Topcraft

Topcraft
Industry Animated films, Animated television shows
Successor Studio Ghibli
Founded 1971
Founder Toru Hara
Defunct June 15, 1985
Headquarters Japan
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.. 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

TitleYearCo-produced with
Barbapapa1974-1975KSS
The Wizard of Oz1982Toho
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind1984Tokuma Shoten
Hakuhodo
Adventures of the Little Koala1984-1985Toho
Button Nose1985-1986Sanrio

Co-productions

TitleYearMain studio
Onbu Obake1972-1973Eiken
Adventures Of Korobokkle1973-1974Eiken
Jim Button1974-1975Eiken
Time Bokan1975-1976Tatsunoko
Paul's Miraculous Adventure1976-1977Tatsunoko
Ippatsu Kanta-kun1977-1978Tatsunoko
The Last Unicorn1982Rankin/Bass
Macross: Do You Remember Love?1984Studio 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

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

  1. ↑ http://xoomer.virgilio.it/fedgrame/english.htm,
  2. ↑ http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/miyazaki/miyazaki_biography.txt
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