'Toon Year in Review -- Part IV

Now on to September and October...

September '06

Everyone's Hero is stillborn, collecting $13.2 million after three weeks and a domestic final total of $14.5 million.

But Open Season collects $23 million in its first three days, gladdening the hearts of Sony execs. (Season ends up north of $84 million for its domestic box office tally, proving once again the effectiveness of the Koch box office multiplier(c).)

Hulett predicts the next monster hit animated feature will be Shrek III, proving Hulett is no psychic. Happy Feet turns out to be the next big wowser.

Universal Cartoon Studios has The Land Before Time franchise going full blast, with feature #13 and series in production simultaneously. Curious George picked up for a second season on PBS.

DisneyToons Brother Bear 2 tops DVD sales charts.

Roy Brewer, fierce anti-communist, friend of Ronald Reagan, and IATSE union rep, dies on September 16th.

IATSE District 2 Convention (that's a gathering of IATSE local unions from California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada) meets in Las Vegas, Nevada.

IA/TSL/Disney contract negotiations, after many delays, are finally set for October 12 and 13.

October '06

Nickelodeon and DreamWorks announce television alliance, with Nick bringing DreamWorks theatrical productions to the small screen as series.

Screenwriting Expos 5 showcases Pixar's story wizards, President Koch in attendance and blogging away...

Warner Bros. Animation tells TAG it will be moving from Sherman Oaks (its home for the past seventeen years) back to Burbank, move to take place in '07.

Mid-month, 4 of the 8 top-selling DVD are animated features -- two from the 1980s.

TAG hosts "See Jane" panel at Burbank Library. A full house watches panelists Dean de Blois, Jenny Lerew, Geena Davis, moderator Kevin Koch, Brenda Chapman, Jill Culton and Fred Seibert discuss women in all aspects of animation.

Agreement is reached by the IA, TAG and Disney Feature Animation on a new TSL contract. Disney employees' negotiating committee gives unanimous approval.

The New York Times worries about too many animal cgi features spoiling the 'toon party, citing declining grosses. Happy Feet takes flight two months later.