# Animation Magic

> Russian-American animation studio

**Wikidata**: [Q2850044](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2850044)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animation_Magic)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/animation-magic

## Summary

Animation Magic was a Russian-American animation studio and video game developer founded in 1992 and based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The studio is best known for creating two 1993 action-adventure video games: "The Faces of Evil" and "Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon," both released for the Philips CD-i. The company operated in the video game industry and animation sectors before dissolving in 2001.

## Key Facts

- **Official Name:** Animation Magic (also known as Magiya Animatsii)
- **Type:** Animation studio and video game developer
- **Founded:** 1992
- **Dissolved:** 2001
- **Active Period:** Primarily 1993 (floruit)
- **Headquarters:** Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States (suburb of Washington DC)
- **Country:** United States
- **Industry:** Video game industry, Animation
- **Notable Works:** The Faces of Evil (1993), Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (1993)
- **Platform:** Philips CD-i
- **Genre:** Action-adventure video games
- **Collection Holdings:** Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision
- **Freebase ID:** /m/03qgrr_
- **Mobygames Company ID:** 7604
- **ScummVM Wiki ID:** Animation_Magic (ID: 3283)
- **Wikipedia Languages:** English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian

## FAQs

**What type of company was Animation Magic?**

Animation Magic was a Russian-American animation studio and video game developer specializing in the creation of animated media and video games. It operated as both an animation studio (producing animated content) and a video game developer (creating interactive electronic games).

**Where was Animation Magic located?**

Animation Magic was headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States—a city in Montgomery County and a suburb of Washington DC. The company was incorporated in the United States but had Russian origins, hence the "Russian-American" designation.

**What video games did Animation Magic create?**

Animation Magic created two notable action-adventure video games in 1993: "The Faces of Evil" and "Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon." Both games were released for the Philips CD-i gaming console and are part of the Legend of Zelda franchise, though they are considered spin-offs from the main series.

**When was Animation Magic founded and dissolved?**

Animation Magic was founded in 1992 and was most active in 1993, the year it released its two video games. The company was dissolved in 2001, having operated for approximately nine years.

**What happened to Animation Magic's works?**

The studio's video games, particularly "Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon," are held in the collection of the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, a major archive for Dutch media. These games are also preserved through the ScummVM project, which allows classic games to be played on modern systems.

## Why It Matters

Animation Magic represents a unique intersection of Russian animation talent and American video game development during the early 1990s. The studio's work on two Zelda titles for the Philips CD-i—though not part of the main Nintendo franchise—represents a fascinating footnote in gaming history. The Philips CD-i was a failed console venture, but the games produced for it have achieved a kind of cult status among retro gaming enthusiasts.

The company's brief existence (1992-2001) coincided with a transformative period in video game development, when 2D graphics were transitioning to 3D and CD-ROM technology was enabling larger, more ambitious projects. Animation Magic's contributions, while limited in number, demonstrate how smaller studios could secure licensing deals for major franchises during this era.

From a cultural perspective, Animation Magic embodies the post-Cold War collaboration between American and Russian creative talent. The studio's Russian roots (reflected in its alternate name "Magiya Animatsii") combined with its American operations in Gaithersburg represent a tangible example of international cooperation in the entertainment industry.

The studio's dissolution in 2001 marks the end of an era for CD-i gaming and serves as a reminder of the competitive pressures in the video game industry, where even licensed projects with major franchises could not guarantee long-term commercial success.

## Notable For

- Creating two official Legend of Zelda video games for the Philips CD-i in 1993
- Being one of the few Russian-American animation studios to work on major Western game franchises
- Having works preserved in the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision archive
- Being supported by ScummVM for modern preservation and playability
- Operating at the intersection of animation and video game development
- Contributing to the Philips CD-i library, which has become a collector's niche

## Body

### History and Foundation

Animation Magic was established in 1992 as a Russian-American animation studio and video game developer. The company was headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, a city located in Montgomery County in the suburbs of Washington DC. Gaithersburg itself has an interesting history, having been incorporated in 1802, but it was the proximity to the nation's capital that made it a viable location for an American entertainment company with international roots.

The "Russian-American" designation reflects the studio's origins, with the company maintaining connections to Russian animation talent while operating within the American video game industry. This cross-cultural approach was relatively uncommon at the time and positioned the studio uniquely in the early 1990s gaming landscape.

### Notable Projects and Works

The studio's most significant contributions to gaming came in 1993 with the release of two action-adventure video games for the Philips CD-i:

**The Faces of Evil** (1993) was one of two Zelda titles developed for the Philips CD-i platform. This game represented an unusual licensing arrangement, as Nintendo had allowed third-party developers to create Zelda games for a non-Nintendo console—a rare occurrence in the company's history.

**Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon** (1993) was the second Zelda game produced by Animation Magic for the CD-i. This title, along with "The Faces of Evil," has become notable among retro gaming enthusiasts for its unique place in the Zelda franchise timeline and its association with the ill-fated Philips CD-i console. The game was released in multiple languages, including Dutch ("Zelda: De Toverstaf van Gamelon"), demonstrating the international reach of the studio's work.

Both games were preserved and made playable through the ScummVM project, which reverse-engineers classic games to run on modern systems. Animation Magic is credited in the ScummVM database with the identifier "Animation_Magic" (ID: 3283).

### Industry Context and Operations

Animation Magic operated at the intersection of two industries: animation and video game development. As an animation studio, the company produced animated media, while its video game developer classification placed it within the broader video game industry—a sector that experienced tremendous growth during the 1990s.

The company's period of greatest activity (floruit) was 1993, the same year both of its major games were released. This concentrated output suggests a studio that may have been created specifically for these projects or that focused its resources heavily on these titles.

The Philips CD-i was launched in 1991 as a multimedia console that combined gaming with CD-ROM-based interactive content. While the console failed commercially, it attracted several licensed game projects, including the Zelda titles developed by Animation Magic. These games have since achieved a kind of cult status among collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts.

### Dissolution and Legacy

Animation Magic was dissolved in 2001, marking the end of approximately nine years of operation. The company's closure occurred during a period of consolidation in the video game industry, when many smaller developers were acquired or went out of business as the industry shifted toward 3D graphics and increasingly expensive development cycles.

Despite its limited output, Animation Magic's legacy persists through several channels. The studio's video games are held in the collection of the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, a major media archive in the Netherlands. This preservation ensures that the studio's contributions to gaming history remain accessible for future study and appreciation.

The games have also found new audiences through the ScummVM project, which has enabled modern players to experience these CD-i titles without needing original hardware. The Mobygames database lists Animation Magic with company ID 7604, ensuring the studio's place in gaming history documentation.

### Identifiers and References

Animation Magic is documented across multiple databases and knowledge platforms:

- **Freebase ID:** /m/03qgrr_
- **Mobygames Company ID:** 7604
- **ScummVM Wiki ID:** Animation_Magic (3283)
- **Wikipedia Coverage:** Available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Russian language versions

The studio is classified in Wikidata as a Russian-American animation studio, with a sitelink count of 5 indicating its presence across multiple Wikimedia projects. This documentation ensures the studio's place in the broader knowledge graph of creative organizations and video game companies.

## References

1. Zelda: De Toverstaf van Gamelon. game-catalogus Beeld & Geluid. 1993
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013