I absolutely love animation as an art form. It provides a medium of story-telling only achievable through the skill and imagination of the artists, ultimately leading to the impossible manifesting itself in frames of sketches. Whether it’s for unrealistic challenges in a show like “Total Drama Island,” aquatic narratives like “Fish Hooks,” or mythical creatures in a story like “Gravity Falls,” animation has and always will bring to life the unthinkable.
One of my favorite hobbies is exploring the growing world of amateur animation, and one of my favorite finds is the YouTube channel “cuptoast,” operated by a sixteen-year-old artist that goes by the name of Crumb. Her animations typically feature her characteristic orange and black cat, or perhaps the box-mask inspired by said cat that she uses to protect her identity. I absolutely love all of her animations, but I’ve narrowed it down to three animations to dissect and analyze (and compliment endlessly). I would also like to mention that she animates by drawing with her finger on her iPad, and I find this absolutely insane as I can barely draw a coherent stick figure with a normal pencil and am also a (debatably) fully-functioning sixteen-year-old.
This animation tells the story of a cat pioneer: a true space cadet! This cat arrives on Mars to complete a mission from Earth with a smile on their face and visible excitement, and it’s clear that this is a vacation, not an expedition. However, our poor cat narrator watches as Earth explodes, leaving escape out of the question and survival in question.
One of Crumb’s biggest strengths is music choices. For this video specifically, Crumb utilizes a slightly sped up version of a song entitled “Cats On Mars,” so her inspiration tends to stem from the titles of the songs she chooses. The pace and rhythm of the song allows for a more cinematically framed approach to the progression of the story line, and the off-kilter accidentals of the backing song accurately depicts growing cabin fever. Her style is so consistently heartwarming in a way that contrasts nearly every theme surrounding the selected animation that leaves you wanting to see our poor space cadet safe on Earth with endless tuna cans.
This has to be one of my all-time favorite shorts I have ever seen in my entire life. I know I’m a hyperbolic gal, but let it be known that I am not being dramatic. “Cupid” recounts the modern tragedy of our protagonist cat getting their favorite baked good: a few chocolate-chip cookies— but alas! All three cookies are gone! The cat must learn to live with the loss of the light of their life with the support of their friend and cookie benefactor. To no avail, it seems! Sorrow consumes our resident cat friend in lieu of some cookies to snack on, and they find life unbearable— that is, the cookie-providing friend offers to buy some more!
There are many reasons why I am obsessed with this animation. One of them is the melodrama that couldn’t feel a smidge overdramatic in the moment, something I am very familiar with. Sure, the absence of cookies may not seem like the end of the world— until it is!
Another aspect that makes this video so addicting to me is her innate sense of timing in both plot progression and humor. I laughed out loud several times within the one minute length of this video, and the several people I have forced to watch Crumb’s animation find themselves letting a surprised chuckle slip out at the unexpectedly expressive face of the cat. This video is hilarious, and her song choice only bolsters that spur of the moment remorse that ultimately leaves the viewer feeling closure at the thought that this poor starved cat might get another shot at their cookie dreams. The melancholy tone of the song combined with her expert expressions make for an emotive journey, a love for a cookie-driven cat, and a hankering for some baked goods.
This animation depicts Crumb’s tumultuous relationship with being dependent on the internet to share and consume content with millions of unblinkingly anonymous eyes on you. Falling into the spotlight and under the inspection of numerous strangers is terrifying, and is certainly isolating for anyone— especially for someone as young as Crumb. Her usage of neons in tandem with the disarrayed synths at the splurge of blaring chords within the first forty seconds of the video creates an electrically-charged atmosphere, filled with palpable stress and terror.
It’s an interesting depiction of an uncontrollable perception of yourself in which you start to fear other people’s ability to see through the self-curated image people often attempt to perpetuate. Interacting with and consuming other people’s opinions can feel inescapable, and the ability to distance your own self-validation from the comments of others feels further and further out of reach.
Her illustration of an evilly escalating version of yourself is terrifying, and the choppy screams of Jack Stauber’s keen production match the inward protests of a self-imposed attempted escape from the watchful faceless eyes that the internet provides all too kindly. Crumb is a master of efficiently and carefully using specific frames that run accurately in the parallel flow of the music, often resulting in an engrossing animation that takes your breath away and makes you forget the reality outside of her bold lines and warm tones.
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Crumb is a rare talent, and her ability to mold her rounded and soft line work to the harsh and distressing topics she chooses to animate is uncanny. Her talent will take her far, but her skill and acute sense of timing will take her all the way. With a loveable personality and an excellent hand in situational comedy, Crumb is an inviting creator and has worked diligently to earn her deserved following.
You can check out more of her animations at her YouTube channel or her art streams at her Twitch, and she regularly posts on Twitter, Tik Tok, and Instagram.