[Groop] Groo News from ME

[Jason Roberts]

I'm planning my camp out at the box office already!
--- Mark Evanier <evanier at evanier.com> 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)
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Groop mailing list
> Groop at groo.com
>
http://mailman.newdream.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/groop
> 



		
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail