Mondo Media

Background

Mondo Media is an American web animation company based in San Francisco, founded in 1988 by John Evershed and Deidre O'Malley. Mondo started out creating software for various tech companies, before developing two video games, Critical Path in 1993 and The Daedalus Encounter in 1995, under the name "Mechadeus". In the latter half of the 1990s, Mondo refocused to producing digital animation, including Mondo Mini Shows for the Internet which became the company's main business. Mondo's most successful cartoon is the adult animation series Happy Tree Friends, which went worldwide in the 2000s, and has been adapted to other media since.

Contents

1st Logo (March 12, 1998-November 23, 1999)	2nd Logo (October 31, 1998-February 4, 2012)	3rd Logo (October 31, 1999-October 30, 2000)	4th Logo (November 13, 2000)	5th Logo (December 22, 2011-December 16, 2016)	6th Logo (December 22, 2016-)

1st Logo (March 12, 1998-November 23, 1999)

Visuals: On a black background, a faded green gradient rectangle fades in, with a lighter green sphere rising from its bottom left corner. The words "MONDO" and "MEDIA" then fade in above and below.

Variant: On Sorry!, The logo fades-in and slides down after the Third-i Productions logo. Also, the text is in a different font.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A held synth note with a hiss at the end.

Availability: Seen on Sorry! and Centipede, both released by Hasbro Interactive in 1998.

2nd Logo (October 31, 1998-February 4, 2012)

Presents variant
DVD variant
Happy Tree Friends (TV series)
Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm (PC)

Visuals: On a white background, three crooked rectangles in different shades of orange drop down and settle in place. Suddenly, a light blue cartoony-styled TV box (with two antennae) falls and bumps to the centre, triggering an orange wave behind itself as well. The words:

mondo
mini shows^TM

in a custom font pop in letter-by-letter, with the TV box replacing the first "o". The logo stays like this for a bit, then the TV box zooms in and wipes the screen off.

Variants:

Due to the online network capabilities of the time, the logo was animated at different frame rates throughout its lifespan. This method also saved a lot of time in the animation process.
- 1998-2002: 8 fps (frames per second)
- 2002-2003: 12 fps
- 2003-2009: 12/24 fps
- 2009-2012: 24 fps
On the Kevin Spencer shorts made prior to the TV show (the first overall appearance of this logo), when the logo finishes, the rectangles morph into two, with the 3rd rectangle morphing into 8 orange balls with the word "presents". The TV box then zooms in as normal.
On DVD releases, the rectangles animate differently, and settle on the edges.
On Happy Tree Friends (TV series), the logo (now colored brown) pops in on a wooden background. It also lacks the rectangles.
The logo appears still without the rectangles against an orange background on the PC port of Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm (video game).

Technique: Flash animaton.

Audio: Cartoon sound effects: bullets for the rectangles, a bump for the TV box, popping for the letters (varying on letter size, the tone is different) and another bump for the TV box at the end.

Audio Variants:

On DVD releases, different sound effects are used for the rectangles and the TV box at the end.
On the Presents variant, additional cartoony sound effects are used for the rectangles and the balls.
On Happy Tree Friends (TV series), the bullets are omitted.
On the PC port of Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm (video game), it's silent.

Availability:

It debuted on the Kevin Spencer shorts on Mondo's website, and has appeared on all Mondo Mini Shows cartoons until 2011, including The God and Devil Show, seasons 1-first half of 3 of Happy Tree Friends (until the episode "Clause For Concern"), Dr. Tran, season 1 of Baman Piderman and seasons 1-3 of Dick Figures.
Also appears on Mondo's DVD releases, Happy Tree Friends (TV series) and Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm (video game).

Legacy: This is a favorite among fans of Mondo Mini Shows, especially Happy Tree Friends.

3rd Logo (October 31, 1999-October 30, 2000)

Visuals: A green radar target cross zooms out on a black background and moves around the screen. Two Nerf bullets try to hit the target, but each miss and fall off. When the target stops in the bottom left corner and changes to white inside, a bullet successfully hits it and the background flashes to an olive green color. As the bullet falls off, it leaves a mark on the target, which is reminiscent to the Centipede variant's design. The letters of "mondo media" then appear next to the emblem and a bunch of unarranged black dots appear on the top of the screen.

Technique: A mix of CGI and 2D animation.

Audio: A minimalistic breakbeat tune with sounds of the Nerf bullets.

Availability: Seen on the 1999 Hasbro Interactive game Nerf Arena Blast.

4th Logo (November 13, 2000)

Visuals: The screen cuts to a bird's eye view of a beer can on a napkin against an orange background. A hand comes in, pulling the top before grabbing the can and pulling it off screen. The area where the can rested leaves behind an indent, which becomes transparent and resembles the logotype from before. The square zooms back as the company text appears to the right, along with the dots in a similar fashion to the previous logo.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: Sounds corresponding to the action, along with the sound of someone drinking.

Availability: Seen on King of the Hill for PC and Mac.

5th Logo (December 22, 2011-December 16, 2016)

Like, Share, Die variant
Dick Figures: The Movie variant

Visuals: The logo starts with film footage of everyday things and/or happenings in the company's headquarters of San Francisco. The word "mondo^TM" (in the same font as the previous logo) in white fades in.

Variants:

On pilot episodes and distribution-only cartoons, the words "Pilot" or "Guest Pass" in a typewriter font appear on thin paper stripes, sliding in underneath the logo.
A variant exists where the footage is split into two along a vertical line that is arranged slightly to the left. The footage then fades to a black background with "biTelmondo^TM" ("biTe" in a typewriter font, "mondo^TM" in the custom font) appearing at the same time.
A permanent variant was created exclusively for Like, Share, Die (a co-production with Fusion Comedy). Here is the screen of an old TV, which suddenly breaks, triggering the logo. The scene then transitions to the Like, Share, Die opening.
Another special variant was made for Dick Figures: The Movie. Here, the screen fades in to an empty theater with wooden seats. The Mondo logo fades in slowly, then fades out with the scenery. A short version is seen on the trailers and the YouTube print of the movie.

Technique: Live-action for the footage and 2D animation for the text.

Audio: Real-life sounds.

Audio Variants:

On Like, Share, Die, only the sound of the TV screen breaking is heard before transitioning to the opening.
On Dick Figures: The Movie, it's the opening theme of the movie.

Availability:

It has appeared on Mondo Media's 2012-2016 output, including seasons second half of 3-4 of Happy Tree Friends (starting with the episode "The Chokes on You"), seasons 2-3 of Baman Piderman (up until "We Hab Da Problem"), seasons 4-5 of Dick Figures, Gundarr, Kung Fu Karl, seasons 1-3 of Deep Space 69, and season 1 of Turbo Fantasy, Cat Agent and Larva. It also appears on Like, Share, Die and Dick Figures: The Movie.
The "Pilot/Guest Pass" variant appears on pilot episodes and distribution-only cartoons, such as Bedfellows and Weebl's World.
The "biTe|mondo" variant is seen on cartoons co-produced with Canadian TV channel BiteTV, such as Archeologists and World Doctors.

6th Logo (December 22, 2016-)

Deep Space 69
Cat Agent
Gary and His Demons

Visuals: A white background zooms out on a black one, revealed to be a circle. The other letters to make up "MONDO" slide out of the circle, with "M" to the left and "NDO" to the right, thus creating an "O" around the circle. The whole logo rotates clockwise while forming. "MONDO" is presented in a more modern font compared to the previous logos, with the "O" circle looking like a camera lens.

Variants:

On Deep Space 69, the logo is set in space, and the circle shines.
On Cat Agent, the logo is cel-shaded, set on a purple background, and the circle is replaced with the titular character.
On Gary and His Demons, the circle is red, and the whole logo is deteriorating.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A quiet blow of wind.

Audio Variants:

On Deep Space 69, the wind is accompanied with echoing clings.
On Cat Agent, eerily synthesized cat moaning is heard.
On Gary and His Demons, the wind sounds are amplified.

Availability:

Seen on Mondo Media's output since 2017, most of which is premiered on the VRV streaming service and later released online.
It was first seen on Happy Tree Friends: Still Alive and has appeared on season 4 of Deep Space 69, Gary and His Demons, Daddy and the Big Boy, Bigfoot, season 2 of both Turbo Fantasy and Cat Agent, as well as the last two episodes of Baman Piderman ("Ghost Night 2" and "Noir Detective").
It was also seen on The Mondo Animation Hour on the now defunct El Rey Network.

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Mechadeus

Mondo Media