Mike Judge is one of those artists.  Starting with a couple of lads who liked wacking frogs with baseball bats, Judge has not only carved out a name for himself as an animator.  He’s also directed a movie that’s become a cult favorite (Office Space) and adapted a character from Beavis and Butthead into a successful series actually aimed at families (King of the Hill).  He’s working in the field he loves and he’s incredibly successful at it.   

More importantly though, he’s worked to promote animation and animators in the public mind.  Judge knows how important outside help can be in getting started in the industry.  His very own career was given a huge boost thanks to the popular Spike and Mike Animation Festivals that toured in the early 1990s.   

Now Judge and fellow animator Don Hertzfeldt are working to do the same with their theatrical tours and DVD releases of The Animation Show.  Compiling animated shorts from directors around the world, The Animation Show has one mission:  To expose as many people as possible to some mind-bendingly cool art.  Volumes One and Two featured some insanely cool shorts.  While you may think Volume Three would begin to falter, that’s not the case.  If anything, this release may even be better. 

The Animation Show Volume Three collects seventeen shorts including an intro by Beavis and Butthead.  The animation is all outstanding but more importantly, the subject matter and sheer creativity on display will floor you.  These aren’t the funny little shorts you grew up with or even laughed at during those Spike and Mike festivals.  These are sometimes extremely twisted.

My favorite of the bunch is Run Wrake’s Rabbit.  It features art right out of a Dick and Jane reader but touches on greed, destructiveness and animal mutilation… in the best way of course.  Seriously, I watched this three times.  It’s fucking amazing. 

Gaëlle Denis’ City Paradise is a wonder of live action and animation that puts you in a London that’s not quite right.  Nieto’s Carlitopolis almost plays like a magic show and will have you questioning where reality ends and the computer effects begin.  Also, PES’ Game Over will bring back all those awesome memories of being a teen in the 80s at your local arcade. 

Not everything on here is mind-boggling.  Bill Plympton’s Guide Dog is predictiable but fun and while Hertzfeldt’s Everything Will Be Okay has its moments it goes on a little too long.  Even so, these are both still entertaining and their flaws only stand out because there are so many other amazing shorts surrounding them. 
 
 
Presentation  
The picture and sound both look amazing on this disc.  Specifically, shorts like Astronauts and City Paradise stand out on both counts.  The only short I had trouble hearing was the intro from Beavis and Butthead, but honestly there’s not much there to hear.  
 
Extras  
The Animation Show mission is not only to bring these shorts to a wider audience but also increase awareness about the artists themselves.  Included on this disc are interviews with Gaëlle Denis (City Paradise), Max Hattler (Collision) and Joanna Quinn (Dreams and Desires).  Additionally there are full transcripts of the interviews on the disc.  Other than that, you get an animatic from Tony Comely’s Abigail and a bit of MTV  marketing for MTV’s The Maxx.  

All in all, there’s a lot here for someone interested in learning more about each artist and what they’ve done outside of what’s included here. 

The Bottom Line  
The Animation Show Volume Three sits right up there with the first two volumes as far as quality and creativity.  As for recommending it, forget the animation part.  I would recommend it to anyone who loves art in general.  Seek out all three volumes and if you can find it in your neck of the woods, make it a point to check out The Animation Show 2008 theatrical tour.  It features all new animated shorts from around the world and I have no doubt it will be worth your while.