Warner Bros. Online Joins Forces With DC Comics And Warner Bros. Animation To Create Original Animation For Debut Of Redesigned Warner Bros. Online June 15
(June 14, 2000 – Burbank, CA) – Warner Bros. Online (www.warnerbros.com), DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation have partnered to bring the first all-new original Internet animation shorts and entertainment destinations based on renowned DC Comics characters to the Web. The launch will coincide with the debut of Warner Bros. Online’s redesigned Web site on Thursday, June 15, and will star Lobo” (www.loboonline.com), as the ruthless anti-superhero sprung from the cult classic DC Comics title. “Gotham Girls” (www.gothamgirls.com), featuring the vivacious vixens from the Batman comics -- Batgirl, Cat Woman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn -- is slated to launch mid July.
The redesigned Warner Bros. Online Web site will feature reorganized categories to better direct visitors, including sections on movies, television, kids, music, games, community (message boards and chat rooms), shopping and a link to Warner Bros. Online's sister Web site, Entertaindom.com. Users will now be able to access more information and features on Warner Bros. properties in all media easier than ever before. The site will also highlight original content created specifically for the Web in a new section, “Warner Bros. Originals” (which is where users will find “Lobo” and “Gotham Girls”). In addition to a retooled navigational bar, a Flash player will be available to download from the site directly for easy viewing of all multi-media content.
Among the first Warner Bros. Originals are shorts, which combine the unparalleled talents of Warner Bros. Online, DC Comics and the Emmy Award-winning Warner Bros. Animation (producer of the popular “Batman,” “Batman Beyond” and “Superman” television series). Each original cartoon will run approximately three minutes in length, and will use state-of-the-art Flash animation to show off the characters in interactive stories. New episodes of both “Lobo” and “Gotham Girls” are scheduled to appear on a regular basis.
“These exciting two projects are a great addition to our newly redesigned Web site,” said Kevin Tsujihara, Executive Vice President, New Media, Warner Bros. “By combining Warner Bros.' expertise in animation with DC’s renowned characters, we're able to provide fans with the best of both worlds, offering them a new dimension of interactive community, while extending and expanding our brands in cyberspace.”
“Comic book characters are born to jump off the page into other media,” said Paul Levitz, Executive Vice President & Publisher, DC Comics, “and Internet animation is a perfect way to tell their stories. Lobo's been looking for a new medium to destroy, and the Gotham Girls are hunting for a Webby to go with their Emmys. Watch out, netizens.”
“The Internet provides unique creative opportunities especially for those of us working in the animation world. It is a new medium that demands you change the way you traditionally think and work,” said Jean MacCurdy, President, Warner Bros.
Animation. “We're literally breaking new ground and bringing a whole new dimension to these popular comic book characters.”
The “Lobo” site focuses on the infamous deeds of Lobo, an intergalactic bounty hunter who careens through the galaxy inciting his patented brand of mayhem. In the premiere, “Lobo is a Four Letter Word,” Lobo and another bounty hunter, Sunny Jim, have made an unusual bet—and when Sunny breaks the rules to win, chaos breaks loose.
Set to debut mid-July, the “Gotham Girls” site, which also utilizes Flash technology, will follow the escapades of Gotham City’s fearless females including Batgirl, and her felonious foes -- Cat Woman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Their talents are revealed as they move through crime-laden Gotham City in each Internet “Gotham Girls” cartoon short. The first installment, “The Vault,” finds Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn on an antic-filled, safe-cracking caper.
Both Web sites will link to the DC Comics Web site (www.dccomics.com), as well as to Warner Bros. Online (www.warnerbros.com).
DC Comics is a division of Warner Bros., a Time Warner Entertainment company. Since 1938, DC has created over 5000 characters, including the world's most popular super-heroes: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. These and other characters have starred in comic books, movies, television, animation, the Broadway stage and cyberspace.
Warner Bros. Online (warnerbros.com) is the ultimate Internet entertainment destination, offering the best of what the best has to offer. Providing an exclusive, official entry point into all things that are Warner Bros., complete with breaking news detailed information, exclusive proprietary still images and video clips, movie trailers and ad campaigns, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, contests, interactive fan opportunities and e-commerce related to all Warner Bros.-based entertainment, and also featuring exclusive, innovative original content that may or may not be drawn from popular Warner Bros. icons. Warner Bros. Online is accessible on the World Wide Web at http://www.warnerbros.com.
The “Lobo” Web site will also include:
• “Spread the Word,” a community area designed with Web cards, e-mail-a-friend functionality, chat (available mid-July) and message boards.
• “The Main Man Files” gives a glimpse into the world of Lobo. This page will provide new features on an ongoing basis, giving details on everything from Lobo’s high-tech gadgetry to his eccentric mannerisms and unsophisticated tongue – “Loboisms.”
• “Win Big -- Fan Boy Art Contest,” asks users to submit their artwork of a character they create and design (artists from Warner Bros. Online and DC Comics will select the winner based on creative merit). The winning character will be incorporated into a future Internet episode of “Lobo.”
• “Lobo’s Locker” will give fans downloadable images, audio files, wallpaper and screen savers.
• “Lobo’s Game Sty” is a place for users to play games online – smash, clobber, destroy! The interactive games let users get their hands on the controls of Lobo’s space-bike and his awesome arsenal—let the mayhem begin! The “Gotham Girls” Web site will also include: • “Spread the Word,” a community area designed with Web cards, e-mail-a-friend functionality, chat and message boards.
• “Gotham Girls Exposed” gives a glimpse into the world of the Gotham Girls, providing a detailed orientation of each girl's personality and delves into why Cat Woman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are just so very good at being very bad and why Batgirl is determined to thwart their efforts.
• “Win Big -- Gotham Girl Art Contest,” asks users to submit their artwork of a character they create and design (artists from Warner Bros. Online and DC Comics will select the winner based on creative merit). The winning entrant will have their character incorporated into a future Internet “Gotham Girls” short.
• “Gotham Loot” gives fans downloadable images, audio files, wallpaper and screen savers. “Harley’s Funhouse Arcade” –houses interactive games featuring all of the Gotham Girls.# # #
• “The Main Man Files” gives a glimpse into the world of Lobo. This page will provide new features on an ongoing basis, giving details on everything from Lobo’s high-tech gadgetry to his eccentric mannerisms and unsophisticated tongue – “Loboisms.”
• “Win Big -- Fan Boy Art Contest,” asks users to submit their artwork of a character they create and design (artists from Warner Bros. Online and DC Comics will select the winner based on creative merit). The winning character will be incorporated into a future Internet episode of “Lobo.”
• “Lobo’s Locker” will give fans downloadable images, audio files, wallpaper and screen savers.
• “Lobo’s Game Sty” is a place for users to play games online – smash, clobber, destroy! The interactive games let users get their hands on the controls of Lobo’s space-bike and his awesome arsenal—let the mayhem begin! The “Gotham Girls” Web site will also include: • “Spread the Word,” a community area designed with Web cards, e-mail-a-friend functionality, chat and message boards.
• “Gotham Girls Exposed” gives a glimpse into the world of the Gotham Girls, providing a detailed orientation of each girl's personality and delves into why Cat Woman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are just so very good at being very bad and why Batgirl is determined to thwart their efforts.
• “Win Big -- Gotham Girl Art Contest,” asks users to submit their artwork of a character they create and design (artists from Warner Bros. Online and DC Comics will select the winner based on creative merit). The winning entrant will have their character incorporated into a future Internet “Gotham Girls” short.
• “Gotham Loot” gives fans downloadable images, audio files, wallpaper and screen savers. “Harley’s Funhouse Arcade” –houses interactive games featuring all of the Gotham Girls.