Press Release from Bandai

Classic Media, which owns and manages a portfolio of some of the world’s leading family and pop-culture entertainment brands, today announces that Bandai has been appointed the master toy partner for its new produced-in-Africa preschool animated series Tinga Tinga Tales.  Bandai will create a broad range of toy product based upon the brand and is expected to launch its range in the UK in late 2010.

Press Release from Aardman Rights

Aardman Rights has secured a deal with leading publisher and distributor of practical books, manuals and DVDs Haynes, to produce a brand new Wallace & Gromit manual.

The series of books will finally reveal the exact inner workings of Wallace’s vast array of vehicles, inventions and contraptions which feature in the duo’s award-winning TV series and films. The first format will be released autumn 2009.

Seth Rogen has fulfilled a dream by becoming only the second visiting celebrity to write and act in THE SIMPSONS since Ricky Gervais appeared in 2006, Variety reports.

Most of the voice cast for MARMADUKE has been set, ComingSoon.net reports.

Tony Parker, a professional basketball player with the San Antonio Spurs, has signed on to a new French cartoon production called BASKETBALL ADVENTURES, Variety reports.

VOOZ, the creator of PUCCA and BRB International are teaming up to breathe life into CANIMAL, an original television series aimed a pre-school target audience.

Press Release from 4Kids Entertainment

4Kids Entertainment Inc. and Chaotic USA Entertainment Group Inc. have reached an agreement with Penguin Young Readers Group, one of the world’s leading consumer publishers, to serve as global licensing partner in the publishing category for the Chaotic trading card game (TCG) and TV series-based property.

Turner Broadcasting is delighted to announce that it has greenlit its first UK-produced full length animation series out of its dedicated original production hub, the Cartoon Network Development Studio Europe.

As the evil geniuses at Nerd Corps Entertainment prepare to create a second season of their villainous original property, THE LEAGUE OF SUPER EVIL, the League comes ever closer to its bid for world domination.

India-based Toonz Animation has signed a distribution deal with Liberation Ent., reports VARIETY.