Childhood of a Circle

Archibald may not be recognizable as any animal that we know – he is something like a pointy nosed blue polar bear – but that doesn’t really matter. What is important is that he is lonely and bored. Even though he lives in a world where everything is provided he is still on his own.  Then, one day something strange happens – a circle arrives in his domain and as they say, things are never the same again.

This is something of a treat if you like your animation a little to the left (or perhaps a lot!) of Disney and its ilk.  Created by Kadavre Exquis it is wonderfully made, enigmatic, piece of animation.  Its look and feel is to be cherished as much as the story it tells.  All told, it’s simply wonderful.

Runaway

If you are like me, you keep hold of household appliances until they are not just virtually but really falling apart.  This is the case with the young man in this animation by Ringling students Emily Buchanan, Esther Parobek and Susan Yung.

His fridge, Chillie, is more like his best friend than a common household appliance consisting of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump.  One day Chillie’s handle falls off and he jumps to some conclusions about the consequences which force him in to a heart-breaking decision.

Mouse for Sale

Snickers is a sad little mouse. He has been waiting for someone to come in to the pet shop and buy him for as long as he can remember, but unfortunately for the poor little guy one thing stands in his way.  He has the most enormous pair of ears and children being children all he receives is ridicule and not the home for which he so longs.  Will Snickers ever see his wish fulfilled?

You will have to watch this charming animation by Wouter Bongaerts to find out (even though I know you already suspect it has a happy ending!).   Wouter created this animated short as his graduation film, during the last year of his animation studies degree at the Media and Design Academy in Genk, Belgium.

Bloom

A simple act of kindness can change a life forever. This may not be as cutting edge as some of the animations that we include on Kuriositas but the gooey feeling it gave us was something that we had to share!

It tells a simple story – of a woman living her own. Having quietly retreated in to her shell she is both alone and lonely but cannot break down the walls of her isolation.

However, all that is about to change when a kindly (and we suspect, quite potty as well!) neighbor gives her a small gift.  This charming animated short was made at San José State University by students of the Animation & Illustration department. 

Mr Sax

Glasgow is known as the city of art and music, with many talented musicians from around the world. Some musicians come from different worlds entirely.

Meet Mr Sax - a saxophone street musician from cartoon-land who's now living in central Scotland.  All seems more or less fine but there is just one thing missing. Mr Sax has no company, no lady toon to call his own.

However, that might all change soon – if he follows the clues.

Directed, animated and edited by Timur Tugalev, you can see the love that has gone in to this animated short. As a plus you can check out Mr Sax on Facebook, too – he has his own page there.

Really, Really Far from the Madding Crowd

Image Credit Flickr User Zanthia

If you need to get away from it all but you don’t fancy living in a cave then you may want to consider the island of Elliðaey in Iceland. As one of the Vestmannaeyjar (in English, the Westman Islands) in the South of Iceland it really doesn’t get much more isolated than this.

Image Credit Flickr User Zanthia

The island, sometimes known as Ellirey is small - .45 square kilometers to be exact but if you can get there it has a house where you can shelter from the elements. A wild guess about whether the house has internet access would probably lead to an answer in the negative.

Image Credit Wikimedia

The island is accessed via a rope on its lower east side – and you can only access the rope by boat. There are a few lonesome cattle for company on the island but your major source of company would be the thousands of sea birds that use it for a nesting site.

Image Credit Flickr User Ralphunden

The island is a volcanic crater and it was formed in a large eruption about five or six thousand years ago. Since that time Puffins have used it to dig their holes and to settle down to nest but the house itself was only built in 1954.

Image Credit Wikimedia

It is thought that the island derived its name from either a ship or, more likely, a local cave called Ellirey. Local folklore maintains that the cave was used by a local maid to hide from invaders and there she raised a child.

Image Credit Wikimedia

The island is owned by a collective – even though there were once rumours that it had been gifted to Icelandic singer Bjork for her contribution to raising the profile of Icelandic culture throughout the world. It is rented out to those who wish, like some faded movie star, to be alone.