A to Z of Animation Studios: Zagtoon
(Or: The Studio That Built an Entire Franchise Around a Ladybug Superhero and Made Bank Doing It)
Welcome back to Animation Anarchy, where we celebrate animation history while also questioning how some studios create billion-dollar franchises seemingly out of nowhere. If you haven’t subscribed to our YouTube channel, do it now before Hawk Moth akumatizes your WiFi.
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🔥 Z is for Zagtoon
Zagtoon is the animation studio behind Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir—one of the biggest modern animated franchises on the planet.
Founded in 2009 by Jeremy Zag, this French animation studio went from a small startup to an international powerhouse in just over a decade.
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The Miraculous Phenomenon (A.K.A. How Zagtoon Took Over the World)
1. Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (2015-Present)
• A CG-animated superhero show about two Parisian teens, Marinette and Adrien, who transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir.
• Features magical jewelry, secret identities, and endless romantic tension.
• Hawk Moth (the main villain) never gives up, despite failing for years.
• Massive fanbase, endless merch, spin-offs, and a feature film.
2. Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie (2023)
• What if Miraculous, but even more dramatic?
• Expanded the lore, improved the animation, and broke hearts worldwide.
3. Ghostforce (2021-Present)
• Miraculous meets Ghostbusters.
• Features a team of kids fighting supernatural creatures.
4. Power Players (2019-2020)
• Toy Story, but action-packed.
• A kid gets superpowers from action figures and fights evil toys.
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Why Zagtoon Is So Successful
1. They mastered the international market.
2. They created a superhero franchise that competes with American giants like Marvel and DC.
3. They figured out how to turn their shows into massive merch machines.
Whether you love Miraculous or are still waiting for Marinette and Adrien to figure things out, Zagtoon is a studio that knows how to build a phenomenon.
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🎖 Honorable Mention: Zumbastico Studios (Latin America’s Animation Powerhouse!)
Now let’s talk about Zumbastico Studios—the animation studio that put Latin American animation on the global stage.
What Did They Make?
• Puerto Papel (2015-2017) – A unique stop-motion animated show where a girl gains a new random power every day.
• Zumbastico Fantástico (2011-2012) – A mixed-media sketch show that felt like a Latin American version of Animaniacs.
• Paper Port (2015) – Another stylized stop-motion animated series.
Why Zumbastico Studios Matters
• They brought Latin American animation to a global audience.
• Their animation style is fresh, unique, and visually striking.
• They prove that Latin America has a strong voice in the animation industry.
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Final Thoughts (A.K.A. Why You Should Subscribe Before Hawk Moth Tries to Steal Your Emotions)
Zagtoon? The masterminds behind Miraculous and the kings of modern French animation.
Zumbastico Studios? The Latin American powerhouse bringing fresh, original animation to the world.
And with that… we’ve reached the end of the A to Z of Animation Studios!
(Spoiler: We might just need to do a new version in a few years, because animation is always evolving.) 🚀
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