Remember Wicked Willie, the creation of Gray Jolliffe? Well, he’s back, as right and upright as ever in The Complete Wicked Willie, out on DVD in January. Based on Jolliffe’s internationally best-selling series of cartoon books about the continuing adventures… Read More ›
Animation
Animation news and features
Creature Comforts USA Released on DVD
Creature Comforts USA: Complete Series 3 has just been released on DVD in the UK by 2Entertain, offering more unscripted voices of the great American public hilariously brought to life with animated animals and wildlife. Based on Aardman Animation’s original… Read More ›
Gaiman’s "Coraline" Strangest Film Ever?:
(with thanks to Chris Taormina): FilminFocus, an editorial site on film culture recently launched by Focus Features, has published an article on the upcoming animated adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novella Coraline, which was adapted into a graphic novel by… Read More ›
Win Tickets To New Wallace And Gromit Film Preview
Leonard Cheshire Disability and Aardman Animations are offering one lucky winner two tickets to preview the new Wallace and Gromit film, A Matter of Loaf and Death, at the Aardman studios in Bristol on 22 December. The competition is part… Read More ›
In Review: The Tripwire Annual 2008
Review by John Freeman Joel Meadows has edited and designed Tripwire since 1992, and, as editor of the magazine and a freelance journalist for newspapers such as The Times, The Indpendent and various other titles, has interviewed almost everyone of… Read More ›
Abracadabra! It’s Shaun the Sheep
Baa! Another bunch of great woolly adventures for Shaun, Bitzer, Shirley and the flock, not to mention those troublesome pigs is about to be released on DVD, as they go looking for more sheep thrills. The shear delights in this… Read More ›
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Computer Adventure!
With Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park in the news as guest editor of the 70th Birthday Beano, Telltale, Inc., the leader in interactive episodic entertainment, have just released a cinematic teaser trailer and new details about the Wallace &… Read More ›
Animated Adventures Exhibition in Leicester
Animated Adventures, featuring Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit, is now open at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester and runs until 12 October 2008. Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look at how animators including Aardman – the film… Read More ›
Lee’s Legion of 5
Image details: Stan Lee at the opening Reception For ”Stan Lee: A Retrospective” in February 2007. Image via picapp.com Marvel Comics Master Stan Lee and his Pow! Entertainment, along with Brighton Partners have teamed with CG producers Rainmaker Entertainment (now… Read More ›
Exhibition Review: Make Mine Manga!
I approached the How Manga Took Over The World exhibition at Manchester’s Urbis museum, writes Matt Badham, with some trepidation. I’m not a massive manga and anime fan and certainly don’t know my shonen from my shojo. However, perhaps because… Read More ›
Webby Awards Nomination for Ring Tales
The 12th Annual Webby Awards has nominated US company RingTales for the Best Animation Video of 2008, based on a selection of RingTales’ animated versions of the print cartoons from The New Yorker magazine. Winners will be announced on 6th… Read More ›
Live-action Akira planned
Hollywood Reporter notes that anime and manga classic Akira is getting the live-action big-screen treatment courtesy of Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros. A link to British comics is of course tenuous but Marvel UK did run the manga in the… Read More ›
Thunderbirds 2005
Thunderbirds: IR, a missed opportunity
Best Videos of 2007?
It’s the time of year for “Best of..” lists and a look back at highlights of 2007, and here at downthetubes we thought our readers might be interested on what made it into the animated “all star” highlights over at… Read More ›
Wake Up Cat
Often mis-titled ‘Wake Up Cat’, this bitter sweet but very funny animation (especially if you have cats) is by English animator Simon Tofield a friend sent me recently is actually titled ‘Cat Man Do’. Tofield works for animation company Tandem… Read More ›
Infinite Accquisitions
In a marriage of SF makers, independent British television producer Impossible Pictures, makers of Prehistoric Park and Primeval for ITV has acquired the Manchester-based animation company Firestep. The acquisition expands Impossible Pictures’ operations outside of London and the company says… Read More ›
Big Ben Animated series in development
Former Comics International and Warrior editor Dez Skinn has been in touch with downthetubes to update us on his upcoming projects — the first of which is an animated show based on one of the characters from Warrior – Big… Read More ›
Save Kids TV campaign – Petition the PM!
Pact has set up a petition on the Number 10 website to highlight the plight UK kids TV is under, highlighted by the Save Kids TV campaign who have a comic about the issue on ROK Comics, republished below. To… Read More ›
New Dennis the Menace animation in the works
Beano character Dennis the Menace is being updated in a new animated version for CBBC. Trade magazine Broadcast and other sources report DC Thomson is working with animation company Red Kite to deliver the 52 x 12-minute Dennis & Gnasher… Read More ›
Wallace & Gromit Return
Huzzah! Variety reports Aardman Animation’s Wallace & Gromit are back at work, with a new film to be shown on BBC1 at Christmas next year. Trouble at’ Mill, co-written by Nick Park and Bob Baker, sees Wallace and Gromit open… Read More ›