CARTOON creations of a former Cullingworth man are poised for worldwide fame.

Global broadcasting giant Netflix is this year screening the first two series featuring Chris Garbutt and his partner Rikke Asbjoern’s character Pinky Malinky.

And Netflix this week announced the pair were working on a pioneering new interactive children’s series for the channel.

Viewers in the as-yet-unnamed show will be able to choose between a cat or a dog who are searching for their owners in a world where all humans have disappeared.

Chris and Rikke, who teamed up while working in the cartoon industry in Europe, are now ‘Netflix creators’ based in Los Angeles.

Chris’s proud father Eric Garbutt this week said: “Comics have always been Chris’s thing, especially the Beano when he was a boy.”

Chris, born in 1976, spent much of his childhood creating comics with his brother.

Chris said: “My first 'job' drawing cartoons was a one-panel gag cartoon called 'Bob' for an internal monthly newspaper at my dad’s work while I was still at Parkside Middle School.”

Chris went on to study graphic arts and illustration at Leeds Metropolitan University, continuing to produce a comic with friends.

He said: “We sent it to our favourite creators around the world. I was fortunate to receive a reply from Bill Wray, an American artist/cartoonist who had worked on the Ren and Stimpy Show.

“He really liked my comic work and suggested I try storyboarding for animation. Up until then I'd not even considered working in animation.”

Soon after graduating, Chris and long-time friend and comics collaborator Dave Needham visited New York and Los Angeles to seek jobs with animation studios and build up contacts.

They were taken on by an LA agent, but had to return to UK where they began working in the animation industry in London.

Chris spent a couple of years working on a show in Paris, then eventually went to the USA in 2012 with his girlfriend and creative partner Rikke.

Chris said: “I've been working in the animation industry for about 20 years now in TV, features and commercials.

“I have enjoyed various roles from creating, executive-producing, show-running, producing, writing, directing and art directing, to storyboarding, character design and background design.

“I've worked for many studios including Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Aardman Animation.”

Chris’s projects have included the Mr Bean animated series and Cartoon Network hit The Amazing World of Gumball, as well as The Gorillaz, Fairly Odd Parents, Robotboy, and Stressed Eric.

Chris added: “Most recently I was the creator, executive producer, show-runner and art director of a new TV series I co-created with Rikke Asbjoern called Pinky Malinky at Nickelodeon in the US, which started airing on Netflix in 2019.”

Alongside animation Chris has also worked in the illustration industry for the past 20 years, working for household-name companies.

Two of his major projects were the redesign of the Silentnight logo for children’s beds and a new cover design for Macmillan's classic Just William stories.