Established in 1977 and running into the early 2000s, the Spike & Mike Festival of Animation is a renowned celebration of animated artistry, showcasing both emerging and established talent in the world of animation. For over three decades, the festival was a platform for groundbreaking and unique animation films, often becoming the springboard for many of today’s most recognized animated features and shorts.
Now, the festival is coming back! 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.
The first window of submissions will be free and open for 60 days beginning November 4, 2023 and ending January 3, 2024. 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.
Bring Spike & Mike’s rebel origins to the masses
“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.
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.
The event attracted thousands of animation enthusiasts, filmmakers, and industry professionals from around the globe. Spike & Mike is also the subject of award-winning documentary Animation Outlaws which follows the festival’s early days and those they influenced. Committed to promoting creativity, innovation, and brilliance, the Spike & Mike Festival of Animation remains a testament to the dynamic evolution of the animation medium.
“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.”
“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,” said Craig “Spike” Decker, Co-Founder of Spike & Mike.
Details of the festival including partnerships are still being finalized but festival awards in the works include project stipends, acquisitions, and development opportunities.