DIC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment Corporation was a French-American film and television production company that was mostly associated as an animation studio. As a former division of The Walt Disney Company, DIC produced live-action feature films and licensed numerous anime series.
In 2008, DIC was acquired by Cookie Jar Group in June and was later folded into Cookie Jar in July. As of 2025, most of the DIC library is currently owned by WildBrain after the company acquired Cookie Jar in October 2012.
History
1971–1982: DIC Audiovisuel
Diffusion Information Communication was founded in France in 1971 by Jean Chalopin as part of the Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion, a well-established media company. DIC primarily focused on producing television content.In 1981, DIC formed a partnership with Tokyo Movie Shinsha, a Japanese animation studio. As part of this collaboration, DIC assisted in animating several TMS programs, including the popular series Ulysses 31. Additionally, DIC created an unaired pilot called Lupin VIII during this period.
This partnership between DIC and TMS continued until 1996, contributing to the production of numerous animated television shows and pilots.
1982–1986: DIC Enterprises
DIC Audiovisuel's U.S. division, DIC Enterprises, was established in April 1982 in Burbank, California, by Andy Heyward, a former writer at Hanna-Barbera. This division was created to adapt DIC productions into English for American audiences. DIC Enterprises focused on producing animated television content for both network broadcast and syndication. To reduce costs, DIC outsourced non-creative tasks overseas and employed staff on a per-program basis. Despite its success, some industry insiders referred to DIC as "Do It Cheap".Under the direction of Bruno Bianchi and Bernard Deyriès, DIC became known for its effective yet cost-conscious approach to animation production. Shortly after its formation, DIC introduced Inspector Gadget, which became one of its most successful productions. DIC also collaborated with toy and greeting card companies to develop character-based product lines that could be adapted into animated series, providing built-in advertisers and financial backers. With hits like Inspector Gadget, The Littles, and Heathcliff, DIC became profitable.
In 1983, DIC established its own animation facility in Japan, known as K.K. DIC Asia, to handle animation production for its shows independently. Despite facing a unionization effort in 1984, DIC remained the only non-union animation firm. Over time, DIC expanded its operations through syndication deals with companies like LBS Communications, Columbia Pictures Television, and Access Syndication. Additionally, DIC secured home video rights for its shows through agreements with Karl-Lorimar Home Video, CBS/Fox Video in the US, The Video Collection in Great Britain and Access Syndication.
1987–1993: Move to North America
Between late 1986 and 1987, Heyward, in collaboration with investors Bear Stearns & Co. and Prudential Insurance Co., acquired Chalopin and the Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion's 52% stake in DIC, resulting in the transformation of DIC into DIC Animation City, Inc. This acquisition, amounting to $70 million in a leveraged buyout, relocated the company's headquarters to the United States. Following the transaction, key personnel such as Chalopin, Bianchi, Deyriès, and producer Tetsuo Katayama departed DIC, making way for Robby London and Michael Maliani to assume pivotal roles within the organization. Additionally, Chalopin retained control of DIC's original offices in France and its Japanese animation facility, establishing the entity Créativité et Développement in 1987 to continue producing animated content. Meanwhile, the Japanese studio was renamed K.K. C&D Asia, operating until 1996.Subsequent to the buyout, DIC encountered significant financial indebtedness, partly stemming from their competitive strategy of underbidding on projects to outmaneuver rival animation firms, coupled with an overestimation of the market demand for children's television shows. Consequently, DIC's debt escalated, prompting the sale of foreign rights to their library to Saban Productions in 1987, which were later transferred to Chalopin's C&D. This transaction strained the relationship between DIC and Saban, leading to legal disputes culminating in a settlement in 1991. Despite these challenges, DIC expanded its collaborations, partnering with NBC and Coca-Cola Telecommunications to produce and distribute television programs. DIC also ventured into toy manufacturing with the introduction of the Old MacDonald talking toyline.
Amidst legal battles and strategic maneuvers, DIC continued to navigate the evolving landscape of the animation industry. Legal disputes with Family Home Entertainment and LBS/Lorimar Home Video were resolved, paving the way for DIC to forge partnerships with Golden Book Video and pursue distribution agreements with Bohbot Communications. Furthermore, DIC diversified its international collaborations, teaming up with Reteitalia, S.p.A. and Telecinco, among others, to co-produce animated content. By the early 1990s, DIC expanded its operations to include subsidiaries such as Rainforest Entertainment and embarked on educational initiatives.
DIC's growth trajectory was marked by a landmark licensing agreement with Buena Vista Home Video in 1993, facilitating the distribution of over 1,000 half-hours of animated content and the establishment of a dedicated home video label. This deal bolstered DIC's presence in the home entertainment market, heralding a new phase of expansion and consolidation within the animation industry. DIC subsequently signed a deal with Golden Book Video to market titles under the DIC Video brand.
1993–2000: Limited partnerships
During the early 1990s, DIC attracted attention within the industry. The company engaged in discussions regarding a potential merger and buyout with PolyGram and Capital Cities/ABC, but no agreements materialized with either entity.In July 1993, DIC Animation City began the establishment of a limited partnership with Capital Cities/ABC Video Enterprises, Inc., forming a joint venture named DIC Entertainment, L.P. This venture aimed to oversee DIC's production library and supply content for international distribution through CAVE. DIC Animation City held 95% of the shares, while CAVE held the remaining 5%. At the end of the year, the two companies formed another Delaware limited partnership called DIC Productions, L.P., with Capital Cities/ABC holding a 95% majority stake and Heyward retaining the remaining 5%. Both limited partnerships became the successor to the former parent company DIC Animation City, coinciding with the relocation of DIC's headquarters to a larger facility in Burbank, California.
DIC continued its expansion and diversification efforts throughout the early 1990s. In November 1993, it established DIC Interactive, a multimedia unit. Subsequently, the company ventured into live-action television production in 1994. In response to the success of Saban's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, DIC collaborated with Tsuburaya Productions to adapt the Japanese series Gridman the Hyper Agent into Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad. DIC also initiated partnerships in China and engaged in syndication agreements with SeaGull Entertainment. In 1995, DIC also produced an English dub of the Japanese anime Sailor Moon.
In July 1995, The Walt Disney Company intended to buy Capital Cities/ABC and all of its assets, including DIC. That October, DIC began planning to establish an animation studio in France in partnership with Hamster Productions. Following the completion of the merger between Capital Cities/ABC and Disney in January 1996, DIC became a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Subsequently, DIC collaborated closely with Disney, launching DIC Films and signing a first-look deal with Walt Disney Pictures in 1996.
In March 1997, DIC's French animation studio commenced operations as Les Studios Tex S.A.R.L. DIC continued its expansion into various markets and mediums, extending its first-look deal with Walt Disney Pictures in March 1998 and commencing the launch of its direct-to-video division the following month. Additionally, DIC secured a programming agreement with Pax TV during this period.
2000–2004: Return to independence
In September 2000, Andy Heyward, backed by investment firms Bain Capital and Chase Capital Partners, began to purchase DIC from The Walt Disney Company. Disney agreed to sell back the company and the deal was closed on November 25, officially allowing DIC to produce shows alone again without the limitations of Disney, coinciding with the relaunch of DIC's international sales division at MIPCOM that year.In 2001, DIC planned to return to the home video market, by forming a new division titled DIC Home Entertainment; they intended to begin releasing products starting that May. This was delayed due to DIC's issues in finding a distribution partner, which eventually happened in July when DIC signed a deal with Lions Gate Home Entertainment for North American distribution of DIC Home Entertainment products. In June, DIC planned a purchase of Golden Books Family Entertainment for $170 million, but they eventually backed out of the deal due to the high costs of the purchase; the company was instead co-purchased by Random House for the book rights and Classic Media for the entertainment rights.
In July 2002, DIC purchased the Mommy & Me preschool label.
In January 2003, DIC announced three syndicated children's programming E/I blocks called DIC Kids Network. In April, DIC sued Speed Racer Enterprises, alleging that SRE had sub-licensed the worldwide exploitation rights for Speed Racer to DIC the previous year and then ended the agreement without DIC knowing. Later in July, DIC signed a television production deal with POW! Entertainment for Stan Lee's Secret Super Six, a series about teens with alien superpowers who are taught about humanity by Lee, but this show never made it to air.