NetToons News

July 18, 2011
Contact: Bill Hensley <pr@NetToons.com>
Read the Comic-Con Schedule Release PDF

NetToons Joins Smith Micro at Comic-Con 2011

NetToons will join Smith Micro Software, Inc. at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International to launch the new SpongeBob SquarePants Tooncast Studio. Nickelodeon’s® SpongeBob SquarePants® will make special appearances at the Smith Micro Software booth #5353 Thursday, July 21, 11:00AM–2:00PM; Saturday, July 23, 3:00–5:00PM; and Sunday, July 24, 12:00–2:00PM.

NetToons CEO, Jim Myrick will join all-star artists for a panel presentation at 2011 Comic-Con titled “Join the 2D Animation Revolution” (Thursday 2:00-3:00PM, room 30CDE). The panel will discuss how software resources can give artists all the tools, confidence, and experience they need to create their own masterpieces and jump on television’s hottest trend.

Read the full release at the link above.

January 3, 2011
Contact: Bill Hensley <pr@NetToons.com>
Read the Buffy Motion Comics Release PDF

Fox Taps NetToons for Motion Comics App on DVD Release

NetToons recently produced the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer® Tooncast Studio™ for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. This new app lets Buffy fans easily make original one-of-a-kind Buffy the Vampire Slayer motion comics and share their creations online with friends and other fans via email, Facebook and other social sites. Tooncast Studio is included on the January 4th Blu-ray + DVD Combo release of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Motion Comic. To promote the release, in January Adobe is distributing a demo version of Tooncast Studio – an Adobe Air application – online at the Adobe InMarket portal and several other high-traffic Adobe sites. (Download this demo version at the Adobe InMarket website)

With Tooncast Studio, Buffy's fans can create motion comics with the Slayer and her friends by choosing from a library of characters, backgrounds, dialog, sound effects, music, props and effects. With drag-and-drop simplicity fan of any skill level can create great looking motion comics to share with friends and other fans.

"NetToons is honored that Fox asked us to bring our Tooncast Studio user experience to Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans," said NetToons CEO, Jim Myrick. "The Buffy comic and motion comic series are full of really amazing material we think fans will love to assemble and share as their own custom motion comics."

The DVD is available at Amazon.com

November 4, 2010
Contact: Bill Hensley <pr@NetToons.com>
Read the Smith Micro Tooncast Studio Release PDF

Emily the Strange Tooncast Studio Released

ALISO VIEJO, CA – November 4, 2010 Smith Micro Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMSI) Productivity and Graphics Group, today announced the availability of the new Emily the Strange® Tooncast Studio, an application that lets Emily fans of any skill level easily create original one-of-a-kind Emily animations and music videos. Created in partnership with NetToons and Cosmic Debris, Tooncast Studio lets users quickly share their animations online with friends and other fans via email, Facebook and more.

Emily's fans can create animations of their favorite character by selecting from over one hundred pieces of Emily art and animated actions. Users can choose from Emily zombie walking, shooting her slingshot, falling into a hole and other activities. Users can also add music soundtracks and select from hundreds of backgrounds and props to complete their masterpieces.

“Offering our customers the ability to create and share an almost infinite range of animations with their favorite brands and characters is truly unique,” said Steve Yatson, Senior Director of Productivity and Graphics of Smith Micro Software. "We're thrilled to partner with NetToons and Cosmic Debris to introduce an officially licensed Emily the Strange product for Emily's millions of diehard fans."

“How cool is it that anyone can now create a short cartoon, music video, or animated greeting for their friends or foes?” said Rob Reger, Creator of Emily Strange. “I really look forward to seeing what our fans will create with this unique Emily application from Smith Micro.”

March 23, 2010
NetToons rocks the audience at DEMO Spring 2010 presenting the
Tooncast reACTOR Platform. (Don't miss the dancing at the end!)

March 22, 2010
Contact: Bill Hensley <pr@NetToons.com>
Read the Future US Release PDF
Acrobat PDF of DEMO release

NetToons announces multi-product distribution deal with Smith Micro Software, Inc.

NetToons will release its first two retail titles through a distribution arrangement just signed with Smith Micro Software, Inc. The first features pop icon Emily the Strange®. Emily’s millions of fans can create animations of their favorite character – selecting from thousand of pieces of Emily art and animated actions, all set to rock soundtracks and shared on-line with friends and other fans. Next is NetToons’ reVERB, a casual music game in which users create and share animated music videos. Both titles will feature add-on content purchases and will create advertising and marketing opportunities at the partner “syndication” sites where the Tooncasts are shared.

Future US and NetToons create a new model for interactive advertising

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Future US, a leading specialty website and magazine publisher, has announced an agreement with NetToons, Inc. to use the NetToons real-time animation platform to create interactive advertising programs for Future US advertisers. NetToons, which officially launched at this year’s DEMO conference March 22-23, has developed a cloud-based platform and application suite that allows users to create and share branded animations, called “Tooncasts.” NetToons provides all the tools empowering users at any skill level to make pro-quality animations, and do so in real time.

Future US is now combining efforts with NetToons to deliver this brand-centric interactivity to Future US clients. “We are enthusiastic about leveraging the NetToons platform for our advertisers,” said Rachelle Considine, Future US VP Sales & Marketing. “NetToons delivers a creative user-generated content experience with the brand control our clients will appreciate.”

“Together, Future US and NetToons are creating a new standard for interactive advertising engagement,” adds NetToons’ CEO Jim Myrick. “Brand managers understand the benefits of user-generated socially-distributed media, but they can also be a little scared of it. NetToons has made it really safe.”

NetToons does this by creating a “walled garden” around the brand assets fans use to create and share animations. Fans can’t add their own content, but because so much interactivity is already provided to them, they don’t need to. “We provide the application, plus the content,” says Myrick. The finished animations can act like “mini-trailers” for upcoming games or movies and can just as easily add interactivity to traditional consumer brands.

NetToons, Inc. announces 3-Screen partnership with Limelight Networks, Inc.

NetToons is announcing at DEMO that it will be creating 3-screen applications for its real-time animation technology – and not alone. Limelight Networks has agreed to work with NetToons to deliver real-time animation interactivity within managed sessions connecting smart-phones and CATV with the desktop. NetToons is creating other partnerships to support this platform as well.

March 19, 2010
Contact: Bill Hensley <pr@NetToons.com>

NetToons, Inc. announced as a featured presenter at DEMO Spring 2010

NetToons has been announced as a featured presenter at DEMO Spring 2010.

October 1, 2009
Contact: Jim Myrick <pr@NetToons.com>

Bill Hensley joins NetToons as VP, Marketing and Business Development

Bill Hensley, a former senior marketing leader at Sanrio, as joined NetToons, Inc. as its VP, Marketing and Business Development where he will focus on marketing, partner engagement and business development. Bill is a seasoned entertainment, retail, Internet and mobile marketing executive with a strong background in global character brands and licensing. His expertise includes brand and marketing management, character properties, online subscription services, mobile consumer applications, online casual games, social media, licensing, media relations, music production, E-commerce and web development.

August 2, 2009
Contact: Jim Myrick <pr@NetToons.com>

Tooncast reVERB, a casual music gaming experience, launched on tooncasts.com

NetToons has launched Tooncast reVERB, a new casual music gaming experience, on tooncasts.com.

July 23, 2009
Contact: Jim Myrick <pr@NetToons.com>

tooncasts.com starring Emily the Strange showcased at San Diego Comic-Con

Fans make their own Emily the Strange animations

San Francisco, CA—Cosmic Debris and NetToons, Inc. will show off the user generated animation site http://tooncasts.com at Comic-Con in San Diego. This site lets the millions of Emily fans worldwide create and share their own Emily animations (Tooncasts) using the NetToons web-based editor and viewer.

“The artists at Cosmic Debris have been busy loading up NetToons with killer Emily art for a year now. We took care to make sure everything is there for you to make great Emily rock video masterpieces.” explains Rob Reger creative director and president of Cosmic Debris.

“Stop by the Dark Horse booth (#2615) and go to Rob’s panel Sunday at 11:00am to see first hand the professional looking Emily animations people are making,” says Jim Myrick, CEO and co-founder of NetToons, Inc. “We have fans from all over the world making and sharing their own videos, with no special training right on their computers,” comments Myrick. “Not everyone makes animations as traffic patterns reveal tons of people like to view the Emily creations of others.” Explains Myrick.

With Tooncast reCREATE™ a user selects high quality, pre-created Emily the Strange backgrounds, animation clips, music and special effects to craft their own unique creations and share them online. Using NetToons’s proprietary consumer-friendly animation software, content companies like Cosmic Debris are able to create an entertaining and engaging environment that allows their fan base to create, share and view branded content featuring their properties.

February 6, 2009
Contact: Jim Myrick <pr@NetToons.com>

tooncasts.com starring Emily the Strange launches at NYC ComicCon

Emily the Strange is the first of many popular characters and brands for the Tooncast reACTOR platform

San Francisco, CA—Cosmic Debris and NetToons, Inc. announced the official launch today of the user generated animation site http://tooncasts.com This site lets the millions of Emily fans worldwide create and share their own Emily animations (Tooncasts) using the NetToons web-based editor and viewer.

“The artists at Cosmic Debris have been busy loading up NetToons with killer Emily art for a year now. We took care to make sure everything is there for you to make great Emily rock video masterpieces.” explains Rob Reger creative director and president of Cosmic Debris.

“It is pretty amazing to see the professional looking Emily animations people are starting to create,” says Jim Myrick, CEO and co-founder of NetToons, Inc. “We have fans from all over the world making and sharing their own videos, with no special training right on their computers,” comments Myrick. “Not everyone makes animations as traffic patterns reveal tons of people like to view the Emily creations of others.” Explains Myrick.

With Tooncast reCREATE™ a user selects high quality, pre-created Emily the Strange backgrounds, animation clips, music and special effects to craft their own unique creations and share them online. Using NetToons's proprietary consumer-friendly animation software, content companies like Cosmic Debris are able to create an entertaining and engaging environment that allows their fan base to create, share and view branded content featuring their properties.

November 1, 2008
Contact: Jim Myrick <pr@NetToons.com>
Acrobat PDF of release

Emily the Strange to get Animated by Fans

Cosmic Debris inks deal with NetToons, Inc. for Tooncast® animation maker

San Francisco, CA--NetToons, Inc. announced a deal today with Cosmic Debris, Inc. of Berkeley, the creators of Emily the Strange. This agreement will empower the millions of Emily fans worldwide to create and share their own Emily animations (Tooncasts) using the NetToons web-based editor and viewer.

“We wanted to give our fans a fun and creative way to interact with Emily. We're encouraging people to get on-line and start making their own Emily films and music videos, I can't wait to see what they come up with,” explains Rob Reger creative director and president of Cosmic Debris.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring Emily to life with her own Tooncast social network this fall,” says Jim Myrick, president and co-founder of NetToons, Inc. “This character is ideal for us to launch the Tooncast user experience,” comments Myrick. “Emily has a huge underground following around the world, what better spokesperson for do it yourself media making than her?” asks Myrick.

With Tooncast reCREATE™ a user selects high quality, pre-created Emily the Strange backgrounds, animation clips, music and special effects to craft their own unique creations and share them online. Using NetToons's proprietary consumer-friendly animation software, content companies like Cosmic Debris are able to create an entertaining and engaging environment that allows their fan base to create, share and view branded content featuring their properties. All done in a controlled, safe and copyright protecting manner.

Why watch TV when you can make it?

ABOUT NetToons, INC.
NetToons, Inc. is a software company that has developed a platform for user generated multimedia creation and sharing. The Company is founded by computer graphics, multimedia and entertainment industry veterans. NetToons offers a product called Tooncast reACTOR™ that enables the creation of user generated Tooncasts. People can create their own animations free of charge with a standard Internet connection, current web browser and the Flash 9 plug-in. For more information, contact Jim Myrick at pr@NetToons.com

ABOUT EMILY THE STRANGE
Created in 1993 by artist, writer, and musician Rob Reger, Emily the Strange has become an internationally known icon for individualism, female empowerment, and do-it-yourself style. A product of the San Francisco graphic arts community, Emily graces a full, rock-influenced fashion clothing and accessory line, including everything from T-shirts, dresses, and underwear to toys, guitars, and school supplies. She is the featured character in a series of comic books from Dark Horse Comics, four hardbound Chronicle Books, and an upcoming series of young adult novels from HarperCollins Publishing. For more information on Emily the Strange, contact Noah Batine at noah@cosmicdebris.com or 510-845-3645 x220, or visit www.emilystrange.com.

ABOUT DARK HORSE COMICS
Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the third-largest comic-book publisher in the U.S., and is recognized as one of the world's leading publishers of licensed comics material. For more information contact Jeremy Atkins at jeremya@darkhorse.com or 503-905-2315, or visit www.darkhorse.com.