For its 30th anniversary, the traveling Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation is presenting two different programs, both of which premiere at the Sci Fi Center this weekend. Over the past decade, the duo’s Sick & Twisted Festival has been the sole touring event, but this year Spike and Mike are bringing back the Classic Festival, and both programs will show in Las Vegas.
If you’re looking for acclaimed, sophisticated animated shorts that have played festivals like Cannes and Toronto and been nominated for Oscars, you can check out the Classic Festival. If, on the other hand, you like your cartoons bizarre and depraved, you can show up for the Sick & Twisted Festival, with selections like “Dumb Ways to Die,” “Path of Blood” and “Slug Invasion.” Or if you are an animation buff with varied tastes, you can check out both programs back to back, experiencing the full range of current animation from the guys who know it best.
Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation July 11, 8 p.m. (Classic), 10 p.m. (Sick & Twisted); July 12, 1 & 8 p.m. (Classic), 3 & 10 p.m. (Sick & Twisted); $10 or $15 for both. Sci Fi Center, 702-792-4335.