The Lafayette Public Library has added animated versions of classic childrens books to its website www.lafayette.lib.la.us, reports THE DAILY ADVERTISER. This new feature, called Tumble Books, includes sound, music and narration added to read-along text.
All computer how-to books in the In Pictures series are being provided free to the public, as downloadable files.
Anyone who visits In Pictures' website at www.inpics.net/ can download any and all of its 22 different books for free, in Adobe PDF format. In the month since the site was launched, more than 20,000 people have visited it to download free books.
Books Inc. Bookstore is hosting a book signing with Gene Hamm and Dan Bessie to discuss their books HOW TO GET A JOB IN ANIMATION AND KEEP IT and REELING THROUGH HOLLYWOOD. The event will take place at 7:30 pm. For more information, call 510-522-2226 or visit www.booksinc.net.
JAKKS Pacific, Inc., in conjunction with Disney Publishing Worldwide, will offer TeleStory products with content based on the library of classic and popular Disney characters. The TeleStory interactive books connect directly into a standard TV using JAKKS' Plug & Read technology and serve as a fun, introductory reading guide for preschool-aged children.
Alliance Atlantis announced that it has secured North American publishing and apparel deals for its childrens CGI animated property, DRAGON BOOSTER. Hyperion Books for Children, having acquired the U.S. and Canadian publishing rights, will launch a series of DRAGON BOOSTER books beginning in fall 2005. Extreme Concepts, who will begin rolling out the clothing line in fall 2005, has licensed the DRAGON BOOSTER apparel rights in the U.S.
Byron C. Preiss, an author and a publisher who specialized in illustrated books by celebrities, graphic novels and science fiction, died in a car accident on July 9, 2005, in East Hampton, New York, reports THE NEW YORK TIMES. He was 52 and lived in Manhattan.
Preiss, the president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications and Ibooks, was one of the first publishers to release CD-ROM's and electronic books.
Chronicle Books will host signings with the creators of MUTTS and OPTIC NERVE at Comic-Con, July 14-17, 2005. Chronicles booth is #1135. Patrick McDonnell, author/illustrator and creator of MUTTS will be signing his Chronicle Books gift items (blank journal, postcard box, 2006 wall calendar) from 2:00-3:00 pm on Thursday, July 14. Adrian Tomine, author/illustrator and creator of OPTIC NERVE will be signing his Chronicle Books gift items (blank journal, postcard box) from 11:00 am - noon, on Saturday, July 16.
Tor Books has teamed up with SCI FI Channel to bring readers the finest new voices in science fiction and fantasy. Each month, one Tor title will receive the SCI FI Essential stamp of approval, which will appear on the spine and cover of the book. Tor and SCI Fi will partner on live author chats on SCIFI.COM, and sample chapters and sneak peeks of upcoming books in the program on the site www.scifimonthlypick.com.
Alliance Atlantis has secured North American publishing and apparel deals for its children's CGI animated property, DRAGON BOOSTER.
Hyperion Books for Children, having acquired the U.S. and Canadian publishing rights, will launch a series of DRAGON BOOSTER books beginning in fall 2005. Extreme Concepts, who will begin rolling out the clothing line in fall 2005, has licensed the DRAGON BOOSTER apparel rights in the U.S.
This year's nominees for the 18th Annual Harvey Awards, chosen solely by industry professionals, have been announced, with DC and Fantagraphics leading the way with the most nominations.
The new Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, in New York City, will host the awards ceremony at the historic Puck Building on June 11, 2005, as part of the Fourth Annual MoCCA Art Festival Weekend. Jeff (Bone) Smith will be the keynote speaker.
The nominees for the 18th Annual Harvey Awards are:
Best New Talent
20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios are adapting Dr. Seuss' HORTON HEARS A WHO into a CG-animated movie, according to THE HOLLLYWOOD REPORTER. The disclosure on Wednesday was timed perfectly in consort with the launch of ROBOTS, directed by Blue Skys Chris Wedge, on Friday, March 11, 2005.
Archie Comics Ent. Llc. has assigned Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children the master publishing rights to the companys Betty & Veronica franchise. Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children will publish a wide range of Betty & Veronica-themed lifestyle books aimed at the tween and teen markets, with titles focusing on fashion, fitness, beauty, music and boys.
Marvel Enterprises Inc. has entered into major licensing agreements with four of the world's leading publishing houses: DK Publishing, Harper Collins, Meredith Books and Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books as part of a strategy to increase the presence of its leading character franchises in various mass market book publishing formats.
Walt Disney's Touchstone Pictures has hired director Gregor Jordan (BUFFALO SOLDIERS) to rewrite and direct the adaptation of John Christopher's THE TRIPODS TRILOGY, reports VARIETY. Disney has had the properties rights since 1997 and both Darren Lemke and Terry Hayes have written scripts based on the series.
Exent has launched TumbleBooks, a collection of animated, talking picture books that teach kids the joy of reading in an easy-to-use format, through its Games-on-Demand services. The books are created by taking existing picture books licensed from leading children's book publishers, and then adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book.
John Parr Miller, an early animator for Walt Disney and best-selling children's books illustrator, died on Oct. 29, 2004, in Long Island, reports THE NEW YORK TIMES. He was 91 and lived in Manhasset, New York. His death was announced by his family.
J. P. Miller is best known for his work on the Little Golden Books line of books. His THE LITTLE RED HEN is still a perennial seller, despite being published a half a century ago.
In 2003, AWN launched its newest resource site, the AWN Book Corner. Looking for books related to animation, then the Book Corner is the best place for you to visit. Readers can search through tomes dealing with 2D & 3D graphics, animation, applications, cinematography, digital video, entertainment, gaming, history & theory, post-production, programming & scripting and Web & multimedia. You can also browse books by title, author or publisher.
Vinton Studios has signed Oxford-based publisher Fiona Kenshole research the international book market for potential film properties, reports VARIETY. Previously, Kenshole was publishing director of Oxford University Press Children's Books, where she launched the Oxford University Press paperback and Modern Classics lists and oversaw a rebranding of its children's dictionaries.
GiGi Books is looking for fun and creative, original children's stories. The winner will receive $250 and their book will be published and adapted to audio. Three additional winners will be chosen and their books will be published and adapted also. Submissions must be 400 words or less. There is a $5 entrance/processing fee that should be included with each manuscript submitted. Make checks or money orders payable to GiGi Books, LLC. Send manuscripts to GiGi Books, LLC, 17486 Old Waterford Road, Leesburg, Virginia 20176. Visit www.gigiaudiobooks.com/contest for more information.
Janet Hetherington looks at the manga mania that is flooding over the publishing industry and winning the hearts of dedicated female fans.
Chronicle Books will produce three products based on THE INCREDIBLES, which will hit theaters Nov. 5, 2004. THE ART OF THE INCREDIBLES by Mark Cotta Vaz will be a 160-page, 11x9" hardcover with an 8-page gatefold and color illustrations throughout. It will feature concept and character sketches, storyboards and lighting studies, as well as interviews with the key personnel at Pixar, including director Brad Bird and John Lasseter. It will sell for $40.
In 2003, AWN launched its newest resource site, the AWN Book Corner.
Weston Woods, that is. I feel that my best films are the least known. My greatest fans still are teachers and librarians, and I spent 25 years of creative fulfillment in pleasing them.
In 2003, AWN launched its newest resource site, the AWN Book Corner.
