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| Company type | Television and film company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | 1987; 38 years ago (1987) |
| Founders | John A. Davis Keith Alcorn |
| Defunct | 2006; 19 years ago (2006) |
| Fate | Closure |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Products | Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius Olive, the Other Reindeer Santa vs. the Snowman The Ant Bully |
| Website | dnahelix |
DNA Productions, Inc. was an Americananimation studio andproduction company based inIrving, Texas. It was founded in 1987 byJohn A. Davis and Keith Alcorn. The studio originally worked on miscellaneous projects for other companies, including commercials and corporate videos, before branching out to television and film animation.
DNA Productions began to thrive a decade after its formation, through a partnership with filmmakerSteve Oedekerk. The studio's first major project,Santa vs. the Snowman, was released in 1997. Other projects soon followed, includingOlive, the Other Reindeer in 1999.
DNA Productions is best known for itsJimmy Neutron character, who debuted in the company's 2001 filmJimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. A television series,The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, subsequently aired onNickelodeon from 2002 to 2006. DNA's final film project wasThe Ant Bully, also released in 2006.
DNA Productions was founded in 1987, byJohn A. Davis and Keith Alcorn, after they left their positions at K & H Productions, a Dallas-based animation company.[1] Davis and Alcorn started their new studio with a $5,000 loan.[2][3] The company was based in the Dallas suburb ofIrving.[4] The name "DNA" stood for "Davis N Alcorn". The duo would regularly contact companies in search of animation work.[2]
Up until 1997, DNA Productions had only six employees and was involved in the production of commercials and corporate videos for companies such asDairy Queen andKroger. DNA also did other work for companies, such as logo design and end credit sequences.[1][2] In their spare time during the early 1990s, Davis and Alcorn producedcrude animated projects and would enter them in touring festivals, which helped their company rise to prominence.[1][2][5][6] Among these projects wasNanna & Lil' Puss Puss,[7] a series of adult shorts about an elderly woman and her cat.[4][2][8] Other short projects included the pirate-themedWeird Beard,[2][9][10] andThe Adventures of Nippleless Nippleby, about acherub who has no nipples.[2]
By 1994, DNA had branched out to 3D animation after a corporate client,Mary Kay, requested a conference presentation that would feature dancing bottles of suntan lotion.[2] The company then worked onA.J.'s Time Travelers, which aired briefly onFox in 1994 before moving to syndication in 1995.[2][11]
DNA's best-known creative work is the 3D animated characterJimmy Neutron, originally known as Johnny Quasar.[12][13] In 1995, filmmakerSteve Oedekerk heard about aproof of concept video of the character, shown by DNA at an awards festival for animated projects.[1][2][14] After seeing the footage himself, Oedekerk partnered with DNA on two television specials,The O Show and the animatedSanta vs. the Snowman, both released in 1997.[1][2][15] The latter was DNA's biggest project to date, requiring long hours to be finished in time for its Christmas airing.[2] DNA had full creative control on the project, which was co-produced with Oedekerk's companyO Entertainment.[16] It was re-released as anIMAX film in 2002, under the titleSanta vs. the Snowman 3D.[17][18] As forThe O Show, many of its effects were created by DNA. The company also provided animation work for the 1997 television seriesThe Weird Al Show,[19] and produced adirect-to-video series titledJingaroo.[16]
DNA lost some aspects of creative control as it partnered with other companies on these projects. According to Davis in 1999, "We were such a small company for so many years that we're used to doing everything ourselves. So it's been kind of hard to try tonot do everything. But we've spent the last two or three years sort of weaning ourselves away."[2] That year, the studio increased its staff from 17 to 30 workers to deal with the new projects,[2] which included another animated holiday special titledOlive, the Other Reindeer. It was co-produced withThe Curiosity Company andFox Television Studios.[2][16] DNA also produced Oedekerk's 1999 television pilot titledThe Barnyard,[2] which he later produced as the 2006 filmBarnyard, without DNA's involvement.
During 1997, also with Oedekerk's help, DNA had begun negotiations withNickelodeon to produce a Johnny Quasar television series.[1][2] Plans for the TV project and an animated feature film were greenlit by Nickelodeon in 1999, with the character name changed to Jimmy Neutron. The film, after nearly two years of production, was released in December 2001, under the titleJimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.[11][20][21] It was DNA's first feature film and its biggest project,[22] and received generally positive reviews.[23] The studio then started work on the television series,The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius,[24][25] which aired on Nickelodeon from July 20, 2002 to November 25, 2006.[26] O Entertainment co-produced the film and television series.
After work on the series ended,[27] DNA partnered withPlaytone,Warner Bros. Pictures andLegendary Pictures to produceThe Ant Bully, a 2006 animated film loosely based on the 1999 children'sbook of the same name.[28][29] The film received mixed reviews,[30] and was a box office failure, only grossing 55.2 million dollars against a 50 million dollar budget.[31] It was DNA's second feature film,[32] and its final project.[7] At the time of the film's release, DNA had 250 workers and no future projects aligned to generate further revenue. Davis noted in 2023 that he and Alcorn did not set out to build such a large company and felt the time was right to shut down and move on afterThe Ant Bully.[27]
Helix the Cat was DNA's originalmascot until 2002. He had twotails which were intertwined to form adouble helix. While theJimmy Neutron series was in production, Davis sought to replace Helix with a new studio mascot, amutant three-eyedchimpanzee, who would appear in DNA's animatedproduction logo at the end of eachepisode. The newmascot was named Paul, after DNA employee Paul Claerhout,[33] who joined the company in 1990.[1] Claerhout also provided the voice for Paul, who says "Hi! I'm Paul!" in eachlogo shot.[33]
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