Each year since the launch of AWNtv, I've put together a collection of web toons that must be seen. With the growing influence of YouTube, more and more short animation is finding audiences around the globe. Some are blowing up and becoming viral hits. This year's edition will focus on the top ten submissions to AWNtv over the course of 2009. These are some of the toons from our filmmakers that we think deserve to be seen by a greater audience. Please enjoy. If you like them send the link to friends, and share your thoughts with us and the filmmakers.

10) Ropper Dapper - Sasha Svirsky
From its ink block style to its limited animation, simplicity is used to great affect to tell this visually interesting tale of a man's fight through the streets in search of alcohol. Svirsky shows great attention to bringing all the elements of filmmaking, from design to music to pacing, together in a cohesive style that perfectly matches the quirky story being told.

 

 

 

9) WinterHunt - Amit Tishler
Tishler's ironic tale of a hunter who ends up needing help from his prey is an example of what the web allows filmmakers to do. It's violent and bloody. But Tishler isn't gratuitous because he has the patience to tell a story. The timing is impeccable and the twists are nicely handled. The film also has the freedom to do what animation can do best — be surreal.

 

 

 

8) Breathe - Stephane Hamache
This CG music video for the band Mickey 3D is practically all set up for its poignant conclusion. For a three-minute short, the film shows how you can make a statement in a short period of time. Hamache does one particularly smart move by hinting at the conclusion without giving it away. By doing so, the narrative builds suspense and the twist doesn't seem to be tacked on. Also, the 2D CG look makes the film stick out style-wise and the video proves that a good visual narrative can transcend language barriers.

 

 

7) County Ghost - Episode 1 - Mike Geiger
AWNtv received four episodes of Geiger's wonderful classic-styled cartoon series, each of which is of equal quality. This Looney Tunes-inspired 2D cartoon finds a moonshiner blasting away at a ghost in his house. The premise is simply and sets up a series of wonderfully executed gags. This is a great example of how timing is so essential to humor in animation. The gags are no different than those in a Bugs Bunny cartoon, but they still make you laugh. Geiger's great design style only makes the animation all the more sweeter.

 

 

6) Time to Harvest - William Patrick, Pat Jandro & Drew Mueller
When I first saw this CG student short, the first thing that caught my attention was the style. It combines 3D characters in a cel-shaded 2D world effectively. The second thing that struck me was how Patrick, Jandro and Mueller set up their simple story and used the elements of that story throughout the film for laughs. With any film, the ending is crucial, but it's more important in a short film, because there is so much less the audience has to take away with them. This film has some steady well-timed laughs throughout and closes with an unexpected twist that brings the story full circle.