The seventh Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Guest interviewer: Tania Vincent

Special guests: Peter Ramsey, Valerie Kausen & Ruth Fielding

Music by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown:

0:00:00 - Another shiny new podcast and Steve is fresh from the Bradford Animation Festival. Ben is not fresh. From anything. Festival antics and the everlasting genius of Chuck Jones is discussed.

0:16:55 - Ben struggles to keep "Full English" down. Musings on what really makes an adult animated sitcom successful, the Seth MacFarlane legacy and "The Simpsons"' soulful beginnings.

0:38:34 - Steve interviews Valerie Kausen, granddaughter of Chuck Jones and representative of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity.

0:47:31 - "Random Acts" and the history of Channel 4's relationship with animation. Ben chats to Ruth Fielding, former C4 Animation & Arts Assistant Editor, co-founder of Lupus Films and "Random Acts" commissioner.

1:05:37 - Competition time! Check out skwigly.co.uk for further details

1:12:13 - Guest interviewer Tania Vincent interviews "Rise of the Guardians" director Peter Ramsey. Pixar/Dreamworks magnanimousness emerges. As well it should.

1:23:51 - Time to go. Bundle up, it's cold outside.

The sixth Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Special guests:

Genndy Tartakovsky (Hotel Transylvania, Dexter's Lab, Samurai Jack)

Peter Saunders of Mackinnon & Saunders (Frankenweenie, Corpse Bride)

Chris Butler & Sam Fell (ParaNorman)

Music arranged by Ben Mitchell, original theme by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

The second Skwigly podcast special focusing on the 2012 Animated Encounters festival based in Bristol, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Special guests: David Sproxton, Paul Bush, Kieran Argo with Paul Hill and Jane Davies of A Productions.

Music by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown:

0:00:00 - Introducing the second podcast special. Ben didn't have to travel quite as far as Steve did when covering Annecy. Smugness.

0:02:07 - Ben gives some Encounters backstory. It was two festivals, then it was one, now it's two again, but in more of a united sense. Pretty sure they've finally made up their minds by now.

0:06:17 - Ben chats with Animation Programme Manager Kieran Argo for more info on the festival history and what the selection process entails.

0:16:42 - Paul Hill and Jane Davies of A Productions talk about putting together the animated visuals for the Encounters festival branding.

0:31:33 - Ben and Steve discuss some of the short film highlights from the international competition strands. Lots of brilliant talents both established and upcoming to look out for.

0:55:57 - Ben interviews Encounters chairperson and Aardman co-founder David Sproxton about his long-standing relationship with the festival.

1:20:27 - Further festival discussion on some of the associated events and highlights.

1:30:56 - Interview with avant-garde animator/filmmaker/lecturer Paul Bush (special guest of this year's edition of the festival) on his atypical animation career and abstract feature "Babylon".

1:52:33 - Wrapping up the festival discussion with further highlights, the associated online competition DepicT! and the nature of approaching festivals as an independent filmmaker.

2:05:20 - Ben and Steve pick apart the winning films of this year's edition. No controversial decisions seemed to have been made.

2:15:03 - The wrap-up. See you at Animated Encounters 2013!

The fifth Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Special guests: John Kricfalusi, Neil Boyle and Richard Randolph

Music by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown:

0:00:00 - Podcast ahoy!.

0:02:01 - Part two of Ben's John Kricfalusi interview, with more insights from the Canadian-born animation legend's career including the politics of "Art Of" books, working on "The Simpsons" and inheriting Bob Clampett's genetic material.

0:28:16 - Ben and Steve muse on the effect of new technologies on the animation process and weigh up the pros and cons of Wacom's Cintiq range, with help from the Skwigly audience.

0:45:17 - Steve interviews Neil Boyle, director of "The Last Belle" and protégé of Richard Williams.

1:05:21 - Further Boyle/Williams discussion, plus debate of the cultural value of Steven Spielberg's early 90s WB shows "Tiny Toon Adventures" and "Animaniacs". Much love for Maurice LaMarche's Orson Welles.

1:21:21 - The big reveal of the winner of Skwigly's Nancy Beiman competition from long, long ago.

1:21:58 - Steve extolls the brilliance of MacKinnon & Saunders and interviews the producer of their new show "Toby's Traveling Circus", Richard Randolph.

1:47:58 - The show wraps up and Ben gets a little too comfortable with the ol' self-plugging.

The fourth Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Special guests: Ant Blades, Robert Morgan, Jonti Picking and John Kricfalusi

Music by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown:

0:00:00 - Here we are again, folks! Schedules have been tight, so strap in for a lot of interviews and not so much in-studio chatter this time around.

0:01:07 - Steve interviews Ant Blades of Birdbox studios, director of the online hits "Sketchy Ice Creams", "Guard", "Chop-Chop" and "Dinner"

0:24:55 - Ben interviews 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".

0:55:15 - Roundup of what's been going on in the non-podcast world of Skwigly. Check it out and get in touch, we're very friendly.

0:56:02 - Steve interviews Jonti Picking, the man behind Weebl's Stuff, a fount of online animationey procrastination for ten years and counting.

1:18:27 - Post-Weebl discussion; Ben makes interns cry without meaning to. It's a hard life.

1:20:33 - Ben interviews legendary Canadian animation pioneer John Kricfalusi (creator of such iconic characters as Ren, Stimpy and the all-American hero George Liquor) about his first crowdfunding endeavour "Cans Without Labels". Part one of a two-part interview.

2:03:27 - A whole lot of gratitude and a whole lot of plugging. See you next time!

The first Skwigly podcast special focusing on the 2012 Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Market, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

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 third Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Special guests: Nancy Beiman and Billy West

Music by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown:

0:00:00 - Greetings, friends!

0:01:03 - A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series has been unveiled. Ben and Steve muse on the countless variations on the franchise including the distinctly nunchuckless 'Hero' Turtles.

0:18:01 - Steve interviews Nancy Beiman - teacher, author and animator on such Disney features as Hercules and Treasure Planet.

0:57:22 - The second Skwigly competition is announced and last month's winner is revealed.

0:58:33 - Tom & Jerry vs. Road Runner - Ben and Steve debate the virtues of each and bemoan how much better things were in their day. You damn kids with your CGI...

1:22:25 - Ben interviews Billy West, one of today's most prolific voice-over actors whose credits include Ren & Stimpy, Looney Tunes and presently Futurama (which returns this summer)

2:06:26 - Post-Billy West discussion with Ben and Steve - enthusiasm abound for new Futurama and Ben makes his case for the watchability and cultural significance of Ren & Stimpy both with and without John K .

2:23:59 - Plugs, acknowledgements, pat selves on back, run away.

The second Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Special guests: Barry Purves, Colin Harding and Fraser MacLean

Music by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown:

0:00:00 - Welcome back and first podcast recap

0:02:24 - Colin Harding shows Steve around the National Media Museum's "In The Blink Of An Eye" Exhibit (Gallery 1)

0:16:16 - 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.

1:00:44 - 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.

1:17:07 - Steve interviews Fraser MacLean, author of "Setting The Scene". Part two of two.

1:34:50 - 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.

1:43:04 - Colin Harding shows Steve around the National Media Museum's "In The Blink Of An Eye" Exhibit (Gallery 2)

1:51:36 - "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.

2:20:04 - Goodbyes/credits/plugs. Now get back to work.

The very first Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.co.uk

Presented by Steve Henderson and Ben Mitchell

Special guests: Peter Lord, Miles Bullough and Fraser MacLean

Music by Wesley Allard

Edited and produced by Ben Mitchell

Podcast breakdown:

00:00 - The new Skwigly podcast is introduced

01:27 - Steve and Ben discuss the new Aardman film "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists "

10:15 - Ben interviews Aardman co-founder Peter Lord, director of "The Pirates!"

35:47 - Steve and Ben talk "Pirates!" trivia.

39:40 - Steve and Ben muse on the implications of the newly announced animation industry tax incentives. Aardman's Miles Bullough elucidates, audience letters are read, Ben rants.

0:51:59 - The departure of Glen Keane from Disney is discussed, with audience feedback

0:58:24 - Steve interviews Fraser MacLean, author of "Setting The Scene". Part one of two.

1:28:24 - Steve recaps the recent British Animation Award ceremony

1:37:58 - The first audience-participation 'Versus' feature is announced

1:39:09 - Thank you and goodbye