Skybound relaunches historic Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation

Any animation fan worth their salt is well aware of the iconic Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation. Originally founded by two hippie friends, Craig “Spike” Decker and Mike Gribble, to promote rock bands and special movie screenings, it eventually transformed into a showcase of independent, experimental, and foreign animation. The festival served as a launching pad for the careers of many titans in the industry including Mike Judge, Matt Stone & Trey Parker, Andrew Stanton, and countless others. who set out to create a first-of-its-kind animation festival in 1977 wind up launching the origin of an entire industry.

In a historic move, Skybound Entertainment has announced the will be announcing the acquisition & relaunch of the famed renegade animation festival. Marge Dean, Head of Studio @ Skybound, announced the news today during TAFFI at her animation panel where she where discussed the evolution of animation from children to adult, genre to medium, and past present.

As part of the festival’s relaunch, Skybound plans to bring back “Sick & Twisted” and add a new category, “Arty Farty.” Submissions are now open.

Check out the sizzle reel and official press release below:

In a historic move that promises to floor fans of classic animation and contemporary storytelling, Skybound Entertainment, the creator-led multi-platform entertainment company, has announced the revival of the iconic Spike & Mike’s animated film events.

Beginning today, submissions are open for short films from creators across North America. Animators, universities, and organizations from around the globe with a library of shorts can also submit original works for the chance to be featured in the newly minted Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s library of animation. 

The first window of submissions will be free and open for 60 days beginning November 4, 2023 and ending January 3, 2024.

Submit your work here. 

Details of the festival including partnerships are still being finalized but festival awards in the works include project stipends, acquisitions, and development opportunities. 

“Bringing this iconic brand under the Skybound umbrella is an enormous opportunity to bring Spike & Mike’s rebel origins to the masses and expand upon what we’re already doing in adult animation,” said Rick Jacobs, Managing Partner of Linear Content, Skybound Entertainment. “Co-founder Mike Gribble once stated that their mission was “to find the most original, funniest, and weirdest animation in the world and play it.” Digitizing the festivals opens the doors for – and to – millions of talented of creators across the globe who will shepherd a new generation of animation.” 

As part of the revival, Skybound Entertainment plans to: 

·       Relaunch Animation Festivals: Revive the Spike & Mike animation events, inviting creators worldwide to engage in their distinctive, unconventional style. 

·       Distribute Content Digitally: Make handpicked animated shorts available on online platforms, enhancing global accessibility to both recent and legacy library content while honoring the festivals’ gonzo roots. 

·       Forge New Partnerships: Seek collaborations with contemporary animation creators across a variety of mediums and platforms to spotlight today’s talent. 

·       Reintroduce The Library: Assess opportunities to either rejuvenate iconic tales from the past or craft fresh narratives influenced by its library. 
 

More About The Festival’s Revival 

Since its inception in the late 1970s, Spike & Mike’s curated festivals, including the renowned “Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation,” have showcased cutting-edge, daring, and often hilarious animated shorts. These guerilla style festivals became the theatrical launchpad for many of the animation industry’s most acclaimed figures, including the likes of Pete Doctor (CCO, Pixar; Monsters, Inc., Up), Mike Judge (Beavis & Butt-Head), and Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit). Put simply, “Spike & Mike came from nowhere with nothing and created a market where none existed,” said Animation Historian, Jerry Beck. 

“Spike & Mike has been a seminal platform for creative voices in animation,” said Marge Dean, Head of Studio at Skybound Entertainment.“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.”