14 DAY TRIAL // Yesterday, we heard the announcement that Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2 would be coming to the Virtual Console service for the Nintendo Wii, which allows everybody to play games launched originally for consoles that are no longer in production, Interplay are at it again and have revealed that they are partnering with Doug TenNapel, the original creator of the character Earthworm Jim, for a franchise revival.
Details are limited at the moment, with Interplay only revealing that a new cartoon series featuring the worm turned super worm, a new full feature animated movie and a new Jim game are planned. There are no dates attached to either of these projects and it's not clear whether Interplay is developing them all in house or attempting to launch partnerships regarding the comic and film, as Electronic Arts has done with DC Comics for Dead Space.
Doug TenNapel is a recipient of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, prize given for creative achievement in American comic books. He also has a rich background in creating animated series and is the man who originally penned Earthworm Jim.
The Earthworm Jim games are known for their interesting adventure elements which are interwoven with a unique type of humor. Jim was initially a very lowly worm, but the Ultra-high-tech-indestructible-super-space-cyber-suit, built by the well known professor Monkey-For-A-Head, falls on him and transforms him into the evil battling and universe saving worm he is now. His impressive array of enemies features names like Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed, Slug-for-a-Butt, Major Mucus, Chuck and Fifi, Evil the Cat and Bob the Killer Goldfish.
Herve Caen, who is Chief Executive Officer of Interplay, recently declared his desire to use "unique intellectual property, and low debt and operational costs" to push forward projects like the Fallout MMO and, now, Earthworm Jim.