Team MoCap from Bowling Green State University (Tomas Jech, W. Jacob Gardner and Jim Levasseur) took first place in the 32-hour FJORG! ''Viking Animator'' Competition for their animation SWITCH at SIGGRAPH 2007 in San Diego. Sixteen teams of three people each competed to create the most impressive character-driven animation of at least 15 seconds in length adhering to a strict set of rules and using only the resources provided at the conference.

Luxology LLC has launched Luxology TV, a new online hub that allows the 3D community to exchange and view high-resolution video clips on Luxology's website. Luxology TV enables anyone to enhance their 3D learning experience by searching, selecting and immediately watching videos on a variety of subjects, such as modeling, rendering, painting and sculpting.

The wait for Popeye is over, as Warner Home Video (WHV), Hearst Ent. and King Features Syndicate release POPEYE THE SAILOR 1933-1938 VOLUME 1 on July 31, 2007, for $64.92.

These classic POPEYE animated shorts made Popeye, Olive Oyl and Bluto national pop icons and the four-disc authorized edition DVD collection includes 60 original remastered and unedited theatrical shorts created by the legendary Max Fleischer.

Mark Farquhar joins Calif. State Univ. Northridge (CSUN) as full-time faculty of 3D Computer Animation in the Art Dept.

The 17-year vet has been a 3D CG character animator on films: SURF'S UP, OPEN SEASON, BEOWULF, MONSTER HOUSE, CHICKEN LITTLE, SHARK TALE, SINBAD LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS, TOY STORY 2, OSMOSIS JONES, IRON GIANT, MARVIN THE MARTIAN 3RD DIMENSION and MARS ATTACKS. He has done animation development to feature production for studios, such as DreamWorks, Disney Feature Animation, Sony Imageworks, Pixar Animation and Warner Bros.

New York City-based Animation Collective and Canadian-based Fatkat Studios will co-produce a new, 26 half-hour episode action/comedy, animated series, THREE DELIVERY, in association with; Nicktoons Network, YTV and the BBC.

THREE DELIVERY, created by Animation Collective’s founder/ceo Larry Schwarz, is about a group of teenage delivery kids/superheroes, set in a Chinatown, animated in a highly graphic comicbook style. Produced with Fatkat as a U.S./Canadian co-venture. Animation Collective will handle worldwide television and consumer products sales.

VH1 has teamed with San Francisco-based design and animation house Gunshop to create a series of animated tales from Scott Baio's past to set the stage for each episode of SCOTT BAIO IS 45 & SINGLE, in which he finds himself having a mid-life crisis of mythic proportions.

Beginning with the show's first episode on VH1, which premiered July 15, 2007, each animated short reveals another chapter from Scott's past, ranging from naked twins to pooping bums. Creative director Stacy Nimmo achieved a quick turnaround for a tight deadline by using Flash for the eight episodes.

As autumn approaches, new original cartoons from Rai Fiction hit Rai's national networks, as well as those of the two satellite kids channels Rai Sat Yoyo and Smash (with around 20% of these channels' offer consisting of cartoons produced by Rai Fiction). In addition, Rai Cartoon, a daily half-hour slot devoted to cartoons produced or co-produced by Rai Fiction, takes to the air on Rai Gulp, the new public service channel for youngsters that began experimental broadcasts on June 1, 2007, using terrestrial digital technology.

SIGGRAPH officials, along with AMD, DreamWorks Animation and HP, offered details for the world's first international FJORG! competition: an "iron animator" event in which 15 competing teams from around the world will have 32 hours to create the world's best character-driven animation in front of a live, "Gladiator-style" audience and judging panel at the San Diego Convention Center.

Feature film visual effects facility CafeFX arguably created a scene-stealing school of CG tropical fish for Universal Pictures' EVAN ALMIGHTY.

In the film, Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), newly elected to Congress, leaves Buffalo behind and shepherds his family to suburban northern Virginia. Once there, his life is turned upside-down when he is summoned by God (Morgan Freeman) to build an ark.

Adobe Systems Inc. announced the immediate availability of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection software. Adobe Production Premium CS3 is the comprehensive collection of integrated cross-platform post-production software tools, helping video professionals deliver stunning results for film, broadcast, DVD, web and mobile devices. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection combines 12 of Adobe's new design and development products in a single box.