An independent production company called East of Doheny is teaming up with Gotham Group to create an animated film based on the best-selling “Franny K. Stein” children’s books by Jim Benton. The series includes six books with a seventh due out next year and published by Simon & Schuster. The film will be called “Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist” which focuses on a little girl scientist and includes references to classic horror and sci-fi films while the little girl struggles to fit in among her peers. No director or screenwriter has been hired for the project yet. Jim Benton is a writer from Michigan. He has also written the “It’s Happy Bunny” series as well as “Dear Dumb Diary.” He has also worked in television on the Fox Kids animated series The Secret Files of the Spydogs. The “Franny K. Stein” books are the first created for young children. Franny is modeled after his daughter and was created for her as a character she could relate to and look up to. He also does the illustrations for his books. He uses roller ball pens and pencils and sketches on white paper. He then inks his illustrations with waterproof pens on watercolor “Hot Press,” or smooth paper. Black liquid watercolor is used and diluted to create various shades of gray that show up on the artwork. These pictures help to convey his message that children should just “be themselves” and people will like them better if they do. For related articles visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070628/film_nm/scripts_dc;_ylt=AlRN3v6CJ44olHTq_sztsYEwFxkF, http://www.jimbenton.com/franlabmaterials.html, and http://www.simonsays.com/content/destination.cfm?tab=4&pid=343030&agid=8