Presenting episode 117 of the Skwigly Animation Podcast!

In this episode we look back at the incredible world of Wallace & Gromit, whose hotly-anticipated new feature-length outing 'Vengeance Most Fowl' will premiere in the UK on Christmas day!

We also welcome the film's co-directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham as well as star Ben Whitehead (voice of Wallace) to learn more about the duo's latest adventure, which sees the return of the franchise’s most beloved villain Feathers McGraw, known for his chillingly mute performance in 1993’s BAFTA and Oscar-winning The Wrong Trousers.

Gromit’s concern that Wallace is becoming too dependent on his inventions proves justified, when Wallace invents a “smart” gnome that seems to develop a mind of its own. When it emerges that a vengeful figure from the past might be masterminding things, it falls to Gromit to battle sinister forces and save his master… or Wallace may never be able to invent again!

The 70-minute long film will be the pair’s first feature-length outing since 2005’s Curse of the Were-Rabbit and is set to premiere on the BBC/BBC iPlayer this Christmas followed by a global release on Netflix in the new year.

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson

Produced, edited and music by Ben Mitchell

Interviews conducted by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Ryan Gaur in conversation with Jeff Fowler, director of 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3'.

Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.

Interview conducted by Ryan Gaur

Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell

Presenting the 116th episode of the Skwigly podcast!

In this episode we meet some of the talents behind the 2024 holiday animated feature films 'The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland' (director Peter Baynton and producer Ruth Fielding of Lupus Films) and Locksmith Animation's 'That Christmas' (writer Richard Curtis, director Simon Otto and producer Nicole P. Hearon) as well as the 22-minute BBC special 'Tiddler' (producer Barney Goodland of Magic Light Pictures).

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson

Interviews conducted and edited by Steve Henderson

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Music by Ben Mitchell

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Ben Mitchell in conversation with Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins and Marieke Blaauw of the Utrecht-based animation studio Job, Joris & Marieke.

Graduating as product designers at the Design Academy Eindhoven, the trio came together with a shared interest in storytelling, moving into animation to create an impressive portfolio of commissioned work as well as children’s books, installation pieces and music videos including spots for Roggeveen's musical outfit Happy Camper.

Having produced such work as the short films 'Mute', '(Otto)', the Emmy-winning 'Kop Op (Heads Together)' (which would go on to be adapted into the 12 episode series 'Swop') and the Oscar-nominated 'A Single Life', the studio recently made the the ecological short 'Quota', a darkly-comic cautionary tale in which every global citizen is mandated to participate in a program that tracks their CO2 emissions, which they ignore until it’s all too late.

See more of the work of the studio at https://jobjorisenmarieke.nl

Interview conducted by Ben Mitchell

Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Martyn Warren in conversation with Josh Cooley, director of 'Transformers One'.

Based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures, 'Transformers One' is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, 'Transformers One' features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.

Interview conducted by Martyn Warren

Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell

Presenting episode 115 of the Skwigly Animation Podcast!

In this episode we welcome Chris Sanders, director of the Dreamworks feature 'The Wild Robot' out in UK cinemas now and adapted from Peter Brown’s #1 New York Times bestseller.

The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.

Also discussed in this episode: Remembering Emma Calder, upcoming Manchester Animation Festival highlights, Cardiff Animation Festival's special presentation of Robert Morgan's 'Stopmotion', the return of Feathers McGraw in Wallace and Gromit's upcoming feature 'Vengeance Most Fowl', kvetching about 'Carol and the End of the World' and 'The New Norm', the furore around 'Velma', Mackinnon and Saunders' brilliant work on 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice', and the completion of the second Skwigly book 'Intimate Animation' (due March 2025)

Presenting episode 114 of the Skwigly Animation Podcast!

In this episode we celebrate the incredible talents and output of the Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA/Emmy-winning Cartoon Saloon, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Founded in 1999 by Paul Young, Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, the Kilkenny-based studio has produced such celebrated work as the feature films The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, My Father's Dragon and Wolfwalkers, shorts including Late Afternoon, From Darkness, Somewhere Down The Line and Old Fangs as well as the beloved TV series Puffin Rock.

This podcast retrospective digs into the Skwigly archives to revisit interviews with directors Tomm Moore (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers, The Prophet), Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner, My Father's Dragon), Ross Stewart (Wolfwalkers, The Prophet), Louise Bagnall and Nuria Gonzalez Blanco (Late Afternoon).

Also included in this episode is an all-new interview with studio co-founder Paul Young, who made his directorial debut last year with Screecher's Reach, an acclaimed entry in the Star Wars Visions: Volume 2 series that picked up an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation.

Presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson

Interviews conducted by Ben Mitchell, Steve Henderson and Julia Young

Edited, produced and music by Ben Mitchell

Stop Motion: A Skwigly Podcast Special featuring Osbert Parker, Joseph Wallace, Robert Morgan & Suzie Templeton, celebrating the BFI Stop Motion Season 2024.

Joining Ben & Steve is guest host Justin Johnson, Lead Programmer for the BFI Southbank and one of the brains behind the incredible season showcasing the art of stop motion animation. Stop Motion: Celebrating Handmade Animation on the Big Screen takes place at BFI Southbank until 8 October 2024, with the free exhibition LAIKA: Frame x Frame open now until 1 October 2024.

This special also features a bumper Stop Motion roundtable featuring some of the UK's finest stop motion talents Osbert Parker, Joseph Wallace, Robert Morgan & Suzie Templeton who go into detail about their inspirations, love for the medium and heroes as well as speaking about their own work too.

This podcast special has been made possible with thanks to Justin Johnson, Richard Pickard and the team at the BFI.

Presented by Ben Mitchell & Steve Henderson

Guest host Justin Johnson

Edited and produced by Steve Henderson

Music by Ben Mitchell

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Steve Henderson in conversation with Inside Out 2 Director Kelsey Man and Producer Mark Neilsen.

The Pixar sequel once more voyages into the mind of Riley and sees the return of joy, sadness, fear, disgust and anger as their girl enters puberty and headquarters sees the introduction of newcomers Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui who take control of Riley launching the original emotions on an epic quest to regain Riley as she heads to hockey camp and needs the team more than ever.

As the sequel dominates the box office Skwigly sat down with the duo to discuss arts styles, Easter Eggs, the future for Lance Slashblade and their loving tribute to veteran Pixar artist Ralph Eggleston.

Produced, edited and presented by Steve Henderson

Skwigly.com presents Animation One-To-Ones featuring Ben Mitchell in conversation with Torill Kove, director of the National Film Board of Canada/Mikrofilm short film 'Maybe Elephants'.

Hailing from Norway and presently based in Canada, Torill has created such films as the Oscar-winning 'The Danish Poet' and the Oscar nominated 'My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts' and 'Me and My Moulton'. Her latest film 'Maybe Elephants' is rooted in family, memory and the fallible nature of both, telling the story of three sisters whose lives are uprooted when their parents relocate them from Norway to Nairobi.

The film will screen at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the Short Films in Competition - Official 2 programme.

Interview conducted by Ben Mitchell

Produced, edited and presented by Ben Mitchell