Little Orphan Annie follows her audience to new worlds

(Chicago, May 12, 2010)—The plucky redhead known around the world as Little Orphan Annie is ending her newspaper syndication run this summer. Annie, who got her start on the comics pages in 1924, will take a final bow in traditional print form on Sunday, June 13, 2010. A new round of 21st century opportunities is being explored in digital and entertainment media.
 
“Annie is an entertainment icon,” said Steve Tippie, vice president for TMS Licensing and New Market Development. “Over the years, Annie has generated an enormous amount of international awareness and affection through three generations—children and their parents and grandparents—and now it’s time to go where this new base of Annie fans finds their entertainment. Our emphasis going forward will be on bringing her more in line with current pop culture and shaping her development as a property that appeals to children and adults on a whole new level. We plan to grow Annie’s popularity by introducing her to new generations of audiences through new media and licensing applications.”

For more than 85 years, Annie, with her can-do attitude and sidekick Sandy, have become an indelible part of American culture and a symbol for perseverance in the face of adversity worldwide. Tribune Media Services (TMS), the property’s owner, is seeking new audiences for Annie’s adventures that will include film, television, comic books, graphic novels, mobile, eReader and electronic-pad products, and other content and licensing opportunities. TMS is also exploring potential new channels for bringing the more than 85 years of archived historical content to current audiences.

While TMS has been Annie’s custodian over the years, the current creative team of writer Jay Maeder and artist Ted Slampyak has played a major role in shaping Annie’s current character. Over the last decade, they’ve molded her into a contemporary heroine with the values creator Harold Gray instilled in 1924. Maeder and Slampyak also injected the storyline with more action and intrigue than ever before.

The last panel depicts Annie in a tangle with the Butcher from the Balkans, leaving Daddy Warbucks to mourn Annie’s loss. Did she get eaten by sharks? Did she get caught under the Butcher’s blade? Did she fall victim to another notorious criminal’s plan? Or did she ….? Stay tuned for what’s in store next.

About Tribune Media Services

Tribune Media Services (TMS), a subsidiary of Tribune Company, is a leading provider of information and entertainment products for print, electronic and on-air media in the United States and abroad. It distributes TV and movie listings and related editorial content under the TMS and Zap2it brands; syndicates comics, editorial cartoons, features and opinion columns; creates and distributes a variety of online information products; licenses editorial content from national periodicals; and manages national advertising networks. TMS also markets news, features, information graphics and multimedia content to media clients around the world through the McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information, visit www.tmsfeatures.com.