finding cain

It's the ultimate insect smackdown: eat or be eaten, served with a side of absurdity. The action kicks off with a cute cicada happily snacking on a worm. So far, so chill. Then, in swoops the villain, a ridiculously stunning and hungry orchid mantis. Drama! But before that fashionista can land a single blow, the flamboyant peacock spider crashes the party, looking to turn both of them into a two-course meal. This microscopic, high-stakes standoff is wild. Every bug is hamming it up with expressions so relatable, you forget they're just bugs—until that bizarre, out-of-nowhere sequence drops. It’s all based on the genius Chinese proverb: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." This short is a gorgeous, tense, and surprisingly funny reminder that you're never safe on the food chain. Seriously, go watch it—it’s an award winner for a reason.

In the 1930s, Universal's hits like Dracula and Frankenstein had everyone buzzing, and Walt Disney wanted a piece of that spooky action for his biggest star. The result was The Mad Doctor —a frantic, gothic horror show where Mickey Mouse has to brave a booby-trapped castle full of dancing, self-assembling skeletons to rescue his snatched dog, Pluto. It was the first time audiences saw a truly terrified Mickey. Not only did some theaters refuse to screen the short film, but the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) outright banned it, deeming it "too gruesome" for kids.

I like walking. It's really convenient and no fancy equipment is required. You can do it anywhere, anytime. It's also good for my heart and can somehow untangle the chaotic mess that is my brain. It's meditative, allowing my thoughts to flow freely and my anxieties to melt away. Whether it's a short stroll through your neighborhood or a long vigorous hike in the countryside, this TED-Ed video explains why walking is lauded as a cure for everything from boredom to slightly-too-tight jeans.

It’s now been fifty-eight years since Walt Disney died of lung cancer, and as a great way to remember his legacy is watch this short film he did in 1929. It’s truly impressive, and you can still see the impact he made on animation today.

This by Wendell Berry, whom I know nothing about. Beautiful. I can relate to it somehow. And of course I love the visuals by Charlotte Ager and Katy Wang.

I saw Akira on Betamax when I was a kid. Trust me, it was a pretty astonishing thing to see at the time. I've seen it five times. I still marvel.

Despite it being a little trippy, Wolfgang Petersen's The NeverEnding Story is still one of my favorite movies from my childhood. Now, thanks to Clay Along Creations, we have a cute, scaled-down version of Falkor the Luck Dragon. Be sure to check out all of Jessi's videos . I really like the brown owl, though her version of Sully from Monsters, Inc. is pretty amazing too.

My music taste can be regarded as anywhere from underground to mainstream. I wanted to feature Blueface's Traphouse , but I figured that a lot of people already knew about it and the video kinda messed up my brain. So here's a little less popular, more relaxing one. Enjoy!

During the heyday of MTV, when the channel actually stood for Music Television, there was an edgy animated sitcom called Beavis and Butt-Head . Created by Mike Judge, the show premiered in 1993 and featured a pair of teenage dimwits. They became pop culture icons, and the show spawned a big-screen spin-off. In 1997, after four years and 209 episodes, the original series went off the air. But Beavis and Butt-Head survived. There were reruns and a one-season revival back in 2011. Just recently, Judge signed a deal with Comedy Central to bring them back to television. Details of the new series are few right now but, according to The Hollywood Reporter , the King of the Hill director will write, produce and voice a reimagined version of the show for two seasons. "Beavis and Butt-Head were a defining voice of a generation, and we can't wait to watch as they navigate the treacherous waters of a world light-years from their own," said ViacomCBS' Chris McCarthy. Plus, ...

Here's the trippy visualization of Sun Ra Arkestra's Seductive Fantasy , which was done by Canadian artist Chad Van Gaalen. Sun Ra died back in 1993, but his legacy has been carried on by the group ever since. The members still tour and perform, but they haven't released a new album since 1999. Seductive Fantasy is a fresh take on a composition originally recorded in 1979, and the legendary jazz ensemble's first studio recording in over twenty years.

When I was a kid I thought Hanna Barbera was the woman behind The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo . Anyway, here's a 1961 video of Joseph Barbera and William Hanna explaining the process for making their beloved cartoons. I know this stuff is old, but it's too good not to share.

Cat Stevens' Tea for the Tillerman will turn 50 this year. To mark the occasion, the singer-songwriter released a video for his new take on Where Do the Children Play? It's the work of Black Dog Films, Jacknife and Chris Hopewell, who has directed for the likes of Radiohead, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and Blonde Redhead. WATCH: The stop-motion video was created using recycled, repurposed and up-cycled materials along with plastic debris recovered from the beach. Scroll down to see the amount of sheer labor it took to create this beautifully-animated music video. [h/t: Animation World Network ]

With everyone stuck inside their homes amid a global pandemic, people are naturally going to get bored. Many have spent hours binge-watching shows on Netflix. But what happens when you grow tired of that? How are you supposed to fill the time? I know a lot of people who have taken to gardening, baking, crochet, and trying to entertain their kids. The latter two, Toshio Suzuki can help with. The video above captures how the famed Studio Ghibli producer draws Totoro using a calligraphy pen. This seems like a fun way to keep kids and adults busy during quarantine. And afterwards, you could cap it off by watching My Neighbor Totoro together as a family.

Gica Tam is an illustrator and graphic designer born in New York and raised in Manila. Based on a figurative and contemporary style, she specializes in digital illustrations in beautiful and satisfying color palettes. When I stumbled upon her visual diary, I immediately fell in love with her art. I felt like I was transported into someone else's dream, not wanting to leave. But never mind what I have to say, the work speaks for itself. She graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Information Design from Ateneo de Manila University. During the past years, Gica has worked for brands and publishers such as Airbnb, Havaianas, Nike, Under Armour, Adobo Magazine, CNN Life, Summit Media, Young STAR, GRID Magazine, and Macmillan Publishers. If you're a fan, like I expect you should be, follow her on Instagram for more art and inspiration.

Some things don't need to make sense for you to enjoy them. That's how I feel while watching this music video for Alphabets Heaven's Comte . Directed, designed, and animated by Natalia Ryss , the video is intriguing, addicting, and an absolute mind-trip. Drop a tab, wait 15 minutes, and enjoy!

I really love Rune Spaans' CGI flicks, and I got so excited when I found out that he has a new short film up on Vimeo. Based on the work of Canadian comic artist Dave Cooper, The Absence of Eddy Table  is a twisted, unpredictable watch. I hope you love it as much as I do.

From Run-DMC to Beyoncé, to Muhammad Ali, and Stan Smith, adidas has been a fixture in pop culture for seven decades. In celebration of the brand's 70th anniversary, ad agency Opinionated and production company House Special created a 30-second diorama film paying tribute to some of the most iconic people to wear adidas Originals. View this post on Instagram A post shared by adidas Originals (@adidasoriginals) on Aug 18, 2019 at 11:50am PDT

Set to Julia Holter's This is a True Heart, Eagle Blue follows the story of a mother eagle looking to feed her young, but is lured into the town with the temptation of an easy meal.

Words of wisdom from Charles Bukowski. Beautifully animated by Daniele Gavatorta.

UNICEF recently released an animated video series designed to bring awareness to the young victims of the Syrian refugee crisis. Unfairy Tales chronicle three true stories of Syrian child refugees and the reasons behind why they fled their country. Malak and the Boat (embedded below) was the first video to debut, and it tells the traumatic experience of seven-year-old Malak while crossing the Mediterranean in a leaky boat. The second film, Ivine and Pillow , tells of Ivine, a 14-year old girl who survives bombings in her hometown and then settles into a German refugee camp. Mustafa Goes for a Walk , the third and final of the series, tells Mustafa's story of escaping Syria, leaving his friends, and even his toys, behind. The campaign was created by 180LA, with help from animation studios Gilles+Cecilie, Consulado, House of Colors and Bubba's Chop Shop.