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Comedy

Yes, Yes, Birds and Bees…

Flydra Creative is a collection of animations students at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts. Lead by Jabril Mack, their first production is a 6-minute pilot for a 2D funny animal comedy series called Bailey & Clark — featuring the adventures of a bee named Bailey and a penguin named Clark, along with their friends and frenemies. The animated pilot is up on YouTube, but there’s also an official Bailey & Clark web site where you can find out more about the pilot and more upcoming adventures.

image c. 2016 by Flydra Creative

image c. 2016 by Flydra Creative

 

Just Two Little Monsters

Dave Hulteen Jr. and Jerome Green got together and formed Hulgreen Productions with the intention of making some seriously silly entertainment using puppetry, animation, and video effects. Their first creation was The Bang and Bump Show, featuring “two little monsters in a big studio”. According to their web site, “Finding two store bought and generic monster puppets, Dave and Jerome created a simple buddy style duet video naming the puppets ‘Bang’ and ‘Bump’. They were named after the respective sounds monsters make in the night. The video caused enough attention for the two to make a regular series.” They’ve since gone on to create many other humorous videos and animated shorts.

image c. 2016 Hulgreen Productions

image c. 2016 Hulgreen Productions

Pointy, Furry Ears

New from Retrofit Comics comes Elf Cat In Love, a new hardcover black & white graphic novel by James Kochalka (creator of American Elf and Johnny Boo). “When the incredibly conceited Elf Cat goes on a quest for the Ice Sword with his magical friend Tennis Ball, they will face dragons, magical hot dogs, snowflake princesses, and confront their feelings! If you find love in many places, can you see it when it is right in front of you?” Mr. Kochalka’s drawn a few interesting stories with cats… Previews has all this and more, of course.

image c. 2016 Retrofit Comics

image c. 2016 Retrofit Comics

Bunnies, Bongs, and B**bies

Also from Action Lab we have a new full-color comic trade paperback that is decidedly not for young readers! It’s called Itty Bitty Bunnies: Friendgasm. “The Itty Bitty Bunnies (Phil and Tyrone) make a deal with the Devil, awake the magic Bong Genie, start a food fight that turns homicidal, and do lots and LOTS of drugs. It’s just another day in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land!” And it comes to us from the rather twisted mind of Australian cartoonist and writer Dean Rankine. It’s on the shelves now and available from Previews magalog.

image c. 2016 Action Lab

image c. 2016 Action Lab

My Man!

Much of the discussion about the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (Out of the Shadows) has centered on what a welcome addition to the film Bebop and Rocksteady have been. They have always been fan-favorite characters after all.  Well now, for the month of June IDW have given the boar and rhino their own comic book line — and a time machine.  Be very, very afraid as Bebop and Rocksteady Destroy Everything in a new 5-issue full-color mini-series. According to Comics Alliance, “…the eternal misfits of the TMNT franchise find themselves bouncing around through time itself courtesy of writers Dustin Weaver and Ben Bates, with a cast of artists that includes Nick Pitarra, Sophie Campbell, Giannis Milonogiannis, and Ryan Browne. And if that wasn’t enough, they’re bringing a few old friends along for the ride, too!” In an unusual (but probably appropriate for these guys) move, IDW is releasing a new issue of the mini-series every week through June — so get yourself caught up!

image c. 2016 IDW Comics

image c. 2016 IDW Comics

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Welcome Back to Transylvania!

Some good news coming our way thanks to Cartoon Brew: After initially bowing out of directing the Hotel Transylvania movie series after the second (very successful!) film, Genndy Tartakovsky had a change of heart and will in fact return to direct Part 3. “Acknowledging the surprising turn of events, Tartakovsky said in a statement, ‘I thought I was done exploring the world of Hotel Transylvania after the first two films, but while I was away from the franchise finishing my TV show Samurai Jack, an idea sparked that I got really excited about and made it irresistible to return and helm myself this third adventure.’  Michelle Murdocca will produce the film again, and Adam Sandler will executive produce and return as the voice of Dracula. Michael McCullers (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Boss Baby) is writing the screenplay, and Selena Gomez and Andy Samberg will revive their roles as Mavis and Johnny, respectively. Sony has slated the third installment of Hotel Transylvania for September 21, 2018. ” Maybe then we’ll find out more about the relationship of half-vampire Dennis and all-werewolf Winnie. (They zing’d, after all!). The article at Cartoon Brew also mentions other upcoming Sony Pictures animated projects, including The Star (formerly The Lamb — a faith-based feature that follows a young donkey who helps to bring about the very first Christmas).

image c. 2016 Sony Pictures

image c. 2016 Sony Pictures Animation

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A Wiggle in Time

Future-Worm! is a new 2D animated TV series coming to Disney XD this August. According to the Deadline: “Created and executive-produced by Emmy-winning director Ryan Quincy (South Park), Future-Worm! centers on Danny, played by Andy Milonakis, an optimistic 12-year-old who creates a time machine lunch box, and then meets and befriends a fearless worm (James Adomian) from the future (with titanium-enforced abs). The comedy follows Danny and Future Worm as they embark on adventures through space, time, and study hall. The characters were introduced last year in a popular Future-Worm! short-form series …on Disney XD’s YouTube Channel.” Which you can find right here.

Image c. 2016 Disney XD

Image c. 2016 Disney XD

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Vroom Vroom

Back from CaliFur, and there’s lots to talk about! Over at Cartoon Brew they have an article about the first trailer for the upcoming live-action film Monster Trucks. “The film, based on Hasbro’s Monster Trucks toy line, has been covered here on Cartoon Brew because it is the live-action directorial debut of Ice Age director and Blue Sky co-founder Chris Wedge. Wedge directs from a story by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger (Kung Fu Panda, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Trolls) and Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying), and screenplay by Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World).” The story follows a high-school boy named Trip who discovers a gelatinous, tentacled, very toothy — yet very friendly monster. Said monster (Trip calls him “Creech”) has the strange ability to meld himself (itself?) with Trip’s pick-up truck — hence the film’s title. Adventures and hi jinks ensue. The film has been delayed several times in its production history: Originally set for release in May of 2015, Paramount is now hoping to have it out in January of 2017.

image c. 2016 Paramount Pictures

image c. 2016 Paramount Pictures

Nerdy Parents: Pass It Along!

This is just too cute, so we’ll let the creator Charles Thurston explain it: “I have two small wonderful little girls and the problem I had was trying to find ways to entertain them and at the same time introduce them to the nerdy pop culture things that mommy and daddy love. There’s plenty of stuff out for small kids 6 and up but not for children under 4. So I decided to write and draw parody books for them that gave them a friendly introduction into the world of pop culture and sci-fi while paying tribute to the creative geniuses of George Lucas, J. R. R. Tolkien, Laura Joffe Numeroff, Joss Whedon, Rod Serling, Robert Zemeckis, Russell T. Davies, and Steven Moffat all of which that helped shape my childhood/adulthood and imagination.” Charles’ original hand-made books include titles like Go, Smaug, Go!, Taylor in Ape Land, and The Dire Wolf At The End Of This Book. All those and more are available as a package deal at his Etsy Store. You can also find out more at his web site, as well as look through his extensive collection of original prints for sale.

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