The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello, directed by Anthony Lucas and distributed by Monster Distributors, is a series of four voyages in which the “characters are animated in the style of Wayang (Indonesian shadow puppets) best described as silhouettes.”1 Below is the first voyage, titled “Jasper Morello and the Lost Airship”. Here is the description of the first voyage from the official Jasper Morello website:
“This Being the First Voyage of Jasper Morello, Aeronaut of the 3rd Royal Cartographers, and his Journal Recording of the Mysterous Predicament Involving the Lost Airship, Hieronymous.
Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his Plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself. The chance discovery of an abandoned dirigible leads Jasper through unchartered waters to an island on which lives a terrifying creature that may be the cure for the Plague. The journey back to civilization is filled with horrors but in a shocking climax, Jasper discovers that the greatest horror of all lies within man himself.”2
I should warn that this short animation is rather dark. So be forewarned.
This visually stunning film has won many honours, including being nominated for the 2005 Acadamy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
You can purchase the DVDs of the animated films by visiting the official Jasper Morello website.
I hope you enjoyed this post — stay tuned to CartoonAndAnimation.com for more interesting material related to cartoons and animation!
References
- The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasper_Morello Accessed October 31, 2009.
- The First Voyage – Jasper Morello and the Lost Airship http://www.jaspermorello.com/gazette/?page_id=12¤tSelection=4 Accessed October 31, 2009.
