Buena Vista International Television has an original new animated show to sell at NATPE 2004, DISNEY’S DAVE THE BARBARIAN, which debuts at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2004 on the Disney Channel. Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, the 21x30 comedy series was created by Doug Langdale.

Grace Animation Studios ceo Christopher Turner is assembling a production team to produce 26 new animated half-hour series of the THE AVENGING APES OF AFRICA (AAoA) for worldwide distribution. Grace will be showing a promo and first episode of the series at NATPE.

THE AVENGING APES OF AFRICA is an exciting action/adventure series for kids 6-12, where five transmuted ape brothers, and their exploration friends span the globe protecting and defending all animals of the world from the dreaded Mr. Harry B. Richborne and his worldwide band of pitiless poachers.

ValCom Inc. is presenting the 3D animation series, NEW ZOO REVUE at NATPE 2004 at booth 473. The original people-in-suits series debuted in syndication in the U.S. in 1971 and reached more than 100 million viewers.

Vince Vellardita and Barbara Atlas are co-exec producing the project with Dotan Koskas serving as animation producer and co-producton partner O Atlas Enterprises. The musical show follows the adventures of Charlie the Owl, Henrietta Hippo, Freddie the Frog, Freeda the Frog and humans like Mr Dingle, Doug and Emmy-Jo.

Final Draft, Inc., publisher of Final Draft, the top-selling scriptwriting software, and Entertainment Partners, publisher of the Movie Magic production software product line, will be previewing new software at Booth 1174 at the NATPE show from Jan. 18-20, 2004.

Final Draft will be previewing Tagger, which enables a user to break down a Final Draft script into its various elements (components). The tagged script can then be exported into Entertainment Partners' Movie Magic and EP Scheduling software. Final Draft and Final Draft AV software will also be demonstrated.

The National Film Board of Canada will be at NATPE this year with NOËL NOËL, an animated Christmas special narrated by Leslie Nielsen, that revives the great tradition of children's fairy tales.

The title character in this whimsical half-hour is a misguided billionaire, who falls in love with Beatrice, a bespectacled fairy who prefers words of love to rivers of diamonds. Thanks to little Zoey, her dog Snooze and a blue-eyed reindeer, Noel Noël finally realizes that money doesn't bring happiness, and that to be happy, you have to listen to your heart.

DIC Entertainment (DIC) will be bringing four new STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE specials, two SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH series and a sneak peek at the new TV series STAN LEE'S SUPER 7 to NATPE at booth 1246.

This week in AWN's Forums a new thread presents the pontification – what's will you be doing in six months? One of our members has asked – what's the deal with using red and blue pencils? A senior member leads others to some cool Flash animation on the Net. We received more posts in the popular thread containing member's animation. Another blogger wants to know what others are using to create their Web pages. As well, more advice flows in about animating in Flash. Other post their laments about the closing of Disney's Orlando studio.

Cybergraphix Animation recently announced its co-production agreement with Mumbai-based Animation Bridge and Padmalaya Telefilms for 26 half-hours of its action-adventure series GUARDIANS OF LUNA, which it will be bringing to NATPE.

In its debut as a NATPE exhibitor, Playhut Entertainment, the entertainment and programming subsidiary of toy manufacturer Playhut Inc., will introduce buyers to Chinamation, five new series featuring the distinctive artistic style of China's top independent animators and premiere the pilot episode of its first animated pre-school series, LITTLE SIGNZ.

Playhut’s branded Chinamation properties are DECHENG, WAY OF THE WARRIORS, LITTLE MONK, MIGHTY BUNCH and BIRD ISLAND.

As part of a new marketing agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), DandG Licensing, LLC will be bringing the DAVEY AND GOLIATH series to NATPE in Las Vegas at booth 1128. Mark Bannon founded DandG Licensing exclusively for work on DAVEY AND GOLIATH.