January 1, 1970
The continuation of the "harrypotteriad", part two.
Unfortunately, a rather lighthearted episode. Just a gag. But I myself had a great deal of fun making this one, despite the winter, the war, the colds and the holidays..
Last time someone commented "schizo", clearly expecting me to take offense. But honestly, that's exactly what it is. "MaMS" is schizo. How else to be, in times when common sense, justice, the value of life and everything else that matters have been turned to nothing? Only joyful schizo will save you from crushing gloom and pessimism. All the music in the toon is a parody. I recommend turning on the subtitles.
With this toon, real karma happened. I didn't want to make part 4 of MaMS, but then BG unexpectedly showed up, bringing a song that seemed written specifically for this toon. In short, higher powers are watching over us and making sure the content stays quality... :) BG approved the toon despite the mild ribbing aimed at him.
A poetic ballad about the legendary ill-fated Cringe from the top of a snowy mountain, and about that intricate event which later the wisened historians will call the "Epochal Theft of Common Sense", which took place in the glorious city of Lopukhburg. All participants of the narrative are purely fictional and bear no relation to anyone whatsoever.
Under the toons about Ukraine and the war, trolls always wrote "What about Israel, too scared?". I always told them — don't egg me on, you'll be the first to not like it. But they wouldn't let up. Plus the patrons voted for the topic. And so — the Hanukkah Masyanya. My apologies for the passion for experimentation in the final song. This is an interpretation of the Hanukkah song "באנו חושך לגרש" which fits the theme perfectly.
I had already forgotten that ordinary humor once existed in ancient times, beyond the black kind. The last few years have been so filled with aggression that I'm not sure we'll ever return to simple humor (in the Russian language, that is). This toon is a traditional Masyanya New Year's greeting. What could possibly go wrong? :))
A parody of my all-time favorite Russian-language film — Kin-dza-dza!. Made with complete and utter respect for the original and absolutely zero respect for the idiots who have seized power in the largest countries.
This toon has no straight narrative. There is no story. No setup, no resolution. Me and the patrons decided a month ago to try and return, at least in some small part, to just plain funny toons, without (almost) any social weight, tragedy and sarcasm. We live in a war. Even in war, but mostly we live. This method of making toons was invented 20 years ago in the ep "Triangles" and everyone liked it back then. Basically the simple principle of a kaleidoscope.
This toon is a continuation of "Moments. Monday", naturally. Made in a somewhat unhinged manner, without linear narrative. More like mini-stories, mini-parodies: mini-ribbing, albeit a bit dark in places of course. These times — you can't go anywhere without Kharms. Basically the simple principle of a kaleidoscope, whose pieces assembled together create a general mood of living here and now... :)
The episode is dystopian again... What can you do? We're living through this mess together with the rest of the world... Democracy is a dying social experiment of the 20th century... isn't it?
Whatever crooked period of history we're in — that's the kind of crooked lopsided New Year's toon we get. In another time it would of course do as a proper New Year's greeting but that's the best I can do.. Krampus is the equivalent of the Devil (though the Christians gave him a supervisor). Also a mixing of the folkloric element with the war and modern reality.
Anyway, Happy New Year!
The toon is, on one hand, about what's happening right now in every company, and no matter what people are celebrating, whatever the occasion they've gathered for, the conversation always slides into the goddamn clown show of world politics. And furthermore, the toon is about how one person shouldn't be deciding "all by their lonesome" what concerns millions of people... it's stated outright in there. That's where all the trouble comes from.. :))
This whole stupid flare-up of dictatorships and clown politicians lately — it's the last dying convulsion of the state as such. As a structure. It's outliving itself as a machine of violence. Digital anarchy is the mother of order and freedom! :)))) A digital army of robots with lasers — the best defense against zombie-emperors and fanatics! People are not meat!
The subject, sadly, is no local quirk — it's a global one... Money! (cue the face from Cabaret). Quantum worldviews have infiltrated daily life, whether we like it or not. Fine, let them in — just as long as we hold it together somehow.
Oh, and the finale? Pure parody. Copyright — stand at ease!