Video is Moving Pictures: “The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9″ by Jake Armstrong
Oh what a horrifying monster!
In the fine tradition of this here link blog, I’m going to point you elsewhere on the internets so that you may spend 5 minutes with a quality piece of animation. Please enjoy Jake Armstrong’s student project (created at the School of Visual Arts): “The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9″.
The source post on Cartoon Brew has a good accompanying text by Armstrong, explaining his influences and interpretations of the characters. I don’t want to spoil anything and am no authority on ‘toons, but here are the notes I made while watching:
– several of the motions, particularly the Spaceman getting dressed in the beginning, reminded me of the excellent Adventure Time with which you are hopefully familiar if we are friends;
– my first reading of the character designs, their weight and especially their limbs, screamed Octopus Pie, though Armstrong’s own list of influences for the ‘comic book feel’ very much does not include a webcomic;
– that said, I find the piece very fresh, and a fine example of the form… and my heart breaks around the 4:30 mark.