Lackadaisy

After years of suffering through the curse of Calarts animation and reboot after reboot, this was a breath of fresh air. The animation was like we use to expect from the big studios. I loved the small details that gave the world a sense of weight and presence. It is even more amazing when you consider the fact that this extraordinary pilot was made remotely and using non studio super computers. The computer truly is the great equalizer. We could be seeing a new age of small studio production!

I will not spoil the experience, but I will say that as a historic period piece buff I really enjoyed Lackadaisy. This story deserves to be green lit for a whole series and it should be given an award. If you like animation, cats, and the roaring 20's, it is a must watch.

In the mid 2000s, indie artist Tracy J. Butler created her own webcomic series known as Lackadaisy, a prohibition themed action comedy centered on anthropomorphic felines. Following solid success in the comic scene, Iron Circus Animation launched a glowing Kickstarter campaign to produce a cartoon pilot for a potential animated series adaptation. Co-written by Butler herself and released last month, the short film was released to huge responses from the public and it's safe to assume that as long as the love keeps growing, there will be a strong possibility for more adventures to come.

Set in St. Louis, Missouri in 1927, the film focuses on the rivalry between two bootlegging groups of cats who are trying to smuggle alcohol during Prohibition: the Lackadaisy speakeasy and Marigold gang. With the premise of a bitter feud occurring between two separate parties, Lackadaisy seamlessly establishes the stakes thanks to its simple yet charming set of characters. With the overly confident leader Rocky standing beside the timid albeit well intentioned sibling duo of Calvin and Ivy Pepper, one can feel the chemistry practically writing itself, partially thanks to the talents of voice actors Michael Kovach, Belsheber Rusape and Lisa Reimold. In contrast to the gang's hysterical banter, the serious threats from the Marigold Gang member Mordecai Heller and his bumbling sidekicks make for a lot of genuine intensity needed for the impoverished landscape set in stone. One can tell how bad things are going in St. Louis from how poorly run down the Lackadaisy speakeasy appears to be, and it looks as if the world could be further expanded if the filmmakers get the chance to do so.

Speaking of the world, if anyone deserves the most credit for bringing Butler's comic into the world of animation, it's hands down the team of over 160 artists. Considering the crew behind this worked on the feature across the world, the entire film miraculously looks as if it was all done in one house studio. On top of the character designs resembling the exaggerated qualities of a hand-drawn Disney film and the works of Don Bluth, the character animation appears to be a smooth blend of motion tweening and frame by frame work that suits the gritty art direction. In addition to the strong vocal cast and breathtaking action sequences, the animators were able to create some highly expressive acting in each given scene, further highlighted by a lot of impressive special effects compositing. No matter how sporadic certain moments in the film become, director and primary editor Fable Siegel makes sure to respect the viewer's lenses through clarity and precise focal points. It helps to allow the more slow paced dramatic scenes time to breathe in this near half hour effort.

So regardless of what happens to Iron Circus Animation's attempt at a Lackadaisy cartoon, there is no denying how much love and passion was put into it. While it is a little early to judge the work on its full merits beyond what we have gotten so far, anyone wishing to see fresh new material in the indie animation market should absolutely give this short film at least one watch to show any kind of support. Only time will tell if Tracy J. Butler's work will inspire both a potential series and more creatively driven content yet to come, but what we got for now is a nice appetizer in itself.

You might see my rating and think "A ten? That seems like your over praising it" to which I say "No I'm not over praising it, IT'S TRULY A MASTERPIECE OF AWESOMENESS!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The animation is BEAUTIFUL and the characters are shockingly well developed for a 27 minute short. Also the characters being cats, and not just people who look like cats, but actually have the mannerisms and personalty traits of them is amazing! Also another thing to love is the world that this creates, a rich, stylized world that I want to revisit again and again. And you will also want to revisit it multiple times once you have first laid your eyes upon it.

I suggest you watch this as soon as you have time to do so, you wont be disappointed! (unless you don't like cats, a 1920's time period or animation. But if that IS the case why are you even reading this?) I sincerely hope this gets picked up for a full series!

Lackadaisy can be found on youtube.

Based on the Tracey J. Butler 2006 web comic of the same name, Lackadaisy follows a group of bootlegger cats. Rocky, Ivy, and Freckle, (as to why they are cats I don't know, does it matter, no, are they adorable, yes, okay let's resume) in St. Louis, Missouri during the prohibition era working for a speakeasy, Lackadaisy, doing crimes for its owner Mitzi May. One night the cats are digging up a coffin full of whiskey located by the Mississippi River when they are chased by the rival Marigold Gang consisting of Mordecai Heller, Serafine, and Nicodeme. This synopsis doesn't fully encapsulate what there is to be wowed by with this short so let me give you the scoop.

The dynamics between all of the characters, mainly the trio, is beautifully and humorously written. Rocky Rickaby (voiced by Michael Kovach) is dramatic and manically insane with an affinity for theater and is the older cousin of Calvin "Freckle" McMurray (voiced by Belsheber Rusape), a seemingly shy and superstitious ginger who is revealed to have a more unhinged side when caught up in shootout with the rivals, and Ivy Pepper (voiced by Lisa Reimold) who is confident and tempermental, and is the love interest of Freckle. Mordecai Heller (voiced by SungWon Cho) is a cold calculated and sophisticated marksman who's kind of fed up with the more reckless style of the gangsters, Serafine and Nicodeme, he's been assigned with.

This short follows the same old cartoonish visual style of the webcomic, (think Animanics or Pinky and The Brain), but with the theatrics of an anime. The amount of work that has clearly gone into the animation is incredible and incredibly vibrant. I was quite refreshed to see something animated that understands it doesn't have to just appeal to children, but an older audience as well, plus shows clear and persistent stylization that felt on the same level of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

I was genuinely impressed by this short and hope for nothing, but the best for its creators and actors. This is a moving moment for animation and independent media, proving quality will always reign supreme over quantity and corporate slop. Overall I highly recommend this feature if you love animation and have a half hour to spare. I'm giving this 9/10, very well animated, shows an incredible amount of dedication within each frame. More animated films and TV shows need to take notes of every element that makes this short a masterpiece.

I'll keep this short and sweet, this is a ver good pilot. It managed to completely sell me on the characters, setting, and plot in under 30 minutes. I can't wait for the season to air. I've seen people complain that it's too short, but it's important to note that this is only the pilot episode.

I'd like to especially congratulate all the animators, it's incredible that artists were able to make something with so much passion weaved into it, in the pandemic! The voice acting is also unsurprisingly great. Amazing artistry all around!!

I highly encourage you watch it, it's full of love and it shows.