Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for March 22, 2023 | Nickelodeon

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for March 22, 2023 | Nickelodeon


Stream the classic and the all new CG-animated Rugrats series on Paramount+! Try it FREE at ParamountPlus.com!

Rugrats, provided to Creators Syndicate by Nickelodeon, based off the popular animated television series has been created for children and family's to laugh and enjoy together.

Follow these comics and their take on real episodes of the show and their own spin on hilarious adventures.

Read more Rugrats comic strips!: https://www.creators.com/features/rugrats

More Nick: Paramount+ Renews 'Rugrats' For Season 3; Season 2 to Premiere in 2023!

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Turning Points with Ijeoma Njaka | Avatar: Braving the Elements Podcast

Turning Points with Ijeoma Njaka | Avatar: Braving the Elements Podcast

Scholastic Joins Global 'Learn with Peppa' Program

Scholastic, a longtime North American publishing licensee for Peppa Pig, has been named the publishing partner for Learn with Peppa in the U.S. and Canada. The global brand extension first launched in the U.K. in January under license from Hasbro, with Penguin Random House imprint Ladybird being the global master licensee outside North America. The program also includes a dedicated website, learnwithpeppa.com, and a Hasbro-produced app.


“We’ve had so much fun with Peppa for so many years now, and we love a good brand extension,” Debra Dorfman, Scholastic’s v-p and publisher, global licensing, media, and brands told Publisher's Weekly.

“When Hasbro presented it to us, we saw that it integrated story with all of these different pillars of learning, and that made sense to us.” She noted that all Peppa stories have some sort of life lesson, and that Scholastic has published more overtly educational titles in the past that have done well. But the umbrella brand and the learning framework that Hasbro and Ladybird developed in coordination with educational experts set this program apart, she said. “It’s a good fit for our supplemental school channels, but it’s a great trade program as well.”

Ladybird launched with a full array of more than 80 titles, but Scholastic’s calendar will be more measured. The first title, 5-Minute Phonics, will release in May. This is a new format at Scholastic, a 96-page reader with five stories and five activities, that is also being married with other properties, including Pokémon and Gabby’s Dollhouse. A math-based abacus book will be released in the fall, with a social emotional learning title and a preschool science title (allowing young readers to get to know the world around them) in 2024.

The latter two will be 8x8s for the school channel, but the retail version will likely be slightly different. “We want a way to differentiate it from the regular Peppa 8x8 program,” Dorfman said. “There will be a clear message about the educational theme, so parents will know there’s a learning concept.” Many of the titles in the program will be U.S. adaptations of Ladybird titles, but there are likely to be some titles created specifically for the U.S. market as well.

The Learn with Peppa framework covers seven preschool-appropriate categories of learning: the body, creativity, math, English/reading, emotions, our world/science, and community. Michael Kelly, Hasbro’s v-p of global publishing, said the program, being worldwide in scope, is not tied to a specific curriculum, as those vary by country, state, and local district. “But it’s more in-depth than the soft learning that you see with traditional ABCs and 123s,” he said. “There’s a progression and it measures stages of learning, so parents can evaluate their child’s progress.”

Meanwhile, Scholastic’s regular Peppa Pig program continues, with a minimum of seven titles per year plus some exclusive titles for the school market; 8x8s, readers, and novelty books are at the core. Proprietary titles are also developed for Costco and Sam’s. “Peppa’s the gift that keeps on giving,” Dorfman said. “Everybody loves Peppa.”

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Lead image: Amazon.com.

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Simon & Schuster to Rollout 'Transformers: EarthSpark' Publishing Program

Hasbro has announced publishing initiatives based on new iterations of two of its iconic franchises, Transformers and Dungeons & Dragons. The news was released at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair earlier this month.


Nickelodeon's brand new Paramount+ Original CG-animated series Transformers: EarthSpark, which launched in fall 2022, will be the basis of a series of books for young readers from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, a new partner for the Transformers franchise.

“I think EarthSpark is some of the most exciting animation there has been for Transformers,” Michael Kelly, Hasbro’s Vice President of Global Publishing, told Publisher's Weekly.

“It’s a unique story in that it’s the first time where Earth characters have a symbiotic relationship with Transformers characters.” In the show, two children in Pennsylvania find a crystal in a cave and, when they touch it, two new Transformers characters, known as Terrans, come to life with a little bit of human DNA. This marks the first time in the franchise that Transformers characters have been “born” off their home planet of Cybertron.

Transformers have always been sentient, but it can be hard to convey that through giant robot characters, Kelly explained. “Here we can really show a coming-of-age story where we’re introducing the two Terrans and they’re learning about the environment around them,” he said. “The emotions we have, we can see in the Transformers. It’s still an adventure story, but it’s grounded and human. The storytelling is a fantastic way to bring a new audience into the brand, and then once that happens, there’s so much to grow into.”

Simon & Schuster’s EarthSpark books, which will launch in July, include a guidebook, an 8x8 of the origination story, and two ready-to-read titles for ages 6-10. Chapter books will follow.

Before that, Simon & Schuster is releasing a children’s book program for the seventh Transformers feature film, Rise of the Beasts, in early May, consisting of a Level 2 reader and an 8x8. Bendon is releasing coloring and activity and Imagine Ink titles for the film.

Kelly likens the movie to the more family-friendly original 2007 Transformers movie or the younger-skewing Bumblebee (2018), rather than some of the recent sequels. “It’s close to those in tone and feeling,” he explained. “It’s not one of those films that’s just brushing the R rating; there’s still lots of action and the stakes are high, but it’s solidly PG-13.”

Meanwhile, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the March 31 film from Paramount Pictures based on the gaming franchise, has inspired a series of tie-ins from Random House Children’s Books, which released an 8x8, Level 3 Ready to Read, sticker-activity book, junior novelization, and deluxe junior novelization on March 7. In addition, sibling imprint Random House Worlds released two tie-in prequels for YA-and-older readers, The Druid’s Call by E.K. Johnston and The Road to Never Winter by Jaleigh Johnson, while IDW is offering a prequel comic, The Feast of the Moon.

The Dungeons & Dragons franchise has already taken hold among young readers through HarperCollins’s middle-grade Dungeon Academy series, which debuted with two titles last November. Four additional books are set for 2023, with more planned for 2024. “The success of these has really been phenomenal,” said Kelly. “This is a unique storytelling brand. We know the fans are readers and love storytelling, since that’s what the game is about. And they enjoy discovering new stories in the books. The success of Dragon Academy shows us that.”

The movie provides an opportunity to build on that foundation among young readers. “It looks like an all-ages romp around the world of Dungeons & Dragons,” Kelly said. When it comes to tie-ins, “it’s been quite a while since we’ve had this much excitement around a movie program.”

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Originally published: March 22, 2023.

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Paramount+ to Premiere New South Korean Original Series 'Yonder' Globally on April 11

PARAMOUNT+ ANNOUNCES SOUTH KOREAN ORIGINAL SERIES “YONDER” WILL PREMIERE ON APRIL 11 GLOBALLY

Produced by CJ ENM and Doodoong Pictures, the New Series will be Available to Stream on Paramount+ Globally Alongside Additional Korean Thriller and Mystery Drama Series from CJ ENM, Including “Signal,” “Voice” and “Save Me”


March 21, 2023 – Paramount+ today announced that YONDER, its brand-new original drama series from South Korea, will premiere exclusively on the service on Tuesday, April 11 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France.

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After his wife, Yi-hoo, passes away from an illness, Jae-hyun one day receives a message from her – an invitation to a world called Yonder, which was designed based on her memories. Jae-hyun goes to Yonder and reunites with Yi-hoo. But can they be together forever? YONDER is directed by Lee Jun-ik and stars Shin Ha-kyun (“Beyond Evil”), Han Ji-min (“Rooftop Prince”), Lee Jeong-eun (“Parasite”) and Jung Jin-young (“Ode to My Father”).

Produced by CJ ENM and Doodoong Pictures, the series is the first local production out of Paramount Global’s strategic partnership with leading entertainment company CJ ENM. Last year, Paramount+ officially marked its entry to Asia with the launch of its streaming service in South Korea on TVING, one of Korea’s leading streaming platforms, launched by CJ ENM. Paramount+ also recently announced its second local production as part of the deal with CJ ENM, BARGAIN, which launched on TVING last October and will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ globally this summer where the service is available. YONDER and BARGAIN are licensed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

In addition to YONDER, a collection of thriller and mystery Korean drama series produced by global IP powerhouse CJ ENM and its studios will also be available to stream on Paramount+ globally starting April 11, including:

  • SIGNAL – Communicating via a walkie-talkie that transcends time, a criminal profiler from 2015 and a detective from 1989 join forces to tackle crimes and injustice. Produced by Studio Dragon and AStory, SIGNAL stars Lee Je-hoon (“Move to Heaven”), Kim Hye-soo (“Default”) and Cho Jin-woong (“A Hard Day”).
  • VOICE (SEASONS ONE AND TWO) – VOICE follows the employees of an emergency call center and dispatch teams as they try to help victims using only what they hear during their calls for help. Two police officers join forces to become the Golden Time Team and solve cases as they happen in real time. Produced by Studio Dragon and Content K, VOICE stars Jang Hyuk (“The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die”) and Lee Ha-na (“Alone in Love”).
  • SAVE ME (SEASONS ONE AND TWO) – A dark religious cult masquerading as a peaceful pastoral church wreaks havoc on unsuspecting community members. Produced by Studio Dragon and Hidden Sequence, the series stars Oc Taec-yeon (“Vincenzo”) and Seo Yea-ji (“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”).

About Paramount+

Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME®, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel™, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland and South Korea.

About CJ ENM

CJ ENM is a leading entertainment company founded in Korea in 1995. CJ ENM's Entertainment division is engaged in a wide range of industry business areas, including media content, music, film and performing arts, providing its leading original content to various media platforms around the world. CJ ENM has created, produced and distributed globally acclaimed content, including Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” Tony Award-winning musical “Kinky Boots,” record-breaking Korean films including “Roaring Currents” and TV series such as “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” “I Can See Your Voice” and more. United under the slogan “We live to discover Untold Originals,” CJ ENM has three major production and distribution studios: drama production powerhouse Studio Dragon, U.S.-based studio Endeavor Content and K-OTT content production studio CJ ENM STUDIOS. CJ ENM also presents KCON, the world's No.1 K-Culture festival, and MAMA AWARDS, the world's No.1 K-POP awards, in order to bring K-culture experiences to people all over the world. To learn more about CJ ENM, please visit: http://www.cjenm.com.

About TVING

TVING is one of Korea’s leading online streaming platforms. Originally founded by leading entertainment company CJ ENM, TVING launched as an independent corporation in October 2020. Since then, TVING has been increasing its business value by collaborating with leading companies across the globe. Under its slogan “All Things for Every Fandom”, the streaming service features an expansive library of TVING originals, K-dramas, entertainment shows, international hit series, popular movies, animation across a wide array of genres in addition to live sports. From the widely acclaimed K-dramas “Yumi's Cells,” “Work Later, Drink Now” to entertainment shows “EXchange,” “High School Mystery Club,” “Seoul Check-In,” TVING has already established a rich portfolio of original series that have been greatly received by global audiences. Starting with Japan and Taiwan, TVING plans to expand its global footprint and with a mission to introduce more K-content to the world. Paramount+, a U.S. streaming service owned by Paramount Global, had begun its service through local streamer TVING as a branded zone. For more information, please visit https://www.tving.com/.

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Originally published: March 22, 2023.

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