LocoMotion logo. © Hearst Entertainment and Cisneros Group.

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of specialized cable and satellite channels devoted to children's and/or animation programming. The most visible ones have been the US-based Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network, which have made their presence felt internationally. These channels also have their counterparts around the world, ranging from South Korea to the UK. Thus, it is not surprising that Locomotion, a new all-animation service, would emerge aimed at the Latin American via the DirecTV satellite service.

A joint venture between the Hearst Corporation and Venezuela's Groupo Cisneros, Locomotion is a 24-hour channel will initially rely on the Hearst library for its programming. While not substantial, the library does features shows based on such popular comic book/strip characters as Phantom 2040, The Legend of Prince Valiant and Popeye; it also includes several new shows, including Quasimodo (based on Victor Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame) and Flash Gordon.

A Long History
Hearst, mainly known as a publishing company, does not have a very high profile within the animation industry; nevertheless, it has a long history in field. In fact, its short-lived, New York-based International Film Service, established in 1915, played a small but significant role in the early history of American animation. The operation was initially set up to exploit and publicize the comic strips that appeared in the Hearst newspapers, anticipating the type of promotional synergy so common today. The studio is perhaps best known for nurturing the talents of Gregory La Cava (who invented storyboarding and went on to gain fame in screwball comedies in the 1930s) and Walter Lantz, rather than for its films.

Phantom 2040 © 1994, Hearst Entertainment

Hearst's most long-lived connection with animation has been through its King Features Syndicate, which has licensed such classic characters as Betty Boop and Popeye. In 1992, it set up what became Hearst Animation Productions in Los Angeles to produce TV series. Its initial production was the 26 half hour TV series, The Legend of Prince Valiant, which was co-produced with a French company, IBDH. Through this operation and other activities, Hearst has now built up a library of about 600 half hours, that also includes Krazy Kat, Cool McCool and G-Force, which will form the kernel of Locomotion's programming.