Skybound Entertainment, the corporate behind animated TV collection “Invincible,” has acquired the historic Spike & Mike’s animation occasions, with plans for a revival. Marge Dean, head of studio at Skybound Entertainment, introduced the information at Toronto’s Animation Industry Conference (TAAFI) on Saturday.
Spike & Mike started within the Nineteen Seventies as a curator of animated shorts. “Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation,” which showcased out-of-the-box animated shorts, is understood at present for launching the careers of trade professionals resembling Pete Docter (“Inside Out”), Matt Stone and Trey Parker (“South Park”) and John Lasseter (“Toy Story”).
Skybound mentioned it should search to honor the treasured model by relaunching the animation occasions, making animated shorts obtainable digitally, highlighting present expertise within the animation trade by means of collaborations and reintroducing the Spike & Mike library. Details of the competition are nonetheless within the works, however deliberate awards initiatives embrace improvement alternatives, mission stipends and acquisitions.
Festival classes embrace the unique “Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation,” “Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted” (for NSFW/grownup animated content material) and “Spike & Mike’s Arty Farty” (for bold content material).
“I’m incredibly appreciative of Skybound’s respect and understanding of what the Spike & Mike brand has accomplished, and what we can continue to offer. I’m excited to see what they’re able to do for existing Spike & Mike work and look forward to developing a new chapter with them,” mentioned Craig “Spike” Decker, co-founder of Spike & Mike.
“Spike & Mike has been a seminal platform for creative voices in animation,” mentioned Dean. “There would be no place for shows like Invincible to exist without their efforts to develop a safe space for creators to express both the uplifting and introspective or ‘sick and twisted’ in an incredibly innovative, complex, and boundless art form.”
In his overview of the Spike & Mike documentary “Animation Outlaws,” Variety‘s Peter Debruge described Spike & Mike as the “razor blades” to Disney’s “candied apples” on the time.
“Spike and Mike delivered the counterprogramming, encouraging indie toon creators to develop their more subversive side, and rewarding them with national exposure — and in-person appearances — as part of a well-publicized theatrical program,” wrote Debruge.
For animators fascinated about being featured as a part of “Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation,” submissions for animated quick movies at the moment are open on-line by means of (U.S., Canada and U.Okay. solely). Submissions for “Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s Library of Animation” are open to international members.
More details about submission tips will be discovered at skybound.com/spikeandmikefest.