T.V. Tango

I was blown away by the quality of the animation in TV TANGO. Martine Chartrand really did a terrific job, though I was very surprised how different the art work is here than in her other short BLACK SOUL. They were as different as night and day, though both were lovely to look at and show amazing skill. BLACK SOUL (completed almost a decade later) is made by using paint on glass and the result is like a living painting. Here with TV TANGO, the art is all very high quality work done with colored pencils. This makes it a bit like Bill Plympton's style, but with much fuller shading and a nicer overall look. When it comes to animation quality, this one is first-rate.

As far as the story goes, the message is that when kids watch television, they imitate the images they see. So the joys of playtime outside away from the set are emphasized, though I did find the message rather preachy and heavy-handed. Still, despite this, it's a must-see of those who like artistic animation--short films that are as much works of art as entertainment.