New CG Series 'Justin Time' Earns Publishing Deal

There's less than a month until Guru Studio's first original TV animation, Justin Time, marks its debut on U.S. broadcast television. And yet, the program's presence in the United States is pretty well rooted. Affirming this foundation is an April 2012 premiere on the children's cable network Sprout, and most recently, the cartoon's first licensing agreement: a publishing deal with San Francisco, CA-based Immedium, Inc.. Justin Time has already received some positive feedback from parents in search of teachable moments by way of conscientious cartoon heroes, but Immedium looks to add another dimension to the time-skipping tales of one boy and his giant imagination.

Justin Time is scheduled to join NBC Kids in July 2012, leading an early Saturday morning programming block re-dedicated to the nation's sleepy-eyed youth [recent A.I. news: "NBC Kids Set for July 2012" (03/2012)]. The series already airs in Latin America, Germany, Italy, French-speaking Canada, and several other territories. The cartoon follows Justin and his imaginary buddies Olive and Squidgy as they jump through space and time to discover, explore, and make new friends throughout foreign forests, ancient ruins, the high seas, and elsewhere. Justin and his friends go to countless new places, sometimes feeling a bit overwhelmed, but always asking questions and looking to help out. The animated series, created by Brandon James Scott, benefits from a confident but comfortable visual style whose indubitable softness should lend itself well to children's books.

According to Immedium, their relationship with Guru Studio and subsequent acquisition of Justin Time is an interesting example in professional, "full circle" serendipity. First consider how Guru, which is based on Toronto, Ontario, has been in touch with Immedium since 2006, tossing around ideas for a partnership as days and months passed. Even years before that, the publisher had once upon a time reached out to Scott, then a recent grad, with an offer to bring the talented artist into the world of children's book creation.

Fast-forwarding to the present day, everything converged with Justin Time. Immedium came on board as the first licensee of the new animated series (and was delighted, to say the least, to learn that Scott was a key figure in the title's creation).

Now, Immedium is planning for Justin Time: The Pancake Express, due out September 2012 ($15.95). The hardcover book is presently slated to include 36 pages of original artwork from Scott himself. The Justin Time books will derive their stories from various episodes of the animated series ("The Pancake Express" is an episode in the first season of the TV series.). Immedium's second book is reportedly due out by spring 2013.

"It probably would have been easier to take the animation cels and resize and reformat them, but Brandon decided to go the extra mile," Oliver Chin, Publisher, Immedium, commented on working through the line of books. "He redrew everything in a different style, which is a little bit more rustic-looking."

Immedium has an impressive catalogue of colorful and engaging, original children's books, where surprisingly none of them are licensed properties like Justin Time. Many of the company's titles strike a positive camaraderie between full-blown adolescent enthusiasm, heroic exploration, and a celebration of the imagination.

Immedium also publishes a line of books that provide positive role models for Asian American children.

Recent Guru Animation News:
"Guru Studio Developing Nemesis Animation" at AnimationInsider.net (02/2012)