According to the Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures is 'in final negotiations' to option Mike Kunkel's Herobear and the Kid comic book.  Though only four issues of the comic series have appeared so far, Herobear has attracted a strong following among fans and retailers (see our interview with Joe Ferrara of Atlantis Fantasyworld 'Better Retailing -- Expanding Your Sales To Women').  Universal in optioning the property with the hope of creating an animated feature through Chuck Gordon's Daybreak Productions.  Kunkel, who worked as an animator for Disney before striking out on his own as an independent comic publisher, is reportedly set to direct the film.

 

In addition to the all too infrequent issues of the Herobear comic book, some Herobear merchandise is starting to become available (see 'Herobear Maquette').  The Herobear movie is not 'just around the corner,' but this is a property worth watching -- it does have some real magic to it, and if properly executed, it could become a classic.