Turner Broadcasting System has signed a deal to bring Cartoon Network content to kajeet (www.kajeet.com), a cell phone service made specifically for kids. Users of the unique pay-as-you-go mobile service will be able to use their handsets to access ringtones, wallpapers, games and other content from such hit animated shows as Ben 10: Alien Force, Chowder, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and The Powerpuff Girls, among others.“Mobile is an increasingly important platform to kids for entertainment purposes, and to their parents for content safety reasons,” comments Ross Cox, Sr. director of advanced platforms for Cartoon Network New Media. “A partnership with kajeet provides Cartoon Network with the perfect way to deliver our industry-leading content to our fans, wherever they may be, without parental worry.”
The Cartoon Network deal is the latest in a series of high-profile kid-centric content partnerships for kajeet. Since 2005, the company has signed deals with leading mobile content providers AOL, Electronic Arts, Glu Mobile, Gameloft, I-Play and Airborne Mobile. To learn more about kajeet, go to www.kajeet.com.
Shout! Factory Gets Dinosaur King for DVD
Shout! Factory and 4Kids Ent. today announced an agreement to bring the popular 4Kids TV animated series Dinosaur King to home entertainment. The multi-year deal makes Shout! the exclusive home entertainment distributor for the title in the U.S. Multiple DVD releases of the show’s 49 half-hour episodes will begin rolling out to retailers later this year.Based on the internationally successful arcade and collectable card game from Sega, Dinosaur King employs a mix of 2D and 3D animation to chronicle the adventures of Max, Rex and Zoe (a.k.a. the “D Team”) as they race around the world to uncover secrets that bring dinosaurs back to life. They are able to transport themselves anywhere in the world in their quest to find all the dinosaur cards that have been lost by the time-traveling Dr. Z and his bumbling team of bad guys.
Dinosaur King currently airs in the U.S. during FOX’s 4Kids TV Saturday-morning block, where it has been a hit with kids 6-11 since its September 2007 premiere. The show is also seen on YTV in Canada, TV2 in Denmark, TV4 in Sweden, Mediaset in Italy, RTL2 in Germany, France 3 and Canal J in France, and Jetix in the U.K., Scandinavia, Spain and Latin America, among others.
Sesame Street Goes Airborne with Skeye
Skeye Inflight Entertainment has become the exclusive airline distributor of children’s programs produced by Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street. Now available to airlines around the world in multiple languages, the shows include Elmo’s World, Pinky Dinky Doo, Play with Me Sesame and a variety of Sesame specials.“We are thrilled to explore this new market,” says Celia Schneiderman, Sesame Workshop’s manager of international distribution. “With almost 40 years experience in the business and presence in more than 120 countries, we’re proud to have earned the trust of millions of children and their families from around the world. We know young passengers and their parents will be happy to see some of their favorite friends on their traveling adventure.”
Skeye Inflight Entertainment offers short-form programming to airlines around the world. The company also distributes performing arts, concert, comedy, life management and technology programs. For more information, go to www.skeye.tv. Learn more about Sesame Workshop at www.sesameworkshop.org.
Dayo Springs From Philippines
Having served as a service hub for decades, the Philippines is beginning to produce original animated content such as the upcoming feature film Dayo from Cutting Edge Prods. Set for release this holiday season, the $1 million digital production is the third full-length, original animated feature to come out of the country.Directed by Filipinos Peque Gallaga and Laurice Guillen, Dayo revolves around a boy named Bubuy, who must rescue his abducted grandparents. His quest leads him to Elementalia, a strange land inhabited by bizarre creatures. The voice cast includes child stars Nash Aguas and Katrina "Hopia" Legaspi, along with comedian Michael V and actor Johnny Delgado.
Cutting Edge Prods. is an advertising company that has been primarily producing commercial spots since its founding on 2003. Owned and managed by award-winning film composer and musical arranger Jessie Lasaten, the company opened its dedicated animation facility on 2007. More information on the company can be found at www.cuttingedge-prod.com, and a teaser trailer for Dayo is available for viewing at www.dayomovie.com.
A 20th season for The Simpsons, but no signed cast yet
According to Variety, while Fox recently announced the 20th season of The Simpsons, a deal has yet to be struck with the series’ voice talent. Production had to be put on hold while negotiations are underway which is expected to result in a shorter season of 20 or fewer episodes instead of the regular 22. The Simpsons key voice talent-Dan Castellaneta (Homer), Julie Kavner (Marge), Nancy Cartwright (Bart), Yeardley Smith (Lisa), Hank Azaria (Moe) and Harry Shearer (Mr. Burns)-are believed to make around $360,000 an episode. A new deal could bump that number closer to $500,000, including various bonuses, which would be more in line with the paydays of many live-action sitcom stars. The-already increased salaries could be why there doesn’t appear to be the kind of angst that has characterized past negotiations between the Simpsons voices and 20th. “Unlike the last negotiations, there hasn’t been a lot of anger or frustration,” one insider told Variety. Production was also halted in 2004 when the cast members didn’t show up for two table reads. Back then, they were looking to increase their salaries from $125,000 an episode. In 1998, the thesps (who were then making just $30,000 a seg) asked for a big raise-and 20th went as far as hiring casting directors in five cities to potentially find replacements. This time out, insiders said the talent is looking for a “healthy bump,” given the show’s history as a money-making machine for News Corp. (Coincidentally, the “Simpsons”-themed ride, which features the thesps’ voices, opens this weekend at Universal Studios’ Hollywood and Orlando locations.) The voice talent have traditionally argued that they’re asking for a relatively small piece of the Simpsons pie given its status as a global phenom worth several billions of dollars. Indeed, via syndication, international, licensing and merchandising, among other things, The Simpsons has been invaluable to the conglom.
Interview with Ghatothkach director
Sify Movies recently sat down with 75-year old veteran director Indian to discuss his new animated film Ghatothkach and the state of the animation industry in his home country of India.
Cloudy future for Amy Poehler and Will Arnett
People reports via Buddy TV that real life couple Amy Poehler and Will Arnett, who can currently be heard together in Fox/Blue Sky’s Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who, will be reunited for Sony Animation’s apparently not-so-troubled adaptation of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, due sometime next year.
Richie, Scooby, Oban, Lost Turtles on DVD
TV favorites dominate this week’s slate of animated home video releases as a trio of two-disc sets offer up episodes of The Richie Rich, Scooby-Doo, Oban Star-Racers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. TMNT fans are especially eager to get their hands on the “Ninja Tribunal” episodes, which went unaired for some time. There’s also a treat in store for those collecting episodes of Jim Henson’s The Muppet Show.Hanna-Barbera devotees get two of the studio’s popular ’80s properties in one package as Warner Bros. debuts Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Hour: Volume One. The double discer offers seven hour-long episodes featuring the comic-book millionaire boy and the mystery-solving trio of Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and Scrappy-Doo. The set carries a suggested retail price of $26.99 and includes a featurette titled The Story of Richie Rich.
Oban Star-Racers 2: The Oban Cycle from distributor Shout! Factory includes all 13 uncut episodes of the animated sci-fi/action series from Jetix Europe and French studio Sav! The World Production. Blending 2D and 3D animation, the show revolves around the Great Race of Oban, an intergalactic competition which takes place every 10,000 years to declare the winner of a mysterious Ultimate Prize and determine the balance of power within the Galaxy. For Earth, the race provides an opportunity to vanquish their deadly alien neighbors, the Crogs, who wish to annihilate the human race. The set can be had for around $19.99.
When the fourth season of FUNimation’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ended, the fighting terrapins were shanghaied to Japan where they would train under the intense tutelage of the mysterious Ninja Tribunal, a band of four immortal Ninjutsu masters who have been protecting our world from the forces of darkness for millennia. The cliffhanger was to set up a new season titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Ninja Tribunal. As the episodes were in production, 4Kids decided to switch gears and launch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward instead. The incomplete Ninja Tribunal season has only recently begun airing and is available in full on this DVD release. The two-disc set lists for $16.98.
Those into felt can also pick up the complete third season of The Muppet Show. The four-disc set from Walt Disney Home Video offers 24 epsisodes of the classic Jim Henson Co. production that ran from 1976 to 1981. Hours of bonus features include an all-new behind-the-scenes documentary titled The Making of The Muppets, as well as the 1968 hour-long doc The Muppets on Puppets, in which Jim Henson, Rowlf the Dog and Muppet design chief Don Sahlin demonstrate how to build and operate a hand puppet, and provide insight into the history of the art of puppetry. There are also original Muppet commercials, a new featurette on the origins of Kermit the Frog titled A Frog is Born and A Company of Players, an intimate look behind the scenes with the puppeteers. The set lists for $39.99.
Dick Sutcliffe, 90, created "Davey and Goliath"
Never credited on the TV screen for the series that he inspired, Richard Towne "Dick" Sutcliffe brought whimsy and faith to millions of children on Sunday mornings.
Sutcliffe, who helped come up with the stop-action Davey and Goliath, died May 11 at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas of complications from a stroke. He was 90.
A memorial service for the Dallas resident is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 31 in the chapel at St. Mark's School of Texas.
Sutcliffe, then the director of Lutheran radio and television ministry in New York, worked with Clokey Productions (creators of The Gumby Show) to develop a Sunday morning series that provided a message of faith "without being preachy." Gumby creators Art Clokey and Ruth Clokey Goodell were on his creative team.
The result, in 1960, was a series featuring a boy, Davey Hansen, and his talking dog Goliath.
Church leaders had approached him about reaching young people with television, his daughter, J.T. Sutcliffe of Dallas, told the Dallas Morning News.
"They wanted to do a little sermonette sort of thing, and Dad said, 'In the television medium, people aren't going to put up with that.'" she recalled.
Instead, Sutcliffe suggested a format that would combine entertainment with sound theology, his daughter said.
"Dad wrote the first several scripts, edited... and was the executive director from the Lutheran church standpoint," she said.
Not until many years later did Sutcliffe realize the effect of Davey and Goliath on viewers.
"People started saying, 'My children love that,' or 'We loved it growing up,'" his daughter said. "He's gotten a lot of good and positive feedback in these years looking back on it. I knew that he was happy with it then."
In 2004 -- nearly 45 years after the first episode was broadcast -- Sutcliffe and his team received the Luther Institute's Wittenberg Award for outstanding service to church and society. Sutcliffe then recounted that he created Davey and Goliath with the aim of to showing children how much God cares about them, but that God gives them responsibilities as well.
Sutcliffe was born in Columbia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Taneytown, Maryland, where his father was a Lutheran minister.
He attended Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. "He went to two years of college; he wasn't sure what he wanted to do," his daughter said.
Sutcliffe started his career with a stint of about five years as a newspaper reporter with Virginia's Roanoke Times.
He then joined the United Lutheran Church of America as assistant editor for the Philadelphia-based The Lutheran, a national publication.
Following about five years there, Sutcliffe became associate director for the United Lutheran Church's media relations in New York. His daughter recalled that his duties there included writing and delivering a weekly radio program, Church World News, and providing the Lutheran portion of The Protestant Hour broadcast.
Sutcliffe moved to Dallas in 1969 to serve as Southern Methodist University's director of university relations. In the early 1970s, a series of budget cuts made him lose his position at SMU.
However, he soon found work as director of communications for the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. When the university position was reinstated after six years, SMU called him back, his daughter said. Sutcliffe stayed with the university until his retirement in 1982.
Besides his daughter, Dick Sutcliffe is survived by wife Judy; son Michael of Morristown, New Jersey; brother Paul of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvia; and three grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association, 1440 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75247, or to Heart and Vascular Research, Baylor Health Care System Foundation, 3600 Gaston Avenue, Barnett Tower, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75246.
"Curious George" narrator Jack Duffy dead at 81
Montreal-born actor and singer Jack Duffy, narrator of the syndicated 1980 cartoon series Curious George, died Monday at Toronto General Hospital of natural causes. He was 81.
Directed by Alan J. Shalleck and produced in Canada, the TV series ran for 104 five-minute episodes. After being aired in Canada, it was broadcast on Nickelodeon in 1984, then as part of Pinwheel in 1985. It was seen on the Disney Channel in 1989 as part of Lunch Box, then again later as part of Circle Time.
With a long and varied career in TV and film, Duffy had been a singer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in the late 1940s. That experience led to his own half-hour Here's Duffy television show, which ran in 1958-59.
With Dinah Christie and Billy Van, he played charades on the comedy show Party Game, which ran for 11 seasons and was syndicated throughout Canada. Hosted by Bill Walker, it was made by Hamilton, Ontario independent station CHCH-TV.
Duffy was a cast member of the Wayne and Shuster Show, starting in 1952. He also did the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation series Upside Town and Canadian show And That's the News, Goodnight with Don Harron. As well, he was in the cast of American sketch comedy series Half the George Kirby Comedy Hour and The Bobby Vinton Show.
Born on September 27, 1926, Duffy was 19 when he became a studio singer with CBC Radio in Toronto. He joined a vocal group called the Bob-O-Links which toured America with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra for two years. He stayed with Dorsey's band as a solo singer until 1950.
Duffy became a regular on such CBC variety shows as The Barris Beat, Showtime and Folio. His singing voice, as well as his skill as an impressionist and comic, led to his own series, Here's Duffy.
Recruited to variety shows in the United States, he was on The Perry Como Kraft Music Hall from 1961 to 1963.
A durable TV guest actor, he also had roles in such films as The Silent Partner (1978), The Dream Team (1989), Men with Guns (1997) and A Killing Spring (2002). His TV-movies included Ghost Mom (1993) and A Holiday Romance (1999).
Jack Duffy is survived by his wife and daughter.
Assistant layout supervisor Irma Rosien dies at 90
Irma Rosien, an assistant layout supervisor at Filmation from 1972 until her retirement in 1987, died April 11 at 90.
She graduated from Parsons in New York in the 1930s and lived in Paris before the Second World War. She worked as an interior designer and oil painter before starting a career as a live-action studio illustrator in the 1960s, working for Fox, Paramount, Warners, Filmways and Avco-Embassy.
Rosien went to work as a background and layout artist at Hanna-Barbera in 1970 until heading to Filmation two years later.
At Filmation, she was an assistant layout supervisor for Blackstar and The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! (both 1981), She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-87), Ghostbusters (1986) and BraveStarr (1987-88).
She was an assistant layout supervisor, background cleanup supervisor and background cleanup artist for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-84).
As well, Rosien was an assistant layout supervisor for the studio's feature films The Secret Of The Sword (1985), Pinocchio And The Emperor Of The Night (1987), BraveStarr: The Movie (1988) and Happily Ever After (1990).
In 1982, she was a background cleanup artist for the TV series Gilligan's Planet.
Toon Tuesday: The curious case of Elizabeth Case
Disney Legend Floyd Norman returns with a story about “Big Liz,” the Mother of the Beat Generation. Who – as it turns out – was once a Disney animation artist
We called her "Big Liz" because she was tall. Animation artist Rolly Crump even featured her in a series of black & white posters that he designed back in the 1950s. The wonderful stylized poster featured Elizabeth Case Zwicker giving poetry readings at a local Beatnik hangout.
That's right, kids. Back in the 1950s, we were known as the "Beat Generation." Think Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, and the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. Liz Case was part of that whole scene. But we'll get to that later.
Briefly: Computer Animation Degrees, Brazilian Cons, and mc chris at NY Anime Fest
* The Los Angeles Film School will begin offering an Associate of Science Degree in Computer Animation this September. [AWN]
* Brazil's 7th Annual Kodama Manga, Anime, and Cartoon Convention will be held May 23-24, 2008.
* Hip hop artist mc chris will be performing at this year's New York Anime Festival on Friday, September 26, 2008. [Reed Exhibitions]
The Last Terrytoons
The cartoons posted below are two semi-rare TV pilots. They are not particularly good and I direct you to them only for historical purposes. They will probably be appreciated exclusively by die-hard students of television animation and cartoon history.
These are the last Terrytoons. Produced in 1968, CBS ordered up several Saturday morning pilots from it’s in-house animation shop. But producer Bill Weiss had disbanded the New Rochelle studio and had to farm production out to west coast director Fred Calvert, who in turn hired several Hanna Barbera animators (including Jerry Hathcock and Iwao Takamoto!) to produce these.
Neither of these films went to series. The Ruby Eye of The Monkey God is a half-hearted Arabian nights/Kipling inspired adventure cartoon. Hard to believe, but this was later released theatrically by 20th Century-Fox - and eventually circulated to television in the Terrytoons TV package syndicated in the late 1970s.
The more obscure Sally Sargent (below), is a Nancy Drew knock off updated to the swingin’ sixties. It isn’t even listed on IMDB or in any reference on Terrytoons I can find. This was the final new production that Bill Weiss produced. It’s better than the other film by virtue of it’s groovy sixties theme song and Gary Owens voice on the track. This one was eventually also thrown into the Mighty Mouse/Deputy Dawg syndication package. Be warned: it’s a full ten minutes long.
Irma Rosien, an assistant layout supervisor at Filmation from 1972 until her retirement in 1987, died April 11 at 90.
She graduated from Parsons in New York in the 1930s and lived in Paris before the Second World War. She worked as an interior designer and oil painter before starting a career as a live-action studio illustrator in the 1960s, working for Fox, Paramount, Warners, Filmways and Avco-Embassy.
Rosien went to work as a background and layout artist at Hanna-Barbera in 1970 until heading to Filmation two years later.
At Filmation, she was an assistant layout supervisor for Blackstar and The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! (both 1981), She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-87), Ghostbusters (1986) and BraveStarr (1987-88).
She was an assistant layout supervisor, background cleanup supervisor and background cleanup artist for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-84).
As well, Rosien was an assistant layout supervisor for the studio's feature films The Secret Of The Sword (1985), Pinocchio And The Emperor Of The Night (1987), BraveStarr: The Movie (1988) and Happily Ever After (1990).
In 1982, she was a background cleanup artist for the TV series Gilligan's Planet.
Toon Tuesday: The curious case of Elizabeth Case
Disney Legend Floyd Norman returns with a story about “Big Liz,” the Mother of the Beat Generation. Who – as it turns out – was once a Disney animation artist
We called her "Big Liz" because she was tall. Animation artist Rolly Crump even featured her in a series of black & white posters that he designed back in the 1950s. The wonderful stylized poster featured Elizabeth Case Zwicker giving poetry readings at a local Beatnik hangout.
That's right, kids. Back in the 1950s, we were known as the "Beat Generation." Think Kerouac, Ferlinghetti, and the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. Liz Case was part of that whole scene. But we'll get to that later.
I’ve long since lost the original poster by Rolly Crump.
But here’s a rough sketch of the wonderful 1950s-style black & white poster
drawn from memory. Sorry, Rolly.
But here’s a rough sketch of the wonderful 1950s-style black & white poster
drawn from memory. Sorry, Rolly.
Elizabeth Case was the daughter of famed radio announcer Nelson Case, and she always wanted to be an artist. Back in 1956, Liz had just been divorced and was looking for work. Oddly enough, she answered a newspaper ad in the Los Angeles Times. The Walt Disney Studio was looking for artists. Liz quickly put a portfolio together and headed for the Disney studio.
In a remarkable moment of honesty, the Disney people asked Liz if she had another source of income because -- as they put it -- "We don't pay very much." Liz assured Disney she had child support, so they quickly hired her.
I had begun my apprenticeship with Disney a few months earlier, so all of us young kids became fast friends. The Disney old timers often scolded us for being loud and unruly in the animation wings. Liz and madcap artist Rolly Crump were often the instigators of the mischief that took place daily. Yes, we were unruly kids at Disney. Nice to know some things never change.
While women were not allowed to animate back in the 1950s, don't get the idea they kept a low profile. These were strong women who could easily hold their own with their often privileged male counterparts. As you can imagine, Liz Case didn't take guff from any man on the Disney staff.
In a remarkable moment of honesty, the Disney people asked Liz if she had another source of income because -- as they put it -- "We don't pay very much." Liz assured Disney she had child support, so they quickly hired her.
I had begun my apprenticeship with Disney a few months earlier, so all of us young kids became fast friends. The Disney old timers often scolded us for being loud and unruly in the animation wings. Liz and madcap artist Rolly Crump were often the instigators of the mischief that took place daily. Yes, we were unruly kids at Disney. Nice to know some things never change.
While women were not allowed to animate back in the 1950s, don't get the idea they kept a low profile. These were strong women who could easily hold their own with their often privileged male counterparts. As you can imagine, Liz Case didn't take guff from any man on the Disney staff.
The brunette standing is artist Bea Tomargo,
and Elizabeth Case is seated.
and Elizabeth Case is seated.
This great drawing was done in the 1950s by animator John Sparey.
Elizabeth Case found that her fine art training served her well on "Sleeping Beauty." She knew that Disney wanted skilled draftsmen on the feature, not just people who could draw cartoons. You have to know the human figure and how to interpret human movement.
Liz found herself doing a lot of the birds in "Sleeping Beauty." She studied birds in the Disney research library, and quickly developed a bird consciousness. Once Sequence 8 was completed, she moved on to other characters in the film. Liz seems to enjoy the challenge each character presented and had truly found a home at Disney animation.
All that came to an end when "Sleeping Beauty" was finally completed. The Disney animation staff, which had ramped up to produce the movie, was severely downsized, and hundreds of talented artists were shown the door.
Elizabeth was offered work in other departments, but she refused. She couldn't imagine life without animation, and didn't want any other work. Not even for more money. Sadly, after polishing her skills on a classic Disney feature motion picture, Elizabeth Case walked away from Disney and never returned to the cartoon business.
Liz found herself doing a lot of the birds in "Sleeping Beauty." She studied birds in the Disney research library, and quickly developed a bird consciousness. Once Sequence 8 was completed, she moved on to other characters in the film. Liz seems to enjoy the challenge each character presented and had truly found a home at Disney animation.
All that came to an end when "Sleeping Beauty" was finally completed. The Disney animation staff, which had ramped up to produce the movie, was severely downsized, and hundreds of talented artists were shown the door.
Elizabeth was offered work in other departments, but she refused. She couldn't imagine life without animation, and didn't want any other work. Not even for more money. Sadly, after polishing her skills on a classic Disney feature motion picture, Elizabeth Case walked away from Disney and never returned to the cartoon business.
This is a fairly recent photo of Elizabeth Case. She passed away in 2006.
But, as is often said, there is life after Disney. Elizabeth Case went on to lead a fascinating life post-Disney. She became a poet, painter, and children's book illustrator. Liz even painted a mural in the New Jersey public library.
Knowing how feisty Liz could be, I was not surprised to hear that Lawrence Ferlinghetti had her thrown out of his City Lights bookstore because he didn't care for her "women's poetry." Undaunted, Elizabeth Case continued with the San Francisco beat movement. And in 1958, Liz was the only one doing poetry readings as coffee houses replaced night clubs. Soon, Liz became known as the "Mother of the Beat Generation."
Elizabeth Case Zwicker passed away in the year 2006 at the age of seventy-six. Though many years have passed, I can still see her in her cape, sandals and dark eye makeup, imploring us to embrace a sense of social responsibility.
Women animation artists are all too often forgotten when it comes to writing animation history. This is a woman you should know -- and remember.
Breck Eisner to Direct Flash Gordon
Sony's Columbia Pictures is in early talks to acquire the film rights for a big-screen adaptation of Flash Gordon that Breck Eisner would direct and Neal Moritz would produce. Eisner would also executive produce, says The Hollywood Reporter. The trade says:
"Flash" was originally a science fiction newspaper comic strip drawn by Alex Raymond in the 1930s and was created to compete with another sci-fi strip, "Buck Rogers." The strip was first adapted to the screen via Buster Crabbe serials and made into a lavish 1980 film starring Sam Jones but remembered more for its Queen score.
Flash was a sports player who travels to the planet Mongo with his lady love, Dale Arden, and the mad scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. There, they discover a world ruled by Ming the Merciless and meet strange inhabitants such as the Hawkmen and the Sharkmen.
There are no writers on board the project yet.
Kung Fu Panda clip
Quintessence has for your viewing pleasure an extended clip from DreamWork’s upcoming release, Kung Fu Panda. The CG martial arts comedy hits theaters on June 6th.
Transformers 2 Secrets Revealed!
Transformers co-writer Roberto Orci told SCI FI Wire that the soon-to-shoot sequel will build on the first film, delve deeper into established characters and devote screen time to a favorite Transformer from the original animated TV series. (Possible spoilers ahead!)
Orci and his longtime writing partner Alex Kurtzman scripted the first Transformers movie and have written the story for Transformers 2; Ehren Kruger (The Ring) drafted the screenplay, and Michael Bay is set to return to the director's chair.
"We want to follow some of our lead characters, which we thought were so successful," Orci said in an interview in New York while promoting the upcoming Fox SF TV series Fringe. "Shia LaBeouf's character, [Sam Witwicky, was] amazing. Where is he two years later? His girlfriend, [Mikaela, played by Megan Fox,] where is she two years later? But for fans--I guess I'll address this more to fans-- ... I think if you didn't know Transformers at all and you liked the first movie, you'll like the second one."
Orci added that some of the die-hard franchise fans may have wanted the film to be less lighthearted and have more science fiction. "I think the second one will deliver on a true Transformers story," he said. "You know, the first one, we had a limited budget for what it was. Every second of Transformer time is $1 million or whatever the heck it is. So this time, because we were able to prove, thank God, through the whole thing that it's a viable live-action movie, we have a little more freedom this time to actually learn about the Transformers, to see them, hear them. ... It's a better balance between the humans and the Transformers."
Orci was coy at first about the identity of the Transformer character he felt most compelled to include in the sequel. But he relented after a moment. "I'll tell you, man," he said. "We had to get Soundwave in there." Where Soundwave goes, Ravage will follow? "Perhaps," he said. "You know, we had Ravage in an early draft of the first movie, and Soundwave, and we couldn't do it right. I think this time, hopefully, we'll have the ability to do it."
Separately, Transformers star Tyrese Gibson told SCI FI Wire that the sequel will do things that haven't been done before. "There's going to be some real one-of-a-kind things going on in this," Gibson (Tech Sgt. Epps) said in an interview on the New Mexico set of Legion, which he is currently filming.
Gibson added: "Michael Bay is really going to try and up the ante on round two and take it to a whole other level. I can't go into any detail, but it's going to be some real one-of-a-kind things going on in this movie that no one has ever visually seen in their life. Michael Bay is really fired up and trying to outdo what he did on the first round."
The Allentown, Pa., Morning Call newspaper, meanwhile, contained a report about future location shooting for the film in the old Pennsylvania steel town. Transformers 2 will open June 26, 2009.
Mortensen returning for The Hobbit?
Viggo Mortensen is in talks to reprise his role as Aragorn, from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, for "The Hobbit".
He'll join original "Rings" stars Andy Serkis ('Gollum') and Ian McKellen ('Gandalf') for the Guillermo Del Toro-directed film, which is about to enter the pre-production phase.
But, as is often said, there is life after Disney. Elizabeth Case went on to lead a fascinating life post-Disney. She became a poet, painter, and children's book illustrator. Liz even painted a mural in the New Jersey public library.
Knowing how feisty Liz could be, I was not surprised to hear that Lawrence Ferlinghetti had her thrown out of his City Lights bookstore because he didn't care for her "women's poetry." Undaunted, Elizabeth Case continued with the San Francisco beat movement. And in 1958, Liz was the only one doing poetry readings as coffee houses replaced night clubs. Soon, Liz became known as the "Mother of the Beat Generation."
Elizabeth Case Zwicker passed away in the year 2006 at the age of seventy-six. Though many years have passed, I can still see her in her cape, sandals and dark eye makeup, imploring us to embrace a sense of social responsibility.
Women animation artists are all too often forgotten when it comes to writing animation history. This is a woman you should know -- and remember.
Breck Eisner to Direct Flash Gordon
Sony's Columbia Pictures is in early talks to acquire the film rights for a big-screen adaptation of Flash Gordon that Breck Eisner would direct and Neal Moritz would produce. Eisner would also executive produce, says The Hollywood Reporter. The trade says:
"Flash" was originally a science fiction newspaper comic strip drawn by Alex Raymond in the 1930s and was created to compete with another sci-fi strip, "Buck Rogers." The strip was first adapted to the screen via Buster Crabbe serials and made into a lavish 1980 film starring Sam Jones but remembered more for its Queen score.
Flash was a sports player who travels to the planet Mongo with his lady love, Dale Arden, and the mad scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. There, they discover a world ruled by Ming the Merciless and meet strange inhabitants such as the Hawkmen and the Sharkmen.
There are no writers on board the project yet.
Kung Fu Panda clip
Quintessence has for your viewing pleasure an extended clip from DreamWork’s upcoming release, Kung Fu Panda. The CG martial arts comedy hits theaters on June 6th.
Transformers 2 Secrets Revealed!
Transformers co-writer Roberto Orci told SCI FI Wire that the soon-to-shoot sequel will build on the first film, delve deeper into established characters and devote screen time to a favorite Transformer from the original animated TV series. (Possible spoilers ahead!)
Orci and his longtime writing partner Alex Kurtzman scripted the first Transformers movie and have written the story for Transformers 2; Ehren Kruger (The Ring) drafted the screenplay, and Michael Bay is set to return to the director's chair.
"We want to follow some of our lead characters, which we thought were so successful," Orci said in an interview in New York while promoting the upcoming Fox SF TV series Fringe. "Shia LaBeouf's character, [Sam Witwicky, was] amazing. Where is he two years later? His girlfriend, [Mikaela, played by Megan Fox,] where is she two years later? But for fans--I guess I'll address this more to fans-- ... I think if you didn't know Transformers at all and you liked the first movie, you'll like the second one."
Orci added that some of the die-hard franchise fans may have wanted the film to be less lighthearted and have more science fiction. "I think the second one will deliver on a true Transformers story," he said. "You know, the first one, we had a limited budget for what it was. Every second of Transformer time is $1 million or whatever the heck it is. So this time, because we were able to prove, thank God, through the whole thing that it's a viable live-action movie, we have a little more freedom this time to actually learn about the Transformers, to see them, hear them. ... It's a better balance between the humans and the Transformers."
Orci was coy at first about the identity of the Transformer character he felt most compelled to include in the sequel. But he relented after a moment. "I'll tell you, man," he said. "We had to get Soundwave in there." Where Soundwave goes, Ravage will follow? "Perhaps," he said. "You know, we had Ravage in an early draft of the first movie, and Soundwave, and we couldn't do it right. I think this time, hopefully, we'll have the ability to do it."
Separately, Transformers star Tyrese Gibson told SCI FI Wire that the sequel will do things that haven't been done before. "There's going to be some real one-of-a-kind things going on in this," Gibson (Tech Sgt. Epps) said in an interview on the New Mexico set of Legion, which he is currently filming.
Gibson added: "Michael Bay is really going to try and up the ante on round two and take it to a whole other level. I can't go into any detail, but it's going to be some real one-of-a-kind things going on in this movie that no one has ever visually seen in their life. Michael Bay is really fired up and trying to outdo what he did on the first round."
The Allentown, Pa., Morning Call newspaper, meanwhile, contained a report about future location shooting for the film in the old Pennsylvania steel town. Transformers 2 will open June 26, 2009.
Mortensen returning for The Hobbit?
Viggo Mortensen is in talks to reprise his role as Aragorn, from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, for "The Hobbit".He'll join original "Rings" stars Andy Serkis ('Gollum') and Ian McKellen ('Gandalf') for the Guillermo Del Toro-directed film, which is about to enter the pre-production phase.
Briefly: Computer Animation Degrees, Brazilian Cons, and mc chris at NY Anime Fest
* The Los Angeles Film School will begin offering an Associate of Science Degree in Computer Animation this September. [AWN]
* Brazil's 7th Annual Kodama Manga, Anime, and Cartoon Convention will be held May 23-24, 2008.
* Hip hop artist mc chris will be performing at this year's New York Anime Festival on Friday, September 26, 2008. [Reed Exhibitions]
The Last Terrytoons
The cartoons posted below are two semi-rare TV pilots. They are not particularly good and I direct you to them only for historical purposes. They will probably be appreciated exclusively by die-hard students of television animation and cartoon history.
These are the last Terrytoons. Produced in 1968, CBS ordered up several Saturday morning pilots from it’s in-house animation shop. But producer Bill Weiss had disbanded the New Rochelle studio and had to farm production out to west coast director Fred Calvert, who in turn hired several Hanna Barbera animators (including Jerry Hathcock and Iwao Takamoto!) to produce these.
Neither of these films went to series. The Ruby Eye of The Monkey God is a half-hearted Arabian nights/Kipling inspired adventure cartoon. Hard to believe, but this was later released theatrically by 20th Century-Fox - and eventually circulated to television in the Terrytoons TV package syndicated in the late 1970s.
The more obscure Sally Sargent (below), is a Nancy Drew knock off updated to the swingin’ sixties. It isn’t even listed on IMDB or in any reference on Terrytoons I can find. This was the final new production that Bill Weiss produced. It’s better than the other film by virtue of it’s groovy sixties theme song and Gary Owens voice on the track. This one was eventually also thrown into the Mighty Mouse/Deputy Dawg syndication package. Be warned: it’s a full ten minutes long.
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