Konami To Get 4Kids' Yu-Gi-Oh! Assets Under Proposed Deal

From Anime News Network:

Konami to Get 4Kids' Yu-Gi-Oh! Assets Under Proposed Deal

Tentative proposal would transfer Toonzai agreement to Saban affiliate


On Friday, North American anime distributor 4Kids filed a notice in its bankruptcy case that outlines who will take over its contracts and obligations. Under a proposed agreement, Kidsco Media Ventures LLC (an affiliate of Saban Capital) and 4K Acquisition Corp. (an indirect subsidiary of Japan's Konami Corporation) would divide the assets and obligations of 4Kids.

The proposed agreement has not been finalized, since Judge Shelley C. Chapman still has to approve the proposed agreement after a June 20 hearing.

If approved, the "Proposed Transaction" would assign several 4Kids contracts to Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures, including the following:

* The CW Network's Saturday Morning programming block (currently known as Toonzai) agreement terms

* Four Cubix agreements with Daiwon C & A Holdings, Cinepix, East Japan Marketing & Communications, CSC Media Group

* Dragon Ball agreement terms with Toei Animation and Funimation Productions

* Sonic X agreement with TMS Entertainment

If approved, the proposed transaction would also assign the following contracts and others to Konami's 4K Acquisition Corp.:

* Yu-Gi-Oh! distribution agreement with Warner Bros.

* 2003 Yu-Gi-Oh! movie deal memo with TV Tokyo, Nhon Ad Systems, Shueisha

* Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time movie deal memo with TV Tokyo, Nhon Ad Systems

* TV Tokyo's agreement for Yu-Gi-Oh! seasons 1-3

* Nihon Ad Systems's agreement for Yu-Gi-Oh!

* Yu-Gi-Oh! music and soundtrack agreements with Cherry Lane, SKG Music, RCA Music Group

* Yu-Gi-Oh! merchandise license agreements with 2Feet, A&A Global Industries, Bentex Group/Extreme Concepts, Boss Creations International, Coveroo, Konami, and others

* Yu-Gi-Oh! foreign broadcast licenses to Ares Films, Digital Platform Iletisim Hizmetleri, KM Productions, Magus Entertainment, Nickelodeon UK, SIC TV, Televix Entertainment, Turner, United Channels of Israel, YTV, and others

* The lease on 4Kids Entertainment's 23rd/24th Street offices in New York City

The formal bankruptcy auction for "substantially all of [4Kids'] assets" began on June 5 between Konami's 4K Acquisition Corp. and Saban's Kidsco Media Ventures LLC. However, after a series of bids, the auction was adjourned to allow the two parties to consider an agreement that would split 4Kids' assets between them.

Konami is the Japanese licensor and distributor of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, while Saban once produced the Fox Kids programming block. (4Kids also once produced Fox's Saturday morning programming until 2008.)

Nelvana Enterprises and d-rights Partner With Fast Food Chain Burger King To Launch Brand New 'Beyblade' Promotion In Territories Including Latin America, Europe, The UK And The Middle East

From Kidscreen:

Burger King kids meals dish out Beyblade toys

Corus Entertainment-owned Nelvana Enterprises and d-rights have partnered with restaurant chain Burger King in a new summer promotion that will see Beyblade action racer toys featured in the QSR's kids meals in more than 3,300 restaurants in territories including Latin America, Europe, the UK and the Middle East.


One of three Beyblade action racers will be offered in kids meals for the new promotion which runs from June 18 through July 29, 2012.

Since Beyblade's toy line re-launched in 2008 and the TV series in 2009, more than 150 million Beyblade toys have been sold globally, and more than 300 million toys have been sold since the IP launched in 1998.

The BEYBLADE: Metal Masters animated TV series currently airs in 44 countries, including the UK and Germany (Nickelodeon), and in Latin America (Disney XD).

Tags: Beyblade, Burger King, d-rights, Nelvana Enterprises

Highlights Of Nickelodeon Stars From Popular Nickelodeon Shows Getting Slimed On Nickelodeon's Brand New Updated Version Of "Figure It Out"

From The Huffington Post:

'Figure It Out' 2012: Nickelodeon Stars From 'iCarly,' 'Victorious' And More Get Slimed (VIDEO)

Nickelodeon stars get slimed on the 2012 "Figure It Out" reboot.
Nickelodeon's popular '90s game show, "Figure It Out" got a new look this month. A 2012 reboot recently premiered on the children-centric network and while some things were clearly different (i.e. no more Summer Sanders, "All That" stars and Billy the Answer Head), others stayed the same.

In HuffPost TV's exclusive look at an upcoming episode, Jennette McCurdy and Nathan Kress of "iCarly," "Victorious" star Matt Bennett and Ashley Argota, formerly of "True Jackson, VP," try to guess what a young contestant's skill is.

But when they commit the "secret slime action," Nickelodeon's iconic green gunk comes spewing out at them. Watch the clip below!

Nickelodeon Star Victoria Justice Announces "Make It In America" Tour, Her First Solo Tour Of The USA; To Include 17 Stops Throughout the USA

From antiMUSIC.com:

Nickelodeon's Victoria Justice Set For Summer Tour

Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice will soon embark on her first solo tour across North America.

The "Make It In America" Tour, named after her single, will begin on August 2nd in Costa Mesa, CA at the Orange County Fair and end on September 14th in Allegan, MI at the Allegan County Fair.

Justice will perform songs from the Nickelodeon hit comedy, "Victorious," as well as choice covers. The tour includes 17 stops throughout the US.

As part of Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice's first solo tour across the USA, Victoria Justice will be visiting:

8/2- Costa Mesa, CA Orange County Fair
8/4- Columbus, OH Ohio State Fair
8/9- West Allis, WI Wisconsin State Fair
8/11- Hamburg, NY Erie County Fair
8/13- Hyannis, MA Cape Cod Melody Tent
8/15- Cohasset, MA South Shore Music Circus
8/16- Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for Performing Arts
8/18- Lewisburg, WV State Fair of West Virginia
8/24- Lima, OH Allen County Fair
8/26- Williamsburg, VA Busch Gardens Theme Park
8/29- Syracuse, NY New York State Fair
8/31- Timonium, MD Maryland State Fair
9/2- Allentown, PA Allentown Fair
9/7- Hutchinson, KS Kansas State Fair
9/9- Denver, CO Elitch Gardens Theme Park
9/10- Salt Lake City, UT Utah State Fair
9/14- Allegan, MI Allegan County Fair

[Date format: Month/Day]

Den of Geek Unveils Exclusive Video Interview With Nickelodeon Executive Rich Magallanes And "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Co-Creator Kevin Eastman Recorded At Nickelodeon's MCM Expo London Comic Con 2012 TMNT Event

From Den of Geek:

Kevin Eastman & Rich Magallanes interview: TMNT

Matt fulfils the ambition of a lifetime by sitting down with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman and Nickelodeon senior vice president, Rick Magallanes to talk TNMT...


At the recent MCM expo, Nickelodeon held a preview event for their new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. There's a write up on it on our website, which you might enjoy reading. In attendance were Nickelodeon’s Senior Vice-President of Animation Rich Magallanes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator Kevin Eastman. I was lucky enough to get some time to speak to them about this new series.

That's my professional introduction, which is cool and brief, and represents the charade I had to perform on the day. I was so excited. I'm a Ninja Turtles nerd and have covered a bunch of Turtles stuff on this site. Seeing some of the new series already had me wanting to jump around, fighting invisible foot soldiers and pretending I know karate.

Rich Mallaganes would have made an interesting interview subject on his own. Nickelodeon cartoon series, such as Rugrats, Spongebob Squarepants and The Penguins of Madagascar, not to mention this new Ninja Turtles series, all bear Rich’s fingerprints.

Of course, I wasn’t just interviewing Rich. I would be speaking to him alongside Kevin Eastman.

That I would be getting to meet Kevin Eastman, well, that was a big deal. Kevin Eastman, along with Peter Laird, created the Turtles. Together they wrote, drew and self-published the first comics and between them they’ve had involvement in almost everything Ninja Turtles there has ever been. While I appreciate that he may not be on the top of everyone else’s list, I’d sooner interview Kevin Eastman than just about anyone in the world.

I went into this interview feeling as much like an eight year old competition winner as a proper grown-up with a job to do. Here’s what was said.


So, Kevin, you're back on Ninjas Turtles everything now - comics, TV series, movies. How is it? Is it good to be back?

Kevin Eastman: It's awesome. When Viacom purchased the property, it started with my friend Ted at IDW, who licensed the right to do the new comic book series. He asked me to do some covers and then he showed me some of the story and I just fell in love with what they were doing. Then we started talking about this and that, and it's almost like I inserted myself in there. Suddenly I'm doing covers, working on the plot points and doing layouts.

For the animated series, I came in more as a fan. I'm a huge fan of Rich and everything Nickelodeon. Having two boys I've seen just about everything that he's produced. When they invited me over one day to see what they were developing with the Turtles I just flipped out. I fell in love with the visual, the concept, the take, and it was their credit and me as a fan looking in. The more this carried on they brought me in more and more. We have some surprises we'll reveal eventually.

Rich Magallanes: Yeah! We can't really tell you too much right now.

KE: So right now, with the series, I'm more of a fan than a hand on kind of guy. With the Turtles movie, I've been behind the scenes on that for about three years. And then, working more specifically with Jonathan Liebesman, Michael Bay and Paramount on the new reboot. They've got a great team with John Appelbaum and Andre Nemec from Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol writing.

That was reassuring, when they brought in a decent screenwriting team.

KE: They did. You know, it's funny, as much as it's played up in the press, the things is that you've got Bay, who's a great producer and a great director, you've got great writers. I've seen the story and all that I can say is, much like the animated series, it's fantastic. Wait and see, you know?

You know, you could have told people the Turtles were aliens in this. People would have gone mad and the amount of press you'd have gotten would have been terrific.

RM: Right? That's good publicity. Good PR.

KE: What's funny, and not to carry on, we were kind of worried when Tom Waltz and I were working on the IDW series. We changed things like, we put April back into the lab, but she's the one who names the Turtles, not Splinter. We changed some of the origins, with the reincarnation aspect. We changed a few things and expected more fan reaction. But I think they embraced the tone, the take and the whole visual experience so much out of the starting gate.


Rich, how is launching the new take on Ninja Turtles been different from your series like Penguins of Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda, where you have not only existing but active properties?

RM: You know, they're great characters. So, I guess actually the similarity about them is the fact that all of them have great characters. That's what lends itself so easily to Nickelodeon from the Dreamworks movies. Po from Kung Fu Panda, what a great character. I don't want to say easy, but what a joy to work with that character. Then the same thing with the Penguins from Madagascar. Lifting them out of that series and giving them their own spotlight.

With Turtles, they've had their own shows; they've had their own everything. But we didn't have to reboot Po or the Penguins, it was just shifting the spotlight onto them. Whereas this was; what can we do to take this to the next level? Because it's been to so many different levels, and so many different versions have been put out there. We don't want to replicate anything, we want to make it new and fresh and exciting for the fans. That was the challenge with this and I guess that's the main difference.

It looked great at the preview and the voices all seemed to work. You wouldn't normally see guys like Jason Biggs (Leonardo) and Sean Astin (Raphael) working on cartoons. How easy was it to get guys like that? Did you go to them or do they come to you?

RM: You know what? I've gotta say, everybody who works on Turtles is a huge fan, so it wasn't actually as difficult as you could imagine. Everybody from the PAs all the way to the storyboard artists to the EPs, everybody was just a huge fan.

It was almost like we had to turn people away versus trying to find certain people for certain roles. When it came to the voice-over casting, it was just a matter of putting the feelers out there and immediately people were like 'oh, you're doing that? I would love to be part of that'. People really got attracted to it and came on board without any problem. It was just making sure that we're putting the right voices in the right characters.

KE: Man, I'm saying, I so love the voices. To me it's that when you're writing the stories, back in the earliest days, I've always had certain voices in my head that I would think about when I write the Turtles. When you finally hear the voices, and it's like 'yeah, that one matches', and sometimes it didn't and sometimes it did, but with this casting here, right down to my favourite, which is Gregg's…

RM: Gregg Cipes!

(faces light up when Gregg is mentioned)

That's one that looks like it really works.

RM: That guy's just, he is Mikey! You know, like I said at the show earlier, you actually want to hang out with this guy, you want to give him a hug, you want to party with him. He's just fun to be around. He is that character, and he brings a lot to it. That's what some of the voice-over actors do when they get in the booth, they might switch things up a little bit, or they're just playing around and they might say something and we say "Oh, we're gonna keep that." Because, after a while, their characters come alive and start growing on them, as well.


So, Kevin, this is your fourth TV series for Ninja Turtles. You didn't do the 4Kids series...

KE: No, that was Peter (Laird). Peter and I did the first 280 episodes (laughter) with Fred Wolf animation, and then Peter was taking a short break when I did the Saban live action series. Then I sold a lot of my creative interest to Pete, and I went on to do Heavy Metal. Pete went on to do the 4Kids series, which I also thought was fantastic. I thought they did a great job on that particular take.

How has this one been different from the others?

KE: To me, it's like they've stripped away… there were bits and pieces I didn't like from the other ones, and it would be nitpicky, but they've stripped away all those and gone back to the core, the very root, the origins of the stories. This was their jumping in point, and they brought it into a contemporary setting, so it's really rebooting it in a way that's taking the best of the old and making it new and fresh again. But, taking care in a way that older audiences and hardcore fans are gonna embrace the new version of the Turtles. I think they're going to find an overwhelming amount of new fans. I think people are going to find this thing so wonderfully paced and so story-centric and fantastic.

I was horrified by the number of people of my age, who were from my generation of Turtles fandom, who have brought their kids and are introducing them to it. I say horrified because I'm not mature and the idea of them having children is frightening. But, I’m sure it must be nice for you guys to have that.

KE: It really is. It's a huge compliment. To have one fan is great, and to see that room of people full after nearly thirty years is overwhelming*.

(At this point, one of the lovely people from Nickelodeon informs me that I only have one question left)

Do we have any idea of a UK broadcast date?

RM: Are we allowed to say when?

(Nickelodeon respond – all they can say is that it's Autumn this year, and that I am welcome to another question.)

Thank you, because that one didn't work out at all. All right, so, asides from this current one, what’s your favourite iteration of Ninja Turtles?

RM: And I can't pick this one?

No, that'd be cheating.

RM: I don't like that question. I actually liked the last movie. I thought the last movie was really well done.

KE: I would say, hands down, the original Steve Barron movie. It was the perfect blend of the original black and white comics and the animated series. I saw it recently, within the last couple of years, on the big screen. I hadn't seen it since the 90s, since when it came it out, and when I saw it again so many parts of it still hold up. Steve's visual sense, his storytelling sense, what Jim Henson did with the creatures, with the costuming to make them actually work; that's my favourite.

I watch it regularly, because I'm cool, and what's great is that in the first ten minutes, you have everything in there. They clear everything through to get straight into the story. It doesn't get the credit it deserves, I don't think.

KE: I've kept in touch with Steve over the years, and he has, I'll have to talk to some bosses at Nickelodeon, he has a cut that he's done which, he was able to save a lot of original footage, and he's asked a couple of times to do a director’s cut and he kind of gets turned down. But I think it would be great to see. Back in those days they still sent us dailies, they sent us some fantastic stuff.


Kevin Eastman and Rich Magallanes, thank you very much!

*Kevin is referencing the hall where the preview event took place, which was indeed packed full of Turtle fans of all ages.

"The Black Eyed Peas" Frontman will.i.am Hires Former Nickelodeon Executive Vice President Julia Pistor To Seek Producers And Relevant Content Platforms For Ongoing LidoKidos Initiatives

Below is a memBrain press release from PRNewswire:

memBrain Licensing Unveils LidoKidos Created by will.i.am

-Grammy Award-winning Musician and Emmy Award Winning Producer will.i.am Launches First Children's Brand, LidoKidos-

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Beverly Hills-based licensing and brand management firm memBrain announced today that it will manage the global brand licensing program for LidoKidos™, a transmedia children's platform spanning educational games and apps, music, animation and more. LidoKidos was created by will.i.am, frontman for The Black Eyed Peas. The Grammy Award-winning musician, Emmy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur will collaborate to develop the LidoKidos intellectual property in collaboration with memBrain's licensing team.

Currently in development, LidoKidos will offer a wide range of interactive and immersive content to appeal to a range of ages, from preschoolers to tweens and beyond. With emphasis on the development of fundamental discovery skills, LidoKidos is poised to transform children's entertainment by leveraging digital media platforms in ground-breaking ways.

will.i.am has engaged content executive Julia Pistor to seek producers and relevant content platforms for ongoing LidoKidos initiatives. Previously an Executive Vice President at Nickelodeon, Pistor was responsible for the creation and production of movies including "Rugrats," "Jimmy Neutron," "Nacho Libre," "Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events," "Charlotte's Web," and "Snowday."

"I am excited to develop new content that appeals to and entertains kids, while also inspiring and engaging their minds," said will.i.am. "Technology is a platform with boundless power and LidoKidos will be fueled on innovation. I am looking forward to working with the strategic minds at memBrain to ensure LidoKidos has a long runway."

memBrain's corporate consulting clients include McDonald's, MillerCoors, Intel, Hasbro and other Fortune 500 companies. Led by Jennifer Sullivan, winner of two LIMA Licensing Excellence Awards for Paul Frank Industries, the firm's licensing arm also curates unique and noted character and art-based brands from around the globe including Emily the Strange, Moomin, Jeremyville, Kenny Scharf and several others. memBrain most recently signed world-renowned photographer Norman Seeff, managing the licensing of his 40 years of iconic photographs chronicling the most important faces in popular culture across multiple categories.

"will.i.am is one of the most world's most creative minds who moves fluidly between the worlds of art, fashion and technology," said Ken Hertz, founding partner, memBrain. "His visionary thinking consistently breaks new ground and this new platform for kids is a prime example of his passion for pushing future generations forward."

Jennifer Sullivan, president of memBrain Licensing, said of the announcement, "Our industry is fueled by creative energy and business innovation. We are thrilled to work closely with will.i.am to launch LidoKidos with strategic partnerships and thoughtful, integrated media and merchandise.

Founded by entertainment attorney Ken Hertz, memBrain helps brands build an emotional connection through entertainment. The firm also helps to translate entertainment content into relevant, high impact retail programs. A complete brand management partner, memBrain's services span business affairs, strategy planning, product development, partnerships, merchandising, retail promotions, talent acquisition and negotiations.

About will.i.am
The Seven-time Grammy Award winning musician and producer has spent his career crafting stories and connecting with fans around the globe. An Emmy Award winner for "Yes We Can", will.i.am also directs TV spots and music videos, serves as a guest contributor to "Advertising Age," and works with an array of global consumer brands as a creative consultant.

About memBrain
Fusing creative energy with strategic know-how, memBrain represents global brands, celebrities and manufacturers, driving sales and building lucrative and lasting emotional connections with fans through authentic brand extensions. memBrain offers brands unparalleled access to talent, top brands and business innovators and serves as a comprehensive resource for partnership marketing, offering a wide range of services including business affairs, brand management, creative services, licensing sales, product approvals, promotional alliances, retail development, social media activation and multi-channel marketing campaigns

Founded more than a decade ago by entertainment attorney Ken Hertz of Hertz & Lichtenstein, LLP (whose clients include Will Smith, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Shaun White and others), memBrain develops and executes entertainment, marketing and media programs on behalf of leading global brands including McDonald's, Hasbro, MillerCoors, Intel and Coty. Visit memBrain online at www.membrainllc.com.

Contact:

Jason Magner/Sallie Olmsted
Rogers & Cowan for memBrain
310-854-8128 / 310-854-8124

jmagner@rogersandcowan.com
solmsted@rogersandcowan.com

At Licensing International Expo
memBrain: Booth 6207

SOURCE memBrain

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