The Queen of Cartoons is More Popular Than Ever with New Apparel, Accessories, Pet Products, and an Upcoming Broadway Musical Leading brand-licensing agency Global Icons and Fleischer Studios, owner of a number of classic animated characters including Betty Boop, have entered into a wide range of new licensing collaborations for the beloved Queen of Cartoons, including upcoming launches for stylish new apparel, accessories, and pet products. In addition, dynamic new character art will be unveiled for licensees in May at the upcoming International Licensing Show in Las Vegas. This fall, the n ..read more

Cartoon Saloon, the animation house behind The Secret of Kells, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers, is unveiling its latest feature. Puffin Rock and the New Friends — a continuation of the popular TV series — is available to rent or purchase on Google TV, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV beginning Tuesday April 16th. Director Jeremy Purcell and animation director Lorraine Lordan share how the movie took flight — and how it fits right in line with Cartoon Saloon’s mission — in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Congratulations on the m ..read more

Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach are the directors of the new French animated dramedy Chicken for Linda! GKIDS opened the 2023 Annecy International Film Festival Cristal for Best Animated Feature winner in NYC last Friday. It hits Los Angeles this Friday April 12th and will be in other markets throughout North America later this month. The film is about a mother and daughter on a quest to make a meal that’s significant to them, chicken with peppers. Malta and Laudenbach share the ingredients for how they put Chicken for Linda! together in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was ..read more

Welcome to the stairwell that tells the story of a studio…one step and sketch at a time. Cartoon Network Studios (CNS) today announced the launch of a dedicated website that will serve as the virtual home for its iconic Artist Stairwell space. From 2000 to 2023, the CNS building in Downtown Burbank stood as a vibrant symbol of creativity and a nurturing ground for original animation and artists of diverse talents and backgrounds. It was not merely a workplace, but a canvas for imagination and innovation. The stairwell at the previous Cartoon Network Studios Among the many areas of the build ..read more

One of Nickelodeon’s most iconic characters is headlining a new series — this time in CG. “DORA” premieres this Friday April 12th on Paramount+. Executive Producer and showrunner Rich Magallanes explains what goes into making sure the returns of Dora, Boots and Swiper are satisfying for fans of the original Dora the Explorer show and a new generation of families. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Congratulations on the series. I’ve watched a couple episodes and it brought me right back to when I was young. It’s going to be a big hit. Rich Magall ..read more

The dynamic CG version of beloved cartoon character Woody Woodpecker returns in the new live-action / animated family comedy Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp. It premieres Friday April 12th on Netflix. Here’s my Animation Scoop Q&A with… Guess Who?… the film’s Emmy nominated director, Jon Rosenbaum. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: I love the Woody Woodpecker shirt you have on. Jon Rosenbaum: When I got hired, this was the first thing that I bought and I said, “I’m going to put it on as we get closer to the final release.” So it’s been a long time coming. I ..read more

Netflix has unveiled a stellar voice cast and brand new images from Locksmith Animation (Ron’s Gone Wrong) and director Simon Otto’s (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy) upcoming CG animated feature That Christmas. The film stars Brian Cox as Santa, Fiona Shaw (Ms. Trapper), Jodie Whittaker (Mrs. Williams), and Bill Nighy (Bill) as the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas. The film will debut on Netflix later this year. That Christmas is an adaptation of the beloved children’s book series (The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas) written by a ..read more

An epic like The Dragon Prince requires a villain of epic proportions, one powerful enough, and intriguing enough, to engage the audience. This is certainly true of the Startouch Elf, Aaravos. Listen to his voice, and you’ll hear a mix of mystery and menace, arrogance and cleverness, sultry and beguiling, rhythm and yes, magic. To find an actor capable of all those vocal qualities might be challenging. But in fact, the creators of The Dragon Prince already had Erik Todd Dellums in mind before they cast the series. It began with a TV cop show. “I saw him on Homicide,” producer Aaron Ehasz say ..read more

Jake Castorena is the supervising producer and head director of Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 (premiering Wednesday March 20th on Disney+). The show gives us new adventures with these iconic characters in the hand-drawn, comic book animation style of the popular X-Men: The Animated Series from the ’90s. (This Animation Scoop Q&A with Castorena was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: You have been a part of so many animated superhero projects with TMNT, Batman, the Justice League and Scooby Doo. How does it feel to add the X-Men to your superhero list? Jake Castorena: Honestly ..read more

Miguel Puga, who co-developed Nickelodeon’s Loud House spinoff series The Casagrandes, makes his feature directorial debut with The Casagrandes Movie. The epic animated action/adventure comedy premieres this Friday March 22nd on Netflix. Puga shares his enthusiasm for the film, and what fans of the beloved characters should look forward to, in this Animation Scoop Q&A. (This interview was edited for length and clarity.) Jackson Murphy: Has it sunk in for you yet that you’ve taken this very popular Nickelodeon animated series… and now it’s a movie that millions and millions are just gonna ..read more