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Baboon Animation tucks into Custom Nuts partnership to develop toons

Mike de Seve (left) and Silas Hickey

MIPCOM: US prodco Baboon Animation has forged a partnership with Tokyo- and LA-based animation studio Custom Nuts to jointly develop a new slate of cartoons.

The deal, signed by Custom Nuts co-founders Silas Hickey and Matthew Howison and Baboon’s CEO Mike de Seve, brings together “a deep pool of world-class writing and visual talent.”

Baboon Animation, founded by DreamWorks alumnus de Seve, will contribute its multiple Emmy-winning creative development team to the partnership.

The company boasts a collective 31 Emmys and creative involvement in more than 20 global hits, with credits including Angry Birds Toons, Gigantosaurus and Pocoyo.

Custom Nuts is based in Tokyo and LA. Hickey was formerly senior development director for Warner Brothers’ Cartoon Network in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Hickey is responsible for some of Asia’s most successful series, including Chhota Beem, Netflix APAC’s most-viewed kids’ cartoon.

“There are no better writers anywhere than Baboon,” said Hickey.

“Silas and Matthew bring absolute top-class expertise, deep, first-hand experience in IPs from countries across Asia and funny, funny cartoon comedy,” said de Seve.

Baboon’s head of series, Joe Vitale, added: “Expect some extremely funny cartoons to come out of this partnership.

The new partnership venture, unveiled in Cannes this week, follows an earlier development deal struck between Custom Nuts and Banijay Group-owned Beyond Entertainment in February.

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