ANIMATED SHORTS 269: LEGION IS A GO ON CN, AND WAY, WAY MORE

[MattBrady]

KIDS WB ANNOUNCES NEW SCHEDULE & SR. VP
CN Goes Brodband, Batman Gets Emmys & More

by Steve Fritz

It came with very little fanfare, but it’s guaranteed to have the comics community going nuts for the next few weeks.

What is now officially called “The Kids WB on CW” released its 2006-7 schedule of Saturday morning programs. Gone are two of the cornerstones of its programming, Yu-Gi-Oh: King of Games and Pokemon. Returning popular programs Johnny Test, Xiaolin Showdown (which came as a bit of a surprise), and The Batman. Then there are the new programs, among them the comics based Legion of Super Heroes and Monster Allergy.

The Kids WB also announced it has promoted animation veteran Betsy McGowen to the position of Sr. Vice President and General Manager. She had been part of the kids net its inception in 1995.

“Kids' WB! is an integral part of The CW's future, and Betsy McGowen's continued leadership and vast experience make her the perfect executive to oversee this important daypart," said Dawn Ostroff, CW President of Entertainment. "Betsy has been with Kids' WB! since its inception, and her stellar creative and marketing track record has been instrumental in establishing a dominant programming block that kids have embraced in a major way."

Prior to working for Kids WB, McGowen worked her way up the corporate ladder; first as a writer/ editor for NBC and Fox, then for the Fox Kids. She was previously Vice President of Marketing for the Kids WB before accepting her promotion.

As for the new schedule, it will again be a five-hour block that will start at most local markets around 7:00 a.m. The first hour will be a revised version of the already existing Pillow Head Hour, the contents of which has yet to be announced.

From there, the schedule will go as follows:

* 8:00-8:30 a.m. - TOM AND JERRY TALES: The iconic superstars Tom and Jerry make their first-ever appearance on Kids' WB!, starring in their first new U.S. television series in more than 13 years. In this half-hour program from Warner Bros. Animation and executive producers Sander Schwartz and toon pioneer Joseph Barbera, Tom and Jerry return to basics, chasing each other in all-new series of hilarious cartoon shorts. With endless rivalry and slapstick gags, this cat-and-mouse comedy team scrambles, slides and slams onto the screen, creating over-the-top mayhem and laugh-out-loud memories. Frank Molieri and Tom Minton serve as producers.

* 8:30-9:00 a.m. - MONSTER ALLERGY: Based on the international best-selling comic book series of the same name, the new series Monster Allergy is a fun romp for children of all ages. Due to his allergies, 12-year-old Zick discovers he has the exceptional ability to see what no other kids his age can: the invisible supernatural monsters that live among us. Teamed up with his next-door neighbor, Elena, and mentored by his talking cat, Timothy, Zick learns to harness his powers in hopes of one day achieving his destiny of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a Monster Tamer. Monster Allergy is executive produced by Iginio Straffi for Rainbow S.p.A.

* 9:00-9:30 a.m. - XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN: Eric Radomski’s surprise hit series returns for a landmark fifth season of new episodes. It continues the adventures of Omi, Kimiko, Raimundo and Clay as they travel the world to find and protect the sacred Shen Gong Wu, ancient power objects that hold the keys to martial arts superpowers. From San Francisco to Paris, Japan to Rio, and Monte Carlo to New York,
there's a Xiaolin Showdown going down! Xiaolin Showdown is executive produced by Sander Schwartz for Warner Bros. Animation. Eric Radomski is the supervising producer, and Christy Hui is the show's creator and producer.

* 9:30-10:00 a.m. - LOONATICS UNLEASHED: The six descendants of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner, Tasmanian Devil and Lola Bunny continue to protect Acmetropolis from evil villains who have their own uncommon strengths. Throughout the second season, new characters descended from classic Looney Tunes characters like Yosemite Sam, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird and Marvin the Martian make special appearances. Loonatics Unleashed is executive produced by Sander Schwartz and produced by Ron Myrick for Warner Bros. Animation.

* 10:00-10:30 a.m. SHAGGY & SCOOBY-DOO GET A CLUE: Ruh-roh! Everybody's favorite quivering sleuths, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo, are back in a new adventure that will anchor the "Too Big For Your TV" programming block. In this comedy, also produced by Radomski, Shaggy and Scooby live in the bling'd-out mansion of Shaggy's Uncle Albert, solving mysteries with the help of a transforming Mystery Machine which, at the click of a remote, can morph into one of a number of modes of transportation. New Scooby Snacks infused with a top-secret nano-technology allows our canine hero to fly, become a towering robot or even turn himself into a giant magnet, which comes in handy as Shaggy and Scooby-Doo carry out their new mission: protecting the Scooby Snacks and keeping them safe from those who want them for evil. Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue! is executive produced by Sander Schwartz and Joseph Barbera.

* 10:30-11:00 a.m. - JOHNNY TEST: This animated action-comedy marks the second season of the fearless 11-year-old boy, Johnny, his genetically engineered super dog, Dukey, and his 13-year-old super-genius scientist twin sisters, Susan and Mary, who try to solve the trials and tribulations of adolescent angst with out-of-this-world scientific experiments…with Johnny as their willing guinea pig. In season two, Johnny and Dukey will create their own TV network, make their own extreme ice cream, travel back in time, and even build a brand-new dad. Johnny Test is executive produced by Toper Taylor for Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc.

* 11:00-11:30 a.m.-LEGION OF SUPER HEROES (image from the Legion's recent JLU appearance): OK guys…here goes. One thousand years from now, a group of teenage super heroes travel back in time to recruit the greatest hero of all, Superman, and enlist him their fight against evil in the 31st Century. While their intentions were good, their time travel skills were not. Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Phantom Girl, Bouncing Boy and Timber Wolf end up going too far back into the past, accidentally retrieving the young Superboy instead. Together, this unlikely Legion of Super Heroes bands together to defend the rights of all free worlds and uphold the laws of the newly formed United Planets. That is, if they don't kill each other first. Legion Of Super Heroes combines humor with high-stakes, grand-scale super heroics to create the ultimate sci-fi, super hero fantasy for kids of all ages. Each episode of this fast-paced, character-driven action comedy will pit Superboy and the Legion against otherworldly threats and adversaries who challenge the team on both super heroic and emotional levels. The series is executive produced by Sander Schwartz, and produced by Linda Steiner and James Tucker (JLU) Warner Bros. Animation. As far as we can tell, there is no sign of Supergirl as of press time.

* 11:30 a.m.-Noon - THE BATMAN: The series that has outraged more comic book fans in recent years returns for a third season. This year the Dark Knight continues his relentless quest to rid Gotham City of its super villains, but he's not alone. Robin joins the team, and the fabled Dynamic Duo is also occasionally joined by Batgirl. Harley Quinn, Black Mask, Killer Moth, the Everywhere Man and a
brand-new Clayface join the rogues' gallery of villains, led by the Joker, Penguin and Riddler, who ceaselessly torment Batman and Gotham City. The Batman is based upon the DC Comics characters and is executive produced by Sander Schwartz and Alan Burnett for Warner Bros. Animation. Duane Capizzi and Mike Goguen serve as supervising producers, and Linda Steiner and Jeff Matsuda are producers.

So far there’s no word on the much rumored new Superman series. More on this story as it develops.

CN LAUNCHING BROADBAND VENTURE WITH SAMURAI JACK & ANIME

Fans of the much missed Samurai Jack can again see the show thanks to a new venture by Cartoon Network and Viz Media entitled Toonami Jetstream.

Toonami Jetstream is a new broadband service that will provide on-demand, full-length streaming episodes of a number of hit animé and action series, including acclaimed hit series Naruto and Samurai Jack. In addition, users will also be able to watch full-length episodes of series like Hikaru No Go, MÄR and The Prince of Tennis that are not currently offered on U.S. broadcast or basic cable television.

Toonami Jetstream (available at http://ToonamiJetstream.com) will launch on July 17. Each week, new episodes will be added to the site while previous episodes will also be available through the Toonami Jetstream archive. It is a free service, supported by advertising that includes both banners and streaming video ads.

“Cartoon Network has long been the dominant TV provider of the best animé and action,” said Paul Condolora, Sr. VP and general manager of Cartoon Network New Media. “And we were the first to stream, in 2001, full-length animé series online. Now, with this joint venture with VIZ Media, we will give our fans the chance to view popular shows on-demand and follow new series that cannot be seen anywhere else. We also believe this will bring new fans to the action/animé genre, create interest in new shows and build the overall popularity of Toonami on Cartoon Network.”

“Toonami Jetstream will provide our current fans and new fans alike with unlimited opportunities to view our popular hit shows such as Naruto,” explained John Easum, Executive VP of VIZ Media. “It will also give us the opportunity to share with our fans an unprecedented variety of Japan’s newest and most exciting animated series. We are thrilled to be expanding our strong relationship with Cartoon Network. We believe that our collective forces will make Toonami Jetstream the online destination of choice for action-adventure animation fans.”

Five series are currently slated for the July launch of Toonami Jetstream. Following are descriptions of the shows that will be available at launch:

• Naruto: Twelve years prior, an evil Nine-Tailed-Fox demon that terrorized The Hidden Leaf Village was sealed inside the body of a baby in order to end the decimation of the village. A rule that forbade anyone to tell him that he possessed the spirit of the Nine-Tailed-Fox left Naruto unaware of why the villagers shunned him. Now a teenager, he attempts to earn the villagers’ respect by training to become the village’s top ninja. As Naruto develops his skills, he must learn to control his special powers to become the respected master ninja. Created by manga artist Masahi Kishimoto, made its U.S. debut in September 2005 and is among the top-rated series on Cartoon Network.


• Samurai Jack: Samurai Jack, which won four Emmy Awards including the Emmy for Best Animated Series in 2003, tells the story of a warrior banished to the future by an evil shape-shifting wizard. Jack encounters an amazing array of cultures and civilizations as he travels the world seeking the portal to send him back to his own time. A man of few words, Jack relies on his mental and physical training as a warrior to help him fend off the evil wizard’s forces. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Ca., the influential series Samurai Jack has been lauded for its magnificent artistry, gripping action sequences, evocative score and cinematic scope.

• Hikaru No Go: Written by Yumi Hotta and drawn by Takeshi Obata, Hikaru No Go tells the story of Hikaru Shindo, a young student who stumbles across a dusty old Go board while exploring his grandfather’s attic. Trapped inside is Fujiwara-no-Sai, the ghost of an ancient Go master that enters Hikaru’s consciousness, allowing him to communicate with the spirit. Hikaru reluctantly begins playing Go. As he begins to appreciate the complexities of the game, Hikaru makes it his quest to become the ultimate Go champion.

• MÄR: Created by Nobuyuki Anzai, MÄR features Ginta, an average 14-year-old boy, until a mysterious portal suddenly transports him into the fairy tale realm he envisions in his dreams, the World of MÄR. In MÄR, Ginta acquires super human strength and Babbo, a talking magical weapon knows as an ARM. Together, Ginta and Babbo embark on a quest to save the World of MÄR from domination by evil chess pieces.

• The Prince of Tennis: The exciting backdrop of middle school tennis serves as the setting for this sports drama and coming-of-age story. The Prince of Tennis, created by Takeshi Konomi, depicts the on-and off-the-court adventures of Ryoma Echizen, who joins the Seishun Academy tennis team, known for being one of the most competitive teams in Japan. With his undeniable talent and shamelessly cocky attitude, Ryoma is ready to lead his team to victory.

Other titles currently scheduled to be released on Toonami Jetstream include such hits as Cartoon Network’s original Toonami production IGPX, Megaman NT Warrior and the all-new Zoids Genesis. Additional series will be announced in subsequent months.

THE BATMAN WINS DAYTIME EMMYS

Love it or hate it comic fans, The Batman animated series received two Daytime Emmys last Thursday. The first was for Animated Program. The second Emmy was for Sound Editing. This is the first two Emmys the series has ever won.

The only other animated series to win any awards was Jakers! The Adventures of Piggly Winks, which also won two. The first was for best children’s programming. The other went to Maile Flanagan, the voice of Piggly, for best voice artist.

The Daytime Emmys are awarded every year for non-prime time programming. This year it was hosted by Bob Bergen (along with Meredith Viera), best known as the voice of Porky Pig and a number of other great animated characters. The ceremony itself will air on ABC on Saturday, April 28.

ICE AGE 2 HITTING $500 MILLION MARK

Couldn’t help but notice that as of last weekend, Fox’s blockbuster Ice Age 2: The Meltdown had already brought in $485 million dollars in box office receipts. From the way it is going, it should have no problem hitting the $500 million mark as you read this.

That’s a half-billion dollars, folks. For the record, that makes the movie the box-office leader of the year, at least so far. It will be interesting to see how it holds up after the summer.

Next Column: I was going to run this full feature article on the incredible work being done on the IFC Network. I promise to give it the treatment it deserves next week…plus a whole lot more, of course.

[sloria13]

I'm a fan of The Batman series, glad to see it's coming back.

[jedifish]

I'm surprised they are using Superboy with the lawsuit going on.

[CleverShmever]

Originally Posted by sloria13

I'm a fan of The Batman series, glad to see it's coming back.

Same here. I'm way psyched that Robin's joining the team too!

Legion should be fun too.

[skeletorjr]

I'm so glad to see The Batman got some recognition from the Emmys. I think it's a great looking show, a bit of a departure from other interpretations of Batman and his villains, but no less valid for that. It's certainly aimed at a younger crowd, but it's just a fun show, my son and I love it. Can't wait to see Robin in action on this show!

[Superfrick]

Ah, I see Dib is the new Robin!

[johnny.blaze]

Originally Posted by CleverShmever

Same here. I'm way psyched that Robin's joining the team too!

Legion should be fun too.

Huh? wasn't it Supergirl that decided to stay in the future as seen in the last episode of JLU?

[ZAXILLA2]

Originally Posted by jedifish

I'm surprised they are using Superboy with the lawsuit going on.

Isn't that why Superboy was 'dealt with' the way he was in the DCU proper?

[ZAXILLA2]

Originally Posted by johnny.blaze

Huh? wasn't it Supergirl that decided to stay in the future as seen in the last episode of JLU?

That would make the most sense if they were continuing the Timmverse *fingers crossed* and wanted to more closly mirror the mainstream comic...

[ZAXILLA2]

Originally Posted by skeletorjr

I'm so glad to see The Batman got some recognition from the Emmys. I think it's a great looking show, a bit of a departure from other interpretations of Batman and his villains, but no less valid for that. It's certainly aimed at a younger crowd, but it's just a fun show, my son and I love it. Can't wait to see Robin in action on this show!

I am starting to like it more now, too. I love the new intro and song-it's very retro and modern at the same time, timeless almost- and the animation and action sequences are great.

[jnspath]

Anyone else notice how Monster Allergy sounds a whole heck of a lot like The Life and Times of Juniper Lee?

I have to wonder if the creaters of Juniper Lee had read Monster Allergy when they were creating it.

"Let's see, we'll change the main character to a girl, change the dad to the grandmother, the cat into a dog, and change the allergy part into 'her destiny' and there we go. Brand new idea."

[samnoir]

I haven't seen Loonatics Unleashed. Is it worth watching?

The newest incarnation of Scooby Doo sounds painful.

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[Godfather]

Was Samurai Jack ever actually "finished"? It lasted 2 seasons right? I loved it whenever I could catch it.

[maxx]

so is samurai jack new episodes or reruns? the titles different.

looks its the umpteenth scooby doo spin off lol...werent they gone for like most of last yr?

i love prince of tennis..expect alot of kids to be picking up tennis after this show airs.

samnoir: no lunatics unleashed is not worth watching

[s*p rules]

Originally Posted by ZAXILLA2

That would make the most sense if they were continuing the Timmverse *fingers crossed* and wanted to more closly mirror the mainstream comic...

Unfortunately, they are not, however. The Legion will be as seperate from the Timmverse JLU as the Teen Titans are, or The Batman is from the Batman: Animated Series. I loved TT, didn't really like The Batman, but looking forward to Legion. I'm glad they went with Superboy, and not Supergirl.

[sfritz]

Originally Posted by Godfather

Was Samurai Jack ever actually "finished"? It lasted 2 seasons right? I loved it whenever I could catch it.

It went three seasons...and sort of got a "conclusion" with the time gate episode. If you remember, that episode showed a future Jack wearing a kilt and a few other items, and looking pretty much like he won the battle with Aku.

But as for how he won, it was not done. Maybe some day...if CN ever gets Genndy back. -s

[sfritz]

Originally Posted by s*p rules

Unfortunately, they are not, however. The Legion will be as seperate from the Timmverse JLU as the Teen Titans are, or The Batman is from the Batman: Animated Series. I loved TT, didn't really like The Batman, but looking forward to Legion. I'm glad they went with Superboy, and not Supergirl.

Well...there is a direct Timm connection in this case. Both Tucker and Steiner worked with Timm on JLU. In fact, James Tucker was one of the exec producers, along with Timm and Dwayne McDuffie.

So I"m hopeful. I'll also post more info as soon as I get it. As it was, Matt and I seriously trawled for art can came up blank. That normally never happens. -s

[ZAXILLA2]

Originally Posted by sfritz

So I"m hopeful. I'll also post more info as soon as I get it. As it was, Matt and I seriously trawled for art can came up blank. That normally never happens. -s

I did the same thing as soon as I saw this article...I seem to recall some kind of Superboy art leaking a little while ago...but I think it might have been fan art.

[LunarDaydreamer]

Originally Posted by Superfrick

Ah, I see Dib is the new Robin!

"That boy got a biiiig heeeeeaaaad"

[DynamiteKid]

Originally Posted by Superfrick

Ah, I see Dib is the new Robin!

Haha, that was my reaction when first seeing the promo art.

I'm not a fan of The Batman but it's nice to see it getting recognition.

I'm looking forward to the Legion mostly to see how the show will be handled. Hopefully it'll be nothing like the Teen Titans. The show tried so hard to be anime with all the ventures into super deformed moments, stress veins, and cliche character mannerisms. Some of the stories were good but I just didn't feel compelled to tune in for it every week. I like the fact that the Legion will be following the standard procedure in the "Timmverse" as it may have parallels to the other "universes" of shows but it will not be "in continuity". Each show, as I recall reading in a past interview by Timm and/or Dini, stands on its own.

[John Cage]

Originally Posted by sfritz

Well...there is a direct Timm connection in this case. Both Tucker and Steiner worked with Timm on JLU. In fact, James Tucker was one of the exec producers, along with Timm and Dwayne McDuffie.

So I"m hopeful. I'll also post more info as soon as I get it. As it was, Matt and I seriously trawled for art can came up blank. That normally never happens. -s

It's definitely NOT going to be part of the established DCAU. Aside from the fact there isn't a Superboy in the Batman TAS-Superman TAS-JLU continuity, some of the LoSHers are going to be pretty different from how they've been presented before in the comics and prior animated appearances. But like you said, James Tucker's involvement keeps me optimistic for this series.

Have a good day.
John Cage

[OM]

...Heh, looks like they're using the Levitz-era Legion. Yet another major nail in the coffin for Waid's lame-assed latest reboot :-) :-) :-)

[brawl2099]

Originally Posted by sfritz

Well...there is a direct Timm connection in this case. Both Tucker and Steiner worked with Timm on JLU. In fact, James Tucker was one of the exec producers, along with Timm and Dwayne McDuffie.

So I"m hopeful. I'll also post more info as soon as I get it. As it was, Matt and I seriously trawled for art can came up blank. That normally never happens. -s

Saw some at Comics Continuum a few weeks back. Might try there.

[j2lepew]

Shaggy and Scooby-Doo--can we think of new ways to rape the characters? A Mystery Machine that goes through metamorphoses? A Scooby that can fly? What is this? The new version of Blue Falcon and Dynomutt?

[j2lepew]

And please get rid of Loonatics Unleashed!!!! It's horrible.