Animator Mark Simon long has been a fan of Johnny Hart's Wizard of Id and B.C. comic strips—and now he plans to bring their characters to life via the big screen or a TV series.

Simon inked an exclusive production and development agreement with Hart’s Estate in December, and now he's talking with movie and TV studios in Hollywood.

The effort has some big names behind it. Simon and his wife, Jeanne—who produced Clarissa Explains It All and Gullah Gullah Island for Nickelodeon—are working with the Hart Estate, Jack Newcombe of Creators Syndicate, and the Metropolis Talent Agency to pitch studios on the idea of a feature-length film and TV series using the Hart-inspired characters.

Interest is high in finalizing a deal, Simon said: “Both of these hysterically funny properties are overdue for greater exposure.” In fact, the only time B.C. appeared in a television special was in 1973 and 1981 with B.C.: The First Thanksgiving and B.C.: A Special Christmas. Wizard of Id’s only TV animated special took place in 1969.

If a deal is signed, the payout for Simon and the Hart family will be negotiated at that time, said Patti Hart-Pomeroy, daughter of Johnny Hart. The Hart family likely will want to retain rights to character development and the storyline, while Simon is likely to pursue a creative producer role.

The ultimate payout would depend on the project cost and its success or failure. Production of a cartoon series can range from $450,000 to $650,000 per episode, while a full-length cartoon movie can range from $20 million to $100 million.

The Simons began discussions in late January and made a followup trip to Hollywood on February 17 to continue talks on the proposed projects. Where the work will be done depends on which studio finalizes a deal, Simon said, since many have their own animation divisions.

Simon’s journey to clinching the deal came through a relationship formed at the DAVE (Digital Animation & Visual Effects) School in Orlando, Florida, in 2003.

While teaching there, Simon met student Mason Mastroianni, but didn’t realize he was Hart’s grandson. After Mastroianni graduated from the DAVE School, he worked as a computer-generated animator until his grandfather died in 2007. “One day I was working on visual effects for a movie, and the next day I was drawing grandpa’s strip back in New York,” said Mastroianni, who with his brother, Mick, now writes and draws the B.C. strip, and writes for the Wizard of Id strip.

In 2009, a mutual friend mentioned Mastroianni’s family ties to Simon, which led him to contact the Hart family to see if something could be done with the comic strips.

Animating the comic strips is something Mastroianni, 32, believes is critical to the longevity of the series.

“Newspapers used to be one of the only venues for comic strips, but they’re suffering now, so it’s good to look at other avenues. TV and movies give you better exposure.”

There is no definitive timeline on the projects yet, but Simon believes a deal will get done. In the meantime, new characters are being developed for the movie and/or TV franchise to “complement the existing characters and appeal to a new generation,” said Jeanne Simon.

The idea is to create a TV series and a movie that appeal to all age groups.

“We’ve always been interested in doing more with the strips,” said Mastroianni. “This feels like the right step.”