Descriptions by Jason Jones, James Fabiano, Jess Williams, Kris Starring, and Nicholas Aczel
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Editions by V of Doom, WileE2005, Shadeed A. Kelly, BenderRoblox, Vahan Nisanian, davebrayfb1000, thisisit, Unnepad, Pumpkinman99, Michael Kenchington, Gilby1385 and TheLogoFan2004
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Background
DIC Entertainment Corporation (formerly "DIC Audiovisual", "DIC Enterprises, Inc.", "DIC Animation City, Inc.", "DIC Productions, L.P.", "DIC Entertainment, L.P." and during its last few years "The Incredible World of DiC", stylized as "DiC" and pronounced as "deek", as in "decaffeinated") was founded by Jean Chalopin as "OGAP" (Office de Gestion et d'Action Publicitaire), an advertising company. In 1971, with an investment from the tabloid newspaper La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest, it was incorporated as "Diffusion Information Commercial". It developed into a full production company during the following decade, soon being renamed "Diffusion Information Communication", and becoming specialized in animation. In 1982, the US arm was founded and Chalopin, Andy Heyward, and Bruno Bianchi were in charge of the company.
Heyward bought DIC in 1987 when Chalopin and Bianchi left, moving all operations to America. Chalopin turned what was left of the French arm into a new animation company, Créativité & Développement. DIC was turned into a limited partnership with Capital Cities/ABC (now "ABC, Inc.") in 1993, which would be acquired The Walt Disney Company in 1996, until Heyward reacquired the company from Disney in 2000 with an investment by Bain Capital.
On July 23, 2008, DIC closed its doors and was acquired by the Canadian Cookie Jar Entertainment and became a wholly-owned subsidiary. Months later, Cookie Jar decided to take over and the studio was folded into Cookie Jar (later "DHX Media", now "WildBrain"). Currently, most of the DIC library is owned by WildBrain after its acquisition of Cookie Jar Entertainment, with the following exceptions: The Real Ghostbusters, Dinosaucers, Stunt Dawgs and The Karate Kid (owned by Sony Pictures Television), Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling (owned by WWE), Captain Planet and the Planeteers (the first three seasons were produced by DIC and the remainder of the series was produced by Hanna-Barbera; the series is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment via Turner Entertainment Co.), Alvin and the Chipmunks (owned by Bagdasarian Productions), ALF: The Animated Series and ALF Tales (owned by Alien Productions; the holding company for the ALF franchise with distribution rights currently handled by Shout! Factory), the 1989 adaptation of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (owned by Hasbro), Kissyfur (owned by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios), Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventures (owned by MGM Television), Where's Wally? (known as Where's Waldo? in the US; owned by Mattel Television via HIT Entertainment), Sailor Moon and Knights of the Zodiac (owned by Toei Animation), Speed Racer X (owned by Tatsunoko Production) and Camp Candy (the first two seasons were produced by DIC and the third season was produced by Saban Entertainment), Meet the Deedles, Genius, and the 1999 live-action Inspector Gadget film and its sequel (both owned by The Walt Disney Studios).
Visuals: Over a screen filled with blue concentric boxes, three of them light up in a purple color while moving inward. As that happens, the stylized word "DiC" zooms up, rotating upward from the bottom as it does so. Once in position, pink sparkles appear as a white outline wipes in.
Trivia: It was thought for many years that this was the second DiC logo, while the logo described below was the first, as it wasn’t widely known that this logo had appeared on early episodes of Inspector Gadget.
Variants:
There are filmed and videotaped variants:
The filmed variant has a brighter blue vortex (or on some occasions, brighter) and the "DiC" is more of a yellow-orange (amber) color. This variant is seen on Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, M.A.S.K. and Dennis the Menace.
The videotaped variant has a dark purplish-blue vortex and "DiC" is in green, which is seen on Inspector Gadget,The Get-Along Gang, Kidd Video, Pole Position, Rainbow Brite, Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats, Care Bears, Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, Kissyfur, Popples, The Real Ghostbusters, The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, Lady Lovely Locks and Beverly Hills Teens.
A filmed version of this variant also exists, which can be found on French dubs of their shows of the time.
The filmed version of the videotaped variant may also have the DIC logo be smaller with a low-pitched jingle.
On Here Come the Littles, the filmed version of the logo is stretched out, and is also slightly more closer to the screen. It also has a low pitched jingle.
On some episodes of Pole Position, a still shot of the beginning of the logo zooms in, and then the regular animation plays.
Early episodes of The Real Ghostbusters have the byline "Produced In Association With".
On the pilot episode of Kidd Video, the logo is seen in a box in the center top-left part of the screen, and the Saban logo in the center bottom-right. The corner of the DIC logo overlaps the Saban logo, and this is up against a black background with a white streak in the middle. Vice-versa on later episodes, but against an orange background, again with a white streak in the middle (with the logos switching places).
On at least a filmed copy of said series, the logos swapped places.
One variant has the vortex fade to a green color after the logo zooms in, probably because of quality issues with some prints of the logo. It was often seen on early episodes of Inspector Gadget. It was also spotted on Maier Group/FHE/Kideo Video releases and is preserved on the 1987 UK VHS release of Inspector Gadget: Volume 1 from The Video Collection.
On at least one reissue print of Ulysses 31, the logo animation is slightly slower. Wherever this is a variation or an error with the logo is currently unknown.
On the demo reel of the pilot episode used to pitch The Real Ghostbusters, the letters are in black and white on a dark background and the logo is silent.
Another variant is identical to the above variant, except "DIC" is yellow. This is seen on a print of the first episode of Care Bears, but it is unknown as to which one (likely an early VHS release of the 11-minute version).
On original airings of The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, a segment called Protect Yourself Featuring Teddy Ruxpin features the logo in red on a yellow background, with "Produced by" above and "in association with The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children" below. A copyright notice appears below all that.
At least one CITV airing of Care Bears in the late 1980s (specifically "The Last Laugh/The Show Must Go On") has the 1986 LWT endcap fading in over the logo right as it starts, leaving only the first note of the music and a tiny bit of the second as well.[1]
Technique: Motion-controlled animation.
Audio: An off-tune, ascending eight-note synthesized theme accompanied with whooshing, composed by Saban Brands founder Haim Saban, introduced in September 1984.
Audio Variants:
Originally, the logo had no music when it was first used, which is seen on the 1982 pilot and early first-season episodes of Inspector Gadget. This is also preserved on some VHS releases of the show.
On the original theatrical and VHS release of Here Come the Littles, a new piece of music was introduced at the beginning of the film (using the filmed version), a five-note keyboard tune. It may or may not have been heard on other theatrical DIC movies of the time. This music was also used on at least the second season of Inspector Gadget (1985-86), as well as some later prints of episodes from the first season. On this show, it was used with the videotaped variant, and is also slightly sped-up and higher-pitched as a result.
Sometimes, the logo has the show's ending theme play over it instead.
The superimposed variant had an announcer (John Harlan) saying "Kideo TV is a production of DIC Enterprises...", and then the voiceover continues on through the LBS Communications logo, which is also superimposed. Harlan pronounces the name as "D-I-C".
On some episodes of the Hungarian-dubbed airings of Inspector Gadget, the “green vortex” variant has the audio from the 2004 Cookie Jar Entertainment logo, followed by the 1996 Saban International and 1999 Fox Kids logos. The former is most likely due to a reverse plastering error.
On the 2009 DVD print of the Russian dub of The Real Ghostbusters (specifically the episode "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream"), the "Produced in Association With" variant has the music for the first variant of the 3rd logo (making this a reverse plastering error).
On the Spanish DVD print of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors episode "Ghostship", the filmed version of the logo has the music from the 2004 Cookie Jar Entertainment logo, due to another reverse plaster situation.
Availability: Seen on shows from this company from the time-period until 1987. Outside of shows that are not owned by Wildbrain (and before then, Cookie Jar), it is nowadays plastered over.
It first appeared on the pilot of Inspector Gadget in late 1982, and is also seen on multiple first-season episodes of the show in September 1983, though the logo wouldn’t begin its official run until September 1984 on other shows.
Most of the shows that had this logo (Inspector Gadget, Zoobilee Zoo, Dennis the Menace, and Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats to name a few) are not currently airing (either in the U.S. or overseas), so it’s pretty much gone on TV.
However, it is still intact on a decent amount of VHS releases (and some DVD releases).
If the shows are rerun, the 2004 Cookie Jar logo will typically appear instead; when they were rerun on a channel like pre-2015 Boomerang, this logo might have been intact.
Some NCircle DVD releases of Heathcliff also retain this logo.
It was also seen when Boomerang and Atlanta's WATC 18 reran Dennis The Menace.
The variant with the closing theme can be found on some shows, such as The Real Ghostbusters (1st season and syndicated episodes), Kissyfur, The Get Along Gang, and the Liberty and the Littles movie, among others. (The Liberty and the Littles variant can also be found in the "Visual History of the DIC Logo" special feature on S'More Entertainment's The Littles: The Complete Unedited Series DVD set as the second logo in the montage {appearing after the Littles custom variant of the next logo and preceding the 1990 variant of the 3rd logo}).
It was also seen on the 1984 television special Poochie and is also intact on its VHS release, however, the special has not received a DVD or digital release.
It was also left intact on Kabillion On Demand's prints of The Real Ghostbusters (followed by the 2002 SPT logo) and is also retained on both DVD releases and the MeTV Toons airings thereof.
The videotaped variant is rather rare and it hasn't been seen on TV in years, but it was left intact on reruns of certain shows.
On Starz Encore Kids & Family, this, along with the 1984 LBS Communications logo, is retained on at least one episode of Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats.
The videotaped variant, along with the 1984 LBS Communications logo is also intact on the 1991 UK VHS release of Heathcliff And Cats And Company: Xmas Memories from Tempo Video.
The silent variant of the videotaped version of this logo is also seen at the end of the 2000 UK VHS release of Inspector Gadget: Monster Lake and Other Stories, which is then followed by the 1996 Saban International logo.
However, some shows, such as Heathcliff, only end with the 1996 Saban International logo.
Aside from Here Come the Littles, this logo was only used on television productions, so it is absent from the 1985 film Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer, as well as the 1986 film Heathcliff: The Movie.
All Kidd Video variants are preserved on a few VHS releases in its time, but the show has not been rerun in many years and has not received any DVD or digital release.
This logo was also likely seen on the short-lived series Wolf Rock TV, which is mostly lost as it has not been reran in many years and has not received any home media or digital release.
This last appearance of this logo was on the second season of Popples.
Legacy: This is a favorite of many in the logo community and those that grew-up with it for its themes and design.
2nd Logo (September 10, 1983-November 2, 1985)
The Littles
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Visuals: A character appears across a background with a green "D.i.C.":
The Littles (September 10, 1983-November 2, 1985): Over an orange background, Dinky runs past the logo, throwing a green button onto the space above the "I" to form the dot.
Inspector Gadget (October 3-December 9, 1983): Over a blue background, Inspector Gadget passes over the logo riding skates. Suddenly, his Gadget mallet pops out of his cap, causing Gadget to lose balance and wobble off-screen. As that happens, the mallet slams into a space above the "I", dotting it.
Compared to the previous logo, the entire logo is drawn to be a flat 2D image and has a thick white outline.
Trivia: As detailed above, it was thought for many years that this was the first DiC logo, as it was not widely known that this logo did not appear on all season one episodes of Inspector Gadget.
The Littles: The last line of the closing theme song: "You can't stop the Littles 'cause the Littles don't stop!".
Inspector Gadget: A five-note tuba stinger, followed by a "twoing" sound as Gadget's mallet "dots" the "i". Afterwards, there is a two-note brass outro. This is a shortened variation of a background music cue often used on the show to end scenes in an episode, composed by Shuki Levy.
Audio Variants:
Inspector Gadget:
On at least one early use of the logo, the "twoing!" isn't heard as Gadget's mallet dots the "I".
On some episodes of the Hungarian airings of the show, it has the music from the 2004 Cookie Jar Entertainment logo, followed by the 1996 Saban International and 1999 Fox Kids logos. The former is most likely due to a reverse plastering error.
Availability: Seen only on both The Littles and Inspector Gadget. Nowadays, they are plastered over, but are still retained on older prints.
The Littles version is retained on almost all DVD releases (including the Sterling/NCircle DVD release of The Littles Christmas Special and the two complete series boxsets) and re-airings of the series.
However, it did not appear when The Littles made the rounds as part of a syndicated package of DIC shows appearing on local stations syndicated by Tribune Entertainment between 2003 and the summer of 2008 (nicknamed the "DIC Kids Network" and later the "Cookie Jar Kids Network"); the end credit animation is slowed down except for the audio to run at the allotted time so they plastered this logo with the 2001 logo.
This also does not appear on some modern non-English prints of the series, as the 2004 Cookie Jar logo plasters it, with the music intact.
The Inspector Gadget version is seen on many first-season episodes of the series, starting with the episode "The Ruby". Some early episodes up to "Don't Hold Your Breath" generally had the previous logo, along with some later episodes. The second season reverts this logo back to the previous logo (unlike The Littles, that used its variant throughout its entire run); this is due to the series taking a break in 1984.
Most prints of the series replace this logo with newer DIC logos, usually either the 3rd or 4th logos, or the 2004 Cookie Jar logo.
The logo is also retained on the Australian DVD releases of the series, as well as on many European Fox Kids/Jetix DVD releases (this is because the prints Fox Kids Europe used were from the original masters of the series).
This was also last seen on American television through late '90s airings of Inspector Gadget on Nickelodeon and is also preserved on many early Family Home Entertainment releases (with the 1985 logo).
If the show is ever rerun, it has a slim chance of appearing, but it most likely is plastered by the 2004 Cookie Jar logo.
3rd Logo (September 12, 1987-2005)
Early variant
The version from 1987
Wolf Rock TV variant
Version from 1990-2001
Rare cropped widescreen and filmed version.
Rare variant in which the logo freeze-frames before the dot to the "i" in DiC is fully formed.
In association with byline
2003 variant
Scottish Television pairing
The original version: The boy is sleeping with a dog in the bedroom.
The updated version: An alternate take of the sleeping boy and dog with a starfield at the window.
Later episodes of The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin1987 variant w/ Coca-Cola Telecommunications musicNormal 1987 variant IAW 1987 variant (with and without fanfare)Shortened 1987 variant1987 variant w/ choirShortened 1990 variantNormal 1990 logow/ full 1999 themeShortened 1999 themeMadeline: Lost in Paris variant2003 variant1992 w/ editing error Our Friend Martin variant Lower-pitched and sped-up 1990 jingle with 1987 soundbiteG.I. Joe S1E6 (Tubi TV) variant Street Sharks Spanish VHS variant Sylvanian Families French VHS variantDIC Toon-Time Video
Visuals: There are two main variants:
1987-1990: It starts in a stereotypical boy's bedroom, where there is a boy sleeping in his bed with his pet Basset Hound sleeping on top of him. A second later, the screen zooms through a large window inside of the bedroom. There is a spiked star in the distance. The spikes on the star move around as if it were shining. The star then morphs into a ball, as a large, silver "DiC" (with the ball becoming the dot on the "i") zooms up to the camera and rotates 90º to face the camera.
1990-2005: The logo got an update with a darker (and spiffier) star field. The glow effect on the white ball is also removed on this variant. The position of the sleeping boy and dog are also different (as if it were an alternate take) and the zoom effect is more gradual and smooth, rather than a quick and jerky zoom.
Trivia:
This logo was designed and animated by Homer & Associates. A former employee of this company, Peter Conn, did the animation for the silver star/ball and the word "DiC."
One of the toys on the shelf is a stuffed animal of Sonia, Heathcliff's girlfriend; another is an action figure of Hulk Hogan. A plush of Heathcliff himself can be seen sitting at the end of the bed.
In the 1987 version, the kid in bed footage is actually not a still image; the dog can be seen blinking if one looks closely enough due to using video as main source.
Variants:
When the logo was first used in fall 1987, a trademark symbol ("TM") was used instead of the standard registered trademark symbol ("®").
On Ring Raiders, the 1987 variant fades in and out.
On Wolf Rock TV, the logo is on a ceruleanblue-dark magenta vertical gradient background. It is placed on the bottom-left of the screen, with the 4th Dick Clark Productions logo next to it and the 1st Saban Entertainment logo above it.
A variant of the 1987 version exists, where the zoom in happens shorter, and the logo also freeze frames as “PRESENTS” types in below.
During 1990-1991, an opening variant was used, where it omits the kid in bed and "DIC" sound byte, and the word "PRESENTS" in blue fades in below. A sped-up version of this variant exists. This variant was also meant to be used internationally for DIC programs distributed through Silvio Berlusconi Communications.
On Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters, "In association with" is below the logo. Sometimes, it fades in midway or stays throughout the entire duration, and the phrase is completely capitalized.
On some shows from 1991-1994, the byline "COPRODUCED BY RETEITALIA, s.p.a. IN ASSOCIATION WITH TELECINCO" appears below at the end. Another version has it rephrased to "IN ASSOCIATION WITH RETEITALIA s.p.a & TELECINCO".
On the VHS release of Double Dragon: The Legend Begins, the moment the Reteitalia/Telecinco byline swoops into place, the logo freeze-frames even before the star has turned into a dot. The animation continues, but the star still hasn't formed into a dot because the animation continued for a split second. This was due to a video editing error.
On the original NBC broadcasts of Captain N & The New Super Mario World, the logo is higher-pitched, and also lacks the Reteitalia/Telecinco references.
On The Chipmunks Go to the Movies, the 1990 sped-up logo appears, but this logo had the end credits music and the byline:
On DIC's English-dubbed episodes of Sailor Moon (known as Bishoujo Senshi [Pretty Soldier] Sailor Moon in Japan), this copyright stamp appears after the logo (the 1st 1990 variant):
English Language Adaptation Copyright [YEAR] DIC Productions, L.P.
For the second season, known as Sailor Moon R in Japan, the copyright stamp was changed, still following the 1st 1990 logo:
English Adaptation Copyright [YEAR] DIC Productions, L.P.
On ALF: The Animated Series, the kid in bed animation is cut out, and it cuts straight to a warp speed version of the starfield sequence. The end theme also plays over this.
One Inspector Gadget VHS release features the 1987 logo in warp speed, but the music is not sped up to compensate, thus resulting in several seconds of the DIC logo being freeze-framed.
An episode of Inspector Gadget on a UK VHS release of Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas has the 1987 logo, but when it fades to black, the Claster Television Incorporated logo could briefly be seen, meaning it was sourced from a DIC/Claster-partnered show (such as the 1989 G.I. Joe cartoon, the 1988 COPS cartoon etc.)
On 1989 VHS releases of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! from Kids Klassics, the 1987 logo is played at a slower speed.
A filmed and cropped widescreen variant exists of the 1990 warp-speed version with the 1987 voiceover. This appears on the 1990 TV movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again.
On Old MacDonald's Sing-a-Long Farm, it features the standard 1990 variant, but it includes a copyright stamp that fades in below the DIC logo, right after the logo's sequence. A shortened version of this variant exists, which can be found on U.S. VHS releases of Rimba's Island - You Are Special (similar to the ALF: The Animated Series variant, where it cuts straight to the rotation of the DIC logo, voiding the kid in bed part), minus the sped-up star animation and the end theme playing over it.
On the 1990 Hi-Tops Video VHS release and later TV airings of Madeline (1988), the 1987 variant is a bit shorter, and part of the music is also cut.
In 2003, this logo made a comeback. This time, instead of the regular DIC logo, it has the "The Incredible World Of DIC" globe from the 4th logo zoom up outside the window, with light rays shining behind it. When the globe stops, the light rays flash. The logo also has a different star field that appears to be a cheap rotating 2D image (and is noticeably superimposed over the 1990 star field, as the bedroom is of a different image quality; further, the zoom-in footage plays at a different frame rate).
On Homer & Associates' 1989 demo reel titled Flying Logos on Peter Conn's YouTube channel, the logo is on a completely black background.
On British prints of Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, the logo is shown within the 1996 Scottish Television logo.
Technique: CGI mixed with chroma-key effects. Live-action video (later photo) for the kid in bed portion. All made using Digital Arts DGS 1.0 and 2.0 on the IBM Personal Computer AT (expanded with a Definicon Accelerator Board and an AT&T Truvision TARGA graphics chip).
Audio: Four different sets of music were used, with a child saying "DiC" (pronounced "Deek") near the end of the latter three versions, in most cases (the first voiceover was rather stoic, while the next two ones featured much perkier voiceovers):
September 1987: A synth note and a whispering choir singing the company name. This variant was only used in early fall 1987 before being discontinued a month later.
September 12, 1987-1990: A brief gust of wind, followed by an echoing series of two keyboard synth notes. This cue was composed by Shuki Levy.
May 6, 1990-January 2, 1999: A held-out orchestral note, followed by a six-note synth chime theme with a cymbal crash on the last note, and two harp glissandos. This cue was composed by Tom Worrall.
January 12, 1999-July 21, 2001, 2003-2005: A dreamy cartoonish theme (which sounds similar to The Video Collection/Strand Home Video music) with a synthesized choir singing "Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!". This cue was composed by Mike Piccirillo. Sometimes, this theme might be extended or shortened.
Audio Variants: Throughout its 14-year run, this logo had many different audio variations:
1987 (TM bug variant 1): Same as the choir variant, but the logo continues over the Coca-Cola Telecommunications jingle, as an attempt to plaster it on video releases.
1987 (TM bug variant 2): Features an extended wind gust, that lasts two seconds longer. With the extended wind gust on this variant, the two pairs of keyboard synth notes play two seconds after the star animation, making it out of sync, in contrast to the standard variant. This appears on VHS releases of Barbie and the Rockers. It's unknown if the original TV airing also used this variant; the special has not been released on DVD, except in Italy, and it's currently unknown what logo that release used.
There were many sped-up versions of each music variant.
On the 1999 VHS release of Madeline: Lost in Paris (original Disney VHS release; the Shout! Factory release on DVD also keeps it intact, and even a YouTube print from WildBrain Spark does as well), an extended version of the 1999 jingle exists: the last five notes of the original jingle are replayed at a higher chord and is extended (the original five notes are preceded by two additional notes), and then the "DIC" voiceover comes about a second after the music stops.
On The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin, the music is superimposed over the ending theme.
Our Friend Martin has the original 1999 jingle, but the "DIC" voiceover has a weird echo effect.
In exceptional cases, it used the closing theme of the show (e.g., later reruns of Rainbow Brite, Alvin and the Chipmunks).
A warp speed variant exists, where the 1990 logo plays as normal, except it uses the 1987 "DIC!" soundbite instead (and the music is also in a slightly lower pitch).
On Scandinavian and Latin American (the latter only on some episodes) dubbed prints of Sabrina: The Animated Series, the logo has the music from the 2008 Cookie Jar Entertainment logo. This is followed by the 1996 Buena Vista International logo. This is possibly because the prints used are Buena Vista versions; the former is a result of a reverse plaster.
On Sonic Underground episodes aired on the French version of the KidsCo network, the logo is silent.
On a Brazilian VHS release of the cartoon Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, the 1999 jingle is heard without the "DIC" voiceover.
One variant of the 1999 version exists that uses the regular-length music, but features the “DIC!” voiceover in a slightly different pitch, done by the same child, but more up tempo and quickly.[citation needed] However, it's unknown what are the shows that used this variant.
On a Tubi TV print of S1E6 of G.I. Joe, the 1987 Claster Television Incorporated logo theme comes in early shortly after the last note.
On a Spanish DVD print of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors episodes "Escape from the Garden of Evil", "The Vase of Xiang", "Steel Against Shadow", and "Silver Crusaders", the 1990 warp-speed variant has music from the 2004 Cookie Jar Entertainment logo. This is due to a reverse plastering error.
A Spanish VHS release of Street Sharks has a completely different, xylophone-based tune, heavily reminiscent of the Sesame Street theme.
A French VHS release of Sylvanian Families has an audio error, where the child says "DiC" twice, with the other one sounding slightly softer. The 1987 Coca-Cola Telecommunications jingle can also be heard towards the end.
On at least POP UK airings of Captain N and the New Super Mario World, the "DiC" voice over is muted, likely due to unintentional innuendo.
On the DVD print of episode 8 of Sylvanian Families, the first note of the 1987 Coca-Cola Telecommunications logo's fanfare can be faintly heard over the 1987 variant before the short version of the 1996 Saban International logo appears.
On Homer & Associates' Flying Logos demo reel, a male voiceover (Corey Burton) says that the logo was "extracted from a star", while a triumphant orchestral music is playing in the background.
Availability: Most airings and releases of DIC shows today have the Cookie Jar Entertainment logo plastering it, but some TV airings, online prints, and older DVD and VHS releases of DIC shows keep this logo intact, and remains the easiest logo to find from the company, especially the 1990 variant.
Like the first logo, this does not appear on Disney films from the late 1990's like Meet the Deedles and Inspector Gadget, respectively, as this logo is only used on both television and direct-to-video productions.
The 1987 variant first appeared on The Real Ghostbusters season 3 episode "Baby Spookums" (season 2 on ABC airings), which was broadcast on September 12, 1987 (two days before the airing of Season 2) and was seen on every episode of the series afterwards.
It is also seen on season 2 both of The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin and Dennis The Menace (the latter of which aired on Boomerang until 2015), and on other shows from the time.
The choir version was seen on syndicated programs that switched from Columbia Pictures Television to Coca-Cola Telecommunications at the last minute, including some syndicated episodes of The Real Ghostbusters (plastering the first logo - the syndicated episodes were produced during the era that logo was used), and some episodes of Starcom: The U.S. Space Force.
This variant is also intact on some of the episodes on the recent DVD release of The Real Ghostbusters from Time-Life.
The version that continues over the Coca-Cola music is preserved on older VHS prints of these two shows.
However, international prints of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! normally do not have this logo. They instead use the 1988 Saban International logo, though some episodes use both the 1987 DIC and 1988 Saban International logos.
As mentioned before, the 1990 variant is the most common logo of the company to find for its wide prevalence during this time, as well as being used to plaster older logos and variants.
The regular longer version appears on Captain Planet and the Planeteers (it was also retained on Boomerang airings before the 2015 rebrand; the same goes for the Season 1 prints on the Boomerang streaming app, and is also intact on the MeTV Toons airings of the first three seasons thereof, which is then followed by both the 1983 Turner Program Services and 2003 Warner Bros. Television logos), Inspector Gadget's Field Trip, DIC's Sailor Moon dub, the Sterling DVD and VHS releases of Inspector Gadget: The Gadget Files, two episodes on the Shout! Factory DVD set of Inspector Gadget: The Original Series ("The Boat" and "The Ruby") and Extreme Dinosaurs, among others.
It is also preserved on several early Buena Vista Home Video-distributed DIC Toon-Time Video releases, examples include Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas and VHS releases of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3.
The warp speed variant is easier to spot.
This version is preserved on shows like Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (When Hub Network aired this series, the logo was retained), the first two seasons of Madeline, and on some DVD releases of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, respectively.
This is also intact on ALF: The Animated Series and ALF Tales DVD releases and MeTV Toons airings, and Mummies Alive!.
This logo was last used on some prints of the BKN series Pocket Dragon Adventures.
A number of DIC shows on various official WildBrain YouTube channels might retain this logo, or plaster it with the 2004 Cookie Jar logo.
The DIC Presents variant is also retained at the start of Captain N & The New Super Mario World, although the Reteitalia/Telecinco byline variant is plastered by the 2004 Cookie Jar logo at the end.
The Reteitalia/Telecinco byline variant is seen on a few shows like Super Mario World, the first episode of Double Dragon, Wish Kid, Super Dave: Daredevil for Hire, Sonic the Hedgehog and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. It is also included as part of the "Visual History of the DiC Logo" special feature on The Littles: The Complete Unedited Series DVD set.
The alternate byline is seen on some episodes of Hammerman and on a majority of episodes of Double Dragon.
The version with the xylophone theme is only preserved on the Spanish VHS release of Street Sharks as of writing.
The 1999 variant, however, isn't easy to find in North America, though it's more common outside of North America.
This variant of the logo first appeared on Sonic Underground.
The long version first appeared on Our Friend, Martin and eventually appeared on the U.S. VHS release of Archie's Weird Mysteries: Archie and the Riverdale Vampires and the DTV feature Monster Mash.
The extended longer variant is only seen on Madeline: Lost in Paris, and is also retained on the Shout! Factory DVD release.
The shortened version is seen on most airings of Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century, Sabrina: The Animated Series, Archie's Weird Mysteries and last appeared on Season 3 of The New Adventures of Madeline.
This version also plastered older DIC logos on shows that aired on PAX TV's "Cloud Nine" block.
This variant is also a lot rarer due to its short time of use, but is still easy to find on Region 2/4 DVD releases of the aforementioned shows.
The 2003 variant was seen on reruns of Speed Racer (that DIC had licensed from Speed Racer Enterprises in addition to Speed Racer X) on Speed Channel (now FS1).
Legacy: This was notable in the logo community for its darkness, spiked star, music and voice (more so with the 1987 variant and especially the early choir variant). However, it is a favorite who grew up with it.
Print Logo
Logo (January 1, 1980-1987)
In-credit version
Kideo TV
Care Bears
The Real Ghostbusters pilot
Protect Yourself Featuring Teddy Ruxpin
Visuals: The "DiC" logo is featured in a stylized, rounded font and with 3D depth facing the lower left.
Variants:
Depending on the show used, the logo's coloring may change.
An in-credit version exists where the logo is also superimposed in the credits.
Cro et Bronto has this version with a black outline.
On Ulysses 31, the logo's depth is removed.
Technique: A still, printed image.
Audio: None or the closing theme of the show.
Availability: It first appeared as an in-credit logo on Cro et Bronto. That variant was also seen on original Japanese airings of Ulysses 31. However, shows from this period either had this logo replaced or are lost outside of original TV airings.
The Incredible World of DIC
Standard Logo
Logo (August 28, 2001-December 6, 2008)
On-screen version
On-screen version with copyright notice
NormalShortened variant without voice-overShortened variantHorseland shortened variantWebsite variant
Visuals: There is a background with red, green, yellow and blue (the areas are filled with patterns such as a DiC logo outline, and planets). The red and green wipe away until there is just a yellow background with a blue oval. A purplish globe pops out of the blue oval, then bounces to the center before zooming to fill the screen and backing up again, at which point the planets in the background disappear and are replaced with stars, and stars pop up from behind the globe. On the upper-half of the globe, some sparkles fly across and write the words:
The----------- Incredible World -----------of
in yellow script, and on the lower-half, the word:
DiC
(in the same-font as the previous logo, in yellow) zooms out to the logo.
Trivia: "The Incredible World of DIC" name was originally introduced in 1994 as a print logo. It was in-name-only until 2001 when an on-screen logo was made.
Variants:
An opening variant used for the DIC Kids Network strand was also used.
The on-screen version appears still on games as well, like Horseland for the Nintendo DS.
Shorter versions of this logo exist:
The instant-pop-up version is where the logo starts off with the globe popping up. It was the most commonly used version but was less commonly used in the later years of the logo.
A variant of the above exists on Liberty's Kids, where a small copyright notice is seen.
A variant of the shorter version of this logo exists.
The extremely short variant also exists, which starts where the "DIC" caption zooms out to the completed logo.
A short version also exists, where the logo starts off with the words finished being written, though it’s hard to describe what part of the longer logo this exactly starts at.
A similar logo appears on the DIC Entertainment website from 2005; On a plain orange background, the globe jumps out of a white hole from the ground and bounces to its usual position with transparent stars zooming in from the background. Afterwards, the words and "DIC" caption zoom out and land on the globe, with the "DIC" caption bouncing slightly.
Technique: 2D computer animation. The website variant utilizes flash animation.
Audio: A light dance-pop tune with bells and other cartoonish sounds, and ending with a child saying "DiC" ("Deek"; the third kid voice-over from the previous logo). The music for this logo was done by Andy Heyward's daughter, Bianca.
Audio Variants:
Sometimes, the theme is extended, with a few extra bells heard at the end.
In other cases, it is edited/warp speed.
On Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever, the logo is silent.
On a 2000s Brazilian DVD print of one episode of Mummies Alive!, the long version of the logo has the audio from the 2004 Cookie Jar logo at the beginning, with the rest of the logo being silent. This is due to a reverse plastering error.
The website version had a slightly sped up version of the "instant popup globe" audio.
The logo's theme may be slightly sped-up.
Availability: As with the 1990 variant of the previous logo, it was commonly used to plaster older DIC logos. However, due to making less appearances, it's often plastered with logos of other companies, mainly Cookie Jar Entertainment.
The standard length logo first appeared on the Lionsgate Home Entertainment VHS/DVD releases of Sabrina: The Animated Series and Mummies Alive! plastering the previous logo.
It is also seen at the end of other Lionsgate VHS/DVD releases, in addition to the following shows: Super Duper Sumos, original CBS airings of Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot (the one that DIC didn't produce), DinoSquad and Sushi Pack.
A mid-length version of it exists, which is seen on Alienators: Evolution Continues, the logo's TV debut.
The shorter version of the logo first appeared on Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action! and was also seen on Liberty's Kids, all twelve of the DIC Movie Toons, Sabrina's Secret Life, the first season of Strawberry Shortcake, Trollz, the Iz and the Zizzles special and its sequel "Will the Zizzles Sizzle or Fizzle?", and the McKids Adventures direct-to-video releases.
The warp-speed version is seen on Series 2-4 of Strawberry Shortcake, Horseland, Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Movie, and also plasters older DIC logos on the 2003-2008 "DIC Kids Network" syndication package and the 2006-2007 "KOL Secret Slumber Party" block that aired on CBS Saturday mornings.
The extended version is preserved on the Shout! Factory DVD set of Inspector Gadget: The Original Series, where this logo is tacked onto most episodes on it (except for "The Boat" and "The Ruby", both of which use the 1990 version of the 3rd DiC logo).
It is also intact on Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever, and on the video game Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Game, respectively.
This TV's airings of Sonic Underground preserved this logo (taken from DIC Kids Network prints).
It is also preserved on video games of DIC-produced properties.
Though the series was co-produced by DIC, this logo does not appear on the Inspector Gadget spinoff Gadget & the Gadgetinis that ran from 2002-03; only an in-credit notice appears instead.
Legacy: Like the previous logos, it's a favorite among those who grew up with it. However, it's less popular than the last logo due to having weak significance.
Print Logo
Logo (November 30, 2001-February 28, 2003)
Print version on white background
Print version on black background
Another print version on black background
Visuals: On a black or white background, a blue gradient globe with stars within its upper half is shown. In front of the wireframe globe, there is the following text:
The----------- Incredible World -----------of
It is in yellow script. On the lower-half, the word:
DiC
(in the same-font as the 1987 logo, in yellow) Is shown.
Technique: A still, digital graphic.
Audio: None.
Availability: The logo is seen on game releases of DIC-produced shows, which include Inspector Gadget: Advance Mission, Gadget Racing, and various Madeline PC games.
Final Note
Cookie Jar Entertainment took over for the then-current shows DinoSquad (for the series finale) and Sushi Pack (for season 2), which formerly ended with this logo until December 2008.
Copyright Stamps
Here is some information about the copyright stamps on DIC's series: