Ronald McDonald is a psychotic killer on the loose in what appears to be bright and sunny suburban LA, and has taken Big Boy hostage. A team of foul-mouthed Michelin men cops are in fast pursuit, and in the fray, Planter’s Mr. Peanut, an innocent patron at a restaurant, gets caught in the cross-fire and the top of his peanut head is blown off. Another day in Logoland…

One of the lesser but raucously funny animated short films I caught last weekend in the film compilation 2010 Academy Awards – Nominated Animated-Short Films. A tremendous collection of ten films from around the world, demonstrating in anywhere from six to thirty minutes each, deft creativity in an animated environment.

What is particularly unique to these films, compared to much of the more hyped du moment animation (i.e. Avatar) is the sly and terse writing accompanying the graphics, delivering complete, other-wordly witty statements within minutes. For without the copy, the art would likely remain pretty, but vacant, i.e. style with no substance (my rub with the boom in neo-manga nowadays). Proving once again, you gotta first be well-read, and read well, to write well.

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