Creator / Varga Studio

"Send me to VARGA!!"

Varga Studio was a Hungarian animation company formed by Csaba Varga in 1988. It was considered one of the best animation studios from Hungary alongside Pannonia Film Studio. The studio worked on numerous western projects until it closed in 2005.

The studio is notable for its above average fluidity when it comes to its animation. The studio's biggest work was animating the first season of Mr. Bean: The Animated Series. They animated almost all of the first three seasons, with the exception of the domestically animated pilot ("In the Wild") animated by Richard Purdum Productions and 4 episodes by Sunwoo Entertainment, respectively.

Varga also had a unit in London known as Varga London (formerly known as TVC London), which was founded in 1957 by producer John Coates and animator George Dunning. TVC worked on most notably Yellow Submarine and The Snowman among others, plus animated the main titles for A Shot in the Dark and Inspector Clouseau. In June 1997, TVC London ceased operations but eventually the unit was bought by Varga and was renamed to Varga London. However, the London studio was shut down a few years later.

Unfortunately sometime around 2005, the studio was flooded which not just destroyed most of the studio, but also most of the original drawings as well. As a result, Varga was shut down that same year.

Even after the studio closed, former Varga producer András Erkel founded Studio Baestarts shortly after Varga's closure as a spiritual successor to the company. However, Baestarts hasn't been credited on a production since around the 2010s and Erkel passed away in December 2014. Considering both Varga and Baestarts having some of the same production staff, both studios' work are listed in this article.

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Shows and films worked on by Varga:

Varga Studio in Budapest, Hungary

• Angelina Ballerina (series only, replaced by Baestarts for the specials)
• Animaniacs (1 short)^List "When You're Traveling from Nantucket"
• As Told by Ginger (pilot only)
• The Animal Train (with the London unit)
• Auguszta
• Baby Blues (5 episodes)^List "God Forbid", "World's Greatest Dad", "Rodney Moves In", "Wanda Proof", "A Baby Blues Christmas Special"
• Beasts
• Bjorn Bear
• Bosom Pals
• Brain and Things
• Captain Sabertooth (2003 film)
• The Cheerful Rascal
• Conference of the Birds
• The Cow's Trousers
• Don Quixote (1999)
• Help
• Hurok
• James Bond Jr. (uncredited, among many other studios)
• Kipper
• The Life of Confucius
• Liquid Television ("Doktor Zum" segments and Nightmare in Trailer City)
• Meg and Mog
• Mr. Bean: The Animated Series (season 1 only, with Richard Purdum Productions and Sunwoo Entertainment)
• My Baby Left Me
• Percy the Park Keeper
• Preston Pig (digital paint only; with Hong Ying and the London unit)
• Ranbo 13
• The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (digital compositing; 1 episode)^List "Future Rage" (with Pacific Animation Corporation)
• Recycle Rex
• Rocket Power (pilot only; with Anivision)
• Rugen
• Sheeep
• The Simpsons (early Butterfinger commercials, plus the "Do the Bartman" music video)
• The Snowden, Raggedy Ann and Andy Holiday Show
• Tales From the Other Side
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) (12 episodes, among many other studios based on the names in the credits)^List "Turtles of the Jungle", "Michaelangelo Toys Around", "Peking Turtle", "Shredder's Mom", "The Turtles and the Hare", "Once Upon a Time Machine", "Donatello's Badd Time", "Enter: Mutagen Man", "My Brother, the Bad Guy", "Michaelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko", "Michaelangelo Meets Bugman Again", "Muckman Messes Up" (all with Fred Wolf Studios Dublin, uncredited)
• Testament: The Bible in Animation (episode 4, with Alfonso Productions)
• The Thief and the Cobbler (ink & paint services for Wang Film Productions, uncredited)
• Under-ground
• What A Cartoon! Show (1 short)^List "Colin Versus the World: Mr. Lounge Lizard"
• Window

Varga London/TVC in London, England

• The Animal Train (with the Budapest unit)
• Akbar's Cheetah
• The Apple
• The Bear
• The Beatles (1965)
  • Yellow Submarine
• Barney (pilot only, series animated by Pegbar Productions)
• Canada is My Piano
• Dream Express
• Castle
• The Family-Ness
• Famous Fred
• Father Christmas
• The Flying Man
• Granpa
• Heavy Metal ("Soft Landing" segment; film with Atkinson Film-Arts, Halas and Batchelor, Votetone, Boxcar Films, Haines-Camron and Wally Bulloch-Anicam)
• Ivor the Invisible
• The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Lisa
• The Little Prince (1974 short film)
• Moon Rock
• Poky & Friends (with the Budapest unit)
• Preston Pig (with Hong Ying and the Budapest unit)
• Safety Senses
• A Shot in the Dark (main titles, with DePatie-Freleng Enterprises)
  • Inspector Clouseau (main titles, with DePatie-Freleng)
• The Snowman
• The Wind in the Willows
  • The Willows in Winter
• The Wind and the Bomb
• When the Wind Blows
• The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends

as Studio Baestarts

• Au!
• Angelina Ballerina (2 specials, replacing Varga)^List "Angelina's Princess Dance", "Angelina Sets Sail"
• Horrid Henry (pre-production for seasons 1-2)
• Huhu
• Lady with Long Hair
• Léna
• Log Jam
• Loranga, Masarin & Dartanjang
• Mamma Moo and the Crow
• On Water
• Pettson & Findus - Tomtemaskinen
  • Pettson & Findus - Glömligheter
• Toot & Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas

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Tropes associated with Varga:

• Animation Bump: Most of TVC London's work plus "Do The Bartman" has some very nice animation at parts.
• Thick-Line Animation: The Mr. Bean cartoon, naturally.

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