DVD content developers Sock Puppet Studios have launched their first original brand with “The Doodlebugs,” a half-hour animated educational series targeted for children ages 2-6.
Sock Puppet plans to finish the second “Doodlebugs” episode Sept. 1. The first episode was released in May and will screen in the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival at Facets Multi-Media this October.
Sock Puppet is self-distributing the DVD online and is seeking a distributor for retail and non-traditional broadcast like video-on-demand and in-flight video.
“What we really dig about ‘The Doodlebugs’ is developing our own concepts ? we’ve only worked with other brands and licenses in the past,” said producer John Krussel. “We hope to ramp up to eventually produce multiple episodes in a month.”
Krussel said Sock Puppet plans to develop a “Doodlebugs” DVD game and is generating more original series and games for the child and adult markets.
Sock Puppet began developing “The Doodlebugs” this March during free cycles in their main business: digital comic books. Since their founding last year, Sock Puppet has created 31 DVDs, combining artwork and stories from Marvel and CrossGen comic titles like “X-Men” and “The Hulk” with original animation, effects, voice and music.
“There are others doing digital comics for CD-ROM and the web, but nobody else is doing it for DVD,” Krussel said. “The market has grown quite a bit with all the popular comic-based movies.”
Krussel expects a mid-November release for Sock Puppet’s first DVD game, based on an undisclosed “popular line of videos.” “We’re really excited about DVD games ? very few people are doing it right now, and there’s a huge user base,” for the games which can be played on computers, DVD players and game platforms.
In early August Sock Puppet was absorbed into Red Eye Studio, a three-year old game design house. Red Eye and Sock Puppet share a staff of five and a pool of freelancers, releasing games under the Red Eye banner and DVDs under the Sock Puppet Banner. Red Eye recently completed the motion capture for forthcoming “Leisure Suit Larry” and “Duel Masters” game releases in their 5,000 sq. ft. motion capture studio.
Sock Puppet Studios and Red Eye Studio are at 2155 Stonington Ave., Hoffman Estates. Call 847/882-3002 or see www.thedoodlebugs.com.
– by Ed M. Koziarski, edk@homesickblues.com
