I was making studio rounds with a feature film idea that went nowhere, but the potential producers knew Oingo Boingo, and included them as part of the pitch for the movie. And I met Danny, and he was just getting started with soundtracks. He told me Oingo B. used to use my film "Quasi at the Quackadero" as an opener at some of their shows. He offered to score this cartoon for me. Such a very nice guy and so incredibly talented.

Danny was very friendly and inspired. He was just getting started with computer created movie scores and enjoyed the experiment I think. I love the music. It was hard for me to mix it down so the dialog could also be heard.

I like how he spends a full minute saying to not go in the basement and then just goes in there himself.

I love how crazy the backgrounds are when the chamaleon is on the screen, despite the chamaleon himself avoiding using the color changing.

I was happy to find this today. It's a childhood memory I shared with my late brother. We used to randomly sing the song for years. I feel like he tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me of it today. I ended up an artist and he a filmmaker. We were drawn to creative things and we loved this.

this makes me so incredibly happy!!!!! It’s my two favorite artists ever! I love oingo boingo and danny and sally your work is absolutely incredible!!! I really have no words to describe how happy your art makes me and I wish you only the best

Danny Elfman's style of music works very well with animation as surreal as this. Like how Cab Calloway provided the music for some of the Betty boop cartoons. You can't find animation like this nowadays.

I was supposed to have a meeting with him one time long ago but when I got to Paramount Studios it was on fire! Meeting was never rescheduled!

Minnie the Moocher is one of the all time greatest pieces of animation, I think, song within the Betty Boop cartoon "Snow White."

This is a beautiful combination of the art of animation and music. As a huge Oingo Boingo fan, I had bootleg tapes of the music from this, but it was considerably later that I actually got to see the animation.

17 people should've listened to the purple lizard.

Brilliant! I remember this from Liquid Television, on Channel 4, late night, here in the UK. It always stuck with me.

I remember this song SO WELL! I know this came out in 1987, but I saw it for the first time on MTV's Liquid Television in 1995.

i want a tattoo of him crawling while on fire ahh i just love this whole cartoon

I saw this on MTV's "Liquid Television" in about '91. Love it.

I went to an Oingo Boingo concert and sketched Danny performing. As I recall it was sort of random, but it was all a long time ago.

Beautiful, and just a hint of scary.

Cab Calloway was a big inspiration to Danny Elfman. I always loved this, and the opening credits to Ruthless People. Top animation!

I think about this piece a lot, honestly. Not only because of the song, which is a banger, but because the shape language of the characters is so pleasing. I find the unapologetic use of colors especially inspiring-- and something I use a lot in my own work. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the ghost scene always makes me think of the animation of 'Minnie the Moocher'. The ghost surrounding the character, and the fluidness of it in particular. It's also another warning song, of sorts, which adds to the comparison.

Did anyone else notice the "free phones" sign? Not something I'd expect from a video made in 1987

I used to play in a band who played this one as a sound check song. The ghosts with the adenoid voices always make me laugh. :)

My husband and I have been trying to remember enough about this to look it up for years! Thanks so much for posting!

Oh! You can tell a dirty story in the old conservatory, But don't go in the basement! You can make a scene on the mezzanine, But don't go in the basement! You can fill yourself with static with the ghosts up in the attic, But don't go in the basement! You can light yourself a torch on the old front porch, But don't go in the basement! Oh you may think that it's real cool to ride down the banister like some darn fool Oh don't, don't, don't, don't, don't go in the basement! Hey! You can feel quite aloof laying rugged on the roof, But don't go in the basement! Where the cockroaches dance you can wallow and romance, But don't go in the basement! Oh you may think that it's deluxe to the ride elevator filled with ducks, But don't, don't, don't, don't, don't go in the basement! Uh-uh!

A timeless masterpiece!

Beautiful surreal. As a huge admirer of such creativity and ludicrous imagination I felt right at home with this beautiful animation. It was so fluid and yet so chaotic. I really admire all the effort you put into making this artistic creation. Marvelous, simply marvelous

I saw this at the Rialto at some animation festival, maybe around 1989 or 1990. Totally amazed at this sequence, I turned to my girlfriend and whispered, "was that...Danny Elfman?" No internet to speak of then. So happy to find this (and share with my kids).

After falling down an Oingo Boingo rabbit hole for the past couple of weeks, I've only just managed to discover this piece of absolutely stellar animation. Face Like a Frog is so, so great, I can't wait to check out more. Sally, thanks for providing another rabbit hole for me to dive down!

glad you're all enjoying it- thanks for your comments.

PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS THIS BEING ON LIQUID TELEVISION OFF OF OLD MTV!!!

So awesome! I remember exactly when I saw this on Liquid Metal. It’s been in my head for almost 30 years it’s so catchy.

these feel like long-forgotten primordial memories which almost feel older than I am oh my god is this where I was before i was born

I friggin' LOVE Danny Elfman. The guy's a genious. 5/5* and faved. Thanks for the upload.

This, and Voltaire's Brains song in Billy and Mandy are the best things ever.

I think it really great about YT. See famous people actually discussing things, being normal people. When you watch TV or see art in gallery there's a glass wall. You can enjoy it, yet there's feeling me vs them. They - artists, writers, creators. School aslo teaches us to see them as a godlike figure. And hey, creators of art are important, but putting them so high causes that many people wouldn't ever try to create something. I think that presence of persons like Sally Crikshank or Vince Collins is very important for uncursing it, for making people see that they can try. I wonder how many people actually tried, but never published their work because they think they never be like god-alike artists. PS: It's not against artist. They create wonderful things and we just think of them much better - that's perfectly normal, but have said downside.

Saw this on Image Union, Chicago, ca.1988. Looks even better now!

I remember when I saw this on Mtvs Liquid Television! Thank you!

Well now I'm going to start singing this song every time I go in the basement.

I always thought that nobody before or after could ever come close to matching the spell-binding surrealism of pre-code Fleischer cartoons. Apparently, the Fleischers have met their match, if not their master. This is one of the best cartoons I've ever seen.

I sing this song to my friend's kid when I visit. Its become a game we play and love. Didn't think anyone besides my boozy ass remembered! Great post and thanks for it!

I remember this song. I haven't seen it in years. But I still remember seeing this in like MTV back in the 90s. The song is quite addicting.

It's from a cartoon I made called "Face Like a Frog" also with soundtrack by Danny Elfman. It's on youtube or on a dvd I sell, along with lots of other animation I've done.

Saw a clip of this online and thought the voice sounded familiar. Glad to have found another Oingo Boingo gem.

When Nintendo was working on Super Mario 64, this absolutely must have been a major influence on the strange eel that shows up at the bottom of the Jolly Roger Bay level. Don't go in the basement indeed.

I really enjoy this! The motion of the lizard is wonderful.

I always sing this....now I can finally show ppl where I got it from!!!! Thank you so much for posting this vid! :-)

Yes, Rockoooo!!! Good song... amazing animation!

Love this so much...both the artwork and the vocals/music.

The composer and singer is up for an Oscar today for his film score on "Milk."

I remember loving this song and cartoon back when I was younger and just discovering the whole indie animation scene on KZfaq. Finding this again at 2 in the morning gives me a super nostalgic feeling for a time when things seemed more cool, mysterious, and exciting to me.

Oh yussss. My dad introduced me to the 'toon back in the early 70s. He was a huge Calloway fan, so it was important to pass on. Nice to "meet" you! I always thought you were fan-flipping-tastic. :)

I feel the same way, my favorite animation is when it's really synching with the music.

Im obsessed with the character design! Such a unique animation! :]

Thanks for nice responses. Doesn't seem to be an option for replying individually anymore-

I storyboarded this song because I was lucky enough to get the music before the animation. In the cartoon Face Like a Frog, which this is part of, I animated before I got the track. It's much more fun to animate to an existing track because you can hit the beats etc.

@Sally Cruikshank -- Holy cow it's you!.... Hi, you're amazing.

Oh my god. Saly? Oh my god....your work is part of the reason why I got into art and this is, like, one of my all time favorite pieces of animation. Thank you so much for inspiring me. Art (and music, because this got me into all sorts of 'weird' music) has saved my life more than a few times. Literally. You're part of the reason I'm still here and your work helped give me a safe place to go to whenever all the abuse I went through was too much THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART

I just love it. You have a lot to be proud of, Sal. I think the lizard really does look a little like Danny and slinks around the way he would onstage :)

Danny sounds like Jack Skellington stoned in this. It's glorous!

I love this song, I played it on my radio show last night from KZfaq!

I am so glad to have found this piece again - I think I first saw it on WGBH Boston either as a stand-alone or part of one of their animation anthologies. I'm even happier to see that it's here on KZfaq legit from the creator herself. Thank you Sally! Oh and don't think we didn't spot the ducks from Fun on Mars crowding on the elevator!

This song is more than what it seems to be !!

i have no idea if this was intentional, sally, but i love how much the singing lizard resembles danny.

The music and images are so full of rhythm. It is an enjoyable video.

The most underrated video

This reminds me a tad bit of Rocko's Modern Life.

I actually discovered Oingo Boingo through this! Also, I have sung this song so many times while cooking that my mother knows it by heart. :,D

I love the fleischer inspiration this has.

The short and others on this channel relay inspire me in animation. Thanks Sally!

The song is so amazing!!

I found Oingo Boingo through this song and now I'm glad I watched this animation.

THE BIG LIPPED ALLIGATOR MOMENT

yeah, thanks. saw this delightful insanity on tv in 1989. have remembered since...

i _still_ love this lovely song! oh hello me from 4 years ago in the comments... _stop with the damn emoticons you frick_ _well, i stopped so i suppose it's good now_ but really, this awakes alot of memories from a different time!

I remember this from wayyyyyy back, thought about it today and looked it up. WTF? lol

Well this comment actually makes me blush. It took years and youtube for this cartoon to find its audience.

haven't seen this in years, never forgot it though, thank you so much Sally, you're awesome!!!

Such a distinct and exciting aesthetic. Lots of fun to watch. Must have been fun to make.

Sally your work is awesome!. This mixture of ingenuity and irony running through your characters, the spaces in which they move, a wealth of details and the stories... that create this special atmosphere and above all HOW MUCH STYLE!!!! thanks for your great art!

@ScutigeraColeoptrata Thank you very much, wow, to think this piece has affected people so much, amazing to me.

0:40 Did I just see someone's finger get cut off!?!

This is one of the reasons why I want to go into animation. I love the movements of the characters! I hope that I get to make animation as great as this! :)

Sally you're a goddess and a genius, your work has inspired me and my friends to no end. I've just turned 19 and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to see your work :) just purchased your DVD!

I saw this ages ago on The 90's Hemp Video. very cool!

Wow Sally Cruikshank, you're great at making cartoons. I wish I could be in one of the cartoons you made.

How did you get Danny Elfman involved in this beauty?

No, we lost touch. He became quite a famous guy working all the time. I did the cartoon @ss backwards, animating a big part of it before I had any voices. That's why they don't say much. The frog dude is the voice of Dick Miller, who appeared in many of Joe Dante's movies.

I remember seeing your work on seseme street, I always loved the art style and looked forward to those the most. I don't know what it is really, the surrealism, the fantastical bordering on nightmarish with just enough enjoyment to *not* fully scare me away. it's just a visual feast for the eyes that goes in directions that only the imagination and animation can go. like seeing a dream while awake. Edited: meant to say not scare me away. bolded the word to show the edit. I was on mobile when i typed that.

your animation style is awesome... I love all the morphing and wobbling and stuff, haha.

This feels like it was partially the inspiration for "Remains of the Day" from "Corpse Bride".

The door at the end always cracks me up

@clowezra glad I've inspired you- good luck with your work and thanks for buying the dvd!

First heard a demo (or otherwise inferior version) of this song a few years back...now that I've found this video, the song sounds much better, and we have some enjoyable animation to go with it. Well done, Sally!

This sounds like a classic Disney villain song! ^D^

Gosh, Sally, tx for the prompt reply! I stand corrected & will have to pay up, lol. Hubby Al loves your stuff too--am familiar w/your Sesame Street stuff as well (Beginning, Middle, & End a particular fav)--keep up the wonderful work, hope all is well w/you & yours...

This acid is so seriously terrified at once, I never it's so weird about it!

This song makes me want to go in the basement o_o

Thanks for your nice comments.

this is BETTER SURREALISM than the horrible Groovenians pilot

Man what an awesome song. Danny Elfman rules. If only someone could make an Amv of this tune to clips of 3 of Disney's villians/antagonists - namely Dr Facilier(Princess and the Frog), Oogie Boogie (Nightmare Before Christmas) and Randall Boggs (Monsters Inc) The former 2 for the theme and tone of the song and the latter not only because he's a purple lizard with green eyes like Elfman's character- but he built the scream extractor in the basement xD

the timing is great! fun images!