Estudios Vara (Spain)

Background: Founded around 1966 by Rafael Vara, Estudios Vara was an animation studio based in Madrid and almost devoted to the production of theatrical shorts based on the comic-book characters Mortadelo y Filemón (known Clever & Smart in most foreign countries and celebrating their 50th anniversary on 2008), though they made some stints at adult animation. They ceased activity by 1971. For further info, check IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/company/co0047852/

1st Logo

(1966-1971)

Nicknames: "The Red VE", "The Filmstrip and the Oval" "The Bottom of the Barrel" "Boyd's Video's Less Boring Cousin" "The Cheesy VE" "Move 'Em Out Senior Captain!" "The Greatest Holy Vara" "If You Have Never Seen Clever and Smart, You Had Another Thing Coming..." "Vara After an Logo Transplant"

Logo: On a ceruleanbackground we see a white-redstylized filmstrip which looks like an E (thanks to the oval in the middle section of the logo, which serves as the middle part of the "E") and a V merged together. The camera zooms out and the words "estudios VARA" appear in white on the right side of the screen. A while after, the word "presenta" appears below "estudios VARA".

FX/SFX:The camera movement, "estudios VARA", then "presenta" appearing.

Cheesy Factor:The animation looks amateurish.

Music/Sounds: The intro of C&S cartoons theme, by composer Rafael Ibarbia.

Availability: Can be found on Spanish DVD releases of Clever & Smart shorts.

Scare Factor: None. Not the best logo around, but it's very annoying, in par with the Boyd's Video logo. Even though the logo looks a lot like the S from Hell, it's totally harmless, compared to the next logo....

2nd logo

(1968-1970)

Logo: On a black background, we see a close-up of a psychdelic-style frame coloured in two shades of blue surrounding a light blue circle with the text "Estudios" in IMPACT font and "VARA" in a bold, fancy font coloured in white with narrow black stripes and decorated with green asparagus-like motives. The logo zooms out until reaching the center of the screen. Then animated golden motives move through the circle to leave the word "PRESENTA" in black, with a psychdelic light blue and white background. Just then, the screen "blows away" with an animated explosion, leaving a cloud of smoke (or debris, or whatever it's meant to represent). When the cloud dissipates, we see the title of the movie.

Variant: There was a variant with an extended explosion but without sound.

FX: The psychdelic animated motives and the animated explosion.

Cheesy Factor: A real product of its time; no doubt about it.

Music/Sounds: A drumroll when the logo zooms out, then a loud fanfare that increases in pitch when "presenta" appears, and finally a loud explosion. The variant has a horn-driven, circus-like fanfare and no explosion sound. Instead, the fanfare sounds again as the logo blows away.

Availability: Scarce; it's a custom logo for two compilations of C&S short cartoons. A bit tough to find on DVD (one of the compilations is out on DVD in Spain). Must be found on old VHS releases from IVS.

Scare Factor: High to nightmare; the psychedelic motives and the explosion can give the chills to more than one. The fanfare doesn't really help, it looks like a innuendo fanfare for a destruction scene. It may vary for those who used to it.