Los Angeles, CA Dec 1, 2010 — Ringtales, the leading premium content producer and distributor of animated comics across all digital media, launched animated Dilbert and New Yorker cartoon packages and mobile greetings through the Nokia Ovi Store worldwide. Nokia customers across the globe can now purchase and view full seasons of animated Dilbert and New Yorker videos as well as themed packages and greetings directly on their Nokia smartphones.
RingTales owns the exclusive right to produce animated versions of many of the most popular print and online comics including Dilbert, Over the Hedge, Bloom County, Pearls Before Swine, Lio, Cul de Sac, Pooch Café and the 100,000 cartoon library of The New Yorker Magazine. Nokia will distribute these animated Dilbert and New Yorker cartoon video packages and greetings in Ovi stores globally.
Nokia’s Ovi Store delivers unique mobile experiences that mix content with the best location, social networking and connectivity services and is the go to-place for discovering, sharing and enjoying lifestyle content and entertainment, all from a Nokia smartphone.
“RingTales is proud to partner globally with Nokia to expand distribution of the world’s most popular comics, in animated form, directly to Nokia customers’ mobile devices,” says RingTales founders Jim Cox and Michael Fry.
“The RingTales episodes look amazing on Nokia mobile displays and the Ovi store is a robust direct-to-consumer video offering perfectly suited to mirror how fans have consumed comics all their lives,” says Laura Anne Edwards, head of business development for RingTales.
In addition to the launch of Dilbert and New Yorker video Season Packages worldwide today, later this winter RingTales will add additional titles to their Nokia Ovi Store offering. Pricing for Season Packages and greetings will be similar worldwide, adjusted only for local currency.
RingTales partners with Fireworks International, the television and digital distribution arm of Content Films plc, on international distribution of Dilbert, including the production of dubbed episodes for French territories.
Units available at the Nokia Ovi Store today:
Dilbert "Themed" 6-Pack - 6 episodes = .99
New Yorker "Themed" 6-Pack - 6 assorted episodes = .99
Seasons of Dilbert - 13 assorted episodes = 1.99
Seasons New Yorker - 13 assorted episodes = 1.99
2 x mobile greetings - FREE
RingTales has over 1,000 digital cartoons in its library that have been viewed more than 200 million times on sites like Babelgum, MSN, YouTube, Hulu, iTunes, NewYorker.com and Dilbert.com as well as branded mobile applications. In 2009, despite the economic slowdown and reduction of advertising rates, RingTales’ revenues increased. With expanded production and new distribution channels, RingTales is projecting significant growth in 2010.
About RingTales
Santa Monica-based RingTales L.L.C, is a digital media content company that creates animated versions of popular print cartoons such as Dilbert and The New Yorker for syndication across the internet, mobile, broadcast and portable device markets. RingTales has over 1,000 cartoons in distribution which garnered over 20 million views in October 2010. RingTales was founded by two industry veterans-- Jim Cox and Michael Fry, who previously collaborated on the hit DreamWorks animated feature “Over The Hedge.”
Jim Cox is a long-time feature animation writer and producer. His credits include co-executive producer on the 2006 DreamWorks feature animated hit “Over the Hedge,” writer/producer on “Ferngully,” story on Disney's “Beauty and the Beast,” and screenwriter on “The Rescuers Down Under” and “Oliver & Company.”
Michael Fry is a four time internationally syndicated cartoonist. He currently writes the comic strip “Over the Hedge,” which inspired the DreamWorks film that earned $335 million dollars in worldwide box office sales.
For more information about RingTales and RingTales properties, please visit: http://ringtales.com
About Nokia
At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.2 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device - from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.
About Fireworks International
Fireworks International is ContentFilm’s international television and digital distribution division with over 3,000 hours of high-quality and commercially appealing programming including an extensive slate of major drama series, non-fiction entertainment, kids live action comedy and drama series, TV movies, mini-series and special event programming. Recent additions include the following TV programs: REPUBLIC OF DOYLE, THE BORDER HEARTLAND;WILDLIFE RESCUE AFRICA, HUNTING THE LOST SYMBOL, I KNOW WHAT I SAW; U.S., THE ASSISTANTS, as well these digital dramas :VALEMONT, THE BOOTH AT THE END and GIRL NUMBER 9.
