Animations, especially short animations, are rarely dissected and analysed the same way your Kubrick and Coen Brothers creations are, this is likely because people will take what they see on the internet at face value before moving on to cats running from cucumbers. David Firth has been creating animated videos on the internet for over ten years, he has been laying dormant for over a year - and now seems like the perfect time to bring attention to some of the masterpieces he has created. You will likely have heard of ‘Salad Fingers’ the notorious videos that will have circulated around your school, Firth's long running series that exploded on the early internet and his most popular creation by far in terms of broad appeal. His hiatus has been worrying with the promise of a new project named ‘Meadow Man’, his fans have been patiently waiting for his magnum opus to erupt onto the internet and restore him to his former glory.
The majority of his creations are dark, depressing and disturbing, this is their initial sticking point as they appeal to the aspect of the human mind that finds pleasure in the unknown, much like dreams. Dreams were Firth's inspirations for his ‘sock’ series which featured five completely different videos, inspired by his own dreams finishing with ‘Sock Five, Three Skins Without Men’. This is, to me, the greatest animated video I have ever seen, it combines a unique animation style with British towns with a disjointed narrative and obscure characters that make absolutely no sense; from description these seem incompatible but they are blended in such a way that a ten minute video transcends your expectations and becomes a masterpiece. I would attempt to describe the ‘story’ but that would negate away from the experience of the video, upon watching you become transported to a world where you’re feeling the same catharsis that you did when you first watched 'Salad Fingers'. A final note on 'Three Skins Without Men' is the score, it is superbly melancholic, perhaps not what you may expect, but when the credits roll across your screen you will sit there mesmerised by its simple tones echoing around your room; and as you contemplate what you just watched, it will add a whole new dynamic to your experience. An experience is the perfect way to describe any of David Firth's creations, you may not understand it but you appreciate it regardless.
The majority of his creations are dark, depressing and disturbing, this is their initial sticking point as they appeal to the aspect of the human mind that finds pleasure in the unknown, much like dreams. Dreams were Firth's inspirations for his ‘sock’ series which featured five completely different videos, inspired by his own dreams finishing with ‘Sock Five, Three Skins Without Men’. This is, to me, the greatest animated video I have ever seen, it combines a unique animation style with British towns with a disjointed narrative and obscure characters that make absolutely no sense; from description these seem incompatible but they are blended in such a way that a ten minute video transcends your expectations and becomes a masterpiece. I would attempt to describe the ‘story’ but that would negate away from the experience of the video, upon watching you become transported to a world where you’re feeling the same catharsis that you did when you first watched 'Salad Fingers'. A final note on 'Three Skins Without Men' is the score, it is superbly melancholic, perhaps not what you may expect, but when the credits roll across your screen you will sit there mesmerised by its simple tones echoing around your room; and as you contemplate what you just watched, it will add a whole new dynamic to your experience. An experience is the perfect way to describe any of David Firth's creations, you may not understand it but you appreciate it regardless.
'Spoilsbury Toast Boy' is the second creation I feel needs to be watched, spread over three different episodes meant to be watched backwards, it involves a young boy who is under the control of large beetles manipulating him and his life. The animation style is far more simple and child-like as 'Three Skins Without Men' is, and it makes relatively more sense than that video, the story follows the young Toast Boy as his life is controlled by the beetles leading to the climax with the beetle doctors. Something that can be noticed by watching 'Salad Fingers', or any Firth video, is mental illness undertones linked to schizophrenia as well as apocalyptic themes; in this sense these two series are very similar, the beetles can easily be linked to mental illness and the hallucinations a mentally ill person may experience. The main purpose of this article is to accentuate that there are some real gems on YouTube and to give David Firth's work the attention it definitely deserves. Watch some of his videos here to become enlightened by the beauty of this truly great man’s work.