Bill Plympton's 'The Tune' is a wacky and mesmerising tale of a songwriter on a quest for a hit song.

"Discover the purity of perfection, not the perfection of purity."

If you don't know American cartoonist and animator Bill Plympton, well ... then you're in for quite a joy ride. And if you're familiar with his work, then it's a sheer pleasure to revisit his outlandish creativity. The Tune was Plympton's first animated feature, but the man was no stranger to animation, having produced a great deal of shorts before (which were often shown on MTV). In 1987, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short with Your Face. Plympton even went on to animate music videos for artists like Kanye West and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Incorporating earlier shorts - including The Wiseman (1991), Dig My Do (1990) and Tango Schmango (1990) - this self-funded feature follows the outrageous adventure of Del, a songwriter for the obnoxious Mr. Mega. Del also happens to be in love with his boss's secretary, Didi. If Del can't come up with a bona fide hit song in 47 minutes, then he's screwed according to Mega. His quest brings him to the wacky world of Flooby Nooby, where he just might learn to write songs from the heart.

Watching a Plympton-film is like discovering the power of a pencil for the very first time. Equally surreal and comical, his drawings are a testament to the infinity of imagination. "Don't you know, perspective is a myth", a character says to Del. Toying with perceptions and expectations, Plympton lets environments, characters and objects brilliantly morph until fantasy runs out (which is never). The Tune is a sweet musical, vividly brought to life with slapstick gags, grotesque character design, glorious nonsensical asides, and a cute romance.

This program screened as part of Kaboom Animation Festival 2023