Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Animation

Director: Craig Decker, Mike Gribble

Institute History

  • 2000 Sundance Film Festival

Description

The Sundance Film Festival is very pleased to bring to you a highlight program from Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation and Sick and Twisted Festival. Spike and Mike began promoting short animation in 1977. Over the years, they have premiered works by Tim Burton, Bill Plympton, Nick Park, and other cult favorites. Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation is a grassroots event promoted since the beginning primarily by blanketing a town with flyers.
Considering this, the number of people who have been to one of these events is extraordinary. The Sick and Twisted Festival began in 1990 as a home for animated pieces that were simply too revolting or adult in nature for Spike and Mike’s prestigious and tasteful classic Festival of Animation. It was the birthplace of Beavis and Butthead—Spike and Mike produced the first two Beavis and Butthead shorts long before the characters debuted on MTV. Against all odds, Spike and Mike have persevered for over twenty years, leaving indelible scars on our young minds from the first time we ventured into that university screening room or local art house and witnessed the carnage and raw sexuality thought impossible of animation.

The notoriety of Spike and Mike has caused them to be dubbed the kings of tasteless toons by animation industry giants. This show is not recommended for those of delicate constitution. Be prepared for a wild and vulgar cartoon super-bash as all good taste is beaten into submission.


— Trevor Groth

Screening Details

  • Section: Midnight
  • Film Type: Short
  • Run Time: 86 min.

Credits

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]