KVC Home Video

Background

KVC Home Video was originally formed as Kartes Video Communications in 1982, named after its founder Jim Kartes (1940-2016). The company got its start re-distributing old public domain films, under the Video Film Classics moniker. In 1985, the company was purchased by E. W. Scripps Company in an effort for them to expand into the home video market; however, they sold it back to the original owners in 1988, after an unsuccessful buyout of Hanes. Kartes retired from the company in 1988, moving with his wife to Maui with the fortune he'd made from his company; following this, it was renamed to KVC Home Video, where it continued operating until 1993.

1st Logo (1984-1988)

Visuals: The sequence starts out with a field of stars coming toward the camera (all of them, some going diagonally), and a 3x3 pattern of 9 K's, all of which are the company's logo, zoom toward the camera forming part 1 of the background of the closing sequence, which appears to be a field of diagonal lines. A sheet of metal, all of which contain cutouts of the K's, zoom out at the same time and join together with the K's. Then the real logo, along with "Kartes Video Communications" below it, zoom out, followed shortly by "Presents".

Variants:

The byline "A SCRIPPS HOWARD COMPANY" would be added later on, along with its lighthouse symbol. The lighthouse turns on when "Presents" zooms out.
The words "UNDER LICENSE TO" appear on KVC tapes co-released by MCA Home Video.

Technique: Early computerized animation.

Audio: A deep synth bass, followed by a synthesizer that starts out on a high note of the scale in the key of "F" major and then gets lower; as the company name falls in, a repeating glissandi of notes, and, as "Presents" falls in, a "ding". A "whoosh" sound is also heard when the "K" and company name zoom out.

Availability: Can be found on most 1980s Peanuts videos, as well as Kartes' "Video Film Classics" releases.

2nd Logo (1988-1993)

Visuals: Against a black BG, there is a huge white 3D star come in from the center of the screen with a residue-trailing effect. It then zooms out and stops at an angle as the BG becomes a gray marble pattern to reveal a dark blue 3D "KVC", which is in the same font as the K in the Kartes logo with "HOME VIDEO" along its right in a serif font. A white star is on the bottom of the V, and a smaller star, which is "connected" to three line trails, shoots out from the larger star towards the lower left corner of the O in "HOME".

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A "whoosh" sound as the star forms, then a low synth note followed by another "whoosh" with some tinkling sounds as the smaller star shoots out.

Availability: It's seen on some later Peanuts videos, and KVC reissues of Atlantic Releasing Corp. films previously issued by Paramount (e.g., Teen Wolf, Hey There, It's Yogi Bear!).