Second Series of Henry Hugglemonster!

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Disney has greenlit a second Series of Henry Hugglemonster! Our Roarsome crew are back together in Brown Bag Films cooking up new stories and adventures that will be ready by Autumn 2014. 

Nancy Kanter, Executive Vice President Original Programming and General Manager, Disney Junior Worldwide comments: “The incredibly talented team at Brown Bag Films has created an engaging series for Disney Junior that delivers everyday life lessons and models positive family and community relationships that are relatable to audiences around the world. A second season will build off of this terrific start and create even more connections with kids and families.”

Beth Gardiner VP of Production Disney UK, comments: “We are thrilled to be reunited with our ‘roarsome’ Brown Bag crew, and look forward to more stories about HENRY HUGGLEMONSTER and his monstery family."

Cathal Gaffney, Executive Producer & CEO, Brown Bag Films adds: "This second series sees Brown Bag Films create a further 30 jobs bringing us to 150 full time staff in our Dublin studio. Knowing that children around the world continue to watch and love HENRY HUGGLEMONSTER, which was originated, designed and animated in Ireland makes us all very proud."

Full Press release here. More news check out Brown Bag Films blog here. 
News on RTE here

Making Monsters Move...

Fantastic interview over on the OFFSET blog today with Norton Virgien director of Henry Hugglemonster.

Henry Hugglemonster sneak peek on Disney Junior UK!

It's been a long journey from sketch to screen... but today, at last there's a sneak peek of Henry Hugglemonster at 5.50pm on Disney Junior.  It has been wonderful working and collaborating with Disney, Norton Virgien (Director) and Sascha Paladino (Story Editor) and the ROARSOME team at Brown Bag Films in Dublin to bring Henry Hugglemonster to life. The love, care and unbelievable creativity they have all brought to the project blows me away every day. I just can't wait for children all over the world to meet Henry and his Hugglemonster family!

I was really over the moon to have Brenda Blethyn, Brian Blessed and Geri Halliwell join the cast of Henry Hugglemonster too.

  Brenda Blethyn stars as Ernestine Enormomonster

Brian Blessed as Eduardo Enormomonster

Geri Halliwell stars as Isabella Roarson

The Morning Show on TV3

Here's the link of me, The Hugglemonsters, Director Norton Virgien and Lead Writer Sascha Paladino on TV3's The Morning Show with Martin and Sybil. You can scroll to 16:20 to get straight to it. And a great photo from Darragh of the Brown Bag gang tuning in to watch the show at work this morning! 

Hugglemonsters on TV3

The Happy Hugglemonsters visit TV3 in the morning. Myself, director Norton Virgien and lead writer Sascha Paladino will be on The Morning Show tomorrow with Sybil and Martin to talk about our new show we are making for Disney just after 11am with Henry Hugglemonster and his family!

News Updates for The Happy Hugglemonsters

For Press requests with Niamh Sharkey please contact Brown Bag Films on
+3531 8721608 Official Disney Press Release here.


Some news updates on The Happy Hugglemonsters!


Kidscreen
Animation World Network
The Irish Film and Television Network
C21media
Televisual
Hackett Flynn Publishers' Agency
Business Post
Animation Magazine
Cartoon Brew


Irish Media-
RTE2LateNews-Skip ahead to 12:30
Irish Times
Evening Herald
theJournal.ie
Belfast Telegraph
The Examiner
Ray Darcy Show fast forward to 9:15

Disney greenlights Happy Hugglemonsters from Brown Bag Films

I am thrilled to announce that Brown Bag Films have begun production on a new animated series ‘THE HAPPY HUGGLEMONSTERS’ for Disney Junior based on my book! 


It is the latest series to be developed and produced by Disney’s London based production hub, and will premiere on Disney Junior blocks from Autumn 2012, airing in over 150 countries worldwide. The 52 x 11 minute series will be produced in Brown Bag Films’ Dublin-based studio.
Cathal Gaffney, co-founder and CEO of Brown Bag Films said, “We are delighted to announce the production of this series, it is great to work with home grown talent like Niamh Sharkey and to bring an original idea like this to a global Disney Junior audience is hugely satisfying for all involved.”
Beth Gardiner, Vice President, Production & Development, Disney Junior EMEA added, “We are thrilled to welcome The Happy Hugglemonsters to the Disney Junior fold. Seen through our five year old hero Henry Hugglemonster’s eyes, the series delivers comedic and emotional storytelling with a monstery twist that pre-schoolers can really relate to; perfect for Disney Junior.”
Henry, the star of “The Happy Hugglemonsters”, is a young monster growing up in a bustling house with three siblings; older brother Cobby, slightly older sister Summer, and baby brother Ivor.  Henry knows a lot about the emotional ups and downs that preschoolers face in their daily lives, and in “The Happy Hugglemonsters” he is your guide to preschool life, monster-style.
Author Niamh Sharkey, whose illustrated picturebook, ‘I’m A Happy Hugglewug’ was published in 2006, says, “I am thrilled to be working with Brown Bag Films to bring my characters to life; the creativity, enthusiasm and care they bring to the project is mind blowing. Making this show for Disney Channel is a dream come true, and to be able to create this show in Ireland together is the icing on the cake. I know my monster family is in safe hands!”
“The Happy Hugglemonsters” was developed with support from the Irish Film Board/Bórd Scannán na hEireann.  For the Walt Disney Company’s full press release including press contacts please visit www.niamhsharkey.com and www.brownblogfilms.com

A day in the life of Book Festival...

My Poster Design

Megan and The Book Eating Beast

Niamh Sharkey, Norton Virgien, Lisa O Connor and Megan Mc Mahon

Artwork from The Ravenous Beast

Austrian Illustrators Book Work

Oscar

Laureate NaÓg Siobhan Parkinson

Hey guys! Time to catch up and tell you abut all the amazing things happening for Children's Book Festival! Last Friday was the opening of Images Beyond Borders an exhibition of Irish and Austrian Picture Book Illustrators. It was launched last Friday by our wonderful Laureate na nÓg Siobhán Parkinson and Karin Fichtinger-Grohe, Deputy Minister at the Austrian Embassy, at The No Grants Gallery in Temple Bar. I have to say I am so proud to be included in this exhibition. It is right in the heart of Temple Bar and really raises the bar :) It runs for the month of October so make sure to pop in! although they do close for lunch!

Tomorrow I'll post up photos of my Book Festival Library visits, Doodle Mania and how I met the infamous Don Conroy in Skerries!

Animation Lover?

There is a fantastic event on this Friday 15th in Dublin's Science Gallery you cannot miss!

Pegbar Dublin's Animation Network is hosting an event, hoping to give you sneaky insights into the creativity and technology behind the animation scene. Brown Bag's Norton Virgien (Director of Rugrats and Duckman), Jason Tammemägi (Fluffy Gardens) and multimedia artist Fergal Brennan will be the speakers on Friday evening.

Then it's over to The Trinity Inn for a few drinks, some animations on screen and a bit of social networking. Sounds good to me!