Josie and the Pussycats are purring again

Who wants to be a comic-book pop star?

Actor Nick Cannon and Atlantic Records are launching a worldwide search for three girls to resurrect Josie and the Pussycats, a band based on the Archie Comics characters.

Cannon, who dubbed them "the first rock 'n' roll girls group", hopes the search will yield a reality competition series and a scripted comedy-drama, both to air on Nickelodeon's TeenNick channel where he serves as chairman.

The characters inspired two cartoon series in the 1970s and a 2001 live-action feature film starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson.

The Josie project is one of many in the works at Cannon's recently launched production company NCredible Entertainment. Its slate includes a comedic year-in-review special that will air on New Year's Day on MTV, and a hip-hop puppet show for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block.

NCredible also is venturing into publishing, signing a deal with Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division to produce a multimedia book series to coincide with the upcoming premiere of the Cannon-written and – directed Nickelodeon movie The School Gyrls.

The film features the NCredible-signed three-girl singing group whose debut album will be released by Island Records. Cannon penned the first book, a movie novelisation, and plans to be involved in the writing of the six original novels under the pact. There are plans for potential second movie and a TV series.

Cannon also is making foray into radio with a daily morning drive show on CBS Radio's WXRK-FM New York (92.3 Now).

"I always wanted to do radio," said Cannon, who has frequently filled in for radio hosts Ryan Seacrest and Steve Harvey. Cannon, who married Mariah Carey last year, is keeping his summer job and will return as host of NBC's America's Got Talent next year.

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