#Elisabetta Canepa

[pier-carlo-universe]

Alessandria: Presentazione del romanzo “La Strangera” di Marta AidalaUn viaggio tra libertà, introspezione e tradizioni montane alla Ristorazione Sociale

Venerdì 13 dicembre 2024, alle ore 18:30, presso la Ristorazione Sociale di Alessandria, si terrà la presentazione del romanzo d’esordio di Marta Aidala, “La Strangera”, pubblicato da Guanda Editore

Venerdì 13 dicembre 2024, alle ore 18:30, presso la Ristorazione Sociale di Alessandria, si terrà la presentazione del romanzo d’esordio di Marta Aidala, “La Strangera”, pubblicato da Guanda Editore. L’evento si svolgerà nella suggestiva cornice della Serra della Biodiversità, offrendo un’occasione speciale per incontrare l’autrice e approfondire il tema della ricerca di sé attraverso il contatto…

[nerissa-crossnic]

Promotional images from the first issues of the magazine.

[disneytva]

W.I.T.C.H. Sets Reboot With New Graphic Novel By Giunti, Disney Books and Disney Comics

Before Luz Noceda and The Boiling Isles with their witches world..... there where some W.I.T.C.H.

Disney Italy has announced a W.I.T.C.H. reboot as a graphic novel for Italy by GIUNTI,Disney Comics and Disney Publishing, the new graphic novel slated for October 4th, 2023 will re-introduce the beloved franchise to a new generation of kids.

📚 W.I.T.C.H IL NOVO INIZIO

October 4th, 2023

GIUNTI

Disney Comics

Disney Publishing Worldwide

W.I.TC.H. The heart of friendship is a new manga-style graphic novel, presented as the reboot of the famous original comic series In this modern adaptation, set in the present day, the group of friends Will, Irma, Taranee, Comelia and Hay Lin fight a mysterious threat from another world. The girls will discover that only together can they save the day, because magic is most powerful when shared. 20 years later, here is the new version of the Witches, which remakes a story based on the original comic series, but in the form of the graphic novel. This is a completely new story, a modern adaptation for today's female readers. The protagonists reflect the expectations of young contemporary readers: they are today's girls who live their daily lives in a modern world in step with our times. Daily life, fashion, technology and society are inspired by reality allowing for greater empathy between readers and protagonists. A fantastic "reboot" that will allow young readers to discover and fall in love with this new magical version and will bring the historic fans back to THE HEART OF FRIENDSHIP memory of their magic.

The original comics spawned a franchise with a variety of printed media, including both reprinted and original content, as well as audiovisual media. The first two arcs (The Twelve Portals and Nerissa's Revenge) were loosely adapted into an animated series by Jetix Animation Europe (Now named Disney Europe Animation) for Jetix and Disney Channel.

[balu8]

"This...this is magic!"

W.I.T.C.H.

by Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa

Yen Press

[vincentspork]

1999 color treatments for W.I.T.C.H., shared by Elisabetta Gnone (artwork by Alessandro Barbucci, colors by Barbara Canepa)

[aghostrandom]

W.I.T.C.H., interview with the creators

Some time ago, I made a post about "the original Elyon being a guardian," and since everyone was confused, I thought I'd translate the interview from which I read this information.

I don't know if someone else has already done it, but since I didn't find anything online, I decided to do it myself. I will translate the entire interview with the help of an online translator and a friend of mine.

Just remember that this interview was published in April 2021, marking 20 years since the release of the first volume.

Enjoy!

Here the original link in italian: https://heroica.it/w-i-t-c-h-20-anni-barbucci-canepa-intervista/

It is April 3, 2001 when Italian newsstands are hit by a small earthquake, which will soon transform into a hurricane...

The first issue of W.I.T.C.H. is released, a comic magazine that will shatter every sales record in a matter of months, embarking on a quest to conquer the world.

It all begins in Milan, at the headquarters of Walt Disney Company Italy, with an intuition of the then-director of the company's women's periodicals, Elisabetta Gnone, and the talent of two young artists, Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa, whom I have interviewed for you.

Interview with Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa

Let's start from the origins: How was W.I.T.C.H. born?

Alessandro Barbucci: It was 1997, Sailor Moon was still fresh in everyone's memory [the last series had been broadcast in Italy between March and May of that year, editor's note]. And then there were the Spice Girls...

"Sailor Moon was ironic, arrived at the right moment; the Spice Girls were five purely pop characters, worthy of a cartoon - during that period, we were big fans, we even went to see the movie in the cinema!" Alessandro revealed to me.

Elisabetta Gnone, who was then in charge of the women's periodicals at Walt Disney Company Italy, had a great intuition: she realized that there was a missing product for teenage girls, an audience segment that had never been considered by the major company before. When thinking about teenagers, one couldn't ignore what was happening in pop culture at that moment...

Barbara Canepa: During that period, a passionate fanbase for manga was beginning to take shape. it was clear how this new language was able to respond to the tastes and needs of teenagers - not just boys, but girls as well!

In fact, up until that moment, it was believed that girls didn't read comics. It was precisely with shoujo manga (like Sailor Moon, but not only) that this belief began to falter.

Canepa: Exactly. I had already been an avid manga reader since the days of Candy Candy: we're talking about 1986 when Mondadori released the first monthly editions at newsstands. I started reading my first manga at the age of 12, and at 16, I saw Akira (1988) for the first time in theaters. In fact, I was the one who got Alessandro passionate about this style, even though he already had some knowledge of it. We felt that the language of manga was the best way to visually "tell" this story.

Barbucci: Initially, I proposed girls in a steampunk, military style. I was a big fan of Tank Girl by Hewlett and Martin.

In my mind, Hay Lin had already existed for a long time: I had been drawing her since high school, but she was a punk with military boots," Alessandro revealed to me.

Elisabetta Gnone told me that the concept was considered too "masculine," so she proposed the idea of the five witches, which directly connected us to manga. Some people at Disney Italy were afraid that, given the theme, it would veer into Satanism, but their greatest fear was the manga-style big eyes!

Canepa: For them, it was inconceivable to publish a comic even vaguely inspired by manga, which at that time were their direct competitors in the market.

Barbucci: At one point, they considered investing in the relaunch of Daisy Duck by introducing our five characters as anthropomorphic animals. It was an attempt to somehow connect with the Disney universe.

Canepa: Yes, exactly. The project was called Daisy D. and it was intended for the monthly magazine Minnie Mag. The story featured Daisy Duck as a private investigator, accompanied by our W.I.T.C.H. characters, who in this version would have had snouts and gloves, just like Minnie and Mickey! I still have the first page done in watercolors, as we wanted to make it like the pages of Paperinik's Trip...

The scriptwriter, Ilaria Isaia, revealed to me that the inspiration for Daisy D. came from the success of "Minnie and the Magnificent Five," a story published in Minnie & Company in 1993. It featured Minnie in the role of an investigator, solving a mystery connected to five girls. Daisy D. wouldn't have been very different: "It revolved around Daisy Duck as an investigator, called by her friend to investigate mysterious events happening in a college attended by five students with magical powers," explains Ilaria.

Barbucci: Fortunately, nothing came of it.

Canepa: We were well aware that a story starring Daisy Duck wouldn't resonate with teenagers. We needed five normal girls that the readers could identify with...

Barbucci: So, the W.I.T.C.H. characters returned to being human.

For Will's design, Alessandro Barbucci Alessandro Barbucci was also inspired by "Alita" (1990) by Yukito Kishiro.

The graphic style of W.I.T.C.H., while drawing inspiration from manga, remains a hybrid of the West and the East. It doesn't stray too far from certain Disney characters, starting with Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" (1989).

Barbucci: I can tell a funny anecdote about this! As we mentioned, Disney Italy opposed W.I.T.C.H. in every way possible: they particularly disliked those manga-style big eyes. Together with Elisabetta Gnone, we came up with a game, a kind of bet with the top executives of Disney Italy. I drew a series of eyes, including manga characters, Disney characters, and our W.I.T.C.H. characters. Only the eyes were visible, nothing else. "Since you have so much to say about these manga eyes, guess which ones belong to the W.I.T.C.H. characters!" That was the bet: they could no longer complain. Well, they were wrong: they chose the eyes of Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" (1989), the protagonist of the Italian magazine of the same name, directed by Elisabetta herself, and successfully published by them for years. They didn't take it well...

Indeed, Ariel broke the Disney graphic conventions with the proportions of her face.

Barbucci: It was a "graphic shock," something that had never been seen in Disney until that moment. It was certainly a step towards manga aesthetics, with these very large eyes that we later found in the design of many subsequent characters, from Belle and Jasmine to Anna and Elsa.

We remember that you and Barbara worked on the magazine "The Little Mermaid" in the 1990s, just before W.I.T.C.H. started. In the covers drawn and colored by Barbara, I can already perceive some hints of manga style. Was it intentional?

Canepa: Absolutely yes! At that time, I bought Japanese magazines like Newtype and Animage to get inspiration. In one of the illustrations I made, there's Ariel with a straw hat: I think I took inspiration from an image of Nadia from "The Secret of Blue Water" (1990-91), or maybe from some other cover. The close-up of the face, as well as the fluttering leaves [like flowers in shoujo manga, editor's note], the pose of a model on the cover of a fashion magazine... it was all too innovative and "manga" for Disney Italy at that time, which often had something to say about my work! Even before W.I.T.C.H...

The scan on the left is taken from the website www.onlyshojo.com.

Walt Disney Company Italy didn't want anything to do with W.I.T.C.H., as we mentioned. What made them change their minds?

Barbucci: We worked on it secretly for at least a year, even at night. Then, finally, a ray of light... At the time, the main headquarters of Disney would send representatives around to other offices to find out what was being done in the rest of the world. Elisabetta was lucky to come across an American manager who was a big fan of Wicca. [Secretly from the top management, editor's note], she presented W.I.T.C.H. to him: he fell in love with it and financed the project, ordering Walt Disney Company Italy to proceed with its production.

Concept art created by Barbucci and Canepa between 1998 and 1999. Notice the homage to Minnie in the first illustration!

Images provided by W.I.T.C.H. Italia.

The project then gets underway. How did you divide the work?

Canepa: It's hard to say. Officially, Elisabetta wrote the plot, Alessandro created the character design, and I took care of the color and atmosphere. In reality, the three of us worked together on the concept, characters, and the world they would inhabit. We drew inspiration from our personal lives when creating these five girls. The city of the W.I.T.C.H., Heatherfield, is a mix between our hometown of Genoa and San Francisco, which we had visited together. Will shares my birthdate, while Elyon shares Alessandro's. At the time, I was a big fan of frogs, just like Will! Cornelia's cat is named Napoleon, just like mine - I also gave the same name to Elisabeth's cat, the protagonist of the first volume of END, the comic I created with Anna Merli. For Hay Lin's restaurant, we were inspired by a small Chinese "hole in the wall" where we often ate near our apartment in Milan... In short, W.I.T.C.H. was built and conceived based on our personal experiences: friends, memories from adolescence, and more.

Based on these characterizations, I created the character profiles that you can find in the first five issues of the magazine, as well as some internal editorials.

The character of Irma is inspired by Barbara Canepa in terms of design and personality, while Will is inspired by Elisabetta Gnone: with her, she shares an introverted personality and the detail of touching his hair when she is embarrassed.

Scans by poochieandotherfriends.it

Elisabetta chose the ethnicities and names of the girls, coming up with the acronym W.I.T.C.H., while Alessandro created the symbols of the Guardians. To draw the Heart of Kandrakar, Alessandro was inspired by a pendant, a unique piece that I was very attached to and still possess to this day!

Scans by poochieandotherfriends.it

Lastly, I'll reveal something you may not know: I was the one who designed the Witch's transformed costumes! I remember when Elisabetta jokingly scolded Alessandro, telling him to draw them less provocatively... (laughs). As for their everyday costumes, Alessandro created them, often drawing inspiration from his and our friends.

Scans by poochieandotherfriends.it

Another significant responsibility of ours was to form a team of artists who would work on W.I.T.C.H. alongside us. In fact, Alessandro and I couldn't have done it all by ourselves: W.I.T.C.H. was becoming a massive and important project, especially since it would be released on a monthly basis! Therefore, we conducted courses at the Disney Academy: Alessandro taught how to draw the Witch, while I taught manga techniques, coloring, and graphic design.

Scans by poochieandotherfriends.it

Did you encounter any other issues with Disney Italy during the production?

Canepa: There were some controversies, but at that point, the project was already underway. There were several delays, actually: the first issue was supposed to be released on Halloween in 2000. I remember that they criticized the covers: they didn't like the white background, and in the first cover, they didn't like the difference in proportions between Will and the others, which is another typical graphic characteristic of manga.

Barbucci and Canepa created the first five covers of W.I.T.C.H. and the corresponding chapter opening pin-ups.

You create the comic of the first issue: On the third page, there's a very intense panel with Will partially nude (without nipples); she appears like that later during the Sailor Moon-style transformation as well. These are not erotic images, but they certainly deviate from the Disney style. Did you face any issues regarding this?

Barbucci: Strangely, no. Maybe they had already given up at that point...

Scans by poochieandotherfriends.it

You left the project after the sixth issue. What happened?

Barbucci: The back and forth with Disney to bring W.I.T.C.H. to newsstands was incredibly exhausting. By the year 2000, we were drained from the continuous meetings, discussions, and delays... Moreover, both Elisabetta and we had realized our potential as authors. She was the first to leave: she left the world of magazines to fulfill her dream of becoming a novelist. And she succeeded greatly, as a few years later, she created the Fairy Oak series of novels, which sold millions of copies worldwide! Barbara and I were already in contact with various French and American publishers. In France, they allowed us to express ourselves artistically in a completely free way. It felt like a dream! There were so many things we wanted to talk about, things that weren't even proposable in Disney: sex, religion, politics... Sky Doll was born during this period. Furthermore, there were legal disagreements with Disney regarding the moral rights of the Witch characters. In short, after a few years with the multinational company, it was time for us to move on to other things. We needed a change of scenery!

The story you had in mind for W.I.T.C.H. was different from what we later read in the issues after your departure?

Canepa: Yes, it was darker, introspective, and more complex. It was a glimpse into teenage life presented through five very different girls. The plot had different layers of interpretation, including ecological aspects. It was certainly closer to manga in terms of themes: there was more focus on the girls' personal lives, their adolescent struggles. There wasn't a clear division between good and evil: the girls would be drawn to the Metaworld and tempted to join, crossing over to the other side of the barricade. Elyon would be the first to succumb, but they would all do so to some extent, even fighting against themselves.

Moreover, the Metaworld was a fascinating place, a natural paradise that was quite different from the medieval setting that Disney eventually created. At the heart of it all was the concept of growth and transformation, which is so dear to adolescence: the girls would have had the ability to transform into fantastic animals! Like teenagers who find themselves caught between childhood and adulthood, the W.i.t.c.h. would have been caught between two worlds, remaining trapped in one or the other, by choice or against their will. It wasn't always clear...

The W.I.T.C.H. transform into adult versions of themselves, adhering to the main theme of many majokko ("magical girl") anime.

Even Elyon, who in the version you have read is the princess of Meridian, was a very different character in our story. She was the Guardian of the Metaworld and had powers related to time, wild nature, and death. She would have tried to bring the other girls to the dark side and then redeem herself: in the last issue, she would have sacrificed herself to save the lives of her friends.

In W.I.T.C.H. #2, you can perceive some traces of the original Elyon, who at a certain point addresses the girls repeating, "Come to me, come to me..." as if trying to lead them to the dark side.

I transferred her main power, the ability to "bestow" death, to the protagonist of END, Elizabeth: with this character, I have done and will do everything that I couldn't do with Elyon, who was initially supposed to have white hair like her.

Barbucci: What was actually realized was a harmless mythology, closer to fairy tales and therefore to the Disney style. There is no mention of witches anymore... We would have focused on a more New Age aesthetic, with references to Wicca, which was very popular in those years.

After leaving W.I.T.C.H., you left Italy for France, from where you embarked on various successful projects, with Sky Doll first. It can be said that you found your dimension and creative freedom. Now that 20 years have passed, what is your relationship with W.I.T.C.H.?

Canepa: It's needless to say that the bond has always been very strong and still is today. It was our own creation for a long time: seeing it succeed worldwide brought joy, but also suffering because we felt disconnected from it.

Barbucci: It was a love-hate relationship, but I must say that it gave me the greatest satisfaction of my life: seeing dolls of the characters I drew being sold in supermarkets!

Some sketches made by Alessandro Barbucci at the beginning of 2021, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of W.I.T.C.H.

Canepa: After twenty years, perhaps it can be said that we have made "peace" with what happened. The hardships we endured have now drifted away with the wind, and that's how it should be. Today, I can talk about W.I.T.C.H. with more tranquility, almost with tenderness. For many years, I didn't even want to face it. Initially, leaving Italy helped, but then W.I.T.C.H. reached France and the rest of the world. Over time, this forced me to look at it with more "serene" eyes, so to speak. If I hadn't left W.I.T.C.H., I would never have created Sky Doll and END, and perhaps I would have never become the director of a French series that, today, celebrates nearly 100 books 12 years after its creation. Destiny, then? I believe so. Fate wanted to take something away from me to give me something else. In hindsight, I truly believe there was a magical thread in all of this... or rather, a true witch's touch! There is a happy ending to it all: today, history reminds us that we are the true creators of W.I.T.C.H. The readers know it, and so do industry professionals. Even Disney, in the end, acknowledged us. Every now and then, Elisabetta, Alessandro, and I talk and, laughing, we say, "What if we got back together and remade W.I.T.C.H. in our own way?" In any case, this remains and will always be the most important project of my life. And to have touched so many hearts around the world... well, there's nothing more beautiful and satisfying. So, thank you all. I was happy to give you these five girls.

For Women's Day 2021, Barbucci drew again the famous pinup from the first issue, Halloween.

Current and Future Projects

Alessandro Barbucci His most recent work is "Le Sorelle Grémillet" where he returns to portraying teenage girls ("it's a bit like how I would have liked to create W.I.T.C.H. back then, but it wasn't possible"). Additionally, Alessandro continues to work on "EKHÖ" and other projects. Follow his Instagram and Facebook to stay updated!

Barbara Canepa For over 12 years, Barbara Canepa has been the editorial director of the Metamorphose series for the French publisher Group Delcourt, with over 100 published books. She has several projects in the works, including "MINA's Diary," where she will serve as the writer, while Isabella Mazzanti will handle the artwork and coloring. The work is a free interpretation of Stoker's Dracula, introducing a new way of conceiving vampires. For the past two years, she has been finishing the writing of 12 volumes of a new jeunesse series, "GREENWOOD," aimed at rediscovering and respecting nature to the fullest. Stay updated on her activities by following her on Instagram and Facebook!

[ptbf2002]

My Top 30 Favorite Jetix Characters

#30 Eizan Kaburagi (Shuriken School)

#29 Josh (Team Galaxy)

#28 Yoko (Team Galaxy)

#27 Brett (Team Galaxy)

#26 Chiro (Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!)

#25 Serio (Combo Niños)

#24 Paco (Combo Niños)

#23 Azul (Combo Niños)

#22 Pilar (Combo Niños)

#21 Miss Soledad (Combo Niños)

#20 Sonic The Hedgehog (Sonic X)

#19 Will Vandom (W.I.T.C.H.)

#18 Irma Lair (W.I.T.C.H.)

#17 Taranee Cook (W.I.T.C.H.)

#16 Cornelia Hale (W.I.T.C.H.)

#15 Hay Lin (W.I.T.C.H.)

#14 Iggy Arbuckle (Iggy Arbuckle)

#13 Andy Larkin (What's With Andy)

#12 Nancy (The Kids from Room 402)

#11 Yin (Yin Yang Yo!)

#10 Yang (Yin Yang Yo!)

#9 Master Yo (Yin Yang Yo!)

#8 Timmy Turner (The Fairly OddParents!)

#7 Cosmo (The Fairly OddParents!)

#6 Wanda (The Fairly OddParents!)

#5 Hulk

#4 Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Spider-Man 1994)

#3 Bronze Medal: Pucca (Pucca)

#2 Silver Medal: Jimmy Two-Shoes (Jimmy Two-Shoes)

#1 Gold Medal: Jay (Jetix)

Shuriken School Belongs To Emilio Gallego, Jesùs Gallego, 2 Minutes Animation, Big Star Enterprise, Xilam Animation S.A. Zinkia Entertainment S.A. France 3, France Télévisions S.A. Nicktoons, Nickelodeon Group, Paramount Global Content Distribution, Paramount International Networks, Paramount Domestic Media Networks, Paramount Media Networks, Inc. Paramount Global, Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. And The Walt Disney Company

Team Galaxy Belongs To Vincent Chalvon-Demersay, David Michel, Michelle Lamoreaux, Robert Lamoreaux, Digital eMation Inc. Marathon Animation, Marathon Media Group, Zodiak Kids Studios, Banijay S.A. Image Entertainment Corporation, Mystery Animation, Quebec Productions, RAI Fiction, Une Coproduction, RAI 2, RAI S.P.A. Jetix Europe N.V. YTV Canada, Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. France 3, France Télévisions S.A. VRAK.TV Bell Media Inc. And Bell Canada Enterprises Inc.

Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! Belongs To Ciro Nieli, The Answer Studio, Jetix Animation Concepts, Disney Television Animation, Jetix, Toon Disney, ABC Family, Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. And The Walt Disney Company

Combo Niños Belongs To Carlo de Boutiny, Caroline Pierce, Fabienne Gambrelle, SIP Animation, TF1, Groupe TF1 S.A. Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. And The Walt Disney Company

Sonic X Belongs To Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, Hirokazu Yasuhara, TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd. Sonic Team, SEGA Corporation, SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc. FOX Kids Europe N.V. Jetix Europe N.V. The Walt Disney Company, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. Saban Brands, Hasbro Entertainment, Hasbro, Inc. Discotek Media, TV Tokyo, TV Tokyo Holdings Corporation, Nikkei, Inc. 4Kids TV, FOX Broadcasting Company, FOX Entertainment, And FOX Corporation

W.I.T.C.H. Belongs To Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci, Barbara Canepa, Claire Paoletti, Hong Ying Animation Co., Ltd. Wang Film Productions Co. Ltd. SIP Animation, France 3, France Télévisions S.A. ABC Kids, ABC, ABC Family, Jetix, Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. And The Walt Disney Company

Iggy Arbuckle Belongs To Guy Vasilovich, Myra Fried, Steve Wright, Shelley Hoffman, Robert Pincombe, Mercury Filmworks, C.O.R.E. Toons, C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, National Geographic Kids, National Geographic, National Geographic Global Networks, National Geographic Partners, LLC. National Geographic Society, Blueprint Entertainment, Entertainment One Ltd. Hasbro, Inc. TELETOON Original Production, TELETOON Canada Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. Oasis International, Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. The Walt Disney Company

What's With Andy Belongs To Andy Griffiths, Chile Animación, Jireh Animation, Les Dessins Animés Zoetrope, NIC Entertainment, CinéGroupe, Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation, SIP Animation, Saban Entertainment, Inc. FOX KIDS, FOX Family Worldwide Inc. TELETOON Original Production, TELETOON Canada Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. RTL Super, RTL Deutschland GmbH, RTL Group S.A. Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. The Walt Disney Company

The Kids from Room 402 Belongs To Betty Paraskevas, Michael Paraskevas, Lesa Kite, Cindy Begel, Chile Animación, New Vision International, Storyopolis, CinéGroupe, Saban Entertainment, Inc. FOX Family Channel, FOX Family Worldwide Inc. TELETOON, TELETOON Canada Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. The Walt Disney Company

Yin Yang Yo! Belongs To Bob Boyle Elliott Animation Inc. Jetix Animation Concepts, Disney Television Animation, Jetix, Toon Disney, Disney XD, Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. And The Walt Disney Company

The Fairly Oddparents Belongs To Butch Hartman, Yeson Entertainment, Sunwoo Entertainment, Co., Ltd. Elliott Animation Inc., Billionfold Inc. Frederator Studios, Frederator Networks, Inc. Wow Unlimited Media Inc. Nelvana Enterprises Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Nickelodeon Productions, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nickelodeon Group, Paramount Global Content Distribution, Paramount International Networks, Paramount Domestic Media Networks, Paramount Media Networks, Inc. And Paramount Global

The Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series) Belongs To Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Saerom Animation, Inc. MARVEL Films Animation, MARVEL Studios, LLC, MARVEL Entertainment, LLC, New World Animation Ltd. New World Entertainment, Saban Entertainment, Inc. FOX Kids Network, FOX Family Worldwide Inc. Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. The Walt Disney Company

Spider-Man (1994 TV series) Belongs To Avi Arad, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd. SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc. MARVEL Films Animation, MARVEL Studios, LLC, MARVEL Entertainment, LLC, New World Entertainment, Saban Entertainment, Inc. FOX Kids Network, FOX Family Worldwide Inc. Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. The Walt Disney Company

Pucca (TV series) Belongs To Boo Kyoung Kim, Calvin Kim, VOOZ Character System, Studio B Productions, Inc. DHX Media Vancouver, WildBrain Studios, WildBrain Ltd. MBC TV (South Korean TV channel), Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, Toon Disney, Jetix, Jetix Europe N.V. Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. And The Walt Disney Company

Jimmy Two-Shoes Belongs To Sean Scott, Edward Kay, Alex Galatis, Kevin Gillis, Mark Evastaff, Mercury Filmworks, Elliott Animation Inc. TELETOON Original Production TELETOON Canada Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. Jetix Europe N.V. Disney XD, Disney Branded Television, Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, Disney General Entertainment Content, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, Disney Entertainment, Disney Enterprises, Inc. The Walt Disney Company

[lunargoddess40]

W.i.t.c.h. FanArt Glass Paintings: The Brand NEW “Will Vandom- Guardian of Quintessence” 2023 8x10” in Clip-On Glass Painting from “W.i.t.c.h.” (January 2023 Birthday Edition)

Guardians Unite!!!! Special Happy Birthday shoutouts to Will Vandom from Disney’s “W.i.t.c.h.” (TV Series) on her special day as I finally introduce my NEW “Will Vandom- Guardian of Quintessence” 2023 8x10” in Glass Painting!!!!

Finally bringing “W.i.t.c.h.” (TV Series) to my FanArt collection as for the 1st time I finally start making my 1st ever “W.i.t.c.h. FanArt Glass Paintings” Collection Series as I love the show so much!!!! This glass painting features Will in her 1st Guardian of Quintessence form from the comics made in high blu-Ray paint colors inspired by the anime as she’s ready to bring down the Thunder with her Quintessence-customized background image!!!! Very proud of this one and I’m just so happy to finally start doing FanArt of the W.i.t.c.h. Series as I have been trying to do some for a while, so better to start this with the leader of the Guardians who started it all!!!! Looking forward to making the rest of the Guardians!!!! Will, you’re forever & always the greatest Guardian of Quintessence & legendary Keeper of the Heart in history!!!! Make you shine bright eternally- HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Hope you guys love her, please follow me on @lunargoddess40 for more W.i.t.c.h. & other Anime FanArt!!!!

Guardians Forever & Always United!!!!

P.S. This is a FanArt Glass Painting made by me!!!

“W.i.t.c.h. (TV Series)” & characters rightly belong to Elisabetta Gnome, Alessandro Barbucci, Barbera Canepa with Disney, SIP Animation & JETIX!!!!

[winxwiki]

oh hey this whole post gets a new meaning now that i've discovered that witch's very first arc was fucked midway thru by the writers that had to replace barbucci, canepa and elisabetta gnone all of a sudden and then for later arcs, which were never meant to exist because barbucci and canepa wanted witch to be a one shot story, no sequels. it explains why it went downhill so fast. not like iginio and friends who planned 3 seasons even if he wasnt sure it was ever gonna go that well.

and i want to add further: rayearth does the "magical girls in another world with elemental powers who barely know each other and end up deeply involved" slightly better without making the setting drab and ugly. actually making its villains interesting. also it has mechs which is awesome. the anime is also animated better than the ugly desaturated "this is for boys uwu" witch cartoon like come on

sometimes i think about how could witch fail beyond “waaaa winx overshadowed it”

like, witch, as a comic, was already born doomed with its poor writing on the magic side. the slice of life part was fine, but whenever magic was involved it was always handled badly.

the costumes are ugly. the aesthetic is bleak and brown. phobos is a terrible villain and it’s difficult to sympathize with the inhabitants of meridians who are written as ugly, ignorant and poor on a superficial level. their oppression is never properly addressed, it’s never explained why phobos is evil or even what is he doing to meridian to leave it in shambles.

even with the trix we knew something of their past, we had their character expanded in the comics and how their lust for power was due to their ancestry. it’s basic but it’s not supposed to be deep, it’s still something. phobos? we dont know shit. he has no character. he has no motivations. he has no motives.

even the whole “ok but the witch were revolutionary for the time!” falls apart when you consider: sailor moon already did the thing with the elements. fire, energy, air, earth, water. it also did the whole bishonen villains but actually gave them character arcs and reasons (both in the anime and manga, depending on seasons) rayearth, which aired and was published in italy before witch, already did the “magical girls in another world” with the sole difference that they were stuck there and was inspired by jrpg (clamp played dragon quest a lot) and later star wars instead of… general medieval fantasy? what was the inspiration in witch?

ive never fully watched the witch cartoon and it’s funny how in italy it flopped for how different it was from the source material (and also had a horrible original it opening) but it has a sizable fandom elsewhere where the comic was relatively less popular. like… the source material, the 12 portals arc, is mediocre. how bad could the cartoon be compared to it?

you might think im biased because i prefer winx, but actually i believe witch has potential and just had the worst writers to develop its story. meridian as a whole, place and inhabitants, needs a full change, villains need to be developed and boyfriends removed as their arcs do not contribute to the story or the main girls’ character arcs. change the magical costume designs to make them related to each girl’s element since they are indistinguishable from each other. improve the pacing and tada! witch is saved.

[lifeislikeawavewhorisesupanddown]

Recensione Fumetto-Manga: “W.i.t.c.h.” n°5

Recensione Fumetto-Manga: “W.i.t.c.h.” n°5

Buongiorno a tutti, grazie di essere su Life is like a wave who rises and falls! Oggi vi parlo del 5° numero di Witch! W.i.t.c.h. n° 5 – L’ultima lacrima Prima Serie: I Dodici Portali – numero 5 di 12 Serie ideata da Elisabetta GnoneArt direction fumetto: Alessandro Barbucci, Barbara Canepa Storia e Sceneggiatura: Francesco ArtibaniLayout: Alessandro BarbucciMatite: Donald SoffrittiChine:…

[algernoninwonderland]

Miraculous but it’s a graphic novel illustrated by Barbucci and Canepa and written by Elisabetta Gnone. Can you imagine?

[notalisonyet]

I’m currently reading . . .

W.I.T.C.H. graphic novel series. Created by Elisabetta Gnone; art direction by Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa.

For those unfamiliar: Five girls in the same high school are selected to protect pan-dimensional worlds overseen by the almost-all-seeing Oracle and a council of wise beings from many of those worlds. The girls receive magical powers and can transform into physically older versions of themselves to fight evil and chaos whenever the Oracle summons them. In between missions they try to keep up with their regular lives. The first letters of their names (Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin) make the word W.I.T.C.H.

I caught some of the TV series on ABC’s Disney Saturday Morning back when Saturday-morning cartoons were still a distinct event.

I didn’t see even all the episodes that aired, but I did like the show. I hoped it would come out on DVD, but that was not to be. Eventually W.I.T.C.H. appeared as a series of 26 paperback novels, which I started collecting but—waiting till I had them all—never read. Then a series of slim W.I.T.C.H. graphic novels came out, and I began buying those. But only 8 thin volumes were published, plainly not the entire story.

Finally in 2018 I discovered the comic version was being printed in a new series of (thick) graphic novels by Yen Press. There were a bunch of them and it looked like the whole saga would come out.

It also became clear that the earlier edition had removed or cropped some panels that showed transformation sequences, which explained why certain pages in that edition looked so empty. (The actual images are generally no more explicit than the standard magical-girl transformations of anime and manga, and there’s usually plenty of sweeping hair and whooshing wind for extra coverage.)

Anyway, twenty years or so since discovering the TV show, I’m reading the story at last, in translation from the Italian comic, which I assume to be the original material that gave rise to the animated version.

I have the first nineteen volumes. I know there are more, but I figured it would be wiser to read what I have before investing any further on trust, since a series this long is bound to lose steam at some point. I’ve read through volume 12, though, and I’m still enjoying it.

Is every detail perfectly handled? No. Is there an occasional plotline with an anticlimactic end? Yes. Are relationship problems exaggerrated for dramatic effect? Sometimes, but it’s more likely to feel like the issue has been fast-forwarded, brought to a boil too quickly, rather than the conflict being fabricated or contrived.

On the positive side: Did the creators take time to think about the consequences and repercussions of what was going on? Very much yes. Do a lot of the problems grow organically, over time? Yes. Do both tracks of events, magic battles and everyday struggles, remain interesting? Yes. Is there the right balance between those two tracks? Usually. Is everything as simple and nice as it first appears? Nope.

So I don’t have any regrets for committing to the series this much, and look forward to reading the next seven volumes.

I should add that the numbering system can be confusing. The volume number is on the front cover and spine, 1-20whatever, but every three or four volumes form an arc, and these are labeled as Part I, Part II, Part III, and so on. So series vol. 4 is also “Part II, Volume 1.” If you buy the books online you have to be careful about what you’re getting.

[nerissa-crossnic]

Thanks to Martin Tubbs, we have this iconic Halloween polaroid pic :) 📸 🎃

[disneytva]

Disney now has three upcoming projects starring witches:

-W.I.T.C.H. reboot as a graphic novel for Italy

-The Witchverse for Disney+ by Disney TVA and Baobab Studios

-Sam Witch for Disney Channel by Disney TVA

[balu8]

W.I.T.C.H. Vol.1: Halloween

by Elisabetta Gnone/ Francesco Artibani (W.); Alessandro Barbucci (A.); Donald Soffritti (I.); Barbara Canepa /Mara Damiani(C.)

Yen Press

[vincentspork]

·Canepa's original concept for W.I.T.C.H. was a steampunk-style military setting

·Barbucci had been drawing versions of the character who would eventually become Hay Lin since high school

·The version of W.I.T.C.H. that featured Daisy Duck also had the girls as animals, themselves. Daisy would have been a detective in a series called Daisy D, and she would have been investigating incidents at a college that the W.I.T.C.H. girls were attending. Some pages were actually drawn for this idea, meaning it made its way pretty far into development

·Disney was wary of the manga-esque art style because manga publications were their main competition in Italy. Elisabetta Gnone and Barbucci set up a challenge for the higher-ups who kept opposing the art style, drawing only the eyes of the W.I.T.C.H. characters, anime and manga characters, and Disney characters, and they declared that if the Disney execs couldn't select the W.I.T.C.H. eyes from the lineup, they couldn't criticize the art style anymore. They picked the eyes of Ariel from the Little Mermaid and Barbucci was able to keep the art style for the magazine

·W.I.T.C.H. was only greenlit bc an American Disney higher-up who was super into Wicca stuff crossed paths with Canepa and immediately gave the project his approval

·Will shares Canepa's Birthday and Elyon Alessandro's, which was already revealed elsewhere, as well as Cornelia's cat Napoleon being named after Canepa's own cat, but Heatherfield was conceived as a mixture between Genoa and San Francisco, Canepa's interest in frogs was transplanted onto Will, and the Lin family restaurant was based off of a Chinese restaurant that the creators would hold their planning meetings in.

·Irma was physically based off of Canepa, while Will was based off of the appearance of Gnone, in addition to her nervous habit of touching her hair. Will's hairstyle specifically was based off of Alita from Battle Angel Alita

·Canepa was the one who designed the girls' Guardian forms

·Some details in the interview conflict with information that we knew before, such as Gnone being the first to leave the magazine (previously, it was reported that she stayed on-board for the first few arcs as a creative director)

·The original story concept had "ecological implications" and "all of the girls would be attracted to the Metamoor and pushed to be part of it, passing onto the other side of the fence." Elyon was merely supposed to be the first to pass over, with all of the girls eventually being brought into it to varying degrees, as this draft showed "no clear divide between good and evil".

·The Metamor was originally a "natural paradise" where the girls could transform themselves into animals (the implication of this legitimately being in the same draft as the Daisy D draft is making me lose my mind)

·Elyon was originally the guardian of the Metamoor and had power over time, wild nature, and death. Her character arc would have followed her succumbing to the Metamoor's power, bringing the other girls over, and finally, redeeming herself through sacrifice. Elyon also originally had white hair ala Elisabeth from END

·The original aesthetic was New Age and Wicca inspired

·Canepa said that the last twenty years have been a difficult mixture of joy and grief over the W.I.T.C.H. series: joy, because of the series' immense success, but grief, because they were left out of the great bulk of it. However, she said that they have effectively made peace with it - the duo had originally left Italy in part due to their conflict with Disney, at which point Canepa said she "didn't even want to see the characters in front of her" but eventually W.I.T.C.H. made its way to France, as well, forcing them to confront their feelings head-on.

·The fifth and final volume of Sky Doll will release Christmas 2022 in France.