Shorts SHORT Review: Get A Job

Get A Job

Brad Caslor
Directed, Animated, Produced, Written, Backgrounds
Jay Brazeau
Music and Written 
Al Simmons
Bob Dog
National Film Board (NFB)
Produced and Distributed

This Canadian short was made in 1985, it's relevant to a lot of the post-college crowd, though this was made more than 30 years ago. It's interesting how the mind of an artist perceives life and the experience of being one within a system that doesn't hirer those with the skills to do said job. Like the short shows the main character, Bob Dog, is an anthropomorphic dog that wants to work. A lot of the places in his City have signs for said employment, but don't take him up on the offer that he'll be loyal and trained to preform that action within the best of his abilities. With a montage of the most beautiful, fluid, and bouncy animation Bob Dog heads back home to try a new plan for getting a job. Resume in hand, and dressing the part, he's hitting the pavement with a new attitude toward finding a paycheck at the end of the rainbow/triathlon of interviews.

Tea asks her Uncle Professor Steeping for his advice on her resume.

That's the one side of the mini-movie I like, its dark tone, it shows him within a nightmare world. A place of empty slots to fill, but he's not the coin for the trick. It's a surreal thing, though the music lightens the mood of the over all fraction feature. While still keeping the pace of the horrors of how getting a job can feel like, or at the very least how the interview portion can take a toll on one's self-esteem. Though just wanting to find work isn't enough, but having positivity and preservation is helpful to finding any job.

The style of the short reminds me of Bob Clampett and Milton Knight, here and there I can see a lot of Ralph Bakshi in the mix. With such amazing influences and contemporary inspirations the film took seven years to complete. The song that inspired the film and the title was Get a Job by the Silhouettes (1956), which inspired a lot of other doo-wop singers and groups. Get A Job, the animation, received Best Animated Short at the 8th Genie Awards, Canadian Screen Awards (Les prix Écrans canadiens) for Television & Film.

Gom getting into TV a little too much, take a step away from the set little automaton.

In short, this was a stunning animation and a wonderful musical festival to celebrate the turmoil and challenges of getting employment. The designs and acting were spot on or over the top giving the fraction feature a dream quality, a stress dream, but still something that we've all had once or twice in a life time. Well worth the ten minutes and change to see this, especially if you need a little encouragement to get a job.


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Keep well and Stay well.

Astro Boy: Film VS Cartoon

At the beginning of this month was the birth of the greatest man to Animation and Manga, Osamu Tezuka. With celebration of this amazing individual we'll take a look at his creation the Mighty Atom or better known in America Astro Boy. As any great artist and proud father of their work he's taken parodies and had his creations interpreted by others in different ways. Imagi Animation Studios has taken on productions with established fans and continuity before like the TMNT movie. Though the difference between Astro Boy and TMNT is the obvious starting point for each film. TMNT went from where the director and writer thought the natural direction of the series would go from the point that they had interest, the character's all established from other media and the original plot not too out of place for the world that the Turtles are accustom to live within. Then there's Astro Boy, the production company has my attention, since I really like the character and the lore and I'm interested in seeing from what point they'll be introducing the character. To my disappointment it's from the beginning, I'm not a fan of origin stories, though there has been exceptions to the rule, this was not one of them. Though the original cartoon series did an origin story too, following the manga, the main difference was their focus wasn't on the creation of the character, but the creation of the hero. I'll break into this further, in a different article, for now we're going on a comparison journey through Astro Boy; past and present.

Interview with Frank Gibson for Muscle Temple

Salutations kith and welcome Mister Frank Gibson! I am Mr. Forte, as you know your host for the event presented before you. It's always a pleasure to have fellow wanderers of the weird world of wresting and writing. As any writer you know the rules for these bouts of the mind as we wrestle our thoughts and settle this skirmish and consultation. Though before we draw our verbal sabers and draw lines in the sand, let's reveal some ghosts of the past.

You might know Mr. Gibson and his Fiancée Ms. Becky Dreistadt from their Webcomic Tiny Kitten Teeth as I did when I followed their adventures straight to MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art), where we all met for the first time. This was back when they were traveling from New Zealand to the States, it was an impressive journey for a small press convention. From this point on both members of this team have been a welcomed and friendly face for all conventions. Though you might know their work best from the comic and cartoon Bee & PuppyCat from Cartoon Hangover. Today we'll be talking about our passion for wrestling, wrestlers, and the anthology comic that's being printed titled Muscle Temple. Before we truly start I want to give a statement, thank you. Thank you for having this conversation with me today and for creating amazing forms of art through words and speech. I'm indebted to your stimulation of art, comics, and animation, again thank you for this interview.

Interview: Meredith Nolan

Hey, Hello kith and welcome Ms. Nolan, Meredith Nolan! As always I am Mr. Forte your host for these interviews and there was totally no form of dark magic nor corrupt science used to persuade you to this location to talk about your career and details of your life. Most would know you from your two award winning animations, though you also have a webcomic that's currently being updated as we speak. We knew each other way back in our first year at SVA, back when crying wasn't in baseball, though there was plenty in animation.

A theme that seems to pop into both our work is the noir, mystery stories about protagonists taking on personal complications. Pulp heroes diving into the world with only a guiding thought and a direction to follow, in a way it reflects the path that all artists take. Though our conversations through the years have diverged and followed the absurd on many occasions as well as dour. Walking with the undead has to be a high point in my life, I'm glad you joined me within this yearly journey through the City. Before we initiate the interrogation, conference, dialogue, yeah, dialogue, I'd like to thank you for your support and agreeing to this interview. It means a lot to me that you gave your time and the readers your words to treasure and inspire, your support is invaluable, again thank you.