[Groop] Groo News from ME

[Chad Riden]

YEAY!

I assume the Groop will all be at the big premier?

--
Thanks for putting up with my crap,

Chad Riden
http://www.ChadRiden.com/
http://www.MangyDog.com/
http://www.NashvilleStandup.com/
http://www.Riden.org/




On Sep 23, 2004, at 3:07 PM, Mark Evanier wrote:

> The following press release will be appearing in VARIETY and HOLLYWOOD
> REPORTER in the next few days.  I thought the Groop would like to see
> it first...
>
> IPW ACQUIRES SERGIO ARAGONES' GROO
>
> Marc Toberoff's company, IPW (Intellectual Properties Worldwide) has
> acquired the motion picture rights to the long-running comic book GROO
> THE WANDERER.  Created by Sergio Aragones with writer Mark Evanier,
> GROO was first published in 1983 and generated an immediate outpouring
> of affection for its unique irreverence. Groo's adventures now number
> over 170 issues, and Aragones and Evanier will draw from this wealth
> of material to write a screenplay as part of their deal with IPW.
>
> Best described as Conan the Barbarian meets Shrek, the comic book has
> attracted many suitors of late.  Toberoff, along with IPW's head of
> production J. Todd Harris, teamed with Bay Area producer JeffreyJeff
> Allard, President of Indie Entertainment, LLC and executive producer
> of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, to take the property off the
> market.
>
> "I've known Mark Evanier and have been a fan of Sergio for many
> years," noted IPW Chairman Toberoff.  "For me, GROO is one of the few
> remaining crown jewels of the comic world.  Imagine crossing Arnold
> Schwarzenegger and Peter Sellers and voilà -- GROO. Sergio is a visual
> genius and Mark's witty dialogue and stories are hilarious and
> family-friendly.  In a couple years, our kids will be saying "GROO,
> GROO, GROO" like Shrek today."
>
> Able to lay waste to entire armies while saddled with the mental
> capacity of sand -- Groo roams the land with his swords and his
> adoring dog Rufferto, encountering dragons, wizards, witches and kings
> along the way. Villains often attempt to exploit his legendary
> swordsmanship by playing on his lack of smarts, but Groo's charming
> blend of naiveté and stubborn literalness has an uncanny way of
> derailing their schemes.
>
> Aragones is best known for his work for Mad Magazine, to which he's
> been a regular contributor since 1963.  He has won every known award
> for cartooning, including the prestigious Reuben Award from the
> National Cartoonists Society.  Evanier has extensive writing credits
> in comic books and television (including three Emmy nominations).  His
> television writing includes Garfield and Friends, Mother Goose and
> Grimm, and Superman.  Together, Aragones and Evanier have been
> nominated for fifteen of the comic industry's Eisner Awards since 1992
> (twelve for GROO) and have won six times.
>
> Marc Toberoff recently founded IPW to focus full-time on acquiring
> rights to branded properties for exploitation via film, television and
> merchandising.  The company recently set up My Bodyguard at Dimension
> Films and has numerous projects in development including The Immortals
> at Warner Bros. and Fantasy Island at Sony.  Other properties in
> various stages of development include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Guys
> and Dolls, Grand Hotel, Rififi, Little Caesar, Asphalt Jungle, Sanford
> & Son, Hart to Hart, Ironside, Police Woman, and Piranha.
>
> In addition to writing the screenplay, Aragones and Evanier will serve
> as executive producers. Toberoff and Harris will produce.  Allard will
> executive produce.
> ----------------------------------------------------
> www.newsfromme.com (Mark Evanier's daily weblog)
> www.POVonline.com (Mark Evanier's not-daily website)
>
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