Tooning Out the News Joins the Animation Guild
The animation staff at Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News has voted to join The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, per Deadline.com. The animated comedy take on the daily news, which premiered on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) in 2020, moves to Comedy Central for its third season, which premieres on Oct. 5.
In January of this year, Titmouse New York became the first animation studio in that city to unionize in more than 30 years. The animation workers at that studio are now in the process of negotiating their first contract. “I was so inspired by my colleagues at Titmouse New York taking the first step to finally allow animation workers in New York to have a collective voice,” Lynn Fong, a Drawn Animator at Tooning Out the News told Deadline. “I’m calling on Late Night Cartoons to voluntarily recognize our Union because all of the amazing, hardworking, passionate people who are my coworkers deserve to have benefits, protections, and fair treatment like any of our peers represented by the entertainment unions in LA.”
Toonz and M2 Tremblay’s Harold and the Bearsy Bears to Debut at MIPCOM
Toonz and M2 Tremblay’s new CG-animated children’s series Harold and the Bearsy Bears will be making its debut at the MIPCOM market (Booth P1 F2-P1 G1) in October. The show follows the ‘un-BEAR-lievable’ adventures of Harold, a helpful little bear with big ideas for spreading happiness and improving the lives of his fellow tiny Bearsy Bears, in the magical forest community of Bearsy Hills.
“We are very excited to have the amazing Retail Monster group joining our dream team of partners. Harold and the Bearsy Bears is a unique property with global co- viewing appeal, and under the leadership of Retail Monster, the licensing and merchandising program is expected to be a worldwide success,” says Christian Tremblay, co- creator and partners at M2 Tremblay Entertainment.
“We at Toonz are extremely pleased to introduce this amazing creators-driven series at MIPCOM alongside Christian Tremblay and Yvon Tremblay. We are also so excited to welcome Retail Monster’s Michael Connolly who has now come aboard to spearhead this project on all L&M work. Toonz believes that the international community will embrace this fresh new series spreading happiness around the world,” notes Jayakumar P, CEO OF Toonz Media Group.
Dandelooo Goes Hog Wild for ‘Our Piggy’
French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo will distribute Czech film and television production company Bionaut’s new animated series Our Piggy. The deal gives Dandelooo exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the 2-D animated series targeted at 2 – 4-year-olds produced by Bionaut, producers of the highly successful Hungry Bear Tales series.
Based on the book by Jaromir Plachy, Our Piggy (52 x 2’) discovers the magic of ordinary objects and invites children into his extraordinary world through inquisitiveness and play!
A box becomes a tractor, a pillow becomes a bee – or is it the other way around?
Commenting on the deal, Dandelooo co-founder Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, noted, “This new series is based on the director’s observation of his own child, which explains the charm of this delightful character. I fell in love immediately with this series which illustrates the well-known quote ‘keep it simple.’ Bionaut is one of the most talented studios in Central Europe and we are proud to distribute their programs internationally”.
Serious Kids Scares Up Distribution for The Ghastly Ghoul
Award-winning production company Lupus Films and Dublin-based Dream Logic Animation Studios have announced that boutique distribution company Serious Kids has picked up the rights to distribute their half-hour Sky Kids Original Halloween animated special The Ghastly Ghoul. Premiering on Sky Kids in the UK and ROI from October 7th and later on KiKA in Germany, the seasonal special centers on the friendship between a monster who doesn’t believe in himself and a young girl who longs for friendship and features the voices of Sophie Okonedo, Ardal O’Hanlon, Aisling Doyle and Michael McElhatton.
“We are very excited to announce that Serious Kids will be handling the distribution for The Ghastly Ghoul,” says Ruth Fielding, co-founder Lupus Films. “We hope its beautiful animation, charming story and universal themes will be a big seasonal hit with audiences around the world for many years to come.”
Serious Kids’ Genevieve Dexter adds, “Lupus Films and Dream Logic are at the top of their game with The Ghastly Ghoul which is a really colorful CGI family holiday comedy despite the title! With production nearing completion, we have already had a lot of early interest based on the promo and we can’t wait to launch it at MIPCOM Junior.”
Serious Kids will be at MIPCOM on Stand R7. D32
