Line #3 Creator/Topcraft


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/topcraft_logo.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:[[Creator/StudioGhibli Ghibli]] before Ghibli.]]
3
4
5	Founded in 1972 by Toru Hara after he left Creator/ToeiAnimation at a time when many staff members of Toei were thinking that the studio was jumping the shark, Topcraft was Creator/RankinBass's non–stop-motion unit in Japan. The studio mostly did TV specials, series, and a few movies for Rankin-Bass, including ''WesternAnimation/TheLastUnicorn'', ''WesternAnimation/TheFlightOfDragons'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheHobbit''. They also made the 1982 anime film version of ''Literature/TheWizardOfOz'' and contributed to the original version of ''Literature/{{Barbapapa}}'' (with Creator/TamaProductions) and ''WesternAnimation/DoctorSnuggles'' (with Creator/DePatieFrelengEnterprises). In between, they also found time to work on shows for their native Japan, including ''Anime/AdventuresOfTheLittleKoala'', Creator/HayaoMiyazaki's ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'' and subcontracting work for other studios, such as several episodes of the Anime/LupinIIIPartII series (for [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo Movie Shinsha]]), ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman'', ''Anime/TimeBokan'', ''Paul's Miraculous Adventures'', and ''Anime/MacrossDoYouRememberLove'' (for [[Creator/TatsunokoProduction Tatsunoko]]), and the ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'' film (for Creator/{{Madhouse}}). Many people got their start with Topcraft, like ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' creator Creator/HideakiAnno.
6
7	The studio went on a downward spiral in 1984 when Miyazaki took 70% of its staff (alongside Toru Hara) and co-founded Creator/StudioGhibli after ''Nausicaa'' came out. Another 10% left shortly thereafter, including Hideaki Anno, who had already organized the nucleus of what would be Creator/StudioGainax. After a year of taking outsourced work from other studios and producing ''Little Koala'', the studio closed in 1985 and the remaining 20% who had not joined Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli (which ended up buying out what was left of Topcraft) or otherwise departed went to work for Creator/PacificAnimationCorporation to produce Creator/RankinBassProductions' ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'' and ''WesternAnimation/SilverHawks'' until Creator/{{Disney}} bought that studio in 1988 and later re-founded it as [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Motoyoshi Tokunaga's]] [[Creator/WaltDisneyAnimationUnits Walt Disney Animation Japan]].
8
9	In any event, Topcraft will forever be remembered as a footnote in the history of animation and for Hayao Miyazaki's ''Nausicaa''. However, despite its short lifespan and status as a footnote, Topcraft had no doubt left a great legacy behind it, one that will forever live on in the people who work there and its successor Studio Ghibli.
10
11	See also Creator/StudioGhibli, where most of their staff members went to work for after Topcraft went out of business, Creator/PacificAnimationCorporation which later became [[Creator/WaltDisneyAnimationUnits Walt Disney Animation Japan]], and Creator/StudioGainax, where the rest who didn't go to Ghibli or Pacific Animation Corp. went to.

Context Creator / Topcraft