Andrew Kelleher, the creator of the animated series “Dog Judo,” is experiencing a creative resurgence following the project’s return to digital platforms more than twenty years after its original UK broadcast debut. Originally launched in 2006 by Virgin Mobile to promote camera phones, the series featured real dogs manipulated into comical, action-packed scenarios centered around two dysfunctional roommates: Roy, an avid judo practitioner, and Rexley, the resident prankster.
Speaking about the revival, Kelleher explained that the project initially began around 2004, capturing a dedicated niche audience and generating millions of views alongside appearances on Channel 4 and Adult Swim before the mainstream dominance of YouTube. The momentum to bring the series back materialized after a packed retrospective screening held at a London cinema, where the response from the crowd inspired the creative team to explore new avenues for the canine characters.
The Production Pivot to YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok
Production on the revived series ramped up when the team began publishing short weekly episodes across Instagram and TikTok earlier this year, eventually expanding to a new YouTube episode focusing on modern social media culture and the fictional canine influencer Brooks Rokkit. Maintaining a weekly output requires a streamlined workflow, according to the creator.
The core team consists of producer Dave Anderson and Kelleher himself handling the bulk of the animation. The production is also collaborating with animator Darren Walsh. Current episodes rely on simpler scripts and direct-to-camera formats featuring Roy to maintain a rapid production pace, with single shorts taking roughly one to two days from scriptwriting and voice recording to final assembly.
“A lot of talented animators have worked on the series over the years, and we’re about to collaborate with the legendary animation master Darren Walsh. Right now, we’re writing simple episodes that don’t need complex animation, which lets us turn them out quickly.”
Technical Innovations and the Animation Pipeline
The visual style of “Dog Judo” relies on a distinct mixed-media approach involving real photographic source material combined with digital layering. The production process begins with photographing real dogs and clothing items, which are then meticulously cut out in Photoshop and animated inside After Effects.
For the newer episodes, technical upgrades have significantly shortened render times and streamlined asset management. The newly introduced character Brooks Rokkit is modeled entirely in 3D and animated within After Effects, drawing supplementary elements from Blender and Photoshop through the application’s advanced 3D render engine.
“The new character, Brooks Rokkit, is fully 3D modeled and animated entirely in After Effects. Elements are pulled in from Blender and Photoshop, and everything gels together nicely with the new advanced 3D render engine. Shadows and usability get better with every update.”
Future Episodes and Creative Pipeline
Despite the constraints of time and budget, the production maintains a backlog of concepts, with at least three episodes in active preparation at any given time and a target output of two new releases per week. Kelleher expressed an ambition to expand into longer-form narratives if additional resources become available.
“We always have at least three episodes in the pipeline and we try to make at least two a week,” Kelleher stated. “I have hundreds of ideas written down and I want to make them all. We also have plenty of ideas for longer episodes. We genuinely want to make all of them. We just need many more hours in the day and some money would be nice.”
Fans can follow the latest releases and updates directly through the official “Dog Judo” channels on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as the production team continues its weekly release schedule.
Keep reading
