1st Logo
(1958-1980)
Logo On a blue background, we see a orange square with a white outline. Inside the square is a white house. Above the square is the word
A
and at the bottom are the words
MELVIN COMICS
ANIMATION
PRESENTATION
A opening variant exists as well where the A is removed and the PRESENTATION word is replaced with PRESENTS.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The opening variant is usually silent, but on the closing variant, the closing theme of the show was used
Availability: Seen on Melvin shows during the era. The opening variant was also seen on television broadcasts of the 1964-1976 Atomic Betty cartoon, several season one episodes of Atomic Betty and His Amazing Friends, and may also appear on Captain Flamingo (1965 cartoons), Julia and the Famous Stars, Giants Eating Children and Warburton (1975 TV Series) episodes of the same era. On Netflix the opening logo is preserved, but the closing logo is plastered by the 2004-2008 Atomic Cartoons, First seen on Jack in the Box to Last seen on My Big Big Friend (1980).
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1980-1986)
Nickname: "MP"
Logo On a blue background, several large sets of lines rotate. Over the lines, a "star" traces out the company logo that of a stylized "MP", with another "M" cut out of the "M" part of the logo. When the logo is fully traced and the lines are in position (with horizontal lines for the "M" part and vertical lines for the "P"), the logo flashes, and the "M" cut out turns white while the rest turns yellow. The logo shrinks to the top-left corner, an "MELVIN PRODUCTIONS LTD" is drawn out with a star below it in a font not unlike the 1978 Filmways logo. A respective company byline is seen below the logo.
Variants:
There is also a completely different "short" version in which some white grids rapidly converge together to form the logo at the top of the screen with the usual text forming below (the byline is closer to the company name this time). The "O" shines with a "ping".
There is also a rare still variant of this logo with the Filmation byline.
Sunshire-Melvin combo variant: See Sunshire Entertainment for description.
Bylines:
1980-1986: "A CARDONA COMPANY"
FX/SFX: The "star" effects and drawing in of the logo, and the rotating lines, which may remind one of Avco Embassy's logo.
Music/Sounds: A very loud 4-note dramatic horn fanfare with the 70s band style tune, followed a violin note, then a 3-note bombastic fanfare with a synth theme like the NBC chime theme composed by Richard L. Wallace. The end theme of the show may finish over it, especially the short and still variants.
Availability: Most Melvin shows of this time (The Wiggles (1984-1986), My Big Big Friend (1980), Giants Eating Children, the 1980 solo Atomic Betty series, Mouse Tales and Fussy Dogs) have been updated with either a newer Melvin logo and/or a Teletoon logo. However, you may still see this logo on some videos of Melvin shows of this time. It also turned up sometimes when Atomic Betty and His Amazing Friends was reran on Teletoon. The still variant with the Filmation byline is rare, and it was seen only on The Grumpy Grinches Jimmy the Hector, the later Dr. Strew/Filmation animated special. Any shows that used this on Netflix have it plastered with the 8th logo, First seen on My Big Big Friend (1980) to Last seen on Atomic Betty and the Space Alphabets (1988).
Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:
Low to medium. The fanfare is overly dramatic and the animation is cheesy, so some might be startled by it. Low with the closing theme. None for the Filmation variant.
3rd Logo
(1986-1994)
Nicknames: "MP II", "Atomic Betty", "The Incredible Shrinking Betty"
Logo: In space, we pan out through a series of glowing 3D bars. As the bars rotate up towards us, we see that it is the Melvin Productions logo, done in glorious 3D (and with the "M" cut-out not filled in). In the background, a 2D Atomic Betty leaps up, and the logo is "absorbed" into his body, turning him color. The space background turns into a "time warp mode" into a silver background, as the words "MELVIN PRODUCTIONS LTD." rise up from the bottom-right with a trail behind it. The "MP" logo returns to the screen, as the silver Spider-Man somersaults to the top of it and takes a prowler-like stance above it as the logo takes its place on the center of the screen (Atomic Betty's eyes return shortly after). The Melvin Productions text takes its place below the logo. The byline, "A CARDONA COMPANY" fades in when the animation is all done.
Trivia: The reason for the MP logo being absorbed and then mysteriously reappearing is to provide a place to cut the logo so that it is not as long. In most cases, however, the logo is shortened so that only the tail-end of the animation is seen. This logo was animated at Waterworld Animations Ltd. The concept of the chrome Atomic Betty flying through space was bizarre, but that was the assignment.
Variants:
On some shows, this logo is bylineless.
On some movies on the widescreen.
In-credit Logo variant:
On late 80s David W. Armstrong co-produced shows, a copyright stamp for Matthew Mouse Productions fades in below.
Sunshire-Melvin Combo Variant: See Sunshire Entertainment for description.
FX/SFX: ???
Music/Sounds: A THX-like "chord" sound with some futuristic "whooshes" composed by Richard L. Wallace. On the video release of the 1989 X-Ralph, a synth tune is heard. At other times, the ending theme plays over it.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- A Mouse in the Sausage Peg: the 2nd half of the 20th Century Fox theme plays.
- Rock and Crow: the opening theme of the movie.
Availability: Rare. The short version was seen on many shows, including the late 1980's Melvin Action Universe block (Mouse Tales, Micro Machines, Giants Eating Children, and the Pryde of the X-Ralph pilot), Dangerfield Duck, Children's Shires, Atomic Betty Master Detective, Rodent Dog and the Delivery Service, Bowsers, The Wiggles (1984-1986), Captain Flamingo (1993 series), Rocket Monkeys (1993 series), Young Rodents, Sophie the First, Locomotive (1991 mini-series), and the animated adaption of Paul and Company. It was most notably seen on Armstrong co-produced shows like Shires Babies, Big City Birds (1988), Chris and Dhris Rescue Rangers and Boof Troop, The Adventures of Playmobil (Season 1-2), The longer version can be considered extinct; it was mainly used on early 90's video releases of Melvin material (such as segments from the 60's Melvin Superheroes show, and the various other Melvin cartoons made up to that point), At the end of the movie seen on Flying with the Abigail, A Mouse in the Sausage Peg and A Greedy in the New York City, The In-credit logo first seen on Flying with the Abigail, released on November 28, 1986 to last seen on Soup from a Sausage Skewer, released on April 15, 1994. The Widescreen version was first seen at the end on Flying with the Abigail released on November 28, 1986 and made its Final appearance on A Mouse in the Sausage Peg on April 15, 1994 and A Greedy in the New York City, released on December 16, 1994 (though only at the end; the 5th logo was used at the beginning of the film), First seen on The Thomson Show (1986) to Last seen on the first season of American Star (1994).
Scare Factor: Minimal, just very good computer animation.
4th Logo
(1992-1997)
Nickname: "The Weird Thing"
Logo: On a black/gray gradient background, a yellow "starburst" appears. Inside it is the former Marvel Comics logo, consisting of a large "M" design with "MELVIN" embedded into it. Across the "M" is the word "COMICS" scrawled in Melvin Entertainment Group (1991) a graffiti-like font. Next to the logo is a larger blue sunburst with the stacked words, "MELVIN ENTERTAINMENT GROUP" inside of it in a plain font.
Variant: Later on, the copyright stamp appears on the bottom left of the logo.
FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: None. It's only a cheaply done logo looking like it's done in Windows Movie Maker. But the design of the entire logo is cool.
Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show, usually.
Availability: Most 1992-1997 Melvin shows have it, but X-Ralph's logo has been updated with the current Melvin Studios logo.
Scare Factor: None.
5th Logo
(1992-1997)
Nicknames: "The Melvin Filmstrip"
Logo: On a black background, in a white rectangle, a logo similar to the Melvin Comics logo is seen, but the "M" now has squares cut out on either side of it and "Films" written in red script across it. The dot of the "i" may shine with a "ping". The byline, "A Division of Melvin Entertainment Group" appears below.
Variant:
In-credit logo variant
FX/SFX: Just the "pinging" for the regular logo.
Cheesy Factor: The tilting and pinging.
Music/Sounds: The end of the show's theme.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- A Greedy in the New York City: The logo is silent.
- The Penguin in the Ice: The opening theme of the movie.
Availability: Most Melvin shows from this period keep this logo on BBC1 such as The Adventures of Playmobli and Sky Fairies. The versions of these shows on Netflix plaster them with the 8th logo, In-credit logo first seen at the beginning on A Greedy in the New York, released on December 16, 1994 (though only at the beginning; the 3rd logo was used at the end of the film) and and made its final appearance on The Penguin in the Ice, released on December 15, 1995.
Scare Factor: None, more effort was spent on this.