Nelvana
Nelvana Limited (/nɛlˈvɑːnə/; often called Nelvana Studios or simply Nelvana) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded in July 1971 by Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, and Clive A. Smith, it was named after Nelvana of the Northern Lights, the first Canadian national superhero, who was created by Adrian Dingle. The company's production logo is a polar bear looking at Polaris, the North Star.
Logo used since 2016 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation Franchise licensing Children's entertainment |
| Predecessor | Laff Arts |
| Founded | July 1971 |
| Founders | Michael Hirsh Patrick Loubert Clive A. Smith |
| Headquarters | Official office: Toronto, Ontario, Canada International offices: Paris, France Shannon, Ireland Tokyo, Japan |
Number of locations | Canada: Kitchener, Ontario London, Ontario Woodstock, New Brunswick United States: Chicago, Illinois New York City, New York Los Angeles, California |
Key people | Mellany Welsh (Head of Nelvana Enterprises) Pam Westman (President of Nelvana Limited) |
| Products | Consisting mainly of children's animation; see also list of Nelvana programs |
| Revenue | C$600 million (2001) |
Number of employees | 200+ (2021) |
| Parent | Corus Entertainment (2000–present) |
| Subsidiaries | Redknot (50%) |
| Website | www |
The company is based in Toronto, Ontario, and it maintains international offices in France, Ireland and Japan, as well as smaller offices in the top three cities in the U.S. Many of its films, shows and specials are based on licensed properties and literature, but original programming is also part of its roster. Although the company specializes in children's media, Nelvana has also co-produced adult animations like the first season of Clone High, John Callahan's Quads, Bob & Margaret, and Committed.
Nelvana International distributes three Nickelodeon shows: Taina, the first five seasons of The Fairly OddParents, and The Backyardigans (the latter of which was co-produced with Nick Jr.). As of 2001, its library comprised more than 1,650 cumulative half-hours of original programming.