Mike Johnson (animator)

{{short description|American animator and film director}}

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Mike Johnson is an American stop motion animator who has worked on films such as James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas, short films such as an animation of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (used by Primus and Rednex for promotional videos for their covers of the song), and TV programmes such as The PJs. He is best known for directing Corpse Bride with Tim Burton; they were jointly nominated for the 2005 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He directed Ping Pong Rabbit, from a script by Peter Barsocchini.{{cite web|url=http://teaser-trailer.com/ping-pong-rabbit-movie-trailer/|title=Ping Pong Rabbit Movie Trailer|website=Teaser-Trailer.com|access-date=January 5, 2019}} The film was released by Mili Pictures Worldwide{{cite web|last= Frater|first=Patrick|title=CANNES: China's Mili Pictures Plays 'Ping Pong' At New LA Office|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/cannes-chinas-mili-pictures-plays-ping-pong-at-new-la-office-1201184479/|date=May 17, 2014|work=Variety|access-date=August 31, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/festivals/toronto/toronto-news/cmg-closes-toronto-deals-on-ping-pong-rabbit/5093008.article?referrer=RSS|title=CMG closes Toronto deals on 'Ping Pong Rabbit'|website=Screen Daily|last=Kay|first=Jeremy|date=September 13, 2015|access-date=January 5, 2019}} in 2017 in Turkey and 2019 in the United States. Johnson was also attached to direct Oz Wars, a CGI/Stop-motion hybrid film.{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/cool-stuff-oz-wars-tshirt/|title=Cool Stuff: Oz Wars T-Shirt|website=/Film|last=Sciretta|first=Peter|date=December 27, 2010|access-date=January 5, 2019}}

In 1996, he set up his own animation company, Fat Cactus Films. Johnson attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he majored in Film/Animation/Video. He currently teaches stop-motion at the California Institute of the Arts and University of California Los Angeles.