Salad Fingers 10

[23 Daves]

The notorious "Salad Fingers" flash cartoon is back for a special ten-minute episode, and it really doesn't disappoint - it's the usual brilliant combination of pleasing wordplay, unsettling surreal horror, and attention to detail that makes it worth several watches. 

http://youtu.be/1kCVtPhFQNU

David Firth posted on Cookd and Bombd many moons ago to gauge our opinions on his stuff, and at that point (from memory) it wasn't quite so well-formed and he was given pretty short shrift.  Since then, "Salad Fingers" has probably become the best flash cartoon creation there is - the LOLrandom start to the series has given way to a unique world with its own particular consistencies and dreamlike absurdities that somehow mesh together beautifully.  It's pretentious (or at least misguided) to bring up Harold Pinter in most contexts, let alone cartoons, but for me that's what the slightly stretched, out-of-context cliches of the main character's language and the absurdities (delusions?) that surround him remind me of.  The horror and the terror isn't quite explained, and the viewer is left to try and join the dots his or herself. 

More to the point, the animation is now a hell of a lot more slick.

Any other fans?

[touchingcloth]

LOLrandom

That pretty much sums up my reaction whenever someone bring up Salad Fingers. It's been probably the best part of ten years since I last saw anything of it though, so I might give that a watch. Not now. Some time. If I can be arsed.

[23 Daves]

That pretty much sums up my reaction whenever someone bring up Salad Fingers. It's been probably the best part of ten years since I last saw anything of it though, so I might give that a watch. Not now. Some time. If I can be arsed.

I don't think it is anymore.  There's an orderly nature to the oddness now.  (For instance, I've only just worked out that

Spoiler alert

at the end of episode ten here he's hallucinating himself eat the corpse over the preceding days he was supposedly 'asleep'

[close]

.)

That's what keeps me hanging on in there - the parts of the stories that cause me to have Eureka moments days later.  Of course, some of the elements are just unpleasant delusions the main character is having.  But there's a lot going on, in the same way that there's more to "My Wrongs" than first meets the eye.

[Thomas]

I like it.

I messaged David Firth after watching this the other night, asking him whether he'd got all three series of Blue Jam, because I figured he'd like Blue Jam and only a CD of scraps is commercially available, and he said he has, and that it's been a big influence. Easy to see, really.

[23 Daves]

I like it.

I messaged David Firth after watching this the other night, asking him whether he'd got all three series of Blue Jam, because I figured he'd like Blue Jam and only a CD of scraps is commercially available, and he said he has, and that it's been a big influence. Easy to see, really.

Yep.  Chris Morris, Boards of Canada and Tim Burton always seem to be the combined influences to me. The post-apocalyptic feel to the whole series seems even more BoC now after "Tomorrow's Harvest".

[Phil_A]

I've found this series has gotten less wacky and more unsettling the longer it's gone on, and this seems to be continuing that trend. Not that that's a bad thing necessarily, but I think I did prefer the earlier, funnier ones.

I did like the reveal of the

Spoiler alert

horses stuffed in the draw and wardrobe, though.

[close]

[Natnar]

I did find the moment when

Spoiler alert

that doctor thing is hacking away at the horse and the horse sheads a tear

[close]

strangely moving.

[Thomas]

The post-apocalyptic feel to the whole series seems even more BoC now after "Tomorrow's Harvest".

I'm just watching this twenty minute thing about David Firth, he whips out Tomorrow's Harvest at one point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKEuc8xEBhQ

[The Duck Man]

Whatever happened to Devvo (aka, the demonisation of the working class)?

[Bored of Canada]

I'm just watching this twenty minute thing about David Firth, he whips out Tomorrow's Harvest at one point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKEuc8xEBhQ

You use that URL. I do not think it leads where you think it leads.

David Firth is great. I really like his stuff. Will have to check out the new one.

[Thomas]

Oh, uh, yeah. That was just me being creepy and spooky and Lynchian.

Here's the actual one -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARTupdJVW8

[BritishHobo]

Whatever happened to Devvo (aka, the demonisation of the working class)?

There's still a new video released every now and then.

Actually, I say that, but the last one seems to have been early 2012.

Was never sure what to think of Devvo. It didn't ever seem to play to that sort of chav-hating mentality, even if it was used by some to buy into that. IIRC, there's a load of videos of 'Devvo' at various festivals being treated like a celebrity (usually acting baffled as to how people know who he is).

[BritishHobo]

While I'm here, I came across this today, a video Firth made for Playboy's website a few years back but which they never actually used, and I think it might be my favourite thing I've seen of his. Eerie and beautiful without that 'weird for the sake of weird' sense that some people[nb]not me david firth, please be my best friend david firth[/nb] get from Salad Fingers.

Also for the festive season, here's the Christmas cartoon that Firth made for Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe but which wasn't ultimately included, for... obvious reasons. Firth says 'They didn't like it. Neither do I.' in the description.

And A Jerry Jackson Christmas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IApbWwdXewM Which was used.

[madhair60]

That Christmas cartoon should be insipid, but there's something about the delivery that just sets me off giggling every time.

"Mince pies, eh!?  THERE'D BETTER BE SOME LEFT!!"

"Saws are too difficult to use.  Be easier to use!"

"Yes.  I'll give you a whole pint of beer to drink."

[mbedd]

Any other fans?

Aye. Yes, I find it not at all lolrand, I don't see any desire for wacky random craziness in his stuff- it just seems to be about atmosphere and slightly off kilter situations- the sound/music is quite wonderful- way beyond the effort of the casual randomshitflashpurpledick maker. After your post I decided to catch up on all the stuff I missed (been too busy), and it was great to see his later stuff, so yes, and am indeed a fan. Thanks for reminding me
There's  a nice sinister undercurrent, and the illustration style is art based, rather than lazy, which is nice. Yes like him very much, so much thanks.

[Don_Preston]

I'd love to see him animate a scene from Malone Dies or another something. Him and Beckett seem to have similar approaches to comedy, horror and tragedy.

[momatt]

Wow, this new one is great.  Ideal for watching just before you go to sleep.  If you want horrible bed-wetting nightmares.

[BritishHobo]

Has anyone ever listened to Waller FM? It's the Fat Pie 'podcast', but it's closer to On The Hour than any other podcasts I've heard, ostensibly a fake radio station with different segments and characters written/improvised by Firth and Christian Pickup. It's not as bizarre as Firth's usual stuff, but it is actually fucking brilliant. First episode's here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRD2MpEUrpw

[BritishHobo]

This really needs more recognition. So many wonderful ideas in each one of these. It's clear there's a lot of work goes into each one, and they take a while to produce, for just two blokes on their own.

I don't want to spoil any of them, but I'm listening to episode 8, and choking with laughter at

Spoiler alert

the interview with a bystander doing Simpsons impressions to raise money for WallerFM, and then Colin and Craig's Wake-Up Calls.

[close]

I think "Saturday Matinee with Miligly Mafilibly Morgan and Ruskin Bear." has become my new favourite thing.

[KLG-7DD]

Here's an interview with him where he mainly just talks himself. Trigger warning: absolutely stuffed full of haircutted London media cunts, some of them labelled as comedians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARTupdJVW8

[BritishHobo]

Isn't that how interviews usually go?

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Here's an interview with him where he mainly just talks himself. Trigger warning: absolutely stuffed full of haircutted London media cunts, some of them labelled as comedians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARTupdJVW8

Ugh. The Firth talking heads are interesting, but That "Presender".

"You seemda be a vinyl parsan."

[23 Daves]

Ugh. The Firth talking heads are interesting, but That "Presender".

"You seemda be a vinyl parsan."

I didn't mind him, but that might be for the totally irrelevant reason that he looks exactly like the perpetually confused brother of a very good friend of mine (a lovely chap who would be genuinely bewildered by David Firth). 

David Firth goes down in my estimation for calling records "vinyls", though.  I know he's given the bait, but that's no excuse.

[momatt]

David Firth goes down in my estimation for calling records "vinyls", though.  I know he's given the bait, but that's no excuse.

Gah, fucking balls.