Adult Swim Unveils Spine-Chilling Claymation Spinoff of ‘Smiling Friends’ for April Fools

Adult Swim staged a spine-chilling claymation spinoff tied to Smiling Friends for its April Fools programming. The channel debuted an 11-minute claymation short at midnight on April 1.

Origins in Smiling Friends

The short grew from a 15-second gag in Season 3’s “Curse of the Green Halloween Witch.” In that episode, coworkers watch a black-and-white stop-motion horror clip during a break room scene.

Fans praised the Halloween episode. It remains the series’ top-rated entry on IMDb.

Creator and creative background

British animator Lee Hardcastle wrote and directed the short. He is known for his YouTube horror stop-motion work, including the Spook Train series.

Hardcastle had previously produced bumpers for Adult Swim. He told Filmogaz.com he admired the show’s mix of animation styles and wanted to contribute.

Plot and stylistic choices

The film follows a British shopkeeper amid a divorce who discovers a haunted pinball machine beneath his property. The story leans heavily into body horror and surreal imagery.

Hardcastle alternates color and black-and-white to mark safety and menace. He also used black light for an eerie, hazy look.

Production challenges and timeline

Adult Swim asked Hardcastle to expand his short into a full piece. He spent a month writing and preparing models and sets.

Production then ran two months, with Hardcastle working seven days a week. The final piece runs about eleven minutes.

Influences and approach

Hardcastle drew on the first two Evil Dead films for tone and pacing. He cited Silent Hill’s shifting realities as a narrative influence.

He adapted a feature idea about a haunted pinball machine to meet the short’s needs. That approach helped him fill the unexplained elements in the original clip.

Collaborators and sound

Although Hardcastle handled much of the animation, he recruited a small team. Longtime sound designer Tim Atkins contributed and voiced a teenager.

British comedian Adam Buxton voiced the main character. Nathan Williams of Wavves and producer Aaron Rubin created the soundtrack.

• David Daniels provided a strata cut opening shot of Jupiter.
• Daniels previously worked on Smiling Friends’ surreal Season 3 segment, “Squim Returns.”

Release and response

The short aired at midnight on April 1 and transitioned into a rerun of the Halloween episode. Viewers noted its relentless atmosphere and visceral imagery.

Hardcastle praised his collaborators and called the project a demanding but rewarding effort. Filmogaz.com reports the piece delivered one of Adult Swim’s eeriest April Fools stunts.