Laika, Adult Swim, And Indie Artists Lead Tiktok’s Animation Scene

@laikastudios

No one ever said animating was safe. ##fightlaikaanimator ##fightchallenge ##animation ##stopmotion ##laikastudios ##laikansathome ##fyp ##foryou

♬ original sound – laikastudios

Laika was an early adopter of Tiktok: it regularly uploads fun segments of animation and behind-the-scenes snippets to its channel. Adult Swim is another major player on the platform.

But the bulk of animation accounts come from independent artists, many of whom are finding fame on Tiktok. Submarine Channel’s article points to some of the best, including Tooty McNooty, an illustrator and animator with 4.1 million followers, and Trent Shy, who specializes in macabre clay animation pieces:

@trentshyclaymations

The Blue Claymation. A stop motion tribute to my favorite blue characters! ##stopmotion ##animation ##satisfying

♬ original sound – trentshyclaymations

While Tiktok has been growing fast for years, lockdowns have sent usage into the stratosphere. The company’s ambitions are growing, too: last month, it hired Kevin Mayer, the chief architect of Disney+, as its new CEO, sending a clear signal about its intentions to become a mainstream streaming platform.

Another of Mayer’s tasks will be to manage Tiktok’s reputational issues. The platform, which is widely used by minors, has been accused of violating child privacy laws in the U.S., and has come under fire for failing to remove toxic content. It is also the subject of perennial privacy and security fears, due to its Chinese ownership.

(Image at top: “The Blue Claymation” by Trent Shy.)