The Animation Show is a touring festival of animated short films that was first held in fall 2003. It was created by award-winning animators Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt.
Following the demise of other American touring festivals of animation, such as Spike and Mike's Classic Festival of Animation, the stated purpose of the Animation Show was to bring animated short films back into proper cinemas, where most of them were intended to be seen, and to "free these artists from the dungeons of Internet exhibition". It was the first-ever festival of animation to be curated by working animators and was described as a "passion project" by its creators, not something intended to turn a giant profit. A sister series of Animation Show DVD volumes are also available, but the producers stress that the theatrical and DVD lineups are intentionally a little bit different, to encourage audiences to not just wait for the DVD but to visit the cinema and view these films properly. As stated on the Animation Show programs and flyers, once the current edition of the Show is out of theaters, it's "gone forever".
Let me entertain you
Rang through my head
I was a reckless child
And I did what he said
People came
From miles around
To hear the sound
That was tearing up the town
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're a god
(Baby you're an icon)
(Maybe you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're a dog
The next batter up
Was a man
A scary man
With the golden hands
He brought his axe
To bury the tracks
No mortal man
Could follow his act
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're god
You can't refrain
From going insane
It's what you want to do
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're a god
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Maybe you're god
Now that rock & roll's in the palm of our hands
We take it to the people every chance that we can
We are the party that never ends
Live by these words until we meet again
You can't refrain
From going insane
It's what you want to do
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're a god
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're god
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're a god
(Maybe you're an icon)
(Baby you're a hard on)
Or maybe you're god
Whoa! It's time for the show babe
N-n-n-n-no!
Whoa! Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Time for the show