on – given the current climate of Saturday morning cartoons in which romance isn’t all that welcome, have you struggled with writing these female characters?
WAYNE: I had a great time writing one of those characters you mentioned, around episode 10 or so. Writing female characters isn't that different. Writing romance, however, we had to tread lightly. The conventional wisdom is that young boys don't want to see it, but they do understand that a high-schooler such as Pete might like girls. And he's socially awkward, so his girl troubles are a lot like his money problems — the elements that make Spidey less-than-perfect and that much easier to bond with.
TZN/MAA: The character has seen a huge revitalization in his popularity following the massive success of his live action film trilogy. What did you think of the movies – what stood out for you and are there any aspects you took into great consideration when working on this show? Which movie is your favorite?
WAYNE: Number two. The third movie came out while we were working on the new show, so we spent a lot of time gabbing about it. But The Spectacular Spider-Man is set in high school, so our Peter Parker's not very much like the 20-something Pete of the last movie.
TZN/MAA: Any comic storylines that you wanted to adapt and bring to the show or do you prefer going down an original route with the characters?
WAYNE: We're all very aware of the classic Lee-Ditko and Lee-Romita stories, and some of us have been reading Marvel comics since childhood. But our cast isn't the cast from any specific run of the comics. Even when we bring in elements from other stories, our take on the characters will spin the story to a new place. Direct adaptations are unlikely, but familiar bits are everywhere.
TZN/MAA: It has been said that the show will use stand-alone, single episodes that branch into 3 or 4 long story arcs. Do you prefer to write the arching stories or do you enjoy experimenting in changing the tone for each specific episode? On a similar subject, do you write each episode of these arcs, or are they split between each of the writers?
WAYNE: Marvel had approved an episode-by-episode overview by the time Greg brought in other writers. We go over the arcs together and they're assigned in rotation to the series writers. The good news is, the whole show is filtered through a single sensibility and is therefore much tighter. The bad news is, Greg does a lot of the heavy lifting himself, works all night and generally looks like hell.
TZN/MAA: Which characters have you especially enjoyed writing? Alternatively, have you looked at any of them and struggled with how you were going to portray them on the screen?
WAYNE: Gwen Stacy, as we portray her, is so much more fun than the dead one. You'll see why. I hope over time our Gwen becomes as well-remembered.
TZN/MAA: The show looks to have a plethora of villains to fight – how does one avoid the show becoming ‘villain of the week’ while still featuring a new foe for Spider-Man to fight in most of the episodes?
WAYNE: The really good villains keep coming back, Stu. You know that.
TZN/MAA: The recent Fantastic Four cartoon has taken a rather laid-back, almost tongue in cheek approach to the characters and situations. Will that be the same of Spider-Man? Can we expect comedy episodes?
WAYNE: Never! Funny scenes, of course. Fun episodes, sure. But if super heroes don't take super heroics seriously, if they don't have a serious reason to run around in their jammies and kick butt, and if there aren't serious dangers to overcome, everybody involved looks silly. I did a brain swapping episode of Justice League Unlimited and it was pretty funny, I think. But it still wasn't a comedy. Similarly, Spidey's got a lot of humor, and there are some great laughs in store, but The Spectacular Spider-Man is first and foremost an action show.
TZN/MAA: Peter Parker is one of the few characters to grow older and actually age throughout the comic books – starting as a friendless nerd, a constant victim of bullying, through to his days in college in the Coffee Bean with Gwen, MJ and Harry and until recently, a married man. Do you think the series will eventually see him grow, or do you think it’s best to keep him in high school and away from adulthood?
WAYNE: I currently think it's best to keep Pete in high school, but who knows? There are good and bad ways to do either.
TZN/MAA: While it has been announced that there won’t be any guest stars in the first season, which other heroes would you like to introduce into this show if you were given the rights to be able to do so?
WAYNE: Yeah, Power Pack. Not bad, huh? I'd also love to write the Avengers and a dozen other Marvel heroes, but our world isn't crawling with super-powered beings ... yet, anyway. Either way, guest star negotiations are notoriously tricky, so don't hold your breath.
TZN/MAA: In prior Spider-Man shows, Spidey would often find himself going up against magic and being thrown into space and to alien planets. Do you think this approach works for Spider-Man? Will there be any of these elements in the new show?
WAYNE: "Mmmmaybe," he said, cagily.
TZN/MAA: What makes The Spectacular Spider-Man different from any other show you’ve worked on, including Hellboy, Justice League Unlimited and Ben 10: Alien Force?
WAYNE: Pete's a talker, even during a fight. He’s kind of the opposite of Hellboy. It isn't easy to coordinate super hero action and banter in animation, but in classic Spidey comics it's almost obligatory. So I've been studying old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to get it right. That show did it brilliantly.
TZN/MAA: What else are you currently working on?
WAYNE: I'm story editing Vin Diesel's animated project, Hannibal the Conqueror, for Film Roman, which will air on BET. It's a sword-and-sandal epic for prime time about the historical Hannibal. One of the few American animated shows to try for a grown-up audience. Dwayne McDuffie and I are finally going to publish The Road to Hell, a comics miniseries that we've been promising for years, on wowio.com this summer. We've got 2000 A.D. artist Colin McNeil providing the art, so it's the kind of crazy romantic comedy that many action guys secretly want to do. That plus a passel of the aforementioned Ben 10: Alien Force, and some My Friends Tigger and Pooh, because I adore whimsy. Got a problem with that?
The Marvel Animation Age and Toon Zone News would like to thank Matt for taking the time to speak to them.
The Spectacular Spider-Man is set to premiere March 8th on Kids WB!
Disney rolling with 'Thunder' in Spain
Walt Disney Motion Pictures Iberia has picked up the Spanish rights to 'Captain Thunder,' an adventure movie from Maltes Producciones.
The deal also includes a first option deal for U.S distribution.
'Captain Thunder,' known in Spain as 'El Capitan Trueno,' is the most popular Spanish comic of all time. At its peak in the 1960s it sold more than 170,000 copies weekly. The hero is a 12th century knight-errant who travels the world enforcing justice and freedom against bullies and tyrants. He is accompanied on his travels by his faithful teenage friends Crispin and Goliath. The comic book was first produced in red, white and black in 1956.
Read the full story here...
Got some promo shots from the upcoming film THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
Here is what the email said:
I work at TARGET and we just got some merchandise from the upcoming film THE INCREDIBLE HULK. I managed to take two snap shots of them for all you to see cause these promo pics are no where.
Check them out below.
NY Times on "Chicago 10" Digitally Rotoscoped Documentary
The New York Times has examined Chicago 10, the upcoming documentary film written and directed by Brett Morgen. The movie uses the same digital rotoscoping techniques as in Beowulf and A Scanner Darkly to present the trial of the Chicago 8 (expanded to 10 to include the eight's 2 lawyers), arrested for a protest at the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and subjected to police brutality and a highly controversial trial. The article delves into both the controversies of the movie's view of history and the relatively sedate response it has received from the critical community.
LA Times: Japan Drawing Increasing Numbers of Pop-Culture Tourists
The Los Angeles Times has taken note of the rise of Japan as a tourist destination, especially for more offbeat, pop culture themed tours oriented around ninjas, the gadget-laden Akibahara shopping district, and anime. While it has traditionally been considered an expensive tourist destination, rising popularity in Japanese culture and surges in foreign currencies against the Japanese yen have led to a 14% increase in foreign tourists from last year.
Justice League May be Moving to Canada
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Warner Bros.' Justice League movie might be moving its production from Australia to Canada:Justice League was due to be shot at Fox Studios this year until Warner Bros suspended production last month, citing uncertainty over the new incentives. Based on a comic book, it is due to star the Australians Megan Gale, Teresa Palmer and Hugh Keays-Byrne among eight lead roles and employ a huge crew that includes visual effects specialists.
"One of the reasons for doing Justice League in this country is the opportunity to bring back all the people we lost on Happy Feet who went overseas," Miller said. "We spent four years developing this talent and the cream of them left because they didn't have another film to go on to ...
"The idea is to say come back, start off on Justice League then move onto Happy Feet 2."
Miller described the movie's status as "precarious" and said Warner Bros was pushing for it to be shot overseas, with Canada the most likely option.
You can read the full article on this here.
Stephen Chow Would do Green Hornet
ComingSoon.net talked to Stephen Chow this morning and asked the Hong Kong action star if he would be interested in playing Kato in Seth Rogen's upcoming The Green Hornet. Here's a clip:
After explaining to Chow and his interpreter who Seth Rogen was—Chow may have been jetlagged or slightly confused, or just acting that way to avoid answering questions, but he knew who we were talking about when we said that Rogen played the police officer in Superbad. He seemed genuinely pleased that Rogen might think of him, though he hasn't been approached, thinking that maybe Rogen doesn't have his contact info. Chow then asked if we might have Rogen's number, so he could get in touch, and offered to give us his number, so we could arrange a meeting.
Chow also talked a bit about producing the Dragonball movie. You can read the full article here.
Worth Checking Out...
Deb Aoki's About.com:Manga has scored an interview with graphic designer, author and comics connoisseur Chip Kidd, fellow collector Saul Ferris about Bat Manga! The Secret History of Batman in Japan. The book, scheduled to be released by Pantheon Books in October, looks at DC Comics and Shonen King's manga incarnation of Batman. About:Manga also has a preview of the book.
The PsychommuSlamFest Zine has a brilliant look on the building blocks of anime's success in North America and why it can be recreated through the vehicles that brought it to prominence in the past.
Tangentially, let's anime on anime zines of the late 80s
Roland Kelts SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS / Manga magnate aims to redraw San Francisco
also, on Pop Japan Travel
(Keiko) Takemiya the teacher
Danielle Leigh's Manga Before Flowers - “Manga for Adults”, be sure to read the comments.
Production I.G posted a Q&A with Le Chevalier D'Eon assistent producer George Wada
Via Anime Nation, Papo de Budega has an English translated interview with general administration director of Toei Animation Kaz Yamashita
A look at the experiencing of purchasing FUNimation's download-to-own anime.
From Patrick Macias Koakuma ageha – The P & I tapes
'Jin-roh' and the problem of depicting history and politics in anime/manga
ANNtv's new Anime Jump Show<, in which Mike Toole talks Galaxy Angel Matt Alt's BEST ALL-ENGLISH ANIME THEME SONGS DAY
Via Cartoon Brew, 1930’s wartime Japanese cartoon
Via Twitch, giant police robots in Morav
Why Post This?
For no other reason than I thought it was very funny....
"Lil' Bush" Returning in March with New Characters, Guest Stars
The second season of Lil' Bush will add new characters to the series when it debuts in March, Comedy Central said today, including Lil' Rudy Giuliani, Lil' Mitt Romney, Lil' Fred Thompson, Lil' John Edwards and Tiny Dennis Kucinich. Guest stars for the new season will include Kevin Federline as M.C. Karl Rove, along with Phil Lesh, Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Joel and Benji Madden, and Joe Escalante.The new season will debut on March 13 at 10:30pm. In the debut episode, "Lesbian Freakfest," the Lil' Gang will try to prevent the Lil' Dems from ruining St. Patrick's Day with an all-inclusive parade.
Remembrance ceremony Sat. for departed animators
The Animation Guild, ASIFA Hollywood and Women In Animation will hold "An Afternoon of Remembrance" on Saturday, March 1 honoring those in the animation community who passed away in 2007.
The non-denominational ceremony will take place at Hollywood Heritage Museum (Lasky-DeMille Barn), 2100 North Highland (across from Hollywood Bowl), Hollywood.
Those whose lives will be celebrated include Renee Alcazar, Roger Armstrong, Dick Arnall, Warren Batchelder, Max Becraft, Pat Boyd, Sheila Brown, Erica Cassetti, Harvey Cohen, Alberto De Mello, Greg Drolette, Walker Edmiston, Ray Erlenborn, Natatcha Estebanez, Becky Fallberg, Mary Lou Ferguson, Ben Ferrer, Lu Guarnier, Ed Hansen, Terry Harrison, Florence Heintz, Dave Hilberman, Dick Hoffman, Steve Krantz, Ryan Larkin, Carol Lundberg, Celine Miles Marcus, John Marshall, Roberta Gruetert Marshall, Tom O'Loughlin, Henry Ortiz, Brant Parker, Nicole Pascal, Charles Nelson Reilly, Will Schaefer, Charlene Singleton, Ken Southworth, Connie Spongberg, Art Stevens, James Street, Iwao Takamoto, Aleksandr Tatarskiy, Caren Terry, Jim Thurman, Elbert Tuganov, Al Wilson and Jack Zander.
Food and refreshments will be served at 1 p.m., with memoriams at 2 p.m.
The Afternoon is free of charge and is open to all; no replies are necessary.
This list is not final; it is accurate to The Animation Guild as of February 2008. If you know of someone who should be on this list, contact TAG recording secretary Jeff Massie at (818) 766-7151.
Precious Moments creator Eugene Freedman dies, 82
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Eugene Freedman, the creator of the teardrop-eyed porcelain Precious Moments figurines, died Tuesday at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Hawaii. He was 82.The characters appeared in two Rick Reinert Pictures cartoon specials: Timmy's Gift: A Precious Moments Christmas Story (1991), which aired on NBC, and the syndicated Little Sparrow: A Precious Moments Thanksgiving Special (1995).
For his title role in Timmy's Gift, Zachary Bostrom was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Voiceover in an Animated Series or Special.
A longtime Milwaukee resident, Freedman -- who had a second home in Maui -- was the founding chairman and former president and CEO of Enesco Group, a global gift and collectibles company based in Itasca, Illinois.
Rick Freedman said that his father had an "eye for design," along with keen instincts that made him a natural in the gift and collectibles industry.
Through his career, his father recognized the potential of Samuel J. Butcher's two-dimensional art on greeting cards as a successful series of porcelain figurines, he added.
Born in Philadelphia on March 9, 1925, Freedman grew up in Milwaukee and attended Northwestern University and California Institute of Technology. He received his Navy commission at Notre Dame University and was a Second World War veteran.
He began his career in the late 1940s as a salesman for a Milwaukee-based gift and novelty company. After a year, Freedman opened his own manufacturing and distribution company under the name Gene Freedman, which later became the Freedman-Mathews Corporation in Milwaukee. Joining Enesco at its inception in 1958, Freedman held a variety of management positions prior to being named president and CEO in the late 1960s.
Under his leadership, the company grew to achieve an international sales volume in excess of $500 million. Freedman also is credited with the development of Precious Moments. He was named to his current position of founding chairman in September 1998 after stepping down as Enesco’s president and CEO for more than 30 years.
Freedman has been honored with a multitude of awards, including the ESA (Epsilon Sigma Alpha) vision award, the Lee Benson award, the Congressional Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and a special recognition award from the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers (NALED).
In May 2001, Freedman received the Chuck Yancy Lifetime Achievement Award in New York City. It was presented to him by Gift for Life, the gift, stationery and tabletop industry’s non-profit organization that supports Amfar in their research programs to find a cure for AIDS. Also that year, Freedman was honored with the first Fraternal Order of Police and Easter Seals Humanitarian Awards.
In October 2000, Freedman received the Laureate Award from the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement in Chicago and was installed into the Chicago Business Hall of Fame. In addition, Freedman also received several foreign trade awards during his 42 years in international business.
Although Freedman retired from the gift business in 2005, he consulted for small gift firms until his death.
Remaining active in the philanthropic community, Freedman served as vice-chairman for the National Easter Seals Corporate Partnership Board, a national governor for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and chairman of the board for EnLight Children's Charities. He also sat on the board of directors for VSA arts (Very Special Arts) and C.A.U.S.E.S. (the Child Abuse Unit for Studies and Educational Services).
Eugene Freedman is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Perchonok; son Richard; daughters Nancy (Ben) Remak and Penny Freedman; sister Frances Franklin; one granddaughter; and numeroous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 26 at Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun, 2020 West Brown Deer Road, River Hills, Wisconsin. Interment at Greenwood Cemetery, 2615 West Cleveland Avenue, Milwaukee, will follow. Ballard Family Mortuary is assisting with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the Freedman family requested donations in Freedman's memory to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation or the National Easter Seals Society.
Toon Zone Interviews Matt Wayne on Spinning "The Spectacular Spider-Man"
Having already served as a story editor on Justice League Unlimited and cast a storm with Hellboy, Matt Wayne is no stranger to superhero cartoons. The Marvel Animation Age and Toon Zone News caught up with Matt in an email interview to talk about his work on the upcoming The Spectacular Spider-Man. Take it away, Matt!TOON ZONE NEWS/MARVEL ANIMATION AGE: How did you come to work on The Spectacular Spider-Man?
MATT WAYNE: I had pitched some stuff to Michael Vogel (Director of Animated Programming, Sony Pictures Television), Sony's point guy for Spider-Man, and who had seen my work on Justice League Unlimited. He eventually recommended me to Greg Weisman (producer). When Greg e-mailed me about it, I was on board in an instant. It's hard to say no to something like this.
TZN/MAA: The show deals with Spider-Man’s early days but does not specifically start with his origin. Do you think it’s important to establish his reasons for being early, or to you, is it a case of “we know why he became Spider-Man already, why show it again?”
WAYNE: We aren't assuming viewers know his origin. You can tell from the online preview clips that Greg made a choice to introduce Peter Parker in action, though Amazing Fantasy #15 did it another way. Probably the right call, as this is a half-hour cartoon in 2008 and not seventeen pages or whatever in 1962. As our show tells it, Spider-Man's situation is recapped quickly and then the high school and super villain woes begin … and away we go. A flashback to That Fateful Day may come later, you never know.
TZN/MAA: There’s been a large number of women announced to appear in the show – Mary Jane, Betty Brant, Gwen Stacy, the Black Cat and so on – given the current climate of Saturday morning cartoons in which romance isn’t all that welcome, have you struggled with writing these female characters?
WAYNE: I had a great time writing one of those characters you mentioned, around episode 10 or so. Writing female characters isn't that different. Writing romance, however, we had to tread lightly. The conventional wisdom is that young boys don't want to see it, but they do understand that a high-schooler such as Pete might like girls. And he's socially awkward, so his girl troubles are a lot like his money problems — the elements that make Spidey less-than-perfect and that much easier to bond with.
TZN/MAA: The character has seen a huge revitalization in his popularity following the massive success of his live action film trilogy. What did you think of the movies – what stood out for you and are there any aspects you took into great consideration when working on this show? Which movie is your favorite?
WAYNE: Number two. The third movie came out while we were working on the new show, so we spent a lot of time gabbing about it. But The Spectacular Spider-Man is set in high school, so our Peter Parker's not very much like the 20-something Pete of the last movie.
TZN/MAA: Any comic storylines that you wanted to adapt and bring to the show or do you prefer going down an original route with the characters?
WAYNE: We're all very aware of the classic Lee-Ditko and Lee-Romita stories, and some of us have been reading Marvel comics since childhood. But our cast isn't the cast from any specific run of the comics. Even when we bring in elements from other stories, our take on the characters will spin the story to a new place. Direct adaptations are unlikely, but familiar bits are everywhere.
TZN/MAA: It has been said that the show will use stand-alone, single episodes that branch into 3 or 4 long story arcs. Do you prefer to write the arching stories or do you enjoy experimenting in changing the tone for each specific episode? On a similar subject, do you write each episode of these arcs, or are they split between each of the writers?
WAYNE: Marvel had approved an episode-by-episode overview by the time Greg brought in other writers. We go over the arcs together and they're assigned in rotation to the series writers. The good news is, the whole show is filtered through a single sensibility and is therefore much tighter. The bad news is, Greg does a lot of the heavy lifting himself, works all night and generally looks like hell.
TZN/MAA: Which characters have you especially enjoyed writing? Alternatively, have you looked at any of them and struggled with how you were going to portray them on the screen?
WAYNE: Gwen Stacy, as we portray her, is so much more fun than the dead one. You'll see why. I hope over time our Gwen becomes as well-remembered.
TZN/MAA: The show looks to have a plethora of villains to fight – how does one avoid the show becoming ‘villain of the week’ while still featuring a new foe for Spider-Man to fight in most of the episodes?
WAYNE: The really good villains keep coming back, Stu. You know that.
TZN/MAA: The recent Fantastic Four cartoon has taken a rather laid-back, almost tongue in cheek approach to the characters and situations. Will that be the same of Spider-Man? Can we expect comedy episodes?
WAYNE: Never! Funny scenes, of course. Fun episodes, sure. But if super heroes don't take super heroics seriously, if they don't have a serious reason to run around in their jammies and kick butt, and if there aren't serious dangers to overcome, everybody involved looks silly. I did a brain swapping episode of Justice League Unlimited and it was pretty funny, I think. But it still wasn't a comedy. Similarly, Spidey's got a lot of humor, and there are some great laughs in store, but The Spectacular Spider-Man is first and foremost an action show.
TZN/MAA: Peter Parker is one of the few characters to grow older and actually age throughout the comic books – starting as a friendless nerd, a constant victim of bullying, through to his days in college in the Coffee Bean with Gwen, MJ and Harry and until recently, a married man. Do you think the series will eventually see him grow, or do you think it’s best to keep him in high school and away from adulthood?
WAYNE: I currently think it's best to keep Pete in high school, but who knows? There are good and bad ways to do either.
TZN/MAA: While it has been announced that there won’t be any guest stars in the first season, which other heroes would you like to introduce into this show if you were given the rights to be able to do so?
WAYNE: Yeah, Power Pack. Not bad, huh? I'd also love to write the Avengers and a dozen other Marvel heroes, but our world isn't crawling with super-powered beings ... yet, anyway. Either way, guest star negotiations are notoriously tricky, so don't hold your breath. TZN/MAA: In prior Spider-Man shows, Spidey would often find himself going up against magic and being thrown into space and to alien planets. Do you think this approach works for Spider-Man? Will there be any of these elements in the new show?
WAYNE: "Mmmmaybe," he said, cagily.
TZN/MAA: What makes The Spectacular Spider-Man different from any other show you’ve worked on, including Hellboy, Justice League Unlimited and Ben 10: Alien Force?
WAYNE: Pete's a talker, even during a fight. He’s kind of the opposite of Hellboy. It isn't easy to coordinate super hero action and banter in animation, but in classic Spidey comics it's almost obligatory. So I've been studying old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to get it right. That show did it brilliantly.
TZN/MAA: What else are you currently working on?
WAYNE: I'm story editing Vin Diesel's animated project, Hannibal the Conqueror, for Film Roman, which will air on BET. It's a sword-and-sandal epic for prime time about the historical Hannibal. One of the few American animated shows to try for a grown-up audience. Dwayne McDuffie and I are finally going to publish The Road to Hell, a comics miniseries that we've been promising for years, on wowio.com this summer. We've got 2000 A.D. artist Colin McNeil providing the art, so it's the kind of crazy romantic comedy that many action guys secretly want to do. That plus a passel of the aforementioned Ben 10: Alien Force, and some My Friends Tigger and Pooh, because I adore whimsy. Got a problem with that?
The Marvel Animation Age and Toon Zone News would like to thank Matt for taking the time to speak to them.
The Spectacular Spider-Man is set to premiere March 8th on Kids WB!
Disney rolling with 'Thunder' in Spain
Walt Disney Motion Pictures Iberia has picked up the Spanish rights to 'Captain Thunder,' an adventure movie from Maltes Producciones.The deal also includes a first option deal for U.S distribution.
'Captain Thunder,' known in Spain as 'El Capitan Trueno,' is the most popular Spanish comic of all time. At its peak in the 1960s it sold more than 170,000 copies weekly. The hero is a 12th century knight-errant who travels the world enforcing justice and freedom against bullies and tyrants. He is accompanied on his travels by his faithful teenage friends Crispin and Goliath. The comic book was first produced in red, white and black in 1956.
Read the full story here...
1 comment:
Interesting whenever it comes to female superheroes, tptb are always concerned with not making her 'too tough'. Too tough? I've never heard that statement made about a male superhero. 'Tough but feminine' implies that toughness is not a feminine trait. I find that kind of insulting that you can't make as a rule a woman 'too tough'.
I know he meant to separate WW from the greatness that is Xena in particular, but still, I've heard that stance [in general] too many times.
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