Vancouver’s Slap Happy Cartoons has announced a partnership with Andrews McMeel Entertainment, a division of global media company Andrews McMeel Universal, to develop the popular newspaper, web and book-based property Heart of the City.
Slap Happy Cartoons and Andrews McMeel Entertainment believe the strip has strong potential in other formats. The target audience for Heart and her adventures – six- to 11-year olds and families – is a large one, and the diverse characters are very appealing: kind, funny, a bit chaotic and slightly eccentric, though their day-to-day challenges – maintaining friendships, trying to be popular and occasionally focusing on schoolwork – are highly relatable for most youngsters and their parents.
Today in the hands of the very talented Steenz it has underlined its promise and is ready to expand its reach,” said Josh Mepham, Partner and Director of Development at Slap Happy Cartoons.
The Heart of the City comic strip debuted in newspapers in 1998 and is syndicated by Andrews McMeel Syndication in both newspaper and web format. Today, it appears in 50 newspapers and news sites across the U.S., Canada, and a number of other countries including India, the Netherlands and Trinidad.
The strip has enjoyed a strong following since it first appeared, when it was originally created by award-winning cartoonist, writer and animator Mark Tatulli. In 2020, Tatulli handed the story over to acclaimed cartoonist and editor “Steenz.” who developed a new storyline in which Heart and her friends were a few years older – she is now 11, but she’s still the same Heart: energetic and funny, with a pronounced weakness for celebrity fads and an obsession with mega-stardom.
Animation Magazine has the developing story.
Disclosure: The Daily Cartoonist also has a partnership with Andrews McMeel.