If your next trip to a Disney theme park is a ways off (or maybe even coming up soon) then why not try out the new beta version of Disney’s Virtual Magic Kingdom? “For a limited time you can be one of the first Guests to live inside Disney’s new online multi-Player game. Create your […]

Hot on the heels of the announcement of its New York premiere on June 6 and limited release on June 10 comes the news that Howl’s Moving Castle, distributed in America by Disney Pictures, will screen at the Castle Theater in the Maui Arts & Cultural Center as part of this year’s Maui Film Festival. […]

Disney’s PR department has forwarded to us the official obituary for the recently departed Marie Johnston, wife of legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston.

Chris Romano has written in to let us know that his short TIMEBOMB will be playing in some Los Angeles area theaters this summer (Cartoon Brew has more info on exactly where). By the way, last time I was at his Toonlets site I got addicted watching all the cool little videos, especially the Frankenberry […]

Clay Kaytis has updated his Animation Podcast blog with the third part of his interview with Andreas Deja. “It’s Deja vu all over again. The last installment of my first (but hopefully not the last) meeting with Andreas Deja is here. Hear his thoughts on his own work, as well as his friendship with animation […]

Merlin Jones reports at Save Disney on last night’s gathering at the Alex Theatre in Glendale for a screening of Dream On, Silly Dreamer. Many from the world of animation, including Roy Disney, were in attendance. “Friendly faces connected again to remember the high times of Disney’s Feature Animation renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s […]

We have just received word that Thurl Ravenscroft has passed away at the age of 91. He was most known for being the voice of Tony the Tiger but also provided voices for characters in Disneyland’s Country Bear Jamboree, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and The Haunted Mansion, as well as providing voices in How the […]

Still defending classic cartoon characters from various criminal accusations, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law returns to Adult Swim on Sunday, July 10, at 12:15 a.m. (ET, PT). Following the success of its first DVD release in April, Harvey Birdman (produced in Atlanta, GA) is more outrageous than ever in a new crop of episodes from […]

Animated News’ Christian Ziebarth recently attended a screening and press junket for PDI/DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar, which is due in theaters this Friday, May 27. Following is his report (minor spoilers involved):

The full press release announcing the selection of judges for The NickToons Film Festival can be read here:

Looks like the four penguins from Madagascar got ahold of some lightsabers.

The movie itself may be only partly animated but BigAnimation.com has a new article on that blockbuster of blockbusters, Star Wars, and they promise a George Lucas audio interview to come in about a week or so.

Chuck Oberleitner’s industry watchdog site o-meon has updated with an article conjecturing on the possible reasoning behind the recent lawsuit filed by Roy Disney and Stanley Gold against The Walt Disney Company over the recent selection of Bob Iger as Michael Eisner’s eventual successor. The article questions the timing and propriety of the lawsuit and […]

ASIFA-Hollywood will be holding a members-only screening (but anyone can be a member) of DreamWorks/PDI’s upcoming CGI film Madagascar on Monday, May 23rd, at Hollywood’s historic Egyptian Theater. And look for Animated News’ review of Madagascar in the next couple of days.

Two trade ads, one from Variety and one from Pixar, commemorating the contributions the recently departed Joe Grant made to Disney lore, from Snow White down to Lorenzo, can be viewed here:

It’s not just Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, it’s also Gumby’s 50th. Yahoo! News has a fairly comprehensive article detailing the origins of that lovable green slab of clay as well as mentioning future plans, including new TV episodes and a new movie.

Following is a personal report by Animated News’ Christian Ziebarth on the funeral services held yesterday in memory of Joe Grant:

Hollywood News, The Hollywood Reporter and Empire Online all have some new plot information on DreamWorks/Aardman’s Flushed Away.

For more info on recently departed Disney story artist Joe Grant check out his updated Disney Legends page, Remembering the Other Joe Grant at Cartoon Brew, and the official press release announcing his passing away.

A source at Disney has informed us that Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest will be released early next year as a direct-to-video title in the United States but will be released theatrically in at least parts of Europe.

Check out JoBlo.com’s Movie News page for the very first sneak peek at the title treatment for DreamWorks’ Flushed Away. Thanks to Kristin for the heads up.

Margaret Kerry, the original live action reference model for Tinker Bell, has just opened a personal site and it is heavily Tinker Bell-themed (original link via Laughing Place). Wonder if she has anything to do with that new Tinker Bell movie that is in production.

The full text of a press release announcing the production of a Raven Tales television series to be broadcast in Canada and internationally can be read here:

The Disney Power Board has a nice collection up of all the major Chicken Little images released so far, including first looks at The Art of Chicken Little and Chicken Little: The Visual Guide, plus billboards, posters and Chicken Little’s village.

Online magazine Big Animation has posted an interview with Doug Cooper, visual effects supervisor at DreamWorks Animation, in which he discusses advances in visual effects technology from Prince of Egypt down to Bee Movie.

The press release announcing the one year anniversary of new animation studio Project Firefly can be read here:

For this first time in its history, Cartoon Network was honored by the prestigious “Cartoons on the Bay, International Festival on Television Animation” with three top awards, including “Best Series for All Audiences.” The awards were distributed Sunday night, May 1. Full press release here:

VFXWorld reports that The Polar Express is set to reappear as a 3D feature in IMAX theaters again this November. Hopefully they can work on the film between now and then and make the characters look a little less like wax statues.

Check out AnimWatch for an in-depth interview with Chris Wedge, one of the driving foces behind Blue Sky’s Robots.

Clay Kaytis’ new animation audio blog The Animation Podcast has broken the news that legendary Disney storyman Joe Grant has passed away earlier today (Friday). With a career spanning from the 1930s all the way into our new millenium, Joe’s imprint can be felt in many productions from the indisputable classics Snow White and Dumbo […]