Legal: Ivy Supersonic Filed A Complaint Against Twentieth Century Fox

The following statement was released today by Ivy Supersonic Responsible Source: Ivy Supersonic

Contact: Jules Feiler for Ivy Supersonic, +1-212-585-0973

"The world has now caught up to my futuristic vision for the cartoon character I have created for animation, called 'Sqrat', part squirrel, part rat. What's happened here is another example of a young entrepreneur with an original idea getting beaten and cheated by corporate America. I have filed a complaint in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, against the machine, called Twentieth Century Fox, and their Oscar-winning animation studio, Blue Sky, for ten million dollars, dated February 13, 2002.

"Fox made a number of poor decisions, and have infringed on my rights as well as my intellectual property, created in May 1999. They have adopted my cartoon's name, Sqrat, no matter how you spell it, its character, its likeness, and its hybrid identity, part squirrel, part rat. I not only created a cartoon character, but an entire new breed of rodent altogether. Fox can't get away with this! And I don't advise they try! My Sqrat, has now been made a star, like the Ice Age commercial says, 'starring Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Dennis Leary and Sqrat!" The Ice Age marketing/press campaign launch is based on my Sqrat character, to get the people into theaters to boost box office sales. At the world premiere of Ice Age at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, I spoke with John Leguizamo who was very nice, and congratulated me and also wished me luck. I also spoke briefly with Ray Romano as he came down the red carpet. He had no prior knowledge of the theft of my Sqrat, until I informed him about the suit against Fox.

"Twentieth Century Fox's Ice Age began at the Fox Family level, who just happened to be one of the major studios that I pitched my Sqrat to, back in February 2000. In February 2000, CNN ran the original Sqrat story which established first usage to me, Ivy Supersonic as the creator of Sqrat, part squirrel, part rat. The cartoon character I created for animation for movies and for television. Millions worldwide know Ivy Supersonic as the creator of the urban legend Sqrat and remember that story. That segment was also picked up on Continental Airlines and ran on all international and domestic flights. In fact, published back in October 1999, my Sqrat was featured for license in the annual report of License! Magazine, the bible for all the industry's licensing deals. I have yet to receive any form of payment or deal memo from Fox for the licensing of my Sqrat, though I am optimistic. In June 1999, I was part of the original 'dysfunctional family', a krock concert at Jones Beach Theatre, where I "first" displayed my Sqrat banner on stage with the infamous band, known as Limp Bizkit before 10,000 or so concertgoers.

My bio, for instance, says I am 'irreverent' and 'on a mission' and my tag line is 'down for whatever, whenever.' Merely coincidence? That Ice Age is a story about the first 'dysfunctional family,' and on the website for http://www.iceagemovie.com/ their Scrat is 'on a mission', and on eBay Twentieth Century Fox's Ice Age is 'irreverent.' If you're on Fox's email list the Scrat is 'down for whatever throughout the weather.' I believe in coincidences and I also believe Fox's Scrat is taking on my personality, the same as my Sqrat was my alter ego.

"Sqrat went through a number of developmental stages, but he was always marketed with intent to be New York City's mascot. So, Sqrat was not only stolen from me, but taken from all New Yorkers as well. I had numerous offers for development deals, and many possibilities, but the deals were never about a logo design or the co-authored script we had written. It was only about the character himself, the Sqrat, part squirrel, part rat. The deals were purely based on character name and identity alone. I saw my Sqrat as the ultimate urban legend, a love story between a squirrel and a rat in New York City, which spawned a very loveable Sqrat. The Sqrat having an identity crisis, stemming from his multicultural and multiracial roots. Kids would identify with the Sqrat who had a real need to fit in, but for obvious reasons could not. Kids were able to learn life lessons from the Sqrat by tackling everyday issues that affect Sqrats and kids everywhere. But that's not how it's done in Hollywood with cartoons. They hire their own writers and their own animators and I would have lost creative control. Or one better: what happened in my case... I got jacked and my Sqrat hijacked. I am actually mortified for Fox! Everyone from William Morris to Endeavor, to UTA, to AMG, to ICM, to MTV, to VH1, to HBO (...it's a tremendous list!) all took meetings, my calls, my faxes, my FedExs, my emails, my press kits. They all know what happened and associate me, Ivy Supersonic, as the creator. I was relentless and I will continue to be relentless! I feel like a lost mom whose 'baby' has been kidnapped! Just like the theme of ice age... the ending will all work out... the dysfunctional Fox Family will bring the missing child home to it's mother.