Glitter napalm sticks to kids.
Sep. 8th, 2004 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bzarcherNewly-founded Korean studio Pocky Hell has found itself rice-paddy-deep in litigation with Hasbro, Inc. over alleged theft of intellectual property.
Namely, theft of My Little Pony, an on-again/off-again toy and merchandising line Hasbro founded in the 1980s. Several animated series and related movies were produced through the 1990s, when the line was largely discontinued in order to allow Hasbro to concentrate on other projects. Recently, the decision was made to give the toy line yet another renovation with possible supporting animated series.
Apparently no one told Studio Pocky Hell, which was founded in August of last year by the survivors of ill-fated Psycho Uni Studios of Pyongyang. Psycho Uni had been working on an alleged parody of Hasbro's property, pitting MLPs in American soldier uniforms against black-pajamaed weasels with AK-47s. Sneak peeks of early work indicate the intention was definitely not to appeal to young girls looking for cute toys to fawn over. Instead, scripts read more like material from Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now". Pocky Hell has decided to stay with this approach.
"What we are trying to do is reawaken a loathing for war by showing it in all its horrible ways, destroying cute fuzzy animals. No one will be able to glorify war after seeing one of our OVAs," said studio manager Roh Moo-hyun. "Our opening episode focuses on Trickshot, a wounded veteran returned home to catcalls and blood being thrown on him. His flashback to an action near the demilitarized zone in 1967 leads the audience into the main thrust of the series, which compares war atrocities committed by all sides of the conflict."
Hasbro's Jim Redman, VP of Marketing, has another view:
"This is nothing more than a tinpot second-rate outfit trying to take advantage of our decision to renew an already-popular toy and animation line. If so much as one of their DVDs crosses into the United States it better be accompanied by their lawyers and a big checkbook."
When questioned as to whether Hasbro would pursue legal action on Korean soil, Mr. Redman deferred the question to Hasbro's legal department. As of press time no answer on the question was forthcoming.
Heeheehehee.
Namely, theft of My Little Pony, an on-again/off-again toy and merchandising line Hasbro founded in the 1980s. Several animated series and related movies were produced through the 1990s, when the line was largely discontinued in order to allow Hasbro to concentrate on other projects. Recently, the decision was made to give the toy line yet another renovation with possible supporting animated series.
Apparently no one told Studio Pocky Hell, which was founded in August of last year by the survivors of ill-fated Psycho Uni Studios of Pyongyang. Psycho Uni had been working on an alleged parody of Hasbro's property, pitting MLPs in American soldier uniforms against black-pajamaed weasels with AK-47s. Sneak peeks of early work indicate the intention was definitely not to appeal to young girls looking for cute toys to fawn over. Instead, scripts read more like material from Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now". Pocky Hell has decided to stay with this approach.
"What we are trying to do is reawaken a loathing for war by showing it in all its horrible ways, destroying cute fuzzy animals. No one will be able to glorify war after seeing one of our OVAs," said studio manager Roh Moo-hyun. "Our opening episode focuses on Trickshot, a wounded veteran returned home to catcalls and blood being thrown on him. His flashback to an action near the demilitarized zone in 1967 leads the audience into the main thrust of the series, which compares war atrocities committed by all sides of the conflict."
Hasbro's Jim Redman, VP of Marketing, has another view:
"This is nothing more than a tinpot second-rate outfit trying to take advantage of our decision to renew an already-popular toy and animation line. If so much as one of their DVDs crosses into the United States it better be accompanied by their lawyers and a big checkbook."
When questioned as to whether Hasbro would pursue legal action on Korean soil, Mr. Redman deferred the question to Hasbro's legal department. As of press time no answer on the question was forthcoming.
Heeheehehee.
