Film Roman

**Film Roman** is an American animation studio currently owned by Waterman Entertainment producer Steve Waterman. The company was founded in early 1984 by Phil Roman. It is best known for producing the source animation for *The Simpsons*, *Geo TV*, *Cland Ann*, *Planetokio*, *Ice Age: The Series*, as well as *Garfield & Friends* and *King of the Hill*.

## History

### Beginning

Phil Roman, veteran alumnus of MGM Animation/Visual Arts and Bill Melendez Productions, founded Film Roman in 1984 as a means to continue the production of the *Garfield* series of animated prime time television specials, since Melendez's own studio was unable to work on both the *Garfield* and *Peanuts* series of specials. *Peanuts* executive producers Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez and their aforementioned studio had produced the first two Garfield specials (*Here Comes Garfield* (1982) and *Garfield on the Town* (1983) respectively, both specials directed by Roman), but due to the wishes of both *Peanuts* creator Charles M. Schulz and *Garfield* creator Jim Davis' concerns about conflicting interests in allocating production priority at Melendez's boutique studio, the production had to be moved. While he was leaving him and Melendez for his already-established studio, Roman was offered the opportunity to produce the next *Garfield* prime time special, *Garfield in the Rough* (1984), for CBS by Mendelson, which he accepted and went on to produce and direct all by himself, winning an Emmy in the process.

### Formation

In 1985, CBS' head of children's programming Judy Price had commissioned an animated television series based on the *Garfield* prime time special series, later ultimately titled *Garfield and Friends*, which took three years for Roman to decide developing and producing the program before it eventually aired on the network's Saturday morning time slot, premiering on September 17, 1988. The aforementioned show was Film Roman's first regular series. In 1986, in an effort to expand and diversify the studio, Roman hired Marvel Productions VP of Business Affairs and his own personal attorney, Michael Wahl, as President and Bill Schultz, Marvel's Director of Development, to join in the company as the fledgling studio's VP of Production and Development. *Garfield and Friends* was expanded to an hour on CBS' number one rated Saturday Morning block and the studio grew to increase its capacity.

In 1988, the new management team developed, sold and produced a new series, *Bobby's World*, to the brand new Fox Kids Network, headed up by former Marvel Productions president Margaret Loesch. In 1992 to 2016, Film Roman took over the source production of 20th Century Fox's *The Simpsons* from Klasky-Csupo who had produced the one-minute teaser cartoon shorts on *The Tracey Ullman Show* as well as the animation for the first three seasons and the first two episodes of the fourth season (in total 61 episodes).

### Waterman Entertainment ownership

In 2015, Film Roman was acquired from its parent company Starz Distribution by Waterman Entertainment, the production company of executive producer Steve Waterman. On November 22, 2016, the company formed with Boxel Studios, a Baja California-based animation facility, a joint venture, Film Roman Baja J.V. (also called Film Roman Baja Productions) based in Tijuana.

### Location

The original studio was located on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, California, where Roman was also joined by Melendez producer Lee Mendelson. Years later, the studio moved to a new location on Chandler Blvd. in Studio City, before settling into another location at Starz Plaza on Hollywood Way in Burbank, which it shares with the former Hub Network and Hasbro Studios, and finally settling into its present location in Woodland Hills.

## Television series

* *Garfield and Friends* (1988–1994)
* *Bobby's World* (1990–1998)
* *Zazoo U* (1990–1991)
* *Mother Goose and Grimm* (1991–1993)
* *Animated Classic Showcase* (1993–1994)
* *Cro* (1993–1994)
* *Mighty Max* (1993–1994)
* *The Mask: The Animated Series* (1995–1997)
* *The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat* (1995–1997)
* *The Baby Huey Show* (1995–1996)
* *C Bear and Jamal* (1996–1997)
* *Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm* (1996)
* *Richie Rich* (1996)
* *Bruno the Kid* (1996–1997)
* *Free For All* (2003)
* *Eloise: The Animated Series* (2006)
* *Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!* (2006–2010)
* *Slacker Cats* (2007)
* *Dan Vs.* (2011–2013)
* *This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow* (TBA)
* *Fake News* (TBA)
* *Heathcliff* (TBA)
* *Spawn: The Animation* (TBA)
* *The Untamed* (TBA)

**Subcontracted from others**

for 20th Century Fox Television

* *The Simpsons* (1992-2016), Seasons 4-27 only
* *Ice Age: The Series* (2012-present)
* *King of the Hill* (1997-2010)
* *Geo TV* (1998-present)
* *Cland Ann* (2001-2014, 2017-present)
* *Planetokio* (2002-2003)
* *Family Guy* (1999-2000)

for Marvel Animation

* *X-Men: Evolution* (2000–2003)
* *The Super Hero Squad Show* (2009–2011)
* *The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes* (2010–2012)
* *Ultimate Spider-Man* (2012–2017)
* *Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.* (2014–2015)

various other studios

* *Klutter* (1995–1996) (as part of *Eek! Stravaganza*)
* *The Critic* (1994–1995)
* *Mission Hill* (1999–2002)
* *The Oblongs* (2001–2002)
* *The Goode Family* (2009)
* *Beavis and Butt-Head* (2011)
* *Mega Man* (2018)

Puppet/CGI shows:

* *The Mr. Potato Head Show* (1998)
* *Tripping the Rift* (2004-2007)