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Super Heroes Take a Wireless Ride
By Caroline Scarborough Cartoon and comic super heros, with their distinctive, scaled down images and skimpy dialogue, are ready-made for mobile phones and devices. That's the consensus of several of the world's top entertainment companies, which are scrambling to bring characters like Spiderman, X-Men, Casper and other comic book characters to a "small screen" near you. In fact, wireless communication platforms represent one of the fastest growing and lucrative areas for creative entertainment, according to Marvel Enterprises CEO Peter Cuneo. Marvel's research, he said, indicates that one billion people will be using cellphones on a regular daily basis by 2003. "We believe that individuals around the world will ultimately depend on portable devices as a way of life and as a major source of entertainment," said Cuneo. As part of its efforts to move into the wireless realm, Marvel partnered with Finnish Riot Entertainment to create games and icons based on Marvel's universe of characters. The first product, "X-Men: The Wireless Game," is already a hit. Finnish Cartoons Lead the Way Riot Entertainment, which was backed by Nokia, Robert Murdoch's News Corp. and Japanese investment firm Softbank, is just one of several companies developing games and cartoons for mobile devices. Finnish firm, Moving Entertainment Oyj Ltd, delivers its "Flip and Mick" cartoons to mobile phones, and another Finnish group, Springtoys, provides e-games to mobile operators. In the U.S., the Harvey Entertainment Company is partnering with educational company ThinkBox to bring Harvey's classic cartoon character, Casper the Friendly Ghost, to both its new online Kindle Park – a site for 2-6 year olds and their families – and wireless devices, according to ThinkBox president and founder Brian Napack. Also producing characters for wired and wireless cyberspace: animation pioneer Chuck Jones, who will create his first new major Warner Bros. character in almost 50 years – Timber Wolf – exclusively for online and wireless platforms. Jones, the father of the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian, will create Timber Wolf for a 13-episode online series that will be featured exclusively on Warner Bros. Online and Entertaindom later this year. "When we created the Looney Tunes," Jones said, "we concentrated on tight scripts, and grabbing the audience's short-attention span. No matter what the medium, it's the humanity, humor and emotion that bring new audiences to these cartoon . . . So I think the medium is not the message, believable characters and good story line will hold the audience." Rounding Out the Picture Jones, 87, will be joined in the venture by voice artist Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson on "The Simpsons") and Joe Alasky (current voice of "Marvin the Martian" on Entertaindom's 3-D episodes), writer Philip Vaughn ("Late Night with David Letterman") and executive producer Stephen Fossati ("Father of the Bird," animation sequences in "Mrs. Doubtfire"). A team of young animators, whose combined credits include series for Warner Bros., Disney, Fox, and Nickelodeon, will be responsible for bringing Jones' vision of Timber Wolf to life, said Kevin Tsujihara, executive vice president of Warner Bros. New Media group, Warner Bros. also is partnering with PacketVideo Corporation, a wireless media company, to develop properties for distribution via PacketVideo's technology. Among PacketVideo's solution: MPEG-4 software that enables the distribution of video over wireless networks. Warner Bros. and PacketVideo's first project will be the creation of four animated series based on some of the Studio's legendary cartoon icons, which include Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. Trailers from Warner Bros.' upcoming feature films and promos for programs from Warner Bros. Television, Telepictures Productions, and The WB Television Network also will be part of the wireless programming slate. "Warner Bros. is continuously seeking new opportunities to extend our brands both in our traditional businesses and beyond," said Tsujihara. "It is our belief that wireless multimedia will reach and help define the audience of the future."
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