Work Around Town #3

Rick and Morty - end of second season.

And now, another overview of production going on in Southern California's animation industry. You will note that there are additions and subtractions from the last installment, but many series titles remain. As before, this list will be amended and corrected over the next few days/weeks. (Sadly, there are always errors.)

(You will find the Animation Guild's studio list -- showing which Los Angeles studios are union -- here.)

Amazon

Danger and Egg -- ongoing

Too Loud -- ongoing

Bureau of Magic

Lost in Oz -- *ENDED (Amazon Prime)

Cartoon Network

Powerpuff Girls -- ending

Ben 10 -- ongoing

Mighty Magiswords -- ending

Steven Universe (shorts) -- ongoing (and building on momentum)

We Bare Bears (shorts) -- ongoing

Ok-Ko Let's Be Heroes -- ongoing

Splittin' Rent -- ongoing (aka "Close Enough" -- see Adult Swim)

Summer Camp Island -- ongoing

Thundercats Roar -- ongoing

Apple and Onion -- ongoing

Per report's, Cartoon Network's "Bite Size" online network has closed down.

Victor & Valentino -- ongoing

Infinity Train -- ongoing

Craig of the Creek -- ongoing

Adult Swim (a Cartoon Network subset)

Close Enough -- ongoing (aka "Splittin' Rent")

Tiggle Winks -- ongoing (shorts)

Primal (Genddy Tartokovsky)

Skydance Media Animation

This new cartoon unit, barely more than a year old, has just hired two DreamWorks Animation Television veterans -- Ian Sheppard and Lawrence Jonas -- to SMA's senior executive staff. The pair will be running Skydance's television slate and reporting to division topkick Bill Damaschke.

Split -- ongoing feature

Luck -- ongoing feature

Television projects -- to be announced

Warner Bros. Animation

Unikitty -- ongoing

Scooby Doo and the Red Ghost -- (long form Scoob)

Guess Who, Scooby Doo -- ongoing

* As always, there are various Scoobs.

Lego Justice League -- ongoing

Wabbit/New Looney Tunes -- ongoing

The Looney Tunes shorts program was announced this month. ... From the hyper-ventilating press release:

"Looney Tunes Cartoons echoes the high production value and process of the original Looney Tunes theatrical shorts with a cartoonist-driven approach to storytelling. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and other marquee Looney Tunes characters will be featured in their classic pairings in simple, gag-driven and visually vibrant stories. Each cartoon will vary from one to six minutes in length. ..."

Animaniacs -- upcoming reboot (co-production of Amblin' TV and WBA)

"Animaniacs" will be an update of the original 99 episodes from the early nineties.

Mike Tyson Mysteries -- ongoing

Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz -- ongoing

Teen Titans Go! -- ongoing

DC Superhero Girls -- ongoing

Green Eggs and Ham -- ongoing

Wacky Racers -- ongoing

Young Justice -- ongoing

Flintstones -- ongoing (African-American cast)

Warner Animation Group

The Lego Movie Sequel -- ongoing

Smallfoot -- ongoing

Space Jam 2 -- ongoing

The Billion Brick Race -- ongoing

Scooby -- ongoing

Warner Animation Group has pre-production facilities at multiple locations in Burbank and Hollywood; most production work (a la Illumination Entertainment) is done in foreign lands ... often at Animation Logic in Sydney.

Hasbro

Micronauts -- ongoing

My Little Pony* -- ongoing

Equestrian Girls* -- ongoing

Hasbro now does much of its work at Boulder Media in Ireland. Writing for Boulder shows* continues to be done in Southern California.

Nickelodeon

Cyma Zarghami, longtime President of Nickelodeon, stepped down in early June. Allegedly, Viacom's upper management was displeased that Nick lagged competitors in the internet streaming department. Also, too, new Viacom Prez Bob Bakish has been sweeping with a big broom.

Invader Zim (tv movie) -- ongoing

Sponge Bob Square Pants -- ongoing

The Loud House -- ongoing; ratings continue strong.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -- reboot is ongoing

Welcome to the Wayne -- ongoing

Shimmer and Shine -- ongoing

Glitch Tech -- ongoing

Rocko's Modern Life -- ongoing

Henry Danger -- wrapping up

Disney TV Animation

Amphibia -- ongoing

Mickey's Roadster Racers -- ongoing

Star vs The Forces of Evil -- ongoing

Puppy Capers -- ongoing

Sofia the First -- ongoing

Tangled -- ongoing

Mickey Mouse shorts -- ongoing

Duck Tales -- ongoing

Fancy Nancy -- ongoing. (As of February 15, 2018 there is no announced air date, but the show is scheduled for launch this summer. Actors Allyson Hannigan and Rob Riggle have just been cast as Nancy's parents. This is a Disney Jr. show.)

The Rocketeer -- ongoing (Season #1; Disney Jr. via Wild Canary)

Wicked World -- ongoing

The Lion Guard (Disney Jr. "Baby Lion King") -- ongoing

The Owl House -- ongoing

The Three Caballeros -- ongoing

Muppet Babies -- ongoing (produced at Oddbot, Inc.)

Country Club/ aka Big City Greens -- ongoing

Big Hero Six -- ongoing

Elena of Avalor -- ongoing

Vampirina* -- ongoing (*the show was paicked up for a second season in late January by Disney Jr. It's produced by Brown Bag Films, which has studios in Dublin, Toronto and Manchester.)

T.O.T.S. -- ongoing

UPDATE -- July 19: The Walt Disney Company (via LucasFilm) is producing 12 new episodes of Clone Wars, which was seen on Cartoon Network from 2009 through 2013. This new iteration will be streamed on Disney's yet-to-be-launched SVOD service in 2019.

Disney Toons Studios

Planes sequel -- kaput

Update: The Walt Disney Company announced on June 28th that they are closing DTS and laying off and/or transferring remaining staff. Disney has been in the direct-to-video animated feature business sine the release of "Return of Jafar" in 1994. It was a long, lucrative run for the Mouse, but markets change (who buys DVDs anymore?) and audiences' passions shift.

The company made big profits with items like "Lion King 1 1/2", but the "Planes" franchise gendered little excitement. Producing low-budget features for the big screen didn't work either, because the movies -- particularly "Planes 2" -- made no money. Disney Toons Studios, RIP.

Walt Disney Animation Studios

The big news here: creative chief John Lasseter departs the end of the year. (Some media outlets have wondered aloud why he's being retained as a consultant through December; our info is that Lasseter's employment contract runs through December, so since he's being paid anyway, the House of Mouse wants to get a wee bit of bang for its buck.

One other significant Walt Disney Animation Studios departure this year: longtime director John Musker decided to hang up his director's hat and leave for other pursuits, throwing a goodbye party at Burbank's Pickwick Center as he walked out the door.

Update: And now replacements for Mr. Lasseter at Pixar and Walt Disney Animatin Studios (per a trade paper): "Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee have been named a chief creative officers of Disney’s animation divisions, with Docter stepping up at Pixar Animation Studios, where he has directed such films as Up and Inside Out, and Lee heading up Walt Disney Animation Studios, where she helmed Frozen." ...

Wreck-It Ralph 2 -- ongoing

Frozen 2 -- ongoing

(Various other projects at various stages of development, "Dragon Empire" allegedly being one of them. But not -- so far as I know -- officially announced by the studio.)

DreamWorks Animation

How to Train Your Dragon 3 -- ongoing

Trolls 2 -- ongoing

The Croods 2 -- ongoing (back on the schedule)

The Boss Baby 2 -- ongoing

Shrek 5 -- ongoing

Madagascar 4 -- ongoing

Puss in Boots 2 -- ongoing

Madagascar 4 -- ongoing

The majority of DreamWorks Animation theatrical projects are sequels, but there are also a number of originals

Dreamworks Animation TV

Veggie Tales -- ongoing

Rocky and Bullwinkle -- ongoing

Dinotrux -- ongoing

Home: Adventures of Tip and Oh -- ongoing

Kung Fu Panda -- ongoing

Wizards -- ongoing

3 Below -- ongoing

Troll Hunters -- wrapping up

Voltron -- ongoing

Dragons Jr -- ongoing

Harvey Street Kids (AKA "Harvey Girls) -- ongoing

Captain Underpants -- ongoing

Spirit Riding Free -- ongoing

Trolls -- ongoing

Boss Baby -- ongoing

She-Ra: Princess of Power -- ongoing

Cleopatra In Space -- ongoing

Minions -- ongoing

Noddy, Toyland Detective -- ongoing

DWA tv employees are now pitching original IPs to the company and multiple ideas have been greenlit for development.

Starz - Film Roman

Sold to Lions Gate -- no announced projects.

Rough Draft

Disenchantment -- ongoing (New Matt Groening show, long in development.)

Mega Man -- ongoing

Clash of Clans -- ongoing (YouTube series)

Frederator

Costume Quest -- ongoing (for Amazon)

Paramount Animation

Paramount Animation, under the leadership of former DWA exec Mireille Soria, has green lit multiple new projects. Paramount uses the Warner Animation Group and Illumination Entertainment production model of developing feature projects in Southern California and doing the productions with an overseas studio.

Wonder Park -- wrapping

It's A Wonderful Sponge -- ongoing ("SpongeBob" project which has been stopped and restarted multiple times)

Monster on the Hill -- ongoing

Luck -- ongoing

Bento Box

Bob's Burgers -- ongoing

Paradise PD -- ongoing (Netflix)

Fox Animation

Fox Animation Studios has two locations in Southern California. The facility housing "Family Guy" and "American Da" is on Wilshire Boulevard in L.A.; the facility doing "The Simpsons" is On Alameda Boulevard in Burbank.

Family Guy -- ongoing

Seth M. no longer does day-to-day oversight of "FG"; he delegates, does a variety of voices, and concentrates on his live-action activities from headquarters in Beverly Hills

American Dad -- ongoing

The Simpsons -- ongoing

Genius Brand (Andy Heyward Company. Andy ran DIC decades ago. The company was bought by ABC before ABC was part of Disney.)

Lama Lama -- ongoing (for Netflix)

Marvel Animation

Avengers Assemble -- wrapping up

Guardians of the Galaxy -- wrapping up

Spider-man -- wrapping up

We're informed that Marvel Animation will be going into hibernation.

Titmouse/Robin Red Breast

Moon Beam -- ongoing

Megalopolis -- ongoing

Super Jail -- ongoing

The Venture Brothers -- ongoing

Niko and the Sword of Light -- ongoing

Big Mouth -- ongoing

Tigtone -- ongoing

Scavengers -- ongoing

Activision

Skylanders Academy -- ongoing

Renegade -- ongoing

ABC Mouse (flash show) -- ongoing

Star Burns Industries

Rick and Morty (Rick and Morty LLC) -- ongoing

Animals -- ongoing

Shadow Machine

Bo Jack Horsemen -- ongoing

Dad Boner -- ongoing

Six Point/Six Point 2

Apollo Gauntlet (Adult Swim) -- ongoing

Star Chaser pilot --

Wild Canary

Puppy Dog Pals (Disney Jr.) -- ongoing

The Rocketeer -- ongoing (Season #1 -- 11-minute episodes -- for Disney Jr.)

Stupid Buddies Stoodio

Robot Chicken -- ongoing

Buddy Thunderstruck -- ongoing

SuperMansion -- ongoing

Hot Streets -- ongoing

Leodoro Productions

F is for Family -- ongoing

Universal

Alvin and the Chipmunks -- ongoing

Curious George -- ongoing (newer flash version)

Illumination Entertainment Studios

Secret Life of Pets 2 -- ongoing

Minions 2 -- ongoing

Sing 2 -- ongoing

Johnny Express -- ongoing

Despicable Me 4 -- ongoing

Untitled Mario feature -- ongoing

Illumination Entertainment's next release is "The Grinch", out November 9th. IE is heavy on sequels, but why not? The various franchises have enabled Illumination to open its own mint.

Splash Entertainment

Kulipari: An Army of Frogs -- ongoing (Netflix)

Woody Woodpecker (10 5-minute cartoons for South America)

Bureau of magic -- ongoing

The mice! The mice! Inside stories of Disney Animation in two exciting volumes ... Mouse in Transition and Mouse in Orbit. Available now! ... and into the future (we think)!