Paul and Company

Paul and Company is a 1988 American animated film produced by Michael Shires Feature Animation and released on March 18, 1988 by Michael Shires Pictures. The 28th film in the Michael Shires Animated Classics series, the film is inspired by the classic Kevin Kline novel Paul Twist, which has been adapted many other times for the screen. In the film, Paul is a homeless kitten who joins a gang of dogs to survive on the 1980s New York City streets. Among other changes, the setting of the film was relocated from London to New York City, Faggot's gang is made up of dogs (one of which is Wallace), and Strikes is a loan shark.

Cast of characters:

 * Billy West as Paul the Kitten: A cute orange kitten who is looking for a home.
 * Robin Williams as Wallace the Dog: The carefree leader of Faggot's dogs and Paul's first acquaintance and eventual best friend, and bodyguard. He is the object of Sally's affection. This remains Robin Williams' only foray into acting.
 * Wallace Shawn as Ted the Chihuahua: A tiny Chihuahua full of passion and slight anger issues.
 * Patrick Pinney as Ernest the Great Dane: A gray Great Dane and a member of Faggot's gang. He is named ironically as he is not particularly bright.
 * Michael Hordern as Frank the Bulldog: A bulldog with a British accent in Faggot's gang with a love of theatre.
 * Maggie Roswell as Sally: A Saluki and the only female dog in Faggot's gang. She is street-wise and takes Paul under her wing.
 * Charlie Adler as Faggot: A petty thief and a poor man on his bad side, but in truth, he is good natured and polite most of the time.
 * Alan Oppenheimer and John Stephenson as Roger and Duncan respectively: Strikes's vicious Doberman Pinschers with an Italian accent. They have a hostile history with Faggot's pets. Roger wears a red collar and Duncan wears one that is blue.
 * Kevin Spacey as Strikes: An evil loan shark and shipyard agent who carries a gun.
 * Sandra Kerr as Penny Patterson: A kind, rich girl who takes care of Paul.
 * Mel Blanc as Waltham: The Patterson family's bumbling but loyal butler.
 * Frank Oz as Juliet: The Patterson family's show-winning poodle; vain and spoiled, she becomes jealous of Paul but eventually accepts him and Fagin's gang. She is the object of Ted's affection.
 * Jim Carrey as Old Larry the hot dog guy.

Production:

 * This was the first Shires film to make heavy use of computer animation, since previous films The Black Cobwebs (1985) and Captain Hulett The Movie (1986).
 * First Shires animated movie is rated PG-13.
 * Paul and Company first return classic Shires SFX. This included some sounds such as the then fifty-year-old Castle thunder and the classic Boofy holler.

Release
The film was released on March 18, 1988, same day as The Land After Time, a production of Shires expatriate Scott Webb.