Source: Screen Daily
FUNimation Vice President and Producer Daniel Cocanougher had this to say:“FUNimation is very excited to be working with FOX in their production of a live-action Dragon Ball Z Feature Film. FOX plans to place this movie on a fast-track production schedule, and may have a movie released as early as Fall 2003 or Summer 2004. FOX is an excellent movie studio, producing such huge hits as X-Men and Star Wars, among many others. They feel that this project will not end with one movie, but will become a major, multi-picture franchise like Star Wars. Clearly, this is a remarkable upward turning point for the Dragon Ball Z property. It will also be very interesting for all Dragon Ball Z fans to try to predict the names of the stars, the director and producers, and the storyline that will be used.
Source: Natsume Maya
Wanderlust from Chiseled Comics is "go for launch"
A multitude of worlds have been pioneered beyond the boundaries of Sol, and the major rivals in this limitless expanse are the Interplanetary League and the Omega Coalition. Several months after a struggle over each other's territories, an unidentified party brutally strikes two deep-space traveling ships of the League Armada. Are the attackers their old enemies the Omegas, or as some have suggested, a nameless threat so staggering that the League personnel cannot muster a true defense? Outgunned but undaunted, Jake Sumner and Helen Wentzel fire up their AMPs...
Filled with epic space battles and daring espionage, Wanderlust is created and written by Bryant Shiu, with artwork by rising star Brett Weldele and inks by Michael Halbleib (Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe). Best known for his work on the successful Couscous Express for AIT/PlanetLar, penciller/colorist Weldele was picked by Wizard Magazine as one of the Top Five Buzz Creators of 2002. His artwork also can be found in May's Ultimate Spider-Man Special for Marvel and Shot Callerz from Oni Press.
For Wanderlust, Weldele fused qualities of manga/anime and animation, in general, with his own style to generate a look that stands on its own. "From the outset, Bryant wanted the flavor of anime mixed into the art," Weldele said. "It's been a fascinating process, starting from our collaboration during the character and mecha designs, to see how much of the anime influence ends up in a series that really runs the spectrum in concept and design."
Weldele's talent and enthusiasm are familiar to veteran comics pro Halbleib, who has known him for several years and is "a personal fan of his work." Halbleib had referred Shiu to Weldele at the start of Wanderlust. The inker' s versatile technique proved to be a perfect fit for Weldele's pencils. "The comic required a smoothness and grace to the inked lines that I thought we carried off superbly," Halbleib said.
Shiu agrees. "Both these guys have amazing range and expertise," he said. "There's a sleekness, and yet so much drama and excitement are conveyed that there really could be no one better artistically for the book."
But as important as those ingredients are to the comic, another is Shiu's approach to penning space sagas. He describes Wanderlust as possessing "a distinct edginess and focus on characterization. This is Top Gun meets Star Wars meets Saving Private Ryan meets Alias the tv series."
While providing pulse-pounding dogfights between squadrons of weapon-laden mecha and the intrigue of deadly, elusive spies, he'll be exploring the backdrop for the story as well as the different motivations of the characters. "The scope of the Interplanetary League is promptly established and the League-Omega conflict will be addressed from time to time, though the unidentified threat is always at the fore. Soon after the first issue, we'll gain more insight into the characters, starting with one of the most experienced League pilots, and find out why he is as good as he is. Which begs the question, as you see the fighting escalate, 'Is anyone good enough to help successfully safeguard the colonial worlds from this new danger?' They may be driven, talented men and women, but they're called upon to do an impossible task."
Driven and talented are certainly words Shiu would use to describe his artists, too. According to him, they've hit all their marks, "handling the furious mecha battles, character work, and even good-old, white-knuckled brawling with terrific skill."
For his part, Shiu plans to push the story as fervently as possible. "The status quo for the characters and their situations will be rocked quite a few times in the course of the series, and then it'll be rocked some more," he said. "A fevered pitch is what I'm ultimately aiming for and that's what readers should expect from Wanderlust."
Published by Chiseled Comics, the first two issues of Wanderlust will blast into stands in a pack set this July, and issues three and four of the full-color series will follow in August. Check out the May 2002 Previews--in stores now--for listing. A preview can be found at http://www.chiseledcomics.com. Just click on the Gallery link-- http://www.chiseledcomics.com/gallery.html.
Source: Natsume Maya
The text reads:
----
Spirited Away
This fall, Walt Disney Studios will release Hayao Miyazaki's ("Princess Mononoke") animated masterpiece, "Spirited Away." Japan's all-time top grossing film ($234 million). The film follows the fanciful adventures of a young girl named Chihiro, who discovers a secret world when she gets lost & ventures through a hillside tunnel, encountering strange spirits, assorted creatures & a grumpy sorceress who seeks to prevent Chihiro from returning to the human world.
Thanks to David Khalil for the tip.
Source: Hayao Miyazaki Discussion Group and Daniel-san
"The OPEN-R software development kit will empower academic institutions and programming hobbyists with the tools they need to expand the AIBO Entertainment Robot platform," said Victor Matsuda, ERA's vice president. "With OPEN-R, new software and research can be created and shared in a non-commercial manner amongst the programming community, which will accelerate the development of artificial intelligence." "Now programmers will be able to create new ways to enjoy and be entertained by their Entertainment Robots," Matsuda added.
The OPEN-R SDK has been created specifically for C++ programmers. It includes an API (Application Programming Interface) and sample programs. Through the use of OPEN-R SDK in conjunction with GNU Development Tools (GNU Development Tools are downloadable at www.aibo.com/openr/) programmers will be able to control their robot's basic behaviors.
It was decided that the extremely popular game software "the night of
Kamaitachi" which has sold 1,250,000 from '94 date of sale will be
drama-ized in TBS. Tatsuya Fujiwara (19) stars in TV special program. It is
broadcast from July 3 (Wednesday, PM 9:00) with the costarring of Rina Uchiyama
(20).
It is the mystery game which established the genre of the "sound novel"
which reads and advances a tale, enjoying sound and an image "the night of
Kamaitachi." The serial-murders case which occurs at the locked-up-room-ized
pension is drawn, and various deployment can be enjoyed by clicking the
choice of a screen. The formal fan book has also sold 153,000 parts and sale
of sequel software was also decided on July 18.
The man and woman who gathered by the meeting of the fan of "the night of
Kamaitachi" stay at the pension of the name of "Spur", and the same
indiscriminate homicide as a game generates a tale there. this drama
refrained from sequel sale and united it with boom revival -- a drama -- it
is-izing In TBS, it is planned to make for mystery horror suitable to "I
want to draw thoroughly the suspicion and fear heart and the feeling of fear
which are produced in an extreme situation in addition to the element of a
formal mystery which an original has", and the special of summer. It starts
crank in from the 7th. [(Sport Nippon) Renewal of 7:0 on May 7]
Source: Yahoo
Square announced that the shipment of their highly anticipated PS2 RPG Kingdom Hearts has exceeded 750,000 units in Japan, the sales of the game has also exceeded Square's forecast of 500,000 units.
Capcom will release the PlayStation 2 cel-shaded action game Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Whirlwind of Gold in Japan on July 25, for 6800 yen.
SNK Neo Geo has released new details on their MVS arcade fighting game Rage of the Dragon, this game will feature a Partner Change System, there is a Tag Gauge under the life bar, when the gauge is full, you can swap the current character with another character in the background, during the character switch, the swap-out character will become invincible, while the swap-in character will enter the stage with an attack, which gives you a chance to counterattack the opponent. In addition, the game features Free Cancel System, Duplex Attack and Surrender System..... More Images can be had at the Magic Box here.
RELEASE DATE SET FOR BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040 PERFECT COLLECTION
THE ENTIRE BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040 (BGC 2040) SERIES NOW AVAILABLE IN
ONE COMPLETE COLLECTION
HOUSTON, May 6, 2002 - ADV Films has set a street date of August 13, 2002 for the Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 Perfect Collection, a special collector's edition package containing the entire BGC 2040 television series on six discs. BGC 2040 is a 1998 remake of the Bubblegum Crisis series from the late eighties, and was directed by Hiroki Hayashi (Tenchi Muyo!) from a script by Chiaki Konaka (Armitage III).
The story: In the aftermath of the great earthquake, one ruthless corporation stands ready to take over the devastated city of Tokyo with an army of synthetic monsters. Only a single band of female vigilantes opposes the monolithic power of Genom - but in this case, four women are all it takes! Armed with the most incredible combat suits ever designed, the Knight Sabers wage a desperate war in the shadows, combating the monstrous by-products of technology run amuck with courage, sweat and blood! Breakneck action combines with state of the art animation and a hard-driving rock soundtrack in the series that redefined the cutting edge and proved "Cyberpunk's Not Dead." Don't miss the excitement as the Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 Perfect Collection explodes onto DVD.
ADV Films' release of the Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 Perfect Collection ($89.98 SRP) contains the entire twenty-six episode series on six discs in the English language, along with the Japanese and Spanish language versions with English subtitles. DVD extras include character bios, interactive menus, and ADV previews.
BUBBLEGUM CRISIS TOKYO 2040 PERFECT COLLECTION Running Time: 650 Minutes Age Rating: 15+ Pre-Book Date: 7/16/02 Street Date: 8/13/02 Format SRP DVD $89.98
RELEASE DATE SET FOR GENERATOR GAWL PERFECT COLLECTION
THE ENTIRE GENERATOR GAWL SERIES NOW COLLECTED IN ONE COMPLETE PACKAGE
HOUSTON, May 6, 2002 - ADV Films has set a street date of September 3, 2002 for the Generator Gawl Perfect Collection, a special collector's edition package containing the entire Generator Gawl series on four discs. Generator Gawl was created by the writing and directing team of Seiji Mizushima and Hidefumi Kimura (Dai-Guard), and produced by Tatsunoko Productions (Battle of the Planets).
The story: In October 2007, Professor Takuma Nekasa uncovers a gene code that will unlock our body's greatest mystery and expose mankind to its greatest threat. So Gawl, Koji, and Ryo - three young scientists from the future - must travel back in time to correct this mistake from the past. The catch? They have only three months to save the world from the mysterious and cunning Ryuko Saito and her Generators, unearthly assassins posing as humans. As Ryo and Koji try to complete their mission, Gawl must become like his enemies to fight on their terms. And it may cost him his humanity. A thermonuclear fusion of action, comedy, and mystery, Generator Gawl draws you into its web of intrigue with eye-catching art, startling plot turns, and compelling characters.
ADV Films' release of the Generator Gawl Perfect Collection ($59.98 SRP) contains the entire twelve episode series on four discs in the English language, as well as the Japanese language with English subtitles. DVD extras include character sketches and ADV previews.
GENERATOR GAWL PERFECT COLLECTION Running Time: 300 Minutes Age Rating: 12+ Pre-Book Date: 8/6/02 Street Date: 9/3/02 Format SRP DVD $59.98
RELEASE DATE SET FOR STEEL ANGEL KURUMI: THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS
ANIME SERIES FEATURES SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY FARSCAPE ACTRESS CLAUDIA BLACK
HOUSTON, May 6, 2002 - ADV Films has set a street date of July 16, 2002 for the DVD release of The Trouble with Angels - the second stunning volume of the popular anime series, Steel Angel Kurumi.
Steel Angel Kurumi features breathtaking animation from acclaimed studio O.L.M. - famous for their work on the Pokemon franchise - along with an English dub starring some of the most popular actresses in anime: Kelli Cousins (Princess Nine), Monica Rial (Excel Saga), Hilary Haag (Princess Nine), and Kira Vincent-Davis (Martian Successor Nadesico), with a special appearance by one of the hottest actresses in live action sci-fi, Claudia Black (Farscape, Pitch Black).
To support this series, ADV Films has unveiled a Steel Angel Kurumi website, which will include galleries of Kurumi artwork, downloadable desktop wallpapers, behind the scenes interviews, and more. Visit the website at www.advfilms.com/favorites/kurumi.
The Story: She's beautiful, powerful, passionate, and too dangerous to exist. She is the Steel Angel Kurumi-and she's marked for termination. Her enemy? The Academy, a floating fortress of mystery and military might. Their weapons? Powerful androids as lethal as they are lovely. Can Kurumi and her friends reach her creator's secret lab without being detected by the Academy assassins? Or will her Steel Angel siblings succeed in ripping out her Mark II Heart that makes Kurumi so dangerous? With gorgeously animated visuals, in-your-face fight scenes, and a tense, twisty plot, The Trouble With Angels picks up where the smash hit Angel on My Shoulder left off. Featuring anime's hottest actresses in the year's sexiest roles, Steel Angel Kurumi packs a playfully flirty, frequently funny, and always exciting punch!
ADV Films' DVD release ($29.98 SRP) of Steel Angel Kurumi: The Trouble with Angels will feature six episodes in English-language, as well as the Japanese-language with English subtitles. DVD extras include the behind the scenes photo shoot with the English voice actresses, translator notes, the U.S. teaser, original Japanese artwork, a printable fortune teller featuring the character Saki, and ADV previews.
STEEL ANGEL KURUMI: THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS Running Time: 90 Minutes; Age Rating: 17+ Pre-Book Date: 6/18/02 Street Date: 7/16/02 Format SRP DVD $29.98
Japan Technical Events Consortium (JTEC) has been taking active roll on promoting many major technical trade show, convention, and medical congress held in Japan, specifically to US market.
Today, we are proud to announce an affordable pre-packed travel package tour to Comic, Manga, Cosplay and Do-Jinshi fans holy event, TOKYO COMIKET. All OTAKU must be there event, over 300,000 participants every year.
One single call will get you to the exciting TOKYO COMIKET. This is the ultimate, Anime-Lovers-Don$B!G(Jt-Miss event tour. For tour detail: http://www.visitJTEC.com/comiket
Package include$B!'(JRound trip airfare from USA
Airport-Hotel Transfer in Tokyo
4 nights hotel accommodation in the heart of Tokyo
Bilingual tour escort from Los Angeles
2 days escorted event transfer
Evangelion to air on Cartoon Network Australia! - http://www.eva2000.com/news/index.php?id=51
Neon Genesis Evangelion will start on Cartoon Network Australia (Pay TV - Foxtel) from May 11, 2002: 10:30 pm. Check your local Foxtel TV Guide http://www.foxtel.com.au/foxtelguidevv for the exact time for your timezone.
Spriggan at Chinatown Cinemas May 16, 2002 - http://animeboards.com/t39965/s.html
Straight from Madman.com.au's newsletter, Madman.com.au will be presenting the anime feature, Spriggan at the Melbourne Chinatown Cinemas for a limited two week season beginning May 16. The Chinatown Cinema is located at 200 Bourke St Melbourne (the building formerly known as The Hoyts Mid City Cinema)
There will be a two week season commencing 16th May, 2002:
Session times: The screening of Spriggan will begin on Thursday the 16th May with session times as listed below.
Mon & Wed 4:30pm 6:30pm Thu & Fri 4:30 pm 6:30 pm 8:30pm Sat & Sun 2:30pm 4:30pm 6:30pm
Price listing:
Adults $12.00 Students $10.00 Children $7.00 Group Pricing - upon application No booking required.
*Please note that Spriggan is presented with an English dubbed soundtrack.
For those outside Melbourne or otherwise unable to attend the big screen experience Madman Entertainment will be releasing Spriggan on DVD 12th June 2002. If you're in Melbourne and are interested please contact Rohan Kelly or Tim Anderson at Madman Entertainment on 9417 0977 or fax 9418 7388.
Animeboards.com forums reopening registrations - http://animeboards.com/register.php?s=&action=signup
Due to overwhelming daily registrations at Animeboards.com, new registrations from time to time get disabled to manually process and approve new members. Registrations have been closed for the past 30 days (since Apr 6, 2002) and will be reopening for new member registration on May 15, 2002 http://animeboards.com/register.php?.
Animeboards.com is an Australian run, US hosted anime community discussion forum with members from around the world. 100 to 400 simultaneous members and guests frequent the forum at any time of the day. Due to complexity of running such a large and active forum, registrations must be made from real ISP email a/cs and not free web providers such as Hotmail.com, Yahoo.com, Start.com.au etc.
Source: Natsume Maya
June
HAMTARO (NEW SERIES): Hamtaro, one of Japan's hottest children's television programs, makes its U.S. debut on Cartoon Network on Monday, June 3. When ten-year old Laura moves to a new town, she's not the only one who has to make new friends. Her pet hamster, Hamtaro, also needs to get used to new surroundings and find new hamster chums. This series follows Hamtaro and his gang of hamster pals, known as "The Ham-Ham Gang," as they join forces to solve problems and embark on countless adventures. Hamtaro will air weekdays at 7 a.m. (ET, PT) and during Toonami at 4 p.m. (ET, PT).
TOONAMI - NEW TIME: "Toonami", Cartoon Network's popular afternoon action-adventure programming block, will expand its lineup to three full hours starting Monday, June 3. Toonami will air weekday afternoons from 4-7 p.m. (ET, PT).
All Stories, Graphics And Material © Anime News Service Unless Otherwise Cited
Questions,Comments,News Submissions