Simon's Cat
| Simon's Cat | |
|---|---|
|
The front cover of the Simon's Cat book. | |
| Genre | physical comedy, slapstick, sitcom |
| Created by | Simon Tofield |
| Developed by | Simon's Cat Ltd. |
| Directed by | Simon Tofield |
| Voices of | Simon Tofield |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 60 |
| Production | |
| Running time | Varies, usually 1–3 minutes per episode |
| Production company(s) | Simon's Cat Ltd.,Tandem Films, ChannelFlip |
| Distributor | YouTube |
| Release | |
| Original network |
YouTube |
| Picture format | 1080p 16:9 HDTV |
| Original release | 4 March 2008 – Present |
| External links | |
| Website |
www |
Simon's Cat is an animated cartoon and book series by the British animator Simon Tofield featuring a hungry house cat who uses increasingly heavy-handed tactics to get his owner to feed him.
In January 2009, it was announced that Simon's Cat would be published in book format.[1] Canongate released the title on 1 October 2009 in the United Kingdom. It was later released in many other countries[2] and additional titles in the series were subsequently published.
In June 2012, Walt Disney Animation Studios began releasing specially-made shorts of Simon's Cat, while a Simon's Cat newspaper strip ran in the Daily Mirror from 2011 to 2013.[3] In August 2015, it was announced that Endemol UK had acquired a stake on Simon's Cat.[4]
In July 2016, Simon's Cat partnered with Sesame Street as part of their Love to Learn campaign.[5]
In July 2017, the game "Simon's Cat - Crunch Time" premiered. It is currently available on Facebook and on Facebook Gameroom.
Production
The series is animated with Adobe Flash and TVPaint.[6] The pictures are hand-drawn electronically, using an A4-size Wacom Intuos 3 graphics tablet.[7]
Creator Simon Tofield revealed that his four cats, called Teddy, Hugh, Jess and Maisie, provide inspiration for the series, with Hugh being the primary inspiration.[7][8]
Characters
- Simon's Cat: The title character. His antics, often in the quest for food (with his trademark pointing at his mouth or dish when he wants food), vex his owner, Simon. He loves cat food, but also enjoys birds, mice, and fish out of Simon's koi pond. A significant amount of the humour in the book comes from his efforts to capture birds, mice, and fish. Simon's cat has not been officially named, though writer Simon Tofield says that Simon's cat is based on his own cat, Hugh.[9]
- Simon: The long-suffering owner of the cat, a graphic artist.
- Simon's sister's dog: A dog that first appears in the video "Fed Up," in which he is fed underneath the table by a family. The dog also appears in the book and loves to play fetch.
- The Bird: A bird who Simon's cat chases, and who generally outsmarts him.
- The Hedgehog: A hedgehog that lives in Simon's back garden. Simon's cat loves to annoy the hedgehog by impaling objects such as apples, leaves, and tennis balls onto its prickles. The hedgehog also has children.
- The Garden Gnome: A garden gnome similar to the one broken by Simon's cat in "Let Me In." The gnome is seen holding either a fishing rod or a net. Simon's cat often tries to get the gnome to help in his schemes to catch food. The cat considers the gnome a friend, apparently unaware that it is an inanimate object.
- The Bunny: A rabbit that lives in Simon's garden who can literally run circles around the cat.
- The Kitten: In October 2011, Simon brings home a new member of the family who, in spite of his tender age, appears to be considerably smarter than his adult counterpart.
- The Toad: The toad also lives in the garden.
- The Frog: The frog appears in some shorts as well, and is differentiated from the toad in a "How to Draw...Frogs and Toads" short as well as in the "Simon Draws" section of the Kitten Chaos book.[10]
- The Squirrel: The squirrel lives in a tree in Simon's back yard. He loves to pelt Simon's Cat with acorns when the cat chases him.
- The Mouse: Another creature that is often chased by Simon's Cat. Despite their adversarial relationship, the mouse aided Simon's Cat in an elaborate plot intended to impress a female cat in "Smitten."
- Chloe: A female cat who is the object of Simon's cats affections for a time. Demure and somewhat snobbish, she exhibits a finicky appetite, munching on a trail of cat treats but angrily refusing a mouse offered by Simon's Cat in the first film.
- Tiny Simon's Cat : A new edition to the family.
Episodes
Main Series
| No. | Title (Simon's Cat in…) | Original YouTube airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Cat Man Do" | 4 March 2008 |
| Cat goes to extreme measures to get Simon out of bed in the morning. "Cat Man Do" won the "Best Comedy" award at the British Animation Awards 2008.[11] | ||
| 2 | "Let Me In!" | 4 March 2008 |
| Cat goes to great lengths to get through the glass rear door until Simon comes to let him in. | ||
| 3 | "TV Dinner" | 15 July 2008 |
| Cat just won't leave his master alone for a second as he attempts to watch television. The episode was shown on BBC2's The Culture Show on 15 July 2008[12] before being released on YouTube.[13] | ||
| 4 | "Fed Up!" | 8 December 2008 |
| A lesson in over-consumption goes to an eagerly overeating dog and the family as they drop scraps to eat at the dinner table. The original title was "Simon's Sister's Dog in: Fed Up!"; it did not feature the cat. It ends with a message from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. | ||
| 5 | "Fly Guy" | 24 July 2009 |
| A game of Cat and Fly has undesired results for Simon. | ||
| 6 | "Hot Spot" | 28 September 2009 |
| Cat has to find a way to get under the warm glow of his master's drawing lamp. It was released shortly before its book's release. | ||
| 7 | "Snow Business" | 10 February 2010 |
| A day of play turns cold when Cat discovers that it is snowing. It is the first appearance of the bird. | ||
| 8 | "The Box" | 18 August 2010 |
| Leaving an empty box unattended around Cat will produce undesired results. | ||
| 9 | "Cat Chat" | 7 October 2010 |
| The last thing this hedgehog wants for a gabbing partner is a cat with a short attention span. First animated appearance of the hedgehog character. | ||
| 10 | "Lunch Break" | 12 November 2010 |
| Cat's clever move of pulling the tablecloth out from underneath the dishes could use a little work. | ||
| 11 | "Santa Claws" | 10 December 2010 |
| Cat's Christmas gives him new trees to climb and new ornaments to paw at. | ||
| 12 | "Sticky Tape" | 28 February 2011 |
| Cat meets a new, transparent adversary. | ||
| 13 | "Hop It" | 21 April 2011 |
| Cat tries to "Easter" into a new routine. | ||
| 14 | "Hidden Treasure" | 16 June 2011 |
| A game of catch the ball turns into a treasure hunt when Cat's ball hides itself in the gaping darkness beneath the refrigerator. | ||
| 15 | "Cat & Mouse" | 2 September 2011 |
| Cat messes around with the computer mouse. | ||
| 16 | "Double Trouble" | 7 October 2011 |
| Cat gets a new hungry flatmate. First appearance of the kitten. | ||
| 17 | "Catnap" | 23 November 2011 |
| The kitten nuzzles in on a sleeping Cat. | ||
| 18 | "Fowl Play" | 14 December 2011 |
| Cat has plans for Christmas dinner. | ||
| 19 | "Shelf Life" | 14 March 2012 |
| The cat causes mischief when walking along a shelf. | ||
| 20 | "Tongue Tied" | 25 May 2012 |
| The cat meets a toad. | ||
| 21 | "Window Pain" | 9 July 2012 |
| Cat and kitten thwart Simon's attempts to clean a window. | ||
| 22 | "Ready, Steady, Slow!" | 4 August 2012 |
| The cat and friends cheer on a snail race. | ||
| 23 | "Springtime" | 4 October 2012 |
| The cat scales to new heights in search of supper. | ||
| 24 | "Fetch" | 29 October 2012 |
| The cat plays a disastrous game of fetch with an eager dog. | ||
| 25 | "Nut Again" | 23 November 2012 |
| The cat is tormented by a playful but malicious squirrel. | ||
| 26 | "Icecapade" | 7 December 2012 |
| The cat tries to catch a fish trapped under a frozen pond, only to be thwarted by the kitten. | ||
| 27 | "Feed Me" | 4 February 2013 |
| Cat can't wait to be fed. | ||
| 28 | "Screen Grab" | 12 April 2013 |
| Cat, kitten, and a flatscreen TV. | ||
| 29 | "Flower Bed" | 14 June 2013 |
| The cat waits impatiently to be fed while Simon plants a flower garden. | ||
| 30 | "Suitcase" | 2 August 2013 |
| The cat packs Simon's suitcase. | ||
| 31 | "Mirror Mirror" | 13 September 2013 |
| Cat sees his own reflection in a mirror on a door. | ||
| 32 | "Scary Legs" | 25 October 2013 |
| Cat tries to kill a spider, which Simon is afraid of, but the spider doesn't die. Halloween Special episode. | ||
| 33 | "Christmas Presence (Part 1)" | 7 December 2013 |
| Cat finds a robotic singing Santa Claus dummy. | ||
| 34 | "Christmas Presence (Part 2)" | 17 December 2013 |
| The Santa Claus dummy is used by Cat to get Kitten out of Cat's bed. | ||
| 35 | "Smitten" | 3 February 2014 |
| Cat falls in love with another cat and decides to impress her. | ||
| 36 | "Crazy Time" | 3 April 2014 |
| Cat causes another mess in Simon's home, this time from a sudden frenzy. | ||
| 37 | "Pawtrait" | 5 June 2014 |
| Cat sabotages Simon's attempt to take a photo of the kitten. | ||
| 38 | "Hot Water" | 31 July 2014 |
| Cat causes a mess in the bathroom while Simon takes a shower. | ||
| 39 | "Washed Up" | 5 September 2014 |
| The Cat chases a spider into the laundry room, and then tries to take a nap, with disastrous results. | ||
| 40 | "Scaredy Cat" | 9 October 2014 |
| Cat manages to terrify Simon during Halloween. | ||
| 41 | "Let Me Out" | 6 November 2014 |
| The cat wants to be fed ruins his owners morning! | ||
| 42 | "Catnip" | 4 November 2014 |
| The cat has fun with a catnip toy. Christmas Special Episode. | ||
| 43 | "Butterflies" | 12 February 2015 |
| Simon's cat tries to impress the female cat by bringing her a box full of butterflies. Valentine's Special Episode. | ||
| 44 | "April Showers" | 2 April 2015 |
| Simon's cat tries to catch a bird in the lawn on a rainy day but Kitten scares the bird away and locks the cat outside. April's Fools Day episode. | ||
| 45 | "Pizza Cat" | 20 August 2015 |
| The cat wants Simon's pizza. | ||
| 46 | "Box Clever" | 1 October 2015 |
| The cat does everything possible to avoid a visit to the vet. | ||
| 47 | "Pug Life" | 5 November 2015 |
| The cat has trouble eating around the cone of shame, and is annoyed by a friendly Pug | ||
| 48 | "Snow Cat" | 3 December 2015 |
| Festive Special Episode | ||
| 49 | "Tough Love" | 4 February 2016 |
| Valentine's Day Special Episode | ||
| 50 | "Fast Track" | 7 April 2016 |
| Simon plays slot cars, the cat spoils the fun. | ||
| 51 | "Field Trip" | 12 May 2016 |
| The cat is let loose in the wild. | ||
| 52 | "Muddy Paws" | 2 June 2016 |
| Simon's cat tries to clean the kitten. | ||
| 53 | "Laser Toy" | 14 July 2016 |
| Simon plays with his cat, using a laser toy. | ||
| 54 | "Fish Tank" | 5 August 2016 |
| Simon's cat becomes rivals with a sneaky fish. | ||
| 55 | "Trash Cat" | 2 September 2016 |
| Simon's cat attempts to get a discarded roast chicken out of the trash. | ||
| 56 | "The Monster" | 20 October 2016 |
| Simon's cat is frightened by a vacuum cleaner. | ||
| 57 | "Bed Sheets" | 1 December 2016 |
| Simon attempts to make up his bed but the cat and the kitten make it impossible. | ||
| 58 | "Little Box" | 16 December 2016 |
| Simon's cat discovers a small box that is trouble for him but perfect for the kitten. | ||
| 59 | "Dinner Date: Starters" | 10 February 2017 |
| Valentine's day special part 1. | ||
| 60 | "Dinner Date: Main Course" | 17 March 2017 |
| Valentine's day special part 2. | ||
Off to the Vet
In the summer of 2014, a crowdfunding campaign was launched to raise funds to allow Simon and his team to make a 11-minute colour episode of Simon’s Cat.[14][15] Everybody who contributed at least £5, was offered a free access to the clip and other perks. The campaign was successful and the clip was released to supporters in August 2015. In January 2017, the clip went on sale (unlike the other episodes, Off to the Vet is not offered for free viewing).[16]
Simon's Cat Logic
A series of animated cartoons with embedded live footage, that explains cats' traits and behaviour and what can be done to keep them happy and healthy. It is introduced and narrated by Simon Tofield (animated intro, live throughout the episode) and features cat behaviourist Nicky Trevorrow (live). Each episode is illustrated with animations of cats and excerpts from Simon's Cat episodes.
| No. | Title (Simon's Cat Logic) | Original YouTube airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Why Do Cats Have A 'Crazy Time'?" | 28 January 2016 [17] |
| Why do cats run wildly around the house, jump on and off furniture, etc. | ||
| 2 | "Do Cats Fall In Love?" | 12 February 2016 [18] |
| Do cats form lifelong relationships? | ||
| 3 | "In or Out? Why Are Cats So Indecisive?!" | 21 April 2016 [19] |
| Why do cats seemingly hate closed doors but lose interest once the door is opened? | ||
| 4 | "Why Do Cats Love Boxes?!" | 19 May 2016 [20] |
| Why do cats love to get into empty boxes and other small spaces? | ||
| 5 | "Why Do Cats Sleep in Unusual Places?!" | 16 June 2016 [21] |
| What draws cats to sleep in various odd places and do cats have dreams? | ||
| 6 | "How Do Cats Stay So Clean!?" | 21 July 2016 [22] |
| Ways cats keep themselves clean. | ||
| 7 | "Things You Didn't Know About Feeding Time!" | 18 August 2016 [23] |
| How to make the feeding of a cat easier for her human companion and more attractive for the cat. | ||
| 8 | "Things You Didn't Know About Ragdolls!" | 16 September 2016 [24] |
| All about ragdolls. | ||
| 9 | "Why Do Cats Like Hunting?" | 20 December 2016 [25] |
| How much wild cats have to hunt to stay alive, why even domestic, well-fed cats hunt. | ||
| 10 | "Do Cats Really Hate Water?" | 10 March 2017 [26] |
| Do cats really stay away from water? Also recommendations on the shape and placement of cat's water bowl. | ||
Awards
| Episode | Award | Category | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Man Do | British Animation Awards | Best Comedy | March 2008 |
| Cat Man Do | Festival international des Très Courts | Prix Animation | 2008 |
| Cat Man Do | Leicester Short Film Festival | Best Animation | 2008 |
| Cat Man Do | Bradford Animation Festival | Special Jury Prize | 2008 |
| Let Me In | Animae Caribe | Most Outstanding Animation | September 2008 |
Bibliography
All books authored by Simon Tofield.
- Simon's Cat (2009) ISBN 978-1-84767-481-4
- Simon's Cat 2: Beyond the Fence (2010) ISBN 978-1-84767-484-5
- Simon's Cat 3: in Kitten Chaos (2011) ISBN 978-0-85786-078-1
- Simon's Cat 4: Feed Me! (2012) ISBN 978-0-85786-277-8
- Simon's Cat vs. The World! (2012) ISBN 978-0-85786-080-4
- Wake Up! (2013) ISBN 978-0-85786-773-5
- Play Time! (2013) ISBN 978-0-85786-771-1
- The Bumper Book of Simon's Cat (2013) ISBN 978-0-85786-079-8
- Off to the Vet...and Other Cat-astrophes (2015) ISBN 978-1-78211-587-8
References
- ↑ Canongate buys Simon's Cat, The Bookseller, 13 January 2009
- ↑ List of countries that released Simon's Cat in his very own book Archived 13 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Simon's Cat: The Daily Mirror cartoon strip at the Wayback Machine (archived 8 February 2012)
- ↑ Endemol Shine UK adopts YouTube star Simon’s Cat, Kidscreen, 17 August 2015
- ↑ Simon’s Cat & Sesame Street Collaborate on New Content, World Screen, 6 July 2016
- ↑ "Pizza Cat". Thedailyaww.com" 20 August 2015. Accessed 29 July 2016.
- 1 2 Does Simon have a cat in real life? He has three cats - Hugh, Maisie and Jess. **UPDATE!** He now has 4 cats! at the Wayback Machine (archived 4 March 2010)
- ↑ "Simon's Cat is revealed!". Your Cat magazine. 29 August 2008. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009.
Simon, who works for London-based Animation Studio Tandem Films, explains that the films are based on three of his cats, all moggies.
- ↑ Interview with Simon Tofield at the Wayback Machine (archived 18 January 2011) (text and video)
- ↑ Tofield, Simon. Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos. "Simon Draws: A Frog". Retrieved from Google Books. Accessed July 20, 2016.
- ↑ British Animation Awards 2008 list of winners. (2008) British Animation Awards website
- ↑ BBC2's Culture Show blog discussing the showing of 'TV Dinner'(24 July 2008)
- ↑ Tandem Films' blog entry reporting the showing of 'TV Dinner'. (16 July 2008) Random Tandem blog.
- ↑ Simon’s Cat Fundraising Campaign on Indiegogo!, Simon's Cat blog, 8 July 2014
- ↑ Simon's Cat's Indiegogo page
- ↑ Simon’s Cat – ‘Off to the Vet’ is available now!, Simon's Cat blog, 19 January 2017
- ↑ Simon's Cat Logic - Why Do Cats Have A 'Crazy Time'? on YouTube
- ↑ Simon's Cat Logic - Do Cats Fall In Love? on YouTube
- ↑ Simon's Cat Logic - In or Out? Why Are Cats So Indecisive?! on YouTube
- ↑ Simon's Cat Logic - Why Do Cats Love Boxes?! on YouTube
- ↑ Simon's Cat Logic - Why Do Cats Sleep in Unusual Places?! on YouTube
- ↑ Simon's Cat Logic - How Do Cats Stay So Clean!? on YouTube
- ↑ Simon's Cat Logic - Things You Didn't Know About Feeding Time! on YouTube
- ↑ Things You Didn't Know About Ragdolls! - Simon's Cat Breeds on YouTube
- ↑ Does Your Cat Bring You “Gifts”? - Simon’s Cat Logic on YouTube
- ↑ Do Cats Really Hate Water? - Simon's Cat Logic on YouTube
External links
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