Books

Book Review: ‘Gustave Doré: Master of Imagination’

Although I haven’t seen the exhibit “Gustave Doré (1832-1883): Master of Imagination,” currently at the National Gallery of Canada, I can say that the catalog is beautiful, informative, and opened up Doré’s career in ways I had not anticipated.

TV

‘Danger Mouse’ Reboot Set for 2015

Television execs seems to be stuck in a neverending nostalgia loop. In just the past week, reboots or spinoffs have been announced for "The Lion King," "The Magic School Bus," "The Powerpuff Girls"...and now, "Danger Mouse." The iconic U.K. cartoon series, which was produced by British studio Cosgrove Hall from 1981 to 1992, is returning to the small screen next year with 52 eleven-minute episodes.

Internet Television

Netflix, Scholastic Reboot ‘The Magic School Bus’

Just in case you were worried that Netflix’s slate of upcoming animated programming was looking a little too Dreamworks heavy, the streaming site has announced plans to launch an updated version of the Scholastic Media educational series "The Magic School Bus."

Recaps

‘Ping Pong’ Recap: ‘Where Did I Go Wrong?’ (Ep. 5)

Ryuichi Kazama continues his victorious streak with a singles win at the Youth Olympics, while Sakuma and Peco realize they aren't cut out for the sport after witnessing Smile's continued improvement. At the halfway point in the story, we seem to be in a transitional stage in which the relationships of the players to one another and their attitude towards the sport are changing. The episode didn't have much tension to it partly as a result of that. There was no strong driving narrative force. That made it one of the less memorable episodes so far.

Business

British Studios Locksmith and Double Negative Plan To Make CG Features

There are big developments in the UK animation industry in the wake of a much-heralded tax break received by the British animation industry that went into effect last year. Sarah Smith, the former creative director of features at Aardman Animations, is setting up a studio named Locksmith Animation. She bills it as the UK’s "first high-end CGI feature animation studio," and it is focused on creating a long-term slate of films for worldwide distribution.

DVD

The Ultimate Guide to Animated Mockbusters

Disney's recent trademark lawsuit against Phase 4 Films and their movie "Frozen Land" has reignited discussion about 'mockbusters,' the portmanteau used to describe a genre of home video that is dedicated to tricking customers into mistakenly purchasing a low-budget imitation of a popular movie.

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