Gahan Wilson’s The Kid

Usually what happens is this: a cartoonist develops a unique style of writing and drawing, and they create their own universe that has its own sensibility- one with characters that could only exist in this place and come out of this person's mind; a logic that's all their own. The art style is instantly recognizable, …

Mr. and Mrs. is the Name

The great Fritz Freleng's proto-Looney Tunes work, like so many early cartoons, is pretty insane by today's standards. The fluid animation where no one ever seems to stand still, the whoops and zaniness and barely-contained sexuality... it's like cartoons were the place adults could examine their wilder, animalistic side in civilized company, while the rest …

Tord och Tord / Simhall (Bathhouse)

It's exciting when you discover a new filmmaker that has a truly fresh take on the world we live in, mostly because it doesn't happen that often- the older you get, the harder it is to be impressed by anything. Which is why Swedish animator Niki Lindroth von Bahr is such a delight- her short …

The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb

Very little is known about this amazing and moody stop-motion feature film that found itself on the shelves of the more esoteric video rental stores during the mid-90's, but The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is written, directed, shot and edited by someone named Dave Borthwick- and it's unlike anything you'll ever see. A mixture …

Le Roi et l’Oiseau (The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird)

"The King and the Bird" is the literal translation of this animated masterpiece by Paul Grimault, considered the greatest animated French film by some, and the greatest of any country ever by others. It has had many titles: The King and the Mockingbird, The King and Mr. Bird, Mr Bird to the Rescue and Adventures …

The Amazing Mr. Bickford

Frank Zappa's music is not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who can appreciate his compositions, the payoff is worth it- he always managed to combine his unique personality with a formalist desire to push musical boundaries and a rock musician's feel for a guttural, energetic delivery. Animator Bruce Bickford is his counterpart in …

Allegro Non Troppo

Debussy, Dvorak, Ravel, Sibelius, Stravinsky, and Vivaldi all get to see their masterpieces turned into bawdy, earthy satire in Allegro Non Troppo, Brono Bozzetto's very Italian sendup of Fantasia. That pretty much says it all; the great Maurizio Nichetti plays "the Animator" to a pretentious Conductor, a hack Producer and an orchestra full of Old …

Jekabs, Mimmi un Runajosie Suni (Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs)

Here's the thing about American animated children's films: they suck. They're all the same- Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, it doesn't matter- every single thing they crank out follows the same tired plots, the same generic "spunky" protagonists, the same watered-down hero's quest, the same, the same, the same. Whether it's 3D animation or hand-drawn 2D, whether …

Crusader Rabbit vs the Pirates

Before the great Rocky & Bullwinkle, creator Jay Ward started his TV career with the long-forgotten show, Crusader Rabbit, which also happens to be the first animated series in TV history. It's crude and rough, often seeming more like a narrated storyboard than a cartoon, but it's charming and clever, enough to keep the attention …

The Wizard of Speed and Time

It's hard to say how this film will be perceived by a modern audience- it's hokey, low-budget, geeky, dorky, and very, very 80's, full of "wah-wah" puns and overly ridiculous acting. It's also the most pure, heartfelt, and inspiring testament to making movie magic that I've ever seen, a truly 100% independent American production, written, …