VANCOUVER — Vancouver animation studio Global Mechanic (Scribbles & Ink) announced today it has joined forces with Northern Ireland’s animation studio ALT Animation to co-develop a new series, Class Clown.
Class Clown (52 episodes x 11 minutes) is created and written by veteran Canadian writer Ian Boothby (Simpsons Comics, Futurama Comics, MAD Magazine). The series is about a clown and carnival family who decide to settle down in the suburbs after years of being on the road. The show centres around the family’s son, Jimmy Jingles, who just wants to fit in at his new school, which is a constant struggle.
“Class Clown is a series that touches upon universal themes about family, inclusivity and the desire to ‘fit in’ that will resonate with audiences all around the world, not least because the circus tradition is something that is recognized and enjoyed in all parts of the world. We are confident the series has the potential to reach not just Canadian and Northern Irish audiences, but also a wide variety of international audiences. We could not be more thrilled to be working with Canada’s Global Mechanic,” said Tim Bryans, managing director of ALT Animation, in the press release.
Global Mechanic and ALT Animation have received co-development funding from the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Northern Ireland Screen (NIS) to produce the series.
Global Mechanic and ALT Animation first met at MIPCOM 2019 and KIDSCREEN 2020. Joint efforts on the Class Clown series began in June 2020, and the two companies are currently preparing to take the animation property to MIPCOM Online+ this October to secure additional funding and broadcasting partners, says the press release.
