Men In Black (MIB) completed a cyclical odyssey at this year's Con. Having begun as a Malibu comic book back in 1991, the live-action film opened in July of this year. MIB begins its third incarnation when it debuts as an animated series this October on the Kids WB!. Once again, the property will see life as a comic book, this time through Marvel. Men In Black #1 will reprint the original 1991 book. MIB: The Movie will adapt the live action feature, and MIB: Far Cry and Retribution will follow up on events set forth in the film. The animated series currently has a 13 episode commitment and will air on Saturday mornings.

Another comic book property, Sam and Max, has expanded into various other formats. Steve Purcell, a former LucasArts animator, began Sam and Max as a black and white comic book ten years ago. A CD ROM soon followed, and this fall will see the premiere of the Sam and Max animated series on Fox, produced by the folks at Nelvana. Currently slotted for 13 episodes, each show will be divided into two eleven-minute stories. "The shorter format is good because they can get right into the story and get out and keep the pace going. That's ideal for these characters, because they have short attention spans," says Steve Purcell. However, he does admit that a few of the stories will spill into full half-hour epics by Sam and Max standards. So with comic books, CD ROM's and an animated series already covered, what could be next for Sam and Max? Says Purcell, "My ideal licensing moment would be a Pez dispenser."

Spawn, the animated series from HBO Animation.

Still Pitching...
Even though they may not have release dates yet, several other projects remain close to fruition. From the comic book end, Shannon Wheeler's Too Much Coffee Man seems poised to be an animated gem in the not-too-distant future. The hero of the piece lives by the credo, "No one can escape addiction. Choose yours carefully!" As for Wheeler, he lives by his own credo: Too Much Coffee Man is, "more than a comic book, less than a hernia operation."

Another animated project that seems very close to production is Randy Lofficier's Virtual Meltdown which promises to be a fascinating film, marrying western artistic styles, an American script and Japanese animation techniques. (For complete details on the project, check out Randy's article "Virtually Melting Down" in the July issue of Animation World Magazine.). Despite the fact that they're awaiting funding, this project is very nearly realized, with script, production designs, and celebrity involvement already finalized.

Virtual Worlds
Based upon previews at this year's Con, there look to be two huge interactive hits this Christmas season. Marvel Comics previewed their upcoming release, Marvel Interactive by flashing it across a dozen linked video monitors. In it, various Marvel super-heroes do battle in highly-detailed computer generated graphics. When Wolverine slashes Magneto's chest, you can see the shards fly. Hundreds of fans sat glued to the tubes at Marvel's booth, promising that a staggering amount of units will fly out of stores when it debuts this fall.

But as great a reaction as Marvel Interactive got from the fans, the most popular new product out there may wind up being Fox's Virtual Springfield. With the click of a mouse, Simpsons fans can go anywhere they want. Die hard fans will appreciate the attention to detail, with little-known facts revealed in Simpsons episodes being accurately represented in the game. For instance, as dedicated fans know, Apu's Quick-E-Mart has a secret passageway to the roof, cleverly hidden behind the one spot Springfield shoppers never look: the non-alcoholic beer. The game remains true to its roots, allowing you to click on the non-alcoholic beer and find your way to Apu's roof. Set for a fall release, Virtual Springfield looks to be a huge holiday hit.