AnimeNation Anime News Blog

Iconic illustrator & painter Frank Frazetta passed away yesterday in Fort Myers, Florida, of complications following a stroke. He was 82. Frazetta’s work included comics, movie posters, and well-known cover illustrations for pulp fantasy novel franchises including Conan, Tarzan, and John Carter of Mars. Animation fans may be most familiar with Frazetta’s work through his 1983 film collaboration with animator/director Ralph Bakshi, Fire and Ice.

Source: ICv2

Twitch, via a series of links, has secured the first official trailer for director Sylvain Chomet’s (Les triplettes de Belleville) upcoming film The Illusionist. The trailer’s text is in Russian, but that does nothing to hinder the trailer’s effectiveness. The movie opens theatrically in France on May 5th. It presently doesn’t have a U.S. distributor.

Gorgeous.

IESB reports that Lucasfilm is developing a new Star Wars animated television series titled “Star Wars: Galactic Heroes.” This new series is based on Hasbro’s line of Galactic Heroes super deformed figure toys. The animated series will target a primary audience of Pre-School to kindergarten aged children.

Okay, I recognize that Star Wars has always been a kids’ franchise, but did the Droids and Ewoks animated series teach us nothing?

With a movie version of Missile Command essentially set up at Fox and an adaptation of Asteroids in development at Universal, it was only a matter of time before a studio decided to take on the grandfather of all video games, Space Invaders. And now it looks like one could. Warner Bros. is negotiating to acquire feature rights to the landmark shooter from Taito, the Japanese company that originally manufactured the game.

From The LA Times

A copy of Detective Comics issue 27, the 1939 first published appearance of Batman, sold Wednesday at auction in Dallas, Texas for a record setting $1,075,500 (including buyer’s fees). The sale narrowly surpasses the record for most paid for a single comic set last week when a copy of Action Comics issue 1, the first appearance of Superman, sold for one million dollars. The Detective Comics issue is one of only two known copies graded in 8.0 CGC condition. No copies in better condition are known to exist.

Some folks have clearly got more money to spend on their hobbies than me.

Source: ICv2

A copy of Action Comics issue 1 in CGC 8.0 condition sold at auction yesterday for a record setting one million dollars. The 1938 comic features the first published appearance of Superman. Only 100 copies of the comic are known to still exist, and only two known copies are in 8.0 condition or better. A copy of the comic in CGC 6.0 condition sold for a, at the time, record setting $317,200 last year.

Wow.

Source: ICv2

I know, we’re an anime blog, but I love pics of Japan, Tokyo especially, so when I come across some nice ones I like to share them with everyone. With much of the US in the icy grip of winter, don’t you wish you could be biking this right now?

Looks like Japan isn’t the only country to be developing an animated zombie apocalypse. A.D. comes courtesy of creator/writer Haylar Garcia, director Ben Hibon (director of of spectacular MTV Asia short Code Hunters), and Land of the Dead producer Bernie Goldmann. It’s being developed as a feature length film.

Zombie Info hosts an exclusive interview with the film’s creator and producers.

The Disney owned film production & distribution company Miramax Films officially ceased operations today. The producer/distributor’s New York and Los Angeles offices close today, leaving 80 former staffer unemployed and six completed films in distribution limbo. The storied 31 year old distributor is remembered for financing and distributing acclaimed films including Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill I and II, Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Piano, The English Patient, The Crying Game, Good Will Hunting, and Chicago.

“If there was any company that contributed more to the shaping of a generation and a sensibility — I don’t know it,” said veteran publicist Fredell Pogodin.

Source: The Wrap

Art Clokey, creator of stop-motion animation characters Gumby and Davey & Goliath passed away in his sleep on the morning of January 8. Born on October 12, 1921, Clokey was 88 at the time of his death.

Legendary screenwriter Dan O’Bannon, whose screenplays include Alien, Dark Star, Return of the Living Dead, Total Recall, Blue Thunder, and Life Force, passed away on Thursday, December 17 following a 33 year battle with Crohn’s Disease. He will be missed.

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that first time feature director Carl Rinsch will helm 47 Ronin, an American film adaptation of the classic Japanese Chushingura story. Fast & Furious and Wanted screenwriter Chris Morgan is writing the script specifically around star Keanu Reeves. The original Japanese story, an account of a 1703 incident in which 47 samurai avenged the disgrace of their lord by killing the government official responsible then committing ritual suicide to atone for their collective crime, is one of Japan’s most beloved and respected tales. The story of the 47 ronin has been adapted countless times in Japanese arts, including stage plays, ballet, puppet play, prose, TV, and feature film adaptations. Evidently the American film adaptation for Universal Pictures will take a liberal approach to the source material, as it’s described as including “fantastical elements of films like The Lord of the Rings.”

Evidently the only new announcement here is the selection of a director, but this whole project may still be news to some.

Source: Anime News Network

Beginning today, Adult Swim will begin allowing consumers to purchase custom DVDs. Customers within the USA can select up to 110 minutes’ worth of TV episodes from select Adult Swim programs, choose disc art and a cover image, design a DVD menu, and have the custom disc manufactured and shipped for $20. 100 TV episodes will initially be available, including episodes not otherwise available on DVD. Adult Swim expects to have over 1,000 episodes from more than 30 shows available for selection by year’s end.

Source: Yahoo

Article provided by Daniel Zelter

Uruguayan commercial director and visual effects expert Fede Alvarez has released his 5 minute short film Panic Attack! (Ataque de Panico!) to the public. Just watching it serves as all the explanation necessary.

Source: Quiet Earth

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen director Michael Bay is now accepting reservations for DVD and Blu-ray copies of Transformers 2 and combo packages of both Transformers movies bearing his personal autograph. Blu-ray combo packs will also be autographed by actor Tyrese Gibson, who played Master Sergeant Epps. Proceeds will be donated to the Make A Wish Foundation.

Regardless of what you think about Bay or the Transformers movies, this is unquestionably a classy move.

Article provided by Daniel Zelter