Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Kartoon Studios Announces Significant Increase in Content Production Planned for 2024
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Kartoon Channel To Rollout Brand New Series, Chikn Nuggit
Through its Frederator Network subsidiary, Genius Brands International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNUS until June 26th after which the company rebrands to Kartoon Studios and trades on the NYSE AMERICAN: TOON) and BuzzFeed (NASDAQ: BZFD) to develop the latest animated series, Chikn Nuggit, as part of the companies’ exclusive first-look content deal announced earlier this year.
Frederator Network and BuzzFeed’s Animation Lab will develop a premium content series for digital hit Chikn Nuggit based on the original shorts created by Kyra Kupetsky. With over 1 billion views to date on social platforms, Chikn Nuggit is a gender-inclusive, online animated comedy series about a weird, long-eared dog named Chikn Nuggit and his fast-food-named friends. The shorts have attained the a
doration of millions of fans worldwide for their sweet and surreal adventures and comedic, adorable antics. Chikn Nuggit premiered in October 2020 on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram and has since amassed over 300 short-form videos and over 8 million followers.
Frederator Director of Development Isabel Schultz will head global content sales. In addition, Genius Brands’ consumer products’ division will develop the Chikn Nuggit retail program and a full IP slate in close partnership with BuzzFeed Animation Lab.
Michael Hirsh, CEO of WOW! Unlimited Media, the parent company of Frederator Network, stated: “We are pleased further to expand our roster of original animated series with BuzzFeed, giving the global fans of wildly popular IP, such as Chikn Nuggit, more of what they love.”
Zee Myers, Head of BuzzFeed Animation Lab, commented: “Millions of fans have let us know that they need the Chikn Nuggit animated series! We can’t wait to continue expanding our content universe for our global community in partnership with Frederator, a pioneer in animation and television.”
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Genius Brands International Becomes Kartoon Studios
US-based children’s entertainment company Genius Brands International has changed its name to Kartoon Studios and will transfer its listing from the Nasdaq Capital Market to the NYSE American exchange.
The LA-headquartered studio, which owns the rights to certain IP created by comic book writer and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee, said the move heralds the label’s “next phase of growth” in the production, distribution and licensing of kids’ content.
The rebrand comes after the company has made several acquisitions over the past year, including taking a majority stake in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment, plus acquiring Canada’s Wow! Unlimited Media and its subsidiaries Frederator Studios, Frederator Network and Mainframe Entertainment.
“We now have capabilities to do everything in-house, from content creation to production, distribution and global merchandising,” said Andy Heyward, Kartoon Studios chairman and CEO.
Kartoon Studios produces content such as Shaq’s Garage for Pluto TV and Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten for its own Kartoon Channel.
The company caused controversy earlier this year for using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to make shows like Kidaverse Fast Facts. As reported by C21, some children’s TV producers blasted the development as “horrifying” and “downright scary,” but the company defended the use of AI as a “digital assistant.”