View source for Atkinson Film-Arts

{{Short description|Former Canadian animation studio}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox company
|name            = Atkinson Film-Arts
|type            = 
|owner           = 
|logo            = Atkinson Film-Arts logo.png
|logo_size       = 200px
|former_type     =
|foundation      = 1974
|defunct         = 1989
|fate            = [[Bankruptcy]] and [[Liquidation]]
|founder         = Vic Atkinson<br/>Jonathan Finkelstein
|location        = [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], Canada
|key_people      =
|industry        = [[Animation]]
|products        = [[Television special]]s<br>[[animated series|Television series]]<br>[[Direct-to-video|Direct-to-video films]]<br>[[Feature films]]
|revenue         = 
|operating_income=
|net_income      =
|num_employees   = 
|subsid          = 
|homepage        = 
}}

'''Atkinson Film-Arts''' was an [[animation]] studio based in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], Canada. The company is best known for producing the first two [[Care Bears]] [[television special]]s – ''[[The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings]]'' and ''[[The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine]]'' – and the four [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] specials that inspired ''[[The Raccoons]]'' (as well as first-season episodes of the show itself). Atkinson also produced the Christmas specials ''The Little Brown Burro'', ''[[Tukiki and His Search for a Merry Christmas]]'' and ''[[The Trolls and the Christmas Express]]'' and the 1986–87 series ''[[The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin]]'' (with [[DIC Entertainment]]).<ref name=imdb>{{cite web|title=Atkinson Film Arts [ca]|url=https://www.imdb.com/company/co0002657/|publisher=imdb.com|access-date=10 December 2013|archive-date=1 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141001144202/http://www.imdb.com/company/co0002657/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Atkinson Film-Arts Studio Directory Cartoon Series|url=http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/A/Atkinson_Film-Arts/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628180102/http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/A/Atkinson_Film-Arts/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 28, 2013|publisher=bcdb.com|access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref><ref name=home>{{cite web|title=The First Care Bear Film, 'The Land Without Feelings'|url=http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/patchan/CareBearsFolder/CareBear.html|publisher=home.att.ne.jp|access-date=10 December 2013|archive-date=30 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530183105/http://home.att.ne.jp/blue/patchan/CareBearsFolder/CareBear.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

They also worked on the 1981 science fiction anthology movie ''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]'' and ''The Body Electric'', an animated movie featuring music composed by the Canadian rock band [[Rush (band)|Rush]].<ref name=avax>{{cite web|title=heavy metal film 1981 |url=http://avaxsearch.com/?q=heavy%20metal%20film%201981 |publisher=avaxsearch.com |access-date=10 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212072344/http://avaxsearch.com/?q=heavy%20metal%20film%201981 |archive-date=12 December 2013 }}</ref>

==History==
Vic Atkinson founded the company.{{sfn|Mazurkewich|1999|p=116}}

Atkinson was hospitalized after overseeing the production of two segments for ''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]''. He recovered and oversaw ''[[The Christmas Raccoons]]'' before leaving the company and selling his share to Bill Stevens. Atkinson did not like the direction the company was heading in and stated that "I won't produce garbage" while Stevens says he left over disagreements regarding growth and [[financial risk]].{{sfn|Mazurkewich|1999|p=116}} ''The Christmas Raccoons'' cost $700,000, ''[[The Raccoons on Ice]]'' cost $850,000 and the episodes of ''[[The Raccoons]]'' cost up to $415,000.{{sfn|Mazurkewich|1999|p=118}}

[[F. R. Crawley]], who was $1.2 million in debt, sold his company to Stevens for $1.{{sfn|Mazurkewich|1999|p=116-117}}

Merilyn Read acquired the rights for ''[[Babar the Elephant]]'' and discussed creating a special with Atkinson-Crawley. ''Babar and Father Christmas'' was one of the most expensive specials at the time, with a budget of $600,000.{{sfn|Mazurkewich|1999|p=117}}

[[Sheldon Wiseman]] and [[Kevin Gillis]] formed [[Lacewood Productions|Hinton Animation Studios]], which recruited from Atkinson-Crawley's employment. In 1987, Stevens attempted to aid the financial ailing company by raising $6 million through a public offering under the name The Crawley Group, but the [[Black Monday (1987)|stock market crashed]] three days before his presentation. The company had $4 million in debt by 1988, and owed a large amount of unpaid wages causing more employees to join Hinton Animation.{{sfn|Mazurkewich|1999|p=118-120}}

==Filmography==
===Television specials===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
|-
|1978 || ''[[The Little Brown Burro]]''
|-
|1979 || ''The New Misadventures of [[Ichabod Crane]]''
|-
|1979 || ''[[Tukiki and His Search for a Merry Christmas]]''
|-
|1980 || ''[[The Christmas Raccoons]]''
|-
|1981 || ''[[The Trolls and the Christmas Express]]''
|-
|1981 || ''[[The Raccoons on Ice]]''
|-
|1983 || ''[[The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings]]''
|-
|1983 || ''The Legend of [[Hiawatha]]''
|-
|1983 || ''[[The Raccoons and the Lost Star]]''
|-
|1984 || ''[[The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine]]''
|-
|1985 || ''[[The Body Electric]]''
|-
|1985 || ''[[Rumpelstiltskin (1985 film)|Rumpelstiltskin]]''
|-
|1985 || ''[[The Velveteen Rabbit]]''
|-
|1985 || ''[[For Better or For Worse#Animated series and specials|For Better or For Worse: The Bestest Present]]''
|-
|1986 || ''[[The Steadfast Tin Soldier|The Tin Soldier]]''
|-
|1986 || ''[[Babar the Elephant|Babar and Father Christmas]]''
|-
|1987 || ''[[The Nightingale]]''
|}

===Television series===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Notes
|-
|1985–86 || ''[[The Raccoons]]'' || Season 1 (11 episodes)
|-
|1985–86 || ''[[OWL/TV]]'' || animation
|-
|1986–87 || ''[[The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin]]'' || Seasons 1–2 (65 episodes)
|-
|1988 || ''[[Dennis the Menace (1986 TV series)|Dennis the Menace]]'' || Season 2 (13 episodes)
|-
|1988 || ''[[COPS (animated TV series)|COPS]]'' || Season 1 (11 episodes)
|}

===Direct-to-video films===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Distributor
|-
| 1984 || ''[[The Raccoons: Let's Dance!]]'' || [[Embassy Pictures|Embassy Home Entertainment]]
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Meerkats]]'' || Ammex Productions
|}

===Feature films===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Distributor
!Notes
|-
| 1981 || ''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]'' || [[Columbia Pictures]] || "[[Heavy Metal (film)#Harry Canyon|Harry Canyon]]" and "[[Heavy Metal (film)#B-17|B-17]]" segments
|}

===Short films===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Co-production with
|-
| 1974 || ''Santa'' ||
|-
| 1974 || ''Yesterday's Farm'' || [[Holt, Rinehart and Winston]] of Canada
|-
| 1975 || ''Camp Roofless'' || [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]]
|-
| 1975 || ''Amenita'' || Pyramid Films
|-
| 1976 || ''Let's Talk Business'' || Department of Regional Economic Expansion
|-
| 1976 || ''Propst[r]ike'' || [[Transport Canada]]
|-
| 1977 || ''Post and Beam Construction'' (slide film) || [[Canadian Wood Council]]<br>Eastern Forest Products Laboratory
|-
| 1980 || ''Wood Construction'' (slide film) || [[Canadian Wood Council]]<br>Eastern Forest Products Laboratory
|-
| 1980s || ''Things That Go Bump: Client/Counselor Relationship and Other Things That Go Bump'' || Canadian Employment and Immigration Commission
|-
| 1981 || ''Groups That Work: Part One'' || Canadian Employment and Immigration Commission<br>Telescene Productions
|-
| 1981 || ''Groups That Work: Part Two'' || Canadian Employment and Immigration Commission<br>Telescene Productions
|-
| 1983 || ''A Piece of Sunshine'' || [[Ontario Hydro]]
|}

==See also==
*[[Nelvana]]
*[[Cookie Jar Group]]
*[[CinéGroupe]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Works cited==
* {{cite book|last=Mazurkewich |first=Karen |title=Cartoon Capers: The History of Canadian Animators |publisher=[[McArthur & Company Publishing]] |date=1999 |url=https://archive.org/details/cartooncapershis0000mazu |isbn=1-55278-093-7}}

==External links==
*{{bcdb2|path=cartoons/Other_Studios/A/Atkinson_Film-Arts/}}

{{Animation industry in Canada}}

[[Category:Canadian animation studios]]
[[Category:Companies based in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Defunct film and television production companies of Canada]]
[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1974]]
[[Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 1989]]
[[Category:1974 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:1989 disestablishments in Ontario]]