The Ballad of Kyle T. MaGatt from Sam Holdren on Vimeo.

The subtitle of the above animated cartoon is “About a Deplorable Fellow in a Little Red Hat.” This cartoon by West Virginia expatriate, Sam Holdren, is very topical about the big thing in the news this year. It’s beautfully executed in the style of classic UPA cartoons, and it should be seen far and wide. Be advised that it may cause head exploding when viewed by members of a particularly pathetic political cult. This is a cautionary tale, and some people just can’t handle being cautioned. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Science and medicine should never be politicized, and it’s sad that we live in a time when cartoons like this are necessary.

Douglas Imbrogno, whom I mentioned in this blog just last Friday, posted an interview with Sam at WestVirginiaVille, and it’s a great read that delves into Sam’s history at WVSU as a student and teacher, and his work as a location scout in the motion picutre industry. Of course, he also talks about the creation of this cartoon.

Sam was the  writer, director, animator, voice artist, music composer, and sound editor for The Ballad of Kyle T. Magatt, and the film and all related images are copyright 2020 by Sam Holdren himself. It’s a shame that nobody has managed to hack into the signal for FOX News so they could run this during their prime-time propaganda programs. It might shake loose a few brains from the shackles of their red hats.