What's happening in the world of anime today?

According to a post at ICV2.com, Speed Racer Enterprises has awarded the toy license to Art Asylum. Art Asylum is apparently taking the acquisition seriously and plans to launch a whole new Speed Racer toy line as well as new animated episodes of the classic anime cartoon. The episodes will be available on the Internet in the Summer of 2006, paving the way for the release of the toy line later in the fall.

And speaking of toys, Viz Media has granted Mattel the toy license to the popular anime series, Zatch Bell. Zatch Bell began airing in March of 2005 on Cartoon Network's Toonami - no word yet on when to expect the new toy line... we can only hope it comes soon.

Those of you ready for another Mamoru Oshii masterpiece will enjoy this: Production I.G. has announced that Oshii will release his next film, Tachigui - The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters, in the Spring of 2006. Oshii is writing and directing this film and Studio Ghibli's Toshio Suzuki is producing. By the way, the movie won't be traditional animation. Instead, expect to see Oshii's "superlivemation", a blend of animation, pics and some digital puppets.

The official website for the FUNimation Channel is up and running. For those of you not familiar with this anime broadcasting bonanza, the FUNimation Channel is FUNimation's answer to 24/7 anime broadcasting. The website is still under construction - no schedules available yet - but you can catch a glimpse of the upcoming anime debuts and chat with other fans hopeful that their cable provider will pick up the FUNimation Channel soon.