April 28, 2000

• Walker's Final Destination
  
  Shirley Walker, the master-crafter of the end theme and musical score for "Batman: The Animated Series" as well as over 2 dozen individual character themes on BTAS, opening themes for "Superman: The Animated Series", "The Batman/Superman Adventures" and "Batman Beyond", as well as the amazing movie soundtrack for "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" - this same Shirley Walker scored the recent film, Final Destination.
  
  --Gookie

April 25, 2000

• Kids' WB! Schedule Change
  
  According to KTLA.com, BATMAN BEYOND will be on twice a weekend, replacing Batman/Superman. Here's the new morning schedule:
  
  8:00am Batman Beyond
  8:30am Batman Beyond
  9:00am Pokemon
  9:30am Max Steel
  10:00am Pokemon
  10:30am Pokemon
  11:00am Men In Black
  11:30am Detention
  
  --Dick Grayson

April 15, 2000

• Max Steel Does It His Way
  
  From animationartist.com:
  "Max Steel" a Hit for the WB!
  In its 5th broadcast on Kids' WB!, Sony Pictures Family Entertainment's (SPFE) newest CGI animated series "Max Steel," beat all other kid competition including broadcast and cable, ranking #1 in its 9:30 a.m. time period on Saturday, April 1 among Households, Boys 2-11, Boys 6-11, Teens and Male Teens, it was announced today by Sander Schwartz, President and Bob Higgins, Senior Vice President Creative Affairs.
  
  Averaging the five weeks since its premiere, "Max Steel" has also ranked #1 in its time period against all Saturday morning kid competition among Boys 2-11 with an average of 6.8 rating / 22 share; Boys 6-11 with an average of 7.8 rating / 26 share; Teens with an average of 2.6 rating / 18 share; and Male Teens with an average of 4.0 rating / 26 share. Since its debut on Kids' WB!'s Saturday morning line-up,
  
  "Max Steel" has been the 2nd highest rated series on any network among Boys 2-11, behind Pokemon in all its time periods. The program's continued ratings success comes on the heels of Kids' WB!'s second season renewal. The network has ordered 13 additional half hours to begin airing in fall 2000.

--Dick Grayson

April 13, 2000

• Stan Lee Does DC
  
  From ZENtertainment:
  
  DC Comics has announced Stan Lee will write a 12-issue prestiege format ELSEWORLDS miniseries for the publisher, entitled JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE CREATING. Each issue will feature Lee's own take on DC characters, alongside top artists, such as the issues JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE WITH JOHN BUSCEMA CREATING SUPERMAN, JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE WITH JIM LEE CREATING WONDER WOMAN, and JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE WITH DAVE GIBBONS CREATING GREEN LANTERN.
  "During all the years I've been with Marvel, it was always fun to imagine how I might have written the DC characters. Now, it's really great to have the chance to reapproach the DC Universe and tackle the storytelling and characterization
  in my own style," said Stan Lee, "The chance to work with people I've admired for years and the chance to create stories with characters that I've enjoyed for years was an offer I could not resist."
  Other issues will spotlight Batman, The Flash, the JLA, and the Sandman, and other artists attached to the project include Joe Kubert and Bruce Timm.

--Gookie

• Wizard--Hoax-us, Poax-us
  
  From IGN.com's WonderCon 2000 Report:
  
  Wonder Twins Was A Hoax
  
  Quoting Paul Dini here - "I'm sad to announce Wonder Twins is a hoax," he says, not sounding sad at all. Instead, look for the next Dini/Ross one-shot to feature Shazam (who, it must be noted, bears an uncanny resemblance to Dini).
  
  The link to the article above is worth checking out - it offers considerably more details than the report posted at AICN, including a summary and detailed description of the episode of CLERKS, and a slightly possible chance of Dini's proposed Supergirl series. According to Dini, WB came to him asking for "something to air for girls", and this was after the original proposed Supergirl series had been shelved because Hasbro "turned their noses up at it".
  
  There is also mention here of a Mxyzptlk bean bag coming soon, like the one for Batmite, but there's no picture so I guess I'll have to wait til it shows up in PREVIEWS to see if they follow the style of the comics or the animated series.

--Gookie

• Batman Beyond in Toy Fair
  
  Batman Beyond's featured on the April edition of Toyfare:
  
  
  
  
  Speaking of action figures, the April edition of Lee's ACTION FIGURE NEWS & TOY REVIEW includes photos of the TNBA multi-pack - the Toys R Us exclusive 4-pack I mentioned here previously, with some quality photos of the figures. For some reason, they chose to make this Batman variant in the style of the Dick Sprang Batman, as far as the color scheme goes - blue and gray with a yellow belt. And the variant of Clayface is sortuva grey-beige, kinda like cement. But the figures of Robin and Alfred are dead-on likenesses of the TNBA character designs.
  
  There are also pics of the Batman Beyond toys for 2000, but I already posted a few pics of those.

--Gookie

• Pokemon Figures Take Action; MiB Figures
  
  In TOMART'S ACTION FIGURE DIGEST, there are a few pictures of the upcoming Pokemon action figures - yes, they actually have "action" features and aren't just static, non-articulated pieces of plastic as all the previous Pokemon figures have been.
  
  Hasbro's POKEMON TRAINERS:
  
  Brock w/ Vulpix
  (should be out already)
  
  (coming in July)
  Ash w/ Pikachu
  Misty w/ Horsea
  Brock w/ Onix
  
  (coming in October)
  Ash w/ Pidgey
  Professor Oak w/ Slowbro
  
  Looks like they all come with about 7 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, hips and knees), possibly 8, if they happen to swivel at the waist.
  
  Also included in this month's TOMART'S, are figures based on characters from "MiB: The Series" with nifty little "quick action" features:
  
  Gatling Gun K
  launches 4 rapid-fire missiles at the twist of a knob
  
  Quick Draw J
  whips the "Noisy Cricket" into firing position with the touch of a button
  
  Fully Armed Alpha
  has 4 bendable appendages attached to his chest
  
  4-pack bendable Worm Guys
  with thermos and 4 mugs of java
  
  Deluxe versions of J and Drekk will also be available:
  
  Alien Disguise J
  Light and Sound Drekk
  
  And I finally got to see some close-ups of the Dexter's Lab toys from Trendmasters! "Ahh, they are so cool!" as Dexter might say. And it's about dang time these came out too!

--Gookie

• Richard Bazley Interview in TOON Mag

The new edition of TOON magazine (#21) features an interview with Iron Giant lead animator, Richard Bazley, which if nothing else, is worth buying this magazine for. The rest of the mag is filled with the usual typos, cut-and-paste press releases and old old news, but Karl Savage's interview with Bazley is worth it at least. Bazley supervised 3 important sequences in IG: two where Hogarth first tries to communicate with the giant, and the other was where Kent interrogates Hogarth.

A few interesting bits from the interview:

"As an animator, these set-ups were a gift. So as soon as I saw the first storyreel cut together, I knew that we were working on something special. Never before had I been able to look at a storyreel again and again and laugh each time I saw it."

Bazley first pitched a version of IG with designs and sketches when he was working at Don Bluth Studios. He'd read Ted Hughes original book as a child and said it was something he'd always wanted to pursue. He "felt the set up of the boy and his relationship with the giant would be a goldmine of entertainment".

"We used no live-action reference on IG because Brad really isn't a fan of it."

Included with the article are model sheets, and pencil tests of Kent Mansley and IG.

--Gookie

• Max Steel: Giving Kids Something to Look Up to
  
  A bit of executive mentality on Max Steel that I felt I just had to share - quoting now from TOYFARE in an article on the new trend in toys being based on "real-life celebrities" (like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin):
  
  Since when did toys become such a reality check? "Kids are leaning away from fantasy and getting into stuff they can aspire to," said Ed LoMonaco, marketing and product manager for X-Toys. This year X-Toys will release a line of Elvis figures, as well as toys based on the top skateboarders and snowboarders in the world of extreme sports.
  
  The "aspiration" factor plays a big role in Mattel's new, high-profile boys action line Max Steel. Boys action president Matt Bousquette recently told the Wall Street Journal, "[Kids] don't want to pretend to be something they could never be, like Batman", he said, offering up Max Steel as "believable fantasy".
  
  Rick Watkins, N2 Toys' VP of product development, also points to aspiration as the key to the popularity of sport-, entertainment- and history-based action figures. "Kids want to be them," he said of Real-life characters, including N2's own Crocodile Hunter and Master P figures.
  
  LoMonaco says furthermore, "I like.... [giving] kids something realistic they can achieve."
  
  [And TOYFARE editor Tom Root closes the article in the classic TOYFARE style...] And that's a good thing, at least until we start seeing a "Network News Anchors" boxed set or a "Plumber Hall of Fame" line.
  
  --Gookie

April 12, 2000

• Osmosis Jones Live-Action Mix

From the latest issue of Sean Jordan's ZENtertainment:

FARRELLY BROS. NEWS
VARIETY columnist Michael Fleming reports The Farrelly Brothers (There's Something About Mary) will co-produce the Rob Schneider (SNL, Deuce Bigalow) comedy NO MORE MISTER NICE GUY.
The film stars Schneider as the world's nicest guy, who is paired up with his sleazy lawyer uncle. The Farrellys' will also direct Bill Murray in the live-action segments of WARNER BROS.' OSMOSIS JONES.
In OSMOSIS, Chris Rock will voice a white blood cell and David Hyde Pierce will voice a cold tablet, trying to thwart a nasty virus inside Murray's animated body.
Furthermore, the brothers are also now the co-producers of THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN, which is now being made as a comedy.

--Gookie

• More from Dini
  
  Also semi-related, Paul Dini's written a new Jingle Belle story for Oni Press that ships July 7, as part of Oni Press' first full-color comic book, "Oni Press Summer Vacation Supercolor Fun Special" - "a 48-page comic book with a wraparound cover".

--Gookie

• Fun with Food
  
  Jon reported the LT "talking spoons" on his news page that Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is offering. (Click here for the details.)
  
  But for diehard collectors, there are actually 3 versions of the "Mil-Looney-Um" Mac & Chz boxes (I have the Batman and A! ones so I know there's bound to be a few other fans who collect this kinda stuff too). The second one features the "Mil-Looney-Um" logo with Daffy & Bugs wearing party hats - on the back: Tweety, Sylvester, Taz and Bugs are shown going into the Warner Bros Studio Store. (I tried uploading a scan of it tonight for you guys, along with a few other goodies I'd been wanting to show off - it didn't work out. I'll have to wait until I catch Harley on again for some help.)
  
  I'm sure most of you are still saying, "So what, there are Looney Tunes characters on the box. Big flipping deal."
  
  The box also includes a coupon for 15% off any Looney Tunes merchandise (through 10.31.2000), redeemable at any WB Studio Store.
  
  Maybe you guys still don't care, but then that's because you don't spend as much money there as I do, and 15% off is a really good deal.

--Gookie

• Vanity, Thy Name is Jones...
  
  On a final note, Animation Blast reports that Chuck Jones is featured in the April edition of Vanity Fair. It was enough to send me out in the rain 30 minutes before the bookstore closed to have a look at it.

--Gookie

April 10, 2000

• News Bits from Paul Dini

Here's a report from Ain't It Cool News about Paul Dini at a convention talking about, among other things, the "Batman Beyond" video movie, the "Justice League" two-parter of "Batman Beyond," and other series & direct-to-video projects.

Be warned that some of the material has spoilers. Read at your own risk if you like to be surprised:

Heya Geeks! A reader of two years and a poster of one, this is my first bit of correspondence to you guys on anything. However, I literally just got in the door from the Wondercon comic convention in Oakland, CA, where one of the panels was Paul Dini discussing Batman Beyond and such, and there's a nice chunk of news from it. So, I decided to file this report.

Paul talked a bit about the direct-to-video Return of the Joker (October 31), especially mentioning the details of the DVD (same day, including both a making of video and two additional scenes cut from the VHS for time including a supposedly spectacular mood scene of elderly Bruce Wayne revisiting the ruins of Arkham Asylum for the first time in forty years). Also, he explained how WB wouldn't comment on extending the series to a fourth season unless, by January, the film sales were good (I suppose they need another Pokemon spot so buy this video! Because the third season sounds really cool!)

Beware, from here on in there be MASSIVE SPOILERS (don't say you weren't warned)!

First, on a minor front, Dini commented that Batman Terry McGinnis would be having at least one crossover on the show's new spinoff Zeta (from the episode on this morning), as well as an appearance by the robot on Batman Beyond again in the new year. Also, some other characters, mainly villains will be present. More Inque (including her origin), Kobra (2-parter), Stalker, the Royal Flush Gang, Curare and (very cool) Talia al Ghul herself (although no Ra's al Ghul, at least in season 3). Some of the points visited upon in the movie about Bruce's past will be fleshed out too (esp. his time with Barbara), but Dini said that most of the remaining huge revelations would have to wait for a fourth season, after Terry and his world (and rogue's gallery) is fully assembled (so buy the movie and save the show!)

Oh yeah, and Dini finally spilled the beans on the 2-part 3rd season finale.The Justice League! Led by an aged Superman (in a costume and characterization Dini described as part Kingdom Come and part Kryptonian-influence), it includes his lieutenant Barda (replacing Wonder Woman, as the legality of getting her character for an appearance was too tough, he explained at length), Aquagirl (daughter of Aquaman and Mera), a new Green Lantern, and a few other new characters. In a surprising move, Kal-El comes to Terry to request the boy's membership needing a strong detective on the established team. Terry however, rightfully feels out of his league among all the big shots, especially with such confidence in him on Superman's part (I see some shades of Kyle Rayner here). If the fourth season is greenlighted (they'll know in January), that season will be divided between Bruce dealing with the past as its revealed and Terry among the Justice League (so we'll get big roles back for each of Conroy's Bruce Wayne and Tim Daly's Superman!!!)

That aside, in other news...

Dini also announce today that, starting next March, Warner Brothers Online will be featuring two new flash animation series: Lobo and Gotham Girls. Lobo is said to be in the style the main Man was presented in his Superman appearance. Gotham Girls however, he explained in more detailed. Using stylized character designs from Glen Murakama (of Superman and Batman Beyond), the series would focus on six characters: on the side of good Batgirl, Zatanna, and Black Canary (from a complete character design of Dinah Lance Bruce Timm did back in the Fox days) versus Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. Things are looking up for the original voices to return as well. If all these are successful, Dini said he'd like to do more direct-to-video movies, including a Batman-Superman teamup in the old animated style (in the old B:TAS story/visual mold), and a more mature Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy film (which had been pitched as an idea for prime time animation previously).

And one last thing: each year at Wondercon, Dini has brought a new un-aired Batman or Superman (last year he premiered A Fish Story for example). This year, however, he instead brought one of the episodes of Clerks: The Animated Series he had helped co-write (the 2nd one with their reminiscing to the 1st episode). Frankly, I don't know why ABC passed on this. All 300 or so people in the room were literally rolling in the aisles none-stop for the entire 24 minutes, it was that funny.

Ah well, best to send this in now. If you post this, I‚m call myself The Indestructible Man.

--PlopKat

• Voices for Zeta, Static Shock

From today's comicscontinuum.com's daily news:

"Voice recording has begun in Los Angeles on the early episodes of Static Shock!, the new Kids' WB! animated series based on the Milestone Comics character.

Phil LaMarr provides the voice of Virgil Hawkins, who finds himself imbued with electromagnetic superpowers after being exposed to a mutanic gas.

LaMarr is currently in his fifth season as a regular on Fox's MAD TV, where is known for his impersonations of Michael Jackson, Sidney Poitier, Billy Crystal and Prince. He has done voice work for Futurama, King of the Hill, Family Guy and Hey, Arnold!.

The cast of Static Shock! also includes Jason Marsden as Richie Foley, Virgil's best friend; Kevin Richardson as his father, Robert Hawkins; Michelle Morgan as his sister, Sharon Hawkins; and Danica McKellar as Freida Goren, another friend.

Marsden appeared in ABC's Step by Step, and his movie credits include The Goofy Movie and White Squall. His voice credits include Tino in ABC's The Weekenders, Jack in Fox Kids' Xyber 9: New Dawn and the young Clark Kent in the opening three-part episode of Superman on Kids' WB!.

McKellar is best known as Winnie Cooper from ABC's The Wonder Years.

The voice director for Static Shock!, a production of Warner Bros. Animation, is Andrea Romano, whose credits include the Batman and Superman series.

Romano is also the voice director of The Zeta Project, the Batman Beyond spinoff scheduled to air Fridays next fall on Kids' WB! That series stars Diedrich Bader as the voice of Zeta and Julie Nathanson as the voice of Ro, a 15-year-old runaway.

Alan Burnett is supervising producer of both shows. Robert Goodman and Liz Holzman are producers of The Zeta Project, and Rich Fogel is the story editor.

Sources told The Continuum that Batman "will likely" appear on the show."

--Rembrant

April 9, 2000

• Frank Welker in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Not that it's much of a surprise when there's hardly anything animated these days that *doesn't* feature a Welker voice or sound effect, but Welker is voicing a character named "Woof" in BB:ROTJ - a bit of info I found in one of the most complete filmographies of Welker's voice credits to date thanks to a recent article/interview by Bob Miller in the April edition of Animation World Magazine.

The interview with Frank is one of the most thorough interviews I've read with a voice actor in quite some time - highly entertaining and informative as well since Welker offers a good deal of insight into voice acting as a career.

--Gookie

April 7, 2000

• Previews Stuff

First up are a selection of items from PREVIEWS which I forgot to post last week, from the April edition which offers pre-orders for this month's issue up through April 15 at your local comic shop:

Joker/Mask #2 (Comic miniseries)
From Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics
Plot: Joker finds mask and becomes "Joker/Mask", becomes a TV superstar and terrorizes Gotham. Looks like there may be an appearance by Batman before the series conclusion. And in case you're wondering, Joker and Harley are drawn in a style reminiscent of the animated series.

Batman: Gotham Adventures #27
Plot: A professor of law is in jail for murdering a mob boss. Murder? In a "kids-oriented" comic? Sounds like an interesting read to me.

Batman Beyond #10
Bader brings Golem back again, with something about a connection between it and an autistic boy. Some sort of side-plot about a father-son relationship.

Superman & Bugs Bunny #2
This is the comic miniseries that was delayed last year, and now back on-track.
The second ish deals with Elmer having all the powers of Superman, and Supes' being left with the... uh, powers of Elmer. In this state, he must keep the universes of the Do-Do and Mxyzptlk from colliding. Sounds like fun to me.
Look for the first issue of this miniseries in stores end of this month. Mark Evanier (Groo The Wanderer; Garfield & Friends) is the writer, so I expect this series to be very promising and possibly quite amusing too.

Superman Adventures #46
Superman loses his memory and becomes a wandering, homeless bum who has difficulty even seeking shelter in Smallville.

Looney Tunes #67
This particular ish features Bugs and what looks to be "The Crusher" from the LT short I can't recall the title of at 2:30am; a Foghorn/Dawg competition to teach Eggbert how to play baseball; and Sylvester and Tweety and something about dental hygiene.

Batman Beyond Files
Written by Scott Sonneborn
I'm not really sure what this is supposed to be:
This dynamite book takes animation aficionados and comics fans of all ages zooming into 21st century Gotham to witness the [blabity-blah] of an incredible new Batman. Just as Bruce Wayne retires from his crime-fighting Batman guise, teen Terry McGinnis accidentally discovers the Batcave, confronts Bruce about his secret, and takes over the crusade. Armed with a sleek Batsuit loaded with gadgets and an amazing flying Batmobile, Terry takes on a bizarre new generation of Gotham crimilas names like Inque, Blight, Spellbinder and Shriek. (Watson Guptill)
It says it's a paperback edition, 8x10, 48 pages for $12.95.

--Gookie

• Batman Beyond Videos
  
  Two more titles are being released in the set: "Spellbound" and "Crush". Each features 3 episodes, but doesn't say which ones.
  
  More than likely, these will be available at most outlets - I wouldn't recommend ordering them through PREVIEWS unless you're guaranteed a better deal with some sort of discount - they'll be selling at $12.95 each.

--Gookie

• 4 Powerpuff Girls Videos

Also, for anyone interested, The Powerpuff Girls are being released on two videos here very soon. Each one contains 5 episodes, "an Emmy-nominated episode, a Cartoon Network bonus cartoon and an exclusive issue of the PPG Activity book". "Bubblevicious" and "Monkey See, Doggie Do" will be selling for $14.95 each, but again, I don't recommend ordering them through PREVIEWS. You should be able to find them cheaper at places like Target, Walmart, K-Mart or online at amazon.com and such.

--Gookie

• How to Draw Batman (Without Really Trying)

How To Draw Batman & The DC Comics Super-Heroes
Illustrations by Ty Templeton, John Delaney and Ron Boyd

I'm not sure if Harley has a scan of the first book like this that Ty and Mike DeCarlo illustrated for BTAS, but I got a copy discounted at the WBSS for only 2 bucks. Bought two of them, in fact - one for my brother who enjoys drawing the characters and had been looking for something to help with the Batman characters, and the other for myself just because I collect that sort of stuff.

This is a 96-page, 9x12 paperback edition which will be selling for $14.95.
Even if you aren't an aspiring artist, Ty's artwork is always great to look at.

--Gookie

• A Super Year (and Another Cheesy Headline)
  
  Batman Beyond and Superman Adventures 2001 Calendars
  
  Yes, you heard right - STAS is getting a 2001, 16-month calendar even after the series has been cancelled. Too bad they never did anything like that for Animaniacs, P&TB or The Iron Giant. There was a cheaply-designed clip-art style calendar produced for A!, but none others that I'm aware of. The STAS 12x11 calendar will retail at $12.99.
  
  For BB, there's a wall calendar (12x12), student planner (7x9)and locker calendar (7x10). The wall calendar is 16 months, while the locker calendar for some unknown reason has an additional 17th month. They retail between 9.995 and 12.95
  
  Tweety and Taz calendars for 2001 are also available for pre-order.

--Gookie

• "Little Go Beep" to Premiere WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival
  
  And last but not least, from Animation Artist:
  
  Warner Bros. Classic Animation to open Festival
  
  Warner Bros. Classic Animation's animated short "Little
  Go Beep" has been selected as the opening night animated
  short and a category finalist at the 33rd Annual
  WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival being held
  in Houston from April 7th-16th. Additionally, three
  Warner Bros. Classic Animation-produced commercials
  have been selected as finalists in the Television
  Commercials-Animated (Cel Animation) competition. The
  awards will be announced on Saturday, April 15.
  
  "Little Go Beep," one of four finalists selected from a field
  of more than 60 entries, is competing in the Short
  Subject--Animated (Cel Animation) category. The
  theatrical short introduces Wile E. Coyote's proud father,
  Cage E. Coyote, a champion hunter (voiced by the
  legendary Stan Freberg), who decides that it's time to
  pass the torch to his offspring - even if he is still in diapers!
  Wile E. is then sent out into the world to catch the most
  prized animal of all, the Road Runner - thus beginning a
  lifelong obsession! "Little Go Beep" was directed by
  Spike Brandt, written by Earl Kress and produced by
  Spike Brandt and Kathleen Helppie-Shipley for Warner
  Bros. Classic Animation.
  
  In the Television Commercials-Animated (Cel Animation)
  competition, Warner Bros. Classic Animation's efforts on
  "Tweety," directed by Jeff Siergey, for MCI 5 cent
  Sundays, MCI Worldcom Telecommunications, "Fish,"
  directed by T.J. House, featuring Sylvester and Hector the
  Dog, for MCI Worldcom Telecommunications and
  "Twister," directed by Frank Molieri, featuring the
  Tasmanian Devil, for Chevrolet Monte Carlo, have been
  named finalists.
  
  "We are extremely proud of our nominations and of being
  chosen to help celebrate the opening of this year's
  WorldFest celebration," said Kathleen Helppie-Shipley,
  Senior Vice President, Warner Bros. Classic Animation.
  "It is extremely rewarding for our efforts to be recognized
  by such an established film festival."
  
  Celebrating it's 33rd year, WorldFest-Houston will
  present independent films, shorts and commercials,
  representing 14 countries, during the 10-day event in
  April. One of the longest-running independent film festivals
  in the world, WorldFest has the distinction of having had
  the same director for their entire 33-year run.
  
  Warner Bros. Classic Animation is an award-winning
  boutique arm of the Warner Bros. Animation family. The
  classic animation unit specializes in commercial animation
  as well as adapting animation of the legendary Looney
  Tunes, DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera and Warner Bros.
  Television Animation characters for specialized use within
  entertainment venues. The classic unit produces animated
  theatrical shorts and theme park featurettes as well as the
  animation for numerous on-air promos, logos, public
  service announcements and special projects servicing the
  entire Time Warner company.

--Gookie

April 5, 2000

• WB Timeslots for Next Season and More Info

Good ol' comics continuum. Not only do they have more detailed descriptions of (some) of WB's shows, they've got timeslot info and even pics, if you want to sail on over to their website.

KIDS' WB!'S COMICS SHOWS

Kids' WB! has announced its slate for the 2000-2001 season, which will feature several comic book-based shows, including X-Men Evolution, Static Shock!, Batman Beyond and Men in Black: The Series.

The network's Saturday lineup will include Batman Beyond at 8 a.m., Pokemon at 8:30, Jackie Chan Adventures at 9, Max Steel at 9:30, Pokemon GS at 10, Static Shock! at 10:30, Men in Black at 11 and X-Men Evolution at 11:30.

The network is launching a "Fraturday" lineup on Fridays, which will include Pokemon at 7 a.m., Detention at 7:30, Cardcaptors at 3, Generation O! at 3:30 p.m., Pokemon GS at 4 p.m. and The Zeta Project at 4:30 p.m.

The Monday-Thursday lineup will include Pokemon at 7 a.m., Warner Bros.' Histeria! at 7:30 a.m., The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries at 3 p.m., Batman Beyond at 3:30 p.m., Pokemon at 4 p.m. and Men in Black at 4:30 p.m.

X-Men Evolution and Static Shock! are new shows. Batman Beyond is returning for a third-season of 13 episodes, and is also spawning the spin-off series, The Zeta Project, from this Saturday's episode. Men in Black is returning for a fourth season of 13 episodes.

Here's how the network describes X-Men Evolution:

"X-Men Evolution is the story of adolescents struggling to 'fit into' a world which cannot possibly understand them. Possessing extraordinary powers as a result of genetic mutations, our heroes must face the difficulties of living as mutants amongst 'normal' beings while experiencing the added perils of making it through the teenage years - a time when all kids feel like they are mutants. Under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier, a mutant with the wisdom and powers to teach our young heroes to utilize their unusual skills for the benefit and protection of all the world's inhabitants, our characters come of age learning to battle evil humans and misguided mutants...and still maintain good grades at the local high school."

The series, executive produced by Avi Arad and Rick Ungar, is produced by Marvel Studios in association with Film Roman. Bob Forward is the story editor.

Here's how the network describes Static Shock!:

"Static Shock! is an all-new, animated series about the adventures of the first teenage African American superhero. Quick-witted Virgil Hawkins (voiced by Phil LaMarr of Mad TV) finds himself imbued with electromagnetic superpowers after being exposed to a mutanic gas and takes on the guise of Static, an urban hero of his own creation. The series will confront real problems and issues faced by today's kids, such as peer pressure, gangs and growing up in an ethnically diverse urban neighborhood. Learning to control his powers, figuring out how to patrol the skies at night and still make it home in time to study for his chemistry class, Virgil's greatest discovery becomes the real 'charge' he gets in helping people and making a positive difference in his community."

Static Shock! is produced and animated by Warner Bros. Animation, under the creative supervision of executive producer Jean MacCurdy, supervising producer Alan Burnett and producer Scott Jeralds. See more about the show in today's second item in The Continuum.

Here's how Kids' WB! describes The Zeta Project:

"The Zeta Project chronicles the futuristic adventures of Zeta, a renegade government-designed robot, and Ro, a 15-year-old street-wise runaway. Zeta (voiced by Diedrich Bader of The Drew Carey Show) was originally designed as a high-tech weapon for the government, but made a decision to deny his 'destruction' program, and is now searching for his creator while trying to stay a step ahead of government agents' intent on his capture. Ro is a savvy runaway searching for her long-lost family, while trying to avoid the system. With his awesome gadgetry and moral conviction and her street smarts and humor, Zeta and Ro are on the road and on the run in 2040, helping each other and those they meet along the way - unlikely allies in a kaleidoscope of adventure."

The Zeta Project is produced by Warner Bros. Animation under the creative supervision of executive producer Jean MacCurdy, supervising producer Alan Burnett and producers Bob Goodman and Liz Holzman.

Quickly summarizing the other new shows:

Pokemon GS is the next evolution of the network's top-rated shows, taking Ash and his friends into an unknown land and introducing at least 100 new Pokemon; Generation O! is a new animated series that features Molly O!, the lead singer of international pop sensation Generation O!, the only band in the top 10 with an 8-year-old singer and a kangaroo for a drummer; Jackie Chan Adventures is an animated series featuring Chan as an ancient artifact expert and a special agent for the government's secret Section 13 who shares ancient Chinese wisdom with Jade, his 11-year-old tomboy niece, who quickly becomes his apprentice and partner; Cardcaptors follows 10-year-old Sakura and her mysterious classmate Li who, after an innocent mistake, release the world's most powerful magic and begin the adventure of a lifetime.

--The Mad Hatter

• MCDUFFIE TALKS STATIC SHOCK!
  
  Milestone's Dwayne McDuffie told The Continuum that he will be writing at least two of the first 13 episodes of Kids' WB!'s Static Shock!.
  
  "We're supposed to come on in September if everything goes well," McDuffie said. "It's remarkably close to the comic. I'm really surprised at how far they went.
  
  "We were very pleased that half the people involved with Batman Beyond are on it. I actually liked the Batman Beyond show, I liked the Batman show and I liked the Superman show - and I don't really like cartoons. So that went really well.
  
  "It's very faithful in tone, but younger than the comic book. There are some changes in the relationships between Virgil and his friends. And there's one new friend that isn't the comic. But I'm really, really surprised how close it is."
  
  Perhaps the biggest change will be with Static's costume.

"The costume right now is very different," McDuffie said. "But they are changing it again and maybe it will get closer. I imagine that a lot of it would be that the poncho would be impossible to animate. But they went a different direction with the stuff I've seen so far, but I understand they are still working on it."

Will the show's creators being using other Milestone heroes?

"Yes, we will," McDuffie said. "Hardware, for sure. And there's a lot of discussion about Blood Syndicate; we're trying to figure out how to make it work. I would be surprised if Blood Syndicate showed up in the first 13, but probably immediately after you'll see them."

The first two episodes, written by Chris Simmons and Stan Berkowitz, will deal with Static's origin. McDuffie's episodes will appear later in the season, including one with the Rubber Band Man.

McDuffie said he is enjoying writing for the series.

"Those guys are amazing," he said. "It's really been a pleasure working with them. I'm in the bizarre position of sending a story in, getting notes and being really happy with the notes. Because they make it better."

Look for Milestone Comics to return to publishing with a Static mini-series to accompany the TV show.

--The Mad Hatter

• Kids' WB! Announces Midseason Show Already

I found this little blurb on Animation Artist.com:

4Kids Entertainment Inc., and Kids'WB!, the No. 1 kid's network, announced that Pokemon GS will be added to its fall schedule and Cubix, 4Kids' newest show, to its midseason schedule.

Pokemon GS is the newest evolution of the Kids' WB! megahit and No. 1 show on television for kids. This new series will follow Ash and his friends as they take viewers on an adventurous new quest into unknown land, introducing at least 100 never-before-seen new Pokemon characters. The series will be catapulted by the summer movie premier and will tie in with the long-awaited launch of the Pokemon Gold and Silver Game Boy games from Nintendo of North America, Inc. Kids'WB! reported that on Saturday, March 18th, the network's "Pick Your Favorite Pokemon" morning special delivered record-high ratings among the key demographics of kids age 2-11, Kids age 6-11, Boys age 2-11 and Boys age 6-11, posting the highest Kids 2-11 rating any network has delivered in two years. The network also posted its strongest ratings among Girls age 2-11 and Girls age 6-11.

Cubix, 4Kids Entertainment's newest show and 4Kids Productions newest co-production project, takes place in Bubble Town, a "normal" city on the far edge of the Universe, where the motto is simple... "a robot for everyone!" Robots are a part of everyday, ordinary life, such as directing traffic, dispensing popcorn, fighting fires and even teaching school! One day a lonely boy named Bobby scavenged the robot junkyard and made the greatest discovery-his new best friend, Cubix, a discarded one-of-a-kind prototype powered by a unique energy source from another world that provides him with special powers. Bobby, Cubix and their friends solve mysteries, catch criminals and go on hair-raising adventures. Cubix is a futuristic story of action adventure and uncommon friendship.

In addition to the new Pokemon series airing on Saturday mornings, the lineup will include the return of the Pokemon phenomenon with a library of 102 episodes. The Kids'WB! Monday-Thursday schedule will include Pokemon twice a day at 7:00am/ET and 4:00pm.

"Strong partners, help make strong properties," stated Al Kahn CEO and Chairman of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. "Kids'WB! has done a terrific job in programming and promoting Pokemon, it was natural for us to consider them our first choice for our newest series "Cubix."

The Company noted that "Cubix", one of the company's anticipated new properties, is a new series utilizing an advanced form of CGI, Computer Generated Imaging.

"We are very excited to once again be partnering with 4Kids Entertainment on this new venture," said Donna Friedman, Senior Vice President, Kids' WB! "Cubix is a big idea that has big possibilities. Its distinctive CGI look combined with the network's core ingredients of high adventure, humor and heart make it a perfect fit for Kids' WB!"

--Dick Grayson

• News on Cartoon Network's BOOMERANG

Note: This news blurb was taken from Cartoonresearch.com


COMPLETE BOOMERANG SCHEDULE! Despite the fact that no one can see the new CARTOON NETWORK spin-off channel, BOOMERANG, we applaud the Cartoon Network for creating this channel and are excited by the possibilities of a cable network devoted to "classic cartoons". The new channel began telecasting on April 1st, 2000 and, on the same date, Boomerang introduced a devoted website at http://Boomerang.CartoonNetwork.com. The schedule is 98% Hanna-Barbera Cartoons. Classic MGM and Warner Bros. cartoons are only scheduled on appropriate Saturday Morning schedules.
According to the official press release: "Celebrating the classic cartoons and stars of the Hanna-Barbera library, Boomerang arranges its weekly schedule into four different programming catagories designated by character, half-hour series, year (television season) and action-adventure genre. Each weekday spotlights two classic characters with a cavalcade of favorite episodes, as well as four half-hour series that are stripped in their timeslots Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, Boomerang recreates the Saturday morning cartoon-warching experience baby boomers grew up with, by devoting the schedule to half-hour cartoons that were created or aired on network television in a particular year. Sunday's schedule is devoted to classic action-adventure cartoons, featuring 10 half-hour telecasts and one three-hour block devoted to a single action-adventure character. Each day of Boomerang's programming features an original eight-hour schedule that repeats twice within every 24 hour period."

Here is an example of BOOMERANG'S WEEKDAY SCHEDULE:

8am - 11am : CHARACTER BLOCK I (A daily "Super Chunk", The characters change daily)
11:00 am - THE SMURFS (half-hour strip)
11:30 am - MAGILLA GORILLA (half-hour strip)
12:00 - 3:00pm - CHARACTER BLOCK II (2nd daily "Super Chunk", different character than earlier block)
3:00pm - TOP CAT (half-hour strip)
3:30pm - THE SNORKS (half-hour strip)
• THE ABOVE IS RUN THREE TIMES DURING THE 24 HOUR DAY

Here is an example of BOOMERANG'S SATURDAY SCHEDULE:

Each Saturday will be devoted to a different year. 4/1=1963, 4/8=1964, 4/15=1965, 4/22=1966, 4/29=1967.
The example below represents "1963":

All Bill & Joe, All The Time

8:00am - HUCKLEBERRY HOUND
8:30am - THE JETSONS
9:00am - TOP CAT
9:30am - BUGS BUNNY
10:30am - QUICK DRAW McGRAW
11:00am - RUFF 'N' REDDY
11:30am - PORKY PIG
• THIS SCHEDULE WILL BE REPEATED SIX TIMES DURING THE 24 HOUR SATURDAY SCHEDULE

Here is an example of BOOMERANG'S SUNDAY SCHEDULE:

8:00am - SPACE GHOST/DINO BOY
8:30am - THE HERCULOIDS
9:00am - THE CENTURIONS
9:30am - THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN
10:00am - PIRATES OF DARKWATER
10:30am - S.W.A.T. KATS
11:00am - SUPER FRIENDS
11:30am - GODZILLA
12:00noon - 3:00pm - CHARACTER BLOCK (an adventure cartoon Super Chunk)
3:00pm - VALLEY OF THE DINOSAURS
3:30pm - THE FANTASTIC FOUR
• THE ABOVE IS RUN THREE TIMES DURING THE 24 HOUR SUNDAY SCHEDULE

--Dick Grayson

• Pokemon Won't be New Episodes; Cubix Time Slot

Variety.com had this to say on Kids' WB!'s fall schedule today:

"Despite its action-heavy Saturday morning lineup, the WB still hopes to attract more girls to its top-rated kids franchise.

That’s one reason Kids’ WB will air an all-original slate on Friday afternoons (Daily Variety, April 4).

Speaking at the kids broadcaster’s upfront presentation in New York on Tuesday, Kids’ WB senior vice president Donna Friedman said the network skews more boy-oriented on Saturday partly because the competition (namely, Nickelodeon and ABC) attracts more girls.

On the other hand, the new Kids’ WB Friday lineup — to be branded "Fraturday" — will be geared toward a more balanced mix of boys and girls.

The lineup "will deliver truly gender-neutral audiences," Friedman said.

Kids’ WB isn’t the only children’s broadcaster hoping to bring back more girls to the set. At its upfront presentation last month, Fox Kids Network also unveiled programming featuring characters targeted to attract a more balanced audience. Both Kids’ WB and Fox Kids have skewed heavily male in recent years while relying on more boy-friendly action shows.

Friedman said Kids’ WB will attempt to make "a move away from pure action" and try to focus more on "high adventure, humor and heart" this season.

The weblet’s Saturday will remain based around its top-rated "Pokemon" franchise. As expected, Kids’ WB has ordered 52 episodes of a new version of the series, "Pokemon GS."

"Pokemon GS" will tie in to the debut of a new "Pokemon" feature film this summer and the launch of "Pokemon" Gold and Silver Game Boy games from Nintendo.

" ‘Pokemon’ hasn’t reached its peak yet," Friedman said. "We expect this series to have a long life on Kids’ WB."

Kids’ WB will use "Pokemon GS" as the focal point of its fall launch on Fridays and Saturdays. In this competitive kids’ environment, said WB Entertainment prexy Susanne Daniels, "hit programs are essential."

Saturdays will kick off at 8 a.m. with the returning "Batman Beyond," followed by repeats of "Pokemon" at 8:30.

‘Chan’ plan

At 9 a.m., the network will air Sony Pictures Family Entertainment’s "Jackie Chan Adventures," featuring an animated version of the martial arts star. Chan will appear in live-action segments of the show, which stars Chan as an ancient artifact expert.

Friedman described the show as one "inspired by Jackie’s incredible feats" and said it "celebrates Chinese culture."

Returning action series "Max Steel" airs at 9:30 a.m., followed by "Pokemon GS" at 10 a.m.

Warner Bros. Animation’s new "Static Shock," which follows the adventures of the "first teenage African-American superhero," airs at 10:30 a.m. Friedman said the show would feature "Chris Rock-like humor."

Teen ‘X-Men’

"Men in Black" returns at 11 a.m., followed by the new generation of "X-Men," titled "X-Men Evolution," at 11:30 a.m.

Friedman emphasized that the tone of the animated series, from Marvel Studios and Film Roman, will be "much younger and lighter" than the live-action film from 20th Century Fox this summer. "X-Men Evolution" is a prequel of sorts, following the mutant superheroes as teenagers.

As for "Fraturdays," the afternoon kicks off at 3 p.m. with the new Japanese anime series "Card Captors," distributed by Nelvana. At 3:30 p.m., Kids’ WB debuts "Generation O!," which follows the exploits of an 8-year-old singer and her band. Boston-based group Letters to Cleo will write and perform the songs used in "Generation O!" Show is co-produced by Sony Wonder and Germany’s RTV.

Friday tentpole

"Pokemon GS" tentpoles "Fraturday" at 4 p.m., followed at 4:30 by the "Batman Beyond" spinoff "The Zeta Project," from Warner Bros. Animation.

Meanwhile, Kids’ WB has picked up the animated series "Cubix" for midseason. Series, from 4Kids Prods., takes place in Bubble Town, where everyone gets a robot.

As for Monday through Thursday afternoons, Kids’ WB will air "Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries" at 3 p.m., followed by "Batman Beyond," "Pokemon" and "Men in Black." In the mornings, the network will air "Pokemon" at 7 a.m. and the educational "Warner Bros.’ Histeria" at 7:30 — except Fridays, when the educational series "Detention" airs."

--Rembrant

• Full Descriptions of New Shows

Here's a look at the new shows, with descriptions from the network (via Trailer Park):

X-MEN-EVOLUTION

"X-Men Evolution is the story of adolescents struggling to 'fit into' a world which cannot possibly understand them. Possessing extraordinary powers as a result of genetic mutations, our heroes must face the difficulties of living as mutants amongst 'normal' beings while experiencing the added perils of making it through the teenage years - a time when all kids feel like they are mutants. Under the tutelage of Professor Charles Xavier, a mutant with the wisdom and powers to teach our young heroes to utilize their unusual skills for the benefit and protection of all the world's inhabitants, our characters come of age learning to battle evil humans and misguided mutants...and still maintain good grades at the local high school."

The series, executive produced by Avi Arad and Rick Ungar, is produced by Marvel Studios in association with Film Roman. Bob Forward is the story editor.

STATIC SHOCK!

"Static Shock! is an all-new, animated series about the adventures of the first teenage African American superhero. Quick-witted Virgil Hawkins (voiced by Phil LaMarr of Mad TV) finds himself imbued with electromagnetic superpowers after being exposed to a mutanic gas and takes on the guise of Static, an urban hero of his own creation. The series will confront real problems and issues faced by today's kids, such as peer pressure, gangs and growing up in an ethnically diverse urban neighborhood. Learning to control his powers, figuring out how to patrol the skies at night and still make it home in time to study for his chemistry class, Virgil's greatest discovery becomes the real 'charge' he gets in helping people and making a positive difference in his community." Static Shock! is produced and animated by Warner Bros. Animation, under the creative supervision of executive producer Jean MacCurdy, supervising producer Alan Burnett and producer Scott Jeralds.

THE ZETA PROJECT

"The Zeta Project chronicles the futuristic adventures of Zeta, a renegade government-designed robot, and Ro, a 15-year-old street-wise runaway. Zeta (voiced by Diedrich Bader of The Drew Carey Show) was originally designed as a high-tech weapon for the government, but made a decision to deny his 'destruction' program, and is now searching for his creator while trying to stay a step ahead of government agents' intent on his capture. Ro is a savvy runaway searching for her long-lost family, while trying to avoid the system. With his awesome gadgetry and moral conviction and her street smarts and humor, Zeta and Ro are on the road and on the run in 2040, helping each other and those they meet along the way - unlikely allies in a kaleidoscope of adventure."

The Zeta Project is produced by Warner Bros. Animation under the creative supervision of executive producer Jean MacCurdy, supervising producer Alan Burnett and producers Bob Goodman and Liz Holzman.

JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES

"Jackie Chan Adventures brings the international superstar to the small screen in a new animated adventure series that will feature all of Jackie's physical feats and acrobatic style of action, combined with his unique underdog hero humor that kids enjoy from their favorite Jackie Chan movies. The series celebrates Chinese culture as Jackie, an ancient artifact expert and a special agent for the government's secret Section 13, shares ancient Chinese wisdom with Jade, his 11-year-old tomboy niece, who quickly becomes his apprentice and partner in adventure. When Jackie and Jade stumble onto an ancient conspiracy, led by an evil crime family known as The Dark Hand, they embark on a global quest to recover 12 magical talismans, powerful artifacts representing signs of the Chinese zodiac which have been scattered around the world. Each talisman holds a unique magical power and, if combined, will unleash a hidden massive power. Jackie Chan may also appear in live-action segments in each episode, demonstrating his incredible athletic techniques and wit, while lending his voice to the lead character."

The show is produced by Sony Pictures Family Entertainment.

POKEMON GS

"This new series will follow Ash and his friends as they take viewers on an adventurous new quest into an unknown land, introducing at least 100 never-before-seen new Pokémon! The series will be catapulted by the summer movie premiere and will tie-in with the long-awaited launch of the Pokemon Gold and Silver Game Boy games from Nintendo of America, Inc."

GENERATION O!

"Generation O! is a new animated series that features Molly O!, the lead singer of international pop sensation Generation O!, the only band in the top 10 with an eight-year-old singer and a kangaroo for a drummer. She is an ordinary girl trying to juggle fame and celebrity with the normal challenges of a child's life. She has millions of adoring fans and a purple limousine, but keeps grounded thanks to her home life with loving parents and an extremely jealous and annoying older brother, Buzz - who alternatively tries to capitalize on Molly's success and squelch it. When her two worlds collide, you get Molly O! singing 'bout her generation! Each episode will feature an original song that is integrated into the storylines.

All songs are written and performed by real-life Boston-based band Letters to Cleo, who has appeared in the motion picture 10 Things I Hate About You, and also was featured on the soundtracks for The Craft, The Baby-Sitter's Club, and Melrose Place."

Generation O! is a co-production between Sony Wonder and RTV in Germany.

CARDCAPTORS

"Cardcaptors follows 10-year-old Sakura and her mysterious classmate Li who, after an innocent mistake, release the world's most powerful magic and begin the adventure of a lifetime. When Sakura finds an unusual clasp-locked book called the 'CLOW Book,' once belonging to ancient wizards, and opens it, she accidentally sets free magical Clow cards, which embody fantastical forces of nature. Now, joined by a demanding but humorous guardian beast named Kero, Sakura and Li must recapture the cards, one by one, before the fury of their magic is set loose on an unsuspecting world. In a constant battle to reclaim the elusive and destructive cards, only Sakura's strength of mind and heart will save the world from chaos. Sakura and Li's quest as Cardcaptors introduces two young heroes and a fantastic new world."

The series is produced in Japan by Kodansha Ltd., and is being distributed in North America and the Caribbean by Nelvana International Limited.

The network also announced a midseason replacement series, Cubix. Here's how the network describes the show:

"Cubix takes place in Bubble Town, a 'normal' city on the far edge of the Universe, where the motto is simple... 'a robot for everyone!' Robots are a part of everyday, ordinary life, such as directing traffic, dispensing popcorn, fighting fires and even teaching school! One day, a lonely boy named Bobby scavenged the robot junkyard and made the greatest discovery - his new best friend, Cubix, a discarded one-of-a-kind prototype powered by a unique energy source from another world that provides him with special powers. And his special powers are desperately needed as Bubble Town is menaced by two evildoers -- Dr. K., whose wacky inventions create hysterical mayhem, and the young tyrant Charles IV, the town's high and mighty aristo-brat. These two rascals do nothing but cause trouble, as Bobby, Cubix and their friends solve mysteries, catch criminals and go onhair-raising adventures."

The series is from 4Kids Productions, Inc. and executive producer Norman Grossfeld, the same team that brought Pokemon to Kids' WB!.

--Rembrant

April 4, 2000

• Jackie Chan; Pokemon Spinoff

from varity.com:
"With its "Pokemon"-fueled schedule dominating Saturday morning ratings, Kids’ WB now has its sights set on Friday.

The tyke broadcaster will announce today plans to schedule an all-original slate of kids programming on Friday afternoons.

Under the tagline "Saturdays start on Friday on Kids’ WB," the lineup will revolve around a brand new version of "Pokemon."

Kids WB has ordered 52 episodes of "Pokemon GS," a new generation of the series from 4Kids Entertainment. Because of the huge order, Kids’ WB will air original episodes of "Pokemon GS" on both Fridays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m.

New land, new monsters

"Pokemon GS" won’t differ too much from its spawn, but will follow the exploits of Pokemon trainer Ash Ketchum as he enters a new land and discovers 100 new Pokemon.

By airing more original programming on Friday afternoons — including the new, evolved "Pokemon GS" — Kids’ WB will have a stronger platform to promote its primetime lineup, especially the weblet’s young-skewing, comedy-oriented Friday night sked.

Placing originals on Friday afternoons also solves a shelf space problem the weblet faced on Saturday morning. Besides "Pokemon," the animated series "Batman Beyond," "Men in Black" and newcomer "Max Steel" are all good bets to return next fall.

Kids’ WB will continue to strip repeats on Monday through Thursday afternoons with a lineup that one might call the "best of Kids’ WB."

Meanwhile, Kids’ WB will tap heavily on the feature film world with its fall slate.

For starters, the launch of "Pokemon GS" comes soon after the second "Pokemon" feature hits theaters this summer.

‘X-Men’ extra

Additionally, new series slated for Kids’ WB this fall include "X-Men," a new animated version of the Marvel Comics property. "X-Men," following a group of mutant superheroes, will debut just months after the live-action film from 20th Century Fox is released.

"X-Men" will differ from an earlier version that ran on Fox Kids Network in the mid-’90s but will be somewhat related to the film (which stars Patrick Stewart and Halle Berry and is directed by Bryan Singer).

And there’s "Jackie Chan Adventures" from Sony. The series will feature the animated exploits of the feature film martial arts star. Chan himself will appear in live-action segments of the series (a la Bill Cosby in "Fat Albert").

With "Pokemon" as hot currency, Kids WB hopes to capitalize on its success by building "X-Men" and "Jackie Chan" into strong franchises as well. At stake is the $900 million kids upfront market.

Nicked Nickelodeon

Much of that money is Kids’ WB’s to lose, given its strength this season. Year to date, Kids’ WB has surpassed perennial leader Nickelodeon in the kids 2 to 11 demographic, averaging a 4.1 rating to Nick’s 3.9. Fox averages a 2.9, and ABC pulls a 3.0.

Year-to-year, Kids’ WB is up a whopping 95%, compared with a 2.1 rating last year.

Among the kids 6 to 11 crowd, Kids’ WB is even hotter — posting a 4.8 rating, up 140% from 2.0 last year. Nickelodeon is in second with a 4.1, followed by Fox (3.2) and ABC (3.1)."

--Rembrant

• Seven New Series and...

More new episodes of Batman Beyond, Pokemon, Max Steel and Men In Black have been ordered. The seven new series are, Pokemon GS, Jackie Chan Adventures, X-Men Evolution, The Zeta Project, Static Shock, Generation O!, and Cardcaptors (I was right about Cardcaptor(s)! I researched and I was right on the money).

Here is what Ultimatetv.com had to say about the 7 new series....

"Kids' WB! announced seven new cartoons Tuesday, slated to debut next fall. The network plans to build on its Saturday morning stronghold by introducing a new block of programs for Friday, dubbed "Fraturday."

The new fall schedule also sees the return of "Pokemon," "Batman Beyond," "Men In Black: The Series" and "Max Steel."

The new series, announced Tuesday in New York during a presentation to advertisers, are:

"Jackie Chan Adventures," an animated version of the famous action hero; "Static Shock," an all-new, animated series about the adventures of the first teenage African American superhero; "The Zeta Project," which chronicles the futuristic adventures of Zeta, a renegade government-designed robot; "X-Men Evolution," based on the popular comic book series; "Pokeman GS," which will introduce 100 never-before-seen new Pokémon!;" " Generation 0!," a new animated series that features Molly O! as the eight-year-old lead singer of international pop band; and " Cardcaptors," which follows 10-year-old Sakura and her classmate Li, who possesses magical powers."

--Rembrant

• *ALL* Affiliates to Air Weekend Lineups on Saturday

Here is an a little expert cut off accidently by me from Ultimatetv.

"Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment for The WB, and Donna Friedman, Senior Vice President, Kids' WB!, told advertisers " We have built Kids' WB! with a strong programming team that has opened the doors to new creative talent and made a larger investment in development and production than ever before."

As we prepare for the launch of this extraordinary new season, we are proud to announce that, beginning in September, all network affiliates have committed to air Kids' WB! in-pattern on Saturday mornings, which will enable us to solidly market our schedule and create appointment television for kids."'

--Rembrant

April 3, 2000

Some More Static Info

A bit more info on the Static project from the Comics Continuum:

STATIC ANIMATED PRODUCER

Alan Burnett, a producer of the Batman, Superman and Batman Beyond animated series, will be the producer of the Static animated series for Kids' WB!.

Static, based on the Milestone Comics character, is expected to be part of the network's 2000-2001 season slate, which will be announced on Tuesday.

Sources told The Continuum that Burnett and several alumni from the Batman shows, including writer Stan Berkowitz, will be involved with the series. Burnett was an original producer on Batman: The Animated Series, dating back to its Fox days. He has written numerous episodes of Batman, Superman and Batman Beyond.

Look for Milestone's Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan to be involved as a writer and director, respectively.

Thirteen episodes of the series are being produced at Warner Bros. Animation, and Static could premiere on Kids' WB! as early as September. It's likely that the first two episodes will deal with Static's origin.

Voice recording for the show has not started yet.

--The Mad Hatter

April 1, 2000

• April Fool's!

April 1st has come and gone, so the April Fool's Day news items have been moved to this page.

• Cardcaptor

(From Kidscreen.)

"Hot Properties
Cardcaptor and Bubblegum leverage girl appeal into licensing

By Allison Dunfield
April, 2000
Page 44


Property: Cardcaptor

Owner: Kodansha of Japan

Licensor: Nelvana has North American distribution, home video and merchandising rights for 70 half hours of the 2-D series produced by Kodansha.

Description: Another anime property, but with a girl lead character.

Demo: According to Sid Kaufman, Nelvana's exec VP of worldwide merchandising, the property is aimed at girls and boys ages five to 12, although others in the industry peg it as a tween-and-younger girl property.

Concept: The anime series centers on a girl character, her friends and the mythical monsters like The Windy that are released after she inadvertently opens a magical book. The girl has to capture all the cards, hence the name Cardcaptor.

The latest: Although not officially announced at press time, industry sources say that Kids' WB! recently signed on as broadcast partner and will begin airing the series in the fall in the slot after Pokémon, and that Trendmasters has secured the master toy license.


Potential:

Anime properties have so far shown nary a slowdown in terms of ratings potential. Along with the top-rated Pokémon, newcomer Digimon, which airs on Fox Kids at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays, is gathering steam. According to Nielsen Galaxy Explorer, the series recently beat out WB's Batman Beyond and Nick's Hey Arnold! during the week of February 26, 2000, receiving a 32% share of boys six to 11 as opposed to Batman Beyond's 20% and Hey Arnold!'s 12%. The ratings potential for a girl-based property airing directly after Pokémon is extremely good.

"We definitely believe there is a core fan appetite," says Kaufman. Cardcaptor has been airing on Japan's NHK since 1996, and a feature film and video were released there in 1999.

Kaufman says there are no signs of the wheels of anime slowing down, especially due to more acceptance in the European market. He adds Nelvana is betting on "long-term opportunities for the property." Patience will be the key to growing Cardcaptor's merchandising success. Deals expected to be announced soon include video and publishing along with apparel, accessories and stationery items.

Kaufman is also looking at interactive products based on solid sales of digital merch in Japan. MGA Entertainment is negotiating with Nelvana for electronic toy rights.

The property should translate well to collectibles because the story features a slew of creatures, but Kaufman adds there will also be licensing potential for the fashion-based story line, the social interaction between the protagonist and her friends, and the magic, which could translate into magic toys and accessories. Virginia O'Connor, a licensing manager at MGA, also mentions the possibility of tarot-style trading cards, which would definitely appeal to the kid and tween girl demos.


Market Reality Check:

Temperate to toasty, according to comic retailers and distributors.

Brian McGeehan, brand manager at Maryland-based Diamond Comic Distributors, says although the series has similarities to Pokémon, it's significantly different enough to be successful in the collectible and hobby market. He adds that although mass market retailers are less likely to take in an unknown property like Cardcaptor, the fact that the lead is a female is appealing, while the property will "still entice the classic anime fan." McGeehan also sees real potential in the apparel and accessories area for the property.

Mike Moses, assistant manager of Toronto-based comic retailer Silver Snail, says he would carry trading cards based on the property if they were done by Wizards of the Coast, but says in general, the anime craze is dying down a little. "You really wonder how much the market can take."

However, Peter Dixon, owner of Toronto's Paradise Comics, says although the Pokémon craze has slowed somewhat since Christmas, he doesn't believe the thirst for anime is waning yet. He sees the Cardcaptor property as promising because the female lead will allow more collectibles for girls, something he says the market is thirsting for."

--Rembrant