‘Toy Story 4’ Officially Announced for June 2017

So there I was, listening to The Walt Disney Company’s Q4 and fiscal year 2014 earnings conference call when amid all of the talk about numbers and “franchises” (which, I believe, is the favorite word among the senior business leaders at Disney), comes a surprise announcement from Disney CEO Bob Iger that Toy Story 4 is on its way from Pixar Animation Studios on June 16th, 2017 and that it will be directed by none other than John Lasseter himself. I immediately sent a text to our fearless editor-in-chief Marc Vibbert and then tried to sort it all out.

“Animation Fascination” Episode 77: All Hollow’s Eve

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Happy Halloween boys and ghouls!

Prepare for a very eerie episode with Tom Fonss and Marc Vibbert as they discuss Halloween classics new and old (as well as some forgotten favorites).

Also discussed: Reviews for Disney’s Maleficent & Planes: Fire and Rescue, Beware the Batman, and Mr. Peabody and Sherman on Blu-ray, as well as the Avengers: Age of Ultron teaser trailer, plus so much more!

(Recorded on 10/24/14)

Watch This: PSA Starring Combat Carl

Combat Carl, star of Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story OF TERROR! Halloween special, which has recently been released on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD, has some important health and safety tips for kids everywhere.

“Animation Fascination” Episode 74: AF News – Week of July 10, 2014

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Stanford Clark and Tim Costello join Marc Vibbert to pay tribute to the legend that was Robin Williams, as well as discuss all the news that came out of San Diego Comic Con. Also announced is an exclusive Big Hero 6 promotion from the Animation Fascination team.

Also Discussed: the August Disney Blu-ray releases reviewed, Disney and LAIKA say that 2D hand drawn animation is still very much alive, the next Toy Story holiday special, awesome toys from Mondo Tees, new trailers from DreamWorks and Paramount, and so much more …

(Recorded on 08/13/14)

“Animation Fascination” Episode 70: AF News – Week of June 8, 2014

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Stanford Clark and Marc Vibbert are joined by returning guest Otis Frampton as he hops on to discuss his new animated shorts series ABCDEFGeek and the upcoming release of his comic Oddly Normal.

Also Discussed: Big Hero 6 and The Book of Life trailers, Phoenix Comicon (including a Q and A with John Ratzenberger), a contest for LAIKA’s The BoxTrolls, and reviews for Maleficent, The Lego Movie, and An Adventure in Space and Time.

(Recorded on 06/08/14)

‘Toy Story OF TERROR!’ Coming to Blu-ray on August 19th

Toy Story OF TERROR!, the fantastic Halloween TV special from Pixar Animation Studios that originally aired on ABC in 2013, is coming to Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD, and Disney Movies Anywhere on August 19th. Given the special features and other great items included, it looks like a must-have for any Pixar fan.

‘Frozen’ Wins Best Animated Feature at 41st Annie Awards

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ mega-hit Frozen continues to dominate the award circuit–this time winning Best Animated Feature at ASIFA-Hollywood’s 41st annual Annie Awards. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ brilliant short film Get a Horse! took home the award for Best Animated Short Subject.

“Animation Fascination” Episode 53: Jessica Forer – DreamWorks Animation

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For the first time on the podcast we’re joined by an employee of DreamWorks Animation! Jessica Forer, a production coordinator at the studio joins us to co-host the entire episode as well as discuss her career.

Amongst things discussed are: Ms. Forer’s love of classic animation, the Mickey Mouse short “Get a Horse!”, and the closure of Pixar Canada.

(Recorded on 10/20/13)

41st Annual Annie Awards Nominees Announced

ASIFA-Hollywood announced today the nominations for its 41st Annual Annie Awards. With 30 award categories that encompass animation production, individual achievement, and juried awards, the Annie Awards honor and recognize the year’s best animation in film, TV, and commercials.

Meet Combat Carl from ‘Toy Story OF TERROR!’

We’re all stoked for Pixar Animation Studios’ upcoming TV special Toy Story OF TERROR!  The special also gives us a chance to meet Combat Carl, a character referenced in the original Toy Story (a Combat Carl toy meets an unfortunate demise in Sid’s back yard). New artwork was released showing a closeup of the new character.  Combat Carl is voiced by Rocky and Predator actor Carl Weathers.