Sunbow options two new toons

In time for MipTV, TV-Loonland-owned producer Sunbow Entertainment has optioned a pair of new toon projects: The Many Adventures of Johnny Mutton, and Mr Stick & Slug Boy.

The first is a popular children's book, written and illustrated by James Proimos (Generation O!), that Sunbow intends to turn into a 26×11' 2D series. With the truncated name Johnny Mutton, the series will target 6-11ers.

Proimos is currently writing the treatment and developing the series' graphic style. The story revolves around a boy in sheep's clothing: a kid gets so well brought up by his mother that nobody notices he's actually a sheep.

Next comes Mr Stick & Slug Boy, an original concept from Dennis Messner, the first TV toon project for the artist.

The show is described by Sunbow's svp of creative affairs Ken Olshansky as {an offbeat visual comedy.{ It follows the surreal adventures of two pals who live on the prairies milking chickens, while dodging cow-pie meteor showers.

Sunbow is developing the project into a 26×11' 2D series, also aimed at 6-11ers, with Messner currently sorting out the treatment and the artwork.

Olshansky said that Johnny Mutton {gives kids a worthwhile message wrapped in funny, idiosyncratic characters and stories.{ About the second series, he said: {There's never been a story about a stick and a slug so we're really psyched about that.{

Sunbow Entertainment was formed out of TV-Loonland's acquisition of Sunbow Productions and the TV production and distribution business of Sony Wonder back in 2000.