Events in 1999 in animation. Events January January 4: The first episode of Ed, Edd n Eddy airs. January 21: Anime producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki is sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for a drug possession case of two years ago. January 22: In Sweden the first episode of De tre vännerna och Jerry (The Three Friends and Jerry) premiers. January 25: The first episode of Zoboomafoo airs. January 29: The Japanese animation studio TNK is founded. January 31: The first episode of Family Guy airs. February February 1: Anime producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki is arrested after a handgun, 131 bullets and 20 grams of stimulant drugs were seized from his house in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. Nishizaki, voluntarily submitted two automatic rifles, 1,800 bullets, and 30 howitzer shells kept in a station wagon in his garage, police said. Police say that Nishizaki had hidden an Austrian handgun loaded with three bullets under a zaisu chair in a study. Nishizaki told them that he had bought the handgun in Hong Kong 10 years earlier. February 2: Nickelodeon and the Children’s Television Workshop (now known as Sesame Workshop) launches Noggin, a commercial-free brand aimed at children aged 6–12. February 14: The Simpsons episode "I'm with Cupid" premieres, guest starring Elton John. March March 26: 71st Academy Awards: Bunny by Chris Wedge wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. When You Believe by Stephen Schwartz from The Prince of Egypt wins the Academy Award for Best Original Song. March 28: The first episode of Futurama airs. It marks the debut of characters Philip J. Fry, Professor Farnsworth, Leela and Bender. The first episode also guest stars television personality Dick Clark and actor Leonard Nimoy. April April 4: The Simpsons episode "Simpsons Bible Stories" debuts. April 27: The Futurama episode "A Fishful of Dollars" premieres, guest starring actress and model Pamela Anderson. Specific date unknown: The first Animation Masters Summit is organized in India. May May 1: The first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants airs. May 9: The Simpsons episode "They Saved Lisa's Brain" premieres, guest starring Stephen Hawking. May 11: The Futurama episode "A Big Piece of Garbage" premieres, guest starring inventor Ron Popeil. May 16: The Simpsons episode "Thirty Minutes over Tokyo" premieres, in which the family travels to Japan. May 22: Aleksandr Petrov's The Old Man and the Sea premiers. May 18: The Futurama episode "Hell Is Other Robots"