Hey, if you don’t sue a major media mogul for using your name or part of your name for their new channel you just may get a good deal out of it. At least that’s the case for SPIKE AND MIKE’S SICK AND TWISTED FESTIVAL OF ANIMATION (
www.spikeandmike.com ), which now will showcase the best of the festival’s fare in six, half-hour episodes on Viacom’s Spike TV (which had to delay the launch of the re-named channel in the legal name battle with director Spike Lee that was ultimately settled).
The festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year presenting quirky hand-drawn gems to elaborate computer-generated productions with a raw to finely-honed edge, is a natural for Spike TV, the first network for men. Six original episodes will be created from more than 400 animated short films. A premiere date and series host will be announced shortly.
“We’ve had incredible audience reaction and ratings success with our first foray into adult animation with THE STRIP, Spike TV’s weekly primetime animation block that features Kelsey Grammer’s GARY THE RAT, Stan Lee's STRIPPERELLA, starring Pamela Anderson and John Kricfalusi's THE REN & STIMPY ADULT PARTY CARTOON,” said Kevin Kay, evp of programming and development. “SPIKE AND MIKE’S edgy brand of animation makes it a perfect fit for our growing roster of adult animation properties.”
The Festival has debuted the work of fledgling talents who have gone on to revitalize the mainstream animation field including Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Nick Park and Peter Lord of Aardman Animations, John Lasseter, Craig McCracken (Powerpuff Girls), Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Mike Judge among many others.
Attracting 500,000 devoted fans, followers and “toon-heads” every year, this outrageous festival has become the central clearing house for visionary filmmakers and radical artists in the medium. The festival has been showcased at the International Festival of Animation at Annecy, at the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals, and even as part of the tour for the group, Korn.
Spike Decker and his late partner, Mike Gribble, helped create a cottage industry through their productions (40+ shorts films of their own) and the promotion and distribution of vanguard artists, and built an animation entity that includes merchandising, books, and best-selling videos.
According to Decker, “It’s about time someone recognized the pioneering status and potential mega-franchise that SPIKE AND MIKE represents. I salute Spike TV for having the insight and cojones to step up.”
Spike Decker and the SPIKE AND MIKE’S SICK AND TWISTED FESTIVAL OF ANIMATION are represented by Ellen Goldsmith-Vein at The Gotham Group and attorney Todd Stern at Weissmann, Wolff, Bergman, Coleman, Silverman, & Holmes, LLP.
