The Smurfs get Papercutz to debut The Purple Smurf
The Smurfs; lovable, joyful little critters who gleefully sing the day away. Seems like the perfect little symbol of happiness, right? Well, now imagine that one of them is all twisted and evil and bitter – and most alarmingly, a blue-less purple. Then he bites another Smurf, turning him the same kind of evil and purple. Then another. And another. Soon, it’s a whole horde of zombie-like evil Smurfs, aiming to take over all of Smurfkind. Horrifying, right?? Well, such is the tale of The Purple Smurf, or as it was originally known in France, Les Schtroumpfs Noirs. It’s an epidemic even Gargamel couldn’t have dreamed up, and one only Papa Smurf could figure a way out of. The original story was released by Peyo, nearly 50 years ago, then animated in the Saturday morning toon some 20 years ago, and replayed on Cartoon Network’s Boomerang about 5 years ago. Now, Papercutz is re-releasing the original graphic novel in English for the first time, along with other Smurf adventures, like The Smurfs and the Magic Flute. With Sony and Columbia’s hybrid CG Smurfs movie due out next August, it looks like Smurf fever is spreading everywhere! Let’s just hope its not the purple kind. (more… )
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles strike a pose for TMNT Comiquettes
With 25 years to their history, there’ve been a number of really cool products based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, from the awesome arcade games to the sweet TMNT-style Snuggie. One particular item that caught our eye (and not with a Nun Chuck) is Sideshow Collectibles’ collection of Turtle Comiquettes – a hybrid word for comic book and maquette (which basically is fancy for “statue”). The level of craftsmanship in each of the figures is amazing, completely detailing your four favorite Mirage Studios’ greenies to the last bit; Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo never looked so good! As they prep for their official move from 4Kids (or “Toonzai”) to Nickelodeon, grabbing one of these would be a pretty sweet way to hype up! Hmm… maybe there’s a ToonBarn contest in the works… (more… )
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Disney swings toward Ultimate Spider-Man
Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can. …including starting up a new cartoon on Disney XD in the fall of 2011. The new toon, dubbed Ultimate Spider-Man, tells the story of a teenage Peter Parker dealing with his new abilities, high school life, fellow Marvel Super heroes, and New York’s super villain community. We first learned of the toon a few months back, but now we get more info on the producers behind the series: Brian Michael Bendis, writer of the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book, Paul Dini, the man behind Batman: the Animated Series, and Man of Action, the team behind Cartoon Network’s Ben 10 and Generator Rex. (more… )
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The Maxx now available on DVD from MTV and Liquid Television
For a few years during the mid 90′s, MTV was home to an amazing array of animated series. One programming span called “Oddities” featured The Maxx, a comic book series brought to life as a toon. The animation style frequently changed, moving from quality detail to simplified shapes to CG; all perfectly replicating the comic book panels and change of perspective. Now, the entire collection is available at Amazon. The 2-disc DVD set includes all 13 episodes, interviews with creator Sam Kieth & director Gregg Vanzo, and audio commentary on all episodes. The voice cast features Michael Haley as The Maxx, Glynnis Talken as Julie and Gloriee, Amy Danles as Sara, and Barry Stigler as Mr. Gone. (more… )
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Marvel powers Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with super voice talent
Since Disney took ownership of Marvel, their universe has not only expanded with superheroes, it’s exploded! This fall, the pair hope to showcase that collection in their latest animated adventure, Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The toon, set to air on Disney XD, features a wide cast of famous heroes and villains, but is also loaded with voice talent familiar with the comic book world. Amongst a large collection of stars, the toon will feature the sounds of Kevin Conroy (Batman from Batman: the Animated Series, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited), Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor from Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited), and Ron Perlman (Hellboy from the motion picture films as well as the animated toons). More voices, and guest stars, will be announced in the coming days, and ToonBarn will be there to share the info! (more… )
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Warner Premiere to revisit the DC Comics classic Batman: Year One
DC Comics and Warner Premiere have partnered again and again on bringing the DC Universe to life through amazing animated DVDs and Blu-ray discs. We’ve been treated to stories about Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Justice League, to name a few, but it’s Batman and the top-ranking popularity of the Dark Knight that have earned the most nods, including the recent Batman: Under the Red Hood. Now, rumor has it the next Batman story will be perhaps the most famous and best comic of them all, Frank Miller’s 1987 classic, Batman: Year One, with the floated date of September 27th, 2011, and directors Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery. This would have the title coincide with Christopher Nolan’s third film in the Batman franchise. Could this be true? Would you love it if it were? Can you tell that we really, really, really would?!!? (more… )
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DC Showcase Jonah Hex featured on Batman: Under the Red Hood
He may be a few hundred years old by today’s calendar, but 2010 was definitely a big year for Jonah Hex. He made his big screen debut earlier this summer, and later made his digital debut with an iTunes motion comic. Now, fans lucky enough to get their hands on Warner Premiere’s latest animated DVD, Batman: Under the Red Hood, will be treated to a special extra; DC Showcase Jonah Hex. While the motion comic brought comic book panels to life via Flash animation, the DC Showcase is a brand new, 10+ minute animated adventure starring the scarred cowboy. Written by Joe R. Lansdale, the animated feature stars the movie’s Thomas Jane as Jonah Hex, Linda Hamilton as Madame Lorraine, and Michael Rooker as Red Doc. Take a look at the feature in action (more… )
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Warner Bros. brings Jonah Hex Motion Comics to iTunes
Warner Bros. recently brought Jonah Hex to the big screen – and while the film didn’t have the same critically acclaimed impact that Jonah Hex’s “little screen” TV appearances did for Cartoon Network’s Justice League, WB is hoping the third medium is a charm. Thus, the DC Comics character is making his way to a downloadable format, via the medium known as Motion Comics; taking existing comic book artwork, then animating them in a cartoon-like fashion. In total, three action packed Jonah Hex Motion Comics are available for download, bringing the books to life panel by panel via Warner Premiere’s digital push. Take a look at one of the clips in action, then head over to Apple’s iTunes for the full download! (more… )
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