Watch This: Long Gone Gulch (Pilot)
Way back in 2016, we covered the campaign for the hand-drawn animated pilot Long Gone Gulch. It's taken five years and additional funding from Go Fund Me but the pilot is finally available for public viewing online. And it's a real treat for animation fans everywhere.
Long Gone Gulch is best described as a fantasy western and is set in an old-west inspired town in a place known as The Gulch. It's not your average western though, as this place is populated by talking animals, monsters, mummies, sentient cacti and all sorts of other bizarre critters. Tasked with enforcing the law in this crazy town are the sheriffs Rawhide and Snag, the Gulch's only human residents.
Rawhide is an energetic daughter of a former lawman and Snag is a 50's style greaser and is this pilot episode they have to get their badges back from the town's killjoy mayor (a jackalope) and save the town from rampaging villains.
The finished pilot was able to expand to a full 21-minute run-time (the team were originally planning for 8-11 minute) and made the most of it. It's a hoot- vibrant, colourful and kinetic, without a single wasted frame. The character designs are distinctive and original and the visuals of the show are one of its main selling points, alongside the sheer inventiveness behind it.
It comes from creators Tara Billinger and Zach Bellisimo, who also served as directors and designed the characters and props. Billinger worked on Disney's acclaimed Mickey Mouse shorts and Billinger designed characters for Rick and Morty- you can certainly see the influence of their past work here.
Their connections also allowed them to nab some first-class voice talent- Elizabeth Daily voices Rawhide, and it also features appearances from Eric Bauza and Danny Cooksey.
Check out the pilot below, and if you enjoy it, share it around. The more publicity it receives, the more likely it is to attract the attention of a broadcaster or streaming service. Long Gone Gulch would definitely be at home on a channel such as Cartoon Network or would fit equally well with a streamer like Netflix or Amazon Prime. This deserves to go far!
