SNAS, Inc.

Background: Space Needle Animation Studios was founded in Seattle, Washington, USA in 1976 by animator/director Marvin Wright, film producer/voice actor Chris Williams, and screenwriter Joe Matthews. It was popular for making animated motion pictures and TV shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Their first motion picture was My Favorite Gremlin (September 1978), distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox. They also made many films in from the early 1980s to the early 2000s including their most successful films Monsters vs Aliens (1985) and How to Train Your Dragon (1986), distributed by Paramount Pictures. Ariel Klasky and Boris Csupo worked at this company in the mid-1980s. In 1994, the company was renamed SNAS, Inc. At one point in the mid-1990s, the company failed to purchase Klasky-Csupo, Inc. From 2006 until 2009, SNAS, Inc. reverted to its original name. Today, the studio is working on the films Rayman 3D (Summer 2013), and Rayman Origins (2013), and the TV series Uglydolls (2009-), which is produced in association with Ice-Bat Animation. They also made their first computer-animated TV series Stupid Invaders (2012-), produced in association with Gaumont Film Company and Xilam. In 2016, the studio plans on celebrating it's 40th anniversary with a newer logo..

1st Logo
(1978-1982, 1985)

Logo: This is not really a logo, only an in-credit disclaimer. We see:

produced at

SPACE NEEDLE

ANIMATION STUDIOS

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The film/TV show's closing theme.

Availability: Seen on My Favorite Gremlin (September 1978), Ickis' Island (Summer 1979), and The Disco Monster (1981) and TV shows produced by the company at the time. This was last seen on the unaired pilot episode of The Ickis Show from 1986, which is included as a bonus feature on the Season 1 DVD box set of the said show. The logo is hard to find on syndicated prints of Ickis' Island, because it has newer credits with the next logo.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd Logo
(1982-1989)

Logo: On a blue gradient background, we see a black line. Suddenly, we zoom out from the line, revealing it to be a model of the Space Needle. The words "SPACE NEEDLE ANIMATION STUDIOS" in the Constantia font fade in on the bottom.

FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo.

Variants:

* On Monsters vs Aliens (1985), the logo takes place in outer space.
* On Space Needle's TV shows from the era, the logo is fullscreen and the text reads "SPACE NEEDLE".
* On syndicated prints of Ickis' Island, the logo is shortened.
* On Ickis Goes To Africa, the logo's text reads "SPACE NEEDLE" and underneath reads "Presents" in a script font.

Music/Sounds: An early 80s synthesizer theme that sounds like an extended and messed-up version of the 1981 King Features Entertainment logo's music.

Availability: First seen after the end credits of Planet of the Dinosaurs (1982). Also seen on the films Ickis in Outer Space (1984), Monsters vs Aliens (1985), Ickis Goes to New York (1986), How to Train Your Dragon (1986), Deadly Creatures (1987), Ickis' Island II (1988), Robots & Aliens (1988), and B.O.B's Big Movie (1989). This was also seen on the TV series The Ickis Show (1986-1989).

Scare Factor: Low, the music may get to some.

3rd Logo
(October 1988-1994, 1994-1995, March 1997, June 2012)

Logo: Same as the 1982 logo, but the Space Needle is remade in CGI.

Variants:

* On Space Needle's TV shows from 1989 to 1992, the logo is fullscreen and the text reads "SPACE NEEDLE".
* On Night of the Bats, bats fly out of the Space Needle, segueing to the opening credits of the movie.
* On Ickis' Monster Christmas Movie, the Space Needle is decorated for Christmas. Also, it's snowing in the logo.
* On Ickis' Fun-Size Halloween Movie, the words "SPACE NEEDLE ANIMATION STUDIOS" are orange and Ickis appears next to the Space Needle, wearing a bat costume and holding a trick-or-treat bag, Also the Space Needle is purple and the background is black.
* From 1994 until 1995, stars were added to the background, the Space Needle shines, and the text reads "SNAS, INC.".

FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1982 logo.

Availability: First seen on the TV special Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (October 1988). Also seen on Ickis' Island III (1989), Ozzy's Big Adventure (1990), One Butterfly Flew Over the Mosquito's Nest (1990), Night of the Bats (1991), Shark & Octopus: The Movie (1992), Ickis' Monster Christmas Movie (1992), Sid the Spider (1993), Ickis' Fun-Size Halloween Movie (1993), and Ickis Goes to Hollywood (Summer 1994). This was also seen on TV shows from 1994 to 1995. It was seen on the new film The '90s Are All That: The Movie.

Scare Factor: Low to Medium.

4th Logo
(1992-1995)

Logo: Same as the Starry Night Productions logo, with "Space Needle Animation Studios" replacing "Starry Night Productions"

Variants: From 1994 until 1995, the text reads "SNAS, INC.".

FX/SFX: Same as the Starry Night Logo.

Music/Sounds: A tune that sounds like the last few notes of "Let Me Be Your Wings" by Barry Manilow and Debra Byrd (from the 1994 film Thumbelina).

Availability: Seen only on The New Ickis Show (1992-1994 episodes) and Shark & Octopus (1992-1997, 1992-1995 episodes only).

Scare Factor: Low to Medium.

5th Logo
(1994-1995)

Logo: On a black background, we see a dark blue silhouette of the Space Needle. The company's name in the Smack font zooms in fast.

Variants:

* On Drakey and the Magic Dragon Egg, the Space Needle is on fire.
* There was a rare variant of this logo where it strangely was silent and all it said was SNAS. This variant was only seen on the last episode of The New Ickis Show (September 1994).

Trivia: This logo was remade for the video game Ickis in Outer Space (1995, SNES and Sega Genesis).

FX/SFX: The zooming.

Music/Sounds: A loud bang when the company's name zooms in.

Availability: Rare; seen after the closing credits of some movies such as Drakey and the Magic Dragon Egg (1994) and Ickis in Outer Space (1984, theatrical re-release in 1995). This was also seen on the last episode of The New Ickis Show (September 1994), the only TV show to use this logo.

Scare Factor: Medium to High because of the scary font and the loud bang. High to NIGHTMARE for the Drakey and the Magic Dragon Egg variant. None for the last episode of The New Ickis Show variant, though you might think of the loud bang.

6th Logo
(1995-1998, April 21, 2000, August 10, 2001)

Nickname: "The RKO Pictures Parody"

Logo: Same as the 1990s RKO Pictures logo, but the radio tower is replaced by the Space Needle, and lightning bolts and soundwaves come from the top of it.

Trivia:

* The Morse code heard in this logo transmitted this message: SPACE NEEDLE
* On the short version of this logo, the Morse code transmitted: SNAS

Variants:

* On early releases that used this logo, the text "SPACE NEEDLE ANIMATION STUDIOS" appears below the Space Needle.
* On the trailer for AAAHH!!! Real Monsters: The Movie, the background is black and the Space Needle gets struck by lightning.
* Starting on January 1997, the sky background was different.

FX/SFX: Mid-1990s CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A series of Morse code beeps, accompanied by a 90s-style remix of the 1982 logo's music. Sometimes, there is a voiceover saying "This is a SNAS presentation."

Availability: Common. This logo was seen on most SNAS releases from 1995 to 1998, including the 1998 theatrical re-release of the My Favorite Gremlin (1978). This logo was also seen on 1995-1997 episodes of Shark & Octopus, in which the logo appears both in-credit and as a closing logo.

Scare Factor: Minimal.

7th Logo
(1998-2006)

Logo: Same as the 1975-1976 United Artists logo, but the text is pink. Also, the Transamerica byline is removed, the text reads "SNAS, INC." in the Balloon font, the text zooms out and the Space Needle zooms in.

FX/SFX: 1976-style animation.

Music/Sounds: TBA .

Availability: Common. Also seen on some episodes of Space Goofs (1997-2005).

Scare Factor: None.

8th Logo
(2006-2009)

Logo: Same as the 1972 P&P Features logo, but the background is black-purple gradient, the girls are replaced by the Space Needle, "P&P FEATURES" reads "Space Needle" in a golden ITC Blaze font, and the Warner Communications byline reads "ANIMATION STUDIOS" in orange and in the ITC Korinna font.

FX/SFX: 1980s-style animation.

Music/Sounds: It sounds like a synthesized peaceful, yet majestic tune.

Availability: Common.

Scare Factor: None.

9th Logo
(2009-2012, December 2013)

Logo: Same as the 1989 PBS logo, but it is in slow motion. Also, the P-Head is replaced by a dark blue Space Needle and "PBS" reads "SNAS, INC.".

FX/SFX: 90s-style CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: TBA.

Availability: Common.

Scare Factor: None.

10th Logo
(2012-2016)

Logo: Same as the 2002 Sensation Animation logo, but it is in slow motion. Also, the white cube forms the Space Needle, the text is on the right, and the text reads "snas inc." in the Data 70 font.

FX/SFX: 2000s-style animation.

Music/Sounds: It sounds like a remixed version of the 1982 logo's theme.

Availability: No longer current. Seen on movies SNAS was making, and is seen on 2012 episodes of Uglydolls (2009-) & Stupid Invaders (2012-). It appears both in-credit and as a closing logo. It was seen on Ickis Wars (2013-), which is produced in association with Klasky-Csupo.

Scare Factor: None.

11th Logo
(2016-)

Logo: Same as the 1970 Pennines Television logo, but the Emley Moor Transmitter is replaced by the Space Needle, "PENNINES" reads "SPACE NEEDLE", and "COLOUR" reads "ANIMATION STUDIOS".

FX/SFX: 1970s-style animation.

Music/Sounds: It sounds like a remixed version of the 2012 logo's theme.

Availability: Current. Seen on current movies SNAS is making, and is seen on 2016- episodes of Uglydolls (2009-) & Stupid Invaders (2012-). It appears both in-credit and as a closing logo. It is seen on Ickis Wars (2013-), which is produced in association with Klasky-Csupo.

Scare Factor: None.