The current Nelvana logo, used since October 2016. |
|
Subsidiary of Corus Entertainment | |
Industry | Animation, Franchise Licensing, Children's Entertainment |
Founded | 1971 |
Founders |
Michael Hirsh Patrick Loubert Clive A. Smith |
Headquarters |
Original Office: Toronto, Ontario, Canada International Offices: Paris, France Shannon, Ireland Tokyo, Japan |
Number of locations
|
Canada: Kitchener, Ontario London, Ontario , New Brunswick United States: Chicago, Illinois New York City, New York Los Angeles, California |
Key people
|
President: Doug Murphy |
Products | Consisting mainly of children's animation; see also List of Nelvana programs |
Revenue | C$600 million (2001) |
Owner | Corus Entertainment |
Number of employees
|
600-700+ (2000–01) |
Parent |
Corus Entertainment (2000–present) |
Website | http://www.nelvana.com |
Nelvana Ltd. is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 and known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s. The company's production logo is a polar bear looking at the North Star. Corus Entertainment, a spin-off from Shaw Communications, has owned the company since September 2000.
Most of its films, shows and specials are based on licensed properties, mainly children's literature, but original programming is also part of its roster. It ventured into the world of live action from its establishment and continues to do so.
Nelvana also distributes internationally six Nickelodeon shows: Oh Yeah! Cartoons, Taina, The Fairly OddParents, ChalkZone, My Life as a Teenage Robot, and Danny Phantom. As of 2001[update], its library comprises more than 1,650 cumulative half-hours of original programming. The company has international offices in France, Ireland and Japan.
Nelvana’s content has aired in over 150 countries and has received over 70 major international program awards including Emmys and Geminis.
Nelvana started in 1971 when two graduates of York University, Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loubert, teamed up with a Vitaphone animator-designer Clive A. Smith in Toronto, Ontario. Hirsh and Loubert, who had a passion for underground filmmaking, had founded a small company called Laff Arts in the late 1960s. Smith, whose interest was in rock n' roll music, had previously been among the crew for the Beatles' animated series and their 1968 film, Yellow Submarine. Hirsh has commented on the background of Nelvana's founding: