Film Roman, LLC. was an American animation studio based in Burbank, California and later in Woodland Hills, California. The company had several owners including Digital Production Services, Ltd., IDT Entertainment, Starz, Inc. and Waterman Entertainment.
Founded by veteran animator and director Phil Roman on October 26, 1984, it is best known for providing animation for the Garfield primetime specials, based on Jim Davis' comic strip of the same name. The studio also produced the animated series The Simpsons, The Critic, King of the Hill, Family Guy, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, The Goode Family, and Dan Vs..
History Background Phil Roman, veteran alumnus of MGM Animation/Visual Arts and Bill Melendez Productions, founded Film Roman on October 26, 1984, as a means to continue the production of the Garfield television specials, since Melendez's own studio was unable to work on both the Peanuts and Garfield specials. Peanuts executive producers Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez and their aforementioned studio had produced the first two Garfield specials, but due to both Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz' and Garfield creator Jim Davis' concerns about conflicting interests in allocating production priority at Melendez's boutique studio, the production had to be moved. While Roman was leaving for his already-established studio, he was offered the opportunity to produce the next Garfield prime time special, Garfield in the Rough (1984), for CBS by Mendelson, which he accepted and went on to produce and direct by himself, winning an Emmy in the process.
Formation In 1985, CBS' head of children's programming Judy Price had commissioned an animated television series based on the Garfield prime time special series, later ultimately titled Garfield and Friends, which took three years for Roman to decide developing and producing the program before it eventually aired on the network's Saturday morning time slot, premiering on September 17, 1988. The aforementioned show was Film Roman's first regular series. In 1986, in an effort to expand and diversify the studio, Roman hired Marvel Productions VP of Business Affairs and his own personal attorney, Michael Wahl, as president and Bill Schultz, Marvel's Director of Development, to join in the company as the fledgling studio's VP of Production and Development. Garfield and Friends was expanded to an hour on CBS' number one rated Saturday Morning block and the studio grew to increase its capacity.
In 1988, the new management team developed, sold and produced a new series, Bobby's World, to the brand new Fox Kids Network, headed up by former Marvel Productions president Margaret Loesch. From 1992 to 2016, Film Roman took over the source production of 20th Century Fox's The Simpsons from Klasky-Csupo who had produced the one-minute teaser cartoon shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show as well as the animation for the first three seasons and the first two episodes of the fourth season (in total 61 episodes).
In 1999, Film Roman's founder Phil Roman left and sold the company to form Phil Roman Entertainment, the studio that produced Christmas television specials including Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (2000), but he remained a shareholder of the company and then subsequently rejoined in 2001 as a member of the company's board of directors
At the same time, it attempted to get into the syndication market with the launch of Max Degree TV, which would have consisted of three shows, Mission Extreme from Steve Tisch, Sirens of the Deep from SFX artist Steve Wang, and a new Wes Archer cartoon Victor, but it never got off the ground.
In April 2000, The Harvey Entertainment Company became Film Roman's international sales representative and distributor in an effort for the former to branch out of its existing properties. Within the same year, India-based software firm Pentamedia Graphics attempted to acquire 51% stake in the studio for $15 million, but the deal later terminated in 2001.
IDT Entertainment and Starz ownership
In May 2003, the Digital Production Solutions division of IDT Corporation (formed in 2002) announced that it would acquire a 51% controlling interest and stake in Film Roman, which would temporarily renamed as DPS Film Roman, and the studio later became part of the newly-formed IDT Entertainment division in November that year.
In May 2006, IDT sold the IDT Entertainment division, which includes Film Roman, to Liberty Media for $186 million, the sale was completed on August 31, 2006, which resulted in IDT Entertainment becoming part of Starz Entertainment Group and renamed as Starz Media.
Waterman Entertainment ownership In 2015, Film Roman was acquired from its parent company Starz Distribution by Waterman Entertainment, the production company of executive producer Steve Waterman. As such, it now it did business with Starz, which retained the company's in-house catalogue (currently held by Lionsgate Television).
On November 22, 2016, the company formed a joint venture based in Tijuana, called Film Roman Baja J.V. (also known as Film Roman Baja Productions), with Boxel Studios, a Baja California-based animation facility.
On October 9, 2017, the Secretary of State of California forfeited Film Roman, LLC, and the California Franchise Tax Board followed suit on May 1, 2018, forcing the studio to closedown operations. Business records show the company failed to produce a required Statement of Information for the year 2016. Waterman Entertainment shut down the following year after Steve Waterman made it defunct.
Location The original studio was located on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, California, where Roman was also joined by Melendez producer Lee Mendelson. Years later, the studio moved to a new location on Chandler Blvd. in Studio City, before moving to another location at Starz Plaza on Hollywood Way in Burbank, which it shared with the former Hub Network and Hasbro Studios/Allspark, and then in Woodland Hills.
Television series Show Creator(s) Year(s) Co-production(s) Notes Garfield and Friends Jim Davis 1988–1994 United Media Productions (seasons 1–6)Lee Mendelson Film Productions (seasons 2–7)Paws, Inc. Currently distributed by 9 Story Media Group and Paramount Skydance Bobby's World Howie Mandel 1990–1998 Alevy ProductionsFox Children's Productions Currently distributed by Splash Entertainment Zazoo U Shane DeRolf 1990–1991 Fox Children's Productions Currently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution Mother Goose and Grimm Mike Peters 1991–1993 Tribune Media ServicesGrimmy, Inc.Lee Mendelson Film ProductionsMGM/UA Television Production Group The Simpsons Matt Groening 1992–2016 Gracie Films20th Television Production seasons 4–27 onlyCurrently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution Animated Classic Showcase 1993–1994 Soyuzmultfilm Cro Mark Zaslove Sesame Workshop Mighty Max Mark ZasloveRob Hudnut Bluebird ToysCanal+ D.A.Bohbot Entertainment The Critic Al JeanMike Reiss 1994–1995 Gracie FilmsColumbia Pictures Television Currently distributed by Sony Pictures Television The Baby Huey Show Bob Jaques 1995 Carbunkle Cartoons (season 1)HarveytoonsClaster Television Season 2 onlyCurrently distributed by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios The Mask: Animated Series Duane Capizzi 1995–1997 Dark Horse EntertainmentSunbow EntertainmentNew Line Television Currently distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution Klutter! David SilvermanSavage Steve Holland 1995–1996 Savage StudiosFox Children's Productions As part of Eek! StravaganzaCurrently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat Pat SullivanOtto MessmerJoseph Oriolo 1995–1997 Felix the Cat Productions Currently distributed by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios C Bear and Jamal Earl Richey JonesTodd R. Jones 1996–1997 Taurus Film GmbH and Co. Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm Sean Catherine Derek 1996 Threshold EntertainmentNew Line TelevisionUSA Studios Currently distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution Richie Rich Timothy Williams HarveytoonsClaster Television Currently distributed by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios Bruno the Kid Joel Madison 1996–1997 Camelot Entertainment SalesActive EntertainmentTaurus Film GmbH and Co. King of the Hill Mike JudgeGreg Daniels 1997–2010 Deedle-Dee ProductionsJudgemental Films3 Arts Entertainment20th Television (1997–2010)Original 1997–2010 run only, replaced by 20th Television Animation for the revivalCurrently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution The Mr. Potato Head Show Dan ClarkDoug Langdale 1998–1999 Hasbro Family Guy Seth MacFarlane 1999–2000 Fuzzy Door Productions20th Television Production season 1 onlyCurrently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution Mission Hill Bill OakleyJosh Weinstein 1999–2002 Bill Oakley/Josh Weinstein ProductionsCastle Rock Entertainment Currently distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution The Man Show Adam CarollaJimmy KimmelDaniel Kellison Jackhole Industries (seasons 1–5)Stone Stanley EntertainmentComedy Partners AnimationCurrently distributed by Eagle Rock Entertainment X-Men: Evolution Marty IsenbergRobert N. SkirDavid Wise 2000–2003 Marvel Studios Currently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution The Oblongs Angus OblongJace Richdale 2001–2002 Jobsite ProductionsMohawk ProductionsWarner Bros. Television Currently distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution Free For All Brett Merhar 2003 Showtime Networks Charlie's Angels: Animated Adventures Ivan GoffBen Roberts Sony Pictures DigitalHilltop New Media, Inc. Web seriesBased on Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle Tripping the Rift Chris MoellerChuck Austen 2004–2007 SpaceTeletoon (season 3)CinéGroupe Currently distributed by Starz Distribution Eloise: The Animated Series Kay ThompsonHilary Knight 2006 HandMade Films Law & Order Dick Wolf Wolf FilmsNBC Universal Television Studio Visual effects Eon Kid Designstorm 2006–2007 Manga EntertainmentBRB InternacionalDaiwonDesignstormScreen 21TVE English dub Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Bob Boyle 2006–2010 Bolder MediaStarz Media Currently distributed by Starz Distribution Slacker Cats Andy RileyKevin Cecil 2007–2009 LaikaABC Family The Goode Family Mike JudgeJohn AltschulerDave Krinsky 2009 Ternion Pictures3 Arts EntertainmentJudgemental FilmsMedia Rights Capital Currently distributed by Shout! Studios The Super Hero Squad Show Stan Lee 2009–2011 Ingenious Media (season 1)Marvel Animation Currently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Ciro NieliJoshua FineChristopher Yost 2010–2012 Currently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution Dan Vs. Dan MandelChris Pearson 2011–2013 The Hatchery Currently distributed by Starz Distribution Beavis and Butt-Head Mike Judge 2011 Ternion Pictures3 Arts EntertainmentJudgemental FilmsMTV Production Development Season 8 only Ultimate Spider-Man Marvel Animation 2012–2017 Marvel Animation Currently distributed by Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Paul DiniHenry GilroyMarvel Animation 2013–2015 Camp WWE Seth Green 2016–2018 Stoopid Buddy StoodiosWWE Studios
Films and specials