"When it comes to love, no one really has it good, especially stuffed alligators named Charlie."
In his posthumous autobiography, Richard Williams stated that this personal inside joke towards himself was supposed to be his final sendoff to the art of animation. After it became an unexpected success around the world, Williams went on to form his own animation studio and the rest is history.
With that all in mind, it's quite fascinating to see Williams pull off something more abstract and comical than the more luscious avant-garde animation he would become more well known for in the years following this cartoon's release. As much as I adore Williams' work as a whole, this short film sticks out so much because of how artistically unique it is from his overall filmography. Dick did choose to depict the two primary men in the short (Squidgy Bod & Thermus Fortitude) as his two sides: Dick the cartoonist and Dick the artist. Knowing that, one could interpret the film's admittedly silly message as demonstrating how complicated it is to find acceptance in the world, even if it means going against your own moral values.
Regardless of anyone's individual opinion on the short itself, there's no denying how significantly important it is to Williams' legacy. Had this short not gone anywhere, perhaps his artistic career would have truly gone in a different direction after all, which is too much to even think about. While the short might not be the finest work in Williams' repertoire, it is still worth acknowledging for its bitingly bleak commentary and charmingly abstract artistry (in addition to the amusingly dry narration by Kenneth Williams).
