Top Draw opened its doors in November 1999. We enjoyed a great deal of support from our industry friends, although most of them thought we were mad by starting up a new studio in what was probably the most difficult period of adjustment in our industry’s history. I (Wayne Dearing) have been in animation since 1978 and I had never seen a down cycle of this magnitude.

Nonetheless, we were off and running with our dreams in our pocket, our hands on our heart and our wallet a bit thin! Nervous times lay ahead.

We started with one 47 sq. meters office in the JEMCO Building, Pasig, Philippines and hand-me-down furniture. We remember these times fondly. Sure, we may have been short on resources but we were never short on talent and this is the very backbone of our subsequent success and growth.

Static Shock for Warner Bros. was our very first show under the Top Draw banner and we must tip our proverbial hat to the original Top Draw team that made it all happen; Stella Dearing (Reyes at the time), Nary Jamlig, Ping Capati and Novie Rubio.