With every Hollywood studio trying to capture a little Transformers magic for themselves, most of the 70s and 80s anime series about transforming sentient robots has been optioned for live-action development.  And of course, that means someone’s unhappy and ready to sue.

In a comprehensive report, the Anime News Network dissected the suit between World Events Productions and Toei Animation over Voltron. The film rights are currently being held by New Regency which began pre-production over the summer.

The suit alleges that Toei’s Hyakujuu Ou Golion (King of Beasts Golion) and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV (Mechanized Fleet Dairugger XV) which was licensed to Koplar Communications, an American firm, which combined them into the syndicated Voltron: Defender of the Universe series in 1984. Later, Koplar licensed Dairugger XV and incorporated it into the series for domestic audiences.

As the deal evolved, Toei and Koplar signed numerous agreements and in 1998, when Koplar created the CGI-animated Voltron: the Third Dimension in 1998, Toei filed a lawsuit which was ultimately settled with a new agreement signed in 2000.

When Koplar sold live-action rights to New Regency and The Mark Gordon Company on August 9, 2007, Toei sent a note complaining of not being consulted. Ted Koplar reacted by filing suit against Toei in February.  Part of the complaint states, "Through that investigation, New Regency identified an artist or author, Kazuo Nakamura, who may possess rights that encumber the Golion and/or Voltron properties and that interfere with World Events’ full and lawful enjoyment of the Golion and Voltron properties." Nakamura was a Toei employee who led character design on the properties.

In mid-August, New Regency said they were abandoning the project given the rights issues. The suit now alleges that Toei has cost Koplar “at least one development deal that would have resulted in a live-action motion picture."

As this works its way through the courts, other projects such as Robotech continue to move through the development process.

Arcana Comics’ Gearhead has been option for a feature film by Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Motion Pictures. The graphic novel was created by Dennis Hopeless and Kevin Mellon and originally appeared as a miniseries prior to trade collection.

Variety says the “story revolves around a young woman who leaves the drag strip to team up with a group of rebels to fight the corrupt superheroes who govern the U.S.”

Hurd is no stranger to comic books or science fiction, most recently producing last summer’s Incredible Hulk and next month’s Punisher: War Zone.

Founded in 2004, Arcana began as a studio and has branched into producing comic books, webcomics and related merchandise. They continue to produce creative work for a wide variety of companies including National Hockey League, Disney and THQ.

VIZ Media, LLC has announced an innovative and unprecedented multimedia plan to provide near-simultaneous Japan-US. release of Naruto, one of the most popular Japanese animated and Manga properties in the world. This campaign is the latest expansion of VIZ Media’s ongoing strategy to utilize the web to its maximum potential to stream a variety of hit animated properties.

Beginning on January 15th the latest episode of the Naruto Shippuden (English-subtitled) animated series will be available for free viewing on the ultimate destination for anything Naruto – the official NARUTO website, www.naruto.com, within days of its original airdate in Japan. A new English-subtitled episode will be added every Thursday thereafter.

On January 2, 2009 VIZ will also debut, for free, eight uncut, English-subtitled episodes from the beginning of the Naruto Shippuden series on their website. Each Friday thereafter there will be an additional eight uncut, English-subtitled episodes added on the site until the series eventually catches up to the current third season of the hit program.  Also, coming this week, an exclusive sneak peek of Naruto Shippuden (English-subtitled) debuting on Naruto.com.

On the Manga side, VIZ has accelerated their publishing schedule for upcoming editions of the best-selling series, making them available to North American audiences sooner than ever before. Beginning in February 2009, 11 new volumes of Naruto will be released over three months, moving the series from Volume 34 (February 2009) to Volume 44 (April 2009) before returning to a quarterly release schedule beginning with Volume 45 (July 2009). First print-run editions of the volumes released in March and April will include a special promotional item – a bookmark or sticker.

“This kind of accelerated and coordinated broadcast and publishing schedule is a first for VIZ Media and we are very excited to bring new episodes of Naruto Shippuden to millions of eager domestic fans for free with this special campaign,” Alvin Lu, Vice President of Production, VIZ Media said in a release. “The adventures of Naruto and his friends are underscored with themes of friendship, loyalty, responsibility, as well as failure and redemption, and have turned this unique series into a tremendous international hit. New and old fans alike won’t want to miss this special opportunity to watch online the latest episodes featuring the world’s favorite ninja mere days after their original air dates in Japan.”
 

Zuda Comics will offer up their first print compilations next summer according to Wired. Bayou by Jeremy Love will have his feature collected first, coming in June.

The magazine says the strip “tackles racism and violence in 1930s Mississippi, is as hypnotic as it is unsettling.”

Our own Dave Gallaher’s High Moon, illustrated by Steve Ellis, will be out in time for Halloween.

Zuda is now in its second year of existence and has been DC’s unique approach to digital comics.  While advertiser supported, the print compilations will go towards monetizing the site for parent company DC Comics.

The magazine notes, “What’s new is Zuda’s ability to use the internet as a minor league for major comics fame. Now that its webcomics are beginning to metamorphose into printed graphic novels, the operation should reach even more comics fans.”
 

Just weeks after signing Joe Johnston to direct First Avenger: Captain America, Marvel Studios has announced that Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are likely to be the screenwriters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the duo is in final negotiations to step in,

The film comes with many complicating factors starting with a locked in release date of May 6, 2011 and the need to include elements that have been established in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk as well as setting up plot threads that will play out two months later in The Avengers film.

The movie will be set during World War II and feature scrawny Steve Rogers, denied enlistment in the army but invited to be a test subject for Project Super Solider.  He is then transformed into the star-spangled hero and issued a red, white, and blue uniform to inspire the troops and general public as Captain America.

Whether or not his sidekick Bucky will be included remains the one plot element not yet discussed by executives.  One can presume the Red Skull will be the villain along with hordes of Nazis.

The screenwriters have most recently handled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian so they have experience with adapting works from others.  Much of their work will come from Captain America #1, published in 1941 by Timely Comics, now known as Marvel Comics. The character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.