Too much competition? Just ban them.....

[RickM]

...and here I thought communism was the fertilizer for art, imagination and free thought...go figure......


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060223/ap_en_ot/china_cartoon_ban

"China Bans Cartoons That Blend Animation"

"China has announced a ban on TV shows and movies that blend animated elements with live-action actors, a move aimed at nurturing local animators and apparently curbing the use of foreign cartoons.
...
The government's main television and film regulator sent notice Feb. 15 to broadcasters and theaters that such films and shows could no longer be shown and that violators would be punished. It did not say what the penalties would be.
...
Communist authorities are eager to expand the country's animation industry and also are worried about the influence of foreign pop culture on Chinese children.
...
Chinese studios have taken advantage of low labor costs to build a growing business handling the labor-intensive animation of cartoons for foreign studios.

But they've had little luck building up their own brands. "