Step inside the imaginative worlds of two creative powerhouses: Cat Johnston and Blinkink. Johnston’s folklore-inspired characters like The God of Insomnia and Flowerbeast reveal a deeply personal universe shaped by nature and memory, while award-winning studio Blinkink continues to redefine short-form storytelling with iconic creations for Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, Love, Death + Robots, and Names Will Be Made. Together, their work celebrates the artistry and boundless possibilities of character design and animation.
Blinkink
They know it like no others how to create characters that are unique, memorable, and unexpectedly charismatic. Blinkink is a world-class, award-winning production studio, champions of everything short-form. Don’t miss the chance to explore in detail some of their iconic characters for Becky & Joe’s Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, Love, Death + Robots – All Through the House, or BBC’s Names Will Be Made.
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is the wildly inventive British series from Blinkink directors Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling that was first released in 2011. Equal parts quirky kids’ show and mind-bending nightmare, this mixed-media hit jumps from playful pastiche to full-on fever-dream horror in an instant and has become a cult favourite amongst fans over the years.
In 2022, Blink partnered with Netflix to produce an episode for the Emmy-winning anthology series Love, Death + Robots in their second season. Directed by Elliot Dear, the stop-motion short All Through the House delivers a chilling twist on a classic holiday tale: two children sneak downstairs to catch a glimpse of Santa, only to encounter a terrifying surprise.
Names Will Be Made is an epic claymation film, directed by Blinkink director Nicos Livesey for the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros tournament. Crafted in collaboration with BBC Creative, the film celebrates the art of handcrafted stop-motion animation while also highlighting some of the legendary female football stars who took part in the championship.
Cat Johnston
Dive into the fascinating artistry of director, character designer, model maker and illustrator, Cat Johnston by taking a very close look at some of her exquisite creations. Spend some time with The God of Insomnia, Flowerbeast or The God of Eyes, among others, and see which paths your own creativity swill start wandering.
Cat Johnston has been in the industry for more than two decades and worked as a character designer for studios such as Aardman Animations and Passion Pictures. Aside of her work as a character designer she’s known for her work on multiple music videos for artists like Radiohead and Coldplay. Cat’s work is mostly influenced by folklore, nature and childhood memories which can be seen in her latest project, her first short film ‘The Wickywock and the JubJub Berry’.
