SCAD AnimationFest 2024has officially wrapped, and here are the five coolest things I saw while at the event. SCAD AnimationFest is the Savannah College of Art and Design’s yearly celebration of the art of animation, with it taking place in Atlanta, Georgia and featuring all kinds of industry professionals. This year, SCAD AnimationFest 2024 featured creatives and execs from places likeAdult Swim, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, DreamWorks Animation, Netflix, and more, and while there were all kinds of exciting things to see while there, these five were by far the coolest.
I first attended SCAD AnimationFest in 2023, and after spending my first weekend covering the festival, I instantly fell in love. While there, I got tointerviewNimona’s Ted Tyas well as some of thecreatives from the seriesKrapopolis, with that being just the tip of the iceberg of what was shown at the festival. I couldn’t wait to go back to SCAD for this year’s AnimationFest, and after seeing the programming schedule, I knew that it would be even bigger. So, here are all of the coolest things I saw while I was there.
5I Got To See Puppets Used In Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio In Person
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchiowas one of my favorite movies of 2022, with it also being one of the best stop-motion animated movies of the past decade. I’ve been obsessed with the film ever since it released, and luckily, there was some exciting stuff for fans like me at SCAD AnimationFest 2024. As it turns out, several SCAD alumni went on to work onGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, with them returning to their school to discuss their time on the film in the “The Making of ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’” panel.
The panel featured three animators and model makers who originated from SCAD, with the talented artists being Andrés Eduardo, Jackie Nash, and Naomi Wiener. Throughout the panel, the trio discussed how they broughtGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchioto life, showing off behind-the-scenes images of many of the models and characters that they worked on. They also delved into the process of creating miniature versions of real-life items, going into how production design, character design, and animation are done in a stop-motion world. They also brought along one of the figures used in the film, with them presenting one of the background fascist boys.
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That wasn’t all that I got to see that related toGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, however. Although not officially part of SCAD AnimationFest 2024, I got to visit the nearby Center for Puppetry Arts, a fantastic museum and theater that gives guests a crash course in the history of puppetry. On top of featuring all kinds of international puppets from throughout history, the Center for Puppetry Arts also features puppets that were used in projects likeFraggle Rock,Sesame Street,Chucky, variousThe Muppetsprojects, and more.
While there, I got to see a Pinocchio and a Geppetto puppet that were used in the 2022 film. It was an incredible experience to see even more puppets fromGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchiolive and in-person, with the Center for Puppetry Arts being a must-see for fans of the art form.
4The Production Designer Of Blue Eye Samurai Talked About The Art Of The Show (& Teased Season 2)
The Emmy Award Winner Discussed His Process
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchiowasn’t the only Netflix project that had a major presence at SCAD AnimationFest 2024, as the event also spotlighted thehit 2023 Netflix seriesBlue Eye Samurai.Blue Eye Samuraiis an animated series that is set in 17th-century Edo period Japan, with it following a female blue-eyed samurai who disguises herself to seek revenge on four white men.Blue Eye Samuraiwas critically praised upon its release, with the animated series winning multiple Emmys and getting renewed for a second season that is set to be released in 2026.
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Blue Eye Samuraiproduction designer Toby Wilson was at SCAD AnimationFest 2024 to discuss his work on the hit animated show, with him presenting the “Behind the Blade of Netflix’s ‘Blue Eye Samurai” panel. Toby Wilson gave a behind-the-scenes look at his work on the series, showing off the inspiration materials that he worked off of, the concept art that he made, and further work that he did on the animated show. The beautiful art highlights just how great of a job he did on the series, with Toby Wilsonwinning an Emmy for his production design work on “The Great Fire Of 1657.”
After the panel, I got tointerviewBlue Eye Samuraiproduction designer Toby Wilson, and the conversation was absolutely fantastic. We discussed what the role of a production designer is on an animated series and how it differs from being a live-action production designer. Wilson gave an in-depth look at his research process onBlue Eye Samurai, walking me through how he transferred ideas from script to screen. Wilson then discussed the work that he is currently doing onBlue Eye Samuraiseason 2, briefly touching on how he is shifting from designing 17th-century Japan to designing 17th-century London.
3We Got To See All Kinds Of Concept Art For DC’s Creature Commandos
The First Animated Show In The DCU
SCAD AnimationFest 2024 featured coverage of projects that had already been released as well as projects that have yet to be released, withDC’sCreature Commandosbeing one of the most exciting upcoming projectsthat the festival showed off. The animated series is being executive produced by James Gunn, with it seeing the return of Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller as she forms an all-new Task Force X team made up entirely of monsters. The newly-named Task Force M is also known as theCreature Commandos, with it featuring characters like The Bride, Weasel, Dr. Phosphorus, and more.
Warner Bros. Animation supervising producer Rick Morales and EVP of special programming Peter Girardi, both of whom worked onCreature Commandos, were at SCAD AnimationFest 2024 in order to show off the upcoming show. The duo presented the “The Making of ‘Creature Commandos’ from Warner Bros. Animation” panel, with them showing offconcept art, production documents, exclusive clips and animatics, and more. They highlighted the various animation styles that the show experimented with throughout production as well as the “gypsy punk” that inspired the show’s music.
Creature Commandospremieres on June 06, 2025.
I also got tointerviewCreature Commandos' Rick Morales and Peter Girardi, with them discussing even more about the show’s production and future. Morales and Girardi spoke on James Gunn’s work on the show, whyCreature Commandosis the first project in the all-new DCU, and what inspired the show’s monstrous characters. On top of that, the duo highlighted howCreature Commandoswill play into the future of the DCU, touching on how it will connect toPeacemakerseason 2 and 2025’sSupermanmovie.
2The Creators Of Common Side Effects Showed Off Adult Swim’s Newest Show
Common Side Effects Releases In 2025
Another upcoming series that was featured at SCAD AnimationFest 2024 isCommon Side Effects, an original animated conspiracy thriller that isset to release in 2025.Common Side Effectsfollows Marshall Kusso, a man who discovers a medication that has the power to cure almost any ailment. However, an evil pharmaceutical company is hellbent on stopping him from bringing the medicine to the mainstream. Marshall enlists the help of an old friend from high school named Frances Applewhite, but unknown to him, she works for the pharmaceutical company that is hunting him down.
At the “‘Common Side Effects’ Series Preview” panel,SCAD AnimationFest 2024 had a screening of theCommon Side Effectsseries premiere, giving attendees an early look at the exciting upcoming series. Then,Common Side Effectsseries creators Joe Bennett and Steve Hely came onstage to discuss the show, highlighting their creative process and showing off character designs and concept art. The show immediately hooked me, and I can’t wait to see more when it is released on Adult Swim in 2025.
I also got tointerview both creators ofCommon Side Effects, further discussing the series with them. We spoke about whyCommon Side Effectswas the right fit for Adult Swim, how it compares to Joe Bennett’s previous showScavengers Reign, and what the future for the show is.
1Genndy Tartakovsky Gave A Retrospective On His Career In Animation
From Batman: The Animated Series To Fixed
Of everything that happened at SCAD AnimationFest 2024, by far my favorite part was Genndy Tartakovsky’s keynote speech. AnimationFest ended with the “Legends of Animation: Genndy Tartakovsky Keynote” event, which kicked off withTartakovsky being awarded the SCAD Award of Excellence. Tartakovsky then took the stage to discuss the origins of his love of animation, his career path from college to now, the development of shows likeDexter’s Laboratory,Samurai Jack,Primal, and more, and his plans for some potential future projects.
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As part of the panel, Tartakovsky also showed off some exciting exclusive materials and bits of news. When discussing his work onIron Man 2, Tartakovsky mentioned that he actually pitched an animated project to Marvel using some unspecified characters back in the day. On top of that,Tartakovskyalso showed off an animation test for his canceledPopeyemovie, a project titledBlack Knightthat he is attempting to get off the ground, and a clip from hisill-fated Warner Bros. movieFixed. Being in the same room as one of my favorite animators was a dream come true, and it is all thanks toSCAD AnimationFest 2024.
Creature Commandos
Cast
Creature Commandos follows the exploits of a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for perilous missions unsuitable for humans. Released in December 2024, the film explores themes of redemption and collaboration as the monstrous squad is tasked with handling threats that present dire challenges beyond human capability.
