MadLab Animations

MadLab Animations is a French digital 2D animation studio based in Roubaix, Hauts-de-France. Founded in 2017 as a joint venture between Ankama Animations and Ellipsanime Productions, it provides animation fabrication for television series and feature films. Its work spans original animated properties and adaptations of comics and video game universes, primarily for children, young people and family audiences.

The studio occupies a specific role within its production partnerships. Ankama Animations and Ellipsanime Productions originate projects, oversee development and act as executive producers, while MadLab handles the technical production of animation. This arrangement brings multiple production disciplines together within a dedicated fabrication studio, supporting projects from preparatory visual work through final image assembly.

Production capabilities

MadLab's pipeline covers layout, digital background painting, character rigging, key animation, clean-up, digital ink and paint, and compositing. Its capabilities also include character and background design, storyboarding and animatics. The studio works with paperless digital methods and standardizes production primarily around Toon Boom Harmony, combining hand-drawn digital animation with puppet rigging and cut-out techniques.

Its services support both episodic schedules and feature-length productions. Background artwork, character animation and compositing form connected parts of its fabrication process, with post-production services extending to final color grading and rendering. The emphasis is on 2D production across the animation chain.

Selected work

The studio's credits include Abraca, the fantasy series based on an Ankama video game universe; Garfield Originals, a collection of short slapstick cartoons; and Kid Lucky, adapted from Achdé's comic-book spin-off of Lucky Luke. Its feature work includes animation fabrication for Princesse Dragon, directed by Anthony Roux and Jean-Jacques Denis.

MadLab also contributed animation services to Living with Dad, adapted from Nob's comic strip, and participated in the production of Wakfu Season 4 across Ankama's animation facilities. These projects place its work across broadcast television, digital viewing platforms and theatrical animation, with recurring connections to French and Franco-Belgian illustrated storytelling.