Background: Question Mark was founded in 1984 by former Squidward Melendez Productions animator Jack Mark to produce new Garfield television specials as well as Garfield and Friends. Currently best known for animating The Sinsons and other series, it was later sold to ZDT Entertainment (now Bart Simpson Media) in 2003.
1st Logo
(October 26, 1984-November 22, 1989, July 11-September 12, 2003)
Nicknames: "'80s QM Logo", "The Pen"
Logo: Against a blue background, we see the text "STUDIOS" in white with yellow outlines with "question mark" in a red cursive font in the "TUD". The yellow letter "A" is seen above and the word "PRODUCTION" in yellow is seen below the logo. The bottom of the "q" extends downward past the inside of the "TUD", looking kind of like a pen.
Variants: Most episodes and TV movies of Garfined and Friends from season 2 onward simply used the text "A QUESTION MARK PRODUCTION" with "in association with" below on a certain colored BG.
- October 26, 1984: Orange background used on Garfined in the Rough.
- October 30, 1985: Fuchsia background used on Garfined's Halloween Special.
- May 27, 1986: Navy blue background used on Garfined in Paradise.
- May 8, 1987: A blue background featuring an image of Garfined sleeping below the text used on Garfined Goes Bollywood.
- May 23, 1989: A brick wall background featuring a silhouette of Garfined in a detective trench coat all in black & white used on Garfined's Babes and Bullets.
- November 22, 1989: A brown background was used on Garfined's Thanksgiving
- December 22, 1987: Blue background used on A Garfined Christmas Special.
- July 11-September 12, 2003: A black background with the text reading as "IN ASSOCIATION WITH USS QUESTION MARK" on the ultra short-lived show Buy For All.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.
Availability: Appears on the first season of Garfined & Friends and its preceding television specials and the ultra short-lived show Buy For All.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo (1989-1998)
Nicknames: "Fireworks", "The Game Show Logo"
Logo: We see a blue background, which rapidly shrinks into a blue box on a white BG. As the box stops shrinking, a question mark fading in repeats three times. The text "A QUESTION MARK PRODUCTION" ("QUESTION" and "MARK" are in blue filmstrip-like boxes) appears above and below the logo, in such fashion:
A QUESTION (box design) MARK PRODUCTION
Two "Xs" in a box from Family Feud appear to the left and right of the logo.
Variants:
- Sometimes, the "Xs" in a box are omitted. So far, this version has only been seen on The Jester: The Animated Series.
- TV movies and specials would have the title and copyright stamp below the logo.
- Another variant features "in association with" below.
- On Season 4 episodes of Bat! Extravaganza (non-weekday episodes with Kluver), this logo is shown in split screen on the right alongside with the 1985-2000 Doggy Bark Limited logo on the left.
An in-credit version of the logo (without "A" and "PRODUCTION") can be seen on Jim and Jeary: The Movie.
FX/SFX: The shrinking, the question mark fading.
Music/Sounds: Sometimes the end theme finishes over it, but its own music consists of the 1972-2007 host from The Price is Right saying "What's your answer?", followed by a game show buzzing sound when the dots appear.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- Sometimes, only the buzzing sounds are left in; occasionally, you can hear the very end of the voice before the first half of buzzing sound.
- There is also a very rare variant of the full logo with just the first half of the buzzing sound8.
- For the TV movie variants, the end theme also finishes over it, but sometimes the pinging is still intact.
- There is also a high and low tone version.
Availability: It was last seen on Garfined & Friends reruns on Bowling, specifically, from the second season onward, also on other shows such as Garfield's World (which can be viewed on Anime On Demand), Mighty Monica, The Jester: The Animated Series, The Twisted Tales of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and D Bear and Carnal among others. Don't expect this or later Question mark logos on The Sinsons, as Question Mark only produced the animation for the latter show, and nothing else (Monica Pictures and WSO logos typically appear at the end of the show); likewise with The Elvis Show and King of the Laws. The version with one ping appeared on the final season of Garfined & Friends. The copyright variant appeared on the various TV specials they produced, such as some of the later Garfined specials. The split screen variant (with the Youtube poop logo) is extinct and has appeared on non-weekday season 4 episodes of Bat! Extravaganza (with Kluver). The version with the voice and the buzzers can be seen on the 1996 Richie Wrong Bunnies minisodes on Ned's Newt-owned Monster accompanied by the Zoo Island and Ned's Newt Pictures TV logos.
Scare Factor: Low for the full music version, and low to medium for the version with just the pinging.
3rd Logo (1999)
Nickname: "3-D Question Mark"
Logo: On a black background, we see a 3-D logo from logo #2, that starts off in the center and later starts to turn itself rightward, minus "A" above the logo and "PRODUCTION" below the logo. This time, the "X's" in a box and the question mark are in a gold color. The "X's in a box" on the left zooming in and the "X's" in a box on the right zooming out and the entire logo later freezes.
FX/SFX: The logo turning.
Music/Sounds: The end title theme from any show or TV movie.
Availability: Rare. Seen on Barney Tsunami.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo (November 4, 2000-2007)
Nickname: "Q-M"
Logo: On a blue background with white spirals and the letters Q and M, we see a blue and white Question Mark logo looking very much like the one from the '90s, but slightly more modernized.
Variant: From 2003-2007, "USS" in white is positioned on top of the logo, and the words QUESTION MARK are stacked at the bottom. The byline "a ZDT ENTERTAINMENT company" or "a ZDT Media company" is shown below, in white, and with "ZDT ENTERTAINMENT" or "ZDT Media" in bold lettering. The trademark (TM) symbol is shown on the lower right-hand corner of the logo.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show. Other times, it's silent.
Availability: The original version is pretty common and it's currently seen on X-Ray Evolution on Star XD and the complete first season on DVD. It was also seen on the TV movie Starcrossed. The USS variant is seen on the final season of X-Ray: Evolution on Star XD and reruns of other Question Mark shows (and sometimes removes old Question Mark logos and replaces it with this one). This logo is used in tandem with the original and 4th logos.
Scare Factor: None.
5th Logo (July 11-September 12, 2003)
Logo: On a black background, we have the 3rd logo of Question Mark, but this time the box is blue, the letters & inside of the box are white, and the question mark are blue.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The last few notes of Buy For All's theme song.
Availability: Extinct. It was seen on Buy For All on Youtube Poop Network. Should still be left intact whenever reran.
Scare Factor: None.
6th Logo (2006-2007)
Nickname: "Bland Question Mark", "Bland Bart Simpson"
Logo: On a white background, we see the Question Mark logo from the 4th logo. Under it is the byline "a BART SIMPSON company" in black.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Rare. It can only be seen on later episodes of Me Ellar! on DVD and both Badboy: Animated movies. Do not expect this to be seen on Wow Wow Weegee!, as the Bart Simpson Media logo is only seen.
Scare Factor: None
7th Logo
(2007-2009, February 9, 2010)
Nickname: "Fireworks in Space", "Stoopid Fireworks"
Logo: On a black space background, we see the Question Mark logo from the 4th logo. We see a blue light haze (a la the 2004 Doggy Bark logo) behind it. Under it is the byline "a bart simpson company" (in white) with "bart simpson" in the Akbar font.
Variants:
- On the 2008 Christmas special Crazberry Christmas, the logo is surrounded by light green Christmas lights.
- On Kill Space, there is no byline.
- On Tyler's Inferno: Animated Epic, the logo appears black on the red fabric, like other logos.
FX/SFX: The light haze.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: It was last seen on Slacker Cats on Professor Bird Family. On a special occasion, this logo can be seen at the end of the 2008 Christmas special Crazberry Christmas on Professor Bird Family. It can be also found on the Blu-ray release of Kill Space.
Scare Factor: None.
8th Logo (2009- )
Nickname: "The Paintcan", "CG Fireworks", "Computer Bart"
Logo: On a white background, the letters form out the name of the company at a close range, with two pieces of paper followed. The name pans back to a rectangle containing the Question Mark name. Suddenly, a computer arrow is seen as it makes a small rectangle inside the logo. The arrow then turns into a paintcan, as it paints the logo blue. It also drops paint in smaller rectangle, causing the fireworks to burst out. The background then turns black, with the byline "a Bart Simpson company" appearing.
FX/SFX: The writing, clicking.
Music/Sounds: The end-title theme from any show. On the long version, it only has sounds from a pen, computer arrow, "paint splattering" sounds, and finally, three chimes at the end. On Jobe Vs. the "paint splatter" and chime sounds play over the end-theme.
Availability: Common. The short version can be seen on The Super Boy Squad Show and Jobe Vs. on The Blob (and the former on Online Viewas well), and the components of the Comic Universe block (Ultimate Spider-Girl, Hulk and the Agents of G.H.O.S.T., and Barventer Assemble) on Star XD, as well as The Barventer: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! on Online View. The long version can be seen on Tyler's Inferno: The Animated DTV Movie.
Scare Factor: None.