Animation Archives - Page 11 of 22

Rankin-Bass specials air throughout Dec. … but when?

November 19, 2012 StayTuned Staff

They never get old, do they? The Rankin-Bass animated specials have been an indispensible part of the holiday season for nearly 60 years, and they’re still enchanting new generations as well as those of us who grew up with them. Maybe you can’t imagine a holiday without the Heat Miser. Or that Little Drummer dude. Maybe it’s watching Santa take on Burgermeister Meisterburger that does it for you. Or maybe you just have to take in as much Rankin-Bass goodness as possible this time of year. Fortunately, there’s no shortage, largely in part due to ABC Family’s annual 25 Days […]

When is Rudolph on TV 2012?

November 19, 2012 Channel Guide Contributor

When is Rudolph on TV 2012? Tuesday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 14 CBS, 8:00pm ET/PT RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER — (From CBS) The special, narrated by Burl Ives, who is also heard as the voice of Sam the Snowman, is a musical story based on the popular song of the same title by Johnny Marks. It recounts the tale of a shy reindeer whose Christmas spirit is dampened because his shiny nose has made him the laughing stock of all Christmasville. Pursued by an Abominable Snowmonster, inhabitants of Christmasville flee to the island of Misfit Toys in the Arctic […]

VOD Spotlight: “Arthur Christmas” is on his way

November 6, 2012 StayTuned Staff

It’s one of the great mysteries of all time, and one that has puzzled children for over a century: How does Santa Claus manage to deliver presents to the all of the children of the world in just one night? It’s a question very much at the root of director Sarah Smith’s film for Aardman, Arthur Christmas. The film tells the story of the dysfunctional Claus family and their high-tech operation concealed at the North Pole that carries out the annual Christmas mission. When an elfin error results in one child being missed on the run, the race is on […]

“7 Questions” With … Ashley Eckstein of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”

October 14, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Many actors can consider themselves part of the Star Wars universe, but it’s doubtful many enjoy it as much as Ashley Eckstein. The Star Wars: The Clone Wars actress, who is in her fifth season giving voice to Anakin Skywalker’s feisty Padawan Ahsoka Tano, says she’s a lifelong fan of George Lucas’ seminal space saga, and her job on the Cartoon Network series is one she considers a privilege and a great responsibility. She’s parlayed her relationship with Lucasfilm into a clothing company aimed specifically at the underserved female sci fi fan. Her Universe has licenses for Star Wars, Star […]

Ashley Eckstein talks “Clone Wars,” Ahsoka’s journey to fan acceptance

October 6, 2012 StayTuned Staff

The rough journey Ahsoka Tano has taken as a Padawan learner may pale in comparison to the road she’s traveled to fan acceptance. “I know that a lot of people did not like her in the movie and then in Season 1,” says Ashley Eckstein, who has given voice to the Star Wars: The Clone Wars character since her first appearance in the 2008 feature film, and in now five seasons on Cartoon Network. “She was very snippy, she was very sassy, kind of a know-it-all. But I think now she’s comfortable in her own skin. She’s learned so much from Anakin, […]

Hobbit or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Sean Astin is all in

September 28, 2012 StayTuned Staff

It’s almost hard to believe that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been around as long as it has. In 1984, when the Turtles had their birth in what was intended to be a one-off comic book satirizing popular comic-book tropes of the day, Sean Astin was 13 years old. Now, decades later, Astin has found himself taking on the role of one of the Turtles himself, in Nickelodeon’s reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, premiering tomorrow, Sept. 29 at 11am ET/PT. I spoke with Astin about the new 26-episode series, its place in the Turtles canon, his mom […]

Genndy Tartakovsky checks into the big screen with “Hotel Transylvania”

September 26, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Though he now may be running with A-listers on the big screen, Genndy Tartakovsky hasn’t forgotten his TV roots. The animator behind such hits as Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack and the original Star Wars: Clone Wars shorts made the jump to features with Hotel Transylvania, which opens Friday. It’s a project that paired him with such voice talent as Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez. Tartakovsky says that while there was a whole lot that was different about working on a movie, some of it reminded him of his days on TV. “The whole thing about TV […]

VOD Spotlight: “The Pirates! Band of Misfits”: a ship-to-shore-up operation

August 28, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Working on a stop-motion animation film like The Pirates! Band of Misfits presents its own brand of troubles. One major problem the filmmakers encountered on this particular set was the fact that the action was to take place largely at sea, but they were to shoot in a studio setting — which meant they had to devise themselves water. “How do we make the pirate ship sail with no water?” Morgan Roe, the mechanical engineer on the film, asked at the time. “It may be shocking, but ships don’t just rock. They rock, they roll, and they rise and fall; […]

“Pound Puppies” star Alanna Ubach talks about The Hub’s “Dog Days of Summer”

August 23, 2012 StayTuned Staff

The Hub is proudly turning its programming over to the dogs this week. Its “Dog Days of Summer” stunt features a week of canine-themed movies (don’t miss Air Bud 4: Seventh Inning Fetch tonight at 8, and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Friday at 8), culminating Saturday with a marathon of The Hub’s hit series Pound Puppies. The marathon will begin at 9am and feature several favorite episodes along with a new one, “The Accidental Pup Star.” It’s all part of a larger campaign called The Hub’s Pup-ularity Contest, which encouraged viewers to send in photos of their smiling pooches for […]

Where to get your Batman fix on TV this weekend

July 18, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

And where … is the Batman? Well, most notably the Caped Crusader will be kicking ass at the box office starting Friday, July 20, as the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, premieres in theaters. But if that’s not enough for you, or if you can’t get tickets, Gotham’s Dark Knight can also be seen on television in various incarnations throughout this coming weekend. Here are some highlights: * Batman: The Animated Series Rises Marathon — July 20, 4-9pm ET on The Hub. A 10-episode marathon of episodes from the superb early ’90s series Batman: […]