Top Animation News is a weekly column that rounds up the biggest, best and breaking stories from the world of animation. This edition covers August 31 to September 7, 2018.

1. Rick and Morty season four production begins.
Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, the co-creators of Adult Swim’s cult-hit-turned-cultural-phenomena Rick and Morty (produced in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Toon Boom Harmony), have been busy on social media — and in the studio. Harmon took to his Instagram to show the “First round of recordings” directly from the booth in one post. In another, he’s surrounded by animators and yells, “They’re drawing it!” Meanwhile, Roiland posted a video to Adult Swim’s YouTube page with his voice acting tips, which are decidedly more funny than functional.

Catch up on all the Rick and Morty season four details on “Newsweek”.

2. Animation dominated French TV exports in 2017.
French television exports reached an all-time high in 2017, fuelled largely by a boom in homegrown animation. Gallic cartoons accounted for 37 percent of sales, totalling almost $84.4 million in revenue. Notably, digital platforms now account for 75 percent of world rights deals, compared to 28 percent in 2016. (Editor’s note: See why a growing number of French television animation studios and schools are turning to Toon Boom Harmony here.)

Explore French television animation exports more on “Cartoon Brew”.

3. Toon Boom 2018 Showreel: Submit your work by September 14!
Studios hoping to get their work in the Toon Boom 2018 Showreel have until September 14 to enter their submissions. The annual collection compiles the best and most artistically compelling global animated productions created in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Harmony. It also ensures they are seen by the international industry at shows, conferences, festivals and more.

For more details on how to submit work for the Toon Boom 2018 Showreel, check out the blog.

4. Cartoon Forum 2018 kicks off next week.
Taking place September 10 to 13 in Toulouse, France, the 29th annual Cartoon Forum will once again bring together broadcasters, producers and financiers to develop new ideas, project and collaboration opportunities. Centred around the European industry, the event will see 86 original projects presented coming from across the continent. Professionals in attendance will also be able to vote for the annual Cartoon Tributes award winners.

Get all the Cartoon Forum 2018 details on “Animation World News”.

Source: Toon Boom Japan.

5. The Toon Boom Japan site is live.
Earlier this year, Tokyo-based studio D’ART Shtajio created The Doll anime short in Toon Boom Harmony, which is just one example of how the world’s leading digital solution has been growing its reach in Japan. To cement its presence, connect with local animators and create more animation, Toon Boom Japan launched a site created specifically for the Nippon market. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with Japanese artists already discovering how Harmony respectfully emulates their traditional workflow while empowering it with digital tools.

Have a look at the Toon Boom Japan site here.

6. Adventure Time launched some of today’s top animation talent.
While many are sad to see Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time broadcast its last episode, its legacy lives on in the animators’ careers it kick-started. The fantasy cartoon became a talent factory of sorts, giving a platform to creators who would go on to produce their own series like Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe), Ian Jones-Quartey (OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes), Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall), Julia Pot (Summer Camp Island) and Nick Jennings (The Powerpuff Girls).

Venture through Adventure Time’s creative legacy on “The New York Times”.

Source: Boomerang.

7. Care Bears returning to screens on Boomerang.
Cue: Millennial nostalgia. Classic children’s cartoon Care Bears has been revived in its original 2D animated format by Boomerang for its subscription streaming service. The cuddly countdowners most recently were seen in 3D on the Netflix series Care Bears and the Cousins. Titled Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, the new toon from Cloudco Entertainment was storyboarded in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.

Visit “Variety” for more on Care Bears: Unlock the Magic.

8. Pixelatl Festival 2018 brings Mexican animation into the spotlight.
This week in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Pixelatl Festival has been connecting Mexican and LatAm animators with the international industry. Among the highlights have been a presentation from Coco director Lee Unkrich (who stressed the value of diversity) alongside innumerable other heavyweights. Toon Boom Animation was also there, with a live Harmony demo by brand ambassador Alejandra Wiechers and a happy hour.

See what else was happening at Pixelatl Festival 2018 on the blog.

9. Childish Gambino’s Feels Like Summer animated music video goes viral.
Well, it seems the internet has once again been broken. This time, the culprit is American hip-hop artist Childish Gambino’s (real name: Donald Glover) animated music video for his single Feels Like Summer. It follows him as he walks around a celebrity-packed neighbourhood, with cartoon cameos by the likes of Barack and Michelle Obama, Kanye West and Malcolm X, among many others. Glover worked with illustrator Justin Roiland on the character design.

Head over to “BBC” for an in-depth interview with Roiland on Feels Like Summer.

Source: Animation Magazine.  

10. Inside the animator’s studio: Squish.
“Animation Magazine” followed the animators at Cottonwood Media (Los Angeles) and Planeta Junior (Paris) as they worked on television series Squish. The cartoon, which follows adventures of an adolescent amoeba, is produced in Toon Boom Harmony.

Follow the infographic above to see a day in the life of the team behind Squish, courtesy of “Animation Magazine”.

What Top Animation News were you most excited about this week? Was there something we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments below!

Banner image source: Adult Swim.