Argosy Network Originals

Background: Launched on September 1, 1975, Argosy Network was the successor to two prior special programming services operated by various American cable companies beginning in the early 1970s. They did not use a logo until Aaron's Mini-Mysteries premiered in 1983. The two largest shareholders in Argosy Network were two media companies: Argosy Media and a company known as MTM Enterprises, which would later be acquired by Television South. By 1995, through various acquisitions and trades, Argosy Media had secured full control of Argosy Network. Argosy Network is part of the Argosy Cable Networks group, which also owns Argosy Teenz, Argosy Classics, Argosy 2, Argosy Jr., DinosaurGuy Network, and DinosaurToons.

1975-1983

Logo: Just in-credit text, saying:

AN ARGOSY NETWORK PRODUCTION

FX/SFX: The credits scrolling.

Cheesy Factor: None.

Music/Sounds: The credits music.

Availability: Very common, as it's hard to plaster an in-credit logo.

Scary Factor: None.

1983-1990

Logo: On a black space background that zooms away slowly, we see "Produced for" appearing, then it fades out, making room for a flying Argosy "Big A" logo (in red) with the text "Argosy Network" below in a badly hand-drawn font (in blue).

FX/SFX: Basic Softimage CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A disco hip-hop tune

Availability: Extremely rare.

Scare Factor: None.

1990-1992

Logo: On a black background, we see the words "Argosy Network" with "Argosy" in Times New Roman Bold and "Network" in Times New Roman Regular.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. It was seen on the first few episodes of Long-Tail Kitty in Space, which are hard to find. It's unlikely that this logo will be seen on current reruns of the show, due to it being plastered over with the 1996 Argosy Network Originals logo.

Scare Factor: None.

1991-1993

Nicknames: "The Neon Rainbow Rectangles", "The Rainbow Trail", "The Pretty Colored Squares", "Argosy is Going Pretty"

Logo: On a black background, we see a bunch of neon rainbow rectangles flying in different directions in trails. The Argosy Network text (in the Times New Roman Bold font) is seen in black, but when the trails pass by, the text disappears, they blend in with the background. There are 5 rainbow trails: the first one isyellow with orange, the second is orange with light blue, the third is purple with yellow, the fourth is green with light purple, and the last trail is in blue with yellow, forming the Argosy Network text in red. For the most part, only the logo's final part was used as a closing logo.

Variants: On Countdown USA, "PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH" is shown above the Argosy Network logo. It also contains the ending theme playing over it. It is also cut short only showing the blue and yellow rectangles forming the logo.

FX/SFX: The rainbow trail effects moving in different directions.

Cheesy Factor: Early CGI effects. The rainbow trail's colors are also a little too dark.

Music/Sounds: From 1991-92, it used a synthesized piano version of Aaron's Ditty with bells played over. From 1992-93, a female choir singing Aaron's Ditty acapella. Sometimes, it is silent, or contains the end theme of the show.

Availability: Rare. Countdown USA was reran with this logo in the United States on Argosy Network and Argosy Teenz in October 2008.

Scare Factor: None to minimal for the variant with the singing choir. This is a beautiful logo, but borders on low to medium for the Countdown USA variant due to the ending theme.

1993-May 31, 1996

Logo: Over a background of concentric circles coming from the center (and computer-animated), we see Aaron the Cat's victory pose inside the Argosy Network logo of the era that features a black television set with cat ears at the top, with the white "Argosy" text in the Futura Md BT Bold font inside and "NETWORK" below.

Variants:

• The background pattern of the concentric circles vary.
• Some co-produced series would carry the text "In Association With" above the logo.

FX/SFX: The animating background.

Music/Sounds: Either the end theme of the show, or a hip-hop/rock version of Aaron's Ditty containing Aaron the Cat saying "Argosy!", followed by a synthesized voice (later used in Windows Me, 2000, and XP as the "Sam" text-to-speech voice) saying "Soisoisoi!" (or something like that) and Cookie Monster's eating noises going "Om Nom Nom Nom Nom!" is heard. The short version just has the "Soisoisoi!" sounder and Cookie Monster saying "Om Nom Nom Nom Nom!".

Availability: Quite rare. It appeared on original airings of Aaron vs. Predator, The Adventures of the Magic Cats, Kendra's Krib, the first three seasons of Alien Felines, and Heil Kitler. None of these shows are currently reran on any Argosy-related network, except DinosaurToons, which plasters this logo with the 1996 Argosy Network Originals logo. Check your old tapes!

Scare Factor: None.

1994-1996

Logo: Over a psychedelic purple background, we see "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" in white. It fades out and zooms in and the Argosy Network logo from last time, in purple, zooms up. "Argosy", in the Futura Md BT Bold font, pops out of the logo when it stops. Through the remainder, the logo shifts colors and patterns. There is a "ghost" of the logo in front of it.

Variant: On some shows, it omits the words "IN ASSOCIATION WITH", so we start with the Argosy Network logo zooming in.

FX/SFX: The logo zooming-in and changing colors.

Music/Sounds: Either the end theme of the show, or the music from the previous logo.

Availability: Near extinction. It very, very occasionally appears on sporadic airings of the first two seasons of Cats vs. Dogs and AaronVision on Argosy Network, as part of the "Argosy Replay" block. Don't expect to find this logo on DinosaurToons' airings of these shows, as that channel plasters this logo by the next logo.

Scare Factor: None.

June 1, 1996-May 2, 2009

Logo: Over a black background, we see pixie dust flying to the top. It explodes and forms several Aaron head outlines, all of which fly towards the viewer, turning the background into a cloudy sky. An Aaron outlined head that happens to be Argosy Network's 1996-2010 logo, flies to the bottom right, and turns into a blue outlined Argosy Network logo, filled with watery white coloring and the "Argosy NETWORK" text with "Argosy" in the Chalkboard font. A blue banner reading "OrIGInaL" in white pops up around the logo. The entire logo wobbles.

Variants:

• There is a more commonplace short version starting with the wobble. The long version only appeared before shows and was retired in 2002, but continued to appear on animated Argosy Network shows until 2006, and iTunes prints of Argosy Network series until 2010.
• On seasons 9-11 of Science Superstars Super Show, "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" is above the logo.

FX/SFX: Flying pixie dust, the explosion, the Aaron outline head popping up.

Music/Sounds: Several drumbeats, followed by an electric guitar version of Aaron's Ditty, which would later become the channel's main theme until 2011. There is also a shorter version of it. May also use the show's ending theme.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On Cat City and Alien Felines, we hear the 4th logo's music, except the "Argosy!" is replaced with "Argosy Network!". Several shows used a short version of it.
• On Argosy Network music videos, the 1994-2000 Argosy Pictures Home Video logo theme (excluding the "zoom" sound) is heard.

Availability: The long version is extinct, but the short version is very common. It appears on reruns of most of Argosy Network shows from the era like The Aaron and Ickis Hour , Cat City and Cats vs. Dogs on Argosy Network part of the "Argosy Replay" block, and on DinosaurToons. This logo has plastered over the previous Argosy Network logos on pre-1996 episodes of shows that used the previous logo (which are long gone from TV and home video). It used to appear on brand new episodes of non-"filmed" Argosy Network original shows. It still appears on Argosy Network's original movies from 1998-2007 when aired on DinosaurToons; it plasters the 3rd and 4th logos. This logo premiered on reruns of Argosy Network series from June 1, 1996.

Scare Factor: None.

Final Note: Although most Argosy Network Shows (and their original movies) switch to the next logo in 2008, select episodes of Science Superstars Super Show used the "IN ASSOCIATION WITH" variant until 2009.

1999-2002

Logo: On a white background, we see a purple ball bouncing on a purple trampoline 3 times. It floats in mid-air, forming a purple Argosy "Big A" with the words "An Argosy Network Production" in Snell Roundhand at the bottom.

FX/SFX:CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: Three bouncing sounds, followed by Aaron's Ditty being played on an off-key glockenspiel.

Availability: Rare; can be seen on episodes of "Aaron Teaches Spanish" on Argosy on Demand and The Aaron Show episodes of the era on DinosaurToons.

Scare Factor: Minimal.

2004-2005

Logo: we see "the argosy network" logo in Century Gothic Regular on an blue square with the word "productions" below.

Music/Sounds: the MTE 1989-1992 fanfare.

FX/SFX: None.

Avariability: Rare. Only seen on "Aaron in HappyLand" and "Aaron vs. The Evil Fast-Food Mascots".

Scare Factor: None

2006

Logo: we see "the argosy network" logo in Futura Condensed Bold, and Aaron from the Argosy Media logo and Gar from the Calico Media logo standing on the word "Productions". Then, "An Argosy Media Company" appears in aqua blue.

Music/Sounds: Argosy Media's 2006 fanfare.

FX/SFX: None.

Avariability: Rare. Only seen on "My Bedroom Is Freaking Out: The Movie".

Scare Factor: None

2007-Present

Logo: On a black background, we see a blue ribbon drawing its way front. The camera follows the ribbon thus. All of a sudden, the background changes to twinkling blue, and the ribbon turns into Aaron head, forming the Argosy Network logo from 1996, but with a bit of a difference (the "argosy" text is all-lowercase and in the Futura Bold Condensed font). Then a white Aaron head appears from it and zooms in. The "OrIGInaL" banner drops down under the Argosy Network name, and doesn't wobble, so it comes to a complete stop. Instead of the water-like substance from the 1996 logo, the inside of the Aaron Head has what appears to be a weird, beige semi-solid that morphs (almost like oatmeal).

Variants:

• There is a prototype version of this logo that was cut short. It was only seen on Revenge of Sarah: The Movie Part 2 and Return of the Blue Screen of Death. However, this logo "officially" debuted on January 25, 2008.
• A widescreen version exists, with blue lines sandwiched on the left and right respectively. On the 2012 Argosy Network Games, it disappears, causing the Creativity Pictures Distribution copyright notice to appear.
• On LOL Cartoons Movie: Mirror World, the "OrIGInaL" banner is absent.
• On Argosy Network airings of The Hills Have Eyes (2004), the ribbon is red and "OrIGinaL" is in a creepy font.

FX/SFX: The ribbon drawing itself, the banner dropping down.

Music/Sounds: This logo had many music variants:

• A breakbeat with a short techno redoing of Aaron's Ditty.
• The 1994-2000 Argosy Pictures Home Video logo theme.
• The 1996 theme.
• The "Soisoisoi!" sounder.
• The closing theme of the show.

Availability: Common. It was seen on newer Argosy Network shows, such as RoboCat and Splash, as well as Gar, The New Aaron Show, Double Rainbow, Giant Insects from Outer Space, and Dance Idol, among others. Even though they have a new logo, this logo is still being used on some shows, as seen on BOOM, The New Aaron Show, Return of Alien Felines, Felis Sapiens, and Agent Aaron, among others.

Scare Factor: None.

2014-Present

Nickname: "Aaron and Gar"

Logo: Set on a marble background, the word "argosy" in the Verdana Bold font zooms up, as a strobe of blue lights with pink dots at the end chases upwards and Aaron (from the Argosy Media logo) and Gar (from the Calico Media logo) both come from the left at the same time. This repeats two more times as "NETWORK" and "ORIGINAL" zoom upwards as well, to the bottom of the screen.

Variants:On most shows by Colour Cookie, the logo is still on a black background, NETWORK and ORIGINAL are already formed, Aaron and Gar are missing, and the text "PRODUCED BY" is under the logo. This is followed by the Colour Cookie Productions logo.

FX/SFX: The zooming of the words, the strobe lights chasing, and the animation of Aaron and Gar. Animated by Argosy Media.

Music/Sounds: An ominous synthesized "humming" sound and little beeps. The Colour Cookie variant has the closing theme of the show.

Availability: Current.

Scare Factor: Low.

Copyright Notices

1st Notice (1995-2001)

Logo: this is only a copyright on the TV shows released by the company, it says:

(C) (year) Argosy Network

Distributed by Argosy Media International. 

Cheesy Factor: The use of the circle-bracketed uppercase C instead of the real copyright sign.                                                                           

Availability: Seen on Aaron's Fractured Fairy Tales and some other shows.

2nd Notice (2001-2010)

Logo: like before, only the "Distributed by Argosy Media International." text is replaced with "(C) (year) Argosy Media International"

Cheesy Factor: Same as 1st notice.

Availability: Common.

3rd Notice (2010-Present)

Logo: like before, only with text added below saying "Distributed by DinosaurGuy International Media Services".

Cheesy Factor: Same as 1st and 2nd notices.

Availability: Current.