MyToons

MyToons was an online business that developed a free online community for animation that supported content sharing and social networking.^[1] MyToons.com was headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.^[2]

MyToons

Product type	Online Animation Community
Owner	MyToons Holdings, Inc. Co-Founders: Paul Ford, Stacey Ford, Dan Kraus
Country	San Antonio, Texas, USA
Introduced	2006, launched March 2007
Markets	Worldwide
Website	http://www.mytoons.com

The site was founded in 2006 by Paul Ford, Stacey Ford and Dan Kraus as a spinoff of Bauhaus Software.^[3] The Texas Emerging Technology Fund supported it with a $500,000 grant.^[3]

After four months of private beta, the site launched publicly in March 2007 during the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, and began distributing member-created animation videos to Internet audiences worldwide. Three weeks after its launch, MyToons had received more than 1.5 million unique visitors.^[4]

Milestones

In June 2008, MyToons.com became the first global animation community to offer users the ability to upload and view animations in High Definition.^[5] At this time, the HD animation contest Get With the Times! was also launched.^[6]

In January 2009, MyToons laid off a large part of its staff.

In April 2009, MyToons closed down completely after venture capital funding ceased.

Affiliates

• Adobe – Sponsor of Get with the Times! contest, June 2008^[6]
  • Adobe Media Player (AMP) Channel Partner, March 2008^[7]
• MonsterJam Animation Contest – Co-Sponsor, May 2008^[8]
• Warner Bros., Entertainment – Contest Partner, May 2008^[9]
• The Second Annual Animation Book Look – Co-Sponsor, May 2008^[10]
• Google – Google Search Appliance (GSA), April 2008^[11]
  • YouTube Channel Partner, February 2008^[12]
• DRAW Exhibit, London – Co-Sponsor, March 2008^[13]
• IMAX – Contest Partner, February 2008^[14]
• Krispy Kreme – Contest Partner, February 2008^[14]
• 35th Annual Annie Awards, Hollywood, CA – Silver Sponsor and After-Party Entertainment Sponsor, February 2008^[15]
• Animation Army – Monthly Meetings Sponsor, 2007 – 2008^[16]
• INTERspectacular Design and Concept Studio – Bumper Blastoff! contest partner, December 2007^[17]
• Best In The Southwest Flash Animation Festival – Gold Sponsor, Albuquerque NM, October 2007^[18]
• Los Angeles Animation Festival (L.A.A.F.) – Major Sponsor, October 2007^[19]
• Animators: Andrew Gordon, Mike Wellins, Rusty Mills – Bust In and Win! contest Judges, September 2007^[20]
• Ottawa International Animation Festival – Major Sponsor and Panel Speaker, September 2007^[21]
• Anime Expo – Event, Promotions and Panel Speaker, June – July 2007^[22]
• Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) – Bronze Sponsor, May 2007^[23]
• Limelight Networks – Flash Video Streaming Infrastructure, April 2007^[24]
• Draw/MyToons Launch – Platinum Sponsor for DRAW exhibit & Gallery Lombardi, SXSW Austin, TX, March 2007^[25]