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Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup don't look a day over five, but they turn 20 years old today.

It’s hard to imagine that not so long ago the only way to watch animated shorts from around the world was to attend a screening of Spike and Mike. The touring festival played an important role in promoting and legitimizing independent animation during the Eighties and Nineties, but it has become an anachronism in the age of YouTube, Vimeo and the endless stream of animation content online.

There’s still something to be said for watching great animated shorts on the bigscreen and with an audience. In that spirit, Spike and Mike will be screening a “30th anniversary” program of shorts during the month of February and March at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego—La Jolla (700 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037).

The anniversary celebration is a bit late—this is actually the festival’s 36th year of existence—but who’s counting. The shorts that will be screened in the program include:

Pixels by Patrick Jean
Bunny by Chris Wedge
Creature Comforts by Nick Park
Loon by Jan Bitzer
For the Birds by Ralph Eggleston
Paths of Hate by Damian Nenow
The Big Snit by Richard Condie
Guard Dog by Bill Plymptom
Oktapodi by Julien Bocabeille, François-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier and Emud Mokhberi
The Saga of Bjorn by Benjamin J. Kousholt, Daniel D. Christensen, Mads Lundgaard Christensen, Jesper A. Jensen, Jonas K. Doctor, Steffen Lyhne, Pernille Ørum-Nielsen, Frederik Bjerre-Poulsen, and Jonas Georgakakis
Grasshoppers by Bruno Bozzetto
Animator vs. Animation by Alan Becker
The Deep by PES
Seed by Johnny Kelly
Bambi Meets Godzilla by Marv Newland
Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase by Joan Gratz

Of note, on February 9th and 10th, Simpsons director David Silverman will appear at the screenings in La Jolla to sign autographs, and on March 1st and 2nd, Wreck-It Ralph director Rich Moore will attend. Go HERE for showtimes and ticket info.