DC and Warner Bros celebrate International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC have announced new offerings and experiences dedicated to the women of DC. Featuring Wonder Woman at the helm, DC’s roster of powerful women also includes Batgirl, Catwoman, and more. 

Australian activewear label Active Truth has released a Wonder Woman inspired activewear collection. The 18-piece, size-inclusive collection gives women everywhere the opportunity to put on a 2022s version of a superhero cape and activewear and come together to “Break the Bias” on IWD and beyond. The WONDER WOMAN x Active Truth Collection launched globally on Tuesday 1 March, 2022.

Unique Vintage has produced an empowering collection of vintage-inspired pieces celebrating the Women of DC. Released in tandem with International Women’s Day, the line features strong colours and prints in timeless silhouettes. Product offerings include graphic tees, printed dresses, and Super Hero swimwear, available in sizes XS-5X. The collection launches on March 8.

Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi is introducing a new DC Super Hero ‘Batgirl’ who will be making her first appearance at the theme park on International Women’s Day. Joining Batman’s crusade on March 8, Batgirl will be fighting crime with The Dark Knight in Gotham City, just in time for the highly anticipated ladies-only event, ‘Women of Warner’.

Finally, DC is debuting the first Wonder Woman crossover of its kind in decades, by the writers behind Wonder Woman, Nubia & the Amazons, and Wonder Girl and some of the best and brightest artists in the industry.

The long-awaited Wonder Woman event Trial of the Amazons kicks off with Trial of the Amazons Issue #1 from writers Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Vita Ayala, Stephanie Williams, and Joëlle Jones writing and drawing, with artists Elena Casagrande, Laura Braga, and Skylar Partridge, with Nubia and the Amazons #6 to follow.

Participating comic shops will be celebrating the event with three promotional temporary tattoos, each representing a different Amazonian tribe. The first temporary tattoo, representing the Themyscirans, will arrive alongside Trial of the Amazons #1, the opening chapter of the explosive story. The second, representing the Bana-Mighdall, will arrive alongside Nubia & the Amazons #6, the second installment of the seven-part crossover. The third, representing the Esquecida, will arrive alongside Wonder Woman #785 on March 15, part three of Trial of the Amazons.

 

 

Children’s publisher AMEET partners with Skybound to launch new LEGO comic book series

The children’s book publisher AMEET has detailed a new partnership with the multi-platform content company, Skybound Entertainment to launch a new series of LEGO comic books. The first in the series is slated to debut in 2022 and will be published by Image Comics and Skybound.

The exclusive English-language licensed publishing partnership will bring LEGO properties into Skybound’s vast slate of notable comic book series, that includes the likes of The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Ultramega.

“As a lifelong fan of LEGO toys and content, nothing brings me greater joy than partnering with AMEET on this iconic brand. Each title will be a portal to the endless worlds accessible in every LEGO play session, created to inspire the LEGO builders, readers, and thinkers of tomorrow,” said Sean Mackiewicz, senior vice president, editor-in-chief at Skybound Entertainment.

“Comic Books form a key component of the LEGO Books publishing strategy to bring LEGO stories to young readers everywhere,” added Eric Huang, vice president and publisher at AMEET. “Skybound is the perfect LEGO Books comics partner. They’re as passionate as we are about publishing books that encourage creativity and play.”

Skybound’s first venture into the LEGO Group’s vast library of intellectual property will be announced in the coming months.

Skybound Entertainment is a multi-platform content company that works with creators and their intellectual properties, extending their stories to platforms including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and more. The company is the home of notable properties including The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Super Dinosaur.

Skybound holds strategic partnerships across the entertainment industry, and has the in-house capabilities to serve as publisher, producer, and global distributor for tabletop and video games. On screen, Skybound holds a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios and a first-look movie deal with Universal.

Additional partnerships include comic book publishing with Image Comics, book publishing with Simon & Schuster, and a first-look narrative audio deal with Audible.

Children’s publisher AMEET partners with Skybound to launch new LEGO comic book series

The children’s book publisher AMEET has detailed a new partnership with the multi-platform content company, Skybound Entertainment to launch a new series of LEGO comic books. The first in the series is slated to debut in 2022 and will be published by Image Comics and Skybound.

The exclusive English-language licensed publishing partnership will bring LEGO properties into Skybound’s vast slate of notable comic book series, that includes the likes of The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Ultramega.

“As a lifelong fan of LEGO toys and content, nothing brings me greater joy than partnering with AMEET on this iconic brand. Each title will be a portal to the endless worlds accessible in every LEGO play session, created to inspire the LEGO builders, readers, and thinkers of tomorrow,” said Sean Mackiewicz, senior vice president, editor-in-chief at Skybound Entertainment.

“Comic Books form a key component of the LEGO Books publishing strategy to bring LEGO stories to young readers everywhere,” added Eric Huang, vice president and publisher at AMEET. “Skybound is the perfect LEGO Books comics partner. They’re as passionate as we are about publishing books that encourage creativity and play.”

Skybound’s first venture into the LEGO Group’s vast library of intellectual property will be announced in the coming months.

Skybound Entertainment is a multi-platform content company that works with creators and their intellectual properties, extending their stories to platforms including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and more. The company is the home of notable properties including The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Super Dinosaur.

Skybound holds strategic partnerships across the entertainment industry, and has the in-house capabilities to serve as publisher, producer, and global distributor for tabletop and video games. On screen, Skybound holds a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios and a first-look movie deal with Universal.

Additional partnerships include comic book publishing with Image Comics, book publishing with Simon & Schuster, and a first-look narrative audio deal with Audible.

Comic book series Trese enters licensing arena with Reemsborko as Netflix series readies to land

Ablaze Publishing’s award-winning comic, Trese, is making its leap into the licensing arena, having appointed the pop culture licensing entity, Reemsborko as its global representative across all categories for merchandising.

The deal marks the latest addition to the portfolio for Reemsborko, founded by Max Arguile, who earlier this week welcomed the webcomic and clothing brand Zombie Makeout Club to its library of pop culture and fan-focused brands.

Created by writer Budjette Tan and the artist Kajo Baldisimo, Trese is set in Manila where the mythical creatures of Filipino folklore live in hiding among humans. The story follows the heroine Alexandra Trese as she battles with a criminal underworld run by malevolent supernatural beings.

The comic has seen seven volumes released within the Philippines to date, and are now being steadily republished worldwide by Ablaze.

Clothing is about to appear in the US courtesy of two apparel licensees and apparel is in discussion already in Europe. Reemsborko’s Max Arguile believes that the property is due to become ‘even more popular this year when the animated version starts on Netflix.’

He said: “Trese is phenomenal storytelling. Budjette and Kajo first learned of these mythical beasts as kids via bed-time stories from their parents. Once the Netflix series hits, we should already have product in the market for the fans.”

Rich Young, co-founder of Ablaze, said: “We are delighted to have Reemsborko on-board helping create a must-have range of merchandising for Trese. This is going to be great.”

Asmodee brings iconic board games Android and Twilight Imperium to comic book space with CMON

The board gaming giant, Asmodee Entertainment has entered into a licensing partnership with the tabletop gaming specialist, CMON Ltd, to bring two of the hobby’s most famous boardgame universes to the pages of a comic book series.

Best-selling games, Twilight Imperium and Android are slated to make their graphic novel debut in 2021 in a deal that goes to highlight Asmodee’s continued expansion into licensed publishing opportunities. For CMON, meanwhile, the deals secures the first licenses for its newly minted comic books arm, Guillotine Press.

“We are delighted to announce this new partnership on the run-up to exhibiting at the Festival of Licensing in October,” said Alexander Thieme, licensing manager for publishing and consumer goods at Asmodee Entertainment.

“Bringing some of our most iconic intellectual properties to the medium of visual storytelling through the pages of these first graphic novels is a natural step for us to be taking and we are absolutely thrilled to begin this exciting journey with the great team at CMON.”

As with CMON’s first set of graphic novels, these new books will be created by veteran writers and artists, who will bring their talents to the projects. Scheduled to be launched on Kickstarter in 2021, the books will be paired with tie-in game components designed to delight long-time fans of both franchises. 

CMON COO, David Preti, said: “All tabletop games tell stories, and we are especially happy to work with a great partner like Asmodee Entertainment to bring some of those stories to life. With our first wave of comics, the ones based on CMON titles, we worked hard to create book-and-game component combos that were exciting for comic fans and board gamers alike, making it one of the most successful publication Kickstarters of all times.

“With this second wave of books, we hope to continue that precedent, and we aim to become the go-to publisher for board game inspired comics.” 

Recognised as a genre defining strategy game that immerses players into interstellar conquest and diplomacy, Twilight Imperium is set against a back drop of a sweeping, epic space opera filled with iconic races, locations, ships, and characters.

Meanwhile, Android is known as a cyber-noir that explores a future in which mega-corporations compete across the globe and cyber-espionage is just business as usual, while criminals fight for dominance in the overcrowded streets below. Android has been explored thrugh board games, card games, and roleplaying games for over a decade.

Both titles are part of Asmodee’s renowned Fantasy Flight Games studio.

“Both graphic novels will make use of the combined three decades worth of Asmodee’s existing design and world development,” said CMON’s VP of licensing, Geoff Skinner.

“Both of these incredible games are fully realized and bursting at the seams with style, tone, and best of all, story possibilities. Our goal is for fans of the games to feel right at home in the pages of these books and to capture the essence of what makes each title special, while still making the titles accessible to newcomers who are in it for a great comic experience.” 

Andy Jones, head of Asmodee Entertainment, concluded: “I am delighted to announce this ground-breaking deal with the team at CMON. Bringing together just two of the many Asmodee IPs and telling their stories in this unique ‘comic book and game component’ format, initially via Kickstarter, with some of the very best talents in the industry, is a fantastic project to be working on.”

Comic effect: How the UK’s love for comic books is keeping The Cartoon Museum Covid-secure

Whether it was at its former home along Little Russell Street in London’s Bloomsbury, or its new Wells Street, Fitzrovia abode, The Cartoon Museum had never previously had an issue with footfall. At the height of its popularity in the former location, the museum was pulling in 38,000 visitors a year. In its new site, it was on track to hit an all-time record.

But that was a time before the coronavirus had hit 2020 like an over-sized mallet over the head. By March this year, it was inevitable that numbers wouldn’t hold, with fewer and fewer making the journey to the UK’s capital. In the same week that the museum’s doors were finally closed at the hands of Covid-19 on March 18th, visitor numbers had hit an all time low of 50 per cent of its average.

Six months later, the museum’s doors remain closed, and the some 18,000 pieces housed within, decorate the walls of empty rooms. The Cartoon Museum has missed its key Easter to summer period – the period during which UK museums make most of their money – and subsequently has lost as much as 75 per cent of its income for this year. But however bleak this picture may seem, the optimism and support surrounding the museum and the community it embodies tells a very different story.

In a firm stance against the plight, The Cartoon Museum has found itself at the centre of a rallying cry from the comic and cartooning communities, with some of the biggest names on the scene throwing their weight behind actions taken to preserve this staple of modern British history. 

It’s without doubt a reflection of the size and passion of the UK’s comic book community that The Cartoon Museum has seen donations come in from its members and visitors, found itself the focus of an exclusive fundraising t-shirt by the UK comic book publisher Rebellion, the subject of a cover price percentage donation from ComicScene Magazine, and at the heart of a fundraising sale of The Bad, Bad Place by Soaring Penguin Press, as well as an art sale of unique pieces by the artist Dan Digby.

Not only all of this, but the museum curator’s husband has even ran a half marathon, all to help raise money for the cultural attraction. Then there’s the matter that it recently managed to secure a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It would appear that, even as the UK navigates some of its toughest months in recent history, the nation’s affinity for and history with comic books has held as firm as ever. If ever there’s a story that exemplifies the passion of a homegrown fan base, it’s surely this one.

Licensing.biz catches up with The Cartoon Museum’s Director, Joe Sullivan and its Learning and Outreach Officer, Steve Marchant to tell the story of The Cartoon Museum and Britain’s undying love for the comic book.

Comic and cartoon aficionados Joe and Steve, hello to both of you, and thank you for chatting with us. By way of an introduction, can you talk about the history of the Cartoon Museum – when was it established, why so, and your roles at the museum?

The Cartoon Arts Trust was founded in 1989, as a way to collect and preserve key elements of Britain’s unique and nationally-important cartooning history. In 2006, The Cartoon Museum opened on Little Russell Street in Bloomsbury, London. In July 2019, the museum moved across London to a new, larger premises on Wells Street in Fitzrovia.

As of 2006, the museum has developed a reputation as a key champion of British cartoon and comic art, and a strong track record of innovative ways to democratise access to the arts. We have received 420,000 visitors, and built a nationally important collection of cartoons, comics and caricature, as well as a reference library of 18,000 items.

Over 50,000 children and adults have attended workshops, and we receive 3,000 student visits a year. We work in partnership with community-based organisations, including Laydeez do Comics, Geek Syndicate, Sketch Appeal, and MIND. We also work closely with universities and colleges, including Staffordshire, Dundee, Exeter, Westminster and Syracuse (in the USA).

Joe Sullivan is the Director of the museum, setting the vision for the future, and leading the museum forward to increase visitor numbers, and develop the collection and exhibitions programme., 

Steve Marchant is the museum’s Learning and Outreach Officer, and has been with the museum since 1991. He develops and leads the museums learning programme, teaching drawing skills to children and adults, and opening new pathways into careers and hobbies in the arts. 

How have you guys been impacted by the ‘explosion’ of the pop culture scene in recent years? What has the matter of underground culture going mainstream done for the museum?

The ‘mainstream-ification’ of pop culture has definitely been a benefit to the museum, with increased interest particularly in comics, which gave us some of our highest exhibition attendance figures. This created the opportunity for us to run the Comic Creators project, from 2015 – 2019, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. We collected 402 pages of original British comic art, including ages from the Beano and Dandy alongside pages from legendary comics such as Judge Dredd, Asterix and Watchmen.

We also are beginning to see interesting patterns relating to pop culture – for example, the highest attended UK exhibition last year was Manga at the British Museum, and our Manga half-term workshops have been incredibly popular and over-subscribed. This is a clear response to the current popularity of anime, manga and Japanese video games among children, teenagers and young adults.

So, what kind of collections and exhibits do you house at the Cartoon Museum? And what are some of the most popular?

We have a large and varied collection of cartoon and comic art, but only five to 10 per cent of our collection is on display at any one time, meaning we have a veritable treasure trove stored away. Our cartoon collection traces the history of satirical cartoons, from Heath Robinson and Gillray through to current Cartoonists Martin Rowson and Steve Bell – both of whom are Trustees.

Our comic collection of 402 items contains pages from key British comics such as the Beano and Dandy, as well as famed graphic novels including Dave Gibbon’s work on Watchmen.

In addition, we have a large library and some interesting items and ephemera, including an original Spitting Image puppet and a replica of William Heath Robinson’s infamous ‘pea counting machine’. Our collection is almost entirely original pieces of art, and part of the fascination for me is the look you get into the artists mind-set. On some of our comics you can see how the page has been assembled, with cut-out word balloons positioned over the artwork.

Our current temporary exhibitions, Hail to the Chief: The Best and Worst US Presidents, and Dear Mr. Poole (which you can view online) celebrate a theme around ‘tools of the trade’, and delve into the types of pen nibs different artists use, their relationship with specialist art stores, and what a cartoonist’s work space looks like.

How do you think the way we as a society engages with comic books has evolved across the generations?

If you look back 17,000 years into the past, Stone Age cave art shows us how narrative art has always been an essential communication for humans. It is an older form of communication than writing, and potentially older than formalised language.

Cartoons and comic books are the successor to this form of narrative art. Like anything, there are ebbs, flows and reactions in style, content and readership. Right now, the age of the internet has changed the landscape for comics. Anyone can self-publish widely on the internet, and often do, leading to a huge rise in webcomics and other narrative artforms, such as memes.

How far do comic books and cartoons go to reflect the sensibilities of their generation?

Like many mediums that are consumed en-masse, comics have evolved in response to political and social situations, which often change on a generational basis. For example, in the 1950s and ’60s, ‘girls comics’ presented a specific view of what was expected of girls at the time, with stories about boarding schools and relationships. At the time this led a lot of girls to pick up a ‘boys comic’, like Eagle, and read that instead.

‘Boys comics’ featured topics such as war, or sport. If you compare that to today, these lines are much more blurred and comics are largely written for and read by a more general audience – Roy of the Rovers, for instance, a football strip previously a bastion of ‘boys comics’ relaunched in 2016, and was quickly followed by a new strip starring his female cousin, Rocky of the Rovers.

What would you highlight as some of the most notable steps of evolution of the comic book? How do you think engagement with the medium today compares to that decades ago?

One of the earliest steps towards modern comic books in the UK was the change from featuring single-panel cartoons and prints in newspapers, to using two or three panels to create cartoon strips. One of the earliest popular characters was Ally Sloper in the late 1800s, who set a type for a lazy ne’er-do-well surrounded by a troupe of colourful characters drawn in grotesque stereotyped ways. He is considered the first ‘recurring character’, which set a precedent for new regular newspaper and magazine strips with readers returning to check in with their favourite characters.

DC Thomson started the Dandy and the Beano in the 1930s, starting a boom in comic anthologies and books. This continued through to the 1970s, where independently drawn and published ‘comix’ started to pop up, often featuring more adult-orientated material. In the 1990s web comics started to gain popularity, and in 2020 we see a mix of all that has gone before – beloved characters in long-running formats (The Beano is still being published) sit alongside deep, thoughtful graphic novel material, all of which is published often in both physical and digital formats.

Can you describe for us, the British affinity with comic books? How does the UK’s engagement differ to the likes of the US, for example?

Comics and comic readers of today are largely viewed in a different light by the mainstream today in Britain than they are in America. In Britain, the over-riding view is (and has been for a few decades) that comics are only for children. This is of course, nonsense, but you do generally see a graduation towards other entertainment mediums as children get older. However, in America comics are viewed as a viable medium for all ages, making the market bigger and healthier. Part of this may come down to the cheap and disposable nature of comics – in the US this led to a wider variety of children and adults having easy access to them before disposing of them or passing them on.

What makes a British comic British? Across the decades, has there been a common thread that holds it together as a particular ‘genre’ within comics?

British comics are often more inherently satirical in nature – 2000 AD in particular filters its action and square-jawed heroes through a lens of social collapse, providing commentary and warning on the importance of working together to make a better society. Perhaps there is a strong link to political and satirical cartooning in this, something which is a very British tradition of narrative art.

Modern comics continue this trend, and are easy to digest, and provide a great entry point into reading and telling stories. Comic books also offer a mid-point between the voyeurism of films and the imagination needed to create images in your head when reading a book. Comic books encourage the reader to create the voices of the characters and the movement between panels themselves, but in return show the reader fantastical images, design and art.

There is a give-and-take element not seen in other media.

We know that you guys have felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the temporary closure of the museum… How has it been, seeing the action that’s been taken by the community to support you guys?

The museum has been very lucky during its closure, as the UK cartooning and comic communities have rallied around us to lend their support – it has been very humbling to be a part of.

We have had donations from our members and visitors, an exclusive fundraising t-shirt by Rebellion, a cover price percentage donation from ComicScene Magazine, a fundraising sale of The Bad, Bad Place by Soaring Penguin Press, an art sale of unique pieces by artist Dan Digby, and our Curator’s husband even ran a half marathon to help raise money! In addition to that, we received a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

We hope to reopen soon, but things will remain quiet for a while, and 2021 and 2022 will be difficult years for both us and other museums, with school visits not happening for a year, and a huge reduction in overseas tourists. We are safe for now and continue to fundraise, and hope to get back on our feet properly over the next year.

How can those interested help support the museum through this period?

We are expecting 2021 to be very quiet in terms of visitors, so we are still fundraising for our long-term survival. If you would like to donate to our appeal, please visit: https://www.cartoonmuseum.org/

You can also buy an amazing exclusive t-shirt from our friends at 2000AD, with all profits going to the museum: https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/XRC032

Pop culture retail chain Forbidden Planet celebrates 42 years with star-studded ‘epic online event’

The comic book and cult entertainment retail chain, Forbidden Planet has detailed the launch of its own ‘epic online event’ to celebrate its 42nd birthday this year, featuring a cast of famous faces and special guest stars that have found a home within the legacy of the renowned brand.

On Saturday, August 29th ForbiddenPlanet.com will play host to a range of celebrity interviews, as alumni from the worlds of science fiction, comics, and popular culture gather to help the store celebrate 42 years of pop culture fandom.

The star-studded event will feature exclusive interviews with the likes of William Shatner, DMC, Neil Gaiman, Alice Cooper, Jonathan Ross, Gerard Way, Garth Ennis, Kevin Smith, Michael Moorcock, Simon Pegg, Mark Millar, Dan Slott, V.E. Schwab, Dave Gibbons, Brian Bolland, Dirk Maggs, Chris Claremont, and Ben Aaronovich. The interviews will be hosted by Forbidden Planet’s own Andrew Sumner.

The online event will also host a tribute to Forbidden Planet’s old friend, the late Douglas Adams – author of The Hitchhijer’s Guide to the Galaxy – in the shape of a rare, never-before-heard interview (recently discovered in the Forbidden Planet vaults) conducted by Neil Gaiman.

Vivian Cheung and Nick Landau, owners of Forbidden Planet, said: “Forbidden Planet 42 is an auspicious tip of the hat to our old friend Douglas Adams, the genius behind The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, for whom the number 42 was the answer to The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

“Douglas was one of the first authors to ever sign at the store, and he returned for every new book he wrote. We are joined by a galaxy of stars from comics, music, science fiction, film and TV – friends of Forbidden Planet who have signed at the store over the last four decades. This celebration is dedicated to every creator who has appeared at FP and every staff member who has worked with us over the years – but most importantly, to all our customers and to every pop culture fan who shares this passion with us.”

Over the 42 years, Forbidden Planet has become a name synonymous with the culture, and has garnered a following that spans some of the genre’s most famous faces.

Kevin Smith of Clerks fame, said: “Before I ever visited London, Forbidden Planet was whispered about in New Jersey, you’d read about it in the letter columns of comic books, it actually appeared in the comics themselves. The first time I went over to the UK, one of the most important things to me about London was: We have to go to Forbidden Planet.”

Presenter and comic book fan, Jonathan Ross, added: “I went to university in London because I wanted to stay and enjoy things like Forbidden Planet. That’s when the whole new wave of more adult, progressive comics began. It was such an exciting time – there was a lot of new books and new publishers coming out – and the only place you could find them was at Forbidden Planet.”

The 42nd anniversary festivities will continue with special offerings and promotions in-store at Forbidden Planet branches throughout the UK.

Check out the trailer below:

 

 

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UK comic book publisher Rebellion launches fundraising t-shirt to support London’s The Cartoon Museum through Covid-19 crisis

Rebellion, the renowned publisher behind one of Britain’s biggest comics, 2000 AD, is raising funds to help the UK’s only musem dedicated to comic books survive the current Covid-19 pandemic. In an effort to support The Cartoon Museum in London, the outfit has launched a special t-shirt bearing classic art from the heyday of British comics.

The new T-shirt is available exclusively from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics web shops and features the cover of Battle Picture Weekly #423 (cover date: 11 June 1983) by the artist Eric Bradbury. As well as the museum’s own logo, it features the cover from the Invasion 1984 comic strip, depicting a Piccadilly Circus invaded by aliens.

All profits from the sale of the shirts will go towards the independent museum’s £150,000 fundraising appeal, which seeks to help it through the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.

The Cartoon Museum’s director, Joe Sullivan, said: “We are incredibly grateful to our friends at Rebellion for their kind offer to help with fundraising towards The Cartoon Museum’s survival during this difficult time. It is humbling to receive support from our peers and colleagues in the UK comic and cartooning scene, and shows the depth of feeling for the museum.

“We hope Rebellion fans and our visitors love the brilliant shirt design, and look forward to continuing to work with Rebellion in the future.”

Jason Kingsley OBE, the CEO of Rebellion, said: “Comics have a vital place in Britain’s culture and heritage, and The Cartoon Museum does great work protecting that legacy, preserving it for future generations, and showcasing the best creators of today. The heritage sector has been hit really hard by Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown, and so we’re delighted to do what we can to help this nationally important museum survive and thrive.”

75 per cent of the museum’s yearly income is from admission, shop purchases, school visits, and venue bookings. However, since its closure on March 18th at the hands of the pandemic, the museum has been hit hard, with no regular government or local authority funding to supplement it. When visitors do return, the museum is expecting an 80 per cent drop in numbers.

Such a big expected drop in revenue, along with the longer-term impacts of COVID-19 on key audiences for the museum such as schools and overseas tourism, has huge implications and so The Cartoon Museum is fundraising to survive the closure period.

Set up by the Trustees of The Cartoon Museum, so far the fundraising appeal has raised £86,000 towards a total goal of £150,000. Various contributions have come in the form of small grants, proceeds of a half marathon, cover price and book sale reductions from publishers close to the musem, proceeds from a sale of one-off comic art, and donations from friends and the public.

In July 2020, the museum announced an award of £98,700 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Cartoon Museum champions cartoon and comic art, highlighting its importance to culture and society. Since 2006 it has received 420,000 visitors, and built a nationally important collection of 4,300 cartoons, comics and caricatures, and a library of 18,000 items.

The Cartoon Museum runs a well-attended school programme and sell-out school holiday workshops, and over 50,000 children and adults have attended cartooning, comic and animation workshops and the museum receives 3,000 student visits each year. The museum is a registered charity.

If you would like to help secure the museum’s survival, you can donate to the appeal at www.cartoonmuseum.org

Kevin Smith and WildBrain to develop original Green Hornet animated series

WildBrain has teamed up with the renowned filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor, Kevin Smith to develop an original animated series based on the superhero franchise Green Hornet.

The new animated series will target a  family audience and feature classic Green Hornet elements that fans know and love, including his ultra high-tech car, the Black Beauty. However, set in contemporary times, the series will deliver some new elements as it follows the adventures of a re-imagined Green Hornet and Kato – the grown son of the original Green Hornet and the daughter of the original Kato.

Kevin Smith said: “It’s an honour to escort the legendary Green Hornet and Kato into their very own animated series for the first time in the rich history of these iconic pop culture characters. We’ll be telling a tale of two Hornets – past and future – that spans generations and draws inspiration from a lifetime spent watching classic cartoons and amazing animation like Batman: The Animated Series, Heavy Metal, and Super Friends.

“I can’t believe WildBrain gave me this job and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to extend my childhood a little longer.”

Stephanie Betts, EVP content and current series at WildBrain, added: “We’re thrilled to embark on a new animated Green Hornet series with Kevin, who has set up an incredibly rich world with a cast of  amazing characters – especially Kato, who is no longer just a sidekick, but is now a strong female partner to the Green Hornet.

“With his ingenious talent and passion for superheroes and classic franchises, Kevin is the perfect creator to update the Green Hornet. We’re excited to share the new Green Hornet and Kato with audiences worldwide.”

The Green Hornet originated as a radio series created by George W. Trendle in the 1930s, telling the story of Britt Reid, the wealthy owner and publisher of the fictional newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. By day, Reid oversees his paper’s reporting on crime and injustice, but by night he dons his green mask and ventures across the city with his sidekick Kato – in their ultra high-tech car the Black Beauty – to battle criminals and villains head on.

Over the decades, the Green Hornet franchise has spawned numerous comics series, toy lines, movie serials, a feature film and the classic 1966 live action TV series, which introduced future martial arts superstar Bruce Lee to North American audiences as Kato.

Kevin Smith is best known as the creative force behind such indie classic films as Mallrats, Clerks, Chasing Amy and the Jay and Silent Bob franchise. A self-described “professional pop-culture junkie”, he entertains legions of his fans weekly with his podcasts and YouTube videos, providing exuberant and passionate views on comics, superheroes and pop culture.

Smith has written numerous Green Hornet and Kato comics for Dynamite Entertainment, as well as Daredevil comics for Marvel and Green Arrow for DC. He also owns the comic-book store Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, in Red Bank, New Jersey, which was the subject of the reality television show Comic Book Men.

Jetpack Distribution secures global rights for series based on Marvel Comics’ New-Gen

The independent kids and family TV distributor, Jetpack Distribution – has secured the global rights for a new sci-fi animated series now in production called New-Gen. The new series is based on the superhero comic book series printed and distributed by Marvel Comics.

The series features a cast of multi-dimensional, multi-cultural characters. Brothers Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things, The Addams Family, It, It: Chapter Two, The Goldfinch and Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Nick Wolfhard (The InBetween, The Last Kids on Earth, Beyblade Burst, Howard Lovecraft And The Kingdom Of Madness, and World Trigger) have been cast as the lead roles.

Anya Chalotra (The Witcher, Wanderlust, The ABC Murders and Sherwood) has been cast as female lead Carmen.

The TV series will target kids aged seven year olds and upwards and follows the adventures of twin brothers who live as ordinary teenagers and nanotech superheroes. New-Gen is a futuristic utopia where human beings, alien creatures, and mechanical life-forms peacefully co-exist.

Designed and built with nanotechnology, New-Gen balances nature and technology, weaving together an ecologically sustainable paradise. Its existence becomes threatened by a nanotech war and heroes from Earth and New-Gen are called to defeat the encroaching evil.

Viewers will be able to download an augmented reality app enabling players’ use of nanotech powers to battle various creatures from the show. Fans can explore a web-based experience which weaves scientific fact and fiction to depict what nanotech is and where it might be in the future.

New-Gen is created by APNG’s J.D. Matonti and the showrunner is Brent Friedman, a storyteller with substantial experience across film, TV and gaming including: Star Wars franchise, Halo 4, Call of Duty, Resident Evil, Star Trek: Enterprise, Tale from the Borderlands: A Telltale Game Series, Command & Conquer 3, Tiberium Wars and Subway Surfers.

Jetpack’s CEO, Dominic Gardiner, said: “The moment we were introduced to New-Gen we were blown away. There’s so much going on in this show for kids. It’s a thrilling sci-fi adventure where everyday teenagers become superheroes on a mission to defeat a demonic overlord.

“The show contains other universal themes such as brotherhood, teamwork and identity. It will offer unique digital elements which will allow viewers to experience the story and characters in ways becoming increasingly more relevant to them. We are looking forward to finding homes for New-Gen and bringing it to global audiences.”

Creator, Director and Executive Producer J.D. Matonti, added: “We intend to take you to a visual place never seen before in the futuristic utopia of New-Gen. Nanotech governs this rich world and the superheroes who dwell in it. Finn Wolfhard, Nick Wolfhard and Anya Chalotra, young talent breathe life into the relatable lead characters as we move from comics distributed by Marvel to animated series and other multimedia platforms.

“We are enthusiastic to work with Bardel Entertainment and Jetpack Distribution to bring the New-Gen story to a New Generation of audiences around the world.”