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]
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | March 1999 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | 123 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 |
History
editThe 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 . 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
editTelevision series
edit| # | Title | Years | Network/channel/platform | Co-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 | Additional storyboards only |
| 3 | Milo's Bug Quest | 1999–2000 | KBS2 | Sunwoo Entertainment | Character, prop and background designs, and storyboards[11] |
| 4 | The Zeta Project | 2001–2002 | Kids' WB | Warner Bros. Animation | |
| 5 | Timber Wolf | 2001 | 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 | 2005–2006 | Cartoon Network | Warner Bros. Animation | Storyboards only |
| 8 | Johnny Test | 2005–2014 | Kids' 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 | 2010–2015 | YTV 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 | 2013–2016 | Teletoon | Breakthrough Entertainment Hornet Films |
[17] |
| 14 | Ella the Elephant | 2013–2014 | TVOKids | DHX Cookie Jar Inc. FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment |
[18] |
| 15 | Little Charmers | 2015–2017 | Treehouse TV | Spin Master Entertainment Nelvana |
|
| 16 | Pirate Express | 2015 | Teletoon | Breakthrough Entertainment Sticky Pictures |
|
| 17 | Nico Can Dance! | 2015 | Knowledge Network | ||
| 18 | Screechers Wild | 2016 | Alpha Group Co., Ltd. | ||
| 19 | Counterfeit Cat | 2016–2017 | Teletoon | Wildseed 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 | 2016–2017 | Teletoon | Entertainment One Sticky Pictures |
|
| 22 | Marvel Super Hero Adventures | 2017–2020 | Disney Junior | Marvel Animation | |
| 23 | Minecraft Mini Series | 2017–2018 | YouTube | Mojang Studios Microsoft Studios Mattel Creations |
|
| 24 | Secret History of Comics | 2017 | 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 | 2018 | DisneyLife | Disney Digital Network 6 Point Harness Mercury Filmworks |
|
| 26 | Cupcake & Dino: General Services | 2018–2019 | Teletoon | Birdo Studio Entertainment One Corus Entertainment |
|
| 27 | Super Dinosaur | 2018–2019 | Teletoon | Spin Master Entertainment Skybound Entertainment Corus Entertainment |
|
| 28 | Hilda | 2018–2023 | Netflix | 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 | 2019–2021 | Netflix | Koko Production Inc. Cyber Group Studios |
|
| 33 | Hello Ninja | 2019–2021 | Netflix | Gorilla Poet Productions | |
| 34 | Mighty Express | 2020–2021 | Netflix | Spin Master Entertainment | |
| 35 | Trolls: TrollsTopia | 2020–2022 | Hulu/Peacock | DreamWorks Animation Television | |
| 36 | Spidey and His Amazing Friends | 2021–present | Disney Jr. | Marvel Animation (season 1) Marvel Studios Animation (season 2–present) |
|
| 37 | Dogs in Space | 2021–2022 | Netflix | 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 | 2022–2023 | Netflix | Netflix Animation | [22] |
| 42 | Princess Power | 2023–present | Netflix | 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 |
Nelvana | Additional production facility |
| 46 | Zombies: The Re-Animated Series | 2024–present | Disney Channel Disney+ |
Disney Television Animation Bloor Street Productions |
[25] |
| 47 | Wonderoos | 2024–present | Netflix | 7 Ate 9 Entertainment | [26] |
| 48 | Lego Pixar: BrickToons | 2024 | Disney+ | The Lego Group Pixar |
[27] |
| 49 | Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy | Lucasfilm The Lego Group |
[28] | ||
| 50 | Mermicorno: Starfall | 2025 | Max | [29][30] | |
| 51 | Super Team Canada | Crave | Electric Avenue | [31] | |
| 52 | Iron Man and His Awesome Friends | Disney Jr. | Marvel Studios Animation | [32] |
Films and specials
edit| Title | Years | Network | Co-producer(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Angry Birds Movie | 2016 | Theatrical | Columbia Pictures Rovio Animation |
"Hal & Bubbles" opening |
| Lego Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit | 2018 | NBC | The Lego Group | |
| Lego Spider-Man: Vexed by Venom | 2019 | Disney XD | Marvel The Lego Group |
|
| Curious George: Royal Monkey | 2019 | 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 |
[33] |
| Curious George: Go West, Go Wild! | 2020 | Peacock | Universal Animation Studios | |
| Lego Avengers: Climate Conundrum | 2020 | Disney XD | Marvel The Lego Group |
|
| Curious George: Cape Ahoy | 2021 | Peacock | Universal Animation Studios | |
| Lego Star Wars: Terrifying Tales | 2021 | Disney+ | Lucasfilm The Lego Group |
[34] |
| Lego Marvel Avengers: Time Twisted | 2022 | Disney+ | Marvel The Lego Group |
|
| Lego Star Wars: Summer Vacation | 2022 | Disney+ | Lucasfilm The Lego Group |
[35] |
| Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again | 2022 | Disney+ | Walt Disney Pictures 21 Laps Entertainment Alibaba Pictures |
[36] |
| Lego Jurassic Park: The Unofficial Retelling | 2023 | Peacock | The Lego Group | [37] |
| Lego Marvel Avengers: Code Red | 2023 | Disney+ | Marvel The Lego Group |
[38] |
| Lego Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition | 2024 | Disney+ | Marvel The Lego Group |
[39] |
Other
- The Oblongs (2001; Layout)
- Chub City (2014; scrapped project)
- Five Alarm Funk 'Robot' (2015, music video)
- Vindicators 2 (2022, 10 episodes, short spin-off of Rick and Morty)
- The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island[40] (2023, web series)
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Cummins, Juliana (July 8, 2015). "Thunderbird acquires Atomic Cartoons". Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "'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.
- ^ Edwards, Ian (1999-11-15). "Animal Planet calls on 'Wild'". Playback. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
- ^ Godfrey, Leigh (October 25, 2001). "Timberwolf On The Web". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on March 24, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Atomic Cartoons Goes Boom". 16 May 2019. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Atomic Cartoons Revs up Creative Investment". Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ "Hilda". Atomic Cartoons. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Youtube Creator James Rallison's Animated Series 'Oddballs' to Premiere on Netflix in 2022". Netflix Media Center (Press release). June 23, 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Video: "Wonderoos" New Series Teaser Trailer - Netflix Jr" (Press release). Netflix. June 17, 2024 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (August 21, 2024). "'LEGO Pixar: BrickToons' Brings Beloved Characters into Newly Built Adventures". Animation Magazine. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "From Will Arnett, Crave Announces New Original Adult Animated Comedy Series, SUPER TEAM CANADA". Bell Media. February 2, 2024.
- ^ Petski, Denise (2024-10-15). "'Marvel's Iron Man And His Awesome Friends' Preschool Series Gets Disney Jr. Greenlight". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "LEGO STAR WARS TERRIFYING TALES IS HERE!". Atomic Cartoons. 2021-10-21. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Thompson, Jaden (August 29, 2023). "'Jurassic Park' Animated Lego Special Coming to Peacock". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Flook, Ray (September 21, 2024). "LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition Arrives Oct. 18th (Poster)". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ "Atomic Cartoons on LinkedIn: Premiering September 12: The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island".