WEP LLC,
doing business as
A trade name, trading name, or business name, is a pseudonym used by companies that do not operate under their registered company name. The term for this type of alternative name is a "fictitious" business name. Registering the fictitious name w ...
World Events Productions, is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
-based
animation
Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
and distribution company in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, best known for releasing the anime titles ''
Voltron, Defender of the Universe'' and ''
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs
''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs'' is an animated television space Western, similar to the series ''The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers'' and ''BraveStarr''. The series premiered in the United States in 1987 and had a run of 52 episodes.
...
'', as well as producing the original animated series ''
Denver, the Last Dinosaur
''Denver, the Last Dinosaur'' is TV an animated series produced by World Events Productions and . It was nationally syndicated throughout the United States in 1988 with reruns airing until 1990. In the show, a dinosaur hatches from a petrified egg ...
''.
History
Founded in 1980 by Ted Koplar, son of St. Louis businessman and
KPLR-TV
KPLR-TV (channel 11) is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, airing programming from The CW. It is owned and operated by network majority owner Nexstar Media Group alongside Fox affiliate KTVI (channel 2). Both stations sh ...
founder
Harold Koplar
Harold Koplar (February 27, 1915 – May 3, 1985) was a Russian-American hotelier and businessman in St. Louis, Missouri.
Biography Early life and education
Harold Koplar was born February 27, 1915. His father, Sam Koplar, built the Park Plaz ...
, World Events Productions, Ltd. started out as a "current events" program on the TV station titled ''World Events''.
In 1982, Koplar teamed with Jack Galmiche and Frank Babcock to produce three nationally syndicated shows featuring Kickboxing. The shows were produced and distributed nationally from St Louis, Las Vegas, and New York's Madison Square Garden.
In 1983, while attending a science fiction convention, Ted Koplar discovered the anime series ''
Beast King GoLion
is a Japanese super robot anime television series. The animation from ''GoLion'' was edited and trimmed to create the version of the American '' Voltron: Defender of the Universe'' series, with new names and dialogue. In 2008, ''GoLion'' was ...
'' and saw a potential in distributing it on U.S. television. WEP licensed the series from
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
and released it in 1984 in an edited and English-dubbed form as ''
Voltron
''Voltron'' is an Animation, animated television series franchise that features a team of space explorers who pilot a giant Super Robot known as "Voltron". Produced by Peter Keefe (Executive Producer) and Ted Koplar through his production compa ...
''. The show was met with high ratings nationwide. After airing all episodes of ''GoLion'', WEP adapted ''
Armored Fleet Dairugger XV
is a mecha anime and manga, mecha anime series aired in Japan from 1982 to 1983. It is also referred to as ''Dairugger 15'', ''Dairugger XV'', ''Armored Armada Dairugger XV'', ''Armored Squadron Dairugger XV'', or ''Machine Platoon Dairugger ...
'' into the second season of ''Voltron''. The second season lacked the ratings of the first season, as viewers were more used to the ''GoLion'' team. In response, WEP commissioned Toei Animation to produce 20 more episodes of the ''GoLion''-based ''Voltron''.
In 1987, WEP licensed ''
Star Musketeer Bismark'' from
Studio Pierrot
is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by former employees of both Tatsunoko Production and Mushi Production. Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo. Pierrot is renowned for several worldwide popular anime series, such as ...
and released it as ''
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs
''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs'' is an animated television space Western, similar to the series ''The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers'' and ''BraveStarr''. The series premiered in the United States in 1987 and had a run of 52 episodes.
...
''. The series was rewritten with several episodes rearranged or omitted; in addition, six new episodes were animated for the U.S. version. Despite lacking the popularity of ''Voltron'', ''Saber Rider'' has received a cult fan following throughout the years; most prominently in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.
After years of licensing and broadcasting anime, WEP ventured to original animated works. In 1988, the company released ''
Denver, the Last Dinosaur
''Denver, the Last Dinosaur'' is TV an animated series produced by World Events Productions and . It was nationally syndicated throughout the United States in 1988 with reruns airing until 1990. In the show, a dinosaur hatches from a petrified egg ...
'', which was met with positive feedback from parents' groups and was recommended by the National Education Association. ''
Vytor: The Starfire Champion'' was released in 1989. Despite being an International Film and Video Festival and a New York Festival Award winner, the show's run on television was short-lived.
In 1998, WEP revisited the ''Voltron'' franchise with an all-new TV series. ''
Voltron: The Third Dimension'' was the 3-D animated sequel to the original series, featuring some of the original voice cast plus actors
Clancy Brown
Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles.
Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...
and
Tim Curry
Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London ...
. Despite winning a Daytime
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Sound Editing, the series received mixed responses from critics and fans of the original series.
In 2008, World Events licensed the original ''GoLion'' and ''Dairugger XV'' in the U.S.
In 2010, Classic Media (now
DreamWorks Classics
Classic Media, LLC, doing business as DreamWorks Classics, is an American entertainment company owned by DreamWorks Animation, which is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures and a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was founded as Classic Medi ...
) acquired distribution rights for the ''Voltron'' franchise.
WEP, Kickstart Productions and Classic Media released an all-new animated ''Voltron'' series titled ''
Voltron Force
''Voltron Force'' is a pseudo-sequel to the 1980s animated series ''Voltron (1984 TV series), Voltron'' that was originally scheduled for a release in autumn of 2010. Eventually, the show premiered on June 16, 2011, exclusively on the Nicktoons ( ...
'' in June 2011. The series takes place sometime after events in the original series and aired on
Nicktoons
Nicktoons is a collective name used by Nickelodeon for their original animated series. All Nicktoons are produced partly at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and list Nickelodeon's parent company (Viacom, now known as Paramount Global) in their ...
.
Legal issues
World Events Productions settled a legal dispute with
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
in 2010 over copyright infringements of a potential live-action ''Voltron'' movie. In the past, both companies disputed when ''Voltron: The Third Dimension'' was released. The previous dispute was settled in 2000, with WEP acquiring the animated properties ''Voltron'' and ''GoLion,'' as well as 'Vehicle Force Voltron' and 'Dairugger'. The most recent legal issues between the two companies focus on WEP's right to adapt the anime into live-action and possibly marketing it in Japan. As a result of this dispute,
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
and
New Regency Productions
Regency Enterprises (commonly referred to as Regency onscreen and copyrighting as Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. in the U.S. and Monarchy Enterprises S.á.r.l. overseas) is an American entertainment company formed by Arnon Milchan. It was foun ...
pulled out of the live-action project.
In July 2009,
Atlas Entertainment
Atlas Entertainment is an American film financing and production company, started by Charles Roven, Bob Cavallo and Dawn Steel in 1995.
History
In 1990, Charles Roven and partner Bob Cavallo formed Roven/Cavallo Entertainment. At the same tim ...
acquired the live-action film rights. This prompted film producers James Young, Ford Oelman and Mark Costa to file a lawsuit against World Events Productions, claiming that their companies - Animus Films and NHO Entertainment - have held exclusive live-action rights to ''Voltron'' since 2004. The live-action project was eventually scrapped in June 2010 in favor of a new ''Voltron'' television series. On November 4, 2016, three months after the completion of
NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States.
NBCUniversal is primari ...
's acquisition of Classic Media's parent company,
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
for $3.8 billion,
it was announced that
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
and DreamWorks Animation will make the film with
David Hayter
David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the film ''X-Men'' and co-w ...
writing the script.
Filmography
*''
Voltron
''Voltron'' is an Animation, animated television series franchise that features a team of space explorers who pilot a giant Super Robot known as "Voltron". Produced by Peter Keefe (Executive Producer) and Ted Koplar through his production compa ...
'' (1984–1985)
**Adaptation of
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
's ''
Beast King GoLion
is a Japanese super robot anime television series. The animation from ''GoLion'' was edited and trimmed to create the version of the American '' Voltron: Defender of the Universe'' series, with new names and dialogue. In 2008, ''GoLion'' was ...
'' and ''
Armored Fleet Dairugger XV
is a mecha anime and manga, mecha anime series aired in Japan from 1982 to 1983. It is also referred to as ''Dairugger 15'', ''Dairugger XV'', ''Armored Armada Dairugger XV'', ''Armored Squadron Dairugger XV'', or ''Machine Platoon Dairugger ...
''.
*''
Voltron: Fleet of Doom'' (1986)
**One-off crossover of both ''Voltron'' seasons co-produced by Toei Animation.
*''
Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs
''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs'' is an animated television space Western, similar to the series ''The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers'' and ''BraveStarr''. The series premiered in the United States in 1987 and had a run of 52 episodes.
...
'' (1987–1988)
**Adaptation of
Studio Pierrot
is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by former employees of both Tatsunoko Production and Mushi Production. Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo. Pierrot is renowned for several worldwide popular anime series, such as ...
's ''
Star Musketeer Bismarck''
*''
Denver, the Last Dinosaur
''Denver, the Last Dinosaur'' is TV an animated series produced by World Events Productions and . It was nationally syndicated throughout the United States in 1988 with reruns airing until 1990. In the show, a dinosaur hatches from a petrified egg ...
'' (1988)
**WEP's first all-original work.
*''
Vytor: The Starfire Champion'' (1989)
*''
Widget the World Watcher
''Widget'' (also known as ''Widget the World Watcher'') is an animated television series created by Voltron creator Peter Keefe, directed and produced by Tom Burton of Zodiac Entertainment, which debuted in syndication on September 29, 1990. The ...
'' (1990-1991) (co-production)
*''
Mr. Bogus
''Mr. Bogus'' is an animated American television series created by Peter Keefe, directed and produced by Tom Burton with Claudia Burton of Zodiac Entertainment, which aired in syndication from September 28, 1991 to November 22, 1993. The show a ...
'' (1991-1993)
*''The Moo Family Holiday Hoedown'' (1992)
**Christmas special
*''
Bubsy
''Bubsy'' is a series of platforming video games created by Michael Berlyn and developed and published by Accolade. The games star an anthropomorphic bobcat named Bubsy, a character that takes inspiration from ''Super Mario Bros.'' and '' ...
'' pilot (1993)
*''
Twinkle the Dream Being'' (1993-1995)
*''The New Adventures of Voltron'' (1994-1995)
**Original "Voltron" episodes created for the North American market without Toei Animation's involvement. The following "Voltron" series would also be produced without the involvement of the original Japanese creators.
*''This Land Is Your Land: The Animated Kids' Songs of
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...
'' (1997)
**Video short
*''Bad Baby'' pilot (1997)
*''
Voltron: The Third Dimension'' (1998–2000)
**3D animated sequel to ''Voltron'' co-produced by Mike Young Productions
*''
Voltron Force
''Voltron Force'' is a pseudo-sequel to the 1980s animated series ''Voltron (1984 TV series), Voltron'' that was originally scheduled for a release in autumn of 2010. Eventually, the show premiered on June 16, 2011, exclusively on the Nicktoons ( ...
'' (2011–2012)
**Co-produced by Kickstart Productions and
DreamWorks Classics
Classic Media, LLC, doing business as DreamWorks Classics, is an American entertainment company owned by DreamWorks Animation, which is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures and a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was founded as Classic Medi ...
.
*''
Voltron: Legendary Defender'' (2016–2018)
**Co-produced by
DreamWorks Animation Television
DreamWorks Animation Television (abbreviated as DWATV or simply DAT) is an American animation studio that serves as the television production arm of DreamWorks Animation, itself a subsidiary of Universal Pictures and a division of Comcast's ...
.
*''Denver the Last Dinosaur'' (2018)
**CGI production co-produced by Zagtoon
Live-action films
*''Voltron'' live-action film
**A live-action film, based on the series produced through
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
, will be released through
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
References
External links
''World Events Productions ''at
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{Animation industry in the United States
Voltron
American animation studios
Anime companies
Mass media companies established in 1980
Companies based in St. Louis
Television syndication distributors