Oct 6, 2023

Vincent Alexander's "Klickbait Kat" is the perfect blend of old-fashioned animation and modern humor.

Cartoon Brew contributor Vincent Alexander, also a talented animator, has posted his latest short, "Klickbait Kat," online. [The short was written, directed, and animated by Alexander, with voice acting by his sister Holly and a ragtime score by their father John.

Klickbait Cat proudly ridicules modern influencer culture, obliterating the fourth wall in the process. In a pathetic attempt to secure his online fame, the aspiring internet celebrity cat abandons the traditional cat-and-mouse game, choosing instead to interact directly with his audience.

The slapstick 2D animation, in the style of Tex Avery, is full of gags that are simultaneously familiar and fresh, and the animal cast of characters is goofy but easy to understand. The energetic lead cat is quarrelsome and deliberately violent, while the slow-moving mouse easily answers the cat's attacks.

The animation, visual gags, and soundtrack are rooted in a bygone era, but "Klickbait Kat" does not suffer too much from nostalgia, as some throwback shorts tend to do. Alexander's sense of humor is a perfect example of how artificial intelligence, ASMR, "Like! and subscriber-guzzling influencers, unintentional pranks, reaction videos, and annoying ads, and his clever mockery of modern trends feels utterly contemporary. It even sneaks in a cheeky "Rick Roll" Easter egg.