An animation studio with big toy industry ties is celebrating a milestone.
Vancouver-based Mainframe Studios opened its doors in 1993 and quickly made an impact. The company produced ReBoot (1994), the first completely CG-animated TV series; the toon-shaded Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003) a decade later for MTV; and ReBoot: The Guardian Code (2018), Mainframe’s first live-action production and the first TV series to use the Unreal Game Engine. Along the way, the company has produced original content and served as a hired gun working on projects for Hasbro, Mattel, Spin Master, DreamWorks, Netflix, Sony Pictures, YouTube, and more. Now, the company is looking back on a 30-year legacy as it forges a new path into the future.
“With our 30-year track record of Mainframe Studios producing some of the most iconic animated properties, we approach every day like a startup — challenging ourselves to deliver new and exciting creative innovation to every project we undertake,” says Michael Hefferon, President and Chief Creative Officer at Mainframe Studios.
For most of its existence, Mainframe has collaborated with Mattel on more than 60 projects, including numerous titles inspired by the Barbie brand. The slate has been robust, including Barbie-themed movies, series, shorts, and the Barbie Vlog. Most recently, the companies launched Barbie: Epic Road Trip (2022), the first interactive adventure for the Barbie brand, which debuted on Netflix.
“Collaborating with Mainframe over the years to provide fans of the iconic Barbie brand with highly entertaining, animated content has been a true pleasure,” says Christopher Keenan, Senior Vice President Creative and Executive Producer at Mattel Television. “With several of our latest projects, including Barbie: Epic Road Trip and Barbie Mermaid Power ranking impressively on global streaming platforms, we are proud to be working with Mainframe and to be celebrating our relationship of nearly 30 years.”
In 2021, Genius Brands International entered into a deal to acquire WOW! Unlimited Media, owner of both Frederator Studios and Mainframe Studios. The deal closed last year.
“In a business where trust is built over time, Mainframe’s longevity is a testament to the studio’s quality of work and its partnership approach with clients,” says Andy Heyward, Chairman and CEO of Genius Brands International.
Mainframe’s recent work includes the original series Team Zenko Go, produced with Dreamworks for Netflix; Madagascar: A Little Wild for DreamWorks Animation; Sony Pictures Television — Kids’ Octonauts Above and Beyond; CoComelon shorts for Moonbug Entertainment; GoldieBlox’s The EggVenturers for YouTube, and its first 2D series, The Guava Juice Show, starring YouTuber Roi Fabito.
“As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re proud of the impact that Mainframe Studios has had on helping to shape the animation industry, including being a catalyst for many studios started over the years whose founders are Mainframe alumni,” says Kim Dent Wilder, Executive Vice President.
