Atomic Cartoons

Last updated
Atomic Cartoons, Inc.
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Animation
FoundedMarch 1999;25 years ago (1999-03)
Founders
  • Trevor Bentley
  • Mauro Casalese
  • Olaf Miller
  • Rob Davies
Headquarters123 West 7th Avenue, ,
Canada
Number of locations
3 (2020)
Key people
Jennifer McCarron (CEO)
Matthew Berkowitz (CCO)
Number of employees
600 (2019) [1]
Parent Thunderbird Entertainment (2015–present)
Divisions Atomic Originals (US)
Website atomiccartoons.com

Atomic Cartoons, Inc. is a Canadian animation studio founded in 1999 by Trevor Bentley, Mauro Casalese, Olaf Miller, and former Warner Bros. Animation employee Rob Davies. [2] [3] Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, it produces service animation for a wide variety of clients, as well as creating its own properties. Since 2015, the company has been owned by Thunderbird Entertainment. [4]

Contents

History

The studio was founded in March 1999 by Trevor Bentley, Mauro Casalese, Olaf Miller, and Rob Davies. [5] Sent back to Vancouver, British Columbia, after losing his job at Warner Bros. Animation following the cancellation of Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain , Davies received a phone call from Sunwoo Entertainment's Jae Moh to help produce Milo's Bug Quest  [ ko ]. Together with Miller, Bentley, and Casalese, the four launched Atomic Cartoons to assist in creating the series. [2]

Between 2004 and 2008, the company produced Atomic Betty for Teletoon in association with Breakthrough Entertainment and Tele Images Kids. Atomic's first fully original creation, the show's titular heroine served as the studio's mascot for a number of years.

In 2010, Miller left to launch his own studio. The following year, Jennifer McCarron was appointed head of production. [6] On July 8, 2015, Atomic Cartoons was bought by Canadian production company Thunderbird Films. [4] The three founders remain on board. McCarron was named president and chief executive officer in 2016. [7]

In December 2018, the company opened a second animation studio in Ottawa, Ontario. [8] Its first project was the Netflix series The Last Kids on Earth .

In February 2020, Atomic Cartoons opened its third studio in Los Angeles, California. [9]

Productions

Television series

#TitleYearsNetwork/channel/platformCo-producer(s)Notes
1 Spider-Man Unlimited 1999–2001 Fox Kids Marvel Studios
Saban Entertainment
Koko Enterprise Co., Ltd.
Dong Yang Animation
[10]
2 Courage the Cowardly Dog 1999–2002 Cartoon Network Stretch Films
Cartoon Network Studios
Additional storyboards only
3 Milo's Bug Quest  [ ko ]1999–2000 KBS2 Sunwoo Entertainment Character, prop and background designs, and storyboards [11]
4 The Zeta Project 2001–2002 Kids' WB Warner Bros. Animation
5Timber Wolf2001 Warnerbros.com [12]
5 Max & Ruby 2002–2019 Treehouse TV Nelvana Based on the book series by Rosemary Wells.
Seasons 6–7 only, previously produced by Silver Lining Productions for the first five seasons, 9 Story Entertainment for seasons 3–5 and Chorion for seasons 4–5.
6 Atomic Betty 2004–2008 Teletoon
M6 (seasons 1–2)
Télétoon (season 3)
Breakthrough Entertainment
Tele Images Kids
Marathon Group (season 3)
[13]
7 Krypto the Superdog 2005–2006Cartoon Network Warner Bros. Animation Storyboards only
8 Johnny Test 2005–2014Kids' WB (seasons 1–3)
Cartoon Network (seasons 4–6)
Teletoon
Cookie Jar Entertainment
Warner Bros. Animation (seasons 1–2)
DHX Media (season 6)
Storyboards for the first season, animation services for seasons 4–6
9 Captain Flamingo 2006–2008 YTV
GMA Network
Breakthrough Films and Television
Heroic Film Company
Philippine Animation Studio Inc.
[14]
10 Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns 2008 PBS Howard K. Grossman Productions [15]
11 Babar and the Adventures of Badou 2010–2015YTV
TF1
Disney Junior
Nelvana
TeamTO
LuxAnimation (seasons 1–2)
The Clifford Ross Company
[16]
Based on the original Babar books by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff.
Computer-animated sequel and spin-off to the original Babar television series.
12 Transformers: Rescue Bots 2012–2016 Discovery Family Darby Pop Productions (season 1)
Hasbro Studios
Season 1 only, overtook by Vision Animation and Moody Street Productions for the second season and DHX Media Vancouver for the third and fourth seasons.
13 Rocket Monkeys 2013–2016TeletoonBreakthrough Entertainment
Hornet Films
[17]
14 Ella the Elephant 2013–2014 TVOKids DHX Cookie Jar Inc.
FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment
[18]
15 Little Charmers 2015-2017Treehouse TV Spin Master Entertainment
Nelvana
16 Pirate Express 2015TeletoonBreakthrough Entertainment
Sticky Pictures
17Nico Can Dance!2015 Knowledge Network
18Screechers Wild2016 Alpha Group Co., Ltd.
19 Counterfeit Cat 2016–2017TeletoonWildseed Kids
Tricon Kids & Family
Aardman Animations
20 Beat Bugs 2016–2018 7TWO
Netflix
Grace: A Storytelling Company
Thunderbird Entertainment (seasons 1–2)
Beyond Entertainment
Seven Network
Animation services for seasons 1–2
21 Winston Steinburger and Sir Dudley Ding Dong 2016–2017Teletoon Entertainment One
Sticky Pictures
22 Marvel Super Hero Adventures 2017–2020Disney Junior Marvel Animation
23 Minecraft Mini Series2017–2018 YouTube Mojang Studios
Microsoft Studios
Mattel Creations
24Secret History of Comics2017 AMC Skybound Entertainment
AMC Networks
Live action docuseries. Provided work for the title sequence as well as animation sequences in the show itself.
25 Legend of the Three Caballeros 2018DisneyLife Disney Digital Network
6 Point Harness
Mercury Filmworks
26 Cupcake & Dino: General Services 2018–2019TeletoonBirdo Studio
Entertainment One
Corus Entertainment
27 Super Dinosaur 2018–2019TeletoonSpin Master Entertainment
Skybound Entertainment
Corus Entertainment
28 Hilda 2018–2023Netflix Silvergate Media
Mercury Filmworks
Nobrow Press (season 1)
Flying Eye Books (seasons 2–3)
Animated 8 episodes for season one. [19]
29 101 Dalmatian Street 2019–2020 Disney Channel (UK)
Disney+ (USA/Canada)
Passion Animation Studios Loosely based on the 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith and its film franchise.
30 Molly of Denali 2019–present PBS Kids
CBC Kids
GBH Kids
31 Lego Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar 2019 Nickelodeon The Lego Group
32 The Last Kids on Earth 2019–2021NetflixKoko Production Inc.
Cyber Group Studios
33 Hello Ninja 2019–2021NetflixGorilla Poet Productions
34 Mighty Express 2020–2021NetflixSpin Master Entertainment
35 Trolls: TrollsTopia 2020–2022 Hulu/Peacock DreamWorks Animation Television
36 Spidey and His Amazing Friends 2021–presentDisney Jr.Marvel Animation (season 1)
Marvel Studios Animation (season 2–present)
37 Dogs in Space 2021–2022Netflix Netflix Animation
GrizzlyJerr Productions
38 Pinecone & Pony 2022–2023 Apple TV+ DreamWorks Animation Television
First Generation Films
39 Little Demon 2022 FXX Harmonious Claptrap
Jersey Films 2nd Avenue
Evil Hag Productions
ShadowMachine
FXP
First series from the company aimed at an adult audience. [20]
40 My Little Pony: Make Your Mark 2022–2023 Netflix Entertainment One [21]
41 Oddballs 2022–2023NetflixNetflix Animation [22]
42 Princess Power 2023–presentNetflix Flower Films [23]
43 Teenage Euthanasia 2023–present PFFR
Adult Swim
Williams Street Animation services for season 2 [24]
44 Young Love 2023–present Max Sony Pictures Animation
Lion Forge Animation
Carl Jones Studios
Cherry Lane Productions
45 Zokie of Planet Ruby 2023–present Amazon Prime Video
YTV
NelvanaAdditional production facility
46 Zombies: The Re-Animated Series 2024–present Disney Channel
Disney+
Disney Television Animation
Bloor Street Productions
[25]
47Wonderoos2024–presentNetflix7 Ate 9 Entertainment [26]
48Lego Pixar: BrickToons2024Disney+The Lego Group
Pixar
[27]
49 Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy 2024Disney+ Lucasfilm
The Lego Group
[28]
50Mermicorno: Starfall2025Max [29] [30]
51Super Team Canada2025 Crave Electric Avenue [31]

Films and specials

TitleYearsNetworkCo-producer(s)Notes
The Angry Birds Movie 2016Theatrical Columbia Pictures
Rovio Animation
"Hal & Bubbles" opening
Lego Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit 2018 NBC The Lego Group
Lego Spider-Man: Vexed by Venom2019 Disney XD Marvel
The Lego Group
Curious George: Royal Monkey2019 Peacock Universal Animation Studios
Lego Jurassic World: Double Trouble 2020 Nickelodeon The Lego Group
Lego Star Wars Holiday Special 2020 Disney+ Lucasfilm
The Lego Group
[32]
Curious George: Go West, Go Wild!2020PeacockUniversal Animation Studios
Lego Avengers: Climate Conundrum2020Disney XDMarvel
The Lego Group
Curious George: Cape Ahoy2021PeacockUniversal Animation Studios
Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales 2021Disney+Lucasfilm
The Lego Group
[33]
Lego Marvel Avengers: Time Twisted2022Disney+Marvel
The Lego Group
Lego Star Wars: Summer Vacation 2022Disney+Lucasfilm
The Lego Group
[34]
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again 2022Disney+ Walt Disney Pictures
21 Laps Entertainment
Alibaba Pictures
[35]
Lego Jurassic Park: The Unofficial Retelling2023PeacockThe Lego Group [36]
Lego Marvel Avengers: Code Red2023Disney+Marvel
The Lego Group
[37]

Other

Related Research Articles

Mainframe Studios is a Canadian animation company owned by Wow Unlimited Media and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 1993 as Mainframe Entertainment Inc. by Christopher Brough, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell, Gavin Blair and John Grace, the company established itself as a leading contributor to the introduction of computer-generated imagery (CGI) live action in animation, film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Jones-Quartey</span> American writer (born 1984)

Ian Jones-Quartey is an American animator, storyboard artist, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. He is the creator of the animated series OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, based on his Cartoon Network pilot Lakewood Plaza Turbo, which ran on the network from 2017 to 2019. He is also known for his webcomic RPG World and his work on Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Bravest Warriors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal Logic</span> Australian animation and visual effects studio

Animal Logic is an Australian animation and visual effects digital studio based at Disney Studios in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia, Vancouver in Canada, and Rideback Ranch in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1991, Animal Logic has produced visual effects and animation for feature films such as the Academy Award-winning Happy Feet, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Walking with Dinosaurs 3D,The Lego Movie andPeter Rabbit. The company was also recognised for its work as lead visual effects vendor on Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, which won Outstanding Achievement in Visual Effects at the 3rd AACTA Awards ceremony. In 2018, Peter Rabbit was presented with a range of accolades, including the AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation, and Australian Production Design Guild Awards (APDG) in Visual Effects Design and Drawing, Concept Illustration & Concept Models for Screen. Most recently, the company has produced work for the Warner Animation Group's The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel. It is a subsidiary of Netflix.

Sony Pictures Animation Inc. is an American animation studio owned by Sony Entertainment's Sony Pictures Entertainment through their Motion Picture Group division and founded on May 9, 2002. The studio is based in Culver City, California. Most of the studio's films are distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing under their Columbia Pictures label, while direct-to-video releases are released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Augenblick Studios is an independent animation studio founded in 1999 by Aaron Augenblick, and located in Brooklyn, New York City. The company has created a wide array of animated shorts for television, film, and the Internet, with the target audience typically being adults. Their clients include Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, the TED conference, PBS, MTV, and Nickelodeon. Their logo features a moonshine bottle with wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xilam</span> French animation studio

Xilam is a French animation studio which specializes in making animated television series and feature films. Marc du Pontavice and his wife Alix founded it in 1999 as a replacement for the animation division of Gaumont Multimédia, which was itself an offshoot of the company's television division Gaumont Télévision, a company he co-founded in 1990. Gaumont continued to have a deal with Xilam until 2003. Gaumont Multimédia was a video game publisher until closing in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titmouse, Inc.</span> American animation studio

Titmouse, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Los Angeles, California founded in 1999 that develops and produces animated television programming, feature films, music videos, title sequences, commercials, and short films. The name is derived of the titmouse, which serves as the company's mascot.

Reel FX Animation, formerly known as Reel FX Creative Studios, is an American visual effects and computer animation studio with studios in Dallas, Texas, Hollywood, California, and Montreal, Quebec.

Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a Canadian limited liability film and television entertainment company, with offices in both Canada and the United States of America.

Kartoon Studios, Inc., formerly known as Genius Brands International (GBI), is an entertainment company headed by Andy Heyward. The company was formed from the merger of Genius Brands International and A Squared Entertainment.

<i>The Last Kids on Earth</i> (TV series) Childrens animation streaming television series

The Last Kids on Earth is a children's animated television series, based on the book series of the same name by Max Brallier, that premiered on Book 1 Netflix on September 17, 2019 with a one-hour first season. A ten-episode second season, or "Book 2", Official TV episodes on 2019 titled The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade, premiered on April 17, 2020. The third season also known as "Book 3", was released on October 16, 2020 which ended the series on a cliffhanger. An interactive special, subtitled Happy Apocalypse to You, was released on April 6, 2021.

<i>Looney Tunes Cartoons</i> American animated television series

Looney Tunes Cartoons is an American animated television series developed by Pete Browngardt and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the characters from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. The series made its worldwide debut at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 10, 2019, and premiered on HBO Max on May 27, 2020.

References

  1. Ross, Ailsa (June 27, 2019). "Zombies and Owls: How Atomic Cartoons Recruits Canada's Best Talent". Royal Bank of Canada . Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Miller, Bob (2000-09-01). "The Power Behind Atomic Cartoons". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  3. Goodman, Martin (2002-03-18). "Atomic Betty: Defending the Universe and Trying to Find a Home on TV". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  4. 1 2 Cummins, Juliana (July 8, 2015). "Thunderbird acquires Atomic Cartoons". Kidscreen . Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  5. Edwards, Ian (April 5, 1999). "New Vancouver studio Atomic Cartoons opens". Playback . Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  6. Getzler, Wendy (October 19, 2011). "Atomic Cartoons names head of production". Kidscreen . Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  7. Pinto, Jordan (June 16, 2016). "Twiner-McCarron named president of Atomic Cartoons". Playback . Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  8. "Animation studio drawn back to Hintonburg". CBC News . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 16, 2018. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  9. Milligan, Mercedes (February 5, 2020). "Thunderbird's Atomic Cartoons Opens LA Studio". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  10. "'the Walking Dead' Creator Robert Kirkman Quietly Launched a Tv Series in Canada". 12 October 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  11. Edwards, Ian (1999-11-15). "Animal Planet calls on 'Wild'". Playback . Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  12. Godfrey, Leigh (October 25, 2001). "Timberwolf On The Web". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  13. Brodsky, Katherine (2012-09-05). "World's love of toons makes these nerds cool". Variety . Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  14. DeMott, Rick (2007-09-11). "Captain Flamingo Lands On Jetix Programming Block". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  15. Mallory, Michael (2012-06-14). "The Tooning Up of 'Car Talk'". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  16. "Atomic Cartoons Goes Boom". 16 May 2019. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  17. Wolfe, Jennifer (2014-10-15). "TELETOON Commissions Third Season of Breakthrough's 'Rocket Monkeys'". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on 2014-12-25. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
  18. "Atomic Cartoons Revs up Creative Investment". Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  19. "Hilda". Atomic Cartoons. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  20. "FX Orders Animated Comedy Pilot 'Little Demon'; Danny & Lucy DeVito, Aubrey Plaza to Star, Dan Harmon to EP". 23 April 2020. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  21. Tuchow, Ryan (February 18, 2022). "Hasbro Saddles Up New My Little Pony Content". Kid Screen. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  22. "Youtube Creator James Rallison's Animated Series 'Oddballs' to Premiere on Netflix in 2022". Netflix Media Center (Press release). June 23, 2022.
  23. Milligan, Mercedes (2022-09-07). "'Princess Power,' 'Spirit Rangers' Join Netflix's Fall Preschool Slate". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  24. O'Rourke, Ryan (2022-03-31). "'Teenage Euthanasia' Renewed for Season 2 at Adult Swim". Collider. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  25. Zahed, Ramin (June 26, 2024). "Showrunners Behind Disney's 'ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series' Discuss the Franchise's New Incarnation". Animation Magazine . Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  26. "Video: "Wonderoos" New Series Teaser Trailer - Netflix Jr" (Press release). Netflix. June 17, 2024 via The Futon Critic.
  27. Milligan, Mercedes (August 21, 2024). "'LEGO Pixar: BrickToons' Brings Beloved Characters into Newly Built Adventures". Animation Magazine . Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  28. Desowitz, Bill (May 7, 2024). "ANIMATED 'LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy' Trailer: 'Four-Piece' Animated Special Mixes Up Good and Evil". IndieWire . Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  29. Milligan, Mercedes (February 4, 2019). "Tokidoki's Mermicorno Getting Animated with Atomic Cartoons". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  30. Whittock, Jesse (May 24, 2023). "Max Boards 'Mermicorno: Starfall' Animated Series From Thunderbird's Atomic Cartoons And Tokidoki". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  31. "From Will Arnett, Crave Announces New Original Adult Animated Comedy Series, SUPER TEAM CANADA". Bell Media. February 2, 2024.
  32. Zahed, Ramin (August 13, 2020). "Disney+ Gets Festive with 'LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special'". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  33. "LEGO STAR WARS TERRIFYING TALES IS HERE!". Atomic Cartoons. 2021-10-21. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  34. Zahed, Ramin (June 21, 2022). "Disney+ Unveils New Taste of the 'LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation'". Animation Magazine . Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  35. "Night At The Museum Kahmunrah Rises Again Animated Film Gets Animation Studio". Tumblr. Archived from the original on 2023-07-23. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  36. Thompson, Jaden (August 29, 2023). "'Jurassic Park' Animated Lego Special Coming to Peacock". Variety . Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  37. Tingley, Anna (September 18, 2023). "Lego Marvel Avengers: Code Red to Arrive on Disney+ in October". Variety . Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  38. "Atomic Cartoons on LinkedIn: Premiering September 12: The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island".