“The Cats of Mars Meet the Toy Car” by Jacob StÃ¥lhammar

Swedish illustrator/animator Jacob StÃ¥lhammar created this modern children’s fable, with stylized art, limited animation and a stock music score, evoking vintage 1950s TV cartoons (Col. Bleep anyone?) – and that’s why I dig it.

StÃ¥lhammar wrote the basic story The Cats on Mars in 2004. With no clear plan to make a film, he then started compiling public domain music found in old commercials at the Prelinger Archives and taught himself gouache on cardboard techniques using information gleaned from John K.’s blog. The film opened at Göteborg International Film Festival 2010 and has played theatrically in Sweden.