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Funtastic buys Madman for a cool $34.5M
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Funtastic buys Madman for a cool $34.5M

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Lomax
Doraemon

Joined: 10 May 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Purgatory

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 2:03 pm Post subject: Funtastic buys Madman for a cool $34.5M

Lifted from Funtastic's ASX press release:- ----- ASX ANNOUNCEMENT FUNTASTIC ACQUIRES DVD BUSINESS Funtastic acquires leading independent DVD and film distributor Tony Oates, Managing Director of Funtastic Limited, today announced that the company has completed the acquisition of all the shares of the Madman Group of Companies (Madman). Madman is a leading independent distributor of DVD products into retail and rental stores throughout Australia and New Zealand. The Melbourne based Group is niche focused and has market leadership in the growing Japanese Animation (Anime) segment, as well as strong positions in Australian and Foreign Independent Film, Asian Cinema, Bollywood, Action Sports and Children’s Animation. The Madman purchase brings to the Funtastic Group a focused market leader in DVD distribution, which will become a platform for the company to win the DVD rights to children’s titles. In many cases the company already has strong relationships with the rights owners for other product categories such as toys and publishing. The acquisition also brings an increased level of diversification into emerging niche retailers such as JB Hi Fi and Electronics Boutique. ----- Hmmmm.... I guess Naruto is a toy property now. _________________ No, I am Spartacus

Nargun
Mio Akiyama

Joined: 30 Aug 2001
Posts: 4270
Location: \relax{}

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject:

Well there you go. [yup, it's on the ASX site]. http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/CompanyInfoSearchResults.jsp?searchBy=asxCode&allinfo=on&asxCode=FUN _________________ I is serious senshi. This are serious laser.

coldfire
Pants on head crazy

Joined: 30 Apr 2004
Posts: 5257
Location: smiling down the barrel of a tank

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject:

So is it me or this this goin to be a good thing, i guess we'l see more titles coming our way. But the only thing that saddens me is Madman is no longer Austrailan owned. _________________ Even if their eyes are scorched.Even if their arms are writhing, they will never stop marching head,guided by the will'o the wisp.They will will their way and shoot at point-blak distance,the footsteps that have thrown life away, the trigger that brings death.,the 901 Anti-Tank-Trooper.

kbz333
Mio Akiyama

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Posts: 4246
Location: lost in my own mind

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:16 pm Post subject:

yeah i'm a little worried about that too. so what happens now? _________________ ...~my heart for yours~... R.I.P princess nadia ~ 1/5/09 - 8/7/09 My forum family SMK, musk.stick, shinji, akira112, mi, cobi, rena, plodski, whitegreek, gir, garrethking, night stalker and tallis

Greoboruri
Orihime Inoue

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 1965
Location: Zeltran un Meltran? Deculture!

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:16 pm Post subject:

coldfire wrote:

But the only thing that saddens me is Madman is no longer Austrailan owned.

Come again? I can't see anything on Funtastic's website which shows that they're not Australian (unless I missed something).
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Schaft Enterprises
The Memory Matrix
"The problem with making anime ubiquitous is that it lost its specialness"

coldfire
Pants on head crazy

Joined: 30 Apr 2004
Posts: 5257
Location: smiling down the barrel of a tank

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:21 pm Post subject:

Greoboruri wrote:

coldfire wrote:

But the only thing that saddens me is Madman is no longer Austrailan owned.

Come again? I can't see anything on Funtastic's website which shows that they're not Australian (unless I missed something).

Well doesnt buying all of a companies shares mean that u own it.

Quote:

Tony Oates, Managing Director of Funtastic Limited, today announced that the company has completed the acquisition of all the shares of the Madman Group of Companies (Madman).

so i was thinking that its not Austailan owned any more, since all of the shares were bought up by funimation which is a american company.
_________________
Even if their eyes are scorched.Even if their arms are writhing, they will never stop marching head,guided by the will'o the wisp.They will will their way and shoot at point-blak distance,the footsteps that have thrown life away, the trigger that brings death.,the 901 Anti-Tank-Trooper.

Greoboruri
Orihime Inoue

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 1965
Location: Zeltran un Meltran? Deculture!

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:27 pm Post subject:

coldfire wrote:

so i was thinking that its not Austailan owned any more, since all of the shares were bought up by funimation which is a american company.

I am completely lost. Funimation owns Funtastic??
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Schaft Enterprises
The Memory Matrix
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TheGreatNinjaFanBoy
Linn Syun-Rock Dreu Haider Jinto

Joined: 28 Jun 2003
Posts: 2203
Location: Ninja Technical College

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:29 pm Post subject:

Hmm. I can't help but feel a little concerned. Perhaps Funtastic can inject a serious booster into quality control. _________________ "The @#$%ing Hulk is here!" - She-Hulk, Hulk XBL gamertag: lividplayer

Lomax
Doraemon

Joined: 10 May 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Purgatory

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:31 pm Post subject:

Quote:

so i was thinking that its not Austailan owned any more, since all of the shares were bought up by funimation which is a american company.

No - Funimation and Funtastic are two completely different, unrelated companies.
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coldfire
Pants on head crazy

Joined: 30 Apr 2004
Posts: 5257
Location: smiling down the barrel of a tank

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:32 pm Post subject:

Greoboruri wrote:

coldfire wrote:

so i was thinking that its not Austailan owned any more, since all of the shares were bought up by funimation which is a american company.

I am completely lost. Funimation owns Funtastic??

Man i dont know, sorry if i screwd it up.
_________________
Even if their eyes are scorched.Even if their arms are writhing, they will never stop marching head,guided by the will'o the wisp.They will will their way and shoot at point-blak distance,the footsteps that have thrown life away, the trigger that brings death.,the 901 Anti-Tank-Trooper.

Kloppy
Nene Romanova

Joined: 07 May 2002
Posts: 2395
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:35 pm Post subject:

Madman Sold?? I'm worried... I wonder what will happen to Madman's more risqué releases.... the ones that might damage a toy company's reputation? Maybe Funimation are vulnerable to pressure groups like the family association. shudder However they may (and from a business perspective, should) remain fairly independent from their parent company. It appears as though Funtastic own the TMNT IP, so maybe TMNT dvds will come under the Madman banner - if they have rights to the shows as well as the toys. Look I'm just guessing, but that's how I'd expect it to be run. By The Way... Funtastic Ltd is an ASX listed company. That is they are listed on the Australian stock exchange, and are as Australian as any other ASX listed company (that is, some foreigners may own some shares, but is for all intents and purposes AUSTRALIAN. _________________ Kloppy is a 10-foot-tall body-builder from a country near the North Pole and the son of a bear-trapper, who grew up in the harshest northern wilderness known to mankind. Last edited by Kloppy on Wed May 10, 2006 6:58 pm; edited 2 times in total

Baxy
Misa Amane

Joined: 18 Apr 2003
Posts: 1622
Location: Fortress Brookvale

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:40 pm Post subject:

I don't know if this is good or bad but I guess it doesn't matter now, they're sold. _________________ Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Premiers 2008, World Club Champions 2009

Mattos
Spaurh Aron Sekpadao Letopanyu Peneju

Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 3383
Location: Brisbane

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:45 pm Post subject:

It could be a good thing. Madman might be able to aquire more titles then before. And maybe aquire shows that mightn't be sure fire hits. _________________ Insert rod A into slot B. If you say "that's what she said" one more time I'm gonna pop you one.

ssj_zorella
Rei Ayanami

Joined: 08 May 2002
Posts: 6128
Location: Gold Coast, under a rock.

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:50 pm Post subject:

That's funtastic! It will be a shame if they merge. _________________ Stuff the Volvo, GET THE DIAMONS

Baxy
Misa Amane

Joined: 18 Apr 2003
Posts: 1622
Location: Fortress Brookvale

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 3:56 pm Post subject:

I was just thinking, do you think they might change the name? it would be silly but you never know. _________________ Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Premiers 2008, World Club Champions 2009

Timesplitter 01
Koyomi Mizuhara

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 1862
Location: Who ever gets written in my Death Note Dies (j/k)

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:09 pm Post subject:

lol

Biggest mistake madman has ever made Laughing

We might as well say GOODBYE to titles like Gantz,Elfen lied Beserk, etc

and say hello to things like Pokemon and Hello Kitty.

This really does top my all time **** list right before SONY's price for the PS3 ( which is $999 for the 60GB model)

Quote:

The madamn purchase brings to the Funtatic Group a focused market leader in DVD distribution, which will become a platform for the company to win the DVD rights to childrens titles

Ok.... I am really worried about this statement above.

Quote:

Madman is a leading independent distributor of DVD products into retail and rental stores through Australia and New Zeland

Then I wonder why they would have sold it......
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I Survived Madgate.
After 33 pages, 1622 posts and 30639 views the Madman's $10 per disc for 10 hours thread was closed down after becoming the fastest thread to go to 33 pages on the madman forums. RIP

Last edited by Timesplitter 01 on Wed May 10, 2006 4:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

Lomax
Doraemon

Joined: 10 May 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Purgatory

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject:

My major concern is what direction Madman will head in now they fall under the Funtastic banner. Sure, this will mean a decent cash injection for the company but what will they do with that cash? Will Funtastic continue to support the acquisition of more anime titles or will they steer the ship towards more mainstream "kid-friendly" properties like the 4Kids stuff while anime becomes less of a priority? And if they continue to support anime, will they shy away from the darker, edgier stuff? I must say I am a little worried ... _________________ No, I am Spartacus

Timesplitter 01
Koyomi Mizuhara

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 1862
Location: Who ever gets written in my Death Note Dies (j/k)

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject:

Lomax wrote:

My major concern is what direction Madman will head in now they fall under the Funtastic banner.

Sure, this will mean a decent cash injection for the company but what will they do with that cash? Will Funtastic continue to support the acquisition of more anime titles or will they steer the ship towards more mainstream "kid-friendly" properties like the 4Kids stuff while anime becomes less of a priority? And if they continue to support anime, will they shy away from the darker, edgier stuff?

I must say I am a little worried ... Sad

Agreed........

I reckon if they change the direction that all anime fans should march to their office and demand it be change back
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I Survived Madgate.
After 33 pages, 1622 posts and 30639 views the Madman's $10 per disc for 10 hours thread was closed down after becoming the fastest thread to go to 33 pages on the madman forums. RIP

coldfire
Pants on head crazy

Joined: 30 Apr 2004
Posts: 5257
Location: smiling down the barrel of a tank

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:23 pm Post subject:

Timesplitter 01 wrote:

Lomax wrote:

Agreed........

I reckon if they change the direction that all anime fans should march to their office and demand it be change back

Liked they'd listen to us.
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Even if their eyes are scorched.Even if their arms are writhing, they will never stop marching head,guided by the will'o the wisp.They will will their way and shoot at point-blak distance,the footsteps that have thrown life away, the trigger that brings death.,the 901 Anti-Tank-Trooper.

speedfreek19
Ayumu Kasuga

Joined: 21 Oct 2004
Posts: 12159

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:41 pm Post subject:

Timesplitter 01 wrote:

lol

Biggest mistake madman has ever made Laughing

We might as well say GOODBYE to titles like Gantz,Elfen lied Beserk, etc

and say hello to things like Pokemon and Hello Kitty.

I don't think they would do that to its loyal fans and so forth

they would still continue to go about their business, its just that they are under a bigger company, and have a better chance at getting more titles i guess
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Timesplitter 01
Koyomi Mizuhara

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 1862
Location: Who ever gets written in my Death Note Dies (j/k)

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:44 pm Post subject:

coldfire wrote:

Timesplitter 01 wrote:

Lomax wrote:

Agreed........

I reckon if they change the direction that all anime fans should march to their office and demand it be change back

Liked they'd listen to us.

Well if about 10,000 people turned up then they would Wink

In relation to speed freaks post

Look at their website.... doesnt look anime friendly does it?
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I Survived Madgate.
After 33 pages, 1622 posts and 30639 views the Madman's $10 per disc for 10 hours thread was closed down after becoming the fastest thread to go to 33 pages on the madman forums. RIP

Last edited by Timesplitter 01 on Wed May 10, 2006 4:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

FireAza
Shaolin Shugogetten

Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 4038
Location: Heavy Weapons Loli

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:45 pm Post subject:

... Uhhh... What's the dealeo Madman? I thought you would be raking in the cash seeing as you're basically the only anime DVD company in Australia, why sell out? Like other fans, I too am worried this is going to change the way the company is run. Madman was a fan-based company, run by fans for fans. This is going to change isn't it? And I too feel we're going to lose anything R18+ now... _________________ Currently watching: More series than the signature character limit allows Recently finished: AIKa, Noir, Kamen no Maid Guy, Lucky Star, Black Lagoon, Dominion Tank Police, Fate stay night, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Library War, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Honey and Clover.

Quake
Minawa Andou

Joined: 15 Sep 2005
Posts: 506
Location: Penrith

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject:

Timesplitter 01 wrote:

We might as well say GOODBYE to titles like Gantz,Elfen lied Beserk, etc

and say hello to things like Pokemon and Hello Kitty.

my thoughts exactly.

i'm kinda worried about this

Greoboruri
Orihime Inoue

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 1965
Location: Zeltran un Meltran? Deculture!

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 4:58 pm Post subject:

Funtastic are fools if they try and change anything. The company rakes in tons of cash. I doubt they would want to fix what isn't broke. But they could be stupid and ruin it all. Still there's lots of possibilities there for Funtastic for some toy/game ties -ins, which Madman couldn't do before. We'll see what happens, and if worst comes to worst, well it'll be just like post Siren-Manga/pre-Madman days with most anime fans just importing. So, I wonder if Tim Anderson will be taking his $26 mil and taking an early retirement? Though I think there were one or two other partners in Madman, even so I think I could retire on about $8.5 million. _________________ Schaft Enterprises The Memory Matrix "The problem with making anime ubiquitous is that it lost its specialness"

Timesplitter 01
Koyomi Mizuhara

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 1862
Location: Who ever gets written in my Death Note Dies (j/k)

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:00 pm Post subject:

Quake wrote:

Timesplitter 01 wrote:

We might as well say GOODBYE to titles like Gantz,Elfen lied Beserk, etc

and say hello to things like Pokemon and Hello Kitty.

my thoughts exactly.

i'm kinda worried about this

Elfen Lide was very good

And Gantz too

Quote:

Funtastic are fools if they try and change anything. The company rakes in tons of cash. I doubt they would want to fix what isn't broke. But they could be stupid and ruin it all. Still there's lots of possibilities there for Funtastic for some toy/game ties -ins, which Madman couldn't do before. We'll see what happens, and if worst comes to worst, well it'll be just like post Siren-Manga/pre-Madman days with most anime fans just importing.

So, I wonder if Tim Anderson will be taking his $26 mil and taking an early retirement? Though I think there were one or two other partners in Madman, even so I think I could retire on about $8.5 million.

They have actually signed a 4 year employment contract with Funtastic :p

Quote:

The madamn purchase brings to the Funtatic Group a focused market leader in DVD distribution, which will become a platform for the company to win the DVD rights to childrens titles

Ok.... I am really worried about this statement above.
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I Survived Madgate.
After 33 pages, 1622 posts and 30639 views the Madman's $10 per disc for 10 hours thread was closed down after becoming the fastest thread to go to 33 pages on the madman forums. RIP

Last edited by Timesplitter 01 on Wed May 10, 2006 5:06 pm; edited 1 time in total

Quake
Minawa Andou

Joined: 15 Sep 2005
Posts: 506
Location: Penrith

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:05 pm Post subject:

Greoboruri wrote:

if worst comes to worst, well it'll be just like post Siren-Manga/pre-Madman days with most anime fans just importing.

or bootlegging which was quite widespread in those days. and still is to an extent unfortunatly.

Timesplitter 01
Koyomi Mizuhara

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 1862
Location: Who ever gets written in my Death Note Dies (j/k)

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:07 pm Post subject:

Sony(the PS3 price) and Madman are teaming up and giving us a bad news week _________________ I Survived Madgate. After 33 pages, 1622 posts and 30639 views the Madman's $10 per disc for 10 hours thread was closed down after becoming the fastest thread to go to 33 pages on the madman forums. RIP

Greoboruri
Orihime Inoue

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 1965
Location: Zeltran un Meltran? Deculture!

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:16 pm Post subject:

Quake wrote:

or bootlegging which was quite widespread in those days. and still is to an extent unfortunatly.

Yeah, I know, but I've given up caring. If morons want to buy bootlegs with subtitles that look like they were written by dyslexic monkeys, knowing that the profits go to organised crime gangs, then it doesn't matter what anyone says or does. They're still going to buy them, and there's still either apathy or a lack of resources on the legit side of the industry and government to do anything about the problem of bootlegs.
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StorminNorman
Sylvanas Windrunner

Joined: 15 Aug 2001
Posts: 19709
Location: Icecrown Citadel

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 6:45 pm Post subject:

I don't see anything changing. Basically Funtastic recognised Madman as an incredibly good business (which it is) and wanted a slice of the pie. To quote an old saying, they liked the business so much, they bought it. If they bought it because they know it's a good earner, then they're unlikely to make any significant changes to the way Madman does business. The only real concern is whether or not they decide to shut down the Madboards. _________________ XBL: Tamaaya \| PSN: Stormo \| Manifest I have a big gun I took it from my lord sick with justice I just want to feel you

Kloppy
Nene Romanova

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Posts: 2395
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 6:48 pm Post subject:

Actually, the anime community ran on fansubs back in the day, rather than bootlegs (although they did exist).

This wasn't so bad because

A) Fansubs were on VHS, so their reproducibility and lifespan was not very high - nor was the picture/sound quality.
B) Bootlegs were extremely uncommon compared to today because the market was so small, and the duplication technology was not as efficient.[1]

....but it was still bad. Honestly, you kids don't know how lucky you have it.

I know this because I've been an anime fan for longer than you[2] have.

Kloppy starts off on a rant about walking through 4ft of snow to school, uphill both ways, and drinking tea not from a cup, but from a rolled-up newspaper, without milk or sugar..... or tea!

Anyway, guys, settle down, this isn't bad news!!! I mean it's cause for concern, yes, but it is NOT bad news.

Quote:

We might as well say GOODBYE to titles like Gantz, Elfen lied Beserk, etc

Not necessarily[3]; You don’t know what they’re going to do. And if they’re smart business people, they will keep the status quo.

Quote:

Uhhh... What's the dealeo Madman? I thought you would be raking in the cash seeing as you're basically the only anime DVD company in Australia, why sell out?

Err… because $26M is a bucketload of cash? Maybe it’s because margins aren’t as high anymore (i.e. the cost of dvds at retail has plummeted), maybe it’s because the format wars (Blu-ray, HDVD) will make the future difficult[4], maybe because Tim and the other owners of Madman can see digital distribution of video overtaking DVDs, just like it did with music.

It’s a fairly basic business decision; Can my capital give better returns or be safer if it was invested differently? Assuming Madman is making buttloads of cash, well then Funtastic’s buying price reflects that: and $26M isn’t exactly chump change.

(um yeah, so what stormo said, a few mere minutes before me)
----------------
[1]Little known fact: Madman began it’s days selling unlicensed material. As did Virgin Records.
[2]All those who disagree with A&B
[3] Did you know Disney own several cable porn channels?
[4]Madman had a lot of teething problems with the switch to DVD. It paid off in spades in the end, but I wouldn't be happy if we had to go through all that garbage all over again.
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Lomax
Doraemon

Joined: 10 May 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Purgatory

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject: Re: Funtastic buys Madman for a cool $26M

Quote:

The Madman purchase brings to the Funtastic Group a focused market leader in DVD distribution, which will become a platform for the company to win the DVD rights to children’s titles.

How will the status quo remain when they have stated their intention to pursue childrens' properties? Won't this change the face of Madman completely?

If it comes down to acquiring a dark, risque anime title or a mainstream children's property, which one do you think Funtastic would go for? And can you really see Hello Kitty or Pokemon sitting next to Legend Of The Overfiend in a Madman titles showcase? Which one would get the flick?
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Kloppy
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:12 pm Post subject: Re: Funtastic buys Madman for a cool $26M

Urotsukidojizu? Madman have already got heaps of titles that appeal quite strongly at kids; Ghibli, Astroboy, cough DBZ <_< Transformers... and Hello Kitty is already in their catalogue list.... so I dont' see what the problem is there... Some of us 'big kids' may like those titles too, but there's obviously market cross-over. _________________ Kloppy is a 10-foot-tall body-builder from a country near the North Pole and the son of a bear-trapper, who grew up in the harshest northern wilderness known to mankind.

Slykura
Madman Staff

Joined: 13 Jan 2001
Posts: 12838

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:18 pm Post subject:

Hi everyone. Just to let you know, there's nothing to fear! Tim Anderson Managing Director will be making a post on here soon, to fill you in on this new direction with Madman. _________________ Screening Room+ Madman National Cosplay Championship Madman's Helpful Help Page! www.twitter.com/animemadman <-Tweet us!

Mr Waffle
TEH WAFFLES!!11!

Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Posts: 8410

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:19 pm Post subject:

ssj_zorella wrote:

That's funtastic!

Dammit, I wanted to say that.

Anyway, I for one welcome our Funtastic Overlords, and offer my position as respected administrator of this community to help round up workers for the plushie mines.

And such.

Lomax
Doraemon

Joined: 10 May 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Purgatory

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:21 pm Post subject:

Okay, it was a poor example. That being said, Transformers and Astro Boy could be seen as retro properties rather than kids titles in this day and age. Even Hello Kitty is more of a niche title that a kids show. I would be concerned if they make a wholesale move towards acquiring more mainstream kids brands - a la 4Kids properties - as this would definitely signal a change in direction for Madman. _________________ No, I am Spartacus

Nargun
Mio Akiyama

Joined: 30 Aug 2001
Posts: 4270
Location: \relax{}

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:21 pm Post subject: Re: Funtastic buys Madman for a cool $26M

Lomax wrote:

If it comes down to acquiring a dark, risque anime title or a mainstream children's property, which one do you think Funtastic would go for?

The one that made the most money.

Jesus christ, do you people not think?

Lomax wrote:

Okay, it was a poor example. Wink

That being said, Transformers and Astro Boy could be seen as retro properties rather than kids titles in this day and age. Even Hello Kitty is more of a niche title that a kids show.

I would be concerned if they make a wholesale move towards acquiring more mainstream kids brands - a la 4Kids properties - as this would definitely signal a change in direction for Madman.

You mean like exercises choujin nouryoku.... One Piece? Or Dragon Ball Z, popular stuff like that?

Edited dubs sell like arsebiscuits, generally speaking.
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Shinannth
Shiki Tohno

Joined: 03 Dec 2000
Posts: 5392
Location: NSW

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:32 pm Post subject:

The AV Channel hasn't been bought out as well has it? Just the Madman groups?

Nargun
Mio Akiyama

Joined: 30 Aug 2001
Posts: 4270
Location: \relax{}

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject:

Shinannth wrote:

The AV Channel hasn't been bought out as well has it? Just the Madman groups?

Just MM; Funtastic whacked their business case up on the ASX site just then. The synergies are apparently all about noone taking Funtastic seriously as a DVD distributor.

AV/chan remains as it is. Looks like MM gets a very long leash, too; the business case is all about "the people running MM are very clever and know what they're doing".
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Greoboruri
Orihime Inoue

Joined: 04 Mar 2004
Posts: 1965
Location: Zeltran un Meltran? Deculture!

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject:

Kloppy wrote:

B) Bootlegs were extremely uncommon compared to today because the market was so small, and the duplication technology was not as efficient.[Little known fact: Madman began it’s days selling unlicensed material. As did Virgin Records]

When I got into anime about 1996, there was tons of bootlegs. SM CDs, weird bootleg artbooks from Hong Kong, trading cards, decks of playing cards, stickers, posters, garage kits, bootlegs of fansubs - converted to PAL, ADV tapes and others - converted to PAL with colour photocopied covers. Not only did the little Chinatown Hobby Shops sell this stuff, but large comic shops who should have known better did too. Thank god a lot of this stuff just disapeared, but boot DVDs and CDs still remain.

Madman sold unlicensed material? Wha? Virgin sold unlicensed material? What, did Branson steal the "Tubular Bells" master tapes and not tell Mike Oldfield?! Laughing

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CG
Bumblebee

Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 5919
Location: Brisvegas, QLD

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 8:37 pm Post subject:

It might be good news as well, ie lower prices, figurines... Hopefully this won't make a significant change at all...

Akira112
Nene Romanova

Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 2302
Location: Melbourne

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 8:41 pm Post subject:

So when will Tim Anderson make his post cause this has me worried. _________________ I'm 13 and a music fantatic. My Forum Family Sisters-kbz333, mi, cobizah Cousins-Gir, Hagane, Whitegreek, Rena Pet Cat-Tallis Friends-Every Madboarder!

kbz333
Mio Akiyama

Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Posts: 4246
Location: lost in my own mind

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 8:50 pm Post subject:

like i said before, what exactly is going to happen? and i'd dare say he'll make his announcement very soon. most of us are worried. _________________ ...~my heart for yours~... R.I.P princess nadia ~ 1/5/09 - 8/7/09 My forum family SMK, musk.stick, shinji, akira112, mi, cobi, rena, plodski, whitegreek, gir, garrethking, night stalker and tallis

Timesplitter 01
Koyomi Mizuhara

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 1862
Location: Who ever gets written in my Death Note Dies (j/k)

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 9:46 pm Post subject:

kbz333 wrote:

like i said before, what exactly is going to happen? and i'd dare say he'll make his announcement very soon. most of us are worried.

Here hoping he does.

The madman forums are starting to show cracks from the stress that we are giving off
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I Survived Madgate.
After 33 pages, 1622 posts and 30639 views the Madman's $10 per disc for 10 hours thread was closed down after becoming the fastest thread to go to 33 pages on the madman forums. RIP

Nargun
Mio Akiyama

Joined: 30 Aug 2001
Posts: 4270
Location: \relax{}

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 9:49 pm Post subject:

Akira112 wrote:

So when will Tim Anderson make his post cause this has me worried.

Oh, give the bloke some time. It's not every day someone gives you thirteen million dollars cash, let the bloke enjoy it for a while. He's probably doing the Scrooge McDuck diving caper and wondering where to put the helipad.

And I don't want to sound bitter, 'cause the bloke managed to get the money without lying, cheating, or even particularly sharp business practices. It's his, fair and square, and I want him to enjoy it.
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Slykura
Madman Staff

Joined: 13 Jan 2001
Posts: 12838

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 10:07 pm Post subject: From the Desk of Tim Anderson

Hi everyone, I have a message from Tim and he has asked me to post this on his behalf. Fellow Madboarders, It has been awhile since I appeared here, but you all helped us get where we are today and so I wanted to address your concerns personally. Many of you are correct: nothing will change! Funtastic were interested in Madman for what we do right and I like to think (for the most part!) we keep you all pretty happy. There will be no upsetting of apple carts and in fact, if anything, we will be teaching Funtastic a thing or two! When it comes to anime, Funtastic trust us. They know that we are fans of anime. They know we read manga. They know we talk to you guys and do our best to address your concerns. They are right behind anime and INSIST that we keep doing what we’ve been doing and they want to give us the tools to do it BETTER! I am staying right here as Managing Director of Madman. Sly and the rest of the anime team remain in place. For the record, AV Channel (our distributor,) is part of the deal, but this too will not affect the way we do business. Our products will show up in stores as normal. Now, the other point of concern I can see is the references to Funtastic and kids properties. Let me assure you, if “Ninja Scroll 2” or a new Gantz series is released, I’m going to jump right on them. Remember: I love this stuff too! We WILL be pursuing more kids properties, but under our new “Mad 4 Kids” label. Think of this like Eastern Eye – separate to the anime. Keep an eye on Madman guys – there’s lots of exciting, POSITIVE stuff planned and I hope you’ll stick around to see us take anime and manga to the next level! - Tim Anderson Managing Director _________________ Screening Room+ Madman National Cosplay Championship Madman's Helpful Help Page! www.twitter.com/animemadman <-Tweet us!

GreyWolfe
BT

Joined: 27 Nov 2001
Posts: 1416
Location: sydney, nsw, australia

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 10:17 pm Post subject:

I hate to sound pessimistic, but unless Tim got given a seat on the Funtastic board, he doesnt make the final decisions for Madman any more. Which means as much as he'd like it, final say on any new anime aquisitions will lie with the new owners. So if they really dont like the idea of an Elfen Lied-style show and Dragonball Z having the same 'Funtastic' label on the dvd, then it will be the non-kids show that gets the axe. Happened before, will happen again. Nothing good ever comes from these type of aquisitions. _________________ 'The secret of lesbian porn is the self-insertion fantasy, the feeling of "You know, the right dick could turn those clam-licking hotties into hot het sex fiends... and I am that brave dick." Keep that in mind' - Dom, Megatokyo

Timesplitter 01
Koyomi Mizuhara

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 1862
Location: Who ever gets written in my Death Note Dies (j/k)

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 10:26 pm Post subject:

So let me get this straight, what I am getting from Tims letter: Madman = Anime Mad 4 Kids = Kids stuff So will still get the good stuff Mr Burns voice Excelllent Here is just hoping that Funtastic doesnt go belly-up in the future. _________________ I Survived Madgate. After 33 pages, 1622 posts and 30639 views the Madman's $10 per disc for 10 hours thread was closed down after becoming the fastest thread to go to 33 pages on the madman forums. RIP

SS3 Son Goku
Mint Blancmanche

Joined: 26 Jun 2001
Posts: 1520
Location: Sydney, NSW Australia

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 10:32 pm Post subject:

My advice is if a Business or company is doing so well then WHY change it's format. You do realise this is Cult anime so it shouldn't be different from the source which is japan. I sounds like your turning into saturday morning cartoons merchandise. No Violence, No course language, No sex or sexual references. Which IS SATURDAY morning cartoons ARRRRGGGGHHHHH. Anime is like cartoons for adults with violence and language and sexual references.....without this it wouldn't be anime anymore. AND why is this forum sooo SLOW lately? I can't even edit my posts without the page crashing so I can fix typos _________________ What does Marsellus Wallace look like? Last edited by SS3 Son Goku on Wed May 10, 2006 10:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

FireAza
Shaolin Shugogetten

Joined: 04 Oct 2004
Posts: 4038
Location: Heavy Weapons Loli

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 10:33 pm Post subject:

While I'd like to believe Tim, you'd have to be nuts to think that Fantastic won't place some kind of.... "Influence" over Madman and what they do. It's good to hear about the "Mad 4 Kids" thing though, hopefully this will keep the kiddy stuff from fouling up the pool, as most kids do One thing that's yet to be bought up, and I'm sure most of the Madboarders would be interested is this: will Madman DVDs be cheaper as a result of this merger? Namely, the volume DVDs. _________________ Currently watching: More series than the signature character limit allows Recently finished: AIKa, Noir, Kamen no Maid Guy, Lucky Star, Black Lagoon, Dominion Tank Police, Fate stay night, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Library War, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Honey and Clover.

Slykura
Madman Staff

Joined: 13 Jan 2001
Posts: 12838

Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 10:41 pm Post subject:

GreyWolfe wrote:

I hate to sound pessimistic, but unless Tim got given a seat on the Funtastic board, he doesnt make the final decisions for Madman any more. Which means as much as he'd like it, final say on any new anime aquisitions will lie with the new owners. So if they really dont like the idea of an Elfen Lied-style show and Dragonball Z having the same 'Funtastic' label on the dvd, then it will be the non-kids show that gets the axe. Happened before, will happen again. Nothing good ever comes from these type of aquisitions.

I'd like to correct you right there.
As it stands. Tim's total agreement is required in order for any changes to how Madman does business. That’s total as in 100% and no getting around it.

We are 100% commited to bringing the biggest and best anime titles out from Japan that we can get our hands on like we have for the past 10 years. There is NOTHING to fear. As Tim said, Funtastic like what we are doing why change it?
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