Search form

Cookie Jar Nets Spider Riders

Cookie Jar Ent. enters the boys action arena with the launch of the 52 half-hour action-adventure series SPIDER RIDERS, a co-production between Cookie Jar Ent. and leading Japanese advertising agency, Yomiko. SPIDER RIDERS has made its debut at MIP-TV. Cookie Jar heads into the market with the companys first sale to TELETOON, Canadas all-animation channel, which will debut the series using an interesting mix of a movie premiere and weekly timeslots culminating in a daily strip show starting June 2006. animation is being produce by Japans Bee Train.

While following up on his beloved grandfathers discovery decades before, 11-year-old Hunter Steele is suddenly transported into the fantastic subterranean world of Arachna, a land of eternal day where the sun is earths molten core and waterfalls flow towards the sky. Here evolution takes a different twist, where the insects rank as the dominant species not only in number, but in size.

Trapped in this world, Hunter discovers a lost civilization struggling to survive. Locked in battle with the Invectids giant insects determined to wipe out human life the people of Arachna are defended by a group of elite warriors who ride on 10-foot tall giant battle spiders the SPIDER RIDERS. The stage is set for an epic battle and quest that follows Hunter and the small team of warriors as they hone their skills to win their fight against the evil Invectids. In classic anime style, SPIDER RIDERS focuses on the everyday boy who must earn the trust and loyalty of a giant arachnid to become a great SPIDER RIDERS warrior encountering field battles, competition and gains friends along the way.

In addition to the television series, Cookie Jar Ent. is also placing the full force of its digital division into the SPIDER RIDERS brand.

According to Cookie Jar svp of digital media, Ken Locker, the company will immerse SPIDER RIDERS within both the online gaming and wireless worlds. Designed especially for targeted kid audience, the SPIDER RIDERS online game at spiderriders.com, will be a positive competitive experience, with an emphasis on fantasy and adventure. Ultimately the game will become a Massively Multi-User Online Game (MMOG), a global online roleplay offering. The online game will extend to the wireless platform, as players will be able to continue play activity via their cell phones.

SPIDER RIDERS is a bold new action brand that reflects the best in anime, yet adds exciting new dimensions to the genre that viewers have never seen before. The series calls out to the viewers to join the Spider Riders team and help defeat the Invectids. Viewers become part of the series and adventure through the online game. We are thrilled by the extraordinary work achieved by Bee Train, and look forward to unveiling our completed episodes to programmers worldwide at MIP, said Toper Taylor, president/coo of Cookie Jar Ent.

We are delighted to partner with Cookie Jar for SPIDER RIDERS, a series that will redefine an already highly-successful genre. The amazing animation from Bee Train perfectly blends the east with the west to create a brand that will appeal to all audiences worldwide. We are eager to use our creative and artistic resources to help SPIDER RIDERS realize the full potential the brand possesses, said Mr. Iwasaki, chief producer animation programs planning & promotion dept. TV programs & movies planning division business development HQ.

We were immediately captivated by the compelling storylines and striking designs that will raise the bar of action adventure series everywhere. We were excited to actively work with Cookie Jar in developing a series we are sure is going to be extremely popular with our viewers. TELETOON is thrilled to be the broadcast home in Canada for SPIDER RIDERS, said Madeleine Levesque, director, original production, TELETOON Canada Inc.

Cookie Jar Ent.s SPIDER RIDERS series is based on the book THE SHARDS OF THE ORACLE, written by Emmy award winning writers, Tedd Anasti and Patsy Cameron-Anasti and published by New Market Press. Steve Hodgins, Emmy award winning producer, serves the SPIDER RIDERS creative team as producer of the series. Funimation has also joined the burgeoning SPIDER RIDERS family and hold rights for U.S. video distribution.

Cookie Jar Group develops, produces, distributes and markets products to children, their caregivers, parents and teachers. Cookie Jar Groups products include childrens published content, animated and live action programming and educational and entertainment-driven products worldwide. The group of companies consists of Cookie Jar Ent. Inc. and Cookie Jar Education Inc., as well as a 20% interest in Teletoon Canada Inc., Canadas only all-animation broadcaster.

Yomiko is a top Advertising Agency located in Japan, which has been involved in many animated productions, such as DIGIMON and BEYBLADE.

TELETOON is Canada's first and only 24-hour-a-day animation station, and is intended for both children and adults. With English and French language services, the network offers viewers classic cartoons and new animation from Canada and around the world. Founded in 1997, TELETOON is owned by Canada's Astral Media Inc. (40%), Corus Ent. Inc. (40%), and Cookie Jar Ent. Inc. (20%).

Bee Train is a Japan-based production company and is an arm of Production IG, one of Japans largest animation companies known for hits such as .HACK.

Rick DeMott's picture

Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks