What was the name of Steve Jobs’s animation company before it was renamed Pixar?

Steve Jobs’s animation company was originally called The Graphics Group before it was renamed Pixar.

The Graphics Group was a division of Lucasfilm’s computer division when Jobs purchased it in 1986. Jobs became the company’s chairman and chief executive, while the team continued developing computer graphics technology and exploring commercial applications.

The business was renamed Pixar in 1986. The name came from the Pixar Image Computer, a specialized graphics machine developed by the group. Although the company initially pursued hardware and software, its animation work eventually became its most important business.

A common mix-up is saying that Jobs founded Pixar from scratch. He acquired an existing Lucasfilm computer-graphics operation and guided it as an independent company. Pixar later partnered with Disney and became known for feature animation, beginning with Toy Story.