Comic Books to DVD

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

No, I'm not talking about those $30 AVENGERS DVDs with all forty years on one shiny disc, though they are nice.

I'm talking about comic book-related properties coming out on DVD. Warner Bros. recently did an on-line chat with those lovely folks at the Home Theater Forum. The Digital Bits has the transcript. I just read it and excerpted bits about the comic book-specific news bits. If you want to know more about Tiny Toons (it's under consideration, no news) or Adult Swim stuff, click through and read the whole thing:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/060606htfchat.html

I'll sum this stuff up for the column on Tuesday, but here are my cut-and-paste notes to work from:

BIRDS OF PREY still DOA?

[WARNER] sorry to say, yes at this point. Music costs are quite high.


[MichaelSliger] Thanks for coming tonight. I was wondering if you could give a clarification about the upcoming Justice League Season 2 set. Many reports have claimed that these episodes will be presented in a letterboxed widescreen format, not in anamorpic widescreen. Since the separate "Starcrossed" release (containing episodes from this season) was encoded anamorphically, why was the entire season release not prepared this way?

[WARNER] The director requested the 4x3 letterbox for Justice League season 2. We have revisted this issue and will be releasing Justice League Unlimited Season 1 in 16x9

[They're still going around in circles on this one. ::sigh:: -Augie]

[ZachDemeter] Is there any chance we'll see widescreen releases of the TEEN TITANS and THE BATMAN series on DVD? The show is animated in widescreen, but is released on fullscreen DVDs (probably due to the KIDS label). Also, any plans to release a new MASK OF THE PHANTASM DVD with new special features/commentary and audio/video transfer? And one last question--FREAKAZOID? Any plans? Thank you!

[WARNER] Teen Titans and The Batman - we are considering widescreen on both as well as evaluating a Freakazoid release. As mentioned earlier we are reviewing a Mask of the Phantasm Special Edition. Thanks for your support!

[PaulMiller] As a fan of 80s cartoons, is there any chance of The Smurfs, Pac Man, or the Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Hour coming to DVD anytime soon?

[WARNER] We are working on the Smurfs and hope to release it in 2007. We'll look into Pac Man and Plastic Man. Thanks for the suggestions

[ChadZ] With the newer DC Comics cartoons almost all released, are there any plans to release the old DC Filmation cartoons, the Ruby Spears Superman version from the 80s, or the All New Superfriends Hour?

[WARNER] We're evaluating all of these for 2007.

[KhalilS] Hi big John Ritter fan from the JRittercareer Group--any chance for the animated short-lived TV series Fish Police to DVD? And what about the popular TV movie The Dreamer of Oz?

[WARNER] No plans at this time

[PaulWalcher] My interest is primarily in animation titles (thanks, by the way, for the recent X-men: Evolution and Batman Beyond releases). I was wondering about the chances for further releases for X-men Evolution and Batman Beyond as well as a release for The Zeta Project?

[WARNER] we are considering future season set releases of X-Men Evolution. you can look for Batman Beyond Season 2 later this year. no plan for the Zeta project at this time.

[Jeffrey_Gray] A big hello to all those at Warner. 2006 is proving to be the "year of Superman." Will we be seeing a release of the 17 Superman cartoons produced by Max Fleischer and Famous Studios during the 40s? I know they're in the public domain, but plenty of people would like to see an official, restored release.

[WARNER] all 17 Fleischer cartoons have been remastered and will be released later this year in the Ultimate Superman Collection.

[WARNER] no plans on Shazam animated or live action at this time. Both have mastering issues. No plans on Gilligans or Dukes animated but we will consider it.

[DanielCollins] Thanks for considering about bringing the DC Filmation toons to DVD, I remember them as part of the Super Powers Video Collection. My question is which version of the SUPERFRIENDS will be used for Vol. 3?

[WARNER] you can look for Superfriends the legendary super powers show and the super powers team galactic guardians coming up in 2007.

[MattHazuda] On Batman Beyond's second season: will it be a full 26 episode release, or split into volumes? Also, do you have any plans for Cartoon Network season sets from shows like Billy and Mandy, Ed, Edd and Eddy, etc?

[WARNER] Batman Beyond will be the full season 2 and we are evaluating season set releases for Cartooon Network shows.

[WARNER] We're having the world premiere of the new TEEN TITANS Original Animated Movie TEEN TITANS: TROUBLE IN TOKYO at Comic Con next month. It will be on Sat. night 7/22 at 7pm. We will also be hosting panels for Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain (Thurs 7/20), the aforementioned Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. and some Superman surprises...

[WARNER] and...SMALLVILLE: SEASON 5...also in September...Sept. 12th


[WARNER] Smallville - some great special features on this one, lots of deleted scenes and an inside look at the 100th episode.

-Augie

[AndrewCrossett]

BIRDS OF PREY still DOA?

[WARNER] sorry to say, yes at this point. Music costs are quite high.

This I don't get.

I didn't like the BoP TV series and wouldn't by the DVDs...but the music on that show was all by Warner Music artists. It was a deliberate promotional tie-in between the WB Network and Warner Music Group, who of course are both owned by Time Warner.

They even had a little blurb at the end of each episode naming the band whose music was used in that episode and picturing their CD, if you wanted to go buy it.

So how can there be music rights issues?

(And even if there were...why would *anybody* in this day and age, when DVD sets are a big part of a TV show's profitability, not secure all the music rights beforehand? It's not like the 70's and 80's with shows like Saturday Night Live and WKRP in Cincinnati, when nobody dreamed there would be a TV-to-DVD market.)

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Dawson's Creek had the same troubles. I think the home video and music divisions are treated separately, to avoid conflicts of interest. (Remember the lawsuits that flew when THE X-FILES went to FX for syndicated rights. Either Duckovny or Carter sued, saying it was a set-up to lower the price per episode everyone got.)

As for BIRDS OF PREY -- I don't think the tv->DVD boom had started just yet when the show premiered. DVD was still in its relative infancy. And, of course, with the popularity of the format, the music people want even more money. As do the writers, actors, directors, etc. A series like BoP isn't going to sell in high enough numbers to justify an out-of-whack music clearance line item on its budget, either.

Here's what I don't understand: Why is "home video" and "DVD" two separate categories? TV shows that had the rights to produce home video copies are OK with the music, but need to renegotiate their contracts for DVD release. Isn't the DVD just another form of "home video?" UGH

-Augie