Rest in Peace, Primal Screen

[JMTV]

No. This is not a joke. Primal Screen will be officially shut down by the end of May.


For those who don't know, Primal Screen is a branding, marketing, and graphic designing animation agency in Atlanta, Georgia. The company has been around for over 30 years.

And for Cartoon Network lovers out there, this is the same animation studio that brought us the Golden Age of Cartoon Network, which was the Powerhouse era. Primal Screen design bumpers and promos for Cartoon Network since 1998, and animating the iconic Cartoon Cartoon Fridays block.

After a while, Primal Screen did have a great relationship with Cartoon Network and continue to making bumpers and promos for them all the way up to the modern day such as Boomerang (2000 version and 2015 rebrand), 20th Anniversary bumpers in 2012, and some bumpers from Redraw Your World and Cartoonito in 2021.

Not to mention, Primal Screen also have other clients besides Cartoon Network such as Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, Sprout, and so much more.

And now, all good things must come to an end. Primal Screen will no longer be with us.

I'm really saddened by this because Primal Screen has touched so many people with the Powerhouse era. Their work is a damn near masterpiece. Making Cartoon Network the most lively, colorful, and cartoony network is something you never get to see on cable TV, before or since. All their major work from the Powerhouse era, all thanks to Primal Screen. So seeing them go really sucks because I would love to see them continue making bumpers and promos for Cartoon Network in the future.

Personally, I cannot imagine any other animation studio can recapture the magic of the Powerhouse era other than Primal Screen. You can never top that.

With that, I'm really going to miss them and all their contributions for giving us the CN Golden Age. I really hope the people who worked on Primal Screen can hang in there and wish them the best of luck on your future projects.

Thank you very very much Primal Screen and all the employees who worked at the company over the years for giving us a great era that touched a lot of people childhoods.

You may be gone this May, but the legacy will live on forever.

Once again, thank you.

 

[Mejo]

Really unfortunate that this is going to occur. Their Powerhouse bumpers were really wonderful and creative (them changing color depending on the time of the day and the alternate voiceovers that would play over them also helped them to stand out more and be less repetitive despite them making only a couple for each).

Somebody made a fine compilation of most of those bumpers. I definitely recommend checking it out.


RIP Primal Screen: 1995 - 2024

 

[Silverstar]

As of this writing, no reason has been given for the company's closing.

The end of an era. I know there are other graphic design studios out there, but my heart is heavy nonetheless.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

This truly is the end of an era. I have so much nostalgia for the Powerhouse era. Like seriously if someone were to ask me what I’m most nostalgic for I will pick CCF.

 

[19MagiswordLane]

This is my personal favorite of their work. So much soul.

 

[JMTV]

This is my personal favorite of their work. So much soul.

Yup. CCF 2001 intro will always be iconic.

 

[Kitschensyngk]

This CCF promo was a bit before my time, but one has to admire its epicness.

 

[JMTV]

Take a look at this wonderful Powerhouse montage.


It still holds up to this day. It was like Peak Cartoon Network for me.

 

[Checkerboard]

This is quite sad as they fleshed out the network with Powerhouse pretty much. There are still APAC bumpers from that era that are lost media. The 20th anniversary presentation was cool. They seemed like a successful studio so this seems odd.

 

[Shiloh Otter]

I remember those old bumpers quite well.

Primal Screen also has done lots of work for PBS Kids in the last several years as well, and it's also top notch stuff.

I will miss them.

 

[DeanBurrito25]

I know Primal Screen isn't owned by Warner Bros, but it was integral to the Network cementing its visual identity at its prime. The fact that PS continued to collaborate with them in subsequent years (Redraw Your World, the CN 20th Anniversary, etc.) is a testament to their importance.

As a lifelong fan of Cartoon Network, the Powerhouse era defined the Network when I was little. As a full time graphic designer, I definitely go back to that era when I think of master class branding. The variety and attention to detail in its variety of interstitials – show specific bumpers for both original and acquired programming, different color schemes for different times of day – is staggering, commendable, and unthinkable in this age as cable declines and streaming rises. They did it like no other.

Primal Screen had a proper demo reel of their Powerhouse work that I can no longer find on their website, but it's been preserved on YouTube. I know the creatives there will move on to bigger and better things.

Thanks for everything, PS.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

I figured I better post this:
This has strong sentimental value to me because I watched it at my grandma’s house when I spent the night there. Less than a month later she passed away due to cancer. I still don’t get why Double D never hosted this way again. I’ve seen a video where someone edited out all the specific dialogue and it was still coherent.

 

[JMTV]

Wow! Look at this CCF Ed Edd n Eddy promo! I never seen this one before, and it still looks awesome!



I want to give this person a shoutout. David M Strandquest

David is a animator and director at Primal Screen. He worked on a ton and tons of Powerhouse era bumpers for Cartoon Network back in the day.

Here's this familiar CN bumper as a example that looks very different compared to the final product.


Or check out this one.


If you wanna see more, go check out his YouTube channel below and give him support he needs, especially during these unfortunate times of Primal Screen's closure.

https://www.youtube.com/@metalkatstudio/videos

Seeing all those Powerhouse bumpers in HQ looks so clean and crisp that I absolutely adore. All thanks to the talented people like David put everything together in such a beautiful package. I want to truly thank him for everything.

I understand there's other design studio out there can make CN bumpers and promos for the channel, but nothing can beat something as memorable as Primal Screen was. Animal Logic came close, but Primal Screen will always be the top king.

 

[toonatic#_#]

Here's the menu to a Primal Screen promotional DVD that contains their work.

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[dumbfoolkid5]

RIP

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