C3 Entertainment, Inc., The Three Stooges brand owner, announced a new licensing agreement with Papercutz for both a Three Stooges Classic and a separate Three Stooges Movie deal.

Papercuts will reprint classic Three Stooges comics in a collector’s hardcover edition and for the film publish a movie based comic book at graphic novel length in both paperback and hard cover formats and e-versions. The to-market date is March, prior to the new movie release date of April 4.

“Getting the classic Three Stooges comics back out to the fans will be a very attractive collectible product and will also give new fans some terrific entertainment about the Stooges prior antics in this medium. The graphic novel style comic for the movie will be a terrific product addition, also in another medium, to the movie event for fans and this, too, will become an instant collectible,” says Ani Khachoian, C3’s Executive Vice President of Licensing & Consumer Products.

IDW Publishing and Nickelodeon has released the debut issue of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series, featuring the beloved “Heroes in a Half Shell,” now available in comic stores throughout North America. TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman leads the creative team for the comic series. In addition to this new series, IDW will offer Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection. Beginning in October with volume 1, The Ultimate Collection offers more than 300 pages of the best of the Turtles’ underground roots.

IDW and Nickelodeon have stated a long-term commitment to revitalize the universe of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and graphic novels It’s all part of a larger initiative to bring Turtles to a new generation of fans, starting with these new story lines that recapture the magic of the original Turtles comics and continuing in 2012, when Nickelodeon will premiere a new CG-animated version of the wildly popular Turtles franchise.

If the Turtle franchise is being revitalized and will hit the small screen soon, then I bet that a new Turtles movie won’t be far behind.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

The Muppets movie doesn’t hit theaters until November 23, but Disney is making sure everyone is aware that The Muppets are coming. The Muppets’ official trailer even declares: “Get ready for Muppet domination.” While four months away from release, the movie’s promotion relies on spoof marketing.

Coinciding with the July 22 release of Captain America, The Muppets’ marketing team rolled out a poster of Sam the Eagle as Captain America. We’ve also seen two other promotional posters this month, showing the whole Muppets gang back together. Enjoyable as those posters may be—who doesn’t smile from seeing a Muppet? —Captain America in Muppet form and Green Lantern Kermit have greater potential for retweets.

Disney released a Muppets teaser trailer parodying the Green Lantern film the day it hit theaters in June. Even if you’re weirded out by seeing Muppet feet, you have to admit Kermit makes a captivating Green Lantern in the accompanying poster.

Aside from the spoofs, plans have begun to roll out for the merchandise program. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will launch a new Muppets publishing program this fall in conjunction with the film. The Muppets book program will comprise seven titles in an array of formats featuring Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and other favorite characters. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers’ launch consists of a junior novel that features eight pages of full-color photos from the film, two early readers, a giant sticker book, and a punch-out-and-play Muppet theater. The line also features a hardcover joke book perfect for holiday gift giving and the first in an original illustrated middle-grade series about a boy who wakes up as a Muppet.

Beginning August 23, Starbucks will have The Muppets: The Green Album available for purchase. Described as a tribute to the music of the Muppets, the album includes “Muppet Show Theme Song” recorded by OK Go, “Mahna Mahna” by The Fray, and “Bein’ Green” by Andrew Bird, among its 12 tracks. The album cover uses the artists’ names to form an image of Kermit’s face.

For those in New York City, the Museum of the Moving Image launched an exhibition and film screenings from July 16-January 16. Muppet fans can reminisce by watching the classic Muppets films dating back to 1979 and 1980s and the concept Muppet films of the 1990s—perfect preparation for Jason Segel’s approach to creating the upcoming film.

“I’ve just grown a little disappointed with ‘Muppets in the Old West,’ ‘Muppets Under Water,’ and all these weird concept movies,” Segel told MTV. “I just want to go take it back to the early ‘80s, when it was about the Muppets trying to put on a show. That’s what I’m trying to bring back.”

The Awl’s Elizabeth Stevens looks further at the evolution of The Muppets. And see The Licensing Blog’s roundup of The Muppets trailers.

Judge Rules Marvel Owns Copyright to Comics
In other licensing news, a federal judge in New York granted a summary judgment to Marvel Entertainment and its parent company, the Walt Disney Company, regarding their dispute with the heirs to comic book artist Jack Kirby, according to Michael Cieply’s article in The New York Times. The judge denied the Kirbys’ request for judgment against the two companies.

The ruling rejects the Kirby family’s claim to comics and characters, including the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men, created by Jack Kirby, and instead declares them as works for hire.

Fox Partners with Santa Cruz Skateboards

Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products signed Santa Cruz Skateboards to produce a line featuring characters and iconography from The Simpsons. Available this fall, board designs include a custom Bart Simpson skateboard with his spiky-hared skull and cross bones on the base plate, and a board shaped like a can of Duff Beer. The line is geared toward the hardcore skater or collector.

—Melissa Tinklepaugh

We love Men in Black. We love Men in Black 2. If the pattern holds, we’ll love Men in Black 3, and licensees are starting to line up for the May 2012 Sony release. Jakks Pacific announced this morning that it has signed a master toy licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to manufacture, distribute, and market a line of toys and products based on the film.

The agreement covers the Men in Black franchise and includes action figures, accessories, playsets, role play, youth electronics, novelties, games and puzzles, and Halloween costumes. The line is planned to be released in spring 2012.

Men in Black 3 stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (which you knew), along with Josh Brolin.

Comic-Con Winners and Losers

Advertising Age’s Andrew Hampp has a big article up on Comic-Con winners and losers that we suggest you check out. Some winners include Warner Bros. Television and Sony Pictures, which plugged The Amazing Spider-Man and next summer’s Total Recall reboot. (Man, there’s a lot of Sony in the blog today.) Losers include Jon Favreau, director of Cowboys and Aliens, whose panel was overshadowed by a Game of Thrones panel… and whose Cowboys and Aliens ranked only No. 6 in the WebTrends analysis of movie buzz.

Mattel Co-Founder Dies

Elliot Handler, co-founder of Mattel, passed away last week at the age of 95.

The New York Times and others reported Handler’s death, which was due to heart failure. Handler and his wife, Ruth, started Mattel in 1945 and stayed there until they were forced out in 1975, the Times‘ Charles Duhigg reports.

It was Ruth Handler who pushed for Mattel to create a doll that looked like a “mature woman,” Duhigg writes, and thus Barbie was born, and named after the Handlers’ daughter. When Barbie’s male counterpart was created, he was named Ken, after the couple’s son.

—Bryan Joiner

Let’s put the trials and tribulations associated with the new Spider-Man Broadway show, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, to the side for a moment and focus on another famed super hero: Batman.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, DC Entertainment and Water Lane Productions have unveiled key characters in the $20-million-dollar theatrical extravaganza Batman Live-World Arena Tour, which debuts July 19 in the UK.

DC Comics’ Caped Crusader and his sidekick Robin will fight the Joker, the Riddler, Catwoman, the Penguin, Two-Face, and Harley Quinn, in an attempt to save Gotham City.

The show will reach North American audiences in August 2012.

—Mackenzie Allison

Move over Archie: Peter Griffin and the gang are headed into comic book territory. Titan Comics, a publisher of licensed entertainment properties in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, recently announced the launch of the Family Guy comic series, based on the hit animated Fox show.

The comic will follow new exploits of the Griffin family and their fellow Quahog, Rhode Island residents.

Artwork for the comic series is provided by comic artists SL Gallant (G.I. Joe, Torchwood) and Anthony Williams (Judge Dredd, Superman, and Batman).

The first Family Guy comic will hit U.S. newsstands and specialty comic book stores July 27.

It has been more than 25 years since The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles graced the pages of a comic book, but that will all change this summer thanks to a long-term agreement between Nickelodeon and IDW Publishing. The agreement, which will include an all-new installment of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and graphic novels, was announced last week at WonderCon in San Francisco.

The comics are part of a larger initiative to bring the heroes in a half shell to a new generation of fans.

Nickelodeon will premiere a CG-animated version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in fourth quarter 2012.

Let’s imagine for a moment that Arnold Schwarzenegger has a bucket list. He could already check off “become a champion body builder,” “make millions as a movie star” and “have a successful political career.” Assuming it made the list, the Terminator star might soon be able to cross off cartoon and comic book character.

According to a recent report by Entertainment Weekly, Schwarzenegger is working with comic book guru Stan Lee on an animated TV series, as well as a comic book, that will mix the real life of the actor and politician with the superhuman exploits of the characters he’s played.

“The Governator” will battle the evil organization Gangsters Imposters Racketeers Liars and Irredeemable Ex-cons (or G.I.R.L.I.E. Men). The project is still in the development stages and won’t be completed until next year.

Schwarzenegger has stated that the cartoon is his plan B, and that if he could run for president, he would. Too bad that’s one he can’t check off of the list.

—Mackenzie Allison

Paradox Entertainment Inc. and its subsidiary Conan Properties International LLC announced that their upcoming film Conan the Barbarian was named one of USA Today’s 11 Films to Lift 2011.

Starring Jason Momoa, Stephen Lang, Ron Perlman, Rachel Nichols and Rose McGowan, the film will be released August 19 in both 2-D and 3-D via Lionsgate.

In the realm of licensing, several companies have signed on to create product based on the film, as well as classic Conan merchandise.

Licensees include Albion Film Swords (custom weaponry and armor; worldwide), Dark Horse Comics (comics and graphic novels print and digital; worldwide); Double Barrel (motion comics co-production; worldwide) Museum Replicas/Atlanta Cutlery (weaponry and armor; worldwide), Penguin (novelization of the screenplay; worldwide), Rittenhouse (collectible trading cards; North America, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom), Rizzoli (2011 wall calendar; worldwide) and Rubie’s Costume (costumes, masks and costume accessories; worldwide)

Other films with major licensing efforts that made the list include Rango, Rio, Scream 4, Cars 2, Cowboys and Aliens and The Smurfs.

Comic book publisher Ape Entertainment and Classic Media have announced that the publisher will be adding the Casper’s Scare School property to its roster, featuring Casper the Friendly Ghost, and all of the characters from the CGI-animated Casper’s Scare School television series.

Based on the film, Casper’s Scare School, released in 2006, the television series first premiered in the U.S. in 2009 on Cartoon Network.

Published under the company’s young reader imprint, KiZoic, Casper’s Scare School will reach stores in October.