Compiled by Nicholas Aczel, Kris Starring, Sean Beard and Logoboy95
Logo captures by Logoboy95, Eric S. and others
Editions by Logoboy95, Bob Fish, TheAdmiester and V of Doom
Video capture courtesy of Eric S.


Background: Nelvana was founded in 1971 in Canada by Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith to produce and distribute children's animated shows and movies originally. Until 1985, the company did not have a animated logo separate from the credits at the end of their shows, instead using an in-credit version of the Polar Bear looking up at the star without the arch, and "NELVANA" below. Today, it's a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment, Inc.


1st Logo
(1982-1986)

Nickname: "Nelvana Polar Bear", "Boring Polar Bear"

Logo: On a black background, we see an in-credit version of the Polar Bear looking up at the star, as seen on Nelvana shows from 1985-2004, but without an arch. "NELVANA", "NELVANA LIMITED", or "A NELVANA PRODUCTION" is seen below.

FX: None; just an in-credit logo.

Cheesy Factor: The in-credit Polar Bear scrolling up on The Care Bears Movie is very choppy.

Music/Sounds: Either the beginning or the ending theme of the movie, or probably the ending theme of the show.

Availability: Appeared at the beginning or end of Nelvana-produced films from the 80's, including Rock & Rule, The Care Bears Movie, and Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation. Also seen on the Star Wars: Droids cartoon show, the live-action series The Edison Twins, and Nelvana's early animated TV specials. (A Cosmic Christmas didn't feature the logo, nor did the Strawberry Shortcake specials or other co-productions with Those Characters from Cleveland.) This was used in tandem with the 2nd logo from 1985 until 1986.

Scare Factor: None to low, depending on the logo variant, but generally it's BORING.



2nd Logo
(1985-1996)

Nickname: "Neon Polar Bear"

Logo: On a black background, a blue square with a red outline and a white star in the center flies from the top right of the screen, gradually enlarging and turning counterclockwise to fit the screen as the star multiplies into a seven star semicircle outline. The text "NELVANA" appears below the semicircle in red. The star outline shines from left to right, and the pinnacle star sends a shower of light down the center of the semicircle. "NELVANA" lights up in orange, and the shower of light unfolds to the left, turning into a neon blue polar bear looking up.

Variants:

• The short version, which is more common, starts off with the stars shining and the "shower of light" animation. This plays in warp speed on Eek the Cat. This is slowed down on various shows, too.
• On the 1989 film Babar: The Movie, there is a special, rare variant of this logo where the polar bear stands on its hind legs for a second before assuming its normal position. A "WHOOSH" sound plays, followed by some dreamy "chime" sounds, then a second "WHOOSH".
• On Care Bears: Adventure in Wonderland, there is a rare variant with a dark background and creepy music (some whooshing sounds with wind chimes and dramatic synth music), and has the same polar bear animation as the Babar variant.
• The 1988 TV special Clifford the Big Red Dog has a rare variant with the logo turning accompanied by a mystical twinkling sound with a thunderclap. Shows distributed outside Canada and the U.S. also used this variant.

FX: The light effects.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic rising synth tune as the logo flies up, followed by a thunderclap as "NELVANA" lights up. For most of Nelvana's '90s shows, the end theme played over it, or it was silent.

Availability: Rare; the short version can still be seen on 1995-1996 episodes of Little Bear and early episodes of Franklin on Noggin and VHS releases of the Magic School Bus. The long version can be seen on the DVD release of Babar: The Movie.

Scare Factor: Minimal; pretty much depends on the ending theme shown.



3rd Logo
(1996-2004)

Nickname: "Space Polar Bear"

Logo: On a space background, there is a flash of light and the Nelvana logo appears in CGI on the background looking similar to the 1st logo, with some exceptions: the seven star semicircle has a blue chrome outline, as does the polar bear and the "NELVANA" text. A spark flies from the right, and as it passes the pinnacle star and the 2nd star to the left in the semicircle, each star lights up.

Variants:

• There is a rare extended version of this logo which has a more delayed zoom-outzoom-out. and uses the music used for the Babar: The Movie variation of the 2nd logo. It ends with the logo zooming in.
• Starting in 2000, the byline Nelvana is a Corus Entertainment Company was added (with "Corus" written in its corporate font).
• For international distribution, and "Distributed By" and "INTERNATIONAL" were chyroned in above and below the logo, respectively. A CORUS ENTERTAINMENT byline was added in 2002.
• The URL www.nelvana.com was available for a short time in 1999.
• On Babar: King of the Elephants, the starfield looks a little cleaner. A five-pointed star flashes in the distance and the Nelvana logo (which looks more metallic and lacks stars around the arch), which is turned on its side, flies toward the screen and flips upright. The usual polar bear animation plays while it flips toward us. The logo sparkles a bit in the end.
• An in-credit version has appeared on Tales From the Crypt on the final episode (and the only animated one), "The Third Pig".

FX: Excellent use of CGI on the starry background, blue chrome, and the spark flying (does it look like the one from Walt Disney Classics?).

Music/Sounds: The end theme of a show or the generic network theme, or none. In 2002, thea synthesizer theme from the Babar the Movie variantwith of8 thereverberated firstsynth logonotes was added, although, sometimes only the first note (a "WHOOSH" sound) is played.

Availability: Not as common as in previous years. The best way to find it is on PBS reruns of older Cyberchase episodes, international prints of The Fairly OddParents, Max and Ruby, Medabots, and Beyblade among others.

Scare Factor: None to minimal; great CGI, nothing to worry about. May get a little higher when the music is added and the spark flying, however.



4th Logo
(2003)

Nicknames: "Still Polar Bear", "Polar Bear of Boredom"

Logo: On a white background, we see the seven star semicircle, polar bear, and "NELVANA" text as from the previous logo but with a dark blue outline. Underneath the "NELVANA" is the URL www.nelvana.com, and underneath that is the byline "A CORUS Entertainment Company".

FX: None; this is a still logo.

Music/Sounds: None. In other cases, the end theme of a show or the generic network theme.

Availability: It was used as an alternate logo during 2003. It appears on PBS reruns of 2003 Cyberchase episodes. It also appeared on some episodes of Maggie and the Ferocious Beast on Noggin.

Scare Factor: None; it's a clean and BORING logo.



5th Logo
(2004- )

Nickname: "Nebular Polar Bear"

Logo: On a black background, we see the polar bear with a blue outline around it looking up, bumping a star to the top right of his face. The logo looks similar to the in-credit logo seen before 1985. Under the bear and star is "NELVANA" with the byline "A Corus Entertainment Inc Company" underneath that. The star briefly twinkles, and a white haze of light forms and dissipates behind the logo.

Variants:

• In early versions, the Corus byline is in all-caps, and in a different font.
• There is a longer version where the polar bear "swims" onto the screen before bumping the star. No haze is shown.
• A variant exists with the words A NELVANA PRODUCTION above the polar bear. No haze is shown.
• On the Grossology TV series, there is a version in which the polar bear gets slimed Nickelodeon-style (or is it snot?).
• There is a variation where INTERNATIONAL, in a rounded rectangle, is sandwiched inbetween NELVANA and the Corus byline.
• There's a superimposed variant on Max and Ruby.

FX: Modern-day 2D computer graphics.

Music/Sounds: Usually, the end theme of a show or the generic network theme plays over, but sometimes this logo has its own music. An nice guitar theme with some children laughing towards the end.

Availiability: Common on all current Nelvana shows, such as The Backyardigans and Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends on Nick Jr. and Noggin, Grossology on Discovery Kids, and Wayside on Nickelodeon/Nicktoons Network. It also appears tacked onto the end of some shows that had older Nelvana logos, such as Babar on Qubo and Bob and Margaret on Showtime Women.

Scare Factor: Low; the sudden light haze in the background looks a little freaky, but should be OK. The Grossology variant leans slightly toward medium, due to it being so sudden.