Tvshowsondvd.com reports that NBC/Universal will release all 26 episodes of The Mummy: The Animated Series in 3 volume sets.
The show chronicles the O'Connell family in globetrotting adventures against the evil Imhotep.
The Mummy: The Animated Series was produced by Universal Animation Studios, and aired on the WB! in 2001. [read more]
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The Guardian has noted that the success of DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda in China (previously reported by Toon Zone News here) has triggered a round of soul-searching in the country asking why Hollywood could make such a sucessful movie using Chinese symbols when China itself cannot. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Toon Zone - General Animation Discussion.
Author, poet, and critic Thomas M. Disch died on Friday, July 4, 2008, reportedly of a self-inflicted gunshot wound (free registration required). Disch was a prolific author in a variety of genres and forms, and one of his best known works was The Brave Little Toaster: A Bedtime Story for Small Appliances, which was turned into an animated movie by Disney in 1987.
Discuss this news in Disney/Pixar Forum.
The latest Word Balloon podcast has interviewed a number of the talents behind the Batman Gotham Knight direct-to-video movie, including executive producer Bruce Timm; composer Christopher Drake; and writers Greg Rucka, Brian Azzarello, Alan Burnett, and Josh Olson.
Rucka is also the subject of an interview with Comic Book Resources, where he admits that his segment, "Crossfire," is an issue of Gotham Central in animated form, discusses the differences between writing for comics and for animation, and talks about how he used the PG-13 rating of Gotham Knight.
Discuss this news in The DC Animation Forum.
Comic Book Resources Comics Reel is revealing that a new trailer for the Hulk Vs. direct-to-video movie is now available in streaming video on-line. The DTV is currently scheduled for release in early 2009.
Discuss this news in The Marvel Animation Forum.
TVGuide.com has revealed the poster for the Wonder Woman direct-to-video animated movie, currently scheduled for release in early 2009. The article also briefly talks with voice actors Keri Russell, who voices Wonder Woman, and Nathon Fillion, who plays Col. [read more]
Discuss this news in The DC Animation Forum.
Batman: Gotham Knight is the kind of DVD release I'd normally sink my teeth into with a review. This time I'm going to let my colleague Ed Liu do those honors. In this review, I'll just content myself with finding half a dozen ways of saying that this latest DC/Warner release kicks all kinds of ass all over town. [read more]
Discuss this news in The DC Animation Forum.
In 2003, right before the release of The Matrix Reloaded, Warner Bros. released The Animatrix, a collection of short animated films that renewed our acquaintance with the world of the movie. The films themselves were produced by some of the top anime talent at the time (with the exception of Peter Chung's "Matriculated"), which also allowed the Wachowski's to pay homage to one of their major influences. [read more]
Discuss this news in The DC Animation Forum.
Walking into the anime section of your local video store or retailer can be a rather intimidating experience. It's like walking into the jazz or classical section of the CD section: without a little bit of knowledge, the breadth of the selection and the many similar-sounding names can result in confusion, bewilderment, and a lot of wasted time and money in blind experiments.
However, the release of Batman Gotham Knight can be a perfect hook into the anime section for those who want to explore its riches, but don't know where to start. [read more]
Discuss this news in The DC Animation Forum.
As announced before Anime Expo '08, FUNi will be distributing select Geneon titles. The first wave of releases has been announced for September:
* Black Lagoon vol. 1, 2, and 3: 8/19/08 - $29.98 each (regular) ; $39.98 each (limited editions)
* Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage vol. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Anime Forum.
Sci Fi Wire has comments from David Bowers, the writer for Imagi Animation Studios' Astro Boy movie, stating that his adaptation won't stray far from the source material, saying "It is the original characters, but we have new characters, and Astro's basic journey is the same." (via Comic Book Resources Comics Reel)
Elsewhere, Variety reports that Imagi Animation has brought in Mark Pawley as a major outside investor, selling new shares worth HK$311 million (just short of US$40 million at current exchange rates) that will give Pawley 18% of the company and the right to nominate two directors to the board. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Anime Forum.
Disney's WALL-E took in an estimated $33.4 million in ticket sales this past weekend, slipping to second place at the box office this past weekend behind Sony's Hancock. Its total domestic box office sits at $128.1 million. DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda is still maintaining a spot in the top 10, with a $7.5 million take putting it at #5.
Discuss this news in The Entertainment Board.
The Comicus.it website has interviewed Kevin Manthei, one of the composers for the Batman Gotham Knight direct-to-video movie who scored the chapters "Crossfire" and "Working Through Pain." In the interview (posted in Italian and English), Manthei discusses how he landed the job, the tools of the trade that he uses, how his score differs from past Batman animated theme music, and his future projects.
(via Comic Book Resources Comics Reel)
Discuss this news in The DC Animation Forum.
To celebrate the release of Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes on DVD, The Marvel Animation Age and Toon Zone News managed to catch up with the show's story editor Chris Yost in an email interview to talk about his experiences on the show.
MAA/TZN: How did you get your start in the animation business?
CHRIS YOST: I had written a couple of screenplays while in graduate school, and was lucky enough to be able to get them in the hands of the right people, specifically Craig Kyle at Marvel. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Marvel Animation Forum.
The Spectacular Spider-Man snuck up on me. I knew that a new Spider-Man cartoon was coming, but it’d been five years since the previous one, which came out five years after the one before that. It can get a little tiring keeping track, especially when they tweak the character too much. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Marvel Animation Forum.
Tvshowsondvd.com reports that Warner Bros. will release Popeye the Sailor - Volume 3: 1941-1943 and Popeye & Friends: Volume 2.
Popeye the Sailor - Volume 3: 1941-1943 will be a 2 disc set featuring 32 digitally remastered and unedited shorts. Many of the toons will consist our favorite sailor during World War II.
Popeye & Friends: Volume 2 will feature four cartoons from the 1987 CBS aired Hanna-Barbera produced cartoon Popeye & Son.
Both sets will be in stores on September 30th.
Updated June 14th:
Tvshowsondvd.com has the list of the 32 Popeye toons for Popeye the Sailor - Volume 3: 1941-1943.
Updated June 21:
Tvshowsondvd.com has the cover for Popeye & Friends: Volume 2.
Updated July 6:
Tvshowsondvd.com has the rear cover art as well as the 8 episodes of Popeye & Son for Popeye & Friends: Volume 2.
Discuss this news in Retro: Classic Cartoons.
Bandai Entertainment has acquired the rights to the 52-episode anime television series Hayate the Combat Butler. The story follows a boy named Hayate who serves as a butler, bodyguard, confidante, and more to a girl named Nagi to pay off a 156,804,000-yen (about US$1.4-million) debt. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Anime Forum.
Larry Harmon, longtime portrayer of Bozo the Clown and owner of the rights to the character, passed away on July 3, 2008, of congestive heart failure at the age of 83. Harmon was one of the earliest portrayers of Bozo, and after acquiring the rights to the character in the 1950's, turned him into an animated character which he provided the voice for. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Entertainment Board.
At their panel at Anime Expo 2008, Right Stuf and Nozomi Entertainment announced the acquisition of the television series Gakuen Alice and the classic movie Toward the Terra (the forerunner to the Toward the Terra TV series, which will be released soon by Bandai Entertainment), as well as a remastered DVD release of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor and release dates for Emma: A Victorian Romance Season 2, Maria Watches Over Us season sets, and Aria the Animation.
For full details, read the press release here.
Discuss this news in The Anime Forum.
More information has been revealed about the new G.I. Joe web cartoons announced recently. The series of 10 5-minute episodes with 1 double-length conclusion will be written by comic book writer Warren Ellis, with Dave Johnson providing character designs, Joaquim Dos Santos directing, and Sam Register producing. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Toon Zone - General Animation Discussion.
* Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan's production house, Red Chillies Entertainment, will begin production on an animated film titled Ravan. It is expected that Khan will provide the voice of the lead character. [Bollywood Mantra]
* The Pudong New Area government has announced a plan to attract 200 animation and cartoon enterprises at the Zhangjiang High-tech Park in 5 to 10 years, including China's first animation museum and animation cinema. [read more]
Poor Misa. The loli goth-donned pop singer/model, whom we met towards the end of Death Note's third volume, is in love with Light Yagami and he doesn't give a crap about her, only using her affections to attain his quest as a god. He's sexually dead. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Anime Forum.
FUNimation has distribution and release rights to numerous recent ADV titles, which they expect to start releasing later this year:
* 009-1
* Ah My Goddess! Flights of Fancy
* Air Gear
* Air TV
* Blade of the Phantom Master
* Comic Party Revolution
* Coyote Ragtime Show
* Devil May Cry
* Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor TV
* Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven
* Jinki Extend
* Kanon
* Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora (formerly Shattered Angels)
* Le Chevalier D'Eon
* Magikano
* Moeyo Ken TV
* Moonlight Mile
* Murder Princess
* Nerima Daikon Brothers
* Pani Poni Dash!
* Project Blue Earth SOS
* Pumpkin Scissors
* Red Garden
* Sgt. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Anime Forum.
At the ADV Sneak Peek panel at Anime Expo, ADV co-founder Matt Greenfield stated that the firm has separated from its former business partner Sojitz, meaning that several recent titles are now "fate undetermined." Separately, retailers were reporting that shipment of four DVD titles were suspended indefinitely (Shattered Angels Vol. [read more]
Discuss this news in The Anime Forum.
Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products have announced a partnership with French fashion designer Corinne Cobson to produce an original line of Dora the Explorer clothing and accessories for mothers and daughters. Called "Dora par Corinne Cobson," the line will debut in Winter 2009 and will be sold primarily (but not exclusively) at Cobson's International boutiques.
Discuss this news in NickToons.
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