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| Studio MDHR | |
|---|---|
| Name | Studio MDHR |
| Industry | Video game development |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Key people | Chad Moldenhauer, Jared Moldenhauer |
| Products | Cuphead, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course |
Studio MDHR Studio MDHR is an independent Canadian video game developer and publisher based in Toronto known for creating the 2017 title Cuphead and its 2022 expansion Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course. The studio garnered attention across E3, The Game Awards, Independent Games Festival, PAX and mainstream outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Polygon, Kotaku, and IGN for its hand-drawn animation and retro audiovisual presentation. Its work intersects with traditions from Walt Disney, Max Fleischer, Looney Tunes, Mickey Mouse, and museums such as the Smithsonian Institution that exhibit animation history.
Studio MDHR was formed in 2010 in Toronto by siblings with backgrounds spanning animation training, family-run small business experience, and independent development influenced by classic studios like Walt Disney Animation Studios and Fleischer Studios. Early development for the project's prototype drew on tools and communities around Adobe Animate, Spine, Unity, and indie collectives seen at IndieCade and Independent Games Festival showcases. The studio announced Cuphead at events including E3 and later launched on platforms such as Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 after a staggered release strategy. Post-launch support and content expansion involved collaborations with publishers and platforms such as Microsoft Studios, GOG.com, Steam, and distribution channels highlighted by Nintendo Direct broadcasts.
Founders Chad and Jared Moldenhauer led creative direction, production, and design, working alongside external talent drawn from animation houses like Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Cartoon Network Studios, and freelance animators trained in institutions such as Ontario College of Art and Design University and Sheridan College. Leadership and collaborators included composers and audio directors with ties to orchestras like the London Symphony Orchestra and arrangers who reference bands such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Duke Ellington Orchestra; voice and performance contributors have backgrounds in theater companies similar to Stratford Festival and voice casts seen in Adult Swim programming. Production management integrated contributors experienced with middleware vendors like FMOD and Wwise as well as QA partners familiar with certification from platform holders such as Sony Interactive Entertainment and Microsoft.
The studio's flagship title, Cuphead, is noted for boss encounters, run-and-gun stages, and co-op mechanics resonant with arcade-era titles like Contra, Ghosts 'n Goblins, and Metal Slug. The 2022 downloadable content Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course expanded playable characters, added new bosses, and introduced a new isle reminiscent of layout design from classics such as Castlevania and Mega Man. The game's soundtracks and arrangements have been performed in concert series alongside ensembles that have played works from Aaron Copland and John Williams in crossover presentations at venues like Carnegie Hall and festival stages at SXSW and GDC. Ancillary merchandise and media tie-ins involve partners in publishing and retail comparable to collaborations seen with Dark Horse Comics and lifestyle brands distributed through outlets like Hot Topic and ThinkGeek.
The studio emphasized hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation modeled after early 20th-century animation exemplars such as Fleischer Studios shorts, Rubber hose animation era work, and pre-Code Walt Disney cartoons like early Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies. Gameplay design drew inspiration from arcade cabinets found in arcade collections and difficult platformers from the Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis eras; designers referenced level design principles associated with Shigeru Miyamoto and boss design approaches from Keiji Inafune-era titles. Audio direction sought vintage recording textures akin to work by Tom Turpin-era jazz ensembles and big band arrangements, collaborating with conductors and session musicians experienced with analog recording techniques used by studios such as Abbey Road Studios and historic radio orchestras like Benny Goodman's ensembles.
Studio MDHR self-funded early development through savings and crowdfunding-like community support channels while negotiating publishing and platform agreements with entities such as Microsoft Studios and digital storefronts including Steam, Microsoft Store, Nintendo eShop, and PlayStation Store. The company managed licensing for intellectual property across merchandise partners similar to Hasbro and specialty publishers akin to Dark Horse Comics. Financial reporting and strategy involved independent studio practices comparable to those discussed at GDC panels and in case studies referencing indie successes like Double Fine Productions and Supergiant Games.
Critical reception to Cuphead placed the studio in conversations alongside influential developers featured at The Game Awards, BAFTA Games Awards, and Independent Games Festival, with analyses published in outlets such as Eurogamer, Game Informer, The Verge, and Wired. The title influenced indie and mainstream creators exploring retro aesthetics, cited in academic and museum contexts alongside retrospectives at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and animation festivals such as Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Cuphead's aesthetics prompted collaborations and homages in projects by studios covering pixel, hand-drawn, and stop-motion techniques showcased at SIGGRAPH and SXSW.
The studio and its works received nominations and awards from bodies including The Game Awards, BAFTA, Independent Games Festival, D.I.C.E. Awards, and regional Canadian honors like Canadian Screen Awards-adjacent recognitions. Cuphead earned accolades for art direction, music, and independent game design, appearing on year-end lists curated by publications such as Time, Forbes, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker, and was featured in exhibition programs at Smithsonian Institution and MoMA displays that survey interactive media.
Category:Video game companies of Canada