Delta State (TV series)

Delta State
Company type	Television series
Industry	Animation, Television
Founded	September 11, 2004; 22 years ago
Headquarters	Montreal, Paris, Canada, France
Products	Animated television series
Parent	Alphanim, Nelvana (formerly Cinar, now WildBrain)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Delta State (TV series), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 2025

Delta State is an animated television series produced through a collaboration between Canada, France, Luxembourg, and India, inspired by the comic created by Douglas Gayeton and Matt Rockman. The storyline centers on four roommates—Claire (Ilona Elkin), Martin (Dusan Dukic), Luna (Lizz Alexander), and Philip (Nicholas Wright)—who suffer from amnesia and possess the unique ability to enter a metaphysical dimension known as the Delta State. Their journey involves recovering lost memories while confronting Rifters, malevolent beings intent on dominating human consciousness.

The show debuted on September 11, 2004, on Teletoon (currently Cartoon Network Canada). It holds the distinction of being the first fully rotoscoped animated television series, a technique that required more than two and a half years to finalize.

As a joint venture between Canadian and French studios, various production aspects were divided: Alphanim in Paris managed design and storyboarding, whereas filming and audio recording were conducted by Nelvana (formerly Cinar, now WildBrain) in Montreal. Douglas Gayeton originated the concept, directed the pilot episode, and authored the series bible.

Delta State earned recognition with the Special Award for a TV program at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and secured the Frames 2004 award for best Asian Production. Its broadcast also extended to France’s France 2 and Canal+.

Synopsis

A group of four individuals discovers extraordinary mental powers and receives guidance from their mentor, Professor Brodie, to protect humanity from Rifter threats. Brodie instructs them in combating Rifters within the Delta State—a brainwave pattern associated with deep sleep. The protagonists, along with Brodie and their adversaries, can freely transition into and out of this altered state of consciousness. Within this realm, conventional physical rules are often suspended, yet users maintain a level of control comparable to lucid dreaming.

The Group

Luna Palacios: A 22-year-old woman of Mexican descent characterized by her red hair tied in a ponytail. She possesses precognitive abilities but struggles to regulate her visions, which tend to manifest unpredictably or immediately before significant events. Luna is nurturing and mature, frequently providing a calm counterbalance to Martin’s more confrontational demeanor. She works at a pub favored by the group; prior to amnesia, she was employed as a bank teller. Her sister Carlita died during a bank robbery escape. There is tension between Luna and Martin stemming from their shared history. Philip often turns to her for emotional support.
Philip Graff: A 20-year-old with unkempt black hair who is currently unemployed and gifted with psychometry—the capacity to perceive an object's past experiences. He harbors an unreciprocated affection for Luna. Abandoned in infancy by his mother, he was raised in an orphanage. His past hints at ties to a cult opposing his origins. He harbors an aversion to lockers due to previous bullying incidents. Among the quartet, he was discovered first and is regarded as uniquely significant.
Claire Donally: At 21 years old with blue hair styled into buns, Claire has the power of remote viewing. She shares a close friendship with Luna and is involved in an intermittent romantic relationship with Martin. Before losing her memory, her boyfriend David was killed over a conflict involving treasure. Claire can be quick-tempered but shows determination and kindness; she faces considerable difficulty adjusting to their altered circumstances.
Martin Gold: A 21-year-old man sporting spiked white hair who possesses telepathy (mind reading). Currently dating Claire but previously involved with Luna before memory loss. Martin exhibits seriousness and strictness, often advocating caution within the group. His confrontational attitude frequently leads to tension among members. Once a baseball catcher, his career ended after his father orchestrated an attack that broke his arm. Unlike Luna, Martin remains skeptical about Brodie’s intentions.
Professor Robert Brodie: Serving as mentor and protector of the group, Brodie left behind a government initiative. He wields sufficient strength to restrain powerful Rifters such as Sven.

Rifters

Sven Ragnar: Recognized as the most formidable rifter, he is believed to be Maria's "brother" and spearheads the conquest of human consciousness. His objectives include eliminating Brodie, harboring animosity toward Martin, shape-shifting at will, executing without remorse, and pursuing global domination.
Maria Ragnar: The only female rifter antagonist, she harbors deep affection for Philip. She possesses considerable power and the ability to modify her appearance but remains intimidated by Sven's dominance.
Karla Schneider: Appearing in "First Contact," she was destroyed by Sven due to her insubordination.
Professor Stork: A rifter who was expelled by Luna and Philip in the episode "A Case Study."
Dr. Ludwig Von Hayek: A deranged scientist rifter responsible for advancing cold fusion technology at Icharus; ultimately defeated by Martin, Philip, Luna, and Claire in "Fusion."
Louisa Forterre: Philip’s romantic interest; a rifter was removed from her in "The Girlfriend."
Aldous Brant: A human host to a rifter for fifteen years suffering from a fatal neural disorder. The rifter later transferred to Raymond Woodly, leaving Aldous in a coma.
Raymond Woodly: Aldous’s campaign manager and friend; possessed by a rifter who remained unexpelled at the conclusion of "Vote Rifter."
Dr. Van Heusen: A rifter eliminated through the combined efforts of Philip, Luna, and Claire in "Cabin Fever."

Other

Dan: Luna’s boyfriend and Martin’s coworker at the Soundz music store. An adept hacker who readily accepts Luna’s circumstances.
Chantal Thomas: A television psychic reputed to be sensitive to the vibrations of reality; killed by Sven during "The Reading."
Jack Staffer: A friend of Philip’s from their time collaborating at Icharus in "Fusion."

Release

Shortly after its broadcast, the series was issued on DVD in volumes containing three episodes each: "First Contact" (episodes 1–3) released on May 16, 2006, followed by "The Reading" (episodes 4–6) on October 10, 2006. The full first season comprising thirteen episodes was later made available as a two-disc set on February 13, 2007, with a reissue by Kaboom! Entertainment on October 6, 2009. These editions are currently out of circulation.

By late 2010, the entire series was offered for digital download via the iTunes Store, though it was removed approximately one year afterward.

At present, viewers can access the series on YouTube through Corus' Retro Rerun channel.

The Comic

Created in 1997 by writer Douglas Gayeton and artist Matt Rockman at Sunshine Amalgamedia, the comic's rights were purchased by Alphanim prior to its release. Alphanim then tasked Gayeton with adapting it into an animated format. He directed a low-budget pilot in Los Angeles utilizing Macromedia Flash for rotoscoped animation, completed in 2000. After delivering the show bible and pilot episode, Gayeton departed from the project but remains an admirer. As of 2022, both the comic and pilot remain unreleased and are held by Gaumont Animation.

The Series

Produced with rotoscoped animation techniques and an $11 million (CAD) budget, filming took place in Montreal using a multicamera blue screen setup with minimal physical props. Shot initially in widescreen (16:9) before conversion to fullscreen format, actors wore facial markers to assist animators. The animation process was finalized in Paris under Pascal David and Giles Cazaux, employing Flash, Photoshop, and After Effects software; character design was led by Jan Van Rijsselberge. Although Alphanim initially greenlit a second season and a theatrical movie, negotiations with Nelvana collapsed, resulting in cancellation while Nelvana acquired Alphanim’s stake.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was created by French DJ Kid Loco. Officially, just two pieces have been made available: an extended version of the Delta State theme and the track "Another Snake," which appeared on the 2007 album "Ethnic Odyssey — Natural Born Travellers." The remainder of the series' music has yet to be released.