Ottawa International Animation Festival marks 50 years with new poster by acclaimed Canadian cartoonist Seth
Skwigly
To celebrate its 50th anniversary in September, the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), North America’s largest animation festival, has unveiled its official 2026 poster, created by acclaimed Canadian cartoonist and designer Seth.
Image: OIAF
Founded in 1976, the OIAF has spent five decades championing animation as an art form, presenting groundbreaking films and connecting audiences with world-class creators. Each year, the festival commissions an artist to design its official poster, a long-standing tradition that has included illustrators and animators such as Torill Kove (2025), Matthew Rankin (2023), Wong Ping (2022), Gary Baseman (2007), Gary Panter (2005), Dave Cooper (2001), and Wendy Tilby (1990).
For this milestone year, Seth brings his signature mid-century aesthetic and storytelling flair to a whimsical new image featuring Owlbert, a scholarly owl surrounded by stacks of books, and Frogworth, a projector-operating frog. The pair reflect the festival’s mix of intellect, creativity and humour.
In his artist’s statement, Seth highlights the creative kinship between comics and animation.
When I was asked to draw the poster for the Ottawa International Animation Festival, I was only given one requirement. It must have an owl in it. That was fine with me. I like owls. They are a great classic cartoon image … Out of nowhere, a nerdish frog appeared to run the film projector. No names were requested for these characters yet, ‘Owlbert’ and ‘Frogworth’ found their way into my brain.
Graphic novelists and animators are related, but they come from very different branches of the cartooning family. My medium is all about stillness, and animation is all about movement … I have the deepest respect for the noble calling of animation in all its various forms, and it is a lovely honour to draw this year’s poster.
-Seth
For our 50th, I wanted to find an artist who truly reflects a Canadian sensibility and aesthetic. I’ve long admired Seth’s hypnotic, emotive, and original work. With an introduction from Luc Chamberland, who directed Seth’s Dominion, the OIAF Grand Prize winner for Best Feature in 2014, I reached out and was thrilled when Seth agreed to collaborate. The result is everything I hoped for: a distinctly Seth creation that captures the OIAF’s spirit—warm, mysterious, and a little offbeat.
-Chris Robinson (Artistic Director, OIAF)
For more on this year’s festival visit animationfestival.ca