Founded in 1991 by Duane Maxwell, Bridget K. Burke, and Gabriel Wilensky Gryphon Software Corporation was a leading software publisher specializing in a broad range of innovative, graphics-oriented software. The company had two product lines. One focused on graphics for video professionals, graphic designers and hobbyists; the other focused on children's software with a strong graphic orientation. The company was consistently singled out as one of the most innovative graphics software companies in the personal computer industry. Its software was used by millions of people. Gryphon's rapid success was due to the introduction of its premier software program, Morph. The first software program to affordably bring cost-prohibitive Hollywood special effects to the personal computer, Morph enabled users to smoothly transform still images and videos into another. The ability to create this level of professional-quality special effects immediately captured the public's attention. Video professionals used Morph in a variety of ads, television commercials, music videos and film productions such as Francis Ford Coppola's '' Bram Stoker's Dracula'', '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' and '' Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''. "Capturing images is a snap with Snappy"
By Dan Seoane, ''InfoWorld'', November 4, 1996, Page 86, "Snappy comes with ... Gryphon Software Corp's Gryphon Morph 2.5" ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' magazine used the software to illustrate one article and to make two front covers. Morph Sequence

Morph, for Macintosh and Windows-based computers, also made significant inroads in less obvious forums. Architects used Morph to dramatize "before and after" stages of a historic building's restoration. Anthropologists incorporated the use of Morph in primate studies. The

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress. In September 2013, the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the Pres ...

used Morph in their age progression work. Aging Progressions

Another product Gryphon developed for the enthusiast and professional videographers was Gryphon Dynamic Effects, which was a collection of special effects plug-ins for

Adobe Premiere Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based and non-linear video editing software application (NLE) developed by Adobe Inc. and published as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud licensing program. First launched in 2003, Adobe Premiere Pro is a success ...

. Gryphon Software was recognized for the development of this technological innovation, receiving a number of awards, both in the personal computer industry and in the consumer market. In 1994, Gryphon entered the children's software market with the introduction of the first computer-based multimedia activity centers and the

Colorforms Colorforms is a creative toy named for the simple shapes and forms cut from colored vinyl sheeting that cling to a smooth backing surface without adhesives. These pieces are used to create picture graphics and designs, which can then be changed c ...

Computer Fun Set line of software for children. The Aladdin Activity Center and Lion King Activity Center applications launched

Disney's The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

successful activity center line and offered children a variety of puzzles, coloring and spelling games based on these popular animated films. Following on these successes, Gryphon developed and published The Adventures of Batman & Robin Activity Center, Power Rangers Activity Center and Superman Activity Center. Gryphon also developed and published Gryphon Bricks, a virtual construction toy for kids. With over 300 brick styles, a palette of 12 colors and several backgrounds to choose from, both kids and adults were able to use Gryphon Bricks to create anything they could imagine. Gryphon Bricks included both kids and adults interfaces. The latter offered more sophisticated functions, allowing the software to grow with the user’s skill and expanding interests. In mid-1997, Gryphon Software was acquired by

CUC International CUC (Comp-U-Card) International Inc. was a membership-based consumer services conglomerate with travel, shopping, auto, dining, home improvement and financial services offered to more than 60 million customers worldwide based in Stamford, Connectic ...

(later renamed Cendant Software) and its products were sold under the brands Knowledge Adventure and Sierra Home.

Awards included

*''

Discover Discover may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Discover'' (album), a Cactus Jack album * ''Discover'' (magazine), an American science magazine Businesses and brands * DISCover, the ''Digital Interactive Systems Corporation'' * D ...

'' 1993 Technological Innovation Finalist *

Software Publishers Association The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) is a trade association dedicated to the entertainment, consumer and business software industries. Established in 1984 as the Software Publishers Association (SPA), the SIIA took its new na ...

- 1993 Excellence In Software Codie Awards **Best Business Application **Best Graphics Application *''

Byte The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable uni ...

'' 1993 Award of Distinction *''New Media Magazine'' New Media Envision 1993 Multimedia Award *''

MacUser ''MacUser'' was a monthly (formerly biweekly) computer magazine published by Dennis Publishing Ltd. and licensed by Felden in the UK. It ceased publication in 2015. In 1985 Felix Dennis’ Dennis Publishing, the creators of MacUser in the UK, l ...

'' 1993 Eddy Award Finalist Commendation *''

Compute! ''Compute!'' (), often stylized as ''COMPUTE!'', was an American home computer magazine that was published from 1979 to 1994. Its origins can be traced to 1978 in Len Lindsay's ''PET Gazette'', one of the first magazines for the Commodore PET ...

'' finalist, 1994

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Website (archived)

Book: CD-Morph
2D animation software Software companies based in California Defunct computer companies based in California Defunct software companies of the United States Companies based in San Diego Software companies established in 1991 Software companies disestablished in 1999 1991 establishments in California 1999 disestablishments in California