Nicktoons Network Hits the Open Road This Summer on Its First Cross-Country Mobile Tour

Nicktoons Network Hits the Open Road This Summer on Its First Cross-Country Mobile Tour

The Nicktoons Network Mobile Tour Kicks Off July 15 in New York, Culminating at the Nicktoons Studios in Burbank, CA for the Start of the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival on August 12 & 13

Festival Winners to Be Announced at the Two-Day Live Event for Student Award, Diversity Award and Producer's Choice Award on August 13

Cities Include: New York, Boston, Detroit, Houston & Los Angeles (Burbank)

NEW YORK, July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicktoons Network, Nickelodeon's 24-hour animation network, hits the open road this summer with the Nicktoons Network Mobile Tour, a five-city tour helping to celebrate its third annual Nicktoons Network Animation Festival (NNAF), it was announced today by Keith Dawkins, Vice President and General Manager, Nicktoons Network.

Beginning Saturday, July 15, the five-city tour will drive cross-country in its branded Nicktoons Network Tour Truck stopping in -- New York, Boston, Detroit, Houston and Los Angeles (Burbank)-for five consecutive weekends in a row. The tour will culminate at the Nicktoons Studios in Burbank, CA inaugurating the channels' very first Nicktoons Network Animation Festival two-day live event: Kids' Day on Saturday, August 12 and Creators' Day on Sunday, August 13--in which the festival will announce this year's Student Award, Diversity Award and Producer's Choice Award winners.

"The Nicktoons Network Mobile Tour is a one-of-a-kind interactive experience for kids and animation fans alike and we're excited to be bringing this event to cities across the country for the first time," said Dawkins. "We are extremely thrilled to partner locally with our affiliates and provide them with this unique opportunity to connect with their customers."

The Nicktoons Network Mobile Tour will travel to the following cities:

-- New York/New Jersey Saturday, July 15 - Sunday, July 16
-- Boston Saturday, July 22 - Sunday, July 23
-- Detroit Saturday, July 29 - Sunday, July 30
-- Houston Friday, August 4 - Sunday, August 6
-- Los Angeles/Burbank Saturday, August 12 - Sunday, August 13

Each stop will encompass three interactive play stations:
-- Animator Meet & Greet - Fans can meet the animators that bring their
favorite Nicktoons Network series to life and have their picture taken
with Nicktoons characters via green screen. The photos will
automatically be posted online and will be available for immediate
download.

-- The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival: Tips and Tricks -- This
station illustrates the building blocks of animation at various kiosks
including: the Sound Stage -- giving fans the chance to create their
own sound effects to live video; the Art Studio -- teaching storyboard
design from an actual Kappa Mikey storyboard, animation flip books and
motion capture tutorial about "The Making of Skyland;" NNAF Video Wall
-- featuring entries from previous festivals demonstrating different
types of animation; and the Animation Browser-allowing fans to play
clips at different speeds showing frame by frame of how animation is
created.

-- Thumb Wrestling Competition -- Fans will be able to compete in thumb
wrestling matches disguised as their favorite Thumb Wrestling
Federation characters. Each match will be recorded so fans are able to
download their personalized video which automatically enters them into
the TWF Sweepstakes for a chance to win a guest 'thumb' spot on
Nicktoons Network!

The final stop of the mobile tour will be Los Angeles (Burbank), which marks the start of the third annual Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. Billed as the world's first multiplatform animation festival, NNAF kicks off with its first, live two-day event at the Nicktoons Studio. Kids' Day, which takes place on August 12, will feature all three main components of the mobile tour. Invited guests will also partake in an afternoon filled with food, festivities and fun including: Nicktoons Networks costume characters, on-site animators offering 'doodling' demonstrations and a screening of this year's top animation entries

On Sunday August 13, NNAF presents Creators' Day in which Nicktoons Network will host an evening event for special guests and announce the three winners of this year's Student Award, Diversity Award and Producer's Choice Award. The announcement will be followed by a cocktail reception and a courtyard screening of the award-winning shorts from the announced winners.

The festival will premiere on-air and online Saturday, August 26 through Thursday, August 31.

Six highly esteemed judges including: comedic brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, Disney's Andreas Deja, famed independent animator Bill Plympton and last year's Producers Choice and Student Award Winner JG Quintel will screen the films submitted and will rate them based on story, animation, design, entertainment value and fun factor, in order to find this year's $10,000 Grand Prize winner, which will be revealed on air Thursday, August 31.

Viewers can see which shorts have been selected for this years festival, view creator information and biographies and download the NNAF program at www.nicktoonsnetwork.com starting August 1. Viewers can also watch the animated shorts and vote for their favorite submissions at www.nicktoonsnetwork.com from Saturday August 26 through Friday September 15. The NNAF Viewers Choice Award will be announced online September 18.

Nicktoons Network is the fastest growing kids' network* and offers a 24- hour schedule featuring programming such as Kappa Mikey, Corneil and Bernie and Martin Mystery, as well as a roster of hits that have defined kids' and animation lovers' TV, including The Angry Beavers, Yakkity Yak, Invader Zim, Spongebob Squarepants, The Fairly OddParents and Jimmy Neutron. Nicktoons Network is a part of the MTV Networks expanded suite of channels available for digital distribution. The new channels include MTV Hits, MTV Jams, Nicktoons Network and VH1 Mega Hits, expanding and strengthening MTV Networks' digital offerings to thirteen services.

Nicktoons Network currently reaches 39 million homes via cable, digital cable and satellite, and can be seen on Cablevision, Charter Communications, Comcast Cable, Cox Communications, DirecTV, DISH Network and Time Warner Cable. Nicktoons, and all related titles and logos are property of Viacom, Inc.

*Source: NMR *8/29/05-5/7/06 vs. 8/30/04-5/08/05 (LSD) AA(000), K6-11 &
K9-14 Nick & Toon Tot Prg Day, NKTNS M-F 2-11p;S/S 9a-11p, DSNY, FAM,
TDSNY (M-Su 6a-11p) CBS, WB, FOX, NBC based on Kids Type Codes, Tribune;
DIC Kids ** % Index growth UE vs. P9-14 AA(000).

Source: Nicktoons Network

CONTACT: Nicole Parker, +1-818-736-3613, Nicole.Parker@Nick.com, or
Mirian Arias, +1-212-846-7653, Mirian.Arias@Noggin.com

Web site: http://www.nicktoonsnetwork.com/

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