“The Simpsons” Blows Off Criticism of Apu
Last Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons addressed controversy over the character of Apu (voiced by the very not-Indian Hank Azaria) in a scene which is, if anything, only intensifying criticism that the character is an insensitive caricature. A scene featuring Marge reading a bedtime story to Lisa leads to Lisa directly addressing the TV audience […]
Chuck McCann, Actor and TV Host, 1934 – 2018
Prolific voiceover actor and pioneering early kids TV host Chuck McCann passed away on Sunday, April 8, 2018, in Los Angeles at the age of 83 due to congestive heart failure. While he began his acting career doing voiceover work for radio at age 6, Mr. McCann’s big break came in the mid-1950’s when he […]
Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli Director, 1935 – 2018
Studio Ghibli co-founder and director Isao Takahata passed away on Thursday, April 5, 2018, at the age of 82 due to lung cancer. Mr. Takahata was one of the founders of Studio Ghibli in 1985, and while he may not have been as prolific as his partner Hayao Miyazaki, his films are often among the […]
“Gravity Falls: The Complete Series” Coming to Blu-ray and DVD via Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory will be releasing Gravity Falls: The Complete Series on Blu-ray and DVD, with an official release date of July 24, 2018, but where pre-orders through the Shout! store will be shipped two weeks early and include a free 18″x24″ rolled lithograph. The set will be available in two different editions, both of which […]
Toonzone Interviews Kat Graham, Josh Brener, and Brandon Mychal Smith on “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”
At last year’s Upfront presentations, Nickelodeon announced a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series that promised to return the world-famous quartet of ninja heroes to hand-drawn animation with a notably different approach to the art style. The voice cast of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was announced in November, with Omar Miller as […]
GKIDS Acquires North American Rights to “Fireworks,” Coming to Theaters Summer 2018
GKIDS ACQUIRES NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO FIREWORKS THEATRICAL RELEASE SLATED FOR SUMMER 2018 NEW YORK, NY (March 15, 2018) – GKIDS, the acclaimed producer and distributor of animation for adult and family audiences, announced that it has acquired the North American distribution rights to FIREWORKS, from director Nobuyuki Takeuchi and general director Akiyuki Shinbo. The […]