The last few episodes of CBBC’s Pickle Storm have finally aired. If you’ve been tuning into CBBC lately, you might have spotted a very mischievous, very cute, and occasionally very gassy Warthoffle named Swumpy.
We are incredibly proud to share our work on Pickle Storm, the major fantasy-comedy series from Black Dog Television. The show follows young Pickle as she swaps her magical world of Kleftania for the slightly less magical town of Middlington—bringing her family pet, Swumpy, along for the ride.
The Ultimate “Maker-Performer” Collaboration This project was a dream, allowing our own Chris Barlow to wear multiple hats across both series:
- The Build: Chris was one of the core puppet fabricators at the legendary Millennium FX, focusing on the functional engineering and “puppet mechanics” that make Swumpy move so expressively. working alongside Sharna Rothwell, Adam Keenan, Lenny Sant, to bring Swumpy to life.
- The Performance: Chris didn’t just build him; he is him! As the lead puppeteer for Swumpy across all 20 episodes (and those brilliant Halloween and Christmas specials), Chris originated the character’s mischievous personality. with Beccy Henderson assisting for some eptisodes.
- The Direction: On set in Belfast, Chris served as Puppet Director and HOD Puppets, overseeing everything from performance training to ensuring Swumpy’s costumes and props were camera-ready. He also had a lot of input in swumpuies character and story arcs as the show was developed.
More Than Just a Warthoffle Keep your eyes peeled for a few other “Fuzzy” cameos! Chris also transformed into the Snow Gruff (with stunning makeup by KMFX) and plays Eek, the famously “dumb” sidekick in Series 2.
Working alongside a powerhouse cast—including Kassidi Roberts, Donna Preston, Inel Tomlinson, Cadence Williams, Philip Green, Mitra Djalili, Michael Condron, Toby Barnett-Jones and Justin Fletcher—has been a career highlight. It’s exactly the kind of project we love: high-energy, technically demanding, and full of heart.
Catch all episodes of Pickle Storm now on CBBC and BBC iPlayer!
Production Details:
Broadcast – Series 1– 2024 Series 2 – 2025
Channel CBBC
Episodes 20 (2 series)
Creators Dan Gaster, Will Ing and Paul Powell
Stars Kassidi Roberts, Donna Preston, Inel Tomlinson, Cadence Williams, Philip Green, Mitra Djalili, Michael Condron, Toby Barnett-Jones, Chris Barlow and Justin Fletcher
Writers Dan Gaster, Will Ing, Paul Powell, Tasha Dhanraj, Hannah George and Lucy Guy
Directors Céin McGillicuddy, Dez McCarthy, Louise Ní Fhiannachta and Eoin Cleland
Producer Raymond Lau
Company Black Dog Television
Fuzzy Lightbulb Role: Puppet Fabrication (Millennium FX), Puppet Direction (HOD), and Lead Puppeteer.
Character: Swumpy the Warthoffle (Voiced by Justin Fletcher).
Special Effects: Makeup FX by KMFX; Puppet Build by Millennium FX.