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New York-based production company Dogmatic has created six Webisodes based on the new 90-second Pepsi campaign "Now and Then" that premieres during the Super Bowl on February 3, 2002. For the new campaign, singer Britney Spears travels back through stylized musical time inspired by Pepsi jingles from the last five decades. In the original Webisodes, Dogmatic used Flash animation to frame live-action behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage and carry Britney from one era to the next via a Pepsi time-travel machine.

Storyboard artist and former Local 839 IATSE president Tom Yakutis died January 25, 2002 after a long illness. Yakutis began his career at Disney in 1956 and worked for Larry Harmon, Art Scott, UPA, TV Spots, DePatie-Freleng, Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, Warner Bros., Marvel and Universal before retiring in 1994. He was elected to several Local 839 Executive Boards in the '60s and '70s, and served as president from 1982 to 1983. There will be a memorial service and traditional Catholic High Mass (in Lithuanian) held February 6, 2002 at 11 am at St. Casimir Church, 2718 St.

ADV Films is bringing Chaos! Comics' LADY DEATH to life. Artists at SunMin Image Pictures in Asia under the supervision of director Young H. Sang will be animating the digital feature, based on Brian Pulido's original story. Set in 15th century Sweden, a wrongly accused young woman named Hope is sent to Hell where she is transformed into Lady Death and forced to battle Lucifer in his own domain. Executive producer and ADV co-founder John Ledford hopes to create a new production model with LADY DEATH that redefines the relationship between Asian animation studios and Western creators.

Under the terms of a recently announced worldwide licensing, Vivendi Universal Publishing's Knowledge Adventure studio will develop and publish BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS interactive entertainment products for the PC/Mac, console, handheld, PDA, wireless and Internet platforms beginning in fall 2002. The products will be distributed worldwide by Vivendi Universal Games.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) kicks off its celebration of 100 years of Disney on Friday, February 1, 2002 with a screening of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, the one that started it all. On Saturday, February 3, 2002 at 5 pm, noted animation historian John Canemaker will be at LACMA presenting "The Nine Old Men," highlights of the work created by the now-legendary group of artists that joined the Disney studio in the 1930s and remained there over many decades. Mr. Canemaker will also be available to sign copies of his new book WALT DISNEY'S NINE OLD MEN.

Oscar-winning animator Ernest Pintoff died Saturday, January 12, 2002 from complications related to a stroke. He was 70. Pintoff helped to define a new look for animation in the 1950's through his work at UPA and Terrytoons. While at UPA he worked on THE GERALD MCBOING BOING SHOW, the first animated program made especially for network television. Gene Deitch brought him to Terrytoons in 1957, where Pintoff created FLEBUS.

Toy producer Rocket USA has teamed with Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising and Matt Groening to make a line of tin toys, games and collectibles based on THE SIMPSONS. The toy producer will introduce the line with an 8-1/2" tin walking wind-up version of Homer Simpson. The figure comes in collectible packaging and will carry a suggested retail price of $24.95.