Do you like seeing miniature Model Ts hatch out of eggs? Are you interested in watching cats “grow” from pussy willow branches? Do you have a fondness for tough-talking oysters with googly pearl eyes? Then maybe you’ll be excited to know…

Flying a little under the radar in his own time and forgotten for decades after the silent era ended, animator, filmmaker, and comedian Charley Bowers was one of the most madly creative artists you’ve probably never heard of–and he was a heck of a character to boot. The brains behind the many Mutt and Jeff cartoons, Bowers tinkered obsessively with stop motion animation on the side and decided to unveil his decidedly whimsical visions in his mid-1920s “Whirlwind Comedies,” a series where he was also the star.

Bizarre, charming, and surreal–and yes, funny!–these shorts are gems of creativity. You never quite know when a strange creature or preposterous invention will appear onscreen via the magic of stop motion–or, as their creator grandly dubbed it, “the Bowers Process.” Throughout this month I’m going to be taking a closer look at these eccentric comedies and at their equally eccentric creator. Feel free to stop by often to see the new posts and to get better acquainted with the Bowers Process–and may you get as big a kick out of his work as I have!

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