Adult Animation Revolution: Why ‘Unicorn Wars’ Should Be on Your Radar
by Tito W. James
Unicorn Wars is the latest film by Alberto Vázquez known for his surreal debut film Bird Boy: The Forgotten Children. Unicorn Wars is an anti-war film that pits a brainwashed group of teddy bears against a demonized herd of unicorns. The themes of fascism and religious zealotry have never been more timely.
Vázquez’ influences range from animation legends like Miyazaki and Mary Blair to underground cartoonists like Charles Burns and Daniel Clowes with a dash of stylized action shows like Samurai Jack. All of Vázquez’s inspirations combine into something totally unique and his films are as beautiful as they are disturbing.
We don’t get original, hand drawn, animated films for adults very often. That’s why fans of adult animation should support the Unicorn Wars during its theatrical release. Bird Boy was a strong debut film but had a very limited theatrical run. Bird Boy isn’t even talked about on the YouTube channels that specialize in finding obscure dark cartoons.
With Unicorn Wars Vázquez hopes to provoke a lasting emotion within his audience and advocate for animation as a medium that can tackle any subject matter. As a cheerleader for narratively driven adult animation I believe that Alberto Vázquez is the real deal and we should give Unicorn Wars our support when it comes out.
Unicorn Wars is slated to release in France this October.
