A HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN SIX GLASSES
Summary
I had the joy of working with Stylo Motion Design and Byron Creative to produce hundreds of graphics for Fox Nation’s new TV show, A History of the World in Six Glasses. The show, hosted by the legendary Dan Aykroyd, featured some of Hollywood’s greatest comedic actors—including Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon, George Wendt, and James Belushi—unraveling world history through six iconic beverages: beer, wine, spirits, tea, soda, and coffee.
Possibly one of Stylo’s biggest projects to date, our goal was to create something visually distinct. We drew inspiration from Terry Gilliam, Monty Python, and Horrible Histories, infusing the series with a quirky, offbeat energy. I worked closely with designer Áine O’Keeffe, whose hilarious collages perfectly captured the show’s wacky tone and added a fun, irreverent spin to history.
To enhance the comedic feel, I intentionally worked with a lower frame rate, mimicking the signature style of Terry Gilliam’s cut-out animations. The choppy, rough-edged look of the collages complemented the humor of the host and guests, making history feel both entertaining and visually dynamic.
It was a fantastic project to work on. It’s not often you get to animate St. Brigid throwing a “Brigid cross” as a ninja death star!
Client: FOX Nation
Studio: Stylo Motion Design / Byron Creative
Graphic Design: Aine O’Keeffe
Motion Design & Animation: Nathan Hughes, Louise Meagor, Andy Byron, Declan Boyle
Behind The Scenes:
Some of Aine’s storyboard/direction for the Beer episode.
From storyboard to animation:
A history of beer from Ancient Mesopotamia:
How the Romans used to make wine:
One of the many transitions used, this one was for the Beer episode:
The intro for “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” Coffee episode: