J2 Communications

Background

J2 Communications was founded by James P. Jimirro, who also founded The Disney Channel and Walt Disney Home Video while head of Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company. The company's name came from his initials.

1st Logo (1987)

Logo: On a black background, the letter "J" and number "2" slide in from both sides of the screen and stop at the center. Then "COMMUNICATIONS" (in the same font as "J2") flies in from us and stops beneath the letters.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: A warbling synth note with a drumbeat that echoes five times.

Availability: Found on early VHS prints of Dorf On Golf.

2nd Logo (1987)

Logo: On a black background, the company's name in green (the first word is big, and the other slightly small) with a green horizontal line below it, flip in.

Technique: Computer animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Found on early releases of The Mother Goose Treasury.

3rd Logo (1987-1991)

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Logo: Against a star field, the lilac-colored CG letter "J" and number "2" are seen at extremely close range as they begin to rotate and move back, first separating shortly from one another in a diagonal direction, then reuniting. After they slow down and come to a stop, a pinpoint of light forms near the top of the screen and sweeps down in an arc, leaving the word "COMMUNICATIONS" trailing very rapidly from right to left in purple font. The "J" and "2" both emit one "sparkle", in that respective order, and then we fade out.

Variants:

• A version exists with the logo on a solid black background without the star field.
• There's an early variant used in 1987 where we simply see the conjoined "J2", in sky blue, zooming in, with "COMMUNICATIONS" fading under it with lines above and below the word.

Technique: Computer animation.

Music/Sounds: A groovy synth jingle with four gradually louder two-note bursts from a brass section, combined with a descending slap-bass line, and ending in three brass notes, a cymbal on the third note and a short synth drumroll.

Music/Sounds Variant: Some tapes with the early variant have a horn fanfare.

Availability: Found on VHS releases of The Mother Goose Treasury, Dorf on Golf, Dorf's Golf Bible, and Dorf and the First Games of Mount Olympus, as well as Star Wars: Droids and Star Wars: Ewoks. Also found on ITC Home Video releases in the United States. The early variant can be seen on Groucho: A Life in Revue, Elton John Live in Australia and How to Have a Moneymaking Garage Sale with Phyllis Diller, and at the end of Carol Burnett's My Personal Best.