Pittsburgh 04/03/2013-The Toonseum Pittsburgh's Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art presents Comics 4 Comics 4! The 4th installment of this annual fundraiser brings headliner Michael Capozzola to Pittsburgh and onto to the stage at Little E's at 8pm on April 4th. Michael Capozzola is a San Francisco-based comedian and cartoonist. He's contributed to Mad Magazine, The New York Times and National Lampoon. Michael is the producer and host of the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum's annual...

JANE NEBEL HENSON 1934-2013 Puppeteer, philanthropist and founder of The Jim Henson Legacy Hollywood (April 2, 2013) - Jane Henson died in her Connecticut home on April 2, 2013 after a long battle with cancer. A tribute page celebrating Jane and featuring images from her life canmbe found at www.henson.com/jane.html. A memorial mass is planned for next week. Donations may be sent in memory of Jane Henson to the following: Center for Puppetry Arts http://puppet.org/contribute/donation.shtml The Jim...

From above the world of "Cars" comes "Disney's Planes," an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty's not exactly built for racing-and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty's courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights...

On April 2, 2013, fans will be able to immerse themselves in every aspect of Marvel's elite Super Heroes with this limited-edition, 10-Disc "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One Collection." Complete with glowing Tesseract, this exciting collection includes stunning Blu-ray 3D TM and Blu-ray TM presentations of Marvel's "The Avengers," "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "Thor," as well as Blu-ray TM versions of "Iron Man," "Iron...

STILL SWIMMING! Disney•Pixar's "Finding Dory" to Dive into Theaters November 25, 2015 Ellen DeGeneres, the Voice of the Beloved Blue Tang Fish in 2003's "Finding Nemo," Shares Plans for the All-New Big-Screen Adventure BURBANK, Calif. (April 2, 2013) - When Dory said "just keep swimming" in 2003's Oscar®-winning film "Finding Nemo," she could not have imagined what was in store for her (not that she could remember). Ellen DeGeneres, voice...

Disney Insider Celebrates Disney Infinity with First Behind-the-Scenes Video Today, Disney Insider premiered a behind-the-scenes video of our all-new gaming initiative, Disney Infinity . In "Creating Disney Infinity," the first in a series of videos leading up to the game's release, Disney leaders and creatives from across the company including John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich and Avalanche Software's John Blackburn open up about Disney Infinity 's origins and Disney's heritage...

2013 Disney World Summer Discount Travel Dates : June 13 - August 14, 2013 The Walt Disney World ® Resort has released a new discount for Summer dates in 2013. Disney World guests can save up to 30% off of their Walt Disney World resort room, and get additional savings when they add 4 day or longer Magic Your Way park passes to their rooms to make a package. Sample Savings: Walt Disney World Value Resorts All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, Pop Century and Art of Animation (family suites only):...

One really has to tip their colorful, blinking mouse ears to the Disneyland Paris Creative Entertainment team. Between those two new scenes that were just added to the Disney Dreams! nighttime spectacular and that "Glow with the Show" technology which made its international debut this past weekend, DLP is now a brightly shining star in the theme park heavens. Which -- as you may recall -- wasn't always the case. Back in April of 1992 when this $4 billion project first opened to the...

Veteran Disney film editor Norman "Stormy" Palmer passed away this past Saturday, March 23rd at his home in Northridge, California from age-related natural causes. He was 94 years old. Palmer worked at the Walt Disney Studios for 45 years, and became closely associated with the acclaimed series of " True-Life Adventure " films. Among the popular titles in that series that he edited were " The Living Desert ," " The African Lion ," " Beaver Valley ,"...

Huffington Post -- Vocal cast for Disney's "Planes" includes a "Top Gun" cameo, top names from stand-up comedy So how did Klay Hall wind up as director of Disney's "Planes" ? First there was this train derailment ... Or should I say: First an earlier project that Hall was going to helm -- one built around a talking steam train -- got derailed. "This must have been June or July of 2009. I was just finishing up directing 'Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure...

"We currently have no traditional hand-drawn animated motion pictures in production or development." Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved I'm paraphrasing what Disney CEO Robert Iger said at the recent shareholders meeting in Phoenix, AZ . But whether he knew it or not, the Disney chief executive had just announced the sad death of an art form that had once been the foundation of this prestigious media company. And with the passing of a unique art form that had been...

Figment's Friend sent me a rather anxious e-mail last week. This JHM reader wanted to share a bit of news coming out of WDW's Magic Kingdom which had really upset him: Did you see what happened to that portrait of Tony Baxter which was hung in the new interactive queue of Big Thunder Mountain ? Disney had to remove this painting within 48 hours of it being hung because of the way that Guests had been defacing it . I can not believe how disrespectful these people have been to this Imagineering...

Chris sent me an e-mail earlier this week in regards to the "Unofficial Guide Disney Dish" podcast that I do with Len Testa , where he asked: "Where do you get all of the stories that you tell on these podcasts? I'm a big Disney history buff. But you always seem to have these behind-the-scenes stories that I've never heard before. Where do you get your material?" Thanks for the kind words, Chris. As to where I get the information that I used in those "Unofficial Guide...

There are three brand new Disney Pixar "Cars Toons" Shorty Shorts now live on Disney.com and Cars.Disney.com . Dubbed "Shorty Shorts" because they're no longer than a minute and a half long, each video offers a quick and fun peek into the world of "Cars." Directed by Jeremy Lasky and produced by Mary Alice Drumm, Disney Pixar "Cars Toons" feature some of our favorite characters in new and surprising situations. Head to Disney.com or Cars.Disney.com to check...

Attraction is the First of its Kind in the United States KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. ( March 22,2013) - Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has partnered with Rovio Entertainment, creator of the globally successful Angry Birds TM franchise including Angry Birds Space, to bring the casual puzzle game to life. The new Angry Birds TM Space Encounter, set to open at the Visitor Complex at 11 a.m. on March 22, is the first comprehensive, interactive Angry Birds attraction in the United States designed...

As a Thank You to Fans, Tony®-Winning Musical to Offer Free Ticket Lottery For One Week Only, March 23 - 29 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Friday, March 22, 2013): Newsies , The Tony Award-winning hit Broadway musical, celebrates one year on Broadway March 29 th at the Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41 st Street, New York City). To thank the fans of the show whose support brought Newsies to the Great White Way and who have made it one of Broadway's biggest hits, tickets at the Newsies lottery will...

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." The late John Lennon included that line as part of his lyrics for " Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) ." And that sentiment is as true today as it was back in 1980 when John originally wrote that line. Maybe even more so. Let's face it: When we're young, we all have these plans in our heads about how our idealized lives & careers are supposed to go. But then unexpected things happen. Obstacles suddenly crop...

Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” starts out with an equally fantastical title sequence. The sequence was done by design company Yu + Co. Here's what they had to say about the film and their work: "Oz The Great and Powerful is a fantastic film that transports us to a place filled with wonder and magic. Our goal with the opening title sequence was to set the tone for the audience to enter the unique, imaginative world that Sam Raimi created. The...

On the heels of last week's release of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" on Blu-ray , the internet has been buzzing like Marvin Acme's hand buzzer with rumors that Robert Zemeckis may be making plans to return to Toontown. To be specific, that this Academy Award-winning director is finally getting serious about shooting that often-talked-about and long-delayed "Roger Rabbit" sequel. Most of this talk about a return to Toontown can be traced back January 17th of this year when...

Distinctly Disney Experiences Bring One-of-a-Kind Excursions to Life CELEBRATION, Fla. - Disney Cruise Line invites families to explore the culturally rich and exotic locales of Europe with one-of-a-kind Port Adventures featuring exclusive Disney touches during its 2013 Mediterranean sailings. In preparation for the three-month season of European cruises, Disney Cruise Line worked with local tour operators to create excursions on the various Mediterranean sailings that offer families authentic cultural...

Visit the website: http://marvel.com/ironman3 “Like” IRON MAN 3 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ironman ” “Follow" IRON MAN 3 on Twitter: @Iron_Man Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle...

Stepping off the silver screen and out of the pages of comic books, look for Spider-Man , Iron Man , The Avengers and X-Men to swing into an arena in your hometown. The iconic Marvel super heroes are being tapped to star in an unprecedented new show that brings the characters to life and puts the audience right in the middle of all the spectacular action. Feld Entertainment has signed a groundbreaking agreement with Marvel Entertainment which allows the companies to produce shows featuring the super...

Back for a second season on Disney XD is " Lab Rats ," the live-action, sci-fi comedy adventure series starring actor / comedian / musician Hal Sparks as Donald Davenport, the billionaire-scientist inventor who created three bionic superhuman kids. Excited to be back for a new season, Sparks calls the part, tongue-in-cheek, "the role I was born to play." Photo by Bruce Birmelin. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved "Labs Rats" was ranked as Disney XD's...

So why exactly did Walt Disney World 's November 2010 plan for Pleasure Island (i.e. turn the center-most section of Downtown Disney into Hyperion Wharf , "a nostalgic yet modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier" which was supposed to have "stylish boutiques and innovative restaurants" as well as "thousands of lights" that would then "transform the area into an electric wonderland" at night) morph into the far more ambitious Disney...

So what does it actually take for D23 to pull together those Fanniversary events that they've been presenting around the country for the past few weeks? According to Jeffrey Epstein, spokesman for the Official Disney Fan Club, it takes a solid six months of behind-the-scenes effort to produce each of these two hour-long annual presentations. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved "We know that D23 Members are already incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to The Walt Disney...

I'm really excited about this year's Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival . Normally it's just nice to get out and experience Spring as the frigid Central Florida weather starts to warm up and it is once again becomes possible to go outside after the horrifically cold 50 and 60-degree weather has passed (I grew up in Jersey and lived in Boston for 6 years ... So I can now make these jokes and rub it in to all you Northerners a bit). The topiaries and the flower displays are...

Huffington Post -- Mickey Mouse gets a retro makeover for the Disney Channel's new series of 2D animated shorts In Hollywood, it's customary for stars of a certain age to periodically go under the knife. Freshen up their look every now and then, if you will. In Mickey Mouse 's case, when The Walt Disney Company recently decided it was time for their corporate symbol to get back into the animation game, they drew their inspiration for a brand-new series of 2D shorts from a number of different...

Never mind March coming in like a lion. This month is really more a mouse, given all of the Disney-related events that are going to be happening all over the country in the coming week. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved Like what? Well, for starters, today through Monday, March 11th, internationally recognized artist Larry Dotson will be appearing at Epcot 's Art of Disney . And if you'd like to purchase one of his paintings and/or get Larry to sign one of his canvases...

San Francisco, CA , (March 11, 2013) - The Walt Disney Family Museum is pleased to present the exhibition Camille Rose Garcia: Down the Rabbit Hole . On view from May 9 to November 3, 2013, the exhibition features some 40 works by Garcia alongside seven Alice in Wonderland concept paintings by Disney artist Mary Blair from the Museum's collection. Organized by guest curator Tere Romo, the exhibition celebrates not only Garcia and Blair's artistry across decades and artistic styles, but also...

Huffington Post -- Jack McBrayer says goodbye to Kenneth on NBC's "30 Rock" and hello to Disney's "Wander Over Yonder" When " 30 Rock " officially wrapped production back in December, it saddened sitcom fans to think that they weren't going to be able to see Kenneth Parcell anymore. But as it turns out, no one's going to miss this perpetually cheerful character more than Jack McBrayer , the talented comic actor who portrayed that NBC page for the past...

To honest, there's wasn't a whole lot of really-for-real news that came out of today's Annual Meeting of Shareholders of The Walt Disney Company in Phoenix, AZ. Chairman and chief executive officer Robert A. Iger spoke with great enthusiasm about the slate of films the Studio would be releasing over the coming year. Iger also told the crowd at the Orpheum Theatre about his recent trip to Walt Disney World, where Disney's big cheese then got to test-drive one of the MagicBands which...

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your browser. Pixie Vacations Disney Vacation Packages APRIL Disney World Vacation Package - Start Spring Early We have a limited number of Walt Disney World Vacation Package that are just in time for the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival in April. So start Spring early and take advantage of this Disney World Vacation Package from Pixie Vacations. Contact Us at Pixie Vacations Today about this April Offer 678-815-1584 For a limited time,...

Television is a very weird business. How do I know this? Because as I write today's story, I'm looking at an e-mail that the nice folks at Disney Junior sent me yesterday afternoon. Giving me a heads-up that " Sofia the First ," their new animated series which is built around Disney's first little girl princess, just got picked up for a second season . Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved Mind you, anyone with half a brain in the industry knew that this renewal...

“Pin” Disney Products on Facebook for a Chance to Win $10,000 PHOENIX - March 4, 2013 - PetSmart ® (NASDAQ: PETM) today introduced new Disney pet apparel and toys. Characters such as Donald Duck, Tinker Bell, Kermit the Frog, Tigger and, of course, Mickey Mouse will add fun and magic to more than 30 new products available at all PetSmart stores in North America and at www.PetSmart.com . "Disney characters have a special place in many pet parents' hearts, and this new PetSmart...

Huffington Post -- Joe Roth reflects on "Oz The Great and Powerful," looks forward to "Maleficent" in 2014 It's every screenwriter's nightmare. To be in the office of one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, pitching all of your script ideas. Only to then have that mover-and-shaker repeatedly say "Nope. Not interested." But that's exactly what happened back in 2009 to poor Mitchell Kapner . The screenwriter of "The Whole Nine Yards" was in...

Okay. So the Tony Awards are named after Antoinette Perry , who was an actress, director & producer. Not to mention being a co-founder of the American Theatre Wing . And according to Hollywood legend, the Oscars was named by Margaret Herrick . In her role as the first librarian at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , Margaret was among the first to see the golden statuette which MGM artists had created for this industry awards ceremony. And as she gazes at that little bald man (who...

©2013 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved. Academy Award-winning actor Richard Gere met a few mischievous, yellow fans while hosted by Universal Orlando Resort on March 3, 2013. Gere came face-to-face with the fun-loving minions when experiencing the theme park destination's newest ride, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. Best known for films like "Pretty Woman," "Chicago" and "Arbitrage," Gere presented last week at the Academy Awards before heading to...

The Internet is really a wondrous place. Especially if you're a young person who's considering a career in animation. If you've ever considered becoming a character designer someday, you can always swing by Tom Bancroft 's Character Mentor Studio or Stephen Silver's blog and then pick up some good practical tips. Likewise if you've dreamed of becoming an art director, you should definitely be bookmarking Mike Peraza's sites . The same goes with Mark Evanier 's News...

Huffington Post -- As Broadway's "Mary Poppins" gets ready to close, regional productions of this acclaimed Disney musical begin popping up all over As any good Mary Poppins fan will tell you, when the wind shifts from the East to the West, it's then time for that practically perfect nanny to pack up her carpet bag and fly off for parts unknown. Well, I'm not sure which way the wind is blowing in New York City these days. But since Disney and Cameron Mackintosh 's Mary Poppins...

Pam dropped me a note on Wednesday to ask: I was wondering if anyone knows whether or not Disney will start producing Minimus the flying horse from Sophia The First in a figure form for the public to be able to purchase? Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved You're talking -- of course -- about the character that was introduced in "One of the Princes," the very first episode of "Sofia the First" to air on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior . And to my way...

Huffington Post -- "The Croods" directors reveal how DreamWorks Animation's caveman comic-adventure evolved You'd think given the sophisticated sorts of folks who annually attend the Berlin Film Festival that this wouldn't be the sort of crowd which would enthusiastically embrace something as crass-sounding as " The Croods ." But that's actually what happened last Friday night at the world premiere of this DreamWorks Animation production. As the credits began to...

Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination Opening Reception Saturday, March 23, 2013 from 6pm to 9pm San Francisco, CA: The Cartoon Art Museum and The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity will host a special reception for the exhibition Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination on Saturday, March 23, 2013 . Special guests include Chuck Jones' widow, Marian Jones , his daughter, Linda Jones Clough, and his grandson, Craig Kausen , who is the Chairman of The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, as well as other...

High-Flying Animated Comedy Adventure Soars into Theaters August 9, 2013 BURBANK, Calif. (February 28, 2013) - Dane Cook has been tapped to voice the lead character Dusty, a plane with high hopes in "Disney's Planes." Inspired by the world of "Cars" and directed by Disneytoon Studios veteran and aviation enthusiast Klay Hall ("King of the Hill," "The Simpsons"), "Disney's Planes" is an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure about Dusty's...

IT'S TIME FOR MOUSE MADNESS THIS MARCH AT THE WALT DISNEY FAMILY MUSEUM! March Exhibitions, Programs, and Events SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic Now through April 14, 2013 | Special Exhibition Hall Special ticket price for Snow White: $10 general | Special combination ticket which includes general museum admission: $25 adults; $20 seniors and students; $15 children ages 6 to 17. This special exhibition celebrates Walt Disney's first feature-length...

From Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Wreck-It Ralph" takes viewers on a hilarious journey. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has played the bad guy in his popular video game. In a bold move, he embarks on an action-packed adventure and sets out to prove to everyone that he is a true hero with a big heart. As he explores exciting new worlds, he teams up with some unlikely new friends including feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman). The film is directed...

Mike Wazowski’s (voice of Billy Crystal) lifelong dreams of becoming a Scarer are derailed during his first semester at Monsters University when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), and their out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. “Like” MONSTERS UNIVERSITY on Facebook: http://facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity "Follow" Disney/Pixar on Twitter...

VES OPEN LETTER - CALL TO ACTION In light of current events, the Visual Effects Society (VES), an honorary body comprised of the very best visual effects artists around the world, today issues two calls to action : First, we call upon Governor Brown and the State Legislature to immediately expand its tax incentive program for the entertainment industry and to include a focused approach concentrated on the visual effects and post production sectors of the industry. Secondly, because we have reached...

You've probably already seen the pictures from Sunday's Princess Half Marathon event at the Walt Disney World Resort . Where 26,000 runners raced through Epcot and the Magic Kingdom during the early morning hours ... Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved ... only to have Rachel Booth of Mandeville, LA wind up as the winner for the second year in a row. Completing this 13.1 mile course in 1:17:38, 33 seconds faster than her 2012 pace. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All...

Huffington Post -- Rich Moore looks back at the roads not taken with Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" It was the story that artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios had been struggling to get a handle on for over 15 years. A comic action-adventure set inside of the world of video games, where the computer-generated hero longed for something more. Two previous attempts had been made to turn this thought-to-be-promising premise into a full-length animated feature. But both of those proposed...

Universal Announces Room Rates, New Features for New 1,800 Room On-Site Hotel FAST FACTS Book now. Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort is accepting reservations. Opening Dates: early 2014; reservations being accepted for stays beginning on March 31, 2014. Style: Inspired by the iconic beach resorts of the 1950s and 60s, when the pool was the place to relax after the day's road trip. Rooms: 900 Guest Rooms and 900 Family Suites, each with colorful "retro" décor. Pricing: Starting...