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

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

Skybound mentioned it is going to search to honor the treasured model by relaunching the animation occasions, making animated shorts obtainable digitally, highlighting present expertise within the animation trade by means of collaborations and reintroducing the Spike & Mike library. Details of the competition are nonetheless within the works, however deliberate awards initiatives embody improvement alternatives, undertaking stipends and acquisitions.

Festival categories include the original “Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation,” “Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted” (for NSFW/grownup animated content material) and “Spike & Mike’s Arty Farty” (for bold content material).

“I’m incredibly appreciative of Skybound’s respect and understanding of what the Spike & Mike brand has accomplished, and what we can continue to offer. I’m excited to see what they’re able to do for existing Spike & Mike work and look forward to developing a new chapter with them,” mentioned Craig “Spike” Decker, co-founder of Spike & Mike. 

“Spike & Mike has been a seminal platform for creative voices in animation,” mentioned Dean. “There would be no place for shows like Invincible to exist without their efforts to develop a safe space for creators to express both the uplifting and introspective or ‘sick and twisted’ in an incredibly innovative, complex, and boundless art form.” 

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

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

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

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