Skybound Leisure Acquires Historic Animation Competition Spike & Mike’s With Plans for Revival

Skybound Leisure, the corporate behind animated TV sequence “Invincible,” has acquired the historic Spike & Mike’s animation occasions, with plans for a revival. Marge Dean, head of studio at Skybound Leisure, introduced the information at Toronto’s Animation Business Convention (TAAFI) on Saturday.

Spike & Mike started within the Nineteen Seventies as a curator of animated shorts. “Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Competition of Animation,” which showcased out-of-the-box animated shorts, is thought in the present day for launching the careers of business professionals corresponding to Pete Docter (“Inside Out”), Matt Stone and Trey Parker (“South Park”) and John Lasseter (“Toy Story”).

Skybound stated it should search to honor the treasured model by relaunching the animation occasions, making animated shorts out there digitally, highlighting present expertise within the animation business by means of collaborations and reintroducing the Spike & Mike library. Particulars of the competition are nonetheless within the works, however deliberate awards initiatives embrace growth alternatives, undertaking stipends and acquisitions.

Competition classes embrace the unique “Spike & Mike’s Competition of Animation,” “Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted” (for NSFW/grownup animated content material) and “Spike & Mike’s Arty Farty” (for formidable content material).

“I’m extremely appreciative of Skybound’s respect and understanding of what the Spike & Mike model has completed, and what we are able to proceed to supply. I’m excited to see what they’re capable of do for current Spike & Mike work and look ahead to growing a brand new chapter with them,” stated Craig “Spike” Decker, co-founder of Spike & Mike. 

“Spike & Mike has been a seminal platform for inventive voices in animation,” stated Dean. “There can be no place for exhibits like Invincible to exist with out their efforts to develop a protected house for creators to specific each the uplifting and introspective or ‘sick and twisted’ in an extremely progressive, advanced, and boundless artwork kind.” 

In his evaluation of the Spike & Mike documentary “Animation Outlaws,” Selection‘s Peter Debruge described Spike & Mike because the “razor blades” to Disney’s “candied apples” on the time.

“Spike and Mike delivered the counterprogramming, encouraging indie toon creators to develop their extra subversive facet, and rewarding them with nationwide publicity — and in-person appearances — as a part of a well-publicized theatrical program,” wrote Debruge.

For animators fascinated by being featured as a part of “Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s Competition of Animation,” submissions for animated brief movies at the moment are open on-line by means of (U.S., Canada and U.Ok. solely). Submissions for “Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s Library of Animation” are open to international contributors.

Extra details about submission pointers may be discovered at skybound.com/spikeandmikefest.