Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Canadian independent animation studio Mercury Filmworks has partnered with French Canadian animation house Stim Studio to co-produce the preschool animated television series Octicorn & Friends (52 x 11’), based on the Amazon Book of the Year “Hello, My Name is Octicorn” from debut authors Justin Lowe and Kevin Diller.
The series follows a half octopus, half unicorn named Octicorn as he explores friendship and feelings, and Octicorn is full of all kinds of big feelings. In every episode Octi and friends have an adventure that unearths an emotion that gets explored. No matter what they are experiencing, they can always count on each other… and cupcakes. There’s humor, heart, adventure, and occasionally sparkles as this series models coping skills in a fun, relatable, and entertaining.
“Felix and Jordan have established themselves as industry leaders in the world of CGI feature animation on some of the biggest blockbuster movies, and we are thrilled to join forces with their new company Stim Studio as co-producers on Octicorn & Friends,” commented Chantal Ling, Vice President, Original Series and Co-Productions, Mercury Filmworks. “We intend to stay true to the mission behind the Octicorn books that fans know and love, but we plan to deliver a fresh new style and feel to the series, bringing Octi to life as he continues to explore the nerves, stress, glee, delight and all feelings kids experience, as well as modeling different skills to give our young audience a toolkit to aid them in navigating these emotions.”
Jordan Soler, co-CEO, Stim Studio said, “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to partner with Mercury Filmworks on Octicorn & Friends. They are the ideal partners, and we have full confidence that their 2D animation experience and knowledge, combined with our 3D expertise, will result into something refreshing that resonates with kid’s emotions and feelings. We are thrilled to create something that has the potential to not only entertain but also connect with people on a deeper level and have a positive impact on children’s lives. Octicorn will help kids to process their emotions, better understand themselves and make them more confident fitting in with their peers, all with a touch of humor. We feel fortunate to be part of such a beautiful project and are eagerly looking forward to seeing the result of our collaboration.”
Whitney is a freelance writer focusing on VFX-driven fantasy film & TV as well as preschool animation.
