It’s no secret that the Internet is in love—scratch that, obsessed—with cat videos. From moody cats capturing our Monday morning grumps to derp-tastic delights eclipsing our own awkwardness, we Internet folk love to see our own humanity reflected in feline form. In a serene, surreal short called ‘The Cats of YouTube,' animator Richard Swarbrick captures a different side of the Internet cat video.Set to the ephemeral ‘Kirrilee’ by Empathy Test, Swarbrick and his animation team make even the most accident-prone cats seem pawsitively meowjestic. Whether skateboarding, cuddling, or being inexplicably drawn to boxes, every cat Swarbrick paints looks like a being worthy of ancient Egyptian prayers.
‘The Cats of YouTube’ is an intricate, watercolor stop-motion love letter to the feline species. These kinds of out-of-the-box stop-motion pieces are Swarbrick’s signature style. He is also responsible for a stirring tribute to Dr. Who and a tongue-in-cheek pocket change animation for the China Rats song N.O.M.O.N.E.Y.
Just when cat videos were beginning to get a bit stale, this re’fur’reshing look at the Internet’s first love is just what the doctor ordered.
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