John Goodman has joined the cast of Bunyan and Babe, a new CG-animated interpretation of the classic 19^th century legend, due out in 2008. This modernized version teams two Minnesota farm kids with the plus-size lumberjack to rescue his blue ox, Babe. 

Oscar-winning special effects whiz Jim Rygiel makes his feature film debut as director of the Exodus Film Group production. 

Paul Bunyan, the hero of a series of 19^th century tall tales, supposedly created Minnesota’s ten thousand lakes, as well as the Grand Canyon and Mt. Hood. 

One of the earliest published accounts of Bunyan’s exploits appeared in The Detroit News in 1906. Over the years, the story’s been Disneyfied (1958), Balladized (1973) and Legended (1983). 

Eddie Griffin will play Bunyan’s constant companion, Babe the Blue Ox, which as far as I can determine brings to two the number of contemporary African American comedians playing cartoon draft animals (Eddie Murphy as Donkey in the Shrek series is the other).