’Modest Heroes’ in U.S. Theaters January 10 & 12
The short film trilogy from Studio Ponoc (Mary and the Witch’s Flower) consists of Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s Kanini & Kanino, Yoshiyuki Momose’s Life Ain’t Gonna Lose, and Akihiko Yamashita’s Invisible, which explore ideas of heroism in everyday life. Read more about the project in the February ‘19 issue of Animation Magazine, out soon!
IDW Announces ‘Synergy: A Hasbro Creators Showcase’
Celebrating the amazing artistry and storytelling skills of women in the comics industry, IDW Publishing is creating a 48-page anthology of five stories featuring beloved Hasbro characters — autobiographical works written by Mairghread Scott (drawn by Sara Pitre-Durocher, her collaborator on Transformers: Til All Are One) and Katie Cook (My Little Pony), plus tales inspired by G.I. Joe, Transformers and Jem and the Holograms.
“Hasbro was such an integral part of my upbringing. My Little Pony inspired a youth full of pastel imaginings and became a huge part of my cartooning career as I got the chance to make those imaginings real. I bonded with childhood friends over ponies in the 1980s, and as an adult, I crafted stories for My Little Pony alongside creators who have become the friends of a lifetime,” said Cook.
Complete 9th Season of ‘Pokémon’ Out January 8
VIZ Media is kicking off 2019 with the release of Pokémon: Battle Frontier Complete Collection.The six-disc set contains all 47 episodes of the 9th season, which sees Ash and Brock return to Kanto. The territory may be familiar, but there’s more than a few surprises in store for them, like a Pokémon Ranger hot on the trails of two Legendary Pokémon! May’s back on the Contest path, blazing a trail to the Kanto Grand Festival, while Ash seeks out the hidden facilities of the Battle Frontier. If finding them wasn’t hard enough, he’s still got battles with the Frontier Brains to deal with — much tougher than any Gym Leader he’s ever faced.
WATCH: Explore Arcadia with the Royal Aliens of ‘3Below’
The next installment in Guillermo del Toro’s Tales of Arcadia trilogy, 3Below launches on Netflix on December 21. Get a taste of the interplanetary hijinx in the “Hello Earth” video below, and don’t forget to check out the other recently debuted clips “Officer Kubritz”, “That First Date Glow” and “Driver’s Ed.”
WATCH: ‘Our Cartoon President’ “The Evolution of Fear” Featurette
The complete first season of the animated White House exposé is available now on DVD. Special features include intro by exec producer Stephen Colbert, cast and crew commentaries, and a look at the animation process with series directors that you can preview in this clip.
WATCH: ‘Manou the Swift’ Trailer Starring Kate Winslet, Willem Dafoe
The Hollywood stars voice the parents of the little title character, an orphan swift raised by seagulls. Manou the Swift is directed by Christian Haas and Andrea Block, who also produces for LUXX Film. The animation is being provided by the company’s CG/VFX shop LUXX Studios.
