You may be one of the many Rick and Morty fans in Kelowna, but did you know some of the show’s animation work is actually done here?
Well, it is, as much of the show’s animation is done by Bardel Entertainment Inc.’s Vancouver and Kelowna studios.
Heading up that work is Nathan Litz, who’s based out of Vancouver, and on the weekend he was recognized for his hard work.
Rick and Morty won its first Emmy on Saturday for Outstanding Animated Program, beating out other nominees like The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers and South Park.
Now we’re mainstream SELL OUTS! Jk. This is cool though. Forgot to thank you @theweeknd pic.twitter.com/G8OfzEDCAr
— Justin Roiland (@JustinRoiland) September 9, 2018
The specific episode that won them the award is the popular “Pickle Rick” episode from season three, which Litz was the animation director for.
“This is really a huge honour for me, and it was quite a surprise,” Bardel said about the award.
“I didn’t think I’d ever get to a point where my work would be recognized to this degree since animation is such a ‘behind the curtain’ kind of job.”
The “Pickle Rick” episode is a favourite of one of the show’s creators, Dan Harmon, and quickly became a fan favourite as well.
In the episode, Rick turns himself into a pickle while the rest of the family attends a family therapy session.
When Rick’s plan to turn himself back into a human is foiled, he has to battle an army of sewer rats and take down a dark agency to stay alive, all of it during the therapy session.
In a question and answer posted to the Bardel website, Litz was quick to recognize the animators who work in Kelowna when talking about all the show’s animation contributors.
“Most are in Vancouver and LA, but we’ve got some fine folks in Kelowna, Quebec and all over the globe that are integral to making this show what it is,” he said, “so if we win this award it’s on your hard work and dedication.”
Bardel Entertainment’s Kelowna office is located at the foot of Lawrence Street, near City Park.
