Topcraft
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Industry | Animated films, Animated television shows |
---|---|
Founded | 1971 |
Founder | Toru Hara |
Defunct | June 15, 1985 |
Successor | Studio Ghibli |
Headquarters | |
Products | Anime, animated feature films, Television animated series |
Topcraft (トップクラフト, also written "Top Craft") was a Japanese anime studio established in 1971 by former Toei Animation producer Toru Hara. It was famous for doing animation for hand-drawn animation titles by Rankin/Bass and for the production of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Macross: Do You Remember Love?. The studio went bankrupt and dissolved in June 15, 1985 essentially splitting the studio in half. Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata bought the studio while laying off most of its animation staff, changing its name to Studio Ghibli.[citation needed]. Topcraft's animators later formed another studio called Pacific Animation Corporation to continue to work with Rankin/Bass on shows like ThunderCats and Silverhawks but eventually joined Ghibli once the studio was bought out by Disney and became Walt Disney Animation Japan.[1] Some animators like Tsuguyuki Kubo went to work for other anime studios such as Studio Pierrot working on Naruto and Bleach for them. In the end the buy out of Topcraft made the studio into the birth of Studio Ghibli. Topcraft's founder Toru Hara became Studio Ghibli's first manager.[2]
Anime
Production
Title | Year | Co-produced with |
---|---|---|
Barbapapa | 1974-1975 | KSS |
The Wizard of Oz | 1982 | Toho |
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | 1984 | Tokuma Shoten Hakuhodo |
Adventures of the Little Koala | 1984-1985 | Toho |
Button Nose | 1985-1986 | Sanrio |
Co-productions
Title | Year | Main studio |
---|---|---|
Onbu Obake | 1972-1973 | Eiken |
Adventures Of Korobokkle | 1973-1974 | Eiken |
Jim Button | 1974-1975 | Eiken |
Time Bokan | 1975-1976 | Tatsunoko |
Paul's Miraculous Adventure | 1976-1977 | Tatsunoko |
Ippatsu Kanta-kun | 1977-1978 | Tatsunoko |
The Last Unicorn | 1982 | Rankin/Bass |
Macross: Do You Remember Love? | 1984 | Studio Nue & Artland |
Contributive works
Title | Year | Company | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Mazinger Z | 1972-1974 | Toei Animation | Top Craft was the main animation studio for episodes 55, 60, 64, 70, 76, 82, 84, 87 and 89. |
Gatchaman | 1972-1974 | Tatsunoko | |
Maya the Bee | 1975-1976 | Nippon Animation | |
Lupin III: Part II | 1977-1980 | Telecom Animation Film | Top Craft was the main animation studio for episodes 24, 29, 109, 114, 119, 122, 124 and 128. |
Jarinko Chie | 1981-1983 | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | eps 42, 45, 49 and 51 |
Kojika Mongatari | 1983-1985 | MK Company | eps 11, 12, 14, 22, 23, 27, 29 and 32 |
Lensman | 1984 | Madhouse Studios and MK Company | Was one of the Animation Cooperation and Photography Studios. |
Magical Fairy Persia | 1984-1985 | Studio Pierrot | Key Animation |
Sherlock Hound | 1984-1985 | TMS Entertainment | ep 24 only |
Galactic Patrol Lensman' | 1984-1985 | Madhouse Studios and Office Academy | Was one of the animation cooperation studios. |
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs | 1984-1985 | Studio Pierrot | eps 27 and 29 only |
Sangokushi | 1985 | Shin-Ei Animation | Was one of the production cooperation studios. |
Non-anime
Cooperative
- The Dragon That Wasn't (Or Was He?) (1983) (with Rob Houwer Film) (Animation Cooperation by Top Craft and its final non-anime title)
Animation
Title | Year | Studio(s) | Episodes |
---|---|---|---|
The Jackson 5ive | 1971-1972 | Rankin/Bass | |
The Osmonds | 1972-1973 | Rankin/Bass | |
Festival of Family Classics | 1972-1973 | Rankin/Bass | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Tom Sawyer |
Kid Power | 1972-1974 | Rankin/Bass | |
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie | 1972-1973 | Rankin/Bass | The Red Baron Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid That Girl in Wonderland |
Twas the Night Before Christmas | 1974 | Rankin/Bass | |
The First Easter Rabbit | 1976 | Rankin/Bass | |
Frosty's Winter Wonderland | 1976 | Rankin/Bass | |
The Hobbit | 1977 | Rankin/Bass | |
The Stingiest Man in Town | 1978 | Rankin/Bass | |
Doctor Snuggles | 1979-1980 | PolyScope Production and DePatie-Freleng | |
Easter Fever | 1980 | Nelvana | |
The Return of the King | 1980 | Rankin/Bass | |
The Flight of Dragons | 1982 | Rankin/Bass | |
The Last Unicorn | 1982 | Rankin/Bass | |
The Coneheads | 1983 | Rankin/Bass and Broadway Video |
References
External links
- Topcraft at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Topcraft at IMDB