Interplay Entertainment Corporation has announced a partnership agreement with Earthworm Jim creator (and graphic novelist) Doug TenAppel to re-launch the multi-media career of the aggressive armor-suited annelid with a new video game, an animated TV series, and a feature film.  TenAppel, whose latest graphic novel Monster Zoo is due out from Image Comics on May 21st, created Earthworm Jim back in 1994 for a video game that was a surprise hit across several different platforms.  Under the new partnership agreement with Interplay TenAppel will serve as a consultant on the Earthworm Jim 4 video game and develop both an animated series and a feature film based on the property.

TenAppel was largely responsible for Earthworm Jim’s first foray into animation--a fondly-remembered 23-episode cartoon series that ran on the Kids’ WB in 1995 and1996.  Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, provided the vocals for the title character.  The series was renown for its galaxy of weird characters (Queen Slug-for-a-Butt. Bob the Killer Goldfish), its parodies of superheroes (Lower Back-Pain Man), its abundance of absurdist humor and the way in which the characters would break down the fourth wall by talking directly to the audience.