International Rocketship Ltd.

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International Rocketship Ltd.

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        Description area

        Dates of existence

        1975-

        History

        International Rocketship Ltd. is an animation company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 1975 by Marv Newland (creator of the 1969 cult favourite Bambi vs. Godzilla), the company has produced 20 short animated films as well as several animated sequences for television commercials, station IDs, and two longer films. Animated short films made at International Rocketship are director-driven, and while many of these films are broadcast or screened theatrically, they are not created for a specific commercial market.
        After founding International Rocketship, Newland began producing, directing and self-financing his own animated short films including Sing Beast Sing (1980), Anijam (1984), and Black Hula (1988). He has also produced short animated films for other directors under the International Rocketship umbrella; these include Danny Antonucci’s Lupo the Butcher (1986) and J. Falconer’s Dog Brain (1988). Over the years, International Rocketship’s commercial contracts have underwritten the costs of Newland’s personal films while also subsidizing the cost of other freelancers. In some cases director/animators were awarded grants from Canada Council, the British Columbia Arts Council, B.C. Film or other funding agencies.
        Throughout his time with International Rocketship, Newland has continued to freelance as a storyboard artist and director. He has been recognized as a senior animator at the National Film Board, and has served as a mentor to many younger people in this capacity.
        International Rocketship Ltd. has produced more animated short films in Canada than any other Canadian animation studio. Retrospectives of the company’s films have been held at international film and animation festivals, and they have won numerous awards. In the early years, distribution came as a result of the exposure these festivals provided; however, as International Rocketship’s reputation grew, the company was able to send video versions of new films to broadcasters and distributors prior to the festival screenings.
        Many International Rocketship films continue to be shown in theatres and on television throughout the world.

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        University of Toronto Media Commons Archives

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        Draft

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        Copied from Drupal by Adam Cavanaugh 2022/04/29

        Language(s)

        • English

        Script(s)

          Sources

          · Who’s Who in Animated Cartoons (Jeff Lenburg, Applause Theatre & Cinema
          Books: New York, 2006, NC1765 .L357 2006X)

          · Cartoon Capers: The History of Canadian Animators (Karen Mazurkewich,
          McArthur & Company: Toronto, 1999, NC1766 .C3 M39 1999)

          · Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Blacklisted Animators in America
          (Karl F. Cohen, McFarland & Co.:Jefferson, NC, 1997, NC1766.5 .C45 C641997X)

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