What do you do when you get horribly side-tracked from writing? If you’re former TVWriter™ Online Workshop student Robin Walsh, you make puppets! Working in Hollywood at Screen Novelties, the stop-motion studio that supplies animation for ROBOT CHICKEN, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, and a host of other top shows, she spent over a year cutting and pasting foam and fabric instead of words and parentheticals. If you want to see the fabulous results, check out IT’S A SPONGEBOB CHRISTMAS on CBS, Friday November 23rd, at 9:30 pm. (The same night as Rudolph!!)
Here’s what CartoonBrew.Com‘s Jerry Beck has to say about the project:
When was the last time a prime-time TV Christmas Special was really special? I’ve seen this one – and it really is. Nickelodeon’s first full-length stop-motion animated special, It’s A SpongeBob Christmas! will premiere on CBS on Friday Nov. 23th, then begin airing about two weeks later on Nickelodeon, starting Sunday Dec. 9th. Inspired by the classic Rankin/Bass specials of the past, and featuring John Goodman and the voice of Santa Claus, the show was animated by Mark Cabellero and Seamus Walsh at Screen Novelties in Los Angeles. The special is available for purchase on DVD…
For the record (cuz you know how much those records mean to us), this is the first full-length stop-motion special Nickelodeon has ever shelled out for, and it’ll be shown on Nick December 9th, at a slightly more kid-friendly 7:30.
And, because we feel like we know ’em, here are the guys who, along with Robin, made this possible:
Screen Novelties:
Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh & Chris Finnegan comprise the animation collective known as Screen Novelties. Their whimsical approach to filmmaking combines classic cartoon dynamics with puppetry and stop-motion. Their work has earned them kudos from the likes of Harry Knowles and film legend Ray Harryhausen.
The trio was instrumental in launching “Robot Chicken” and “Moral Orel” for Adult Swim. They’ve directed a number of PSA’s and commercials for clients such as Nike, Hallmark, McDonald’s, and a bunch of other big shots. Screen Novelties’ award winning short films include “Mysterious Mose”, “The Tortoise & the Hare”, and “Monster Safari”, which is currently being developed as a feature film.
Screen Novelties recently directed segments for Cartoon Network’s “Chowder” and “Flapjack”, and Fox’s “Family Guy.” They have also contributed to Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob Squarepants”, including a revamp of the title sequence and an upcoming ½ hour Christmas special, airing on CBS on November 23rd.
Oh, God, puppets! Robin Walsh! And us crushing on both those fine things!
Excellent–congratulations!