In news that breaks free from the shackles of abnormal and jumps headfirst into the realm of surreal, independent development studio AGFRAG Entertainment Group has announced that it is working on videogames based on the cult television icon Bob Ross.

The afro-enhanced painter is known around the globe for his mild-mannered television show, The Joy of Painting, where he has for decades demonstrated his speedy skill with a paint brush. The public access hit has been picked up by more than 3,000 stations worldwide in its long run. In 1995, Ross died at the age of 52. Many of his paintings were donated to PBS.

The games, which are being developed specifically for Nintendo's Revolution console and DS handheld, will be focused on the art of painting, no doubt harnessing the precision accuracy of Nintendo's control methods. A PC version is also planned.

We're not kidding.

AGFRAG made the announcement yesterday, prompting concerns from skeptics of an early April Fool's joke. We contacted AGFRAG directly for clarification.

"The press release is not a joke, but the side effect of people thinking it is might help us get noticed," explained Joseph Hatcher, who heads up the company brining Bob Ross to Nintendo's systems.

AGFRAG is Hatcher's development group, consisting of students, independent developers and professionals in the game industry. "AGFRAG secured a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement with Bob Ross Inc. just before the Game Developers Conference took place," Hatcher revealed. "We are talking with various companies and plan to make an announcement near E3 regarding which platforms the game will be developed on first, and maybe a surprise."

Hatcher himself admits to being a big Ross fan, which is partly why he wants to make games based on his work. "I personally loved watching Bob Ross growing up and I enjoyed watching how easily he created his paintings. We want to translate that same feeling of watching the TV show into playing a Bob Ross game," he said. "Whether you are an eight-year-old child, or a 65-year-old grandma, we want anyone to be able to pick up the game to create and play to your heart's content."

When we think about videogames, the name Bob Ross does not spring to mind. But the DS and Revolution may be the best systems to bring the Joy of Painting to gamers. "The Nintendo DS and Nintendo Revolution are perfect platforms for what we have in mind!" Hatcher explained. "We like the way Nintendo carves their own path of innovation and creativity and we strive to do the same."

AGFRAG has not yet secured a publisher for the titles. More news on these projects will be forthcoming beginning this May at the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2006 in Los Angeles. Aspiring painters, we'll keep you posted.