DIC Cuts Deal on Icon of ’80s, Strawberry Shortcake Media & Technology by Carlos Martinez The 1980s-era greeting card character Strawberry Shortcake is making a comeback with a licensing deal reached between Burbank-based animation studio DIC Entertainment and Cleveland-based American Greetings Inc. The deal, valued at about $1 million, according to one source, calls for DIC to produce four direct-to-video shorts featuring the little girl with a red dress, a white apron and a bonnet with red polka dots. She was first featured in a popular line of greeting cards by American Greetings in 1981. Melissa Bomes, executive vice president for DIC, said the company hopes to capitalize on the popularity of the character which began as an ongoing character in greeting cards before expanding into other products like dolls, mugs and plates. American Greetings said the character has generated about $1.2 billion in sales to date and about $100 million in its first year. Japan-based Bandai, which has a toy licensing pact for Power Rangers, Gundam Wing and others, will be the primary toy licensee for Strawberry Shortcake. DIC President Brad Brooks said the deal marks the start of a new relationship with American Greetings, giving the animation studio the opportunity to license other greeting card characters for animated shows. Silverman Returns to Film Roman Too Burbank-based Film Roman Studios made news recently when it brought back company founder Phil Roman, but Roman isn’t the only one returning to the fold. Former “The Simpsons” director David Silverman also agreed to return to the studio. It’s all part of an effort to bring some needed clout to a studio that has been hurt by the decline in the number of network deals handed to independent studios. Fred Price, a Studio City-based talent agent, said bringing back Silverman will be a plus for the studio when it comes to pitching projects to the networks. “It always helps to get someone who is hot,” he said referring to Silverman, who directed last year’s popular animated film “Monsters Inc.” for Pixar Animation Studios. Through last week, the film had grossed $252.2 million in four months of its release. Silverman left Film Roman in 1999 to direct “Monsters,” “The Road to El Dorado” and other animated projects. He is also scheduled to direct Universal Studios’ “Curious George,” featuring a computer-generated version of the famed chimpanzee. Silverman said he hopes to begin where he left off with “The Simpsons,” contributing to other projects on the Film Roman slate as well. “It’s a tough market out there with the networks in general, but I hope that I can contribute to the studio,” he said, referring to the networks’ recent habit of purchasing projects from network-owned production companies rather than from independents to save money. The 41-year-old Silverman said he hopes to develop other projects for Film Roman that involve computer-generated animation, similar to “Monsters.” “Animation has changed a lot in just the past few years and you really have to get away from the old way of doing things,” he said. But returning to “The Simpsons” will be easy, said the UCLA graduate. “It’s a great show that just keeps its edge and just keeps on going,” he said. “I love working on that show.” As one of the early animators on the show in 1988, Silverman recalled how the character drawings were constantly improved upon by eliminating the jagged edges of their mouths, for instance, making them more natural. “They looked a little crude at first, but they got better.” DVDPlanet Goes Yahoo! Chatsworth-based Image Entertainment Inc. officials say they have high hopes of improving revenue figures for its online DVD retail business, DVDPlanet.com, after signing a number of new agreements to distribute DVDs through the Yahoo! Inc. web portal. Ken Crane Jr., DVDPlanet vice president, said the online retailer could increase sales by as much as $1 million through a deal with Yahoo Shopping which will help distribute the DVDs through its portal, under the DVDPlanet moniker. In the quarter ending Dec. 31, DVDPlanet reported $5.6 million in revenue, compared to $4.3 million in revenue a year earlier. Profit figures were not disclosed, though the company reported the unit had a 17-percent profit margin. “Yahoo Shopping should have a strong impact on overall Planet sales. There are millions of new DVD owners who will be much more effectively targeted,” he said. The move, Crane said, will help push the company toward sustained growth. In 2001, the company reported net income of $8.4 million on revenues of $100.8 million, up from $1.4 million in net income on $83.7 million in revenue in 2000. Boeing Nets Air Force Contract The Boeing Co.’s Rocketdyne Power and Propulsion unit in Canoga Park has been awarded a $17.5 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to provide equipment and technologies for the development of multi-use rocket engines for NASA, the company said. The contract calls for the company to work at the Air Force Research Laboratory and Propulsion Directorate-West at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale. Other details were not disclosed. The work is scheduled to be completed by January 2004. Staff reporter Carlos Martinez can be reached (818) 676-1750 ext. 17 or by e-mail at [email protected].