'Toon Year in Review -- Part V

Finally, a quick recap of the final two months of '06, and some of the events that impacted the animation biz...

November '06

Simpsons feature continues ramping up.

Per the trades, DreamWorks and Aardman teeter on the brink of divorce.

The plug is officially pulled on the VHS format (rest in peace, ye olde video cassettes...)

DreamWorks announces "write down" of Flushed Away.

Happy Feet rakes in $42 million on its opening weekend. MSM rethinks its "too many cgi critter features" storyline (not).

WGAw declines early negotiations with the AMPTP for a new contract.

Three-year anniversary of Roy E. Disney becoming publically displeased with Diz chairman Michael Eisner. (Moral: Avoid getting on Roy E. Disney's bad side.)

Disney/TSL contract ratified by 100% of voting members. (Doesn't happen very often -- like hardly at all -- but there it is. Unanimity.)

December '06

Joe Barbera, last of the animation giants, dies at 95.

Animation scribe Chris Hayward (Rocky and Bullwinkle, Fractured Fairy Tales) dies at 86.

TAG's 401(k) plan reaches $100 million in assets.

Disney Features lays off 117 TAG-repped employees (out of 160 total). Chris Sanders exits the director's chair on American Dog.

DisneyToons Tinkerbell goes back into the development machine shop for a major tune-up.

** May Your New Year Be Profitable and Happy **