Lacewood Productions was a Canadian animation studio and production company based in Ottawa, Ontario.[1] Founded in 1988, it was well-known for producing a television series, Katie and Orbie, as well as specials based on For Better or For Worse, and the 1990 feature The Nutcracker Prince. The company was originally owned by Wiseman & Sons. In 1995, Paragon Entertainment Corporation acquired the studio for CA $3.2 million. In 1997, Paragon raised the company's stake to 75% and eventually took control of it later that year.[2] Paragon eventually declared bankruptcy in 1998, with most of Lacewood's library and former assets being acquired by Amberwood Entertainment in 2000.[citation needed]

Lacewood Productions
IndustryAnimation
PredecessorHinton Animation Studios
Founded1988; 36 years ago (1988)
FounderSheldon Wiseman
Defunct1998; 26 years ago (1998)
FateBankruptcy And Liquidation along with and by parent company
Acquired by Amberwood Entertainment
SuccessorAmberwood Entertainment Corporation
Headquarters,
Canada
ProductsTelevision series
OwnerWiseman & Sons (1984–1995)
ParentParagon Entertainment Corporation (1995–1998)

Lacewood was the successor to Hinton Animation Studios, a company created by Sheldon Wiseman, which closed down due to debt problems.[2]

The first productions made by the studio were The Railway Dragon and its sequel The Birthday Dragon.

Lacewood has also done animation services on the first season of The Ren and Stimpy Show. According to Thad Komorowski, the studio had a hostile working environment comparable to that of Spümcø, not paying employees well, and its output was subpar, with John Kricfalusi's high standards demotivating the studio; it backed out after animating six episodes, despite Kricfalusi's approval of their work.[3]

Lacewood has also done animation production in partnership with Universal Cartoon Studios on season 2 of Problem Child, Monster Force and 1995 episodes of The Savage Dragon.[citation needed]

Spinoff company

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Amberwood Entertainment Corporation
IndustryAnimation
PredecessorLacewood Productions
Founded1997; 27 years ago (1997)
FounderSheldon Wiseman
Headquarters,
Canada
ProductsTelevision series
OwnerBell Media (2011–present)

Amberwood Entertainment Corporation (known by its animation industry name as Amberwood Productions) is a Canadian animation studio founded in 1997 by Sheldon Wiseman. The company bought Lacewood Productions' assets from Paragon Entertainment Corporation in 2000. Amberwood was best known for producing The Secret World of Benjamin Bear (a follow-up series to Lacewood's The Teddy Bears specials), Hoze Houndz, Katie and Orbie and RollBots.

Productions

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Show Creator(s) Years Aired # of seasons # of episodes produced Status
Pumper Pups[a] Ben Wicks 1999 1 52 Ended
Hoze Houndz Gerald Tripp 1999–2006 6 78 Ended
Katie and Orbie[b] Ben and Susan Wicks 1993–2003 6 78 Ended
The Secret World of Benjamin Bear[c] Sheldon Wiseman and Ken Anderson 2003–2009 4 52 Ended
Zeroman J.D. Smith, Gerald Tripp and Jonathan Wiseman 2004 1 13 Ended
The Snow Queen Sheldon Wiseman 2005 none none Completed
RollBots Michael Milligan ("MCM") 2009 1 26 Ended
Rob the Robot[d] Manuel Rosen 2010–2013 3 104
The Magic Hockey Skates Sheldon Wiseman 2013 none none Completed
Shutterbugs Craig Young, Micheal Milligan and Cory Morrison 2015 1 52 Ended
Wolf Joe Alexander Bar 2021 1 52 Ended

Notes

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  1. ^ First series produced by the company.
  2. ^ Only the last three season were produced by Amberwood.
  3. ^ Follow up of Lacewood's Teddy Bears specials.
  4. ^ Only series to be produced where Sheldon Wiseman was already working on a different project.

Books

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  • Komorowski, Thad (2017). Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorized Ren & Stimpy Story. Albany, Georgia: BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1629331836.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wise, Wyndham (2001), p. 9. Take One's Essential Guide to Canadian Filmmaking. ISBN 0-8020-8398-6. University of Toronto Press. Accessed April 14, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Bullock, Kelly (April 2005). Ottawa's animation action. Ottawa Insight. Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  3. ^ Komorowski 2017, p. 90.