Nov 5, 2023

Spike & Mike's Festival of Animation returns in 2024

Skybound Entertainment, the company behind "The Walking Dead" and the animated series "Invincible," is bringing back its legendary "Spike & Mike's Animation Festival. Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 edition.

The festival date has not yet been set, but the first application slots will be open until January 5, 2024, free of charge to residents of the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada (except Quebec). Skybound is accepting submissions in three categories: the Festival of Animation, Chic & Twist, and Artie Farty.

The Spike & Mike's Festival, which began in 1977, played an important role in the legalization of independent and adult animation in the United States. The traveling festival became famous for showcasing the artistry of animation and providing a platform for young and established artists alike. The festival's heyday was in the 80s and 90s, but its success came at a cost. As animation became more accepted as a mainstream adult art form, the event's relevance tapered off and finally ended in the 2010s.

However, the importance of Spike & Mike in its glory days cannot be overstated. The festival featured the work of hundreds of iconic filmmakers, many of whom were still in the early stages of their careers. Pete Docter, Tim Burton, John Lasseter, Karen Aqua, John Dilworth, Alison Snowden, Brad Bird, Craig McCracken, Mike Judge, Nick Park, Chris Wedge, Andrew Stanton, Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis, Marv Newland, Bill Plimpton, Erica Russell, Will Vinton, Joanna Priestley, Barry Purves, Joan Gratz, and others.

But Spike & Mike's relaunch will not stop at the Animation Festival. According to Skybound, the plan is as follows:

Skybound is calling on animators, universities, and organizations worldwide to submit original work for a chance to be featured in the Skybound Presents library: Spike & Mike Cartoon Brew Note to readers of Spike & Mike: Please review the terms and conditions carefully before submitting your work through the Spike & Mike website. The simple act of submitting your work grants Skybound an impossibly broad license to do with your animation as they please, without any guarantee of compensation, and these terms could adversely affect more lucrative distribution and licensing opportunities . may have a negative impact.

Marge Dean, studio head of Skybound Entertainment, which announced the reboot, said in a release:

"'Spike & Mike' was an important platform for creative voices in animation. Without their efforts to develop a safe space for creators to express both exuberance and introspection, or "sick and twisted" expression, in an incredibly innovative, complex, and limitless art form, there would be no place for a show like "Invincible."

Rick Jacobs, Skybound's Managing Partner for Linear Content, added:

Bringing this iconic brand under the Skybound umbrella brings Spike & Mike's rebellious origins to the masses and brings adult Animation and is a tremendous opportunity to expand upon what we are already doing in the animation space. Co-founder Mike Gribble once said that their mission is to "find and showcase the most original, funniest, and weirdest animation in the world." By digitizing the festival, they are opening the door to the millions of talented creators around the world who are at the helm of a new generation of animation.

Spike & Mike co-founder Craig "Spike" Decker also celebrated the news. I look forward to what they will do to the existing Spike & Mike productions and look forward to developing this new chapter with them.