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DIC was started in 1971 by {{wp|Jean Chalopin}} in France, as Diffusion, Information and Commercial, a subsidiary of {{wp|RTL Group|Radio-Television Luxembourg}}. Chalopin found international coproductions advantageous for animation,<ref name="LATimes1">Akst, Daniel (May 28, 1985). "[http://articles.latimes.com/1985-05-28/business/fi-16409_1_radio-television-luxembourg/2 DIC Enterprises Emerges as Animation Industry Giant : Studio City Firm Changing Saturday Mornings"]. Retrieved March 10, 2017</ref> gaining acclaim for France-Japan partnerships like ''{{wp|Ulysses 31}}'' and ''{{wp|The Mysterious Cities of Gold}}''. | DIC was started in 1971 by {{wp|Jean Chalopin}} in France, as Diffusion, Information and Commercial, a subsidiary of {{wp|RTL Group|Radio-Television Luxembourg}}. Chalopin found international coproductions advantageous for animation,<ref name="LATimes1">Akst, Daniel (May 28, 1985). "[http://articles.latimes.com/1985-05-28/business/fi-16409_1_radio-television-luxembourg/2 DIC Enterprises Emerges as Animation Industry Giant : Studio City Firm Changing Saturday Mornings"]. Retrieved March 10, 2017</ref> gaining acclaim for France-Japan partnerships like ''{{wp|Ulysses 31}}'' and ''{{wp|The Mysterious Cities of Gold}}''. | ||
The company's American headquarters were established in 1982 in Burbank, California. Managed by former {{wp|Hanna-Barbera}} writer [[Andy Heyward]], DIC's United States division opened with a major success in the form of ''Inspector Gadget''. The company also successfully entered the market for tie-in cartoons for action figure lines with shows such as ''{{wp|M.A.S.K. (TV series)|M.A.S.K.}}'', ''{{wp|Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors}}'', and ''{{wp|COPS (animated TV series)|C.O.P.S.}}'' DIC's success during this period was attributed by commentators and its competitors to its outsourcing of the animation process to Japanese studios<ref name="LATimes1"></ref> before the practice became popular for United States production companies, aggressive merchandising deals, and low wages (for instance, DIC paid storyboard artists half the salary of its unionized competitors<ref>Animation Guild (June 5, 2010). [http://animationguildblog.blogspot.ca/2010/06/few-words-about-non-union-studios-and.html "A Few Words About Non-Union Studios and Organizing"]. ''TAG Blog''. Retrieved March 20, 2013).</ref>). | The company's American headquarters were established in 1982 in Burbank, [[California]]. Managed by former {{wp|Hanna-Barbera}} writer [[Andy Heyward]], DIC's United States division opened with a major success in the form of ''Inspector Gadget''. The company also successfully entered the market for tie-in cartoons for action figure lines with shows such as ''{{wp|M.A.S.K. (TV series)|M.A.S.K.}}'', ''{{wp|Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors}}'', and ''{{wp|COPS (animated TV series)|C.O.P.S.}}'' DIC's success during this period was attributed by commentators and its competitors to its outsourcing of the animation process to Japanese studios<ref name="LATimes1"></ref> before the practice became popular for United States production companies, aggressive merchandising deals, and low wages (for instance, DIC paid storyboard artists half the salary of its unionized competitors<ref>Animation Guild (June 5, 2010). [http://animationguildblog.blogspot.ca/2010/06/few-words-about-non-union-studios-and.html "A Few Words About Non-Union Studios and Organizing"]. ''TAG Blog''. Retrieved March 20, 2013).</ref>). | ||
In December 1986,<ref>Adelson, Andrea (December 30 1987). [http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/30/business/business-people-for-maker-of-cartoons-a-chance-to-go-public.html BUSINESS PEOPLE; For Maker of Cartoons, A Chance to Go Public]. ''NY Times''. Retrieved March 10, 2017</ref> Heyward bought DIC from Chalopin, making the company purely American-owned (although Chalopin would retain the original Luxembourg office and continue to produce animated series as C&D). The acquisition was expensive (an article by the ''LA Times'' stated the company was $70 million in debt as a result of the transaction<ref>Bates, James (March 8, 1988). [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-03-08/business/fi-728_1_tv-hits Huge Debt Keeps Pressure on DIC to Keep Turning Out Animated TV Hits : Cartoon Firm Deals Way to Top]. ''LA Times''. Retrieved March 10, 2017.</ref>), leading to cost-cutting measures for DIC's following shows. These measures included outsourcing animation to cheaper South Korean and Chinese animation studios such as [[Sei Young Animation Co., Ltd.|Sei Young]] and [[Pacific Rim Productions, Inc.|Pacific Rim]], aggressively discouraging attempts to unionize, and having most voice acting recorded in Canada due to the favorable exchange rate. This lead to DIC getting derisive nicknames such as "Do it cheap" or "Done in China" in the animation industry, although others noted DIC's loose structure made it an effective training ground for aspiring animators, with many of its former employees becoming successful in the business.<ref>Mallory, Michael (August 23, 2013). "[http://www.animationmagazine.net/top-stories/the-university-of-dic/ The University of DIC]". ''Animation Magazine''. Retrieved July 10, 2016</ref> | In December 1986,<ref>Adelson, Andrea (December 30 1987). [http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/30/business/business-people-for-maker-of-cartoons-a-chance-to-go-public.html BUSINESS PEOPLE; For Maker of Cartoons, A Chance to Go Public]. ''NY Times''. Retrieved March 10, 2017</ref> Heyward bought DIC from Chalopin, making the company purely American-owned (although Chalopin would retain the original Luxembourg office and continue to produce animated series as C&D). The acquisition was expensive (an article by the ''LA Times'' stated the company was $70 million in debt as a result of the transaction<ref>Bates, James (March 8, 1988). [http://articles.latimes.com/1988-03-08/business/fi-728_1_tv-hits Huge Debt Keeps Pressure on DIC to Keep Turning Out Animated TV Hits : Cartoon Firm Deals Way to Top]. ''LA Times''. Retrieved March 10, 2017.</ref>), leading to cost-cutting measures for DIC's following shows. These measures included outsourcing animation to cheaper South Korean and Chinese animation studios such as [[Sei Young Animation Co., Ltd.|Sei Young]] and [[Pacific Rim Productions, Inc.|Pacific Rim]], aggressively discouraging attempts to unionize, and having most voice acting recorded in Canada due to the favorable exchange rate. This lead to DIC getting derisive nicknames such as "Do it cheap" or "Done in China" in the animation industry, although others noted DIC's loose structure made it an effective training ground for aspiring animators, with many of its former employees becoming successful in the business.<ref>Mallory, Michael (August 23, 2013). "[http://www.animationmagazine.net/top-stories/the-university-of-dic/ The University of DIC]". ''Animation Magazine''. Retrieved July 10, 2016</ref> | ||
