Troma Entertainment was founded in 1974 by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in New York, becoming known for independent films made far outside the Hollywood system. Its biggest hit, The Toxic Avenger from 1984, turned the deformed hero Toxie into the studio mascot and a lasting cult figure. The logo music became familiar from countless VHS tapes, DVDs and late night screenings of Troma releases. Online, fans keep reusing it to label homemade splatter, absurd comedy and proudly cheap productions as instant cult classics.