Sony & Bardel alum Rick Mischel acquires Yeti Farm, launches Artists Animation Studio

Rich Mischel (Source: Artists Animation Studio)

Veteran animation producer Rick Mischel has formed a Canadian studio after acquiring Pete The Cat and Hotel Transylvania: The Series firm Yeti Farm Creative Animation Studio.

Sony and Technicolor alum Mischel will serve as founder & CEO of Artists Animation Studio, which will be based in the former Yeti Farm facility in Kelowna, British Colombia.

Yeti Farm co-founder Todd Ramsay will join Artists Animation as head of animation, while fellow co-founder Ashley Ramsay will exit “to pursue new opportunities.”

Dan Christman also joins Artists Animation Studio as supervising producer, while Rachel Bepple has been named producer.

The new company will focus on 2D Harmony and hand-drawn animation services for adult and children’s series and film content, advertising, and digital content creation.

“Artists Animation Studio reflects my mission to deliver a full suite of animation services, driven by artists who are committed to creative excellence and client satisfaction,” said Mischel. “Todd and Ashley have built a top-tier animation studio, which provides us with a solid platform to further expand our service capabilities.”

With 30 years of experience in the animation industry, Mischel was CEO of Bardel Entertainment from 2018 – 2022, where he won an Emmy for his work on Rick And Morty. Prior to Bardel, he was SVP & GM of Sony Pictures Imageworks, where he launched the animation and VFX facility in Vancouver behind Hotel Transylvania, Smurfs and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.

He has also served as an executive producer at Sony Pictures Animation on titles including Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs and Hotel Transylvania: The Series.

Previously, Mischel has held several C-level positions, including EVP of Technicolor; CEO of Mainframe Entertainment; and president and COO of The Harvey Entertainment Company, home of such brands as Casper The Friendly Ghost and Richie Rich. Mischel also has produced independent feature films, including Suicide Kings and The Specials.