DVD Toons’ comment feature {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/features/58 My Toon Cents}} runs down the list of eligible films put forward by the Studios this year for consideration as nominees for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. We all have favorites that we’d like to see win, but remember that these are not the final nominations, but just the […]

Jerry Beck, over on his {{link http://www.cartoonresearch.com/screenings.html Cartoon Research Screenings}} page, reminds the lucky animation fans of LA that tonight sees the first of three events marking a chance to catch some unique and rare films on the big screen. “Forget music – Visit the new Walt Disney Concert Hall in L.A. and watch silent […]

As the day draws on, various entertainment and news channels are all running stories on Mickey’s 75th, most of them touching on his Steamboat Willie roots and looking to the future, with first-look clips from the 2D feature Three Musketeers, the 3D them park attraction Mickey’s Philharmagic and next Christmas’ 3D video title Twice Upon […]

Perhaps illustrating just exactly how important the creation of Mickey Mouse was, and continues to be, to the animation industry, {{link http://www.animationmagazine.net/ Animation Magazine}}’s website today launches with a great splash page montage featuring stills and rare audio featuring Walt Disney as Mickey from 1948 – celebrating the Mouse’s 20th Birthday! Once the clip has […]

Today sees the wide release on DVD of the warm and affectionate 1995 documentary {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000TAYSO/ref=cm_wl_ovu-pg.1-pos.1/002-1902555-2863210?v=glance&coliid=I1XWCRLQV3O6K1&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER Frank And Ollie}}, an inside look at the lives of two of Walt’s fabled “Nine Old Men”. Previously available on a pan-and-scan VHS, this new Special Edition goes some way to cheering up those who were left disappointed by […]

On the evening of November 18th 1928, a showbiz legend was born – Mickey Mouse flashed across the screen of the Colony Theater in NYC and danced and sung his way through Steamboat Willie. The actual singing of a character (at that point in animation or live-action) was still revolutionary, after the initial success of […]

{{link http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-1117mickeymouse,0,3592155.story?coll=sfla-business-front The Sun-Sentinel}} looks back on the career of one Mr Mouse, who will be celebrating 75 years in the buisiness on Tuesday, November 18th. It was 75 years ago this day that Walt Disney premiered the groundbreaking cartoon Steamboat Wiliie, the one (to coin an often too used phrase) that started it all! […]

Those were the words Pixar CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement to {{link http://www.videobusiness.com/article.asp?articleID=6533&catType=NEWS Video Business Online}} today, which announced that Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo has become the industry’s biggest selling title on home video, with 15 million DVDs and a further 5 million videocassettes sold in the first 12 days of release. Sales have […]

Perhaps more known for his infamous animated features Fritz The Cat and the recently DVD-issued live-action/cartoon combo Cool World, director Ralph Bakshi remains an interesting figure on the fringe. Now, {{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html The Digital Bits Rumor Mill}} announces that he is down to record an audio commentary for his 1977 fantasy Wizards, “due next year […]

As we reported last week, Disney has shut down production on its 2D/3D-mixed animated film My Peoples, which has had a troubled history, going through re-writes and strange titles galore: A Few Good Ghosts, Once In a Blue Moon and Angel and Her No Good Sister being among them. Now the {{link http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-fi-disney15nov15,2,6422473.story Los Angeles […]

‘disneyaholic’ on our {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=94 Animated News Forum}} points to a {{link http://magicalears.com/films/animation/ComingUp/FutureReleases.php complete listing}} of Disney DVD and VHS titles (though LD is listed as a format, there are no new planned releases) for the next few months. Many of these look to be price drops and re-prints of older titles, but it’s exciting […]

Steve Ogden’s excellent {{link http://www.animwatch.com/ AnimWatch}} website, which keeps an eye on all developments in the world of independent animation, has just been updated to feature details on nine new films this month, including Aardman’s latest Creature Comforts and The Triplets Of Belleville. With the continual closing of the big US studios’ 2D departments, the […]

The Big Cartoon Database has just kicked off a new feature, {{link http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view&post=14707 The Animated Word}}, which will be a review coulmn on new animated films and DVD releases. Alex Weitzman’s first pick is Looney Tunes: Back In Action – he thinks it’s pretty good…so what are you waiting for? Rush out Sunday and bump […]

‘dtemplar’ in the {{link http://forums.toontitan.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=17831#post17831 DVD Toons Forum}} posted that “Penny Singleton, who brought Jane to life on Hanna-Barbera’s 1962 primetime cartoon The Jetsons, died in California Wednesday two weeks after suffering a stroke. She was 95. Singleton is also known for creating the role of Blondie (of Dagwood and Blondie fame) on the big […]

‘MusicFan’ in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=411#post411 Animated News Forum}} pointed us towards {{link http://www.scriptsales.com/DDScriptSales.htm Done Deal’s sales page}}, regularly updated to provide information on the hottest selling scripts and treatments in Hollywood. Seems that Disney Feature Animation has just bought the rights to Which Witch?, a novel by Eva Ibbotson that tells of a wizard who […]

{{link http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=16504 Ain’t It Cool}} is back this morning with their latest update in the world of Japanese animation. Check out the link for a round up of all the breaking news concerning Manga/anime titles, including recent and coming soon releases!

{{link http://www.dvdanswers.com/index.php?r=0&s=1&c=2730&n=1&burl= DVD Answers}} have posted slightly revised cover art for the upcoming region one release of Lion King 1½. Follow the link to see the new look, and thanks to ‘Buzz’ in the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/index.php?s= Animated News Forums}} for the alert!

A source in the heart of the animation industry “heard today that the My Peoples project has today been cancelled and there is no back up project as of now”. The film, which has been in production for over a year now at Disney’s Florida Animation unit, mixes 2D and 3D with a voice cast […]

In a very expected move (it’s been rumored for months), Ghostbusters and Evolution director Ivan Reitman has been announced by MGM as responsible for continuing the Pink Panther live-action movie franchise. {{link http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2029268 The Hollywood Reporter}} also states that none other than Steve Martin (currently starring as the twisted head of the Acme Corporation in […]

If you just haven’t made it to the theater to see this new Joe Dante film yet, or you’re stuck outside the United States, then the French site {{link http://www.cinemovies.fr/fiche_extrait.php?IDfilm=1579 CineMovies}} has a treat in store: ten lengthy clips from Back In Action! These are probably of most interest to those in the UK, who […]

Four times Annie Award Nominee Michel Gagné is well known for his animation and design work on movies such as The Iron Giant, Osmosis Jones and more recently, the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series. His quirky art books, such as Insanely Twisted Rabbits and Frenzied Fauna: From A to Z, have also earned him […]

Here’s a couple of news items on a couple of upcoming live-action features based on animated characters. Even though the first film has yet to open, producer Brian Grazer is pointing towards a second {{link http://www.catinthehat.com/ The Cat In The Hat}} movie. Set to shoot next summer, The Cat In The Hat Comes Back already […]

The Lego Corporation’s successful collaboration with Disney’s Miramax, the Bionicle series, is about to get an upgrade to its CGI graphics. After the release of the first in the series, {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008WFHG/qid%3D1068745813/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-1902555-2863210 Mask Of Light}}, a second film (currently in production and simply referred to as Bioncicle 2 at this point) is on the way […]

Michael Eisner, the chairman-CEO of the Walt Disney Company since averting the takeover bid of 1984, is to be honored as the 65th “Pioneer Of The Year” at a special dinner organized by the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. {{link http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031112/law025a_1.html Yahoo News}} has more on the story, announcing that Tarzan and Brother Bear […]

Following news that Disney’s Buena Vista is negotiating to release theatrical film product in China, comes details on a new Magic Kingdom to be based in Shanghai. The company already has a theme park set to open in Hong Kong in 2006. The news group {{link http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=TIXK2MKFG2CJMCRBAEKSFFA?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=3812879 Reuters}} has the full story.

Derrick Fish, the creator and artist of an online comic strip called {{link http://www.dandyandcompany.com/ Dandy & Company}}, a cartoon about the trials and tribulations of a dog and his boy, has updated the {{link http://www.bigpondcomics.com/bigpondcomics/animation/index.html Animated Gallery}} of his site to include new rough animation tests and finished color (silent) shorts. Those looking for a […]

Chris Van Allsburg’s classic children’s book has been in highly secretive production now for over a year, with another 12 months still to go before its debut as a big special effects filled film next November. Directed by the amazing Robert Zemeckis (Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Back To The Future), and starring Tom […]

The {{link http://www.ultimatedisney.com/ Ultimate Disney}} DVD Fansite confirms their news of last week that this year’s wave of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets, housed in individually numbered tin boxes, is being pushed back to next May, 2004. “Don’t expect an official reason, but the prevailing wisdom seems to be that there’s been a huge […]

Though it almost drowned at the box office earlier this year, DreamWorks is about to sail their final “tradigital” animated feature through those choppy waters and onto DVD, for a new disc release due in stores November 18th. {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/reviews/246 DVD Toons}} again has the first look, commenting that “although Sinbad didn’t bring home the […]