— Nickelodeon and The Splat–the network’s programming block dedicated to Nick’s legendary library of hits from the ‘90s and 2000s–are blasting open the vaults for a slime-tastic, immersive experience at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2016 that’s bound to be All That, and more. Headquartered at its 1,800 square-foot booth (#4113) on the convention floor, Nickelodeon will pay tribute to some of its most memorable shows and popular characters with activations, games, panels, talent signings and interactive design elements featuring: Legends of the Hidden Temple, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, Double Dare, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, CatDog, Rocko’s Modern Life, and Invader Zim, among many others.
“Those who dare to pass through the sacred gates of Comic-Con will enter a world of nostalgic treasures, artifacts and trivia from Nickelodeon’s beloved ’90s archives,” said King Olmec, Keeper of Nickelodeon’s booth. “The choice to enter is yours and yours alone, loyal fans.”
Every day of the convention, Nick’s booth will feature: a virtual reality 360-experience where fans can step into the world of the upcoming Legends of the Hidden Temple live-action TV movie; an interactive trivia game featuring Legends of the Hidden Temple’s King Olmec, Keeper of the Temple; photo opps with a life-size replica of the Hey Arnold! stoop and the nose from Double Dare; a retail area, where attendees can purchase a variety of exclusive Nick, The Splat and ‘90s-themed gear and one-of-a-kind collectibles; costumed character appearances; and autograph signings with cast member from All That, SpongeBob SquarePants’ Tom Kenny, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles voice talent, Kirk Fogg from Legends of the Hidden Temple, and more special appearances to be announced in the coming weeks.
Nickelodeon will present four panels during the convention: Happy Happy! Joy Joy!, a look back at 25 years of original Nick animation featuring the creators of Invader Zim, Hey Arnold! and other legendary series; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles–Return to New York, an exclusive first look at the current TV season; She Made That?: Nickelodeon hosts Women in Animation, featuring some of the genre’s female pioneers of the past and present; and a special reunion of cast members from legendary kids’ sketch-comedy series All That–with a surprise from Nick’s forthcoming Legends of the Hidden Temple TV movie.
The following is a full rundown of the panels and booth activity:
PANELS
• Happy Happy! Joy Joy!: 25 Years of Nickelodeon Original Animation
Thursday, July 21, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. (Room: 6A) – For 25 years Nickelodeon has produced some of the most innovative and memorable animation in the history of television. Nick Animation Podcast host Hector Navarro finds out how and why four of the network’s most influential creators did what they did: Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), Jhonen Vasquez (Invader Zim), Butch Hartman (The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom) and Arlene Klasky, who along with Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain, created Rugrats. Don’t miss the chance to see production art from the upcoming TV movie Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie; animation from Hartman’s new Bunsen is a Beast!; and the world premiere of Don vs Raph, a TMNT animated short written and produced by Jhonen Vasquez.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles–Return to New York
Friday, July 22, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (Room: 6A) – They travelled time and space to save planet Earth, and now the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return home! Executive producers Ciro Nieli and Brandon Auman share sneak peeks of the epic adventures and new characters that await the Turtles when they return to the streets of NY in season four. On hand will be the extraordinary voice actors of the TMNT world: Rob Paulsen (Donatello), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo), Gwendoline Yeo (Shinigami) and Eric Bauza (Tiger Claw). Also, witness the world premiere of two never-before-seen TMNT animated shorts presented by TMNT co-creator, Kevin Eastman. The panel will be moderated by Andre Meadows (Black Nerd Comedy).
• She Made That?: Nickelodeon hosts Women in Animation
Friday, July 22, 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Room: 24ABC) – Join this group of innovative and pioneering female cartoon creators for a discussion on their careers and the opportunities for women in animation today. Panelists include women responsible for the original Nicktoons from the 1990s and others who are making some of today’s best animation for TV and the web. The panel will include Lauren Faust (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic), Mary Harrington (Invader Zim, Hey Arnold!), Vanessa Coffey (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rugrats), Rikke Asbjoern (Pinky Malinky), Margaret Dean (Women in Animation) and Maija Burnett (California Institute of the Arts).
• Back to the ‘90s: Nickelodeon’s All That Reunion and Legends of the Hidden Temple!
Saturday, July 23, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. (Room: 6A) – Join Nickelodeon’s throwback programming block, The Splat, for a reunion of the trailblazing sketch comedy series’ major players, Josh Server, Danny Tamberelli, Lori Beth Denberg and Kel Mitchell, discussing all things All That, with a few added surprises. Plus, get the first look at Nick’s new TV movie based on Legends of the Hidden Temple and hear about it from returning cast members Kirk Fogg and Dee Bradley Baker, along with Isabela Moner (Transformers 5). The panel will be moderated by Entertainment Weekly staff writer, Marc Snetiker.
DAILY BOOTH ACTIVITY
• Legends of the Hidden Temple Virtual Reality 360-Degree Experience: This 360-degree experience transports fans into the world of the upcoming action-adventure TV movie inspired by the iconic game show, allowing them to experience the mysterious Mayan temple first-hand.
• Olmec Photo Opp/Trivia: Fans can interact with Legends of the Hidden Temple’s King Olmec and test their knowledge by answering trivia questions for the opportunity to win prizes.
• Hey Arnold! Stoop and Double Dare Nose Photo Opps: Fans can take photos on a replica of Arnold’s stoop from Hey Arnold! and with the nose from Double Dare (beware of boogers).
• Autograph Signings: Signing opportunities with Nickelodeon talent include: All That cast; Legends of the Hidden Temple cast; SpongeBob SquarePants voice talent; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles voice talent and executive producers; Nick current series creators and executive producers (C.H. Greenblatt, Harvey Beaks; Chris Savino, The Loud House; and Dave Cooper, Johnny Ryan, and David Sacks, Pig Goat Banana Cricket); and Nick original animation creators (Butch Hartman, The Fairly OddParents and Bunsen is a Beast!; Craig Bartlett, Hey Arnold!; Arlene Klasky, Rugrats, Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power; and Jhonen Vasquez, Invader Zim).
• Costumed-Character Appearances: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, Arnold and Saban’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Power Rangers Dino Super Charge will make appearances at Nick’s booth at select times during the convention.
• Retail: Attendees can purchase Comic-Con exclusive figures, t-shirts and more.
• Giveaways: Enter for a chance to win special prizes over the course of the convention.
Additionally, in celebration of the Aug. 11, 25-year anniversary of the launch of the network’s original animated series (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rugrats and Doug), The Splat will feature brand-new commentary and behind-the-scenes information from the series’ voice talent and creators, along with themed programming and encore airings of these animated series every night during the month of August.
Nickelodeon’s The Splat is a multiple-screen destination spanning television, eight social media platforms and a dedicated web site aggregating the most loved Nick content from the 1990s and beyond. Celebrating the characters and shows that are definitional to millennials who grew up in the ‘90s, The Splat consists of: an eight-hour television block airing daily from 10 p.m.–6 a.m. (ET/PT) featuring landmark Nickelodeon programs and classic programming stunts; a fan-driven website (www.TheSplat.com) built around social conversations; a robust social media community on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, Twitter, Vine and YouTube platforms; and a fully integrated Splat-branded emoji keyboard with emoticons, stickers and GIFs.
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
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No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
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No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
