Europe : Starting today, cartoon messages from Dilbert, South Park and Garfield could find their way onto your mobile FunMail Inc. and 3 UK, the video mobile network, today launched a new messaging service featuring cartoons, complete with sound and music - the first of its kind in Europe. The service has struck a chord with 3 customers of 3 UK, who have made it one of 3's most successful new value-added services.

Called "FunMail Toons", the service enables customers to view cartoon strips and messages on their handsets, complete with music and sound.

With this ground breaking new service, customers can download rich media FunMail Toons of popular cartoon characters like Garfield, South Park and Peanuts. So instead of sending a text or video message, 3 customers can now use their favourite cartoon character to sum up their thoughts, from using Snoopy to say "I Love You" to a "Let's Go Out Tonight" message from an animated Garfield. They can also receive the best of the popular Dilbert cartoon strip direct to their 3 video mobiles

FunMail is the latest partner to offer a service through 3's video mobile network. As a 3 partner site they are responsible for maintaining and updating the "FunMail" service.

Graeme Oxby, Marketing Director 3 UK said: "We are very excited about our partnership with FunMail. Animation really lends itself to video mobile, and with FunMail we can offer a fantastic range of cartoon messages from South Park to Dilbert. 3 offers the most advanced mobile messaging capabilities, with video mail, multimedia messages and access to email, and the launch of FunMail builds on this leading position."

"This is a moment we have been looking forward to ever since we started FunMail in 1999," said FunMail CEO Adam Lavine. "3 has been pioneering what phones can do with rich content, and we think animation is a fantastic category for consumers - it's branded content that is quick to download, and creates a great user experience."