As Jerry Beck at Cartoon Brew reported (and TV Squad too), we’re still awaiting the US premiere of Jon Izen and Jono Howard’s ‘Yam Roll,’ a Flash-animated series produced by March Entertainment that’s currently playing on CBC in Canada. I have it on good authority that it should start playing on Cartoon Network Friday nights as interstitials.

In the meantime, check out the Yam Roll blog and enjoy this clip from the show.

‘Ricky Sprocket’ is the latest Flash-animated TV show to be announced, and it’s headed for Canada’s Teletoon network in the fall of 2007. It’s a co-production between Bejuba!, Studio B and Snowden Fine. According to Kidscreen Magazine, the premise looks at why “being a celebrity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for the world’s biggest superstar Ricky Sprocket. Sure, he’s got a gaggle of adoring fans, but he still has to do his homework, deal with an annoying younger sis, and juggle a regular life with one that’s constantly in the spotlight.

According to World Screen News, the Nicktoons Network has broadened their relationship with ‘Edgar and Ellen,’ the childrens property owned by Star Farm Productions. Twelve shorts were originally aired on the network, but now a series of “broadcast specials celebrating back to school, Halloween, Winter Holidays, Valentines Day and April Fools Day” will lead up to the launch of a half-hour series.

There’s an interview with Jon Izen, one of the creators of ‘Yam Roll,’ over at the Vancouver Film School website.

Rebel Static Studios is using Flash to create a new hip-hop cartoon called Turntable Timmy. Illustrator Doug Cunningham, who art directed ‘Wave Twisters,’ teamed up with children’s book author Michael Perry to write the original 32-page book, and now with Rebel Static’s help, the property is coming to the web. A slide-show teaser can be seen over at the official website (MP4).

Kappa Mikey, which has been debated here a bit lately, was recently picked up for a second season. Like ‘Edgar and Ellen,’ the show airs on the Nicktoons Network. That’s 26 new episodes for a total of 52.

Animax Entertainment was recently nominated for a Sports Emmy for their work on ESPN’s ‘Off Mikes.’ Congrats guys

If you thought ‘Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends’ had a long title - sharpen your pencils. After much anticipation, we have a new champion - ‘The Very Good Adventures of Yam Roll in Happy Kingdom.’ This new Flash-animated show from March Entertainment premieres tonight on Canada’s CBC at 4:30pm ET. ‘Yam Roll,’ which follows the adventures of yup, a western-loving, cab-driving Yam Roll, won the Maple Shorts competition last summer, and only 7 months later, the series has arrived. Jon Izen and Jono Howard have created a very unique show, and I look forward to seeing all 39 11-minute episodes down here in the States. Are you listening Nickelodeon? Cartoon Network? Anyone? Let’s just get the paperwork done and get on with it. We’re hungry for ‘Yam Roll,’ dammit!

If you’re not in the CBC broadcast zone, you can still watch the short that inspired it all over at the Maple Shorts site. And the ‘Yam Roll’ website is full of interesting character descriptions and show info.

****** UPDATE * UPDATE * UPDATE *******

I found a new ‘Yam Roll’ website at CBC.ca. There’s a clip there from the new series. Check it out!

There are few shows I’m anticipating more than ‘The Very Good Adventures of Yam Roll in Happy Kingdom,’ a new series due out on Canada’s CBC in 2006. This Flash animated property first aired online as part of March Entertainment’s Maple Shorts program, and sure enough - it won. Cold, Hard Flash was covering the victory back in June - hoping for a full season of episodes, and now we’re only a few months off.

Two bits of news on Jon Izen and Jono Howard’s ‘Yam Roll.’ First, the website is up (thanks Lia), and there’s a new, short animated introduction (click on ’short’) to the world of Yam Roll, Happy Kingdom’s lovelorn cab driver. We meet a slew of new characters, all of whom you’ve met at the local sushi restaurant. You can also browse through a character gallery, and read up on the large season one ensemble.

The other news is March Entertainment, the animation production company behind the series, is looking for Flash animators. Unless you’re already there, you’ll have to relocate to Sudbury, a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada. Send resumes to resumes@marchentertainment.com or head over to the March Entertainment career page for more info.

The Canadian broadcast network CBC and March Entertainment have concluded the 2005 Maple Shorts Flash Film Festival, and, not surprisingly, ‘Yam Roll,’ took the top prize. Cold, Hard Flash covered the release of ‘Yam Roll’ back in June of the year, and now creators Jon Izen, Jono Howard, Daniel Sioui, and Daniel Hawes can celebrate. If you haven’t watched ‘Yam Roll’ yet, don’t hesitate - it’s one of the most unique and hilarious shorts I’ve seen this year.

Congratulations to all the entrants in the Maple Shorts Festival!

I’m logging this post under ‘Not Sure If It’s Flash, But Posting It Anyway.’ A few weeks back, I wrote about the Maple Shorts website, and I’m sure glad I went back again to sniff around. I just watched ‘Yam Roll,’ an amazing short created by Jon Izen and Jono Howard for March Entertainment. It’s surely produced with some sort of vector animation software, and I know Jon Izen once animated on ‘Mucha Lucha,’ so it’s a good bet that this project was animated in Flash. ‘The Very Good Adventures of Yam Roll in Happy Kingdom’ (the full title) is one of the most unique shorts I’ve seen in a while, and I’m hoping March Entertainment agrees and finances a season or two.