Gryphon Animation is an American animation studio based in Sherman Oaks, California founded in 1977 by Johnny O. Peabody, son of animation producer Jeffrey J. Peabody. The studio develops and produces theatrical animated features and short films, along with animated television programs and commercials under its subsidiaries, Gryphon Television and Yelp!.
The studio is best known for the films and television series in the Kuckoo Kat franchise, along with original films such as Houseghosts, The Intergalactic Idiots, Way Out West, and more.
History[]
1977–1995: As Gryphon Animation Productions[]
The original Gryphon Cartoons studio closed its doors on October 10, 1967, due to the decline of mainline theatrical short subjects. Outside animation companies were hired to produce new animation for many commercials. In 1975, Gryphon alumni Nicky Halstead produced the compilation film, The Giggle-Toons Anthology under his own short-lived independent company, Halstead Productions. The film blended classic Giggle-Toons shorts with newly produced wraparounds of Kuckoo Kat introducing each cartoon. Executive producer Johnny O. Peabody responded to the success of this film by reestablishing Gryphon's cartoon studio.
Gryphon reopened its doors on March 30, 1977 in the form of two divisions, Gryphon Animation Productions for feature animation and Gryphon Television for television animation. Gryphon Animation Productions started their output by creating new theatrical shorts featuring Kuckoo and the other characters, starting with 1979's Ride 'Em, Cowpoke!, shown before The Villain.
Filmography[]
Feature films[]
| Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Producer(s) | Executive producer(s) | Writer(s) | Composer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuckoo Kat and the Ink Splatter | July 24, 1996 | Dexter Sparks | Alvin Horton & Brian Grazer | Monique Pratt Johnny O. Peabody |
Cecil Moody & Robert Osbourne | Ralph Burns |
| Road Trip to Nowhere | November 26, 1998 | Martha Irwin Jeanette Hubbard |
Wayne Hudson & Brian Grazer | Johnny O. Peabody Trudy Ortiz |
Kirk Malone & Jeanette Hubbard | John Debney |
| Unleashed | June 7, 2000 | Donald Ballard | Brian Grazer | Johnny O. Peabody | Donald Ballard | Randy Edelman |
| Houseghosts | October 12, 2003 | Dexter Sparks | Felicia Mitchell & Brian Grazer | Johnny O. Peabody Andre Buckley |
Melody Sweeney & Jimmy Alvarez | Danny Elfman |
| Diamonds Are Whatever | March 24, 2005 | Maxine Becker | Alvin Horton & Brian Grazer | Monique Pratt | Jeffery Armstrong & Alyssa Schwartz | James Newton Howard |
| The Intergalactic Idiots | April 25, 2008 | Sheldon Higgins | Brian Grazer | Jeffery Hunt Henry Robertson |
Naomi Gordon, Harry Norton, & Sheldon Higgins | Mark Mothersbaugh |
| Way Out West | September 19, 2010 | Elizabeth Chamberlain | Leonard Blake & Brian Grazer | Tammy Bridges Martin Renfroe |
Cecil Moody | Alan Silvestri |
| Kuckoo Kat: All Hell Breaks Loose | June 22, 2012 | Arnold Lowe | Brian Grazer | Monique Pratt | Kirk Malone | Danny Elfman |
| The Intergalactic Idiots 2 | November 25, 2013 | Sheldon Higgins | Jeffery Hunt Henry Robertson |
Naomi Gordon & Sheldon Higgins | Mark Mothersbaugh | |
| A Screwball Romance | December 6, 2015 | Danielle Booker | Wayne Hudson & Brian Grazer | Martin Renfroe | Cecil Moody, Jeanette Hubbard, & Danielle Booker | Marc Shaiman |
| Meet the Medinas | June 1, 2016 | Alex Rucker | Teddy Monroe & Brian Grazer | Jeffery Hunt Henry Robertson |
David Oriolo & Olive Harmon | Danny Elfman |
| The Great Whatzitville Race: A Kuckoo Kat Movie | July 17, 2018 | Stephanie Fishman Sylvester T. Marquez |
Brian Grazer | Monique Pratt Bryce Halstead Elliott Washam Blake Pierce Rudy Henson |
Monique Pratt, Thomas Baldwin, & Melody Sweeney | John Debney |
| Sadie Monroe's Guide to the Wasteland | November 29, 2020 | Danielle Booker | Robin Goodwin & Brian Grazer | Tammy Bridges Martin Renfroe |
Kirk Malone | Alan Silvestri |
| Welcome to Boltsburg | December 2, 2022 | Maxine Becker | Brian Grazer | Rudy Henson & Elliott Washam | Robert Osbourne | Danny Elfman |
| Petey Loves Cynthia | May 10, 2023 | Donald Ballard | Bryce Halstead | Danielle Hodges & Dennis Osbourne | James Newton Howard | |
| Trouble in Tinseltown | July 17, 2025 | Joan Young | Monique Pratt | Thomas Baldwin, Jonathan Pearson, & Monique Pratt | John Debney |
Kuckoo Kat and the Ink Splatter (1996)[]
- Main article: Kuckoo Kat and the Ink Splatter (1996 film)
Diamonds Are Whatever (2005)[]
- Main article: Diamonds Are Whatever (2005 film)
Kuckoo Kat: All Hell Breaks Loose (2012)[]
- Main article: Kuckoo Kat: All Hell Breaks Loose (2012 film)
The Great Whatzitville Race: A Kuckoo Kat Movie (2018)[]
- Main article: The Great Whatzitville Race: A Kuckoo Kat Movie