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Bankruptcy auction boosts price of Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber
As expected, the assets of Big Idea Productions, the Christian company that created the popular VeggieTales video series, were sold at auction yesterday to Classic Media LLC, which owns such characters as "Rocky and Bullwinkle," "Lassie," "The Lone Ranger," and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Unexpected, however, was how much Classic Media ended up paying for the rights to Bob, Larry, and the rest of the animated cornucopia. Classic Media and Big Idea initially agreed on a $7.5 million deal, but bids by six other parties pushed the final price to $19.3 million, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Charles Schulman, Big Idea's bankruptcy attorney, said the final price means that, once the deal is completed in December, creditors will see payments "that no one in their wildest dreams thought would be possible." That's good news for the creditors: Big Idea has listed only $8 million in assets against more than $43 million in liabilities.

Big Idea COO Terry Pefanis says Classic Media "will continue the brand and continue to support the mission of the company." The specifics, including whether the creative team will stay on board, are still unclear.

1. Good vs. evil? | Local opinions vary on Halloween's place in schools, society (The Morning Sun, Pittsburg, Kan.)
   
   
2. From scared to sacred | While devilish costumes and creepy themes still rule on Halloween, a growing movement seeks to zap the demons out of the holiday, and much of it appears to be church-based (St. Petersburg Times, Fla.)
   
   
3. Attitudes on Halloween often ambivalent | Many churches discourage participation, while others view it as a day for children to simply have a bit of fun (Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.)
   
   
4. Christians just saying 'no' to Halloween | Saying that scares and ghouls flirt with Satanism, more and more churches offer friendly alternatives (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla.)
   
   
5. Going from holy to hellish | Many Christian denominations treat Halloween as a fun, harmless holiday, but some say its pagan roots make it unfit for celebration (Chicago Tribune)
   
   
6. Church presents a hell of a Halloween | The Potter's House Christian Center's haunted house, called "Walk Through Hell" this year, has the requisite Halloween season scares. But Dave Bartelson, acting assistant pastor, says it also packs a message many don't want to hear: There is a hell and it doesn't take much to get there. (The Salt Lake Tribune, Ut.)
   
   
7. Group of evangelists preaches about the afterlife at the Edge of Hell | Evangelists have been here as long as the haunted houses have (The Kansas City Star)
   
   
8. Candy corn, popcorn balls, and Jesus | The practice of handing out religious pamphlets, known as tracts, is common among evangelical Christians, some of whom see Halloween as the perfect opportunity to spread the gospel (The Daily Herald, Chicago suburbs)
   
   
9. Fighting Halloween with cake | France's Catholics are trying everything to fend off a Halloween celebration they say is an ungodly U.S. import (Reuters)
   
   
10. Christians search for alternatives on Halloween | Halloween has become a controversial holiday among Christians and many churches and schools across the nation are attempting to offer Christians an alternative to the popular way to spend October 31 (North Adams Transcript, Mass.)
    
    
11. Religious leaders offer alternative to Halloween | Many churches say safety and not fears of pagan influences are the reason they offer alternative celebrations at their churches and places of worship (The Fayetteville Observer, N.C.)
    
    

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October (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47