Irish animation company Monster Animation and Design is re-launching as Geronimo Productions Limited, it has been announced.
The Dublin-based animation studio, which was established in 1995, announced the decision yesterday, citing confusion at an international level between Monster Animation and Design, and another Dublin-based production company, Monster Entertainment, as the reason for the name change.
Originally, both animation studios were one entity, specialising in distribution. When they separated into two different companies, Andrew Fitzpatrick remained a distribution company with the Monster Entertainment trading name, while Gerard O’Rourke continued with the Monster Animation and Design name, specialising in production.
Speaking to IFTN, O’Rourke said he and Fitzpatrick are still “best friends”, and the name change was simply a way to differentiate between the two companies when trading on an international level.
Both companies now produce and distribute animated projects.
Monster Animation and Design will from now on be known as Geronimo, inspired by the Apache leader who led wars against Mexican and American provinces in the 19th century.
O’Rourke added: “We have many exciting plans for the year ahead which we will unveil shortly and feel this is the right time to do something fresh with a new identity”.
In recent years, Geronimo has produced animated series such as ‘Fluffy Gardens’, a preschool series which aired on RTÉ and Cartoonito; ‘Roobarb & Custard Too’, which sold worldwide, and ‘Punky’, an RTÉ Junior series which has also been produced in the Irish language for TG4.
Monster Entertainment, meanwhile, is the company behind the ‘I’m a Creepy Crawly’ series, which was acquired by Discovery Networks International at last year’s MIPTV conference.