Fonds 2007.011 - Delaney & Friends Fonds

Identity area

Reference code

CA ON00349 2007.011

Title

Delaney & Friends Fonds

Date(s)

  • 1993-1998 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

0.3 m of textual records

2,360 photographs
2,360 transparencies : color ; 35mm

380,871 graphic materials
15 storyboards
188,413 drawings (185, 993 production sketches, 2,420 backgrounds/layouts)
192,443 handpainted animation cels

111 audio recordings
4 open reels : 2 in. ; audio
1 open reel : ½ in. ; audio
36 open reels : ¼ in. ; audio
56 video cassette : DAT
13 video cassettes : Hi8
1 reel : full coat magnetic soundtrack ; 35mm (2,160 ft)

78 video recordings
18 video cassettes : BetacamSP
16 video cassettes : Digital Betacam
13 video cassettes : ¾ in. U-matic
31 optical discs : DVD ; video

48 cinefilms
3 reels : original negative , colour ; 35mm (350 ft)
2 reels : negative A/B , colour ; 35mm (1,400 ft)
3 reels : work print , colour ; 35mm (2,360 ft)
2 reels : interpositive , colour ; 35mm (2,160 ft)
36 reels : camera original negative , colour ; 16mm (27, 500 ft)
2 reels : interpositive , colour ; 16mm (1,450 ft)

Context area

Name of creator

(1993-1998)

Administrative history

Delaney & Friends was incorporated by Christopher Delaney in Vancouver in 1984. Delaney was joined by his brother, animation designer and comic book artist John Delaney, in 1992. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the company produced several television commercials for such clients as 711, Purex and the Vancouver Province, and they garnered a number of awards for these (including two TVB Awards, three Bessie Awards, and an IBA Award).

In 1993, Delaney & Friends produced an animated Christmas special, Christopher the Christmas Tree (the special was based on a record album of the same name, produced by George T. Bowers in 1969). The program premiered on the FOX Kids network in the United States and YTV in Canada. Over the years, several stations around the world have picked up the broadcasting rights to the special, and as of 2007 Christopher the Christmas Tree had been shown in over 35 countries while the commercially released DVD had sold over 50,000 copies.
Beginning in 1995, Delaney produced the first of two full seasons of the animated series Nilus the Sandman. Created by Michael Fawkes, each season consisted of 13 episodes; these were all either written or edited by Michael Mercer and employed the voices of Donny Osmond and Holly Cole. The first season was co-produced with Cambium Entertainment of Toronto at a studio in Manila. The studio (Typhoon Toons) employed a staff of 400 animators, though it failed due to interference from customs agents and the difficulty of managing such a large operation from afar. When production of the second season began in 1998, Delaney subcontracted production work to Morning Sun Animation studio in Shanghai. The Nilus series was recognized with numerous nominations and awards, including two Geminis, three Worldfest awards, two U.S. International Film and Video Festival awards and a Golden Sheaf Award from the Yorkton Short Film Festival.

In 1996, Delaney & Friends produced The Littlest Angel, based on the children’s book originally published in 1940. In addition to the material produced through Delaney & Friends, Chris Delaney has created such well-known animation programs as The Care Bears, Detective Dog, Tales of the Mouse Hockey League, Leonard Lemming’s Lament, The Legend of the Candy Cane and Phish and Chip.

In 2003, Vancouver videogame developer Radical Entertainment agreed to purchase the assets of Delaney & Company, which was no longer operational. Two years later, Radical was acquired by Vivendi Universal Games, a global games publisher.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Preservation concerns may limit access, consult archivist.

Conditions governing reproduction

Media Commons does not own copyright of collection materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

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Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

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Description control area

Description identifier

2007.011

Institution identifier

University of Toronto Media Commons

Rules and/or conventions used

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

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