“Skylanders Academy” to be Activision Blizzard Studios first TV series

Skylanders-Academy

Mashable is reporting that “Skylanders Academy” is to be Activision Blizzard Studios first TV series.

Skylanders Academy is one of the first projects for Activision Blizzard Studios, the video game mega-publisher’s newly launched film/TV arms. There’s no premiere date to share just yet, nor are there details on the story or delivery mechanisms. We don’t know if this is going to be a standard network series, a Netflix/Hulu/Amazon play or something else entirely. But it’s being driven by an impressive set of talents.

The fictional location called “Skylanders Academy” debuted in the series’ 2014 game release, Skylanders: Trap Team. It served as a hub location where players could retire between levels, and in the series’ fiction it’s where Sidekicks go to train before they can become full-fledged Skylanders, protectors of the Skylands.

The showrunner seat is filled by Eric Rogers, who wrote for Futurama during both eras of its existence. Surrounding him is a cast that includes Justin Long (How to Train Your Dragon) as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale (Phineas and Ferb) as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) as Eruptor and Norm Macdonald (Saturday Night Live) as Glumshanks, plus Harland Williams and Richard Horvitz in unspecified roles.

You can probably expect your first look at Skylanders Academy in early 2016, with Activision Blizzard targeting a mid-year premiere.

Axel Ortiz

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Hello my name is Axel Ortiz…I am a Development Artist based in Los Angeles. I mainly do conceptual work not only in animation..also in video games, theme park and live action. I also work on my own projects as well.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Well, I wouldn’t say my past jobs were crazy….more like working with mentally nutty people. Worked Sears in the kids dept…dealt with crazy customers. I worked at a Pioneer Chicken for two weeks so I can make enough money to buy a comic book back issue. Before heading out to school to the Art Center….I worked at the airport down in the ramp…where I would get passengers’ luggages into the plane. In all of these places I worked with colorful characters…I would always be drawing in my sketchbooks during my breaks….or on the clock. 😛

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
There’s a few projects that I liked working on…like Big Guy and Rusty show from Sony Animation was very cool to work on…I’m a fan of the Geoff Darrow and Frank Miler book that the show is based on. I also liked working on developing characters for pitches for clients as well…getting the chance to create something new is always fun…I’ve done stuff for Nickelodeon, Bento Box, Midway, Activision, Animax and others. Lately I’m excited to be developing characters for two animated show ideas for two clients of mine. One will be pitched to Disney…let see how that goes?

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from the greater Los Angeles area of the South Bay….not far from the beach. I got into the animation just by chance…Sometime after I graduated from the Art Center College of Design…I was doing freelance jobs and working on my own project at the time…I got a call one afternoon from Continue reading