StarToons
Encyclopedia
StarToons International, LLC was an American animation studio located in the Chicago, Illinois
area. It was founded by Jon McClenahan, an animator who had previously worked for other studios like Hanna Barbera. While the initial founding of StarToons was in October 1988, the studio didn't start getting credit until 1991, when StarToons animated a full episode of Tiny Toon Adventures
(it had previously done individual scenes outsourced to them by Kennedy Cartoons
when Jon McClenahan worked alone). For the most part, StarToons provided animation exclusively for Warner Bros.
shows, including the opening title sequence for Taz-Mania
and animation of much of an unreleased Looney Tunes
theatrical short entitled Little Go-Beep; however, it also created the popular character Dudley the Dinosaur for the American Dental Association
, the Fat Cats pilot for Cartoon Network
, and some direct-to-video films for the Christian market.
Before its demise in 2001, StarToons had a plethora of exciting projects lined up, such as pilots "Up With the Chickens", "Tuna Sammich", "The Kitchen Sink Gang", "The Neverland Gnomes", and M-7, a Japanese-style anime
which was to be animated fully in Chicago
.
Numerous factors contributed to StarToon's demise. The cost of paying American animators is far higher than for labor in foreign countries like South Korea
and Taiwan
. In addition, the steady rise in popularity of anime
made network execs question the need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on animating something domestically when it could simply import foreign programs. Also, network executives' temporary fascination with Macromedia Flash, which was thought to make animation faster and cheaper, didn't help. Though StarToons struck an alliance with Heart Animation Studios in India during the late 1990s so that they could combine the American experience with cheap Indian labor, it wasn't enough.
StarToons officially went out of business in August 2001. One month before 9/11.
StarToons has provided animation for the following shows:
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
area. It was founded by Jon McClenahan, an animator who had previously worked for other studios like Hanna Barbera. While the initial founding of StarToons was in October 1988, the studio didn't start getting credit until 1991, when StarToons animated a full episode of Tiny Toon Adventures
Tiny Toon Adventures
Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, usually referred to as Tiny Toon Adventures or simply Tiny Toons, is an American animated television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It began production as a result of Warner Bros....
(it had previously done individual scenes outsourced to them by Kennedy Cartoons
Kennedy Cartoons
Kennedy Cartoons was an animation studio based in Toronto, Canada and Manila, Philippines that did work for the following animated series:*Tiny Toon Adventures - Kennedy Cartoons, in its Tiny Toons and Darkwing Duck days, outsourced some scenes of animation to StarToons, located in...
when Jon McClenahan worked alone). For the most part, StarToons provided animation exclusively for Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
shows, including the opening title sequence for Taz-Mania
Taz-Mania
Taz-Mania is a American cartoon sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 1991–1993, broadcast in the United States on Fox from 1991-1995...
and animation of much of an unreleased Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
theatrical short entitled Little Go-Beep; however, it also created the popular character Dudley the Dinosaur for the American Dental Association
American Dental Association
The American Dental Association is an American professional association established in 1859 which has more than 155,000 members. Based in Chicago, the ADA is the world's largest and oldest national dental association and promotes good oral health to the public while representing the dental...
, the Fat Cats pilot for Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, and some direct-to-video films for the Christian market.
Before its demise in 2001, StarToons had a plethora of exciting projects lined up, such as pilots "Up With the Chickens", "Tuna Sammich", "The Kitchen Sink Gang", "The Neverland Gnomes", and M-7, a Japanese-style anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
which was to be animated fully in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Numerous factors contributed to StarToon's demise. The cost of paying American animators is far higher than for labor in foreign countries like South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. In addition, the steady rise in popularity of anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
made network execs question the need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on animating something domestically when it could simply import foreign programs. Also, network executives' temporary fascination with Macromedia Flash, which was thought to make animation faster and cheaper, didn't help. Though StarToons struck an alliance with Heart Animation Studios in India during the late 1990s so that they could combine the American experience with cheap Indian labor, it wasn't enough.
StarToons officially went out of business in August 2001. One month before 9/11.
StarToons has provided animation for the following shows:
- Tiny Toon AdventuresTiny Toon AdventuresSteven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures, usually referred to as Tiny Toon Adventures or simply Tiny Toons, is an American animated television series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It began production as a result of Warner Bros....
(with Kennedy CartoonsKennedy CartoonsKennedy Cartoons was an animation studio based in Toronto, Canada and Manila, Philippines that did work for the following animated series:*Tiny Toon Adventures - Kennedy Cartoons, in its Tiny Toons and Darkwing Duck days, outsourced some scenes of animation to StarToons, located in...
, and as StarToons) - Taz-ManiaTaz-ManiaTaz-Mania is a American cartoon sitcom produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 1991–1993, broadcast in the United States on Fox from 1991-1995...
- AnimaniacsAnimaniacsSteven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as simply Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros. Television and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon was the second animated series produced by the collaboration of Steven...
- Histeria!Histeria!Histeria! is a 1998 American animated series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Unlike other animated series produced by Warner Bros. in the 1990s, Histeria! stood out as the most explicit edutainment program in order to meet FCC requirements for...
- Pinky and the BrainPinky and the BrainPinky and the Brain is an American animated television series.The characters Pinky and the Brain first appeared in 1993 as a recurring segment on the show Animaniacs...
- Road RoversRoad RoversRoad Rovers is an American 2D animated television series written and produced by Warner Bros. Animation that premiered on Kids' WB on September 7, 1996. It lasted one season and ended on February 22, 1997. Reruns continued to air until September 6, 1997. It was then on Cartoon Network from February...
(Storyboarding) - What-A-Cartoon! pilot: Fat Cats
- The Spooktacular New Adventures of CasperThe Spooktacular New Adventures of CasperThe Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper was an animated television spin-off of the feature film Casper, which, in turn, was based on the Harvey Comics character of Casper the Friendly Ghost....
(Some Episodes)