Brilliant Digital Entertainment Inc. has announced the appointment of Robert Chmiel to the newly combined position of Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer. In this new position, Chmiel will help direct operations in executing the company's latest initiatives in music and advertising. In addition he will actively seek out further investors and move the firm into profitability. He joins Brilliant from Phase2Media Inc.

Warner Home Video has shuffled its management into new posts in light of increased revenues from the company's DVD sales. Sales executive John Quinn has been promoted to the new post of VP, supply chain management and logistics. The 15-year veteran of Warner Home Video will oversee all aspects of manufacturing, physical distribution, customer service, vendor management and inventory systems. Exec. VP of worldwide marketing and development, Thomas Lesinski has been raised to the new position of executive VP and general manager for the U.S. Lesinski joined Warner Home Video in 1993.

Icebox president Gary Levine is shedding his coat at the struggling entertainment Website for warmer pastures at Showtime. Levine was the key player in Icebox selling its STARSHIP REGULARS series to Showtime as a live-action series. At the cable network, he will assume the role of executive VP of original programming, and therefore will oversee the production of STARSHIP from the other side. Before joining Icebox, Levine served as exec VP of creative affairs for Warner Bros. TV.

Chris Oarr has announced that he is resigning as executive director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Oarr headed the CBLDF, a non-profit organization protecting First Amendment rights in the comics industry, for more than three years. "It's been great working for such an important cause," said Oarr. "And I feel like we've accomplished a lot. The Fund will continue to stand ready to provide the highest quality legal advice and service to the comics' community.

Director Nick Hewitt has joined Stockholm-based Filmtecknarna F. Animation AB. Previously Hewitt worked for San Francisco-based Curious Pictures. In his new role, he will work as a commercials director for Filmtecknarna but will also continue to pursue the creation of long-format animation. Hewitt joins Filmtecknarna directors Jonas Odell and Jonas Dahlbeck.

Ed Catmull, Pixar Animation Studios co-founder, has been named president of the company. Catmull has served as a member of the company's executive team and chief technical officer since the incorporation of the company in 1986. In his new role as president, Catmull will report to chairman and CEO Steve Jobs and work closely with Jobs and Pixar's executive team to guide Pixar's growth. "Ed and I founded Pixar almost 15 years ago, and we've been through thick and thin together," said Jobs.

Mandy Martin has joined ATTIK, an all-media creative solutions provider, as executive producer of the San Francisco studio. Previously, Martin served as executive producer for Los Angeles-based broadcast design and media company Pittard Sullivan. She has worked on campaigns for Sat.1 (Germany), Star TV (Turkey) and BskyB (England), among others. Will Travis, president ATTIK USA, said, "I couldn't be any happier about Mandy joining ATTIK. Her blend of professionalism and production acumen is a fantastic match for our growing team.

Rumpus.com, a children's new media company, announced that Rick Mischel, former president and chief operating officer of Harvey Entertainment, will join the company as acting president. Mischel will forge new revenue streams for Rumpus in domestic and international television and home video markets. Mischel will continue his consulting duties at Harvey, and will serve in a non-exclusive capacity to Rumpus.

Alison de Vere, the creator of THE BLACK DOG and MR. PASCAL, has passed away. She was 73 years old. Her first regular industry job was with the Halas and Batchelor Studio, which she started in 1951, as a background designer on public relations films. In 1957 she became the head of the Guild Television Services' animation unit. There she directed and designed TV commercials. In 1960 she made her first independent film entitled TWO FACES, based on some of her poetry. She joined TVC in 1967 as design director for YELLOW SUBMARINE. One can catch a cameo of de Vere in the Eleanor Rigby sequence.

As a consolidation measure, the combined AOL Time Warner company has cut six members from its board of directors including U.S. Secretary of State designate Colin Powell. Former General Powell has received some bad press in regards to his involvement with AOL and how it would affect his work as Secretary of State. His removal from the board can be seen as a move to better insure Powell's approval into president-elect George W. Bush's cabinet. The new company's board consists of 16 members. Three members were cut from each of the two company's boards.

Unbound Studios, an animation and interactive entertainment company, has announced Jill Proctor Ramirez to the newly created position of VP of business development. Proctor Ramirez began her career as a newscaster in Dallas, Texas. Later she held the positions of director of development at Morgan Hill Films/Hearst Entertainment and vice president of development at the Dick Clark Film Group.

In light of its recent acquisitions of Sony Wonder/Sunbow Entertainment and Paris-based Salsa Distribution, German kids' production house TV Loonland has added key components to its sales staff. Marzenna Czubowicz was hired to head up sales for TV Loonland. Besides overseeing the company's sales offices in London, Paris and New York, she will direct distribution of the company's content in the U.K., Germany, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Israel and South Africa. Previously, Czubowicz served as director of sales at Alliance Atlantis Television International.

The iXL Digital Video Group, New York, a graphic design and visual effects company, has added Robin Horlick as executive producer and Doug Dimon as senior visual effects artist. Horlick joins iXL following four years as director of sales/executive producer at Sony Music Studios, New York. During her career in television production she has won an Emmy, Peabody and BDA awards.

Cartoon Network Online has promoted Sam Register to the role of senior VP and creative director. Register oversees CartoonNetwork.com's original content and the tie-ins to the cable channel like "Toonami: The Intruder" and "Theater," and has been instrumental in the site's development and growth since its inception. Previously, he served as creative director for Colossal Pictures and Turner New Media.

Cinesite, Inc. has appointed Jon Townley as their new senior designer. He helped found Metro Light Studios where he served as creative director from 1987 to 1993. Since then he has worked at Sony Imageworks, L-Squared Entertainment and most recently as a founding partner of Click3X in Los Angeles. Townley’s credits include visual effects design for such films as HIDEAWAY, WOLF, TO DIE FOR and VIRTUOSITY. He also worked as a visual effects designer on such large format films including A LICENSE TO THRILL, THE MAGIC BOX and JOURNEY OF MAN.

Mondo Media has named David McCoy, former vice president of advertising sales for Comedy Central and CNN, as its new vice president of advertising sales. "We are thrilled to welcome David McCoy to the Mondo Media team," said Douglas Kay, president of Mondo Media. "His extensive background and experience in television and cable are vital building blocks to the Mondo Media business model, and we look forward to his expertise for our continued growth and success." McCoy said, "What really excites me about Mondo Media is their desire to create a high value, new model Internet syndication company.

Thomas G. Yohe, co-creator of the classic interstitials "Schoolhouse Rock," passed away on Thursday, December 21, 2000. Yohe had pancreatic cancer and was 63 years old. Yohe and partner George Newall produced 40 editions of "Schoolhouse Rock" from 1973-1985. The three-minute musical lessons aired between cartoons on ABC's Saturday Morning line-up. A revival of the series came in the early 1990s when new episodes where commissioned and current alternative bands covered the series' songs for a tribute album.

Asun Gil has been named channel manager of Cartoon Network Spain. Gil joined Cartoon Network Spain as head of research where she played a key role in building 1.2 million subscribers for the network in just over one year on air. "It is very exciting to take on the channel at this stage and my brief is to increase viewers as well as moving further into the area of new media and launching additional services," said Gil.

West Hollywood, California visual effects and design house Ring of Fire has added four new talents to their roster including lead motion graphics/special effects designer Todd DuFour, Henry artist Paul Geiger, Henry artist John Ciampa and inferno* artist Danny Yoon. Previously, DuFour operated his own broadcast and Web design company called Burrn. Prior to opening Burrn, DuFour spent three years freelancing at ad agency TBWA/Chiat Day as their lead motion graphic designer. Previously, Geiger worked as a freelance Henry artist and before that he worked for Pittard Sullivan.

Eyeballnyc, the New York design and production boutique, has named Michael Eastwood as their new executive producer. Previously, Eastwood worked for Andy Arkin's rep firm Blah! BLAH? (Blah...), New York, which represents leading commercial, production design and animation companies. Eastwood started his career as a producer working for Spike & Mike's Festival of Animation.