The Next Big Thing for LAIKA

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years, the Oscar nomination for LAIKA’s Boxtrolls will not come as a surprise.  The studio’s two previous forays, ParaNorman (2012) and Coraline (2009), both received Oscar nods for Best Animated Feature Film.  Here’s hoping third time’s the charm.

The world of animation art is small, and it’s a world where Disney has dominated for nearly a century.  There have been a few contenders in recent years, such as Pixar and DreamWorks, but the phenomenon of LAIKA, despite both critical and box-office success, is not yet a household name.  Blending old and new technologies, LAIKA creates movies that are both innovative and timeless.  Whereas most modern animation is purely digital, LAIKA has gone the other direction, using hand-made puppets in stop motion animation in conjunction with CG animation.  Though stop motion has been around since animation’s infancy, LAIKA is the first studio to mass produce character faces with a 3D printer.  This innovation streamlines the process and allows for greater range of character expression than previously achieved with stop motion capture.  LAIKA’s synergy of old and new achieves a realism that we, frankly, don’t expect from stop motion production, and is all the more impressive for it.

LAIKA recently announced its next animated feature: Kubo and the Two Strings.  Based on Japanese folktales, KUBO chronicles the adventures of an unlikely hero involving “lost civilizations, mystical origami, noble heroes, star-crossed lovers, and blood-curdling monsters,” according to the press release.  Myself, I can hardly wait to see LAIKA’s interpretation of “mystical origami.”

Apart from the artistry, which stands alone, what distinguishes LAIKA are the stories they tell.  A LAIKA story is usually an adaptation of a book or story, one that is just under the radar of mainstream zeitgeist.  Like traditional animation, LAIKA films target a young audience and feature child protagonists, but they’re also very easy for adults to enjoy.  There’s plenty of substance to go around on multiple levels.  As we’ve also come to expect from animated features, LAIKA stories have important lessons to teach.  Whether it’s tolerance, bravery, or self-acceptance, LAIKA presents palatable truisms that are almost painfully relevant for today’s youth.  And to make sure you’re paying attention, a LAIKA story will drive the lesson home by including some supernatural element, be it mechanically genius trolls, mild-mannered necromancers, or soul-sucking monsters who bear a terrifying resemblance to your mother. 

While I’m certain the studio already has a number of projects in the works, there are stories that seem tailored to LAIKA’s distinctive brand of story-telling.  I personally favor a return to the work of Neil Gaiman, as his The Graveyard Book or The Ocean at the End of the Lane would be ideal vehicles in the hands of LAIKA.  Sadly, I think these have already been snapped up by other studios.  My alternative pick is Alan Bradley’s The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, which would provide just the right combination of earnestness and whimsy that is the LAIKA trademark.  Whatever the story, fans can be certain LAIKA will continue to take direction from Horace, and make great (animated) art that both instructs and delights.

With a hand on the pulse of the next big thing, Heritage Auctions was so impressed with LAIKA that we couldn’t resist making it the focus of our February 12th Animation Art Sale, which features a wide range of collectibles from original concept drawings to actual hand-made puppets used in the making of Coraline, ParaNorman, and Boxtrolls.

 

By Holly Culbreath

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