Ft. Worth Star Telegram 9-1-1996

9/1/1996

SECTION:ZONE/NE-E;ZONE/NE-W, NORTHEAST AM, Page: 21

LENGTH: ??? words

HEADLINE: `Americanized' Japanese cartoon renewed another year

BODY:

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - Dragon Ball, a Japanese cartoon "Americanized" by a North Richland Hills production company, has survived its first year in the United States and is getting better time slots.

When its new season begins Sept. 15, the tale of a superhuman boy and a legendary dragon will air at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on KXTA/Channel 21, said Daniel Cocanougher, a partner in FUNimation Productions Inc. of North Richland Hills. Last season, the cartoon was shown at 6 a.m. Saturdays on KDFW/Channel 4.

In the new season, the series will move several years into the future and will be called Dragon Ball Z. "Z is Japanese for 2," Cocanougher said.

Main character Goku - who had a tail as a young boy - is grown up now, and his tail has been clipped. He is married to beautiful princess and martial artist Chi Chi. They have a son, Gohan (who, by the way, has a tail).

Although the cartoon's first season featured fierce monsters, "this one will be more intergalactic," Cocanougher said. In a battle between good and evil, Gohan will follow in his father's steps to right wrong.

Channel 4 officials said they chose not to renew the show because of other commitments. Channel 21 stepped in to carry it because "it's very vivid, very fast, and I think the kids will like it," said Tammy Salinas, the station's programming and promotions director.

The cartoon is produced by Toei Animation, which created the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. FUNimation receives the cartoon from Toei, which provides a script translated into English. The text is given to writers hired by FUNimation for the cultural conversion, and the voices are added by actors in Vancouver, British Columbia.

FUNimation is co-owned by Cocanougher's brother, Robert, and their father, Allen, both of Decatur. The investors formed FUNimation after being approached by a Toei executive who knew of Daniel Cocanougher's work at IBM in the 1980s.

The cartoon, formerly syndicated by SeaGull Entertainment to about 80 percent of the nation's TV markets, will be syndicated by Saban Entertainment of Los Angeles to about 84 percent of them.

Cocanougher said the show has moved to better time slots in other major markets, too.

"Last year, it was on at 5:30 a.m. Sunday in New York, and now it will be 7:30 a.m."

Author: TERRY LEE GOODRICH, Star-Telegram Writer

ILLUSTRATION: The legendary dragon is a main character in Dragon Ball.