When did Topcraft Co., Ltd. cease to exist?
Topcraft Co., Ltd. ceased to exist on the 15th of June 1985. The studio filed for bankruptcy and was forced to dissolve due to financial difficulties that had plagued the company for years.
Common questions about Topcraft
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who founded Topcraft and when was it established?
Topcraft was founded on the 1st of February 1972 by Toru Hara. Hara was a former producer at Toei Animation who built the Tokyo-based studio to handle outsourcing animation for American television.
What major films did Topcraft produce for Rankin/Bass Productions?
Topcraft produced The Hobbit in 1977, The Return of the King in 1980, and The Last Unicorn in 1982 for Rankin/Bass Productions. The studio also contributed to The Wizard of Oz in 1982 and various television specials like The First Easter Rabbit and Frosty's Winter Wonderland.
How did Topcraft influence the formation of Studio Ghibli?
Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, and Isao Takahata acquired the assets of Topcraft to form Studio Ghibli after the studio dissolved. Toru Hara, the founder of Topcraft, became the first manager of Studio Ghibli to ensure the legacy of the original studio was preserved.
Which animators from Topcraft went on to work on Naruto and Bleach?
Tsuguyuki Kubo was an animator from Topcraft who went to work for Studio Pierrot. He worked on Naruto and Bleach for that studio after the dissolution of Topcraft.