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Animation Headline News

Steve Ziolkowski To Head Super 78's New SuperToons

Steve Ziolkowski has signed on as director of animation at SuperToons, the new animation division of the Super 78 Company. At SuperToons, Ziolkowski will help build the company into a top-of-the-line producer of animation for PlayStation 2, the Internet and digital TV. Ziolkowski will also oversee Moscow-based Super 78/Russia, which specializes in CGI animation. Before moving to SuperToons, Ziolkowski was a senior animator at Disney's DreamQuest Studios (recently renamed The Secret Lab).

Headline News

ITV Beams Down Butt-Ugly Martians

ITV has ordered 26 episodes of the half-hour, 3D CGI animated series BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS. The Mike Young Productions, The Just Group PLC and DCDC-produced show follows three Martians, who came to Earth to overthrow it but stayed because the loved it. The director of the first season of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, Gary Selvaggio, is the creator of series. DCDC handles the TV rights for the show in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, while the U.K.-based The Just Group handles all other international TV, video, merchandising and licensing rights. BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS has not yet found a home in the U.S.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Campaign 2000 Winner

On Saturday, March 18, 2000, Cartoon Network announced the winner of their inaugural CARTOON CAMPAIGN 2000. "Political" ads started airing on January 15, 2000 toting the 50 candidates, but a crime-fighting Great Dane has become the clear winner. Scooby-Doo captured 17.4 percent of the more than three quarters of a million votes received, followed by The Powerpuff Girls with 11.1 percent and Bugs Bunny with 8.6 percent. A mini-marathon of Scooby-Doo cartoons celebrated the election winner on Sunday, March 19, 2000. With endorsements from ex-U.S.

Headline News

Casper & Felix The Cat Land In Latin America

The Harvey Entertainment Company and Felix the Cat Productions have come to a new corporate agreement to bring Harvey characters to Latin America. Harvey Entertainment has appointed Felix the Cat Productions, Inc. as their exclusive licensing agent for Latin America. In turn, Donald Oriolo, president & CEO of Felix the Cat Productions, and the other heirs of Casper creator Joseph Oriolo have turned over to Harvey all rights and claims to the trademarks and copyrights of the Casper character.

Headline News

Joe Cartoon Joins Shockwave

Shockwave.com, a leading Internet entertainment destination, announced it has signed a deal with Joe Shields, the creative mind behind www.joecartoon.com. Shields is known for his popular Webisodes, including FROG BENDER 2000 (a.k.a. FROG IN A BLENDER) and MICRO-GERBIL 2001. Shields will produce 10 new original animated properties to debut exclusively on shockwave.com.

Series Headline News

Elmo Aardvark's Come-Back On The Web

The classic animated character ELMO AARDVARK is making a come-back on the Web. The new weekly animated series, ELMO AARDVARK, OUTER SPACE DETECTIVE!, debuted in March on renegadecartoons.com. The new Elmo adventures feature voice talent from June Foray (ROCKY & BULLWINKLE), Diane Michelle (ALLY MCBEAL), Corey Burton (DUDLEY DO-RIGHT), Phil Lollar (ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY), Keith Scott (ROCKY & BULLWINKLE: THE MOVIE) and Will Ryan, grandson of Elmo Aardvark creator Terwilliger Ryan. The series follows the space-capades of the ukulele-playing marsupial.

Films Headline News

Sundance's "Spotlight On The Hubleys"

For the rest of March, the Sundance Channel will be showcasing the films of Faith Hubley, her late husband, John, and their daughter, Emily. Hubley films have won three Academy Awards, and numerous other film festivals. Sundance's "Spotlight on the Hubleys" highlights the family's short films such as PIGEON WITHIN and EVERYBODY RIDES THE CAROUSEL. Charles Silver, a curator in the film and video department of New York's Museum of Modern Art, said to CNN, "It is a well-deserved tribute.

Kids Headline News

Fox Kids Europe Acquires Digimon

Fox Kids Europe has acquired the exclusive U.K. and French rights to DIGIMON: DIGITAL MONSTERS from Toei Animation of Japan. The POKEMON-like series will hit Fox Kids Europe on April 1 and premiere on Britain's ITV network. September will see the debut of the show in France on TF1 and Fox Kids France.

Series Headline News

Fox Family 2000-01 Line-Up

Fox Family will be adding two new animated series to its 2000-01 daytime schedule. DA MOB follows the life of a wanna-be hip-hop band on their futile journey to fame and fortune. The series is being produced by Happy Life Entertainment. DETECTIVE CONAN will be the newest anime series to hit the channel. The show follows the adventures of top detective Shinichi Kudo, who has been accidentally transformed back into a child by his enemies. The series is being distributed in the States by TMS. Twenty-six episodes of each series has already been secured.

Headline News

Klasky Csupo & Nick Knot Film Ties

Klasky Csupo and Nickelodeon Movies have tied the knot on an exclusive multi-year deal to develop and produce animated feature films. The new partnership comes from the pair's successful production of THE RUGRATS MOVIE and the forthcoming RUGRATS IN PARIS. The first two projects from the new agreement slated to hit the drawing boards are POLITENESS MAN and COOKIE COMPANY. The AUSTIN POWERS-like POLITENESS MAN is based off of Ron Barrett's classic National Lampoon comic strip. The story will follow the exploits of a secret agent, whom excels in the fields of manners, hygiene and etiquette.

Headline News

CINAR Co-Founder Signed For Investment

On Tuesday, March 21, 2000, CINAR Corp. announced that co-founder, Ron Weinberg, and former controller, Mario Ricci, signed documents approving the company's non-board-approved investments. CINAR's spokeswoman, Suzan Ayscough, said, "The documents in question were signed either by Ron Weinberg alone, or by Mr. Weinberg and Mr. Panju or by Mr. Ricci." Previously, CINAR reported that their now fired senior executive VP Panju acted alone in investing the money.

Headline News

Shockwave Shocked By South Park Creators' Short

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of SOUTH PARK, have shocked Shockwave.com with the first of their 39 shorts for the Netcaster. As part of a US$2 million pact, the new toon by Parker and Stone has a level of crude and gross humor described as higher than the SOUTH PARK feature! The duo of doo-doo jokes have now left the Shockwave.com executives twiddling their thumbs nervously contemplating what to do next. As part of the agreement, the SOUTH PARK creators have complete artistic control and ownership of the content they create for Shockwave.com.

Animation Headline News

Special TV Animation Issue Coming!

On the occasion of the upcoming MIP TV (April 10-14) and Cartoons on the Bay Festival (April 14-18), AWN will be publishing a special TV Animation edition of the Animation Flash on April 4, 2000. To insure that all your television-related news is printed in the Flash please submit press releases to rick@awn.com by March 30, 2000. Please put "MIP TV News" in the subject area of your e-mail. Thank you.

David Headline News

Shockwave Clinches Deal With David Lynch

Shockwave announced it has finalized a deal with director, writer and producer David Lynch to develop a series of animated shorts exclusively for the Netcaster. Like pacts with Stan Lee and the SOUTH PARK creators, Lynch will hold complete artistic control and ownership of the characters and properties he creates. "The Internet is our future and shockwave.com is a very important part of it," said David Lynch. "David Lynch is amazing. The Internet is a perfect new medium for him," said Rob Burgess, chairman of shockwave.com.

Festival Headline News

Brussels 2000: To Be Continued...

This year, in addition to its regular program, the Brussels festival launched Anima 2000, a 4-day event with various conferences, screenings and panel discussions covering such topics as interactive animation, video game development and script writing. This first edition of Anima was a huge success and led to a substantial increase in the number of participants. In addition to top industry guest speakers, other renowned professionals such as Deane Taylor, Georges Lacroix, Steve Walsh and Enzo d'Alo participated in these debates, which will continue at the Annecy Festival next June.

Animation Headline News

Over 40 New Jobs: Animators, Digital Artists, Compositors and More Wanted

New Orleans, Louisiana-based Imprimatur, Inc., a production, multi-media marketing firm and event planning company is looking for a 2D ANIMATOR for contract work on a children's television program. . . San Francisco, California-based Mondo Media, a new media company that creates and syndicates digital animation for the Web, television and film, is looking for 2D TRADITIONAL CHARACTER ANIMATORS and CHARACTER DESIGNERS to work on original on-line animations and shows. . .

Animation Headline News

Helium Inflates Relenza Ads

HELIUM inflated the new Relenza ads for Santa Monica, California-based design firm FUEL/Razorfish. The 30-second spot for Relenza's anti-flu prescription medication features 3D animation of the process in which a viral infection develops in the lungs. Scenes were also created to demonstrate the inhalation of the particulate medicine and for the spot's closing title sequence. The animation team consisted of John Scheafer, Helium's Creative Director and Miles Vignol, technical director, along with animator Suzi Hammon and producer Karin Rainey.

Studios Headline News

Nicktoons' Miller Manages New Cartoon Network Studios

Brian Miller has been named VP and general manager of the new Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank. Miller will oversee the studio's production department as well as the day-to-day operations. Formerly, Miller served as VP of production at Nickelodeon's Nicktoons Animation Studio, where he oversaw all production. Before moving to Nicktoons, Miller was VP of animation at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, where he managed all domestic and overseas productions.

Headline News

Nick Makes Moore New VP

Nickelodeon has named Michele Moore as the new VP of communications. Formerly, Moore served as director of media relations at interactive TV company Wink Communications. Moore will work out of Nick's New York office. She will oversee the development and promotion of publicity for Nick's TV division and its off-channel businesses, including public affairs, consumer products, recreation and magazines.

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