| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | April 1, 2001; 24 years ago (2001-04-01) |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas Hollywood, California |
Key people | Frank Gabriel, Brad Graeber, Bruce Tinnin |
| Products | Animation |
Number of employees | 175 |
| Divisions | Powerhouse Animation LLC |
| Website | www |
Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc. is an Americananimation studio based inAustin, Texas, United States. It was founded in April 2001 with a subsidiary called Powerhouse Animation LLC, established in the summer of 2014. The company develops and produces traditional2D animation,motion comics, motion graphics, art assets, digital paint, illustration for television series,motion pictures, video game cinemas, commercials, advertising campaigns, educational properties, and entertainment companies.
Powerhouse Animation's name is partially inspired byRaymond Scott's song "Powerhouse", which was often placed in scores thatCarl Stalling wrote forWarner Bros. shorts and has been featured in numerous animated cartoons. In 2002, Powerhouse produced the short "Heroes" which parodied the filmClerks as well asMarvel Comics characters. After seeing the short,Kevin Smith, the director ofClerks, contacted the firm to produce an unfinished commercial fromDogma. After producing the short, Smith hired Powerhouse to create an arcade machine that featured a custom video game. The game was given, as awrap party present, toBen Affleck andJennifer Lopez for their work onJersey Girl. In the game, the main character is Lopez trying to rescue Affleck from an unknown villain and a band of ninjas. In 2003, the firm created a 35 mm test for a feature film based onClerks: The Animated Series for Smith. They animatedClerks: The Lost Scene[1][2] which was included on theClerks X: 10th Anniversary DVD. As writer–director Smith explains in the introduction to the scene on the DVD, it had originally been written forClerks, but was not filmed due to budgetary costraints. In 2004, they animated the"Mr. Mom" video for the bandLonestar.
The firm produces animated versions of many syndicated comic strips includingDilbert,Pearls before Swine,Cul de Sac,Liō,Pooch Café[3] andOver the Hedge produced by RingTales. Powerhouse has animated over 300Dilbert shorts. It has produced animated content for educational companies including TED-Ed, Brain Chase, Compass Learning, Ignite! Learning and the National Fire Protection Association.[citation needed] It produces animated content for websites, podcasts and other internet companies including several segments of the "B.S. Report Animated Archives" and "Jalen Rose Story Time" forESPN'sGrantland, and episodes of Kevin Smith'sSpoilers series forSModcast andHulu.
In November 2010, they finished working withDisney Interactive Studios to make the cutscenes forEpic Mickey, and in 2012,Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. In November 2013, Powerhouse worked withDisney Interactive Media Group andDisney Television Animation with collaboration by language instruction companyRosetta Stone to create a nine-episode season ofIt's a Small World: The Animated Series, Based on theDisney Parks attraction,It's a Small World. In 2014, Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc. opened its first satellite office in Burbank, California. Powerhouse Animation LLC, a division of parent company Powerhouse, joined The Animation Guild and became a Signatory ofIATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees) in May 2015.
Powerhouse has produced animated advertising content for brands such asOld Spice,IAMS,Disney Parks,Disneyland,Metlife,Coca-Cola,Oreo,Mountain Dew,Ruffles,GoDaddy.com and many others. In 2015, they worked with Weiden+Kennedy to animate a segment for aWeight Watchers ad called "All You Can Eat" that aired duringSuper Bowl XLIX. Powerhouse has produced animated music videos forLizzo,The Pains of Being Pure at Heart,Wale ft.French Montana,A Sound of Thunder and Lonestar. The firm also develops original IPs and has optioned a series to a toy company. In 2015, the company wrote, created, designed and voiced a short series forAwesomenessTV/DreamWorksTV calledAdvice Times with Grandpa Theo that can be seen on DreamWorksTV'sYouTube page.
In 2017, Powerhouse worked on numerous cutscenes featured in the action-adventure gameAgents of Mayhem. In October 2021, the studio worked withOfflineTV to create an animated music video called "Break Out"[4] and worked withSega to release a launch trailer forSuper Monkey Ball: Banana Mania.[5] In November 2022, theSonic Frontiers promotional short "Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence" was released, featuring animation by Powerhouse Animation.[6] In September 2023, theSonic Superstars promotional short "Trio of Trouble" was released. In November 2023, theSonic Dream Team opening animation was released.
In February 2017, Powerhouse Animation announced their first adult animated series forNetflix titledCastlevania which is based on thevideo game franchise of the same name.[7][8] In May 2018, Powerhouse announced their first series based on original property titledSeis Manos.[9] In March 2019, Powerhouse announced a series based onGreek mythology titledBlood of Zeus.[10] In August 2019, Powerhouse announced the seriesMasters of the Universe: Revelation which serves as a direct sequel to theHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe series.[11] In January 2021, Powerhouse announced two series based on theKing Kong andTomb Raider franchises titledSkull Island andTomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, respectively.[12] In June 2021, the studio signed a first-look deal with Netflix.[13] In June 2022, Powerhouse announced the seriesCastlevania: Nocturne which acts as a sequel to their previousCastlevania series.[14]
| Year | Title | Type | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Heroes | Short | |
| 2003 | Clerks: The Lost Scene | 35 mm test for a feature film | [15] |
| 2004 | "Mr. Mom" | Animated video for the bandLonestar | |
| 2015 | "All You Can Eat" | Weight Watchers ad | |
| Advice Times with Grandpa Theo | Short series | ||
| 2017 | Agents of Mayhem | Action-adventure game cutscenes | |
| 2019 | Spidersaurs | Opening animation | [16] |
| 2021 | "Break Out" | Animated music video | [17] |
| Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania | Launch trailer | [18] | |
| 2022 | Sonic Frontiers "Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence" | Promotional short | [19] |
| 2023 | Sonic Superstars "Trio of Trouble" | ||
| Sonic Dream Team | Opening animation |
