With the catchy theme song, fun and appealing character designs, and a strong environmental message throughout its five seasons, the show resonated with so many children in Canada before it was eventually broadcast in a total of 180 countries around the world. Regarded today as one of the most iconic shows from the eighties and nineties, it’s also a staple in Canadian animation history, and with the talented team of animators and writers who worked on the show and its creator supporting his characters years after its production ended, it’s still an iconic show that has managed to remain recognisable and resonates with the themes of environmentalism today.

Bert Raccoon (centred) with Ralph (left) and Melissa Raccoon (right)

The Raccoons was created by Kevin Gillis, who worked on Celebrity Cooks during the late seventies, providing his singing talents for the show’s host, Bruno Gerussi. During this time, he also came up with the concept of a brand new show, and Gary Dunford, a writer who wrote an episode of the Canadian comedy series The Beachcombers, briefly joined to assist Gillis. Once the story and characters were cemented, Gillis pitched his idea to an Ottawa-based lawyer named Sheldon S. Wiseman, who saw potential in the idea. However, rather than starting out with a series, they agreed to produce a half-hour Christmas special called The Christmas Raccoons that would introduce everyone to the beloved characters as they try to save the trees of the forest from being sawed down by the greedy Cyril Sneer.

The Christmas special was followed by three other television specials, all of which were broadcast between 1980 to 1984. While Gillis would direct and write these specials, he was simultaneously the host of sports television show Yes You Can (1980 to 1983). Despite being busy juggling these two jobs within the television industry, Gillis’ efforts with his characters paid off as he and Wiseman finally decided the time was right to give the characters their own show. In order to get the budget to produce the series, though, CBC and the  Disney Channel made a deal to finance the over four million dollar budget, for the first season, and allow them to produce in Canada, but Disney was allowed to broadcast the show in America.

Kevin Gillis, the creator of The Raccoons (Photo Courtesy Run With Us Productions)

The animation would be handled by Atkinson Film-Arts, an Ottawa-based animation studio that was responsible for all four television specials, as well as adapting iconic toys and merchandise for their own specials, like Care Bears. As well as experienced animators to handle the new show from their previous efforts, the writing team also had some talented individuals who also worked on some episodes of The Care Bears and Babar that helped to create some of the storylines and including Mary Crawford and Alan Templeton. With this combination as well as Gillis’ shared credits with the catchy theme song Run with Us, the third week of the show’s initial airing saw it earn more than two million viewers alone and became the ninth most popular show in Canada in 1985.

The popularity saw it continue its production for another four seasons, but Atkinson Film-Arts was replaced after the first season with Hinton Studios, which Wiseman and Gillis set up to resume production. Despite the change of studios, the show’s popularity meant that the newly formed studio had a strong IP to work with and allowing animators to show off their talents. For six years, the show ran across sixty episodes and five seasons, before ending its run in early 1991.

Over thirty years have passed since that last episode aired, and during the global pandemic, Kevin Gillis contemplated the idea of reintroducing audiences, old and new, to his beloved creation after getting messages from adoring fans requesting a way to introduce it to their children, especially with the environmental themes still holding significance after all these years. Gillis kept the original 35mm footage for all episodes of the show as well as the four television specials after all these years and with his support, the show was restored for HD quality and would be re-introduced to long time fans and a new generation for streaming services around the world in 2023.

The Raccoons’ antagonist Cyril Sneer

While the television specials have introduced the characters five years prior, the show really cemented Gillis’ creation and demonstrated the many talented individuals that worked on the show who years later, should be proud of such a fun and entertaining series even after all these years that can still resonate with the environmental themes today. It stands out as not just a prime example of eighties Canadian animation, but a show that resonated with the generation worldwide.

The Raccoons is now available in 4K on ITV X.

The post The Raccoons: 40th Anniversary of the Beloved Canadian Classic appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Diplo The Mighty Dinosaur © Signature Entertainment

Twelve years in the making, Diplo: The Mighty Dinosaur certainly had a series of development and production hurdles ahead of it to try and create something different for animated films aimed at children. The efforts behind this small team of animators on this Polish production have finally paid off, as not only will it see its release in UK cinemas this month (19th September), but it will also be distributed across ninety-nine other territories.

The film tells the story of Diplo, a young anthropomorphic Diplodocus with large ears and a cartoon creation from a struggling artist, who finds his world erased and magically teleports to different stories and worlds that this same artist has created over the years. Trying to find a way to restore the old pages of his story to bring his family back, he unexpectedly finds himself teaming up with a wizard, a scientist, and his assistant to find out why their worlds are being erased.

Diplo The Mighty Dinosaur © Signature Entertainment

I was fortunate to interview the film’s director and writer, Wojtek Wawszczyk, to discuss why an obscure comic book would have made a fun film, the biggest challenges for him during the lengthy development stage, and why it’s a unique animated feature compared to others made in Poland.

What was it about Tadeusz Baranowski’s Hocus Pocus and The Diplodocus comic books that inspired you to adapt them into a film?

I discovered those books when I was six or seven. It was the eighties, and Poland was quite an isolated country. I had this huge magnetism towards comic books, and there were only a couple of books being published in Poland back in the day. Poland was really grey and poor, and amongst those few books, there were a few of them that were absolutely incredible, and I think that Baranowski’s comics are the only Polish comic books from the eighties that remained extremely fresh.

They’re super colourful and drawn with truly original artwork, and full of absurd humour. There are these characters that are aware that they’re being drawn by the artist, and they even get in a fight with the artist because they don’t like the adventures. I think this kind of humour is actually quite British in a way, because it’s very Monty Python, for kids.

I wanted to draw my own comic books, and that’s what I did. My first drawings were these copies of characters from these books, and years later, I met the author and we became friends. I told him that maybe one day, if I ever had the skills, I would love to bring his characters to the screen. That was twenty-something years ago, and now Diplo is complete.

Diplo The Mighty Dinosaur © Signature Entertainment

As the film’s writer as well as director, what was the biggest obstacle during the lengthy development stage of the film?

It was 2012, and I joined this really small animation studio in Warsaw called Human Film. I joined first as an animator, because I had experience working in the US and in India for a short period of time. I told my idea of bringing Baranowski’s comic books to the screen, and producer Maks Sikora said, “Why not?”

I was fascinated by these huge animation features by Pixar and Sony Pictures Imageworks, and I wanted to try and make a movie with such a technique in Poland, which hadn’t been done yet. Nobody had ever tried to do this, and it sounded absurd to do it without much of experience. First of all, we were trying to find some money to finance the production, and it took us so long because there was no proof that such a movie is feasible and producible in Poland. So that was one thing.

Another quite difficult thing was that these comic books don’t have a traditional story structure. They are mostly a series of jokes, and in the beginning, my friends (nine of us from different cultures and different backgrounds) started talking about it, and each of us pointed to something completely different that was interesting to them. That’s why I also thought that I couldn’t just make a simple copy of these books. I wanted to tell an original story that would capture the spirit of the books not only visually, but also in terms of the absurd atmosphere of what’s happening.

I think that’s why it took so long. The first version of the script was written after two years of talking. We had to maintain the studio and take a lot of service jobs. When we were involved in making service work, we didn’t have much time to keep working on our movie. We also knew quite early that we needed help, so that’s why we looked for a co-producer from another country. There were three attempts in building these relations until we finally found PFX, a company from the Czech Republic.

Diplo The Mighty Dinosaur © Signature Entertainment

There’s a wonderfully animated and colourful cast of characters featured across the film. Which one was your personal favourite and why?

I love Hocus Pocus. He has the biggest emotional range. We really loved animating him as well. For instance, for Hocus Pocus, the more pompous he is, the more cartoony he animates.

I also love Professor Nervekowsky. My little team named me after him because that’s who I am in a way. When I get involved in something, I can behave and even move a little like him. These two characters are my favourite and reflect who I am, I think.

Diplo The Mighty Dinosaur © Signature Entertainment

What makes this production unique compared to other animated titles made in Poland?

There are plenty of unique things in the movie. Baranowski’s comic books are a strong IP in Poland, and a lot of people of my generation who grew up with this sense of humour are drawn to them.

Poland is primarily known for its artistic animation. I also come from this background. Even before making this film, I had created many artistic short films. Perhaps this is what makes Diplo a film that combines mainstream cinema with artistic and experimental cinema—for example, through the combination of animated and live-action scenes and an original, somewhat strange plot with an intelligent message.

We have a bunch of great artists, and these talents can cross over to something very unique and beautiful. Many comic book artists were involved in the production. There is also that great ’80s vibe in the camera work and soundtrack. Such an animated movie is extremely rare and unique, especially in Poland.

When audiences see the film, what is the biggest takeaway you hope audiences leave with after watching?

My first motivation of bringing these books to the screen was that I wanted to tell my original story, but I also wanted viewers to feel the same emotions and have the same thoughts that I had when I read these comics forty years ago.

I would like viewers to feel and experience something truly original, and I want children to believe that being unique and original is something cool. Both the artist and Diplodocus go through the same story and have a similar problem. They have to believe in what their hearts tell them and not listen to what everyone around them says. It’s about finding the strength not to follow the crowd, but to do your own thing. I would very much like children to do just that. And maybe after the screening, to pick up a pencil and a piece of paper, and draw their own stories, their own comics, in their very own way.

Diplo: The Mighty Dinosaur is out in UK cinemas from the 19th of September.

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Forty years later, and it is still a recognisable franchise that resonates with those who grew up in that era of animated shows alongside He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers, My Little Pony, and The Care Bears. And while many still hold dear the original series, it has been treated to a reboot that garnered a cult following, a comedy series that attempted something different, and an acclaimed, best-selling comic book series created by a couple of brilliantly talented artists.

To celebrate forty years of these feline heroes and their unique sci-fi world, we will look back at the multiple interpretations and adaptations that helped to cement the forty years that made up this lasting legacy. If it wasn’t for the writers, showrunners, and animators who were committed to this property, we may not be celebrating each of these projects of the franchise today.

ThunderCats Issue 01 By Dynamite Comics Cover – Image © Dynamite Entertainment / Warner Bros.

ThunderCats – 1985 to 1989

Looking back forty years, just how did the series come into being? And who was responsible for its creation?

The creation of ThunderCats came from the hands of Tobin Wolf (1922 to 1999,) who, prior to the 1980s, was the developer of several toys and board games, even being responsible for the development of a version of the portable record player. One day in 1981, he sketched an early version of what would eventually become Lion-O and the members of the ThunderCats. Once the concept was ready, Wolf pitched it to several companies before approaching Leisure Concepts, a licensing company, and its then-president, Stan Weston.

Intrigued by the idea and potential behind the concept, Weston then pitched the series to Rankin/Bass. Known for their animated projects and popular stop-motion holiday specials throughout the sixties and seventies, such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, the studios’ founders, Arthur Rankin Jr and Jules Bass, were interested in the show and became their producers. However, for the animation itself, that honour went to Pacific Animation Corporation in Japan.

Lion-O from The Thundercats – Image © Rankin/Bass / Pacific Animation Corporation / Warner Bros. Television (ThunderCats, 1985)

Pacific Animation Coporation previously collaborated with Rankin/Bass for a number of their animated films, including The Hobbit and The Last Unicorn. However, while the animators in the Japanese studio certainly had plenty of experiences animating human and animal characters prior, they hadn’t handled a fusion of cat species and humanoids with muscular proportions; which must have proven to be an interesting challenge for the designers and character animators in particular.

Between the time of Wolf’s initial drawings to 1985, the show finally premiered on US television on the 23 January in 1985. Alongside the toys and merchandise produced by LJN – a similar approach to Mattel’s success with their line of He-Man toys – the show became a hit with children and adults with its cast of colourful and detailed characters, intriguing lore, catchphrases and iconic lines that would soon be a hit in the playgrounds everywhere. A total of one hundred and thirty episodes were produced across four seasons and it eventually made its way around the world in the following years.

The show aired it’s final episodes in 1989 after Pacific Animation Corporation was bought by Walt Disney Studios and rebranded as Walt Disney Animation Japan, to help create new television shows for the corporation. Despite being without a studio to continue making further episodes, the success of the show and it’s equally popular merchandising meant that it gained a faithful fanbase that most still hold it as being one of the best animated series of all time.

ThunderCats (Reboot) – 2011 to 2012

During the 2000s, action-based animated shows for young audiences were making a big comeback across the television networks and were unlike anything previously seen as they dealt with mature storytelling or had unique and fun concepts to build upon across the following seasons. This included the anime-influenced Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon and Ben 10 on Cartoon Network, the latter of which continued to grow more diverse action-focused series.

Warner Bros. not only owned Cartoon Network but also owned the rights to ThunderCats, and in an attempt to continue broadening their catalogue of animated shows, they decided to bring back Lion-O and the gang for a whole new generation. However, that’s not to say that it was an easy transition to bring them from the 1980s to the 2010s.

Thundercats (Reboot) – Image © Warner Bros. Animation / Studio 4°C / Cartoon Network (ThunderCats, 2011)

To bring the series to a new audience, as well as pleasing the fans, two storyboard artists were hired to become the showrunners for this anticipated reboot. Ethan Spalding had worked on Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Michael Jelenic was both a storyboard artist and writer for multiple successful Cartoon Network shows such as Ben 10 and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

With two showrunners with a breadth of experience in storytelling overseeing the production, a studio was also picked to animate the series, and once again, the production would be animated in Japan, more specifically, Studio 4°c. The studio has previously collaborated with Warner Bros. up to this point as they worked on some of the short films as part of The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, with the animators demonstrating their abilities to create detailed character models and brilliant, choreographed sequences.

The reboot was finally broadcast in 2011, and critics adored it while it garnered some new fans who, after all these years, still hold the show favourably in their hearts. But the show was seen as a financial disappointment, mostly down to two main factors: its high budget (compared to other Cartoon Network shows of the time), and  merchandise sales not quite reaching the standard that the broadcaster was expecting. Despite the critical praise and love of some of the new fans, the show was cancelled after just one 26-episode season, potentially ruining a chance for the ThunderCats to return. But nearly ten years later, they did!

ThunderCats Roar – 2020

After the 2011 reboot was cancelled, Michael Jelenic would continue to work with Cartoon Network and would eventually co-develop the superhero comedy series Teen Titans Go, which was a massive departure from it’s more serious incarnation Teen Titans (2003). But this unconventional reboot would eventually spark an idea to give the same treatment to the ThunderCats in an attempt to breathe some fresh life into the property and add a comedic approach to the characters and lore.

Thundercats Roar – Image © Warner Bros. Animation / Cartoon Network (ThunderCats Roar, 2020)

Both Michael Jelenic and Jules Bass returned to the world of Thundera as consulting producers, the latter of which would be his last credit in animation before Bass’ passing in 2022. The series was developed and produced by Marly Halpern-Graser and Victor Courtright, who previously wrote for comedy shows Be Cool Scooby Doo and Pickle and Peanut.

With such a talented bunch – with a plethora of experience in comedy as well as animation – the show certainly had promise despite taking the iconic characters in a new direction. But while the Teen Titans franchise was successfully accepted when it spun off into Teen Titans Go, the same wasn’t true for ThunderCats Roar, as many criticized the direction of the character designs, comparing them to other shows with a similar look known as the CalArts style that took over social media. And when the show finally premiered at the beginning of 2020, it received mostly negative reviews and criticism as many didn’t like the look of the show as well as the humour in the writing. Therefore, much like it’s predecessor, it was cancelled after just one season.

Dynamite Entertainment’s ThunderCats Comics – 2024 to Present

ThunderCats has certainly had plenty of challenges since the original series ended in 1989, with the attempted reboots. It wasn’t until the heroes found themselves in the pages of comic books by Dynamite Entertainment that they found success with long-time fans once again.

Thundercats Issue No. 1 – Image © Dynamite Entertainment / Warner Bros.

Written by Declan Shalvey – no stranger to the comic book industry and responsible for penning films and shows in comic book form such as Alien by Marvel Comics; as well as writing multiple storylines for Marvel superheroes like Deadpool and The Incredible Hulk. With artwork produced by Drew Moss, who worked on many comics for Disney, their combined efforts were able to continue telling the story of Lion-O from the original series while also adding more depth to the panels and covers when it came to the already iconic designs.

The first issue alone received over 100,000 orders, and the comic has continued to see new story arcs being explored, including a spin-off featuring Cheetara.

Whether you’re a fan of the original eighties classic series, or the rebooted attempts that introduced a whole new generation to the world of Third Earth, there’s no denying the cultural impact that ThunderCats as a franchise has had on popular culture alongside the other heavy hitters of action-packed eighties animated shows like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Transfomers. And while it may not have had as many incarnations as its competitors, it has remained a favourite among those who grew up with it, even after all these years.

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This romantic animated classic has enjoyed several re-releases at the cinema and home media over the years, becoming a beloved title among Disney’s animated films for multiple generations. But to get the film made, the animators, artists, and writers had a plethora of large obstacles ahead of them:  from the people butting heads with Walt Disney himself on iconic scenes to artists having to adapt the film to new technology, to the different writers coming on board to change the trajectory of the story we all know and love.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Lady and the Tramp, I wanted to explore the artists and creative people who attempted to get the film made and look at not just how it impacted the animation industry, but how it impacted their careers and legacy as well.

Lady and Tramp’s Dinner. Image sourced from Slant Magazine.

Joe Grant’s Little Lady

After the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, character artist Joe Grant approached Walt Disney with an idea he had for a new potential story that the studio could animate. As well as being a character artist, Grant also came up with the stories for some of the short films that were part of the Silly Symphony series that they produced. He approached Disney with an idea based on his pet cocker spaniel and he encouraged Grant to develop the idea further, using the dynamics of his changing family life with the arrival of his child and how his beloved pet was pushed to the sidelines while the family juggled new responsibilities. Despite his attempts to get Disney onboard after presenting a series of storyboards and artwork, the idea was unfortunately scrapped and put away.

While Grant would resume his work as a character artist for Pinocchio and was one of the people responsible for the story behind Dumbo, Disney was reading the pages of Cosmopolitan, which was a literary magazine rather than the fashion publication it’s known as today, and read a short story named Happy Dan the Cynical Dog by Ward Greene. Enjoying the pessimistic pet in Greene’s story, Disney thought back about Grant’s Lady and decided to invite Greene to help create a treatment for a story where Grant’s Lady and Greene’s Dan would meet. But in 1943, pre-production for Lady and the Tramp had to be halted as Walt Disney Animation Studios were producing propaganda titles during the Second World War and because of this, the feature was placed in the dog house.

After the war ended, Walt Disney and his studio resumed their work in feature films with releases like The Adventures of Ichabod Crane and Mr. Toad. While Joe Grant would work on the story adaptations for Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland, he eventually left the studio in 1949 after the Character Model Department disbanded to set up his own ceramics business.

However, the studio revisited Lady and the Tramp, pulling out the early pre-production work, and resumed work on it after his absence. Ward Greene was invited back to write the novelization that was eventually released in 1953 after several members of the story team finished the script that same year. While they all received credit for the work, Joe Grant never got recognized for his contribution to the story and some of the characters despite his creation of Lady and its story on the dynamic surrounding the baby.

Lady as a Puppy. Image sourced from The Movie Buff.

Teaching Nine Old Men New Tricks

When it came to bringing authenticity to the movement of characters in their earlier films like Bambi, the animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios studied animals to try and recreate realistic motion. With Lady and the Tramp, they brought in a plethora of dogs into the studio as well as filming them to create different references, with the core team of animators – Disney’s Nine Old Men – having to brush up on their experiences from Bambi to animate so many breeds that made up the large cast of canine characters with their unique personalities.

Each one of them not only helped to create some recognizable and iconic characters but also created some brilliantly beautiful sequences of early Disney animated titles. Eric Larson was responsible for Peg and animating her infamous “He’s a Tramp” song set at the dog pound in which he enjoyed collaborating and showing his work with voice actress and singer Peggy Lee to get the character right and match her performance; Woolie Reitherman was responsible for the dramatic action sequences, with Tramp’s fight against the intimidating and menacing rat being one of his stand out creations from his career; and Ollie Johnston animated Lady, brilliantly mixing dog characteristics with human humility and emotions simultaneously in one character.

But among these iconic scenes throughout the film, the Bella Notte scene is the most memorable from the film with its mix of romance, music, and beautiful animation while Tramp and Lady enjoy their meal together. However, Walt Disney thought that the scene would be too silly and unrealistic with the dogs enjoying a plate of spaghetti together, wanting to cut it out of the story entirely. Standing up against his decision, Frank Thomas took it upon himself to animate the entire sequence himself, showing off his talent that has lived on and easily became one of his most celebrated pieces of animated works.

The Artists Who Helped Create Cinemascope

Walt Disney Studios were no strangers when it came to embracing and inventing new technology that pushed filmmaking and cinematic experiences to new heights. Lady and the Tramp was no exception as it was their first film made for Cinescope, a lens system that implemented wide-screen footage, making films bigger on cinema screens and allowing them to add more into the expanded frame.

Different departments and designers were given a plethora of challenges to try and make the most of the new technology and implement it into production. Eyvind Earle was one of the main designers behind the Bella Notte scene, where Tramp and Lady explore the town and its surroundings after their romantic dinner. Even trained architect and set designer Claude Coats jumped into the task of creating larger sets head-on, creating miniature models to get the dogs’ perspectives when exploring the world around them.

But there was one other problem the studio had to contend with at the time of the film’s release; not all cinemas had screens capable of projecting Cinescope film reels. Therefore, they had to create two versions of the film, with the characters having to be moved around to fit them into the scenes and expanded the backgrounds so that there would be an anamorphic and widescreen version to accompany cinemas that had and didn’t have this new lens.

Tramp in the Junkyard. Image sourced from Pixel Refresh.

These Canines’ Legacy

Seventy years have passed since Lady and the Tramp premiered in American cinemas and ever since then, it has a lasting legacy in both animation films and cinematic romantic storytelling. More importantly, however, it also impacted the careers and legacy of some of those involved with the film as well.

Joe Grant did eventually return to Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1989, where he played a key role in helping to create the worlds and characters for the films that would spark the Disney Renaissance and beyond, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Mulan. While he may not have received credit for Lady and the Tramp, film historians and Disney enthusiasts recognize his contributions to the film and the key role he played in its origin.

Its impact was even cherished and valued outside the world of Walt Disney. This was often in the form of a parody of the famous Bella Notte scene and was referenced in countless iconic television shows, webtoons, and films, including The Simpsons, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, Happy Tree Friends, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Teen Titans Go. While mostly parodies, the writers and animators of these numerous productions across a generation have shown how much this film and Frank Thomas’ nearly cut scene has impacted filmmakers decades down from when the world would be introduced to a love story unlike any other with such a simple yet visually captivating moment.

The Simpsons Parodied Lady and the Tramp in the Episode “Two Dozen and One Greyhounds.” Image sourced from CBR.

Recognized as not just one of the finest Disney animated classics but one of the best romantic films of all time, these talented members of Walt Disney Animation Studios were what made Lady and the Tramp such a technical and beautiful release for its time that still proudly holds itself up today. Whether it’s your hundredth time rewatching it or your first, let’s celebrate this piece of animation history and enjoy this joyous celebration of man’s best friend.

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Image provided by Eaglet Films

Nearly four years have passed since I last interviewed Massimo Fenati, who was then discussing his work as the director of the Channel 4 Christmas special The Abominable Snow Baby. And in such a short space of time, he directed Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures for the BBC, and became a co-founder of Eaglet Films alongside Tess Cuming.

But he is also the creator of his own original series, Piripenguins, which is set to be broadcasted on CBeebies on the 19th May. Set on a giant floating iceberg, the comedy show revolves around five energetic penguins who end up finding themselves in funny scenarios that they try to resolve with sometimes wacky results.

I had the opportunity to interview and catch up with Massimo during his trip to London, where he shared what creators face with developing an original IP, the challenges towards it’s approach to it’s unique blend of animations, and what it was like to have two major broadcasting commissioners to support the production.

Image provided by Eaglet Films

Since we last spoke before Christmas in 2021 for our interview for The Abominable Snow Baby, you co-founded Eaglet Films with Tess Cuming in 2022. What has that new role been like for you since then?

It’s been quite exciting to run a company because it’s a much bigger project: you need to think about what you want to do and what is more feasible and more achievable, you need to have short term plans and long term plans and those I find quite exciting to be honest.

And we’ve probably been quite lucky as after The Abominable Snow Baby, we got this big commission for the BBC which was Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures, which is an anthology series adapting his books by into twenty-six minute animations, and thanks to that we gained quite a lot of appreciation from the BBC. It’s been a very successful series (it also won us an RTS Award for Best Children’s Programme last month), I pitched the idea of Piripenguins and the BBC was very interested from the start.

What was the inspiration behind Piripenguins and the vivid stars of the show?

It’s a very personal project for me because a long time ago, we’re talking about fifteen, sixteen years ago, I did a very simple sketch of a penguin on a post-it note that was supposed to be for somebody, and I liked it so much that I was showing it to friends and everybody kept saying “Oh this penguin is fantastic. You should do something with it.”  Patricia Hidalgo, Director of Children and Education at the BBC, had just said in an interview that she was looking for a sitcom for children, something that could be for CBeebies but could work as a bridge show, bridging between the typical preschool audience of CBeebies and the school age audience of CBBC. It would need to gather all the preschoolers around the TV but with the option that the slightly older siblings, who wouldn’t normally be that keen on watching preschool programmes, could sit down and enjoy it all the same.

It was an interesting challenge because it had to be the right level of speed and tone. I thought that my penguins could be a good idea for this brief and so I came up with this very simple scenario of a colony of penguins living on an iceberg that floats around the Antarctic Ocean. And just because it’s for the age of children that are just about to go (or just started going) to school, the concept for me is about identity: it’s the age when you suddenly leave your family nest and you realise the world is not you or your siblings and your parents. There’s a lot of human beings of the same age, more or less the same height, and all of a sudden, you have to confront yourself with them and you start thinking: who am I in relation to the?. Am I the same? Am I different?

It’s that kind of moment when children need to work out who they are. So the penguins kind of echo other shows like the Smurfs or the Minions, where the characters all look quite similar to each other, but the personalities are very different. So that’s the concept of the show: you might look alike, but in fact, you are very unique. All of you are very different from each other and that’s beautiful. We want to celebrate that. And so the main five characters all have a prop or something that helps you to tell them apart, but we also pushed for very different voices, very different body language and expressions just to make them as individual and as diverse as possible. It’s become an interesting scenario and even the writers, after the normal gearing up process, understanding and writing the characters became all very easy.

Image provided by Eaglet Films

In our news piece on Piripenguins last year, you mentioned: “opportunities for new ideas to emerge and flourish have been shrinking steadily.” What challenges did you have as its creator and one of the founders of Eaglet Films to get your show off the ground?

Well, it’s interesting because at the moment, I think the industry, and in general the world of television, is going through weird times because of what happened with the pandemic. All of a sudden, animation had a big influx because, obviously, live action TV couldn’t happen so there were more commissions in the animation industry, but things changed back to the status quo after the pandemic, and nowadays streamers have lower profits because people are cancelling subscriptions. That kind of triggers the usual scenario of commissioners feeling that they would rather green-light programmes based on global IP, something that is already recognised and established and I understand it, but I also think at the same time it’s important to keep commissioning brand-new ideas, as innovation is key at times of crisis.

We started with adapting Quentin Blake’s and Terry Pratchett’s works, so we realised that starting from known IP was the way to go because, as a start-up, it would have been almost impossible to pitch something completely new. You need to establish certain credentials to them, to then be able to say “Look, we’ve done that, but we can also create something new, give us a chance and we can prove that the new IP can be just as exciting.” It was a challenge, but we had a very open-minded, keen ear in the BBC.

I was very keen to select a very good team of collaborators, I was probably quite demanding when I started looking for writers, for the studios, for the actors… But in the end, it paid off because the team was absolutely perfect. There is a huge multitude of creatives out there that are very talented, but it’s paramount to find the best fit for every project, find somebody who really gets it and can deliver what I’m looking for. I’m delighted with all my collaborators and I’ve had the best time with the whole team honestly, starting from the writers all the way down to people working on the lightning and the final audio mix. It’s been a fantastic journey for me, I enjoyed every single moment of it.

The show looks as though it has a mixture of animations in it with the characters having a two-dimensional appearance in a three-dimensional space. What were the decisions and challenges that you faced when blending these different animation styles?

The decision was quite simple for me, right at the start, because we tried to turn my original sketch into a 3D character, but it didn’t work. It kind of lost that immediate and streamlined language that I found worked incredibly well in 2D. At the same time, I was fearing that going for a fully 2D show would have been a bit too bland, because the show is set in a world of ice and water and there would have been a lot of white and blue. It needed the richness, the extra texture and light that you can really get only from 3D, so for me it was a no brainer to try and do the hybrid of 2D characters in a 3D world. And I must say that everybody liked it from the start.

Technically, it was difficult because the penguins’ bodies are actually three dimensional although they’re rendered as flat 2D elements without any shading, but the face (meaning the eyes and the beak) is two dimensional, so making these two elements work harmoniously in animation isn’t a slam-dunk. It’s something difficult for 3D animators to get their heads around, it’s quite a process for them at the beginning. But after the standard and expected teething problems of any new production, once they’ve discover the potential and learned the unusual visual language, they started delivering great performances for the characters.

With the show released later this month, what are you hoping that children and grown-ups will take away from it when they watch it for the first time?

The first concept I hope that would be taken will be conveyed by the programme is the one I was mentioning about identity… The second one is about communal living because it’s also about a group of penguins stuck on an iceberg with each other and it will speak to a child stuck in a classroom with lots of other children they haven’t chosen. But how to live together and get along with each other, finding that differences can actually enrich us, is a very important lesson we all need to learn, especially for the difficult times we all live in.

Image provided by Eaglet Films

Piripenguins will broadcast on CBeebies on the 19th May 2025.

The post Piripenguins – Interview with Series Creator Massimo Fenati appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

While Bonsels went on to write several other books before his death in 1952, Maya the Bee would become his most well-known creation, and due to its popularity, it eventually received its first animated adaptation in 1975. What followed was not just a popular anime series for young children but equally successful adaptations in animated form that have spanned fifty years this year.

To mark the curious character’s fiftieth anniversary, I wanted to explore the history, studios, and people behind these animated projects, some of which became well-known within their demographic. Furthermore, I wanted to look at just what made each of these shows so unique and whimsical that they kept the character relevant outside the pages of the book she came from.

Maya’s First Flight into Animation

The New Adventures of Maya the Honey Bee – Image sourced from Mubi.com

It wouldn’t be until 1975 that Maya would be adapted as an animated character. Loosely based on the book, the show was tailored for young children and saw Maya go on adventures in and around her hive in each episode, with a cast of small group of friends who often tagged along as they explored the world and learn new things together.

The series was originally produced and animated at Zuiyo Enterprise, a Japanese animation studio who were best known for its World Masterpiece Theater series, which adapted a different piece of classic literature in each episode, including Anne of Green Gables and A Dog of Flanders. With their background in successful adaptations, they were the perfect studio to turn Bonsels’ book into an animated series, with Apollo Film co-producing the series.

Despite Zuiyo Enterprise eventually being split into two different companies – a distribution company and an animation studio known as Nippon Animation – both the latter and Zuiyo Enterprise would enjoy the success of Maya the Honey Bee. This is especially true for Nippon Animation during the studio’s early years, helping to establish it as a major contender in the anime space that continues to produce anime shows and films to this day.

Maya was so popular among its audience that a second series was produced, titled The New Adventures of Maya the Honey Bee. Featuring a cast of new characters, the anime enjoyed its fair share of success when released and dubbed for other countries outside of Japan, even being aired on major channels such as Nick Jr in the nineties despite no new episodes having been made for over a decade.

Why Maya Became Andre Roche’s Iconic Comic Book

Maya the Bee comic by Andre Roche – Image sourced from Lambiek Comiclopedia

For a decade from 1976, Maya had a comic book series drawn by the famed French artist Andre Roche, who was no stranger to drawing licensed and already beloved characters for children to enjoy. Known for his work with multiple forms of merchandising with iconic fictional figures like the Disney characters Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Vicky the Viking, and Tom & Jerry, his artwork stood out as he was able to capture these recognisable faces and give them expressive and comedic charm while adding plenty of colours to make each panel a visual delight for readers of all ages.

While the anime was slowly being translated and dubbed for several European and Western countries across the late seventies and beyond, Roche’s interpretation of the character proved to be a hit with newfound fans as well as existing ones of the little buzzing adventurer. Inspired by the designs and characters from both the source material and the animated series, he was able to add his spin with some characters having additional colours and being able to emote more with their more expressive redesigns.

Despite other attempts to reignite interest in the character in the years to follow from companies with games for Nintendo handheld consoles and toy lines, this artist’s work and contribution towards the character and her further adventures outside of the animated series kept kids entertained until the end of the eighties. Maya didn’t return to television screens until the new millennium, however, Andre Roche’s work through the comics and other Maya merchandising helped to cement her and much as his penmanship as an artist in popular culture in Europe.

Maya’s Return to Animation

Maya the Bee (2012 to 2017) – Image sourced from IMDb

While the character lived on television through re-releases around the world from the original anime, Roche’s colourful comic books, and merchandising like video games and toys, it wouldn’t be until 2012 that Maya would return to a whole new generation of audiences. This brand new series, simply titled Maya the Bee, was produced by Studio 100, took some influence from Roches’ comics and Zuiyo’s anime to create a fresh spin on Maya as she and her best friend, Willy, try to have fun adventures while also trying to help out others.

Despite only consisting of two seasons across its five-year run, the series drew in a lot of talented individuals to help make it a buzz among the crowded and evolving landscape and children’s television. Among them were Jérôme Mouscadet and Sophie Decroisette, a director and writer who worked a lot on the second season and who are no strangers to creating hit shows, as both of them previously directed and wrote for other popular animated shows like Code Lyoko and Heidi.

This new interpretation of the character proved to be a hit with audiences new generation of audiences, so much so that Studio 100 collaborated with other animation studios from around the world under its ownership to produce Maya’s first feature film, Maya the Bee: The Movie, released in 2014. Due to the film’s box office success, it was followed up by Maya the Bee: The Honey Games in 2018 and Maya the Bee: The Golden Orb in 2021.

Maya the Bee: The Golden Orb – Image sourced from Image Asia Plus

Despite only a handful of animated adaptations, Maya the Bee has certainly had one of the most interesting journeys across her five-decade run in the animation industry. With the talents of countless artists, directors, writers, and studios across multiple continents, the picture book has been enjoyed by countless and varied generations on a global scale.

Studio 100’s Maya the Bee series and film trilogy can be seen on Amazon Prime Video, and the original anime series can be found on Filmbox Live. 

The post Maya the Bee’s 50 Years of Animated Adventures appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

For this year’s interview, we were fortunate to be joined by Zachariah OHora, an illustrator and author who created his first animated series for PBS KIDS last year, Carl the Collector. The show follows Carl, a raccoon on the autism spectrum who resides in Fuzzytown with his Mum, as he and his neighbourhood friends get into all kinds of adventures thanks to his many collections of various treasured things. Throughout the interview, Zachariah shared how he created the character, what the reaction has been from domestic audiences, and what it was like to work with a mixture of neurodivergent and neurotypical cast and crew members during the production.

Zachariah O’Hara (Courtesy of Fuzzytown Productions)

Before creating Carl the Collector, you have been an author and illustrator for several picture books. How did you transition from literature to working in the animation industry?

In a lot of ways, it was an easy transition in that I was kind of doing a lot of the same things with just creating characters and coming up with stories. People who knew what they were doing, were doing the other parts.

At the same time, it’s been about ten years in the making, this show, so all along the way it was about learning how animation works and where’s all the moving parts and what are people’s job titles and all that kind of stuff. In some ways it was a gradual process where I started not understanding a word from anyone of what was said in any meetings to slowly being immersed into “OK, here is the process.” It’s fascinating.

What was the inspiration and journey behind Carl the Collector?

Carl the Collector is a show about a raccoon who is autistic and loves to collect things. I love raccoons and obsessed with woodland, fuzzy creatures and I’m a collector. I collect a lot of stuff including records.

My sons at the time were starting school and I do a fair few school visits with book stuff, but they go to an inclusion school and it was a new concept for me. Basically any student in the district, whatever needs they have they’re covered and they don’t go to a different classroom so everyone’s in the same classroom, wherever they need an aid with them or need extra time out of the classroom or they need different concessions to help them throughout the day. The idea is everyone should have the same access and experience in the classroom, same access to the teacher and obviously the social time with other students.

What I realised for my kids was that anybody who was neurodiverse, my kids just accepted them equally because they were in the classroom at all times and exposure to the full range of humanity and what that meant just normalised everything right out of the gate. I realised it was very different from how I grew up and it was a lot closer to the way things should be. It takes a lot of stigma out of a lot of things and allows people to be themselves and to see each other wherever they’re at. So the idea of ‘if there’s more exposure on a media level of kids who are neurodiverse and whatever’s going on with them from a younger age’ then everyone will accept it and understand it at an early age.

Why did you want to make the protagonist an autistic character?

Partly the answer I just gave to that previous question. It just seemed like something that was missing from the landscape of children’s television and children’s media in general and it seemed obvious as the definition of it has changed. At the time I didn’t know anything about autism and I think that’s the case for most people that are neurotypical unless they have a family member who’s neurodiverse, they don’t understand. It just seemed like it was something that was needed.

Carl the Collector. Image sourced from Spiffy Pictures/PBS KIDS

The production had such a diverse range of cast and crew members, but it also had several people on the spectrum, including voice actors and consultants. What was it like to collaborate with such a diverse range of talented people?

It was an amazing journey. Like I mentioned, I learnt so much during this process. It was our directive right from the beginning to have as authentic of a show as possible. That is also PBS’s directive; whatever the subject matter is, they want to show it right and for us too. We didn’t want to try and tell someone else’s story.

Storytelling is just better if you’re hearing it from someone who has experienced something and you can tell it’s real and comes from a real place. That’s already a great place for dynamic storytelling and you can immediately emphasise with. It was important that there were neurodiverse people of all levels in the production, particularly neurodiverse writers, so they can tell their stories. A lot of the episodes come right from their own childhood.

The same thing went for the actors. Anybody you see who is neurodiverse on screen, are neurodiverse in real-life. Also, in so many areas of the animation – and even in the advisory part – there were people who are autistic or neurodiverse or have immediate family members who are. It was a very personal project for everybody involved and it was great to collaborate with people and get everybody’s take on what life has been like for them and I think it comes through the show.

PBS Kids seems to have a great variety of autistic characters like AJ from Hero Elementary and Julia from Sesame Street. What makes both Carl and Lotta, the other character in the show who is on the spectrum, stand out from previous representations of autistic people?

I think as there has been a growing awareness of autism, we’ve seen more characters that pop up in different shows and sometimes they’re recurring characters, but there hasn’t really been a show for kids of this age or an animated show where this lead character, this sort of hero of the story, is also autistic. That just seemed a natural progression in storytelling. And on top of that, it is an autism spectrum so you can’t have all aspects of it told in one voice. Not one person can represent all of that.

When we went through testing, that’s how we came up with Lotta and realised, especially with girls who often go undiagnosed, they can mask some of their autism aspects so people may not find out until later or if ever. It’s a very different experience for them and that’s why we decided to have more than one character that was autistic in the show. That was really important so that we could show how life is for different people.

There’s also the character Forest who has ADHD and is also allergic to nuts, which is pretty rough when you’re a squirrel and that’s all your family eats. There are other neurodiverse characters and some side characters we haven’t even explored yet throughout the show, but the main idea was to basically give as many voices as possible to a range of people.

I completely agree with you and one of the things I noticed in the show was showing what it was like to be autistic and experience anxiety. I thought that was handled really well, especially as a lot of kids have gone through that or going through that since lockdown. It stood out to me compared to the other PBS shows.

That is a great point and what I would say is that it is a show that has a lead autistic character and other neurodiverse characters. It’s really a show about kids at this age, they’re just starting school and they’re moving beyond to a bigger world outside of their own family and figuring out stuff that we all have to learn, basic social contract of sharing and if things don’t go your own way how do you deal with it. It’s a universal show about friendship and navigating what it means to be human and work with other people so it’s pretty universal too. Obviously there’s things in mind since the lockdown and how that had an effect on kids and particularly with socialisation and more Internet time. All of that came into play as to things we wanted to explore and address.

How has the series been received by audiences, both domestically and internationally?

I don’t know how many people internationally are watching it as it’s mainly been in the US and Canada, but so far it’s been overwhelmingly positive and people are really connecting with it and really see themselves in it because of the authenticity. And to be honest, I kind of underestimated how emotional people get talking about it. When I’ve been speaking with different groups with PBS and outside PBS, people come up to me and say something like “hey, my kid loves your show and they were diagnosed last year and we didn’t know how to tell them.” The kid watches the show and says “I think I’m like Carl. I might be autistic” And that allows them this window to have this conversation with something where there’s already a baseline of understanding.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to talk to people who are crying to me. It’s very sweet and very touching but it’s also awkward to stand there while someone is trying to tell you something and they’re crying. It’s very touching and I’m even overwhelmed by that response. It’s very positive. It’s doing what it’s supposed to do.

What’s next for yourself and what can fans expect in the future of Carl the Collector?

I’m always doing book projects so I’ve got a few books coming down the pipeline, but I’m very excited that on March 31st we’re having five new episodes drop and we’re still working on the series so there’s gonna be a lot of new Carl content by the end of 2026.

And in that, we’re introducing other characters. We have a pre-verbal, nonspeaking character that we’re going to get on later in the show and explore some other characters. I’m very excited that there’s a lot of episodes that people haven’t seen yet coming out including a couple of video games too.

Image sourced from Spiffy Pictures/PBS KIDS

Carl the Collector is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and PBS Kids in the US.

The post Autism Awareness Month: Interview with Zachariah OHora, Creator of Carl the Collector appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Costing just under three million pounds to produce, it also had the additional challenge of being animated remotely across three European continents and entirely with the open-source software Blender. But what made Flow stand out and succeed above many brilliant releases across the past year? And is it worth seeing on the big screen amongst other major titles?

© Dream Well Studio, Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Charades

Set in a mysterious and seemingly abandoned world by humans, nature has taken over the world with various animals now roaming the forest that the film opens up with. Amongst them is a lone and timid cat who suddenly finds themselves unexpectedly caught up in a great flood that covers the world as they know it. But after being saved by a passing boat with a capybara, their world soon opens up and so does their trust in others, when the crew slowly grows with other rescued animals as they sail across this new, perilous, and evolving world.

Despite the lack of dialogue and the challenges of a story being told exclusively from the perspective of a small feline, writers Gintz Zibalodis and Matiss Kaza did a great job of not just creating a simple yet beautifully executed story, but one where each character has a surprisingly deep arc for all the characters that make them much more entertaining and engaging to follow. The approach and result are rarely executed so well on film and their efforts have paid off, easily being the best non-dialogue animated film since 2023’s Robot Dreams.

© Dream Well Studio, Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Charades

While the script by Zibalodis and Kaza was brilliantly crafted, the team of animators and designers should be proud that they could create a visually unique and beautiful world despite their limitations.

The deliberate choice to use watercolour and painted-looking textures over the computer-animated models is pulled off beautifully to make both the characters and their natural and archaeological backgrounds pleasing to look at, especially with how lighting and colours compliment one another, giving the film a strong visual identity that compliments the story and worldbuilding. This also makes the characters stand out as these touches of lighting and visual strokes give each animal plenty of emotion through their expressions and body language, adding depth to their personalities and motions.

Zibalodis did a great job directing the film with its strong focus on visual storytelling and using animation and camera work effectively. There are many moments where tension and humour come in waves and the camera beautifully reflects this with so much going on in such a short running time, whether it’s the point of view of the cat struggling to swim in the flood, aerial shots across the biblical landscape, or a pack of dogs sweeping through the forest. These shots combined with the design and deliberate aesthetic make this film feel like a grounded yet mythical story that feels reminiscent of some of Studio Ghibli’s past works.

© Dream Well Studio, Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Charades

Despite its limitations and obstacles, Flow is a brilliantly visual film driven beautifully by its characters and their journey through a unique and mysterious world that is simply captivating from start to finish. Once it reaches its final shot, the film will captivate audiences, which certainly shows why it deserved its Academy Award win. If you can, this should be experienced on the big screen.

© Dream Well Studio, Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Charades

Flow will be released in UK cinemas on the 21st of March 2025.

(Check out our Interview with Flow’s Oscar winning director Gints Zilbalodis here.)

The post Academy Award Winning ‘Flow’ Hits UK Cinemas – Review appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Her latest project, The Sloth Lane, saw her become the first female director for an animated feature in the Australian film industry. After appearing at multiple international film festivals last year, it will finally be available to UK cinemagoers this year from 14th February. The film tells the story of the energetic and excitable sloth Laura and her slowpoke family who move into the busy and fast-paced Sanctuary City from their once quiet lives to open up a new restaurant, all while confronting personal obstacles as a family.

I had the privilege to speak with Tania and, not just learn about how her life has changed since writing for Skwigly, but also about what it’s been like to be a part of the Australian animation industry during its peak these past few years and writing a story that contains hard-hitting themes not usually explored in animated films aimed for families.

Tania Vincent

Seasoned Skwigly readers may be familiar with your contributions as a writer as far back as 2012. From those early days of your career to writing and directing your first feature, could you tell us about your journey?

It’s so surreal to talk to you because I was obsessed with Skwigly at university. We had the magazines on the table so when I started writing for them all those years ago it was so exciting because I was just obsessed with everything animation. I think the reason I loved working with you all at Skwigly is because you could just immerse yourself in animation and movies and meet all these incredible creators. One of the interviews I got to do was with Peter Ramsey, who had just directed Rise of the Guardians, and he was so kind to me and so lovely and it was just so inspiring.

I got very lucky. This might be the same for a lot of people, but I was obsessed with making videos for animation and all the directors back then were animators, so I was like “that’s how you do it. That’s how you get there.” I took the very long road of animating and getting into a lead position and I just got really lucky. I was working on a film and I was doing comics outside of work and the owners of the company saw those comics and asked me if I ever considered directing.

I got to co-direct a small movie called Scary Girl based on a graphic novel, which was in the UK cinemas last year. Outside of work, I was writing scripts with my writing partner Ryan Greaves and we got super lucky as Ron Howard picked one of our scripts in a contest and from that we sold our script to Netflix in the US and because of that, combined with my co-directing, I got asked to write and direct The Sloth Lane. All of these tiny pieces of work that I done throughout the years came together for this one film. It was incredible. It was crazy.

The Sloth Lane is the fifth entry in The Tales from Sanctuary City franchise from Like a Photon Creative. What makes this film stand out from the previous instalments?

They do them in sets of three so I think they wanted to make the next set, which The Sloth Lane was included in, to bring in some new creators and really give the reigns to me and my co-writer Ryan Greaves and, because I worked on so many films, the trust they put in me to make something that spoke to me and the crew, it was something really special. The other films we made had Australian animals in it but this one had some South American and Central American animals, too, so I think it had a much wider perspective that people could come in and we talked a lot more about some deeper issues.

I feel really happy that they supported me in this idea that animated films just don’t have to be aimed at kids and don’t have to dumb it down for kids at all. I think you can tell really big themes and stories and I think that’s all the films we grew up loving so they put a lot of trust in me to do that and I’m very appreciative for it. We touch on the themes of Alzheimers in the film and me and Ryan had been touched by that in our families. It was lovely to dive into that and try to find a hopeful story on such a sad and touching subject.

Copyright © 2024 Like A Photon Creative Pty Ltd

This film is notable for the fact that it made you the first woman in Australia to write and direct an animated feature film. What is the landscape like in Australia for women filmmakers; especially within animation?

It was so surreal when I found out. It’s exciting but terrifying all at the same time. I’m originally from Wales in the UK, I’ve been in Australia for about ten years now and my whole career began in the UK. When I started, I think I worked in a company with three hundred people and there was only like five woman and now I look around the studio and it’s fifty fifty; if not more sometimes. What I love about that is it just brings so many new voices and stories into the room and so many new perspectives.

In Australia right now I think they’re going through a bit of an animation golden age with things like Bluey, which is so beautifully written. The Lost Tiger is directed by Shantelle Murray and she’s the first indigenous woman to direct a movie and I think it’s an exciting time to see all these people get a chance to do what they love. I’m really excited to see what the future of animation is going to look like in Australia, but also everywhere. I think it’s starting to happen all over the world which is richly exciting.

What was it like to share the director’s chair with co-director Ricard Cussó, who has directed most of Like a Photon Creative’s other films?

I’ve known Ricard for many years; since I was an animator on his first film. It was really surreal to be his lead animator for a few years and then join him to be his co-director for Scary Girl and kind of flip it and he came on as my co-director for my movie. What I love about that was that we had such a rhythm and we knew each other so well by that point that it was such a great relationship. The director can’t be everywhere and having that partner in crime always with you from start to finish; seeing your vision for the film and helping you through, it is incredible.

The beauty of this film is that there’s a lot of Spanish speaking dialogue and Ricard has that Mexican heritage that we wanted to put on the screen. It was a kind of marriage of me being able to tell this beautiful mother and daughter story and him also making this film that he can take his little girl to when she’s older and see her Mexican and Australian heritage on the screen too. It was an absolute wonder. I’ve done lots of films with him and I absolutely love it.

Copyright © 2024 Like A Photon Creative Pty Ltd

You touched on it briefly already, but this appears to be a more mature film at times compared to some other animated feature films in the past couple of years, especially with the mother figure and her struggles with memories and the family adapting to a new home. What were the biggest challenges to portraying those moments, not just as the film’s director, but its writer too?

It was really hard. It’s such a painful subject for so many people including myself and I think we wanted to tell this hopeful story. What is the hopeful side of Alzheimers or for anyone going through this, what can you possibly give? For us, the theme of the film is appreciating the moments you have – really seeing what’s right in front of you.

It was really important for us to put that message out in the world as things are awful, but if you can, take time to enjoy those special little moments you get with the people you love. It’s a message that’s very close to me and my writing partner and I think sloths were such a good animal to use for that message because we didn’t want to tell a story about a kid who wants to go fast while their family is going slow. We didn’t want that to be the theme of the film so delving deeper into that and what is slowness and really, it’s about time, it’s about getting somewhere. My mum would always say when I was a kid “you just don’t look into the future, you stare at it” and I was missing out on the now with her and all my family. It was nice to tell a story that was more centered in that slowing down, especially when everyone goes fast all the time.

Do you think there are more stories to tell with the sloth family for a potential sequel?

It’s hard because you leave them in such a hopeful place that I think if we went back, we would have to go back to the beginning. We have this tiny crew of forty people who threw absolutely everything into this film and I think everyone kind of fell in love with the sloth parents. I think if we were going to tell another story we would have to go back to the beginning and see how they met and how these two opposite people came together. I think that would probably be where you go, look backwards instead of forwards.

Copyright © 2024 Like A Photon Creative Pty Ltd

Like a Photon Creative, Flying Bark Productions, and Ludo Studios have become recognisable names with their films and television shows, especially with the latter with Bluey, internationally. How have they impacted the Australian animation industry domestically from your perspective?

Like a Photon is a production studio, so what they do is find all these creatives and find this funding, which is famously so hard, and find a studio to work with. The studio I work at is called Cosmic Dino Studio and they do all the animation for the movies and that studio was only created because Like a Photon had this story to tell and needed someone to animate it. The studio has been going now for about three years and it’s been so amazing to see it’s journey grow and keep growing and been working with people from Ludo as well.

They’ve started a small company and they’ve just grown and grown and grown because I think what they care about in Australia, and it’s so similar in the UK, is creator’s work. It’s not just creating something on an assembly line. It’s kind of creating something that the whole team is invested in. It’s been nice to see how much talent there is in so many countries and all these small companies are growing so big because they’re putting all that creativity on the screen. The UK and Australia have a lot to offer to the animation world.

The past few years appear to have been very busy for you – are you taking a break anytime soon, or do you have any other projects lined up that you can talk to us about?

Now that I’ve talked to you about it I kind of want to make the prequel (laughs.) I’m taking a little break as I’m doing the scariest thing ever which is becoming a Mum, but writing and directing is just so much of who I am and I’m excited to get back into it. I currently have two animated films that I’m writing with some partners. I can’t talk too much about them right now, but I’m really, really excited to be working with them. My dream is to make an animated sci-fi and an animated fantasy film so they’re kind of the two routes I’m going down at the moment.

Copyright © 2024 Like A Photon Creative Pty Ltd

The Sloth Lane will be released in UK cinemas on 14th February 2025.

The post The Sloth Lane: Interview with Director and Writer Tania Vincent appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

This year marks fifty years since that first episode. In that time, the original series enjoyed countless re-runs and re-releases through the following decades for new generations of fans and a revival in the early 2000s. The success of Roobarb wouldn’t have been possible without the input of its creator and writer, Grange Calveley (1943 to 2021,) and its director and animator, Bob Godfrey (1921 to 2013,) both of which created one of the most iconic characters in British animation with its charming stories and it’s unique approach to animating the world of the hallowed hound.

The title screen from Roobarb

In the early 1950s, Bob Godfrey worked as a background artist at Larkins Studio, who were known for their work on their informative and creative short films such as River of Steel for the British Iron and Steel Foundation. Godfrey had no prior animation experience but had talent as a painter for various products and merchandise for animated productions from Gaumont-Animation Studio. However, it never stopped him from trying to expand his skill set during his time at Larkins Studio and he collaborated with other artists and animators from the studio in their spare time, leading Godfrey to direct his first short films, The Big Parade (1952,) and Watch the Birdie (1954.)

After a few years of gaining the support and experience needed for animation, Godfrey left Larkins Studio to set up Biographic Cartoons in 1955 with some of his colleagues whom he collaborated with previously. Their early productions consisted of televised adverts. They gained traction after these were broadcasted on ITV during its infancy and led the studio to animating sequences for ITV’s comedy series Son of Fred. And all while their equipment consisted of a hand-cranked 1909 Moy & Bastie Camera attached to two tables that held their artwork, which was certainly more budget-friendly compared to the high-end technology and production values that Walt Disney Animation Studios was producing and experimenting with at that time for their theatrical releases.

A decade later, Bob Godfrey left Biographic Cartoons to set up a studio by himself in 1965, named Bob Godfrey’s Movie Emporium, producing short scripts penned by Stan Hayward and it wasn’t until 1971 that he saw his only financial success during those early few years for his studio with his adult animated short film, Kama Sutra Rides Again, after it had been selected by Stanley Kubrick himself to have it screened before A Clockwork Orange, which would become one the famed auteur director’s more iconic pieces of work and would gain traction during its theatrical run for its controversial scenes and sexual depravity.

When Roobarb Made a Spike

But while Godfrey was going through his challenges and achievements with his new studio, Grange Calveley was going through his own obstacles on his journey to become a television writer. Working in advertising during the 1960s, Calveley met his future wife and eventually, they both purchased a house together. It would be his new family member who would inspire him to eventually try his hand at writing for children’s television: a pet dog, a Welsh Border Collie, to be more accurate. Witnessing its playful nature, love for climbing a big tree, and even helping to “water” the rhubarbs, led Calveley on a journey to create his character. Designing Roobarb the Green Dog and coming up with potential stories to tell with scripts and storyboards, he tried to pitch it to the BBC and eventually, they agreed for him to make a pilot, which led to the partnership of Calveley and Godfrey.

Compared to other shows in the early 1970s, Godfrey’s studio had a low budget to produce the pilot, using marker pens to draw each panel of the limited animation used. To give it the effect of movement, Godfrey used the technique known as “boiling,” where each panel or frame is drawn to give the illusion of movement when edited and played together, which would eventually be used across the entirety of the show. With such a large and diverse range of characters and shows in the early 1970s from around the world now taking over television sets to compete with, including Scooby-Doo and Super Friends from Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Wombles from Ivor Wood, Star Trek: The Animated Series from Filmnation, and Mr Benn from David McKee, children already had a plethora of diverse content and genres within animation to enjoy.

Despite their lack of resources, Godfrey and Calveley were able to complete their short pilot, which was titled When Roobarb Made a Spike, and was screened at the National Film Theatre in 1973 before the BBC decided to turn it into a television series consisting of thirty episodes. With the combined efforts of the writer and director along with their production team to create recognisable and emotive characters, Richard Brier’s expressive narration, and a catchy and unique theme song by Johnny Hawksworth, the series became a family favourite and an iconic piece of British children’s television in the decade.

Despite only being made up of thirty episodes, it brought the creator and director huge success. They would collaborate once again for another animated series for the BBC, this time with Noah and Nelly in SkyLArk, a surreal series loosely based on Noah’s Ark. While the two may not have collaborated again and went on to work on their own projects, Roobarb was still beloved by those who grew up with him and with the emergence of home media formats like VHS and DVDs, those same children, now grown up, could introduce it to the next generation.

With the arrival of the 21st century, Grange Calveley wanted to return to his beloved creation and create brand new stories for young children and adults to enjoy. Now partnering with Channel Five for their children’s slot, Milkshake, instead of returning to the BBC, the new iteration of the series would see some changes. This time, Roobarb would not be alone as he would share the title and screen with Custard the Pink Cat for Roobarb and Custard which was broadcast in 2005. While it saw the two continue their misadventures and wacky approaches to discoverability with modern animation technology and techniques involved, it also saw them tackle modern technology in some episodes as well as introduce a whole cast of brand-new characters.

Roobarb and Custard

While Godfrey and Calveley may no longer be with us to celebrate the accomplishment of their beloved creation, fans of the beloved cast of characters and their iconic shows can still enjoy their works after all these years. Whether that would be dusting down some old VHS tapes or streaming it on YouTube or ITVX, fans of this British classic series should sit down and rediscover just what it was that makes the curious green dog so compelling and loveable fifty years on.

Earlier this year, Fabulous Films released the complete collection of ‘Roobarb’ and ‘Roobarb and Custard Too’ on a fully restored Blu-ray edition. Roobarb and Custard The Complete Collection [Blu-ray] is now available from Amazon.

The post Roobarb’s 50 Years of Misadventures and Antics appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Sixty years ago, those fortunate to attend some European film festivals were treated to the film and the two magicians sitting on opposite sides of an empty theatre stage, taking turns to outperform one another with a series of surreal and absurd magical tricks before their jealousy towards each other leads to them being torn apart. Using a mixture of black theatre techniques, stop-motion animation, and puppetry, this short film would start a long and successful career where his work would spread to a global fanbase, help build careers with those around him, and influence multiple big-name filmmakers.

But what was Svankmajer’s life like before he made this film? How did he evolve his craft and art style within animation? And why, sixty years later, does the short film remain one of his most important pieces of work to date?

Director Adam Olha, Jan Daňhel, Czech Republic Slovakia 2020
(Cast Jan Švankmajer, Jaromír Kallista) (Source: Czech Centre London)

Before he directed his first scene for The Last Trick, Svankmajer majored in Puppet Set Design and Production at The School of Supplied Arts in Prague between 1950 to 1954, which led him to enrol at the Academy of Performing Arts within their puppetry department. As well as being part of this department, he also worked within the Laterna Vratislav Effenberger theatre, became the leader of the Czech Surrealist Commune, and founded the Theatre of Masks. His love for puppetry and Czech marionette theatre would continue to grow and expand his career as an artist, eventually leading to his first film position.

Svankmajer took his first step in the film industry as one of the puppet actors in a short film named Johannes Dr. Faust, directed by Emil Radok. After Radok created the first multimedia theatre, Magician’s Lantern, he wanted to experiment with puppets for a short film that told the life story of German alchemist and astrologer Johann Georg Faust, who became a figure of folklore and theatre in the 15th century. Using the skills he acquired as a professional puppeteer through his years in theatre, the young Svankmajer gained his first insight into film production and would meet and be inspired by other talented artists to eventually sit in the director’s seat himself.

The Last Trick was released at several film festivals in 1964, including the Gran Premio Bergamo in Italy, the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival in Germany, and the Tours Short Film Festival in France. This would become the start of a long and successful career as a filmmaker, where he would expand his skills as a filmmaker and become associated with stop-motion animation.

The Last Trick

His visual prowess and influences from his time in the theatre and the artists and filmmakers that he previously worked with obviously made an impact on him after the release of The Last Trick onto the festival circuit.

While Svankmajer himself doesn’t necessarily see himself as an animated filmmaker, there’s no denying that the small uses of stop-motion in The Last Trick sparked a curiosity and an interest that saw it being used to create mesmerising and nightmarish sequences that couldn’t be done through his puppetry experience and live-action performances. A Game With Stones in 1965 would be his first fully animated short film and saw him use different stone minerals and brass items to animate and breathe life into everyday objects to create compelling imagery. His fascination for experimenting with different objects for his animations only expanded, with Picnic of Weissman (1968)  Jabberwocky (1971) and Dimensions of Dialogue (1982) seeing them featuring dolls, clothes, paper, and clay to create surreal worlds and portray complex themes and emotions in a unique and spellbinding way that captivated attendees to film and animation festivals worldwide.

After making short films for over two decades, the time came for him to take upon the challenge and adapt the pages of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland as his first feature film, which eventually premiered in 1988. With previous adaptations before it, with Walt Disney Animation being the most recognisable to a majority of people, Svankmajer was able to use his craft and alchemy-like filmmaking to mix live action and animation as well as the talents of his crew to turn the pages of the book into a surreal and dream-like experience that many wouldn’t have been able to do, earning itself the award for best feature film at the 1989 Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

He continued to make fictional feature films as well as a few shorts until 2018, when he released Insects. Mixing a theatre setting, stop-motion, and surreal performances from the cast, the themes and filmmaking that Svankmajer initially used in The Last Trick were bought back for this production. He returned and sat back in the director’s chair for one last time with his documentary, Kunstkamera, in 2022.

Alice by Jan Švankmajer

But as much as The Last Trick would help to build his career as a film director and help him establish his art style, those who collaborated with Svankmajer on this project would also cement some lasting, professional relationships with him and would become celebrated Czech artists in their own right.

Vlasta Pospislova (1935 to 2022) was, and still is, considered one of the key figures in Czech animation, having demonstrated her talents with puppet animation as she began her career at the Jiri Trnka Studio, then regarded as a famous Czech animation studio, after graduating from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague in 1956. Working on several short animated films or those that used scenes of puppet animation, she worked with Svankmajer on The Last Trick and grew her skills as an animator, collaborating with him on Jabberwocky and Dimensions of Dialogue before she made her debut as a director on About Mary and the Wolf Castle and becoming a key figure in European animation.

Svatopluk Maly (1923 to 2018) became Svankmajer’s director of photography for a majority of his short films and feature productions, with their last project together being Faust, the director’s second feature-length film and one of his darkest and most surreal productions in his established career. While Maly worked with other directors, his work with the renowned director has cemented him as a celebrated cinematographer within the Czech film industry.

The Last Trick may have introduced him to future colleagues and friends, but it also saw him work with the woman who would eventually become his wife. Eva Svankmajerova (1940 to 2005) was the short film’s production assistant and would become her husband’s art director for his productions up to Sileni, which was to be her last film before her death. But if she wasn’t working on films, Eva created pieces of surreal art that consisted of paintings and ceramics that were celebrated in multiple exhibitions in the Czech Republic and earned her a reputation as a beloved artist.

Eva Svankmajerova and Jan Svankmajer. Photo taken by Gene Deitch (fair use) and sourced from www.mchabocka.com

While spending decades honing his craft and exploring new ways to incorporate and implement his skills as a director, he was seen by many as an auteur with his unique creative flair behind the camera from the multiple film festivals he attended alongside his various productions. With his deserved wins of several awards from these film festivals across Europe, his work began to influence generations of filmmakers from around the world, some of whom garnered big names in their own right.

Henry Selick, the director of beloved and gothic stop-motion animated American productions like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Wendell & Wild, cited how Jabberwocky stood out to him among the plethora of films that his teachers showed him during his time as a student at Cal Arts. Citing the imagery used in this film and its approach to stop-motion, Selick said in an interview with Cartoon Brew how he “wanted to make independent films like Svankmajer’s.”

Other directors became fans of Jan Svankmajer, such as Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton, but the filmmaking duo The Quay Brothers showed how inspiring and unique he was for European animation by making a short film dedicated to his craft. The American identical twins directed the 1984 short film The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer, filled with visual references and key elements to the man’s artistry that fans of these directors will enjoy.

The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer (1984)

While sixty years have passed since his debut short film, Jan Svankmajer’s The Last Trick is arguably one of his most important as it paved the way for him to become an influential artistic film director within both animation and live-action film production. Without it, we may have never been treated to a plethora of surreal and artistic European animation and filmmakers from around the world who were inspired by the unique qualities that only he could offer for his projects.

The post The Last Trick: How Jan Švankmajer’s Filmmaking Debut Impacted His Career and the Worldwide Animation Industry appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Cy started her YouTube channel, Cypopps, nearly four years ago and turned her childhood and adult stories into short animated videos, some of which have focussed on her autistic experiences and have become popular among her fans. Taking the time to join us and answer our questions, Cy shares with us her journey into animation, collaborations with other content creators on the spectrum, and what her audience can expect to see on Cypopps later this year.

Cy Shocked. Image supplied by Cypopps.

How did you start your career in animation and what made you interested in becoming a YouTube animator?

As a kid on the spectrum, I always loved animated media because it was easier for me to understand. I could not read the facial expressions of the people in live action TV shows, but cartoon characters had exaggerated emotions that made sense to me, and I connected with them. This led me to making my own original characters, stories, and worlds. I always dreamed of creating an animated TV show.

As I grew up, I tried to think more practically, more “realistically,” and I strayed away from art and animation for a while. During the pandemic, life paused and I was able to really think about my direction, and I realized I still wanted to do art deep down. I have also been drawing comics since I was a kid, and I decided that would be how I’d get back into art, which felt scary because I’d been away from it for so long at that point. I decided to talk about my autistic experiences through comics as I retrained my hand to draw and grew new skills at social media and connecting with people. And to my surprise, these comics were very successful online, and some were even published in the comic anthology Sensory: Life on the Spectrum.

The success of my comics really gave me the confidence boost I needed to create animations. While I still have more comics planned down the road, it is not unheard of that a webcomic creator will transition to YouTube animator, so it felt like a natural progression to me. Which lead me to today, eighteen videos later, an animation YouTuber with close to eight hundred thousand views. I consider myself to be very early in my animation journey, and I can’t wait to see how I continue to evolve in the years to come.

Since you came out to your audience as autistic a year ago in your video, I’m Autistic, And Here’s How People React To My Autism, it has been your most popular video to date on your YouTube Channel. What was it like to have a successful video on this subject and how has that impacted your following videos?

Oh yeah, that video is definitely my biggest, I think last I checked it was like at one third of a million views. I can’t even imagine that many people in a room, and it’s like… all of these people heard what I had to say about autism? That is just crazy to me.

It’s amazing to have other autistic people and supporters of autistic people interacting with my channel as a result of the video, so I am super grateful that people have really attached to it the way that they did! It feels like people really connected to the video based on the majority of the comments, and I appreciate that so much!

On the other hand, there can sometimes be pressure to make only autism content because of the demand, and I try not to give into that pressure to make all of my art about autism. I have a lot of other concepts to tell stories about!

Cy In Class. Image supplied by Cy Popps.

In your four years of content creation on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, what has the reaction been like from the audiences when they see a clip from your autistic videos or read one of your comics?

Most people react really well and are super complementary if they have something to say about it! A lot of people have told me that they relate to my depictions of autism in my art. Or they experience something similar to me, but in their own different way.

A lot of the time, people will start telling their own stories about their autistic experiences in the YouTube comments, which I often enjoy reading. People seem to connect most to the YouTube videos I think because they are longer and give more context. It’s hard to get the full picture of someone’s life or experience from a nine second TikTok, you know?

If I ever experience some negative audience reactions, I just consider it a blessing in disguise. I’ve learned this means my art has reached outside of my bubble. The algorithms of social media are an echo chamber, and if my video has broken free of my echo chamber, that means I’m reaching new people. So I have to just appreciate everything that comes with that.

You have collaborated with other autistic content creators like Alienated Anna and Bex Ollerton. What was it like to work with other artists on these different projects? Are there any other animators you would like to work with next?

It’s always amazing to work with other artists! Both Bex Ollerton and Alienated Anna are super kind and talented artists in their mediums!

It’s great to collaborate with other autistic artists because you might have some of the same difficulties and understand each other because of that. For example, I usually prefer to collaborate with people over messaging, rather than calling or video. It gives me time to think through my thoughts and respond, and I don’t have to read expressions or remember to look at faces. I’ve found that a lot of other autistic artists seem to prefer messaging as well. While I am trying to get better at other forms of communication, it’s nice to not necessarily have the pressure to have to do that.

I don’t really have a running list of animators I want to work with… it just seems to happen pretty naturally and organically. I would love to talk with the animator Illymation. She seems pretty cool.

Will you continue to make animations that tell more of your autistic stories? And what can fans expect this year?

People who watch my channel can expect more autistic stories this year! I have a new animation out on YouTube and it is the story of how I came to receive my diagnosis, viewed through the lens of everyone thinking I was just really shy.

Fans can also keep on the lookout for some experimentation on my channel in the  later half of the year. I want to try out some different formats and maybe even some new characters.

You can watch Cy’s videos on the Cypopps YouTube channel and follow her on TikTok, Instagram and X.

The post Autism Awareness Month: Interview with Cy from Cypopps appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

One of the most prominent and recognisable YouTube animators, Ilyssa Levy from Illymation has created and shared emotional, funny, and hard-hitting stories from her personal life that have attracted millions of viewers. Last year, she shared her first video on autism and her experiences on the spectrum, which not only received over four million views but saw her make a follow-up video on the same subject. Taking the time to join us and answer our questions, Ilyssa shares with us the inspiration behind her videos, how her fans reacted to her coming out as being autistic, and how she thinks representation of neurodiversity on YouTube has changed throughout her career.

Illy Driving. Image supplied by Illymation.

You’ve talked a lot about the many chapters in your life on your YouTube channel. Why did you decide to share your autistic stories?

Growing up, I felt like there was something wrong with me. There were things I struggled with that my peers didn’t. And while “nerdiness” was a label I came to accept for my intense and undying interests, it didn’t quite explain things like my sensitivity to certain fabrics and loud noises. Finding out I was on the spectrum helped me begin to unpack the anxiety and shame I was carrying into every social interaction since grade school. Now that I had this enormous revelation, it made me wonder, how many people in my YouTube audience feel this way too? How many were diagnosed as children, and how many didn’t? Diagnoses aside, there would likely be stories that revealed shared experiences and words of encouragement that I could provide to viewers.

When I first set out to make videos years ago, my intended audience was merely a past version of myself I wished to comfort; but as I’ve learned with every upload discussing a vulnerable topic, there are many people seeking that same comfort, and I’m always looking out for more opportunities in my storytelling to provide that.

Middle School Illy. Image supplied by Illymation.

Since you came out last year as being autistic in one of your videos, how has it impacted your relationship with your audience and the artists you collaborate with?

Thankfully, my audience welcomed me with open arms. Many kind comments from viewers shared they were on the spectrum as well, and they felt less alone knowing a stranger like me, and thousands of others in the comment section, struggle with similar things. Without outing anyone, some content creators I met after my video went up disclosed to me they were also autistic. I’ve been very lucky to have made some new friends.

In your Dating (when you’re autistic) video, I found your segments on Spoon Theory (a metaphor to describe the amount of energy people have for daily tasks) and Masking (a technique where people copy others to blend in) were well executed and educational, especially as an autistic adult, who personally never heard of them before. What is your process towards your research for your videos and how do you implement them into your animations?

Thank you! Because my videos focus on my lived experiences, I make sure my research includes a good mix of facts (so the audience can be directed elsewhere for more information or support), as well as other personal accounts. I, along with every YouTuber I know, will send their video scripts to friends for feedback. But for videos with deeper topics like this one, I make sure to reach out to others who I know have specific knowledge in the topic and can provide very valuable feedback and suggestions. For Dating (when you’re autistic) it made sense to not just ask my boyfriend to look over the script, but to also play a major role sharing his stories in the video!

Illy and Boyfriend. Still supplied by Illymation.

Throughout your career on YouTube, how do you personally feel that representation and inclusion of neurodiversity has changed on the platform from when you started to now?

When I think back on the early “style” of YouTube humour, the r-slur was a commonly used insult, and many skits only featured autistic people or traits in a negative light. I think we have come a long way, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. The new way I’ve seen online bullying against autistic people is to spam the comment section with words that sound similar to the r-slur or the word autistic (“I think they’re restarted.“ or “Are they acoustic?”) and I can only imagine how difficult school must be for autistic kids today. It makes me glad there is a growing community, both online and off, for autistic people to find each other and feel less alone!

While I’m sure fans can expect more videos to come this year, would you like to make another one on autism?

I’m not sure! I didn’t anticipate making a second video discussing autism until I was dating a fellow autistic person for the first time and having new revelations. I think only time will tell!

You can watch Ilyssa’s videos on the Illymation YouTube channel and you can also follow her on Instagram and X.

The post Autism Awareness Month: Interview with Ilyssa from Illymation appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Image courtesy of GKIDS © Studio Ghibli

The Seven Days of Fire: an apocalyptic event on a global scale led by towering human-made giants as they march across cities, destroying them with fire. A truly haunting opening made more dramatic by the accompanying orchestral music by Joe Hisaishi, it also becomes equally beautiful to watch as the use of bright and dark colours gives it an almost fantastical feel that not many animated films can capture. This scene alone demonstrates the creativity and talent of Hayao Miyazaki and his team of animators, which would see them create one of the most beautiful post-apocalyptic films of all time.

Released on the 11th of March in Japanese cinemas in 1984, Nausicää of the Valley of the Wind celebrates its ruby anniversary this month, paving the way for future anime films that would follow from Miyazaki’s direction as well as leading to the creation of one of the most celebrated animation studios, winning fans over like myself all over the world. From its origins as a manga, the adaptation’s production was one of the most important for several animators and producers who joined Miyazaki, creating a series of hits as well as recognition in the industry for their talents.

Before Miyazaki would bring the pages of his manga to life, he started in the animation industry as a storyboard artist in the early sixties and even as a young adult, his talent with character designs and storytelling caught the attention of one of Japan’s most prominent animators of the time: Yasuo Otsuka (1931 to 2021). Known for his work with Toei Animation’s films The Tale of the White Serpent and Magic Boy, he mentored the young Hayao Miyazaki when he joined the studio in 1963, aiding him in his craft and passing on some of his wisdom.

The Giant Warriors in the opening of the film. Images sourced from Wikizilla

But this unique mentorship would also allow Miyazaki to create new bonds with his fellow co-workers, including Isao Takahata (1935 to 2018). Working as a director for Toei Animation at the same time when Miyazaki joined the studio, Takahata also demonstrated incredible talent at a young age, assisting directors with ambitious feature films as well as directing several episodes of Wolf Boy Ken, Toei Animation’s first anime television series that debuted on television screens in 1963. Through their connections with Otsuka, Takahata invited Miyazaki to storyboard episodes of the show and their collaboration would build into a strong professional relationship within the famed studio, which saw them working together again for Takahata’s directorial debut, The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun.

In 1969, six years after joining Toei Animation, Miyazaki started to pen his manga with the responsibility of adapting Toei Animation’s The Wonderful World of Puss in Boots and Animal Treasure Island, both of which he also worked on, to help promote the films. While these were brief gigs for the animator to help adapt the films for young readers and try something new, it was also an opportunity to explore a new medium that would see him eventually return to it over a decade later. Throughout this time, Miyazaki left Toei Animation in 1971 and worked for other studios in a new role as a director, bringing to life such productions as The Castle of Cogliostro, Future Boy Conan, and Sherlock Hound. He even reunited with Takahata, who left Toei Animation around the same time as he did, to share the director’s chair for Lupin the Third Part One.

With a mixture of critical praise and some disappointment from the Japanese box office for his early films, Miyazaki wanted to create a new manga series and work on a story of his own, away from his animation commitments. Eventually, this manga would see its first published in the pages of Animage Magazine in 1982, the oldest publication in Japan dedicated to anime (and is still printed to this day). Inspired by domestic events like The Minamata Bay disaster and literature and folktales like Dune and The Lady Who Loves Insects, Miyazaki attempted to tell something fresh and exciting that also challenged the readers to thought-provoking themes and mature character developments. This would result in his longest-running and most celebrated manga: Nausicää of the Valley of the Wind.

The story follows Princess Nausicää, who tries to prevent an environmental disaster while also trying to stop a war between two kingdoms, all while they live in a post-apocalyptic Earth where giant insects and poisonous forests scatter across vast and barren deserts. Showcasing his unique character design and passion for storytelling, the first few chapters immediately engaged with audiences and quickly grew attention, which made Animage Magazine consider taking the property into a new territory.

When his editors approached Miyazaki about the prospect of adapting his manga for an animated project, he was initially reluctant to take the early stages of his series into animation. With some time for consideration though, they all agreed that they would bring his world to life in this format, but only on the condition that Miyazaki would be the director. After discussions of whether it would be an OVA or a short film, they took the bold plunge and attempted to make it a feature-length film.

A panel from the Nausicaa manga. Image sourced from Ghibli Wiki.

Out of all the magazine’s editors who assisted the young author when creating his manga, Toshio Suzuki supported this venture into animation and made it his responsibility to find a producer with the right experience and an impressive portfolio to back up their work. Aware of their previous collaborations with Miyazaki during their time during and after Toei Animation, Suzuki attempted to hire Isao Takahata as a producer for the film, only to be initially turned down. Not one to give up without a fight, Suzuki begged him to join the production for two weeks and eventually, Takahata made a deal with him that he would accept the position if they could find a named studio.

They reached out to Topcraft, who was known for the acclaimed anime action series Gatchaman and adaptations of global children’s books like Barbapapa (1974) and The Wizard of Oz (1982.) However, they were also recognised in the animation industry for their collaborations with the popular American studio Rankin/Bass, who did co-productions on Frosty’s Winter Wonderland, The Hobbit, and The Stingiest Man in Town. With this and their previous work with Miyazaki on Sherlock Hound, they were the right named studio to produce the film and Takahata became the film’s producer.

With a producer and a studio to back up their project, all they needed now was a dedicated team of animators. With their connections from Toei Animation, Miyazaki and Takahata could recruit some of their old colleagues. Among them was Michiyo Yasuda (1939 to 2016), who was hired for her extraordinary talents with colours, having been the key person responsible for the colour selection used for Future Boy Conan. Being in charge of the colour for this new production, Yasuda used 263 distinct shades, more than most other animated productions in Japan at the time.

The animators were paid for each frame they drew to receive fair and substantial wages for their work and contributions. This initiative and advertisements printed in Animage Magazine in 1983 attracted several young and upcoming animators to join and help the production, which was getting behind schedule due to the demanding work that resulted in storyboards and animation sheets being slowly produced. Among them was Hideaki Anno, who walked into the studio and handed Miyazaki his work and was not also hired on the spot with his impressive portfolio, but would work on the infamous resurrected giant scene, which took him approximately three months to complete the ninety-second piece of animation.

Nausicaa’s Garden Lab. Image sourced from Character Design References.

With the new animators onboard and the talented individuals in charge of the production, Miyazaki and Takahata were able to successfully complete the production within its schedule and Nausicää of the Valley of the Wind was finally released on the 11th March of 1984 at Japanese cinemas, earning 1.48 billion yen at it’s domestic box office and received plenty of critical praise. Its success and the hard work of those dedicated to this ambitious and beautiful sci-fi film would usher in the birth of two brand new studios following the bankruptcy of Topcraft in 1985, one of which would become infamous with anime forever.

One-half of the animation team that made up Topcraft would form Pacific Animation Corporation and were in charge of producing the original Thundercats series, Silverhawkes, and The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest before they were bought by Walt Disney Animation. As for the other half of the former Topcraft team, they were led by Miyazaki, Takahata, and Suzuki, and established one of Japan’s most iconic and globally-recognised animation companies to have ever existed: Studio Ghibli. With such success at creating a unique animated feature such as Nausicää with a team mostly made up of collaborators from Miyazaki’s past projects like Yasuda, they produced and released the studio’s first feature film, Castle in the Sky, in 1986. What followed would be an impressive portfolio that cemented them ever since, with My Neighbour Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and the Academy-Award-winning The Boy and the Heron making up just some of their large list of successes. Miyazaki was even able to finally finish penning the manga during Studio Ghibli’s early years, releasing the final chapter for publication in 1994 and competing his beloved story.

Having worked so hard to bring the haunting details of the deceased giant returning from the grave to cause chaos, this would make an impact on the young Hideaki Anno as he would eventually be responsible for creating Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the most popular science fiction animated shows to come out of Japan, taking the mecha genre and twisting it on its head with mature themes for older generations. But despite their different approaches to animation and storytelling, Anno and Miyazaki became and remain close friends, one that wouldn’t have been possible if Miyazaki hadn’t given the young animator his big break in the animation industry.

Studio Ghibli. Image sourced from Disney Wiki.

There is no mistaking how crucial Nausicää of the Valley of the Wind has been in the animation industry, responsible for the birth of Studio Ghibli, and how it inspired others to tell mature science fiction stories. Even with today’s issues of global warming and questions towards environmental protection, the film is as topical today as it was released four decades prior. It’s a piece of cinematic art that deserves to be discovered and re-discovered to celebrate such large accomplishments and the legacy that it had on multiple generations of animators and storytellers.

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Orion and the Dark – Paul Walter Hauser as Dark and Jacob Tremblay as Orion. Cr: DreamWorks Animation © 2023

Charlie Kaufman’s work as an award-winning writer is celebrated and adored by critics and film enthusiasts alike, having written scripts for such films as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Being John Malkovich, and Synecdoche, New York. But he also wrote his first script for animation with a stop-motion feature film back in 2015, Anomalisa, which, like his other works, was geared towards a mature audience. Orion and the Dark may be his second script for an animated production, but it’s also his first one aimed exclusively at younger audiences and families.

Dreamworks’ animators attempt to bring out the most charm, humour, and colourful world of the night-time from Kaufman’s pages for everyone to enjoy at home. With a collaboration of talented individuals who’ve previously worked on multiple productions within the studio, including some shorts associated with the Trolls franchise, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, there are certainly plenty of experienced people to potentially create a fun journey for families to enjoy. But does this collaboration of talent create a film that can shine as bright as a star amongst Dreamworks’ best or does it get lost in the depths of darkness?

Orion and Dark – Cr: DreamWorks Animation © 2023

Adapted from the pages of Emma Yarlett’s 2014 picture book of the same name, Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay) is a boy who suffers from a plethora of fears and anxious thoughts from his everyday life like bullies and talking to girls to imaginary ones like evil killer clowns. During one night-time, he comes face to face with the personification of his greatest fear of all, Dark (Paul Walter Hauser,) who is tired of so many people being scared of it. To shake him out of it and show him the wonders of darkness, they take Orion on a journey that they hope will make him more confident to confront those other scary thoughts and worries along the way.

The friendship between Orion and Dark throughout the film is an endearing and entertaining one to watch as the two grow closer to one another and develop conversations regarding their insecurities and openness towards their feelings. Despite having very different personalities, it’s enjoyable to watch the two onscreen and see how natural and mature their dialogue evolves throughout the film, which is refreshing for an animated family film to tackle openly. And both actors perform brilliantly to bring their characters to life which adds to their chemistry and their facial and body expressions.

As enjoyable as their chemistry is though, the story can lose focus at times, whether it’s because of the invented characters in the film or how the sub-plot eventually takes over, moving away from the focus on the leading protagonists and their journey of overcoming personal fears and anxieties. While the inclusion of the Night Entities (a group of beings who help to bring night-time to life) and Light (Dark’s chilled “nemesis” who brings sunshine) makes them visually interesting and have some great voice talent behind them, they are not as entertaining as the friendship between Orion and Dark and at times, they don’t contribute much to the overall story and theme as I would have liked. Although the direction of the story certainly takes some unexpected turns, it came off as too tangled by the final third of the film and did lose the themes and overall message it was trying to say.

Orion and the Dark – Angela Bassett as Dreams. Cr: DreamWorks Animation © 2023

However, while the story and its journey may stumble at times, the animation and the worlds are varied and great to watch. The character designers took amazing care and detail in the look of all the characters; whether human or non-human, that give way to their unique expressions and ways of moving. The look from the pages of the picture book has not only changed drastically but also allows the models to portray much more complicated emotions and fit into the comedic stylings of Dreamwork’s plethora of existing characters. From Orion’s skinny body and elongated limbs to Dark’s large and bulky muppet-like build, these two can perform and move in their unique ways while also being able to share similar emotions that shine through as their story of overcoming obstacles grows and blossoms.

With a journey around the world in one night, the production designers have created plenty of great locations that fit well within the greater story. The mixture of real locales in different time zones, the brightness and warm colours of the city lights, Orion’s night light-filled bedroom, and the dreams of other people offers variety and unique settings that not many films would attempt.

Orion and Dark – Cr: DreamWorks Animation © 2023

Its story may lose its footing on what it’s trying to tell to younger viewers on confronting fears and embracing who or what something is at times, but it is a fun and entertaining film for those with a Netflix subscription that they can enjoy on the sofa with a cosy blanket.

Orion and the Dark is available on Netflix UK from 2nd February 2024.

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And it was one that some at Sony Pictures Entertainment – Kids (formerly known as Silvergate Media) were interested in adapting for Netflix and released the first season in 2018. Meeting high acclaim from critics and creating new fans of the series as well as being able to bring the beautiful panels to life for readers of the original series, it was no surprise that it would lead to a second season as well as the feature-length film, Hilda and the Mountain King.

Recreating the storylines from across Pearson’s five books and creating new ones that expanded the cast of characters and mythical creatures for the show, it was announced in 2021 that the series would have a third and final season. That day has finally arrived and with an ambitious arc and standalone stories to tell across eight episodes, it manages to be a satisfying outing for the young explorer, albeit with a couple of stumbles along the way.

Hilda Season 3 Poster. Image sourced by Hilda Wiki

Taking place a year after the events of Hilda and the Mountain King, Hilda (voiced by Bella Ramsey) and her two best friends, Frida (Ameerah Falzon) and David (Oliver Nelson), are now teenagers and despite their attempts to relax on their summer break and partake in ordinary everyday activities, Hilda remains as curious and susceptible to adventure as ever. During a trip to visit her Great Aunt Astrid (Miriam Margoyles) in Tofoten, an interest in the town’s mystery surrounding fairies opens up an unexpected connection to her own family, explored across a majority of the episodes in one big story arc that hasn’t quite been told before throughout the entire series.

Not only does this allow the audience to explore a new type of fantastical creature in the show and tell a more mature story as a whole but also allows audiences to enjoy the evolving relationship between her friends and family now that Hilda is a teenager. While Frida and David do find themselves dragged into this perilous adventure, the writers have done a great job at showing how much they have grown themselves with this short time skip compared to Hilda while also being ready for whatever help she may need now that they have their fair share of weird and wonderful encounters from past episodes. While the majority of the second season and the film did a great job of testing Hilda’s relationship with her Mum, Johanna (Daisy Haggard), she plays a larger part throughout this ambitious arc and is given more depth to her character giving her a journey as exciting as her own daughter’s.

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This particular arc does take a lot of focus across the season and by not featuring as many standalone adventures, it focuses on the chemistry between Hilda and her friends and family and dives into it. With an older Hilda discovering herself and exploring how important her relationship with those closest to her is, it’s a more mature story that offers plenty of different emotional and hard-hitting moments without losing its theme of discovery and curiosity. However, this does slightly impact the few standalone storylines that feature some new characters and mythical monsters that don’t make them as memorable, especially as they offer something new to the already large cast of original and new characters. While the addition of Great Aunt Astrid was given more attention, comedic characters like Eugene the Merman and some of the other one-off characters get a bit lost in the large crowd of characters.

Hilda with a Woff Egg. Image sourced from IGN

As for the animation itself, it remains one of Netflix most beautiful shows with its use of pastel colours, pencil-aesthetic outlines, and brilliant character animation that can make even the most tender and simple exchanges feel intimate and powerful. This has always been the case for the previous seasons and the film and it’s no exception here as the animators have demonstrated their skills through even the simplest of moments that only help to build upon the focus on the core cast of characters and their relationship with one another. Whether it’s a simple exchange around a campfire toasting marshmallows or encountering new dangers, the character animations make every exchange and scene feel alive and exciting which not many shows have accomplished.

And they made some truly memorable and gorgeous high-octane sequences too that live up to the plethora of action scenes featured across the series, making use of the final season to make something new. Whether it’s everyone riding the adorable Woffs as the sun sets on some never-before-seen locations, Mum and Hilda’s initial encounter with a dangerous and ancient creature from long ago, or Hilda and her friends trying to escape the musical and luminescent trap set up by the charismatic and musical Eugene the Merman, the show never shies away from an opportunity to create something beautiful and different to the very end. Even if some of these episodes don’t give a lot of screen time or chances for the new characters to shine, the production team certainly know how to make the most of their limited appearance to create spectacular spectacles that will be as fondly remembered as some of the best moments across the Hilda franchise.

Hilda and the gang with some new faces. Image sourced from What’s on Netflix

Hilda’s third and final season is a brilliant and beautiful sendoff for fans of the series and those looking for more adventures after Luke Pearson’s graphic novels. It may have had a lot of ambitious ideas within its series-stretching story arc, but it mostly sticks the landing with another gorgeous adventure filled with heart and some of the best character-to-character moments seen in the entire series. It will remain one of the best animated productions on Netflix and this season alone demonstrates just why.

The post Hilda Season 3 Review: The Young Explorer’s Final Enchanting Adventure appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Just three years later, the third film saw a UK release this past Friday (with a November release to follow in the US) and Skwigly were invited to an early screening of Poppy and Branch’s latest adventure, with familiar faces tagging along and some new ones along the way. However, is Trolls Band Together able to deliver a beautiful melody or does it drop a heavy beat?

After crashing the wedding between Bergen’s King Gristle Jr and Bridget, Branch’s older brother John Dory convinces his younger sibling to team up with him in order to reunite their boyband, BroZone, and save one of their members and brother. Tagging along their rescue mission is Branch’s girlfriend – the always eccentric and happy-go-lucky Queen Poppy – and Tiny Diamond, who try to help the brothers overcome their past feud and become a family again.

With a 92-minute running time, there are far too many ideas, side stories, and characters that take the focus away from a main storyline that could have done with a lot more attention and given a chance to add more dimension to some of the characters involved. While it’s great to see some returning favourites, as well as some new additions to the vast cast of characters (such as Branch and Poppy’s siblings), they don’t get much time to grow or fit naturally into the story. Even the familiar cast members like Poppy and Tiny Diamond don’t impact the story, which is a shame as the previous titles made great use of them and the talented cast behind them. There are simply too many elements bouncing around that just don’t stick together.

While the over-crowded plot and large cast of colourful characters impact the overall film, the team of animators have continued to show off the broad styles, designs, and quality that have made the series so fondly cherished by its fans. From the moment it’s projected onto the screen, it’s hard not to be impressed by the attention to detail that certainly makes this a visual treat.

Despite the abundance of new characters negatively impacting the overall quality of the plot and what it’s trying to say, each one does stand out with their own unique mannerisms, style, and emotive expression that it’s a shame that they aren’t given as much screen time as they manage to stand out from an already diverse cast of characters. While not all of them feel like they would naturally fit into the world that the directors and writers have built, they do at least try to make them feel different.

The same can’t be said for the new landscapes produced for this film, but they at least try to do something different from them compared to those inspired by many musical genres in Trolls World Tour. From a sandy island surrounded by oceans made up of beads, to a neon city in cotton candy clouds, they’re at least lovely to look at, even if they may not be the most unique throughout the franchise.

Being a musical film series mixed with familiar and existing tracks, the music in Trolls Band Together won’t be everyone’s cup of tea as it’s very much made up of pop music that would have been heard in countless other films. While the other two films also featured iconic pop tracks, Trolls World Tour‘s inclusion and focus on other musical genres made it a more diverse and exciting soundtrack to listen to.

As for the new songs written exclusively for the film, they aren’t as catchy as the likes of Can’t Stop the Feeling and The Other Side. It does fit with the boyband theme of the film, but they aren’t as memorable compared to Justin Timberlake’s chart-topping hits from the previous entries.

Trolls Band Together may look as colourful and vibrant as the other films in the trilogy, but its bland and over-bloated narrative, unfortunately, makes this the weakest release in the series to date. Like a dropped box of arts and crafts on a canvas, it’s a beautiful mess that deserves better care and attention than it deserves.

Trolls Band Together is out in UK cinemas now.

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Spanning the decades, the film’s popularity and recognition within British animation has only grown as it received various re-releases with the emergence of the home video market and is still often cited in a plethora of listed articles dedicated to being one of the best-animated films of all time. Despite the recognition of its title, the television series that aired on CITV between 1999 to 2001 and the mini-series produced by the BBC and Netflix in 2018 couldn’t quite make the same impact as the theatrical Watership Down made all those years ago for its graphic violence for a U certificate and mature storytelling of life and death from the perspective of adorable bouncing bunnies.

Looking through the 45-year anniversary of the celebrated film, as well as looking back at its extraordinary history and the controversies that came to light afterwards, we will also be exploring some of the talented artists from around the world who joined this unique animation production and how they each used their craft and skillset to make a haunting, yet beautiful, piece of animation.

Still from 1978’s Watership Down (Credit: Nepenthe Productions)

First published in November 1972, Richard Adams’ debut novel, Watership Down, became a major success for him, having earned him numerous prestigious publication awards. His story of a group of rabbits and their harrowing journey to find a new home for themselves captured the imagination of its readers, having received positive reviews from critics at the time and nearly becoming a UK best seller. With so many eyes and attention on this early success for an emerging writer, someone saw the potential to adapt the pages into a feature-length film.

Martin Rosen was known as a film producer in the late 1960s, having worked on several productions around the world, with A Great Big Thing and Women in Love being his most notable works at the time. Picking up a copy of the book, Rosen decided to enter the world of animation to bring Adams’ book to life.

Still from 1978’s Watership Down (Credit: Nepenthe Productions)

After getting the rights to make the film, production began in 1975 and in order to create the film, Rosen set up an animation studio named Nepenthe Productions near Warren Street in London and hired animators from around the world, some of whom had impressive portfolios under their belts. Among them were British animator Arthur Humberstone, a senior animator who previously worked on Animal Farm and The Yellow Submarine, and American animator Phil Duncan, who worked on the experimental feature Everybody Rides the Carousel.

The man who was originally hired as the director and who spent approximately a year on the film’s production was John Hubley, one of the founders of United Productions of America in 1941. Hubley and UPA helped to revolutionise animation by opting to use modern designs with hand-drawn animation, which helped to bring classic characters like Mr. Magoo to life and direct a number of Academy Award-winning short films in the process. But unfortunately for the talented American animator, his time in the director’s chair was short-lived.

Working on the designs and ways to incorporate them into the themes and ideas from the script, Rosen eventually fired Hubley after discovering that he was working with ABC as well for the adaptation of the Doonesbury comic strip. But despite being let go and having the freedom to work on this new production, Hubley died soon after during heart surgery, making Watership Down his last project.

Those familiar with his work and the film might recognise his talents with the prologue, which tells the origin of the animals and how rabbits came to be in the world. Production designer Luciana Arrighi stepped in to complete the beautiful opening sequence that Hubley started, using the inspiration from Aboriginal art to complete this unique and iconic scene.

Still of the prologue from Watership Down (Credit: Nepenthe Productions)

Martin Rosen certainly had plenty of challenges to get the film completed and released for British cinemas. As well as stepping into the director’s chair, he also had to raise finances for the production of the film from an international conglomerate of investors, raising a total of £2,000,000 to get the film made with a talented crew and an established cast to provide the voices. Despite securing a large sum of money, Rosen had to gather even more to pay for the publicity of the film despite securing distribution from Cinema International Corporation. Managing to overcome the financial hurdles, the film finally had its world premiere at the Empire Cinema at Leicester Square in London on the 19th of October in 1978.

Some critics at the time of its release couldn’t accept the designs of more realistic animals to tell its story compared to the films that Disney was producing with the likes of The Rescuers and Pete’s Dragon the year prior being more pleasing to their eyes. However, it also received positive reviews as well and other critics enjoyed its fresh look and more mature storytelling. This was far from its only controversy as audiences expressed concerns over the U certificate it received from the BBFC as it featured plenty of scenes with violence and torture throughout that was only changed to a PG certificate as early as 2023 to reflect its graphic content despite decades of letters and complaints from families.

However, it managed to hop and bounce among its competitors in the late 1970s and beyond. With its U certification and praise from some reviewers in numerous publications, it reached number 6 in the UK box office in 1979. It has only grown into popular culture over the years, with Mike Batt’s song from the film’s soundtrack, Bright Eyes (performed by Art Garfunkel), being a global chart-topper and the film being re-released on VHS in 1987 and broadcast on television channels for re-discoverability, new generations of audiences have been both enchanted and horrified by the work that the animators put into it.

Still from 1978’s Watership Down (Credit: Nepenthe Productions)

While those involved in the production would have continued to enjoy celebrated careers, Martin Rosen would follow up his success with the film as an executive producer on future adaptations of the source material, directing the controversial and grim animated film The Plague Dogs, and doing a series of interviews on his directorial debut. However, a large public case in 2020 might very well have ended his successful career in the film and television industries as a whole.

When he originally wrote the contract for the rights to a film adaptation of Watership Down, Rosen wrongfully claimed the rights to the book. He entered contracts worth between £400,000 and £69,000,000, with the latter coming from an audiobook deal. Rosen even failed to pay Richard Adams’ family any fees or merchandising royalties from the BBC and Netflix mini-series that he executive produced in 2018.

After hearing both sides of the case and the evidence presented, the judge granted the Adams estate the rights to the late author’s first novel and terminated the original contract that Rosen penned all those years ago. While this may not impact those who cherish the original film nor his animated follow-up, The Plague Dogs, how this would impact his career remains to be seen.

Despite Martin Rosen’s controversy surrounding the beloved film, the team of animators and key crew members who worked for him should be fondly remembered as much as the classic film that impacted a whole generation of cinemagoers. But more than that, it should be celebrated as their impact on the animation industry and a piece of their legacy that has continued to be enjoyed by film enthusiasts and will certainly continue to do so for decades to come.

Arthur Humberstone would continue to work on British animated films and television shows that have stood the test of time and became childhood favourites for those who grew up in the 1980s with The BFG and Super Ted remaining to be some of his finest pieces of work. Luciana Arrighi may not have resumed her work in animation, but she did become a recognisable name in production design in many films, including Sense and Sensibility (1995), Being Julia, and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

Still from 1978’s Watership Down (Credit: Nepenthe Productions)

As for the American animators John Hubley and Phil Duncan, they have been remembered fondly for their contribution to American animation as much as for their artistry in bringing the rabbits to life. While Phil’s later work may not have lived up to be as successful nor fondly remembered compared to Watership Down, his earlier work with Disney has stood the test of time as not only did he work on a plethora of their earlier short films, but was also an animator on their beloved features such as Bambi and Cinderella. While John, unfortunately, met a tragic and early end, he has had a lasting legacy of being one of the key figures of the industry in America who is still celebrated and remembered to this day.

Whether you have seen the film before or not, there’s no denying its artistic and story-telling merits that have made it one of the most beloved and cherished British animated films of all time. It may have endured plenty of controversies, but it’s a piece of animation history that deserves to be celebrated and will hopefully be remembered for many more years to come.

The post Sapphire in Bright Eyes: 45 Years of Watership Down’s Artistic Acclaim and Controversies appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.