Warner Home Video has released a new video clip from the upcoming Green Lantern: First Flight direct-to-video animated feature.
Click HERE to view the clip. Please note the clip requires Quicktime to play.
A co-production of Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Green Lantern: First Flight animated feature will debut Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 on DVD and Blu-ray disc.
G-Force Looks for the Green
That’s what Disney is hoping for the VFX-heavy family adventure movie, which stars CG guinea pigs and opens in nearly 3,700 theaters. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which has so far grossed more than $184 million at the domestic box office will not relinquish its title easily.
There’s plenty of counter programming out this weekend, with the horror film Orphan opening in 2,750 theaters and the romantic comedy The Ugly Truth, starring Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler and Cheryl Hines, making its way to 2,882 venues.
The animated Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen are also still hanging on and should continue to do good business.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Comic-Con Gets Under Way
Fear not, however, as Animation Magazine is on the scene to make sure all the latest and greatest animation news gets covered.
If you’re at the show, be sure to stop by our booth (#2044) and check out our latest and greatest merchandise and subscription offers!
Also, be sure to check out the panel we’re offering in conjunction with Animation Mentor: Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes. The panel will feature Disney animation producer Don Hahn; Disney animator Glen Keane, creator of Aladdin's Genie Eric Goldberg; director/teacher/animator Tom Sito; and Masked Avenger Studios owner and sculptor Ruben Procopio as they discuss the life and influence of Disney mentor, trainer, and artist Walt Stanchfield. The panel will be held from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, in Room 23AB, so stop on by.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Comedy Central Plans Drawn Movie
The feature, which will be released by Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment in March, will feature series creators Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser as writers and executive producers.
The series, which gathered several animated characters into a Real World-style reality show setting, was the network’s first original, 2D animated series. It debuted in 2004 and ran a total of 36 episdoes over three seasons.
More details on the movie will be announced at a Comic-Con panel set for Thursday, July 23, from 7-8 p.m. in Room 6BCF. The panel will feature Silverstein and Jeser, as well as voice actors Cree Summer, James Arnold Taylor, Abbey McBride, Jess Harnell and Tara Strong.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Konami’s Metalocalypse: Dethgame Due this Fall
Players assume the role of Klokateers, loyal roadies to the world’s greatest metal band, Dethklok, and are unleashed upon the band’s rabid mutant fans. The game will feature the music of Dethklok, including three new songs from the upcoming “Dethklok 2” album, due out later this fall.
The game was co-created by Brendan Small, co-creator of the Metalocalpyse series and, before that, the cult animated series Home Movies.
"We have gone above and beyond and found the biggest nerds in the industry to help develop and deliver what will without a doubt be the most successful downloadable cartoon death metal game in recorded history," said Small. "I defy anyone to find another death metal cartoon that can claim the same. I think the most important thing to remember beyond the record-setting CD sales, and astounding ratings and growing rabid fans around the world, is that this game is going to be a blast to play. I am very excited to be a part of making video games metal."
Developed by Frozen Codebase, Metalocalypse: Dethgame is slated for release in Q4 2009. For more information on Metalocalypse: Dethgame, please visit: www.konami.com/metalocalypse.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Hulu Goes Shojo With Nana, Honey
Honey & Clover is a romantic comedy about art school students who get involved in a love triangle with an innocent and talented 19-year-old. The series is based on the manga by Chica Umino and is rated T+.
Nana is about two girls who share the same name, but are otherwise completely different and become friends. The series is based on Ai Yazawa’s manga, one of the best-selling shojo titles of all time. The series is rated M.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
Sam Raimi to Lead Warcraft Pic
"At its core, Warcraft is a fantastic, action-packed story," says Raimi. "I am thrilled to work with such a dynamite production team to bring this project to the big screen."
The Warcraft feature will be produced by Charles Roven (The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, 12 Monkeys), Alex Gartner, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Joshua Donen.
Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft universe is a fantasy based on the epic conflict between the opposing forces of the Horde and the Alliance. Since its debut in 1994, Warcraft has developed a loyal following across the globe, with several bestselling, award-winning PC games and a range of popular licensed products. World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment's subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the Warcraft universe, is the most popular game of its kind in the world. Its most recent expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, is the fastest-selling PC game of all time, with more than 2.8 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability and more than 4 million in its first month.
(Thanks Animation Magazine)
SDCC ‘09: Craig Yoe
In case you were wondering where our buddy, artist/cartoon historian Craig Yoe will be during the San Diego Comic Con, here’s an abbreviated checklist:
THURSDAY JULY 23RD
- 12:00 to 1:00 pm Fantagraphics Book Signing “The Bizarre Comics of Boody Rogers”booth # 1716
FRIDAY JULY 24TH
- 3:00 to 4:00 pm Abrams Book Signing “Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster”booth # 1216
SATURDAY JULY 25TH
- 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Abrams Book Signing “Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster”booth # 1216
1:00-2:00 pm Comics Arts Conference Session #11: The (Strange) State of Siegel and Shuster Scholarship— Brad Ricca (Case Western Reserve University), director of Last Son, a scholarly documentary on Siegel and Shuster, moderates this conversational panel featuring Craig Yoe (Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman Co-Creator Joe Shuster) and Lauren Agostino, an independent scholar, who will share letters connected to the 1947 lawsuit and portions of the original Superboy script that completely upset a lot of myths about who created Superboy. Room 30AB
Meanwhile, Variety reported that Yoe’s book Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator Joe Shuster has optioned for major motion picture by the Gotham Group.
Oh, and if you are in L.A. next Wednesday, check out the “Secret Identity” West Coast L/Raunch Party - Wednesday July 29th from 8:00 to 10:00 pm at MeltDown Comix, 7522 W Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood California.
(Thanks cartoon brew)
SDCC ‘09: Jeremy Bernstein
Animation artist Jeremy Bernstein will be at booth C05 from Thursday to Sunday with his new book: Neon Lights in the Golden Hour. It’s filled with illustrations of owls and poetry. 56 pages. 28 illustrations. 28 original poems. Full color. 6 x 9. Only 200 copies printed! Plus every buyer will get a drawing done inside as well as a 4×3 sticker. Check out Jeremy’s blog to see more images.
(Thanks cartoon brew)
Updated: "Futurama" Voice Cast May Not Return for New Episodes in 2010
The Hollywood Reporter is stating that new actors are being auditioned for the Futurama cast for the return of the show on Comedy Central in 2010. 20th Century Fox TV issued a statement saying that they could not meet the salary demands of the original cast members John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Billy West, Tress MacNeille and Katey Sagal, with unnamed sources claiming that a deal may yet be made and that the actors were "seeking at least a tenfold increase of what they made when the animated series ran on Fox from 1999-2003."
Update: 7.23.2009 -- From Phil LaMarr (via Facebook): "[20th Century Fox] just dis-invited the cast members who were supposed to appear [at the Futurama Comic-Con panel] so it may not be entertaining but it’ll certainly be interesting."
Furthermore, LaMarr has refuted the previously-reported claim by Variety that the cast was asking for $75,000 per episode: "Apparently Fox has decided to just make up numbers. The $75,000 figure they cite is not even close to what the cast is asking for. If it was, Katey Sagal would be there now during character designs!"
Voice Actors in the News has been adding updates and links on this story as it develops.
SDCC: Jackson & Theron Have Astro Boy Cameos
Director David Bowers has just announced that both Samuel L. Jackson and Charlize Theron are set for roles in this fall's Astro Boy, joining an all-star celebrity cast that includes Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Donald Sutherland and Nathan Lane, among many others.
Though it is unclear exactly what characters either actor will be voicing, Bowers specifically mentioned that Jackson's role is a special cameo, which should come as no surprise as Jackson is a self-professed comic fan.
The Continuing Dino Rampage
I know this sounds repetitious, but there's a reason all the major animation studios keep making sequels:
... The $448 million golden egg laid so quickly overseas by "Ice Age 3" has been one of the season's bigger surprises.
Toon is currently the top earner of the summer (although "Half-Blood Prince" will ultimately overtake it) and is on the verge of surpassing the $456 million earned by "Ice Age: The Meltdown" over its entire foreign run.
Indeed, "Dawn of the Dinosaurs" will soon pass WB's "The Dark Knight," which cumed $468.6 million internationally.
...Box office observers say "Dawn of the Dinosaurs," helped by the extra cost of 3-D tickets, has a good chance of becoming the top-grossing animated title of all time at the international B.O., surpassing Pixar's "Finding Nemo" ($524 million).
Toon is now the biggest film of all time in Russia and a number of Latin American countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Uruguay. And in Brazil on Tuesday, "Ice Age 3" managed to outdo "Half-Blood Prince." ...
You can hardly blame our fine, entertainment congloms for making IIs, IIIs and IVs when all those foreigners keep flinging money at their newer installments of old standbys. (Not to mention the heavy coin that flows out of the U.S. of A.) Because as a wise old film editor once said to me:
"In Hollywood, a good movie is a movie that makes a lot of money."
(Thanks Animation Guild Blog)
Fox Auditioning Fans for 'Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special'
Morgan Spurlock, Producer and Director of The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special — In 3-D! On Ice will be holding an open casting call “for real-life Simpsons” at the San Diego Comic-Con this Saturday, July 25th from 10 AM – 8 PM at the Marriott Hotel and Marina next to the convention center.
Fans who resemble Simpsons characters in real life, are wearing a Simpsons costume, or who do imitations of Simpsons character voices are encouraged to come out to audition in person. And if fans are unable to attend Comic-Con, they are encouraged to send their auditions (photos, audio and video) to RealLifeSimpsons@gmail.com.
Here’s the promo video from Fox Broadcasting:
More 'Batman/Superman: Public Enemies' Details Revealed
Voice Actors in the News has posted highlights of a four-page feature article on Batman/Superman: Public Enemies in Life Story: Movie Magic Magazine which includes interviews with voice actors Kevin Conroy (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Tim Daly (Superman/Clark Kent), Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor), script writer Stan Berkowitz, and supervising producer Michael Goguen.
The article reveals character and plot details, and includes four cast/crew photos.
80's Singer John Oates' Mustache Headlines New Web Animation
The Hollywood Reporter notes the latest would-be star in the world of web animation: the mustache of singer John Oates, half of the 80's pop duo Hall and Oates. Last Tuesday, the webtoon J-stache premiered on the comedy website FunnyOrDie.com, accompanied by the mustache's weblog at jstache.com. While Oates and his "obnoxious, beer-swilling, skirt-chasing" mustache parted ways after a John Lennon tribute concert in Tokyo in 1990, the mustache (voiced in the cartoon by Dave Attell) has since been working to lure Oates back into the life of a rock star. The animation is a product of Primary Wave Music Publishing, which owns a majority stake in some of the biggest hits in Hall & Oates' musical catalog and is apparently in negotiations with several networks for distribution and broadcast rights to the series.
Rumors of the return of David Bowie's hair, Billy Idol's lips, and Kajagoogoo's kajagoogoos could not be confirmed at press time.
(NOTE: Oates' facial hair apparently lives quite a life of rock-star debauchery, so many of the links above contain mature content.)
Briefly: "Masters of Russian Animation," 2009 Seoul Int'l Cartoon & Animation Fest
* The short film compilation "Masters of Russian Animation" will be screened on August 15-16, 2009, at the Community Music Center in San Francisco, CA. World music quarted Gojogo will be performing new original instrumental music for the films, which were created in Soviet Russia from 1969 to 1984. [AWN]
* Animation Insider previews the highlights of the the 2009 Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival, running from July 22-26, 2009, in Seoul, South Korea.
"Variety" Spotlight on Hayao Miyazaki
Variety has posted a host of articles focusing on Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, in advance of his appearance at the San Diego Comic Con International 2009 and the North American premiere of his latest movie Ponyo. Included are articles on the efforts to raise Miyazaki's profile (and Ponyo's box office receipts), comments from his many admirers in the artistic world, and the translation and dubbing efforts of Don and Cindy Hewitt.
Aniboom and Marvel Team-Up for Motion Comics Initiative
Aniboom and Marvel Comics have announced a collaborative effort to give the Aniboom community a chance to create original motion comics using some of Marvel's iconic array of superheroes. A panel of Marvel Comics creative talent will select the best motion comic of the submission, winning the animator a $10,000 prize and a showcase for their work across Marvel's digital network. The contest will launch on August 18, 2009.
The full press release follows:
VIRTUAL ANIMATION STUDIO ANIBOOM PARTNERS WITH MARVEL TO CREATE ORIGINAL MOTION COMICS CONTEST FEATURING RENOWNED SUPER HEROES WOLVERINE, THE HULK AND NOVA
Aniboom Community of Nearly 8000 Animators from Across the Globe to Have Opportunity to Compete for Chance to Have Their Original Motion Comic Interpretations of Stories Featuring These Heroes to be Spotlighted on Marvel.com
Motion Comics to Be Based on Acclaimed Marvel Stories Written by Hot Marvel Comic Talent
New York, NY, July 22, 2009 – Aniboom, the world’s first virtual animation studio, today announced a collaboration with Marvel Entertainment, one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Through the partnership, animators registered with the Aniboom community, which currently consists of nearly 8,000 professional-level animators, will have the opportunity to create unique motion comics based on comic book stories starring such renowned Super Heroes as the Hulk, Wolverine and Nova. The winning Aniboom animator – as determined by a blue ribbon panel of Marvel Comics creative talent -- will have their work showcased across Marvel’s digital network, including Marvel.com, as well as receive a $10,000 grand prize. The competition will launch on August 18 at aniboom.com
In addition to showcasing the Hulk, Wolverine and Nova characters, this motion comics creation project with Aniboom also provides Marvel with high profile promotion for its newest digital endeavor. One of the hottest new entertainment categories for Marvel, motion comics refashion some of the world’s most popular comic book content into brand-new entertainment that remains true to the heritage of panel-by-panel graphic storytelling. With groundbreaking graphics, sensational soundscapes and the explosiveness of the Marvel Universe, Marvel motion comics bring to life favorite comics, authors and artists in a never-before-seen way.
Aniboom’s community of animators will have the opportunity to create motion comics for classic Marvel Universe storylines, including Hulk vs. Wolverine and Nova. The Hulk vs. Wolverine story was written by acclaimed film, television and comic book writer Jeph Loeb (“Heroes”, “Lost” and “Smallville” and Marvel’s The Ultimates and Captain America). The Hulk vs. Wolverine features art by Ed McGuinness (Hulk, TheUltimates, Deadpool). Animators will also have access to a Nova story, written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (War of Kings, Annihilation) with art by Kev Walker (Marvel Zombies, Exiles, The Eternal).
Marvel will provide the original art, voiceovers, soundtracks and storylines, giving the animators the opportunity to put these stories in motion and compete for best creativity in execution. Five finalists chosen by a panel of Marvel judges will each receive $2,000 to expand their motion comic into a full-length story. These five, plus one additional “wildcard” finalist, will compete for the grand prize of $10,000. The Top 50 motion comic submissions – as voted on by the Aniboom community – will each receive a free one-year subscription to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, which features online versions of your favorite Marvel Comics that are created from the original artwork used to print them. This easily accessible online library has over 6,000 comics, and new comics are being added each month.
“Creating motion comics is an amazing new challenge to our community of animators to explore – it’s quite different from the programming development we’re doing with Fox and History Channel,” said Uri Shinar, founder and CEO of Aniboom. “The Marvel Universe is one of the most vibrant story and character libraries, beloved by Aniboom’s animators worldwide. Our partnership with Marvel provides a very efficient model for creating quality, versatile content.”
John Dokes, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Marvel Entertainment, added, “We are excited to work with Aniboom’s virtual studio for this innovative new motion comic project, combining the work of Marvel’s esteemed comic book artists and writers with some of the best animation talent from the Aniboom community to create unique new content presentation variations for Marvel fans. These new motion comics will be the latest in an ongoing array of exciting new things to come to the Marvel Universe.”
Aniboom’s content creation competition with Marvel comes off the heels of the HISTORY competition announced earlier this month, where Aniboom’s community of animators were invited to create short form animations for the highly anticipated The People Speak film airing on HISTORY later this year. Additionally, Aniboom has partnered with Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century FOX Television in a search of a new signature holiday special with their FOX-Aniboom Holiday Animation Challenge. The contest is generating substantial buzz and as of July 15, entries from up-and-coming animators around the world can now be seen and commented on at www.Aniboom.com. The winner will be chosen later this year.
Oops! - iNext Reveals Next Series
iNext Creator, a Taipei-based CG studio that specializes in character animation for kids, created this series, titled Oops!, which stars a mischieveous bunny who turns household items into weapons. This episode riffs on Transformers.
Rigaud’s Copy and Clone
Copier coller (Copy and clone) is a Louis Rigaud’s diploma project from his studies at l’École supérieure des Arts décoratifs in Strasbourg. It’s a clever metaphor that illustrates the potential harm that may already be happening by way of animal cloning.
Supinfocom Arles Students Trip to Candyland
Laurent Harduin, Delphine Bourgois, Victor Phrakornkham, Pierre-Vincent Cabourg and Fanny Vergne, 5 former students at France’s Supinfocom Arles school, created this 6-minute CG short staged in a world made of candy. The film, titled Miam!, answers the burning question - what lies above the candy shelves at the supermarket?
… and here’s a making of featurette in French, with English subtitles:
Sesame Workshop’s Spike and Bubbles
Check out this beautiful short produced at Dancing Diablo. Lineboil.com contributor Dan Forgione was the animation director on the piece, which was produced for Sesame Workshop. It’s titled Spike and Bubbles.
H-B voice actor Bruce Watson, 68, takes own life

Watson "took his own life in a horrific act of self-violence... after a long, hard-fought and tragic struggle with mental illness," his nephew Randy wrote on his blog. "It was an impulsive act in a fit of pain and rage."
Watson guested as Crewman Green in "The Man Trap," the first Star Trek episode to air on television. He died exactly 10 years after Star Trek co-star DeForest Kelley.
Around the World in 79 Days was a segment of the ABC series The Cattanooga Cats.
Watson also voiced D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, a segment of H-B's The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, which aired on NBC in 1968-69.
He continued doing voice work as a professional reader for audiobooks when his acting career slowed.
Many of Watson's TV appearances were as "expendable" characters, said his nephew.
"That's the person you pull up from the hull of the ship, or out of the Western town, or off the side of the road when the plot requires a sacrificial death. Not a main character, but someone, well, expendable. As a result, Bruce's appearances on shows were, by necessity, limited."
Born on July 27, 1940, Watson was a nephew of Gene Lockhart. His first TV role was as Ted Stover in the 1961 My Three Sons episode "Trial by Separation."
He also guested on such series as Bonanza, Mission Impossible, Adam 12, Mannix, The Mod Squad, Gunsmoke and Dragnet. His last screen appearance was in "Angel on the Line," a 1981 episode of Charlie's Angels.
In films, Watson appeared in the 1966 drama This Property Is Condemned, the 1971 war drama Johnny Got His Gun, and two 1975 movies: the blaxploitation feature Bucktown and the independent thriller The Swinging Barmaids, in which he played the lead role. He was also in the 1977 TV-movie Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid, starring LeVar Burton.
"Crewmember Green suffered from manic depression. A condition he fought all his life," his nephew said. "He was, for the most part, able to function amazingly well. And then not so much.
"In Hollywood, Bruce was expendable. Bruce's dream was expendable. It's the kind of dream you pull up when the plot line requires a dreamer and a tragedy."
The Movie Based On Gerry Anderson's UFO Is Closer To Reality!!
Merrick here...
Visual effects guru Matthew Gratzner has been attached to direct a bigscreen adaptation of Gerry Anderson's UFO television series; the show ran for 26 episodes back in the early 70s. Gratzner was a VFX Supervisor on THE FOUNTAIN, IRON MAN, HANCOCK, NATIONAL TREASURE, and Scorsese's forthcoming SHUTTER ISLAND.
A script has been written by Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek. Gratzner's studio has begun developing concept art and pre-visualizations; after they're completed, the picture will be shopped for financing.
Like the Gerry Anderson series, the film will revolve around Shado (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), a secret military operation hidden beneath a Hollywood studio, whose operatives battle an alien race that has been kidnapping and killing humans for decades and using the body parts.
...says Variety HERE.
I really loved this show; as stiff and cheesy as it was, there's a great concept waiting to be exploited if its essence is approached seriously - and potentially some truly bad ass design work to be found.
The TV show was the first fully adult program created by the Andersons, who up until that point had been making more kid-friendly fare such as Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray and Fireball XL5 filmed in their Supermarionation technique of using advanced and detailed puppets/marionettes.
If you've never seen it, the entirety of the original UFO is available through Netflix - or can be purchased for around $40 HERE.
No word yet on casting, or if the show will preserve the highly memorable purple wigs sported by a number of female cast members. The last Gerry and Sylvia Anderson show to make the transition to the big screen, Thunderbirds, directed by Jonathan Frakes, was a critical and financial flop.
More details about the series can be found HERE or HERE.
(Thanks Aint It Cool)
Frank Miller working on 300 sequel?
It looks like graphic novel icon Frank Miller, who changed the art form back in the 1980s with his The Dark Knight Returns, is setting aside his Batman vs. Al-Qaeda book for the time being. According to the Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business blog, Miller is working on a graphic novel follow up to 300 that will serve as the basis for a sequel to director Zack Snyder's huge 2006 hit.
No firm word word yet on whether or not Miller's graphic novel is a true sequel to 300, a prequel, or a sequel that focuses on a new group of characters... which, given the mortality rate of principals in the first movie, seems a likely route for the new story arc to take.
There are early indications that 300 director Zack Snyder and screenwriter Kurt Johnstad will be returning for the new movie, but nothing is confirmed at this point. Producers Gianni Nunnari and Mark Canton have reportedly been pushing for a sequel to the $400 million-grossing, spears-and-loincloths hit for some time.
We can only hope the Meet the Spartans guys don't know about this yet.
Comic-Con: Seth Rogen, Michel Gondry & Evan Goldberg Unveil Green Hornet's Black Beauty
"The Green Hornet" star and co-writer Seth Rogen, his writing partner Evan Goldberg and director Michel Gondry kicked off the 2009 Comic-Con in San Diego in grand fashion this evening, unveiling the film's "Black Beauty" -- a night-black, gadget-filled car that Green Hornet and his sidekick Kato will use in the film.
The debut of the tricked-out ride earned a fair share attention from fans -- including the trio of filmmakers, who each posed for photos around the car like regular ol' conventioners after the vehicle was revealed.
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