Monday Morning Smile: "Paperman"

In case you're one of the few who either didn't a) see Wreck-It Ralph or b) see the news of this a few days ago, Disney uploaded the full animated version of its Oscar-nominated short film Paperman on YouTube.  That means you're lucky enough to see the gorgeously-animated dialogue-free 6-minute short that originally aired prior to Wreck-It Ralph last fall for the first time.  I suppose there are things one could quibble about (must those characters' eyes still be so darn huge?), but as an example of storytelling (and melding of CGI and hand-drawn animation techniques), it's beautiful.

Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar®-nominated short, "Paperman." Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute.

Monday Morning Smile: Candela y Los Supremos - "El Desalojo del Piojo"

I've featured the work of Candela y Los Supremos here on the site before, but I will be honest that it is hard for me to get past the language barrier -- singing in nothing but Spanish (or perhaps Portugese) makes it difficult for me to properly evaluate.

The music is infectious pop, though, so I'm gonna post this video, the leadoff single from the band's brand new album Animaladas (out tomorrow, Oct. 16, in Spain, and a week later worldwide, I believe).  It's for the song, "El Desalojo del Piojo," which roughly translates to "The Eviction of the Louse."  That translation makes the constant hair-mussing of 7-year-old Candela make a lot more sense.

If you want to listen to more, PlayGround has you covered.

Candela y Los Supremos - "El Desalojo del Piojo" [YouTube]

Monday Morning Smile: I've Set Sail

OK.  Enough of the animated stories for the "Monday Morning Smile."  On to the animated videos.  This is from Zooglobble favorite Eric Power, who animated Toh Kay's cover of the Dan Potthast tune "I've Set Sail."  A sweet love song, appropriate for all ages.

Toh Kay - "I've Set Sail" [Vimeo]

Monday Morning Smile: Owl Know How

I was unaware of how owls actually made their way into the world.  I am indebted to Isobel Knowles and Cat Rabbit for setting me straight.  (For those of you needing proof in book form, the 2-minute movie is also available as a book.)

Monday Morning Smile: Mungge (Nid Scho Widr!)

"Nid Scho Widr," for those of you not living in Switzerland or up to speed on your Romansch, means "Not again!"  In this case, it's an expression suitable for the marmots and hedgehogs populating this stop-motion animation from this now-disbanded Owl Studios (a quartet of Swiss animation students).   Gotta say, though, those marmots and the hedghog all look a lot like Sid from the Ice Age movies.  Must be the eyes.

Monday Morning Smile: The Cats of Mars Meet the Toy Car

It has been awhile since I've posted a Monday Morning Smile, but, y'know, I only post them when I find something worth sharing.  This 8-minute animated short from Sweden's Jacob Stalhammar has been dubbed into English, but the sound and look is retro all over the world.  The outer space theme gives it a bit of a Halloween feel to me.  It's lots of fun for any age -- make it a part of your own next personal animation festival.