I love stick animations. You should too.
Last June 8th, I had an interview with an “independent multi-media company dedicated to producing comics and video games.”
To prepare for the interview, I started looking back on the art I made and those that inspired me to make them.
As I browsed through my art portfolio and stored artworks, I stumbled upon a couple of animations I used to create. They were stick animations. A couple of stickmen running around, punching the air, backfisting people, doing spin kicks, and all that.
I started to remember different pieces of my past that led me to being interested in animation and somehow, almost all my inspirations were stick animations.
I traced back everything and realized, stick animations were an integral part of the animation industry then and now. It inspired many artists in their youth to become artists that storyboard, draw, design, and animate many animations we see today.
Anyway, I just wanted to share with you a couple of websites, animations, and artists I rediscovered during my trip down memory lane.
Stickpage
Aside from Newgrounds and YouTube, Stickpage is one of the frontrunner websites that hosted and allowed animators to explore their talent.
I always remember checking out this website for new games, animations, or artists to look out for.
Some of the stick animations that stuck with me the most were the Castle Series and Flashdeck Animation’s Counter-Strike Stick Animations.
The Castle Series really blew my mind with the artist’s evolution in his skills, story writing, and art direction. The Counter-Strike Stick Animations were the first of the video game Stick parodies I had seen.
I remember finding games here as well such as Siftheads, Stick Figure Penalty, and Stick War. They were pretty fun, and some of there were actually lengthy even though they were “just Flash games.”
I guess you can’t underestimate the creativity of people.
Fluidanims
Ah, yes. Fluidanims. The website where I first created an account to actively participate in forums and the community.
In here, I found my personal GOAT of Stick Animations. Terkoiz.
Terkoiz’s Shock series and Rock Hard Gladiators (RHG) character Alfa (stylized as FLLFFL) were the animations I always looked forward to. His entries to the Doors Series were also amazing and I honestly wish I could see more of his works.
Speaking of Rock Hard Gladiators, Fluidanims had the Rock Hard Gladiator Battles where animators had their original characters (named Rock Hard Gladiators) fight against one another. This was, in many ways, an outlet for their talent, creative expression, and imaginative storyboarding.
Not everyone went with the same way of animation, Hyun was a bit traditional, Tentionmaru was Goku inspired in visuals and sound effects, Gildedguy was cute and cartoonish, and The French was a highly stylized animator mixing 2D with 3D animation.
You can actually find some more RHG gladiators here.
There are so many more animators I wish I could see now such as Drifts, Nhazul, and EndosTV. Luckily, there are still active ones like Jomm, Miccool, Ehlboy, Stone, and Cozen.
Anyway, new animators came popping up as time went by.
I remember seeing Guzzu. He already had tons of skill and talent way back, and now he’s contributed his artistic knowledge to certain media you might know like Boruto, Castlevania, and Valorant.
I also remember Resh popping up and immediately (I think? My memory isn’t perfect) challenging Terkoiz in a battle. I think he won that, and my salty butt couldn’t handle my idol losing.
Not everything in the animation community was fun and good. There were some issues and hiccups that showed up here and there. One, in particular, was animators having unlikeable attitudes.
Fortunately, these complaint posts were usually followed up by a post or message from the “problematic” animator confessing their shortsightedness, accepting their flaws, and apologizing to their peers.
It was deeply refreshing to see that the community was not only trying to let people have a platform to express themselves but also actively trying to build each other up in one way or another.
It was not just about the raw skills and talent as an artist or animator, it was also about having the character for giving and taking criticisms and then becoming better from it.
Hyuns Dojo
Finally, yes, the article is about to end. I am sorry it is so long.
Hyuns Dojo was the next “era” in the stick animation industry after Fluidanims (skipping the part where Stickpage absorbed Fluidanims, but that’s whatever).
Unfortunately, by the time Hyuns Dojo became a thing, I started to lose interest in animation. I started studying Political Science and I felt really bad that I won’t be able to do animations for a living.
I soon realized in my early college years that pursuing animation was not going to be worth it for me, at least not at that time. I did not have the space, time, energy, resources, and drive to do so.
Sadly, I don’t think I provide you with a fair overview of what Hyuns Dojo was able to bring to the animation community.
All I know is that they were able to achieve great things such as connecting with Riot Games, expanding the scope of featured animation styles, and continuing to provide space for starting animators to develop their character and talent.
That’s pretty much what I know from Hyun’s Dojo.
I love it.
I just love animations. I love stick animations. I still animate stick men fighting one another every now and then. I truly wish I could’ve continued to make it a full-time thing.
Postscript
I actually found my account and several of my animations again. My username was Dease, and I think I have around five or so animations both finished and unfinished uploaded.
Also, here are some of my favorite stick animations ever:
FLLFFL versus Drifts (RHG), honestly, any animation by Terkoiz is perfect.
Moving Slowly by bepler, not really a stick animation but whatever dude.
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