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Posted in: Comics | Tagged: ai, Friuendship List, graphic novel, HarperAlley., HarperCollins
Lisa Greenwald's Friendship List A.I. Animation Gets A Graphic Novel
Lisa Greenwald's Friendship List A.I. Animation gets a graphic novel from HarperCollins and HarperAlley... and so it begins
Okay, so here we go. HarperCollins has announced a multi-year partnership with Toonstar, which describes itself as an "AI-powered" animation studio, to adapt a number of the book publisher's titles into original YouTube series. The first project planned for development is Friendship List, based on Lisa Greenwald's popular middle-grade novel series. HarperCollins and Toonstar will co-produce the adaptations, serialised as episodes two to ten minutes long. And off the back of that AI-powered YouTube animation, HarperAlley will adapt that animation into an accompanying graphic novel. This is one of the biggest book publishers and an imprint that's one of the biggest graphic novel publishers as well.
John Attanasio, CEO and co-founder of Toonstar, is clearly aware of how this is going to sound and says that "HarperCollins has one of the most cherished catalogs in publishing, with stories that have shaped people's imaginations for generations. We're honored to bring Friendship List to life as an animated series. Our artist-centered approach ensures these beloved characters and stories stay true to the author's vision, while our Ink & Pixel production technology enables fast, high-quality production at scale which unlocks the ability to meet audiences where and when they enjoy content today." Liate Stehlik, CEO and Publisher, US Trade, HarperCollins Publishers, says, "HarperCollins has always embraced innovation that serves our authors and readers by finding new ways to bring great stories to readers wherever they are. Toonstar's proven ability to translate beloved stories into engaging animation, while keeping artists at the center of the process, makes them the ideal partner to bring Friendship List and other popular titles to new audiences in formats today's families love." And Rich Thomas, SVP, Executive Director of Publishing, HarperCollins Children's Books says "Partnering with Toonstar gives us an exciting new opportunity to bring the characters and stories in the Friendship List series to life for families in a new way," said
Friendship List novels are aimed at tweens and follows two best friends, Ari and Kaylan, as they navigate the ups and downs of middle school, including "bucket lists" of goals they set to challenge themselves across four books, published between 2018 and 2021. Lisa Greenwald posted on Instagram how excited she was about this A.I. news… but then seems to have taken it down. And so it begins…
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