What if Paramount Animation founded in 1921?/Paramount Animation

Paramount Animation is the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures. The division was founded on It was founded in 1917 by John Randolph Bray as John Bray Productions and later 1921 by brothers Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer, formerlly known as Inkwell Studios and Fleischer Studios, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until Paramount Pictures, the studio's parent company and the distributor of its films, acquired ownership. In its prime, Fleischer Studios was a premier producer of animated cartoons for theaters, with Walt Disney Productions's becoming its chief competitor in the 1930s.

Fleischer Studios is notable for Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Bimbo, Popeye the Sailor, and Superman. Unlike other studios, whose characters were anthropomorphic animals, the Fleischers' most successful characters were humans (with the exception of Bimbo). The cartoons of the Fleischer Studio were very different from the Disney product, both in concept and in execution. As a result, the Fleischer cartoons were rough rather than refined, commercial rather than consciously artistic. But in their unique way, their artistry was expressed through a culmination of the arts and sciences. This approach focused on surrealism, dark humor, and adult psychological elements, and the environments were grittier and urban, often set in squalid surroundings, reflecting the Depression as well as German Expressionism.

In the 1940s, Max and Dave Fleischer left the studio which lead to Fleischer Studios to be renamed into Famous Studios and later Paramount Cartoon Studios, after Paramount acquired the animation studio as its first animation division, along with producing new characters such as Little Audrey, Little Lulu, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Honey Halfwitch, Herman and Katnip, Baby Huey, and the anthology Noveltoons series.

The Famous name was previously used as Famous Players Film Company, one of several companies which in 1912 became Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, the company which founded Paramount Pictures. Paramount's music publishing branch, which held the rights to all of the original music in the Fleischer/Famous cartoons, was named Famous Music.

Many of the Famous Studios productions are currently owned by AT&T's WarnerMedia through Turner Entertainment (for Popeye The Sailor and Superman) and Comcast's NBCUniversal through DreamWorks Animation (for Harvey Comics and Felix the Cat). The 1962-1967 cartoons are still owned by Paramount Pictures today along with the pre-October 1950 Noveltoons through Republic Pictures. Paramount Pictures also now owned the TerryToons.

Paramount Animation is also known for its continuous line-up of its animated feature films such as Gulliver's Travels, Mr. Bug Goes to Town, Frozen, Charlotte's Web, and many more.