Mel Blanc, the master of multiple animated stars such as Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig is being honored, along with his son, in a limited-edition lithograph featuring Warner Bros. characters that Blanc helped make famous.

The poster-size "Passing the Baton: A Tribute to Mel and Noel Blanc" lithographs are numbered, signed and will be personalized by his son, Noel Blanc, who continues his father’s legacy. Produced by Warner Bros. for Great American Ink, the lithos cost $495 (www.cartoongallery.com).

Personal Products Co. and 4Kids Ent. have struck a licensing deal to bring the YU-GI-OH! characters to REACH brand toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products has awarded the Master Toy License for MUCHA LUCHA! to JAKKS Pacific Inc, which plans to develop products including action figures, play sets, role play and plush. JAKKS expects to present the initial line at the Fall Mass Market Expo in New York in October 2003, with shipping to begin spring 2004.

Kids' WB! has announced its support for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) VERB campaign, which encourages youth, ages 9-13, to get physically active. Kids' WB! will lend characters from its body-based TV series, OZZY & DRIX. The Warner Bros. Animation-produced series follows the adventures of white blood cell cop Ozzy and his partner, over-the-counter cold pill Drix, as they defend the City of Hector -- the body of a 13-year-old boy.

Characters from ShoPro Entertainment's series HAMTARO will be featured as Halloween toys at Burger King restaurants. The toys will be available in North America from Oct. 6 to Nov. 2, 2003. This promotion will coincide with a special Halloween episode of the series airing in the U.S. on Cartoon Network Oct. 21 at 8:00 pm and Oct. 30, 2003 at 8:30 pm.

Embassy Suites Hotels and Warner Home Video have announced a licensing promotion entitled, "Fall Family Suite Retreat," featuring a plush toy of Scooby-Doo. The promotional toy is available with advance reservations on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights now through December 7, 2003, at more than 165 participating hotels.

Japanese taxi company, Kanachu, has signed a three-year licensing deal with HELLO KITTY creator Sanrio to create KITTY-themed taxicabs, reported CNN. The pink and baby blue sedan with two HELLO KITTY characters emblazoned on the side, include HELLO KITTY blankets, play HELLO KITTY music as well as offer riders HELLO KITTY umbrellas, ponchos and tissues. The 10 specialty cabs began running in April 2003.

The cabs are meant to attract mothers and their kids, making a cab ride more fun for a child with the free giveaways.

Kids’ WB! has signed a deal with MilkMedia, the in-school milk carton side panel sponsorship program, to be the newest national children’s account for the fall 2003 season. Titled “Toon In To Schools,” Kids’ WB!’s characters from ¡MUCHA LUCHA!, OZZY & DRIX and XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN will lend their likenesses to milk containers.

Toy Play LLC has signed a deal making it the master toy licensee for MR. BEAN. Created by comedian Rowan Atkinson, MR. BEAN, THE ANIMATED SERIES follows the day-to-day mishaps of the quiet and clumsy Mr. Bean. The toy line is set to hit the U.S. and Canada, beginning fall 2004. This announcement comes on the heals of The Sharpe Company being granted the merchandising rights for the MR. BEAN character throughout North America.

Disney Channel and McDonald’s have agreed to bring characters from the animated TV series KIM POSSIBLE to the fast-food restaurant’s Happy Meals. Featuring action figures and spy accessories, the new Happy Meal toys will be available September 5, 2003 through October 2, 2003.

The Anime Network has announced a nationwide in-store signage promotion with Waldenbooks, America's largest mall based book retailer. Starting August 1, 2003, Waldenbooks will promote the Anime Network with signs placed in the manga section of its stores. The deal is an extension of the partnership between Waldenbooks and the network’s parent company A. D. Vision, Inc., which brings home-entertainment anime products in Waldenbooks’ locations.

A.D. Vision Inc. has officially announced the founding of ADV Toys, the firm's new merchandise division. Word of the new arm was first hinted at Anime Expo 2003. The new division will create toys and collectible merchandise based upon the company's film, manga and original content properties.

LevyMann Entertainment has entered into an agreement with Toys "R" Us to release its direct-to-video, animated musical pre-school series, ITTY BITTY HEARTBEATS. As part of the deal, Toys “R” Us will also carry a combo pack featuring a VHS of four eleven-minute episodes, a musical CD and two plush toys of the series' lead characters, CoolHeart and SweetHeart. All products will be exclusive to all Toys "R" Us stores beginning October 21, 2003, before launching wide 30 days later.

On August 16, 2003, U.S. postmaster general John E. Potter unveiled a new commemorative postage stamp honoring music legend Henry Mancini at the 2003 Mancini Musicale at UCLA. Stamp artist Victor Stabin's painting shows Mancini conducting as the titles of some of his most popular film and television projects appear to scroll over a screen behind him. Mancini created the theme for the PINK PANTHER and the stamp features the animated visage of the title character. The stamp is scheduled to be issued April 13, 2004.

Marx Toys and Entertainment Corp. has received its first order of 10,000 units for its revolutionary TOYWARE line from Hanan Enterprise Sales Inc. TOYWARE Interactive technology allows action figures to move and speak using interactive commands received wirelessly from a computer. This includes text-to-speech applications for Instant Messages, using the company's first product -- "The IM Buddy."

TOKYOPOP Inc. has inked a licensing deal with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to publish Cine-Manga based on JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES. Volume 1 will debut November 11, 2003 with two more coming sometime in January and April 2004. The series will bring the Kids' WB! TV series to readers on full-color pages with images pulled directly from animated TV series.

Boomerang has teamed with Sunkist Growers, Del Monte Fresh Produce and the National Watermelon Promotion Board to encourage children to eat more fruit and vegetables with an in-store Albertsons grocery store campaign entitled "The Wacky Days of Summer.” The campaign will contain fruit-bin wraps, posters, grocery-bag stuffers, free fruit recipe and activity booklets and live weekend events in select Albertsons stores. The four-week campaign will run August 1 - September 30, 2003.

Simon Spotlight and Scholastic have announced they will each publish a line of books based on HIT Entertainment's new animated television series RUBBADUBBERS. Simon Spotlight will publish novelty and storybook formats and Scholastic will publish coloring and activity formats. The books will launch in the summer 2004 with Spotlight and Scholastic jointly coordinating sales and marketing efforts.

Kids’ WB! and Dimension Films are teaming up for a new contest in connection with the release of SPY KIDS 3D: GAME OVER. The 2nd Annual Kids' WB! Way Outta The Way Road Trip Sweepstakes will kick off on Monday, July 14, 2003, and will give one grand prize winner the chance to drive home in an Isuzu Axiom SPY Mobile - delivered by the stars of the film, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara.

On the heels of the HULK movie release, Marvel Enterprises Inc. and X3D Technical Corp. have united in a strategic licensing agreement that grants X3D exclusive three-dimensional publishing rights to past and future Marvel comic books in CD-ROM formats – Marvel ComX3D. For the first time, the agreement expands Marvel Comics' publication portfolio to be viewed in 3D on virtually any PC screen.