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Disney and Pixar’s 2017 hit Coco may have been the first time many audiences truly experienced the beauty of Dia de los Muertos, but it’s far from the first time mainstream media has brought Latin American culture to the forefront. It may be the most popular depiction of the holiday, but its gorgeous visuals and catchy songs followed the success of George Gutierrez’s similarly themed The Book of Life. That’s not to say either film is better than the other. Both have their merits, and their stories are dissimilar enough to qualify as mostly unique experiences.

However, fans of the 2017 hit are always looking for something new to enjoy. Fortunately, Gutierrez’s work stretches back further than The Book of Life. Before the beautifully stylized film hit theaters, Gutierrez worked on a lesser-known venture — a Nickelodeon cartoon — called El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. Like its later theatrical relatives,...

The highly anticipated spy thriller “Special Ops: Lioness” arrives on Paramount+ on July 23. The original series from Taylor Sheridan is based on a true story and stars Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Nicole Kidman, and Morgan Freeman. De Oliveira plays a CIA undercover operative, a “lioness,” charged with befriending someone close to a high-value enemy target, a key member of a state terrorist organization.

Catch the “Special Ops: Lioness” trailer

Also coming to Paramount+ next month will be a reunion filled with humor and romance. New film “Zoey 102” will premiere on July 28 and reunite many of the cast members from the beloved high-school series “Zoey 101.” The gang is getting back together in Malibu to attend Logan and Quinn’s wedding, but that is not the only romance in the air. Jamie Lynn Spears, Sean Flynn, Christopher Massey, Erin Sanders, and Abby Wilde star in the sequel film.

Watch...

The Annecy Festival’s tribute to Mexico as its 2023 guest county of honor brings over 250 artists and executives to the world’s biggest animation event. Here are 10 Talents to Track emerging directors and artists among an exploding animation scene. Variety could easily have chosen another 20 more.

Sofia Alexander

Celebrated as the executive producer and creator of Crunchyroll’s first original series “Onyx Equinox,” the tale of a young Meso-American slave who becomes the last hope of saving humanity from invading gods of the underworld. On TV “I never saw Meso-American Indigenous Mexico without Spanish influence, and I wanted to connect with my roots,” says Alexander. The series is anime influenced, not just in its aesthetics – the painterly fields of Meso-America and the frenzied gory combat – but also in its being serialization, pacing and broad audience target, including adults, she argues. A freelancer for Cartoon Network, Hasbro and Nickelodeon, but “Onyx Equinox” is her major achievement.

Ralph Eggleston, an Academy Award-winning animator, art director and production designer at Pixar Animation Studios, died on Monday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56 years old.

Eggleston won the animated short film Oscar for writing and directing the 2001 Pixar film “For the Birds.”

Pixar tweeted a tribute to him, saying, “Pixar and the world will be forever grateful.”

In memory of Ralph Eggleston—animator, director, art director, storyboard artist, writer, production designer, and our dear friend. Pixar and the world will be forever grateful. ❤ pic.twitter.com/YzZACENcZw

— Pixar (@Pixar) August 29, 2022

The animator also served as art director on the original “Toy Story,” and his work as an artist has been seen on numerous Pixar films including “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-e,” “Cars,” “The Incredibles” and “Inside Out.” His final credited work was in 2020’s “Soul,” where he served as a development artist within the art department.

Last year was an embarrassment of riches for animation fans, especially on TV. From "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" capturing the extremely online generation, to the absolute visual marvel that was "Arcane," many of the best animated movies and shows of the year came to us via Netflix. That includes the stunning mini-series "Maya and the Three," a Mesoamerican animated fantasy epic in the vein of "Lord of the Rings" with some really cool 3D effects (and stars Diego Luna as a hot sad boy with white hair), directed by "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera" creator, Jorge...

The post I, Chihuahua Concept Art Reveals Maya And The Three Director's New Animated Film About A Luchador Dog appeared first on /Film.

Kids (and children at heart), prepare to be mystified: Netflix has summoned “Daniel Spellbound,” a new CG-animated series about a young seller of rare magical goods to sorcerers and sorceresses in modern-day New York City. The show will be produced in collaboration with creator and director Matt Fernandes, co-founder of Toronto-based studio Industrial Brothers.

The upcoming Netflix series, made in partnership with Industrial Brothers and Boat Rocker Media, joins the streamer’s expanding slate of kids and family animated programs on the platform, including “Kid Cosmic” from PowerPuff Girls creator Craig McCracken, which debuted on Feb. 2. Other titles arriving in 2021 are “City of Ghosts” from “Adventure Time” and “Phineas & Ferb” alum Elizabeth Ito, and “Maya and the Three” from Mexican animator and writer Jorge Gutierrez, most known for his work on the Emmy-award winning “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera” Nicktoon and on the Golden Globe-nominated film “The Book of Life.

The lush colors and ornate design that helmer Jorge Gutiérrez featured in his film “The Book of Life” makes one thing clear: he’s a romantic.

“It’s true, I’m an optimist, a romantic,” laughs Gutiérrez, who is Variety’s Creative Impact in Animation honoree this year. “I’ve never had my heart broken. I married the first girl I fell in love with.”

Gutiérrez’s keen skills as an animator and particular voice as a filmmaker led him from his childhood in Mexico City to CalArts, collaborations with industry giants including Guillermo del Toro, and such developing series as the beloved “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera.” In 2021, Gutiérrez’s latest project, “Maya and the Three” will premiere on Netflix.

Underlining Netflix’s commitment to Gutiérrez and to animation, the streamer on Oct. 14 unveiled an expanded partnership with the animator and his production company Mexopolis for original content.

The Book of Life is a 2014 animated film from animator Jorge R. Gutierrez, known for his distinctive animation style seen in his Nickelodeon show El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. It tells the tale of suave bullfighter Manolo Sanchez, who aims to be a musician. However, on Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead), he was pulled into the afterlife by a curse.

Related: The Highest-Grossing US Box Office Animated Films From Each Year Of The 2010s

The film was a modest success, with viewers praising its elaborate animation, colorful performances and musical numbers. For those who love the Guillermo del Toro production, here are 10 other movies to check out.

Animation directors Jorge R. Gutierrez (“The Book of Life”) and Kris Pearn (“The Willoughbys”) will discuss their craft in the View Conference’s second free PreVIEW online event Saturday, July 11, at 10 a.m. Pt.

Gutierrez, who is currently working on the Netflix animated series “Maya and the Three,” and Pearn, whose hit animated feature “The Willoughbys” premiered on Netflix earlier this year, will talk about the way each of them approaches developing and directing an animated film.

Gutierrez won a character design Annie Award for 2014’s “Book of Life,” which was also nominated for a Golden Globe. He’s won Annie and Emmy awards for the Nickelodeon series “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera,” which he created with his wife, Sandra Equihua. In addition to “Maya and the Three,” Gutierrez is developing a number of other projects for Netflix Animation.

In addition to writing and directing “The Willoughbys,” Pearn...

Close to two decades after “Dora the Explorer” premiered on Nickelodeon, a wave of animated projects that put Latinx characters front and center has made its way to the small screen. From Disney Jr.’s Latina princess show “Elena of Avalor” and Guillermo del Toro’s “Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia” trilogy at Netflix, to Nickelodeon’s family sitcom “The Casagrandes” and Cartoon Network’s adventure show “Victor and Valentino,” there is a growing roster of projects that explore the diversity of Latin American cultures.

These shows are driven, in part, by what “The Book of Life” director Jorge Gutiérrez calls the “Dora” generation, an entire swath of creators who grew up seeing a Latina central character as a normal thing. Gutiérrez, who’s working on an ambitious Mesoamerican fantasy epic limited series entitled “Maya and the Three” for Netflix, believes these strides are indicative of a belated shift in the industry at large.

Tony Sokol Aug 3, 2017

The director of Book Of Life has taken over the Lego movie The Billion Brick Race from Jason Segel and Drew Pierce...

Mexican animator, painter, writer and Golden Globe-nominated director Jorge R Gutiérrez, who created Nickelodeon’s animated television series, El Tigre: The Adventures Of Manny Rivera, and directed The Book Of Life, is developing a new Lego movie, which is being called The Billion Brick Race.

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The Lego movie, whose precise details are currently under wraps, was being developed by Jason Segal and Drew Pearce, who came up with the original idea, with Pearce signed on as the original director.

We don't yet know why there's been a change of personnel behind the scenes on the forthcoming Lego spin-off, though the...

Director Jorge Gutierrez has come aboard to develop a new movie in the Lego series that has had the working title of The Billion Brick Race, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Gutierrez previously helmed the Golden Globe-nominated animated feature The Book of Life and the Emmy-winning TV series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. Most recently, he stepped into the virtual reality arena, directing Google Spotlight Stories’ Son of Jaguar, an animated short that combines Mexican wrestling with a heartfelt tale about tradition and family.

While the logline for the ew film hasn't been revealed, the project was originally in the...

Jorge R. Gutierrez, as it turns out, has something of an artistic fascination with death. His first feature film, The Book of Life, opened last weekend. Produced by Guillermo del Toro, it’s a love story that crosses into the afterlife and builds upon the aesthetic and spiritual traditions of Dia de los Muertos. Death comes early on in the film, when Manolo (Diego Luna) is bitten by a venomous snake and sent into the next world. To regain the love of his life, Maria (Zoe Saldana), he has to find a way to come back from the beyond. It may not be the only recent animated feature for kids to address death, after Paranorman and others, but its embrace of such a morbid narrative is an exciting risk. For Gutierrez, however, this is nothing new. His final film as a student at CalArts in 2000 was a 3D short called Carmelo. It...

Hitting theaters from Fox this Friday, The Book of Life is one of the most anticipated films of the Fall. While this stylized animated adventure is produced by Guillermo del Toro, its director is a relative unknown. That man is Mexican creator Jorge Gutierrez, best known as the man behind the Nikelodeon series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. But before he made El Tigre, Gutierrez made a bit of a splash while at Cal Arts with his 2001 Student Emmy Award-winning short Carmelo. We've got the impressive short for you now, and the connections to this weekend's The Book of Life will be pretty obvious from the get go. Check it out below....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

20th Century Fox will release The Book of Life in theaters this fall, and the animated film may be worth a look for the visuals alone. The movie’s storyline, as was co-written by the director Jorge R. Gutierrez (El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera), follows the adventures of Manolo (voiced by Diego Luna), a young man out to fulfill his dreams. That includes winning the heart of Maria (Zoe Saldana), who makes it clear that’s easier said than done, in the above trailer.

Book of Life‘s second theatrical preview, similar to its previous trailer, doesn’t shed so much light on its plot as it does on the rich, colorful, and lively visual aesthetic of the film (inspired by traditional artwork for Mexico’s holiday Dia de Muertos), as well as the movie’s kid-friendly humor and cartoony hijinks. However, according to the official ...

Click to...

Attach Guillermo del Toro’s name to your project, and it’s pretty much guaranteed that we’re all going to take a look at it. Luckily for The Book of Life, a vividly animated adventure hitting theaters this October, there’s a lot more to like than just that the Hellboy director is involved.

For one thing, the visuals continue to look absolutely gorgeous in this second trailer for the movie, which follows three childhood friends who become the corners of a love triangle. Maria (Zoe Saldana) is the beautiful and spirited lady adored by both the noble-hearted bullfighter Manolo (Diego Luna) and the handsome, self-confident Joaquin (Channing Tatum). The Book of Life focuses primarily on Manolo as, after calling upon the powers of an ancient deity, he travels through The Land of the Living, the Land of the Remembered and the Land of the Forgotten as he searches...

Guillermo del Toro is not a very prolific director, but he sure does like getting himself involved in an abundance of projects as a producer. He’s taken on the role of executive producer on such films as Puss In Boots, Rise Of The Guardians and last year’s Mama. This summer, we’ll see Del Toro take on television for the first time with The Strain, a show he co-created, which is set to air on FX. But his latest producing effort, The Book Of Life, seems to hit closer to home than any of those other efforts. This 3D computer-animated feature is very clearly influenced by the Mexican holiday The Day of the Dead, and if this trailer is any indication, we should be in for a real visual treat.

The film marks Jorge Gutierrez’s directorial debut. Though not a big name, Gutierrez previously co-created the animated...

It's no surprise when a Disney film is met with critical and commercial success, but after winning an Academy Award and the title of highest grossing animated picture of all time, it's safe to say that Frozen is impressive even by Disney's high standards. Storyboard artists Jeff Ranjo (Frozen, Surf's Up, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), Fawn Veerasunthorn (Frozen, Hop, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera), Nicole Mitchell (Frozen, Wreck-it Ralph, Winnie the Pooh) and Normand Lemay (Frozen, Rio) were on hand at WonderCon today to give a behind-the-scenes look at the art of storyboarding and the process of crafting story for an animated film. Hit the jump to learn some Frozen movie secrets and for highlights of the panel. Frozen - The Art of the Story WonderCon Panel Recap: The group kicked things off by explaining the job of a story board artist. They described the process...

If two recently released art pieces for the Guillermo Del Toro-produced Book of Life are any indication, the upcoming film should be a vivid visual experience. In a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter, co-writer/director Jorge Gutierrez offers two stunning concept images (featuring kaleidoscopic city streets and ornate skies) for the upcoming Fox Animation film (see one above), while also discussing his vision for the project's bold look.

Guillermo del Toro Q&A: 'Pacific Rim' Director on Robots and Monsters

Gutierrez, who co-created the Emmy-nominated Nick...

Exuberance and imagination is what has led Guillermo Del Toro into becoming one of the most interesting filmmakers of this generation. Growing up in Mexico, he was exposed to the grim realities of life and death, but in spite of such tragedy, he cultivated a rigorous imagination. Though his directorial efforts have somewhat slowed down, he has become much more involved as a producer, selecting his next work: “Book of Life.

Fox Animation Studios have come to lend Del Toro a hand in making this new animated feature. “Book of Life” will be based on the Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead which is a time to remember the family members that have died. The exact details of this future film are still undisclosed. Similarly, Pixar will have its own project based on the holiday: “Day of the Dead.”

Picked by Del Toro, animator Jorge R. Gutierrez will come on board to direct.

Though it’s been over four years since a Guillermo Del Toro-helmed film has graced the big screen, he hasn’t been resting on his laurels. Amidst all the projects he has lined up to direct himself, the Mexican filmmaker has also turned to producing interesting projects by promising up-and-coming filmmakers. Earlier this year it was announced that Del Toro would be producing CG-animated film “Day Of The Dead,” and now THR is reporting that Fox Animation Studios has come aboard to make the movie. Now titled "Book Of Life," the film is centered around the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead, will be helmed by Jorge R. Guiterrez (Nickelodeon TV series “El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera”), and is described as a “Romeo and Juliet”-style love story set against the holiday as a backdrop. If this sounds a bit familiar, that's because Pixar has their...

Among the many, many other projects he’s working on, including production on Pacific Rim, Hellboy 3, and taking directorial duties on the Emma Watson vehicle Beauty and the Beast, it was reported today that Guillermo del Toro will also produce a CG-animated film with the working title Day of the Dead. The director will work in collaboration with Reel FX on the film, which is the first to be set in his native Mexico since Cronos in 1993. [Variety]

Directed by animator Jorge R. Gutierrez, the film is described as an “action-packed, fully CG-animated picture, with a Romeo and Juliet style love story set against a Mexican Day of the Dead backdrop.” In an official press release, del Toro spoke on Gutierrez, who has worked in various roles on cartoon series like El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and Maya and Miguel, and his involvement with the film:

“I have admired...

The CG-animated movie The Day of the Dead will be produced by Guillermo del Toro and Reel FX studio. Del Toro will also present the film, which is being directed and co-written by Jorge R. Gutierrez, the co-creator of a Nickelodeon show named El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and is being eyed for [...]

Continue reading Guillermo Del Toro to Produce Jorge R. Gutierrez’ CG-Animated Picture on FilmoFilia.

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Guillermo del Toro is returning to his Mexican roots with Day of the Dead, a CG-animated movie he has boarded as a producer. Del Toro is teaming up with Reel FX to make the film, which will be directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, the co-creator of a Nickelodeon show named El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. Del Toro also will “present” the film, which also is being produced by Aaron Berger and Carina Schulze of Chatrone Inc. Gutierrez and Doug Langdale, whose writing credits include El Tigre plus many other animated TV shows, wrote the script, which

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The Saturday schedule for the 2010 Comic-Con at San Diego is now released. As was the case with the Thursday and Friday breakdown reports, I'm focusing on film/TV/DVD related events, screenings and panels.

Read the Thursday, July 22, 2010 schedule.

Read the Friday, July 23, 2010 schedule.

10:00-11:00 Nickelodeon Presents: The SpongeBob SquarePants Secret Formula Revealed!— Ever wonder what delicious ingredients go into making an episode of SpongeBob? The masterminds behind the show -- executive producer Paul Tibbitt (Nightmare Ned), head writer Steven Banks (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius), creative director Vincent Waller (Ren & Stimpy), supervising storyboard director Tuck Tucker (Hey Arnold!), layout supervisor Kenny Pittenger (CatDog), storyboard director Luke Brookshier (Kim Possible), background painter Andy Clark (Dexter's Laboratory), animation director Andrew Overtoom (Family Guy), and the voice of SpongeBob himself, Tom Kenny -- show you how the kernel of an idea turns into a fully animated episode. Followed...

Hey Gang! Comic-Con International has unveiled the full schedule for Saturday July 24th! If you thought Thursday and Friday were insanely awesome and crazy, wait until you see what's planned for Saturday! There is a ton of great stuff going on that you're going to want to see! We've got all Marvel film panel with Thor, Captain America and The Avengers. There's also Green Lantern, Cowboys & Aliens, Sucker Punch, Harry Potter, Paul, and a ton of other great stuff! And if you aren't able to make it out to Comic-Con this year don't worry we got your back, and will be covering everything we possibly can. I've highlighted all the events we hope to cover. If you're going to comic-con we will be having a little meet up. The details for that will be revealed soon. Now check out the full schedule below and start planning out your Comic-Con geekdom.

Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory"), Ty Burrell ("Modern Family") and Peter Facinelli ("Nurse Jackie") are among the presenters for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation's 31st College Television Awards, taking place Saturday at Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel.

Additional presenters include Hill Harper ("CSI: NY"), Yvette Nicole Brown ("Community"), Chris Colfer ("Glee"), Gillian Jacobs ("Community"), Busy Phillipps ("Cougar Town"), Kerr Smith ("Life Unexpected"), the cast of MTV's "The Buried Life," Amanda Righetti ("The Mentalist"), Kelly Osbourne, Paris Barclay ("In Treatment"), Benito Martinez ("The Shield"), Tim Kang ("The Mentalist"), Pat Harvey and Jon Tenney ("The Closer").

The ceremony, which honors undergraduate and graduate student work in video, digital and film production, will be hosted by "Dancing With the Stars' " Tom Bergeron for the fourth year in a row. The gala recognizes 24 projects from 11 categories.

Past winners' work, such as Shane Ackers' short film "9" and Jorge Gutierrez's "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera,...

"Glee's" Chris Colfer, "Twilight's" Peter Facinelli, "Cougar Town's" Busy Philipps and "Dancing With the Stars" former contestant Kelly Osbourne will be among the long list of celeb presenters at the 31st Annual College Television Awards on April 10th.

The College Television Awards is a nationwide competition that recognizes "excellence in college student produced video, digital and film production."

Past winners have found the awards a ticket into Hollywood's fast lane. Shane Acker's College Television Award-winning short film "9" was later produced into a full length film by Tim Burton.  Nickelodeon snagged Jorge Gutierrez's "El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera," which went on to win an Emmy.

This year, "So You Think You Can Dance's" Nigel Lythgoe will be honored and "Dancing With the Stars" Tom Bergeron will host for the fourth consecutive year.

Other TV celeb presenters include Paris Barclay ("In Treatment"), Yvette Nicole Brown...

A rat could emerge as the big cheese at this year's Annie Awards.

Pixar's Ratatouille leads the pack in the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA-Hollywood) competition field with 13 feature nominations, including best animated feature as well as individual nominations for directing, writing, character animation, animated effects (two nominations), production design, storyboarding, character design, character animation, music and voice acting (three nominations).

Sony's Surf's Up followed, riding a wave of interest to earn 10 feature nominations for feature, animated effects, animation production artists, character animation (two nominations), character design and directing.

Rounding out the best animated feature category are DreamWorks Animation's Bee Movie, Sony Pictures Classics' Persepolis and Fox's The Simpsons Movie.

Parmount/Warner Bros.' closely watched Beowulf earned one nomination, in the category of production design.

The nominees for directing in an animated feature are Brad Bird for Ratatouille, Ash Brannon and Chris Buck for Surf's Up, Chris Miller and Raman Hui for DreamWorks Animation's Shrek the Third, Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi for Persepolis and David Silverman for The Simpsons Movie.

In television, Nickelodeon's El Tigre leads the pack with four nominations -- for best animated television production for children as well as individual nominations for character animation, character design and music.

The best animated television production nominees are Creative Comforts America from Aardman Animations, Jane and the Dragon from Weta Prods. and Nelvana, Kim Possible from Walt Disney Television Animation as well as Moral Orel and Robot Chicken Star Wars from ShadowMachine.

The Annie Awards honor overall excellence as well as individual achievement in 25 categories covering film, television, commercials, video games and short subjects.

The Winsor McCay Award for career contributions to the art of animation will be presented to John Canemaker, Glen Keane and John Kricfalusi. The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation will be presented to Jerry Beck; the Ub Iwerks Award for technical achievement award will be bestowed on Jonathan Gay, Gary Grossman and Robert Tatsumi; and a Special Achievement Annie Award will go to Edward R. Leonard.

Certificates of merits will be awarded to Marcus Adams, Jo Jo Batista, Steve Gattuso, Jon Reeves, Gemma Ross and Woodbury University.

The 35th annual Annie Awards will be presented Feb. 8 at UCLA's Royce Hall in Westwood.

2007 ANNIE AWARD NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY FOLLOWS:

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature

Bee Movie - DreamWorks Animation

Persepolis - Sony Pictures Classics

Ratatouille - Pixar Animation Studios

Surf's Up - Sony Pictures Animation

The Simpsons Movie - Twentieth Century Fox

Best Home Entertainment Production

Doctor Strange - MLG Productions

Futurama Bender's Big Score - The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Best Animated Short Subject

Everything Will Be OK - Bitter Films

How to Hook Up Your Home Theater - Walt Disney Feature Animation

Shorty McShorts' Shorts Mascot Prep - Walt Disney Television Animation

The Chestnut Tree - Picnic Pictures

Your Friend the Rat - Pixar Animation Studios

Best Animated Television Commercial

CVS Watering Can - Acme Filmworks

Esurance Homeowners - Wild Brain

Idaho Lottery: Twister - Acme Filmworks

Oregon Lottery Alaska - Laika/house

Power Shares Escape Average - Acme Filmworks

Best Animated Television Production

Jane and the Dragon - Weta Productions Limited & Nelvana Limited

Creative Comforts America - Aardman Animations

Moral Orel - ShadowMachine

Robot Chicken Star Wars- ShadowMachine

Kim Possible - Walt Disney Television Animation

Best Animated Television Production for Children

Chowder - Cartoon Network Studios

El Tigre - Nickelodeon

Little Einsteins - Disney Channel

Peep and the Big Wide World - Discovery Kids

The Backyardigans - Nickelodeon

Best Animated Video Game

Avatar: The Last Airbender The Burning Earth - THQ, Inc.

Bee Movie Game - Activision

Ratatouille - THQ, Inc.

Transformers: The Game - Blur Studios...

Nickelodeon said Tuesday that it has greenlighted a new animated series starring Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler.

In addition, the cable network announced a sixth season of SpongeBob SquarePants and said that additional episodes have been ordered of two new Nicktoons shows: El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and Tak and the Power of Juju.

Mighty B stars Poehler as the voice of Bessie Higgenbottom, the world's most ambitious and lovably unhinged 10-year-old Honeybee scout who has earned more Bee Badges than anyone in history but will not stop until she's earned every last one. The series, which was picked up for 20 episodes, is set to premiere in 2008.

Mighty B is co-created and executive produced by Poehler; Cynthia True, a recent staff writer for Nickelodeon's The Fairly OddParents; and Erik Wiese, an Emmy-nominated storyboard artist and writer who has worked on SpongeBob.

Tom Ascheim, executive vp and general manager at Nickelodeon Television, said Mighty B is "a fresh, creator-driven series about a hilarious character (Poehler, True and Wiese) created that we think kids are going to really love and connect with."

Meanwhile, SpongeBob was picked up for a 13-episode sixth season and will continue to feature the original voice cast, including Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick, Rodger Bumpass as Squidward, Clancy Brown as Mr.