| Klasky-Csupo, Inc. | |
| Type: | Private |
| Former Name: | Klasky & Csupo (legal name until 1991) |
| Foundation: | (original) (current) |
| Defunct: | (original) |
| Fate: | Dormancy (original) |
| Location City: | Los Angeles, California 90038[1] |
| Industry: | Animation |
| Owners: | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó |
Klasky-Csupo, Inc., (stylized as KLaSKY CSUPO INC., doing business as Klasky Csupo,) is an American animation studio located in Los Angeles, California.[2] It was founded in 1982 by producer Arlene Klasky and her then-husband, Hungarian animator Gábor Csupó[3] (hence the company's name) in a spare room of their apartment and grew to 550 artists, creative workers and staff in an animation facility in Hollywood.
During the 1990s and 2000s, they produced and animated era-defining shows for the children's network, Nickelodeon, such as Rugrats (which was one of the channel's original animated series, known as Nicktoons), Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, The Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power, As Told by Ginger, and All Grown Up!. They also animated the first three seasons of The Simpsons for 20th Century Fox Television and Gracie Films, as well as Duckman on USA Network. In 2008, Nickelodeon ended their long-running partnership with Klasky Csupo and its shows ceased production, resulting in the company becoming discontinued for four years. In 2012, the company reopened. In 2018, it began production on a CGI-animated reboot of Rugrats, which premiered in 2021 on Paramount+, the streaming service of Nickelodeon and its parent company Paramount Global.
Klasky-Csupo, Inc., got its start in 1982.[4] It was founded in the spare bedroom of a Hollywood apartment where Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó were living during their marriage. 1 year later, Klasky-Csupo expanded and moved to a new location at 729 Seward Street,[5] [6] [7] (Bob Clampetts studio) opening its first facility in Hollywood.
Klasky Csupo was initially distinguished by its work on logo designs, commercials, feature film trailers, TV show titles, promos and ident spots for a wide variety of clients, in the process earning a reputation as the industry's most imaginative and innovative studio. Building on its success, the studio left Seward Street to open its second facility in Hollywood in 1988 at the corner of Fountain and Highland Avenues. The studio soon grew to include six buildings that have become well known in Hollywood—in true Klasky Csupo style, the exterior walls of the buildings are decorated with large murals of its characters.
The studio's first big break came in 1987 when James L. Brooks of Gracie Films commissioned the studio to produce the title sequence for a comedy series titled The Tracey Ullman Show. In addition to the main title, Klasky Csupo was given the opportunity to produce and animate a new series of one-minute cartoons which featured a family called the Simpsons, created by Matt Groening. Klasky Csupo produced and animated all 48 shorts, and when it became one of the most popular segments on the show, Fox began airing a weekly half-hour series entitled The Simpsons. Klasky Csupo oversaw and animated every episode of the first three seasons of the series, resulting in the studio sharing the 1989–1990 and 1990–1991 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, with Gracie Films.
In addition, Klasky Csupo produced the hit video "Do the Bartman". Klasky Csupo animator and colorist "Georgie" Gyorgyi Kovacs Peluce (Kovács Györgyike)[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] conceived the idea of The Simpsons characters having yellow skin, and Marge Simpson having blue hair, opting for something which "didn't look like anything that had come before."[14] [15] [16] Klasky Csupo was also responsible for an error during the episode "Homer's Odyssey", in which Waylon Smithers was colorized as black with blue hair.[17]
In 1992, Gracie Films switched domestic production of The Simpsons to Film Roman, which continued until 2016.[18] Csupó was "asked [by Gracie Films] if they could bring in their own producer [to oversee the animation production]," but declined, stating "they wanted to tell me how to run my business."[18] Sharon Bernstein of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "Gracie executives had been unhappy with the producer Csupo had assigned to The Simpsons and said the company also hoped to obtain better wages and working conditions for animators at Film Roman."[18] Of the 110 people he employed to animate The Simpsons, Csupó laid off 75.[18]
In 1991, Klasky Csupo created Rugrats, one of the first animated shows for Nickelodeon - known as "Nicktoons" - which was inspired by the couple's two sons and the idea of what they would do if they could speak.[19] [20] Their next major series was Duckman for the USA Network, which revolved around the home life and adventures of a dim-witted and lascivious private detective duck named Eric Duckman. The series ran from 1994 to 1997. During the same time, Nickelodeon released Klasky Csupo's second Nicktoon series, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. During this time, Klasky Csupo originally ended production on Rugrats due to the network's since-outdated 65-episode rule.[21] However, when Rugrats went into syndication, it exploded in popularity with ratings skyrocketing and advertising deals taking off, prompting Nickelodeon and Klasky Csupo to resume production on the series. The show was cited as "a show like the Simpsons, but for children".
In 1993, Klasky Csupo worked with comedian Lily Tomlin and her partner Jane Wagner to bring the irascible little girl, Edith Ann, to television in two half-hour animated specials for ABC. The first, A Few Pieces of the Puzzle, aired in January 1994 and received critical acclaim, and the second, Homeless Go Home, aired in May 1994 to even better response and ratings.
In 1995, the studio debuted Santo Bugito, the first Saturday morning animated comedy on television. Created by Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo for CBS, Santo Bugito tells the story of a small town of 64 million insects located on the border of Texas and Mexico. Music-driven and Latin-influenced, the series stars Cheech Marin, Joan Van Ark, Tony Plana, William Sanderson, George Kennedy, Marabina Jaimes, and David Paymer, and is highlighted by a distinctive look and the music of Mark Mothersbaugh, the Devo keyboardist who also composed the music of Rugrats.
The same year, Klasky Csupo established Klasky Csupo Commercials (rebranded as Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials in 1998), helmed by John Andrews, in order to continue the successful commercial animation business that had grown from the company's initial work in main titles and graphics. Class-Key Chew-Po had been an immediate success, building an impressive client list with work for companies like 1-800-COLLECT, Oscar Mayer, Taco Bell, Kraft, and Nickelodeon. In 2001, the company founded Ka-Chew!, a live-action commercial division.
The company was also active in producing recorded music with the record labels Tone Casualties and Casual Tonalities. Gabor Csupo was a good friend of Frank Zappa and occasionally collaborates with Mark Mothersbaugh. After Duckman and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters were both cancelled in 1997, Klasky Csupo began producing The Wild Thornberrys for Nickelodeon, which premiered the following year; the story revolved around a girl named Eliza Thornberry who could talk to animals.[22] [23]
In 1998, Klasky Csupo produced its first feature-length film, The Rugrats Movie, which opened in the United States on November 20, 1998 as the #1 film in the country and grossed $141 million worldwide, becoming the first non-Disney animated film to gross over $100 million in the United States. It was then followed by two sequels, (2000) and Rugrats Go Wild (2003), the latter of which was a crossover with The Wild Thornberrys. The Wild Thornberrys later got its own feature-length film in 2002.
That same year, Klasky Csupo was commissioned by McDonald's to develop The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald, a series of six animated videos featuring the company's mascot, Ronald McDonald, which were distributed directly to consumers via participating McDonald's restaurants on VHS. On December 23, 1998, CEO Terry Thoren concluded an eleven-month negotiation with the car industry Mercedes-Benz and moved the company into the state-of-the-art studio in Los Angeles.[24]
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Klasky Csupo began producing two more shows for Nickelodeon: Rocket Power and As Told by Ginger. They also produced the first series of Stressed Eric, BBC Two's first adult-oriented animated series.
In 2001, in honor of the tenth anniversary of Rugrats, Klasky Csupo released a two-part television special entitled All Growed Up, which featured all of the titular babies as teens.[25] It was popular enough that Nick commissioned a series based on that special, titled All Grown Up!, which ran on the channel from 2003 to 2008. On September 29, 2001, Class-Key Chew-Po signed animation director Chris Prynoski and his company Titmouse, Inc. for commercial representation.
In 2003, Klasky Csupo and Titmouse, Inc. were commissioned by Cartoon Network to produce a music video by the band They Might Be Giants for their song "Dee Dee and Dexter", which features characters from Dexter's Laboratory drawn by the studio in anime style. Class-Key Chew-Po Animated Commercials and Broadcast Design were then folded into Ka-Chew! the following year.
Also in 2003, the studio began work on The Way the Dead Love, a theatrical film that was set to adapt seven short stories from German-American writer Charles Bukowski from a script penned by Bruce Wagner.[26] The film was developed under the studio's Global Tantrum division, with Winchester Films being tapped to co-produce the film with the studio, as well as providing sales for the film. It was to be directed by Igor Kovalyov and Laslo Nosek, with names like Radiohead and Peter Gabriel being attached to compose the feature. Slated for a 2006 release,[27] the year came and went without it. The project was then revived that same year at Warner Independent Pictures,[28] with Johnny Depp being attached to co-produce and serve as the voice of the film's main character.[29] Once again, the project was silently scrapped. Had it been completed, the film would have been the first R-rated feature from the studio.
In 2005, the company again worked for Cartoon Network on the shorts Oogloo + Anju, Food Court Diaries, and The Topside Rag for Sunday Pants under Ka-Chew!.
In the mid-2000s, Klasky Csupo ceased production on their Nickelodeon shows and their long-running partnership soon ended. In 2006, the longtime CEO of the company, Terry Thoren, left the studio and they dissolved the remainder of their 401(k) program, leading them to a period of dormancy and inactivity.
In fall 2006, Klasky Csupo announced the development of 28 new animated cartoon pilots that were to be up for sale at a later date.[30] Each pilot was animated in different designs, instead of the typical style the studio was famous for. As of 2010, some of the cartoons had yet to be finished. Gabor Csupo would later post the remains of the cartoons on his YouTube channel. One of the pilots, Chicken Town, was picked up as a series by French company Ellipsanime, though Klasky Csupo was not involved with it.[31]
In 2007, Paul Demeyer left Klasky Csupo to found Wild Canary, taking some of Ka-Chew!'s clients with him. In 2008, Ka-Chew! celebrated its 10th anniversary by expanding its roster of directors,[32] before being absorbed into 6 Point Media in April 2011.[33] In the same year, the studio released its final film to date, Immigrants, which was originally produced as an unaired animated series for Spike TV.
In 2012, Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo reopened the company after nearly four years of dormancy. Along with Craig Singer, the studio created its first new project in four years, Ollie Mongo, a digital comic book about a teenage skateboarding zombie who lives 200 years in the future.[34] In 2015, the company announced that they were working on RoboSplaat!, a web series featuring the character with a robotic voice from their 1998 on-screen logo, given the name "Splaat" (currently voiced by Greg Cipes). The logo featuring him was retired in 2008, but was revived in 2021 along with the premiere of the Rugrats revival; the logo continues to appear on productions from the company. The web series premiered on December 21, 2016[35] and an app based on the web series is also currently in development.[36] That same year, Klasky Csupo also announced that they were working on some "top secret projects".[37]
On September 2, 2015, it was announced that Nickelodeon may "seek to experiment with retooled versions of classics" that could include Rugrats.[38] The following day, The Independent announced that Rugrats "could soon be back on our screens too".[39] At San Diego Comic-Con in 2016, Arlene Klasky explained that she would be willing to work on a revival of the series along with co-creators Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain.[40]
On July 16, 2018, Nickelodeon announced a revival/reboot of Rugrats consisting of a 26-episode order. Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó would return as executive producers for the revived series.[41] Using CGI animation rather than traditional hand-drawn animation used in the original series, the new Rugrats premiered on Paramount+, the streaming service for Nickelodeon parent Paramount Global, on May 27, 2021.[42]
In April 2022, Gabor Csupo launched an NFT project titled Cosa Monstra.
RoboSplaat! is an American animated web series created by Arlene Klasky for YouTube. The series is about Splaat, an ink splat, who is voiced by Greg Cipes, who also voiced Beast Boy from Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!.
| Show | Creator(s) | Network(s) | Year(s) | Co-production(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons | Matt Groening | Fox | 1989–1992 | Gracie Films 20th Television | Seasons 1–4 only |
| Rugrats | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó Paul Germain | Nickelodeon | 1991–2004 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | |
| Duckman | Everett Peck | USA Network | 1994–1997 | Reno & Osborn Productions Paramount Television | Based on the comics of the same name |
| Aaahh!!! Real Monsters | Gábor Csupó Peter Gaffney | Nickelodeon | Games Animation | ||
| Santo Bugito | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó | CBS | 1995–1996 | ||
| The Wild Thornberrys | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó Steve Pepoon David Silverman Stephen Sustarsic | Nickelodeon | 1998–2004 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | |
| Stressed Eric | Carl Gorham | BBC Two (UK) NBC (USA, season 1) | 1998 | Absolutely Productions BBC Worldwide | Season 1 only |
| Rocket Power | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó | Nickelodeon | 1999–2004 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | |
| As Told by Ginger | Emily Kapnek | 2000–2006 | |||
| All Grown Up! | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó Paul Germain | 2003–2008 | Spin-off of 1991's Rugrats | ||
| Rugrats Pre-School Daze | 2005 (UK) 2008 (US) | ||||
| Rugrats | Paramount+ (2021–2023) Nicktoons (2024–present) | 2021–present | Reboot of the original 1991 series | ||
| Title | Year(s) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoboSplaat! | 2016 2020–present | Created by Arlene Klasky Company's first web series | |
| Dear Splaat | 2016 | Created by Arlene Klasky Spin-off web series of RoboSplaat! |
| Title | Year | Directors | Notes | Co-Production | Box Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Igor Kovalyov and Norton Virgien | First film made by the studio First animated feature to ever cross the $100 million box office barrier outside of Disney | $140.9 million[43] | |||
| 2000 | and Paul Demeyer | $103.3 million[44] | ||||
| 2002 | and Jeff McGrath | Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon | $60.7 million[45] | |||
| Rugrats Go Wild | 2003 | and Norton Virgien | Crossover with Rugrats & The Wild Thornberrys | $55.4 million[46] | ||
| Immigrants | 2008 | Final film to date | Hungaricom | $0.1 million[47] |
| Pilot | Creator(s) | Year(s) | Co-production(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin's Kitchen | Arlene Klasky | 1995 | ||
| Hogsters | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó | 1998 | ||
| The Carmichaels | Arlene Klasky Gábor Csupó | 1999 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | Planned spin-off of Rugrats. Later remade as A Rugrats Kwanzaa special. |
| Psyko Ferret | Atul Rao Kim Saltarski Greg van Riel Karen Krenis Brian Strause Emily Kapnek Paul Greenberg | 2001 | ||
| Citizen Tony | Gábor Csupó | 2003 | Global Tantrum The New TNN | |
| Stinky Pierre | Everett Peck | |||
| Bench Pressly | Sean Abley John Eng Ahmet Zappa | 2004 | Global Tantrum Spike TV | |
| What's Cooking? | Arlene Klasky | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | ||
| You Animal | Bruce Wagner | Global Tantrum Spike TV | ||
| Chicken Town | Niko Meulemans | 2005 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | CGI |
| Commander Bunsworth | Aglaia Mortcheva | |||
| Junkyard Teddies | Arlene Klasky | CGI | ||
| Rollin' Rock Starz | Gábor Csupó | |||
| SCHMUTZ | James Proimos & David Hale | |||
| Wiener Squad | Niko Meulemans | CGI | ||
| Zeek & Leo | ||||
| Sugarless | Erin Ehrlich | The N | ||
| Twinkle | Dora Nagy | Nick Jr. Productions | Planned first preschool animated series produced by the company | |
| Big Babies | Arlene Klasky | 2006 | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | |
| Eggheads | ||||
| Ricky Z | ||||
| Ace Bogart: Space Ape | Neal Sopata | |||
| Grampa and Julie: Shark Hunters | Jef Czekaj | |||
| Little Freaks | Erin Ehrlich | |||
| Ronnie Biddles | John Matta Ken Daly | |||
| My Stupid Cat | Everett Peck | |||
| Title | Year(s) | Notes | Client |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Tracey Ullman Show | 1987–1989 | animated sequences | Gracie Films 20th Century Fox Television |
| 21 Jump Street | 1987 | main title | Stephen J. Cannell Productions |
| Eddie Murphy Raw | trailer | Paramount Pictures | |
| Elvira, Mistress of the Dark | 1988 | title sequence | NBC Productions |
| Mortuary Academy | Landmark Films | ||
| Technological Threat | test camera | Kroyer Films | |
| Brotherhood of the Rose | 1989 | title sequence | NBC Productions |
| Stereotypes | composite animation photography | Laurien Productions Soviet Peace Committee | |
| Anything but Love | main titles | 20th Century Fox Television | |
| Quantum Leap | Universal Television | ||
| Booker | Stephen J. Cannell Productions | ||
| title sequence | Trancas International | ||
| "Shadrach" | music video | Beastie Boys | |
| Shocker | title sequence | Universal Pictures | |
| Sesame Street | 1990–1991 | six shorts plus Monster in the Mirror | Children's Television Workshop |
| In Living Color | 1990–1993 | main titles | 20th Television |
| Northern Exposure | 1990 | "Aurora Borealis: A Fairy Tale for Big People" (Aurora Borealis effect) | Universal Television |
| HBO Storybook Musicals | "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" | HBO | |
| "I Feel So Good" | 1991 | music video | Richard Thompson |
| Roc | main titles | HBO Independent Productions | |
| Man Trouble | 1992 | title sequence | 20th Century Fox |
| Mo' Money | Columbia Pictures | ||
| Great Scott! | main titles | Castle Rock Entertainment | |
| Recycle Rex | Designed and created by David Cutler | Disney Educational Productions | |
| "Whatzupwitu" | 1993 | music video | Eddie Murphy |
| (television special) | Created by Lilly Tomlin | ABC | |
| Edith Ann Homeless Go Home (television special) | 1994 | ||
| Magic Theatre | game design and animation | Instinct Corporation Knowledge Adventure | |
| Bird in the Window | 1996 | short film | |
| Clueless | 1996–1999 | main titles | Paramount Television |
| Kelly Kelly | 1998 | Warner Bros. Television | |
| The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald | 1998–2003 | Direct-to-video series | McDonald's |
| Snowden's Raggedy Ann & Andy Holiday Show | 1998 | animation | Target |
| What's Inside Heidi's Head? | 1999 | Created by Nancye Ferguson and Mark Mothersbaugh Company's first live-action series. | Noggin |
| "Don't Rush Me" | 2000 | music video | Juliana Hatfield |
| Flying Nansen | short film | ||
| Disney's One Saturday Morning | opening and bumpers | Walt Disney Television | |
| The Wayne Brady Show | 2001 | main titles | Buena Vista Television |
| The Ellen Show | CBS Productions | ||
| The Anna Nicole Show | 2002 | E! | |
| The Osbournes | MTV | ||
| Girls Behaving Badly | Oxygen | ||
| Punk'd | 2003, 2006 | MTV | |
| Cartoon Network Groovies | 2003 | "Dee Dee and Dexter" (with Titmouse, Inc.) | Cartoon Network |
| The Ashlee Simpson Show | 2004 | main titles | MTV |
| "Dirty Little Thing" | music video (with Titmouse, Inc.) | Velvet Revolver | |
| The Princes of Malibu | 2005 | main titles | GRB Entertainment |
| Bravo | |||
| Sunday Pants | Oogloo + Anju, Food Court Diaries, and The Topside Rag | Cartoon Network | |
| Passions | animated scenes[48] | NBC Universal Television Studio | |
| PBS Kids Big Big Friend Day | interstitial animation | PBS Kids | |
| The Daly Planet | 2006 | main titles | Golf Channel |
| This Film Is Not Yet Rated | title sequence and animation | BBC Films | |
| The Simple Life | 2006–2007 | main titles | 20th Century Fox Television |
| Bridge to Terabithia | 2007 | creature designs | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Nip/Tuck | main titles and "Damien Sands" animated scene | Warner Bros. Television | |
| Los Campeones de la Lucha Libre | 2008 | recording studio | FWAK! Animation |
| Noodle and Doodle | 2010 | Doggity's | PBS Kids Sprout |
| The LeBrons | 2011 | sound recording (season 1) | Believe Entertainment Group Spring Hill Productions |
| Ollie Mongo: Adventures in the Apocalypse | 2012 | Created by Arlene Klasky and Craig Singer. Company's first print-related series/comic book. | |
| Poppy Cat | 2012–2015 | recording studio for US dub | Cake Entertainment |
| Guardians of Oz | 2015 | recording studio | Ánima Estudios |
| Top Cat Begins | |||
| Legend Quest | 2017 | ||
| Monster Island |