Apparently Cartoon Network isn’t content to just wander around Toy Fair in New York City this week; nope, they’ve been busy launching something called Cartoon Network Upfront, which will serve as a portal for all sorts of informational goodness. I’m guessing that you’ll be seeing me go there for exciting news on your favorite shows a lot, in the coming months.

But today, today, I’m so excited I can barely type. Thank goodness for the good people at Toon Zone; they’ve been gathering announcements on the scene in NYC and posting updates for those of us here at home. And those Upfront people have been busy.

First up—you guessed it—hold on for Ben 10 the movie. Except that it gets even better, because it’s actually two movies:

Cartoon Network will produce two movies based on its series Ben 10, the network says.

In the first, an animated film, Ben accidentally sets the Omnitrix on self-destruct and must find its creator to shut it down.

Meanwhile, the network says it is also preparing a live-action film version of the series. [UPDATE: The film will be directed by Alex Winter, star of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and voice actor in Saul of the Mole Men and will premiere in December. Casting is still underway.]

Live-action Ben 10? If you want to audition for Heatblast, do you suppose at the casting call they set your hair on fire? Okay, needless to say, I’m guessing there will be some phenemonenal special effects on board for this one.

And in the meantime, if you just can’t get enough Ben 10 on the small screen? Double your pleasure with a second Ben 10 television series:

Cartoon Network will be launching a sequel series to its hit action cartoon Ben 10, which will be entitled Ben 10: Hero Generation.

This new series will focus on a slightly older Ben and Gwen as they team up and mentor a group of children who have similar powers to Ben. The age shift will introduce new, more mature issues, but the target demographic will be the same as the original Ben 10.

No premiere date was given, but Cartoon Network says that it will premiere sometime before Spring 2008.

That’s an awful lot of Ben 10 coming down the pike. I am going to have to give my children plenty of extra chores to offset the extreme joy they’ll be experiencing, I think.

Every now and then, my son straps some plastic object onto his arm, announces that it’s his Omnitrix, and then goes on a tear throughout the house, announcing that he’s turning into various aliens and destroying us all.

If you’re not a parent, you may find this behavior alarming. But for those of us deep in the trenches of what appeals to kids—and, particularly, what causes small boys to swoon with glee—this behavior is nothing more than typical (if slavish) devotion to Ben 10.

Being the simplistic person that I am, I thought it was enough when Bandai started making the aforementioned Omnitrix and some alien action figures. Silly me! Soon enough, there were Ben 10 vehicles, the Alien Experiment Laboratory, and even alien rocks which reveal the creatures trapped within once you submerge them in water.

Want to drive your little Ben 10 fan wild? Surf on over to Bandai’s interactive Ben 10 site to watch clips and interviews, read all about the various aliens, and—of course—see great footage of the newest toys.

And now Animation Insider reports the latest Ben 10 merchandising news: Back-to-school is the next order of business.

“We are very excited to be working with Cartoon Network on their premiere boy’s property, Ben 10,” Steve Russo, President and CEO of FAB/Starpoint commented in a recent press release. “FAB/Starpoint prides itself on the fashion detail of every product. We are incorporating today’s coolest treatments to our product lines for back to school!”

The agreement looks to cover a full line of products in relation to FAB/Starpoint’s talent for creating interesting backpacks, accessories, school supplies, watches and clocks under a multi-year agreement that will have product in store for the back-to-school season.

That sounds like a pretty big undertaking. So did Cartoon Network stop there? Nope; they’re striking while the iron is hot, in as many ways as they can:

Cartoon Network Enterprises has also signed a deal (in a separate matter) to help create more toys for Ben 10 through additional product licensing. Working with Pressman Toys, CNE hopes to get some really cool games and puzzles based on the incredibly popular action and adventure animated television series onto store shelves and into the homes of Ben 10 fans. A multiple-year agreement, Pressman Toys will make products related to the property that will wonderfully mesh in the plethora of toys, action figures and other uniquely designed materials based on the animated property.

It sounds like 2007 is going to be a year of Ben 10 product nirvana. As always, stay tuned to the Ty’s Toy Box Ben 10 Store for the latest and greatest offerings. Just a small word to the wise—try to check it out when the kids aren’t around, otherwise you’re going to be hearing endless whining about how they need this action figure (”But MOM! His head lights up!”) and that voice changer.

Trust me on this one.

Happy Columbus Day to my fellow American readers! (Hey, happy Columbus Day to my non- American readers, too, but you know, it’s a national holiday here and… well… not, elsewhere.) Today we celebrate the discovery of our fine country by a man who wasn’t very good with directions. Excellent.

Perhaps you already have plans for the day, but if you don’t, never fear. Around here, the kids are off school and most folks are off of work. The possibilities seem endless. But maybe all you’re really in the mood to do is your best couch potato impersonation. Or maybe you (like me) are feeling generous; the usual “one half-hour show and that’s it” edict of the school week can wait another day. If that’s where you’re at, Cartoon Network has you covered.

Today (Monday, October 9th) Cartoon Network is showing five and a half solid hours of Ben 10! Heaven for your little alien fanatic, no? Not that I’m suggesting you allow your kid(s) to watch the entire thing… that would be… well, excessive. But what a great day to record some extras for an emergency (what? you’ve never had a Ben 10 emergency at your house?) or pick out a few favorite episodes to watch.

The episode schedule is as follows:

2:00 Grudge Match
2:30 Secrets
3:00 Gwen 10 (this is my daughter’s favorite)
3:30 Hunted
4:00 Framed
4:30 Camp Fear
5:00 Kevin 11
5:30 Ghost Freaked Out
6:00 Big Tick
6:30 Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray
7:00 Back With A Vengeance

I can think of many worse ways to spend a day. And really, how many Columbus Day sales does a person need to go to before a few hours with a smattering of alien invaders sounds preferable? Not too many, I’d argue.

Bandai has finally released (and Ty’s Toy Box has stocked) the new Ben 10 toys. Even as a hardened curmudgeon who frequently can be caught declaring “You have enough toys,” I am in awe. These toys are just plain cool.

The omnitrix (pictured here) is the first piece my son decided he ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE OR HE WILL DIE. I’m not certain he understands that—while yes, extremely cool—this version will not actually allow him to change into any one of 10 different superpowered aliens. I mean, I tried to explain it to him. But he was staring at the picture, all slack-jawed and drooly.

The alien experiment laboratory comes in second for total coolness factor, mostly because of its Transformer-like properties. It starts out as Grandpa Max’s RV, then folds down to reveal a lab where you can mold your own aliens. Heheheheh. Do you think the kids would notice if I played with this after they were in bed at night? I can think of some times where sculpting some aliens, perhaps naming them after some people I know, and then squashing them down again might be somewhat… therapeutic.

Of course, there’s a great assortment of action figures to choose from, as well. My son is adamant that he simply cannot go on without a Heatblast figurine (pictured here), but he also thinks maybe we need one of each, just to be on the safe side. He’s very safety minded, that kid. He also thinks we should keep a cooler full of ice cream in the car on hot days. He’s always thinking. And I have to say, I sometimes try to talk him out of these ideas, but he often has a good point. I mean, really, who wouldn’t want a cooler full of Chipwiches in the car?

Anyway, check out the new Ben 10 store and maybe your own little Ben 10 fan will have a compelling reason why you need to buy one of everything. If not, I’d be happy to loan out my son.