• Brian Cosgrove, co-founder of Cosgrove Hall (now Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick), the legendary studio responsible for such UK animation hits as Danger Mouse, Count Duckula and The Wind In The Willows.
• Kevin Shreck, director of The Persistence of Vision, a documentary of the oft-discussed Richard Williams passion project The Thief and The Cobbler.
• Thad Komorowski, animation archivist and author of Sick Little Monkeys: The Unauthorised Ren & Stimpy Story.
• Daniel Greaves of Tandem Films, Oscar-winning director of Manipulation, Flatworld and Little Things on the success of his recent Kickstarter campaign for Mr. Plastimime.

Plus musings on creativity, show cancellations, strange Disney developments and the glory days of the now-defunct LucasArts.

To be in with a chance to win The Art of Short Films 1 head on over to our Facebook page and get sharing!
For more information on our guests and their projects, click the links below:

• Brian Cosgrove
• Kevin Shreck
• Thad Komorowski
• Daniel Greaves

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell
Music by Wesley Allard and Ben Mitchell
Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #12 – Brian Cosgrove of Cosgrove Hall appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

• Richard “Golly” Starzak, Aardman veteran/creative director of Shaun The Sheep and director of Ident, Rex The Runt, Robbie The Reindeer and the Creature Comforts TV series.
• Daniel Greaves of Tandem Films, Oscar-winning director of Manipulation, Flatworld, Little Things and the upcoming Mr. Plastimime.

Plus VFX controversy talk, silent comedy appreciation and Ben’s wacky work-induced psychotic break. For more information on our guests and their projects, click the links below:

• Richard Starzak on Twitter
• Aardman Animations official site
• “Shaun The Sheep” official site
• Daniel Greaves on Twitter
• The Making of “Mr. Plastimime”
• “Mr. Plastimime” Kickstarter campaign

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell
Music by Wesley Allard and Ben Mitchell
Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #11 – Richard “Golly” Starzak & Daniel Greaves appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

• More from indie legend Bill Plympton, discussing the wealth of projects he’s been working on alongside his upcoming feature Cheatin’.
• A look at the recently-released animated adaptation of Graham Chapman’s A Liar’s Autobiography and a chat with several of the talents behind it – Jane Davies, Leah Heming (A For Animation), Matthew Walker and George Sander-Jackson (Arthur Cox).

Plus more of our adorable brand of fatuous babbling. For more information on our guests and their projects, click the links below:

• Bill Plympton – Official Site
• A Liar’s Autobiography – Official Site
• UpstartThunder (Jane Davies)
• Leah-Ellen Heming Portfolio
• Matthew Walker’s Website
• George Sander-Jackson’s Blog
• A For Animation
• World of Arthur Cox

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell
Skwigly theme by Wesley Allard and Ben Mitchell
Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #10 – Bill Plympton and the talents behind “A Liar’s Autobiography” appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

• An interview with Will Becher, director of The Weatherman and Off Beat, currently nominated for an Annie Award for his animation work on the Aardman feature The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists.
• Legendary independent animator Bill Plympton, director of over 40 shorts including the Oscar nominated Your Face and Guard Dog, currently in the final stages of his next feature Cheatin’.
• A conversation with Latvian animator Signe Baumane, director of Love Story and Teat Beat of Sex, also nearing completion on her independent feature Rocks In My Pockets.

For more information on Bill and Signe’s Kickstarter projects, click the links below:

• Bill Plympton’s Cheatin’ campaign
• Signe Baumane’s Rocks In My Pockets campaign

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell
Guest interviewer Pete Gallagher
Skwigly theme by Wesley Allard and Ben Mitchell
Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #9 – Bill Plympton, Signe Baumane & Will Becher appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

• “The Snowman and The Snowdog” (Lupus Films) – an interview with co-writer/director Hilary Audus and assistant director Robin Shaw on the highly-anticipated follow-up to the Raymond Briggs C4 classic.
• “The Cow That Almost Missed Christmas” and “Uncle Wormsley’s Christmas” (Baby Cow Animation) – two very different seasonal specials discussed by studio head Tim Searle.
• “Room On The Broom” (Magic Light Pictures) – a chat with producer Michael Rose whose other credits include “Chico & Rita” and the “Gruffalo” films.

We also discuss ours and your holiday animation memories and reveal the winners of two of our Christmas competitions!

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell
Original Skwigly theme by Wesley Allard, christmas arrangement and additional music by Ben Mitchell
Edited, produced and written segments by Ben Mitchell

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #8 – Christmas 2012 appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

• Valerie Kausen of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and granddaughter of the legendary man himself.
• Ruth Fielding, former C4 Animation & Arts Assistant Editor, co-founder of Lupus Films and “Random Acts” animation commissioner.
• Peter Ramsey, director of the latest Dreamworks offering “Rise of the Guardians”.

We also discuss the recent Bradford Animation Festival, the world of adult sitcom animation AND offer our audience the chance to win some holiday loot!

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell
Guest interviewer: Tania Vincent
Music by Wesley Allard
Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #7 – Peter Ramsey, Valerie Kausen & Ruth Fielding appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

This episode features:

• Genndy Tartakovsky, director of “Hotel Transylvania” and TV veteran responsible for such greats as “Dexter’s Lab” and “Samurai Jack”
• Peter Saunders of Mackinnon & Saunders, master craftsmen whose work has appeared in such stop-motion films as “Corpse Bride”, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and the latest Tim Burton film “Frankenweenie”
• Chris Butler & Sam Fell, the directorial duo at the helm of Laika’s fantastic “ParaNorman”.

We also open the floor to our Skwigly fanbase and reminisce on some of animation’s spookiest, creepiest and most traumatic highlights. So find a nice dark corner and listen in (not quite) terror!

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #6 (Halloween Edition) – Genndy Tartakovsky, Peter Saunders, Chris Butler & Sam Fell appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

As well as reviews of some of the more notable films, we also interview Aardman co-founder and festival chairperson David Sproxton, special festival guest filmmaker Paul Bush, animation programme manager Kieran Argo along with Paul Hill and Jane Davies of A Productions, the team in charge of the festival’s animated visual branding.

So kick up your heels and imbibe some animationey culture!

The post Skwigly Podcast ‘Animated Encounters Special’ – David Sproxton, Paul Bush, Kieran Argo & A Productions appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

• Part two of our interview with animation legend John Kricfalusi.
• Review and discussion of Wacom’s animator-friendly Cintiq tablet line.
• A conversation with Neil Boyle, director of the masterfully-animated festival favourite “The Last Belle”.
• The results of both our Skwigly ‘Versus’ challenge and our latest competition winner.
• An interview with Komixx Entertainment‘s Richard Randolph, producer of “Toby’s Travelling Circus”, the new Milkshake show from master puppet-makers MacKinnon & Saunders.
• …and a whole mess of in-between rambling for you all to enjoy!

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #5 – John Kricfalusi, Neil Boyle & Richard Randolph appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

• Ant Blades of Birdbox studios, director of the online hits “I’ll Get The Ice Creams”, “Sketchy Guard”, “Chop-Chop” and “Dinner”.
•  Robert Morgan, creator of such stop-motion creepfests as “The Man In The Lower Left-Hand Corner of The Photograph”, “The Cat With Hands” and most recently the BAFTA-nominated “Bobby YEAH”.
• Jonti Picking, the man behind Weebl’s Stuff, now in its tenth year.
•  John Kricfalusi, legendary creator of “The Ren & Stimpy Show”, discussing his latest George Liquor short “Cans Without Labels”.
• Plus the usual nuggets of in-studio babble to glue the whole shebang together!

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #4 – John Kricfalusi, Ant Blades, Robert Morgan & Jonti Picking appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

As well reviews of some of the more notable films from Ben and Steve we also interview John Kahrs and Kristina Reed the director and producer of Disney’s much talked about “Paperman” as well as an interview with director and writer Matt O’Callaghan who brought the latest Daffy Duck short to the festival.

We also take a look at things that happen around the festival and the infamous “Annecy Plus” hosted by Bill Plympton and Nancy Phelps featuring some very entertaining films and live music.  A must for anyone attending the festival.

So sit back, relax, put the kettle on and enjoy this special Annecy podcast.

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell
Special guests: John Kahrs, Kristina Reed and Matt O’Callaghan
Music by Wesley Allard
Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown: 
0:00:00 – Introducing the first podcast special. Steve went to Annecy. Ben did not. Bitterness.
0:02:28 – Steve gives the lowdown on the Annecy Festival’s history and traditions as well as this year’s more standout films.
0:31:59 – Interview with John Kahrs and Kristina Reed, director and producer respectively of Disney’s highly anticipated new short “Paperman”.
0:50:46 – Discussing “Wreck-It Ralph” (the upcoming Disney feature to which “Paperman” is attached) and more festival highlights.
0:57:48 – Interview with Matt O’Callaghan, director of the contemporary “Looney Tunes” shorts including the Oscar-shortlisted “”I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat” and this year’s “Daffy’s Rhapsody”.
1:24:54 – Overview of this year’s “Annecy Plus” screening, the unofficial strand of the festival organised each year by Bill Plympton and Nancy Phelps showcasing the best rejected films from the main festival.
1:33:54 – C’est fini les amis!

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast ‘Annecy Special’ – John Kahrs, Kristina Reed and Matt O’Callaghan appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

In this episode:

• Discussing the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series whilst musing on the various prior incarnations of this imperishable franchise.
• Interview with Nancy Beiman, veteran Disney animator, animation storyboard lecturer at Sheridan and author of the essential texts “Prepare To Board” and “Animated Performance”
• Our audience participation segment, this episode focusing on Tom & Jerry vs. Road Runner
• Interview with Billy West, voice-over legend of Ren & Stimpy, Looney Tunes and Futurama fame.
• Plus nostalgic reminiscences, competitions and more!

NEXT EPISODE
Next episode’s versus battle segment is Tiny Toons vs. Animaniacs. Reach into your respective childhood memories, work out which one gets your vote and cast it below:

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #3 – Nancy Beiman & Billy West appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

What’s in the Podcast?

• Welcome back and first podcast recap
• Colin Harding shows Steve around the National Media Museum’s “In The Blink Of An Eye” Exhibit (Gallery 1)
• Steve interviews stop-motion animator Barry Purves about his career and latest films “Plume” and “Tchaikovsky”. Ben and Steve gush like the fanboys they are and the first Skwigly competition is introduced.
• Recently-leaked documentary “The Sweatbox” is discussed, along with Richard Williams’s doomed endeavour “The Thief & The Cobbler” and comparisons with similarly Disney-centric docs.
• Steve interviews Fraser MacLean, author of “Setting The Scene”. Part two of two.
• Steve and Ben muse on Skwigly contributor Tania Vincent’s “Reasons it’s hard to live with an animator”, leading Ben to recall how the Road-Runner nearly destroyed a relationship.
• Colin Harding shows Steve around the National Media Museum’s “In The Blink Of An Eye” Exhibit (Gallery 2)
• The Simpsons” vs. “Family Guy” – it’s a landslide. Ben rants on today’s Simpsons compared to yesteryear’s. Steve and Ben contemplate the longevity of other US animated sitcoms, including the recently-revived “Futurama” and “Beavis & Butt-Head”.
• The next “Vs.” poll is introduced.
• Goodbyes/credits/plugs. Now get back to work.

We also launched the second of our podcast versus battles, which is best? Road Runner & Wile E Coyote or The Tom & Jerry? Vote in the Poll and add your all important comments below, We will be reading some out in the next podcast.

The podcast is written and presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson with Music by Wesley Allard

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #2 Barry Purves, Fraser MacLean & Colin Harding appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

What’s in the Podcast?

• A chat with Peter Lord from Aardman animations about “The Pirates! In and Adventure with Scientists”.
• Miles Bullough, the head of broadcast for Aardman discusses the new Tax incentives for High-End TV, Video games and Animation industries, we also read emails from A Productions, Beakus, Muleram and Slurpy Studios.
• We discuss the news of Glen Keane’s departure from Disney and read your tweets.
• An interview with Fraser MacLean about his book Setting the Scene.
• We take a look at the winners of this year’s British Animation Awards.
• Steve says “Fantastic” too many times and Ben discusses his issues with Peppa Pig merchandise.

We also launched the first our podcast versus battles, which is best? Family Guy or The Simpsons? Vote in the Poll and add your all important comments below, We will be reading some out in the next podcast.

The podcast is written and presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson with Music by Wesley Allard

The post Skwigly Animation Podcast #1 Peter Lord, Fraser MacLean and Tax Breaks. appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.