AWN Headline News

4Kids Entertainment is jumping into the home video market with the creation of 4Kids Entertainment Home Video. 4Kids has appointed FUNimation Productions, Ltd. as the exclusive distributor in the U.S. of videos and DVDs for the 4Kids' properties YU-GI-OH!, CUBIX - ROBOTS FOR EVERYONE, CABBAGE PATCH KIDS and TAMA AND FRIENDS. "The home video product today has become an important driver for children's properties and a necessary element in the retail merchandise mix," said Al Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment.

Classic Disney characters meet FINAL FANTASY in Square Co., Ltd. and Disney Interactive's new project KINGDOM HEARTS for Playstation2. KINGDOM HEARTS follows the story of 14-year old Sora, who meets Donald Duck and Goofy, the protectors of the Disney Castle. Sora, Donald and Goofy join forces to find Sora's friends and King Mickey and save the universe from evil. More than 100 Disney characters appear in the game including characters from ALADDIN, TARZAN, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, THE LION KING and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

JAKKS Pacific, Inc. has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Nickelodeon to create a Nickelodeon-branded TV Games product line. TV Games is a new plug and play 8-bit gaming system utilizing a television set, and will be developed and marketed through JAKKS' subsidiary Toymax International. Players plug the hand-held TV Games system into any standard television and then have 10 video games in one compact, portable controller. No game console, or other software or hardware, is required. JAKKS intends to develop Nickelodeon TV Games and launch the products in mid-2003.

Canadian-based media company Corus Entertainment Inc. has acquired a 50% interest in pay television network Locomotion, an animation channel available in over 7 million homes throughout Latin America and Iberia. Corus announced it purchased the interest in Locomotion from the Claxson Interactive Group, Inc., for a maximum consideration of US$10.5 million and a holdback in the event of certain economic changes that may impact revenue projections. The remaining 50% interest in Locomotion is held by U.S.-based communications giant the Hearst Corporation.

Spider-Man is getting the 3D treatment on the page as well as the big screen. A series of comic books from Marvel Comics entitled SPIDER-MAN: QUALITY OF LIFE, with artwork created in 3D CGI, have recently hit the shelves. For Spidey's transformation from 2D to 3D character, animators at Blue Dream Studios used 3D Studio Max on a 3DBOXX S3 dual 2.2GHz Intel Xeon workstation with an NVIDIA 900 XGL graphics card.

The April Acrobat issue of Animation World Magazine is now online! In this issue Paul Feldman meets the people behind the animated band Gorillaz, Sylvia Edwards finds out what it takes to cross over from animation to gaming, Greg Singer offers perspective for revitalizing animation through virtual studios and Justin Leach gives an insider's view of animation production at one of Japan's hottest studios. Is it a new age for American independent studios? Mike Young Productions, Curious Pictures and Film Roman respond.

AWN Affiliates Alison Snowden and David Fine's series BOB AND MARGARET will be airing in the U.S. this summer on the cable network Showtime. All 52 episodes will appear, with the most recent 26 episodes scheduled to air first. These episodes feature Bob and Margaret living in Toronto instead of South London, and have yet to be screened in the United States. Faithful viewers may also notice a change in Bob's voice, which is now done by Canadian actor Brian George. Co-creator Alison still features as Margaret.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:

Film Roman, Inc. has acquired the television rights to the comic book series, DEITY, by creators Karl Altstaetter and Robert Napton, from LA-based media company Hyperwerks Entertainment. Film Roman plans to develop DIETY into an animated primetime television series. Set in the Los Angeles of the future, a seemingly normal teenage girl named Jamie discovers she is to become a "Deity," or ruler of the universe. Jamie joins with three adventurers to fight her nemesis, Ma'Shiva. The comic book debuted in 1998 and is currently distributed by Image Comics.

Game developer THQ Inc. has joined with Disney Interactive and Pixar Animation Studios in a publishing agreement that grants THQ exclusive interactive rights to the next three Disney/Pixar animated feature films, FINDING NEMO, THE INCREDIBLES and CARS. The worldwide deal extends through 2008 and includes all game systems manufactured by Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft as well as PC/MAC. FINDING NEMO, debuting summer 2003, is the first property that will be transformed for gaming platforms.

'60s cult series THUNDERBIRDS has found a new home. Cable network TechTV has acquired the rights to all 32 THUNDERBIRDS episodes, which have been digitally re-mastered with Dolby Surround Sound. The network will air the series beginning in summer 2002. The classic puppet-animated series created by Gerry Anderson debuted in the U.K. in 1965 and has consistently aired around the globe since its debut. Set in the year 2065, THUNDERBIRDS recounts the adventures of the Tracy Brothers, members of the top secret International Rescue organization, on their quest to save Earth.

Ajijic Festival Internacional De Cine.

Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico.

Tuesday, November 19 - Sunday, November 24, 2002.

Entry Deadline: Thursday, August 15, 2002.